March has brought so many things. It has been a whirlwind to say the least. I have had so many pictures and updates and posts that I have wanted to share...but it has just never been a good time to sit down and get it out there. SO...get ready for some update overload :)
My longtime best friend was in a terrible car accident two weeks ago. My heart was broken...thank you to all who prayed and prayed alongside me for a quick healing! I am SO happy to report that she is HOME! She is going to ROCK her wheelchair and I just know that with her serious determination she will be up and at em in NO time! Bryce has already offered to get her a horn for her wheelchair...like the one on his bike!
My friend, Cara, has gone home to Heaven today. She no longer suffers and is healed.
Psalm 30:5
Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit
Psalm 37:39
The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble
Psalm 48:14
For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.
I have prayed and prayed for this sweet family and will continue to lift them up. There are so many questions that come from a death of a sweet young person with young children. It is not fair...it just doesnt seem right...its just cannot be right. But the Lord says it is. I was taught recently that EVERYTHING filters through the cross and we are NOT meant to always understand His plans while we are here on earth. In a world of instant gratification...we cannot google heaven and see what it will be like. We cant text God and ask him when he has planned for us to come. We cant mapquest the directions on how to get there. This is something we really have to WAIT for...wait??? That is not something that I am so great at!! This is what FAITH is. I have learned in the past few weeks that FAITH has so many more meanings than I was giving it credit for. It does not just mean I believe...the end. No way jose! I dont have an answer to so many things...but God does...and I gotta be OK with that. Patience is hard. Waiting is hard. Not knowing why is hard.
I was so blessed to be able to go on my church womens retreat in Fredicksburg! I left feeling so rejuvenated and refreshed!! I had some pretty fun roomies too :)
Was it a coincidence that the theme for the weekend was FAITH HOPE LOVE?
God...your timing is so cool.
We had our house painted! Here is what it looked like during...SCARY! Did i take before and after pictures? Of course not...that would have been too cool. Bummer to that.
Pop Pop got to come and visit!!! YAY to that! He just finished his super Cowboy trailride trip to the Houston Rodeo and was able to come see us after. We took the boys + our cute friend Hudson to the Zoo! It was the most perfect weather and we had a BLAST!
The childrens area is amazing. We hung out in this little area for hours.
Brody was a huge fan of the goats. He loved loved loved brushing them!
Braxton also enjoyed the goats! He called them "puppy!"
A hippo butt. If you have not seen one...you should. Kids can look at them and laugh at them for a LONG time. Plus its air conditioned in this spot. Perfect.
We also had some time to sneak away to the park while Pop Pop was here! I am not sure who had more fun...the boys or him!
This picture really deserves a post of its own. Justin and I are so proud to announce Bryce's Baptism. It was the most special day I can remember! I felt as happy and filled with joy as I did on my wedding day. I was full of emotion (and of course cried like a crazy) and so incredibly PROUD! Our Bryce has asked for awhile to be baptized and we wanted to make sure he knew exactly what he was doing before he did it. Boy did he!! He spoke with both Childrens Minister and our Senior Pastor. His heart is so soft and filled with the spirit. I admire his love for the Lord. I am filled with joy, pride, love and relief!!!
SO MANY of our AMAZING family and friends were there to celebrate with us!! My grandparents, aunt and dad were all there....sweet Katie came from Houston too! Our row was filled with very dear friends and the whole church rejoiced with us! We celebrated the whole day with so many wonderful friends. We are so blessed to have so many people who love us and love Bryce and understood just how special this day was! He got so many fun books and Bibles and devotionals! He even got some cool stuff in the mail from family!
I never knew how awesome it would feel to have my son declare that Jesus will live in his heart forever! He stood before his peers and declared Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior! He was washed in the water. AMEN!!
Now....moving on to something silly :) Fatty having a snack!
It is SPRING!
RODEO TIME! Some friends were so kind to invite us several times to the SA Rodeo! Much different than Houston lol BUT still SO SUPER FUN!
Bryce and his buddy eating cotton candy and watching the bull riders!
my sweet toder bug..he just loves to wear hats!
Now...I promise not to cram such exciting/crazy news into a post again. The moral is that during the storm there is always a rainbow. During the hard and scary times...God shines down un us. He loves us no matter what. He loves us more than ANYONE else does! He listens to our questions...he answers...sometimes. He holds us tightly when we are sad. He lifts us up when our hearts are heavy. He blessed us with the amazing gift of prayer.
Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version, ©2011)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
