In this Season: New Surprises & Family Moments

Though I took an unexpected break from blogging, it has definitely still been in the forefront of my mind. Being able to share and record life in a unique way is a big piece of my heart and I'm so grateful to be back (hopefully for much longer). Well much has happened! Lots of growth, changes, challenges, but oh so many triumphs. The ones that humble you and remind you that God is working ever so sweetly in your life to make you better. 

As you can see the boys have grown! And their personalities are something for short stories and live television for sure...especially Titus. They are so much fun, so much that we are having our THIRD BOY in February! Yes, you read that right...our THIRD BOY ha! I can't say that Mike and I weren't hoping for a girl (so much he thinks we should try one more time...), but my heart truly is at peace and full of excitement. 

We had the opportunity recently to do a family photo session with one of my absolute favorite photographers and close friend from Uplifted Photography! I cannot even describe how I feel looking at our family in this new season. Thank you as always Bri for capturing us so perfectly, and sweet baby boy before his arrival!

Weekend Adventures: Great Eats & Sweet Moments

 

Finding quaint places to eat and new adventures have become our thing, and it's great to enjoy it with Kai and Titus as well. I am convinced that the best places to eat are sometimes the hardest to find! And being able to try new things always makes for new memories and great weekends.

This past Saturday we were invited to try The Secret Garden with a friend of ours. I've heard about it and the dining experience, but just never found the time to make it. The restaurant is located in Old Town Occoquan here in Woodbridge, VA. It's most certainly hidden, only providing a hanging sign to its entrance. 

 

But my oh my is it fantastic! The food was absolutely incredible and the service was outstanding. I tried the salmon burger (trying to eat healthier...most days) while the boys ate fresh blueberries with chicken and fries. Did I mention they have a children's menu and all of their ingredients are fresh?!? We all had such a wonderful time amongst the peaceful and semi quiet (my kids were quite entertaining) environment. 

 

 

Mike and I plan to go back again for brunch just the two of us. I've heard it's even better! What are some of your favorite quaint spots? 

Marriage: Learning this side of Us

 

The best marriage advice I received was early on: "relationships are like a dance, to grow you have to learn and adjust your steps." Every season is like a new song, sometimes you can move with ease or your partner can. Other moments you both seem to have left feet and desperately need some aid on the dance floor. Regardless of the song, when you've found someone you want to keep dancing with you figure it out along the way. 

For the last two years we've been in a season of a lot of new steps and many forgotten ones that I've had to relearn. As much as I love watching other couples, my biggest "couple goals" have always been my own...but it hasn't been easy. After coming alongside my husband in ministry, many areas that we had suppressed, ignored, and put a do not disturb sign on came full force in our faces. Going from seeing each other for maybe three hours total (working two different jobs and schedules) to now being side by side almost the full 24...it's been a serious adjustment! 

 

These last two years of our marriage have been unique as our love and commitment have required far more actions than words. When the arguments have gotten ugly and the space between us has felt like a thousand miles emotionally - my heart's intentions had to step up their game. Nothing is solved in a day, but as we learn, grow, and mend some broken areas I've noticed 3 changes we've made in this new dance:

1. Acknowledging where things are at: Because it's better to feel the sting of truth rather than the heartbreak of a lie. Though we can laugh now, we couldn't a few months ago when we both realized "this should be a safe place, but it's not." Processing that we both were on edge in the majority of our conversations always caused a sense of walking on eggshells. Truth was somewhere a hurt or offense began to crack our safe haven between us. Before we knew it everything was heard, seen, and felt through a distorted lense. Acknowledging and speaking truth to one another has rebuilt simple trust in our communication and safety...it's a daily practice I know we must stay committed to.

2. Make the time: It's the kids. It's your job. I'm tired...we all know the excuses, so we don't have to make the time. Saying yes to everything and everyone else made it so easy for me to say no to Mike and vice versa. Time is precious and the best way it's spent is cultivating your most important relationships. Understanding that all really good things take time...your time. Push yourself to make the effort if you want it to work. So making time to spend without kids, making time to find areas of interest, making time to have sex (indeed - that as well), all of those things are so vital for both of us. As we've made it a priority my radar can sense now when we haven't... which is a good thing. 

3. Identify and Practice ONE area of common ground: If Mike were writing this it would be sex haha. And truth is if that's your starting point in your marriage to help things get back in place, then by all means go for it! But in all seriousness for us it's prayer. Our own spiritual walks are what brought us together and it's our strongest common ground - our love for Jesus Christ. So we start there, and it doesn't always look like long devotionals or time spent on our knees praying. It's looked like conversations about podcasts, articles, a book we read together, or even what God may be sharing with us personally. Intentionally talking about something we both enjoy starts to open doors for us to talk about other things. Like the days when you could talk on the phone for hours...remember those? Yeah, I don't remember what we talked about at all, but I can recall the feeling of not wanting it to end. Practicing and finding something you both can do reminds you that you both actually like each other before this season. For us it's unveiled areas we didn't realize were a common ground! But practice is so key.

Though not everyone believes in soulmates, I do believe that when you choose to dance and take a journey alongside someone else you mean it. You choose that person, because it makes sense in more areas of your life than you can count. In our truthful moments we've both wanted to quit and walk off the dance floor...it's not been easy, but intentionally changing has become easier as we practice it. 

I pray whether it's your best season or worst while you step on each other's toes that you're encouraged and try at least one of these three for yourself. All good things are worth trying and I'm a firm believer that this is worth trying. 

Ministry & Marriage: Unexpected Connections

October has literally been filled with all things pumpkin! Everyday for the last several weeks Mike and I have been overseeing our annual youth fundraiser, which happens to be a Pumpkin Patch. It's actually been really cool (a bit overwhelming haha), but nonetheless a crazy whirlwind I know I wouldn't have survived without Mike. 

As we see the light at the end of the tunnel, I've been looking back at how even this opportunity allowed us to better communicate, find ways to enjoy one another, and see new strengths that we didn't know existed. I have to say my favorite part has been reading The Pumpkin Patch Parable to a crowd of children while Mike (dressed as Tigger) has acted out parts alongside me and kept them on edge as to how the story ends. 

It's been a sweet and stressful month, but more importantly incredible. Ministry has its moments, but I'm thankful we do it together...I really wouldn't have it any other way.

New Memories with Old Friends

One of our dear friends from college recently got married and though I couldn't attend, it made for a great night of laughs and time with friends we don't normally get to see. We all have changed so much from when we met back in our early 20's. Life has a funny way of bringing you back and showing you how far you've come. We're all married now and some with kids and others enjoying sleeping in without littles haha. I love this bunch and glad we could all spend a night together again.

Marriage & Ministry: Five Years of Prayers

Though God has blessed me to be able to serve in ministry since I was 11 years old (I've just always loved it), there is nothing like quite seeing answered prayers. As unexpected as it was to be in the position that we are in now, this past weekend we had the chance to really see something come to pass that we've only talked about and prayed for.

Youth ministry is not for the weak...seriously. When you think you've learned something or you've gotten a good grip on how to handle situations, curve balls come flying your way. We've had tough seasons, lonely seasons, confusing seasons, angry seasons, you name it - we've felt it. The joy of pouring into someone's life and truly desiring the absolute best most certainly overshadows those times, but it doesn't diminish them by any means. Transitions go hand in hand with ministry, which is difficult because the backbone of youth ministry is consistency. Having the same faces commit to seeing the growth and change in a young person's life is hard to find.

This past weekend we held or first student ministry's staff retreat. We were able to talk, pray, laugh, and grow on such an intimate level. Mike and I have prayed for this moment, when it seemed like we were the wrong fit, the worst choice, this was that huge glimmer of hope. That reminder of God's promise to us that we only need to stay obedient and trust that we are where we should be. That we don't need to chase and hunt people down, He will send the right people in His timing. 

I'm so grateful to share this time with those people in that picture. They are our friends that are more like family. They love our kids and we adore theirs. We believe in their dreams and can't thank God enough for their genuine friendships. It was a great weekend, one that I want to make sure I keep close on those nights when I feel God chose the wrong person for this place and these students... He has this, and He hasn't forgotten me yet.

Marriage & Ministry: Making Time

Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.

My biggest complaint often is that I don't have time...that I'm "too tired" or especially our ministry schedule doesn't allow me to do the things I really want to do. In fact, I know I say it daily or multiple times a day as the laundry piles up, emails aren't answered, dishes are still sitting in the sink - how am I going to finish this? Where is the time?!? Then the flood of being overwhelmed crashes in and I hide in the bathroom to collect myself haha. 

Sure I have as much time as Beyoncé, but I don't have all of the help she does! Time is something that we wish we had more of, but the quality of time doesn't always equate to the quantity of it...does that make sense?

So we received a phone call of a time share presentation opportunity last weekend. I mean we can "suffer" through an hour for a gift card and a free hotel stay right? Since we couldn't commit to the entire week, we figured why not an overnight stay. Massanutten resort is about 1.5 hours from our house, so it wasn't out of our way significantly - and we needed a getaway. So we packed the kids and left after church Sunday.

First, we just recently started traveling with both kids outside of our normal routine...and I applaud people who are so brave and courageous to make a habit of it. The last few overnights we've done have been an adjustment as Kai and Titus have loved being away from home (and I've learned to let most rules go). Accepting that my kids need to enjoy the world around them and that includes quite a bit of non instagramable moments (if you know what I mean). 

So we made it...but not without the realization that life is full of the concept that:

When you say yes to one thing you say no to another. 

When Mike and I returned home we asked ourselves was the trip a success and did we actually enjoy a break - truth is we did. Saying no to how much time allowed us to focus on the fact that every moment needed to count. The quality of our getaway was probably the best we've had in a few months. The look on the boys' faces are ingrained in my heart and mind. 

work.dishes.laundry. you fill in the bank - will always be there. Though I say it, I feel guilty if I live it. But it's so healthy to say no probably more often than I do. To think of quality in a world where quantity is the measure we rise and fall on. After our short time away I thought to myself I can do this...we can do this. Take a day off or two and make it count. 

Say yes and feel good about it.

Marriage & Ministry: The Art of Taking Offense

image | estheroh

It seems that over time it has become easier and easier to settle for being offended, especially in church. Honestly the percentage of those who walk away from their congregation due to being offended, most likely supersedes any other reason. Countless times I have sat and talked with members who are simply hurt from gossip, misconstrued situations, and down right petty "I just don't like you" issues at the heart of things. Yet I rarely see a desire and push to resolve or reconcile when an offense has occurred...and I have to wonder why.

It has taken me some time to write about this topic - to put it simply: because it is a raw issue I encounter more and more as a pastor's wife. As if this has become the "season of the offended" - and the most offended has been me. From harsh words spoken about my husband to me or judgments that felt too casually passed on decisions that we've prayed and executed personally and within the realms of ministry. I used to think I had tough skin, until I received someone's unsolicited "thoughts" and needed opinions about myself and/or my husband. This is where things become tricky, because as a wife I am inclined to want to defend and immediately respond on behalf of my spouse, even jump at the chance to throw back some harsh words of my own! And somehow I have found that people in their good or sometimes hidden intentions don't think I may be hurt at all.

But if I do react naturally...how will that affect not just me, but the ministry, this position that God has placed me in at this time? My words no longer become my own and my actions are easily a reflection on everything other than a simple wife hurt by intentional or unintentional offenses.

So naturally I wanted to internalize it. Smile...brush it off...right? Instead I began to become bitter - even angry. Not the anger where you can yell and blow off steam, that anger that sits deep in the heart and sprouts roots that attach to your heart strings. The anger that when you see someone you intentionally walk up to them so that you can provoke and bully them emotionally through passive aggressiveness or unspoken gestures. And that began to concern me - because I've had anger like that before and it takes much more than prayer to handle and remove its clutches. So then how do you handle it? Truthfully, because I know as a wife that is one of the most difficult situations when you are a listening and supportive ear - but the information and criticism is about the person you dearly love...and in ministry it can cause an even more awkward situation as your job is to support, to listen, and to encourage healthy change.

So how do you handle it - I ask you. During time with the Lord over many tears and prayers, I had a moment of clarity.

What is the end result?

At the end of this offense what was I hoping to gain or lose? What would I allow it to do in terms of shaping my character positively or negatively... and even more so was I desiring to reconcile at the end. Because it feels justified to stay offended, you don't have to work at anything or than embracing and sitting in your emotions. But it takes work and even losing relationships sometimes to reconcile and move forward desiring to not be held back by the hurt of others' words or actions. 

DO I WANT TO RECONCILE? 

At the end of the day am I willing to forgive and not hold onto something that will only damage my desire to be closer to Christ and to remember that we are all still flesh and blood? During this season I have begun to ask myself in every instance what is my ultimate desire. Whether it feels right or the timing isn't when I want it...am I desiring to reconcile so that I can draw closer to those things that I know God wants to grow in me. A joy that surpasses understanding and remembers that I am a reflection of brokenness that was saved by grace and who am I to not continue to share that grace in my daily life. No this doesn't negate wisdom in how I interact and handle harsh words or hurtful situations, but it does begin to free my heart and mind to take it all in stride. 

Motherhood: Maternity Photos

Though I have been silent, I have kept several posts that I just have not pressed the "publish" button on. I will be doing this very soon as I know that this season has been a very significant one for me especially as a wife and mother...even more so as a woman. I didn't completely disappear friend, just a little silent as I've done some much needed reflection.

Recently we took some maternity photos, this we did not do with Kai. My dear friend and phenomenal photographer had been asking us for well over a year to take new family photos and the occasion finally rose with little guy coming! To say I'm in love would be an understatement! I seriously cannot get enough of how they turned out. I'm looking forward to printing these and hanging them in the nursery. Did I even mention that it's finally done?? That's a post for the weekend I think - I'm beyond elated with how that turned out as well. Okay enough, let's get to the maternity shoot!

Thank you as always Uplifted Photography for being family and dear friends - and always having an amazing vision when you capture us! We truly can't wait to meet the new little one and I cannot wait to share him with you all too! Hope you're ready to enjoy the weekend just as much as I am!

Weekend Adventures: Easter, Family, and Rest

 

As the weekend comes to a close I have to say that despite it feeling incredibly busy, I loved that we all had time together. I found myself managing our schedule much better by leaving earlier and allowing Kai and myself to rest at a decent time since Mike was apart of this year's Easter production. Though Thursday and Friday were late evenings for him, Kai and I were asleep and ready to tackle the next day! The further along I get in my pregnancy the more I realize that I need rest - so I'm grateful that we can be flexible (thanks babe).

Saturday we helped and enjoyed the Easter carnival which was full of cotton candy, candy, and of course an egg hunt. We overstuffed ourselves with cotton candy and I'm not ashamed to say it! This was Kai's first real indulgence in this sweet nectar (can you tell my love for cotton candy?). I would say the sticky hands, face, and request for more made this experience for him a success! Later in the evening I took a "mommy break" and went to Target so I could pick up some items for dinner and see what I could find for Kai's basket (you can read about last year's basket here). While I was standing in the $1 section, I found myself thinking outloud and mentioning that I wasn't sure if Kai really needed a basket this year. A fellow mom beside me told me I didn't want him to "not know" about the holiday and I should get a few small things. As I roamed around I couldn't help but run that through my head a few times (you know me well... Miss Analytical), and I came to the conclusion that I want Kai to know what Easter is about...and it has nothing to do with a basket.

So I scratched the basket this year...and I didn't feel bad about it. Instead I bought Kai and Mike a few items I knew they would enjoy/need and called it a day. Kai got a bubble wand and some cool Ninja Turtle snack keepers - oh and not to mention underwear! I could not get one single photo that wasn't blurry, because Kai LOVED the bubble wand (point for me!). Mike and Kai played with the bubbles well into dinner time and I am glad I didn't go above and beyond this year. However, we did read the Easter story and thanked God for sending His son in the most gracious and selfless acts ever committed. I think that will be a part of our family tradition...

Finally Sunday rolled around and we rested. I crafted while the boys took naps and we spent time with friends who are family. Mike had requested for us to take a picture together at the same spot over 2 years ago when we were pregnant with Kai (oh time...). My how we've grown.

How was your weekend? Were you able to enjoy today off as well? I worked a small portion of today, but had some great time with my sister and nephews at the house. We even cleaned up the front yard and put down new mulch! I know you're beaming with excitement as well haha! I could get used to more days like today and this weekend.

Marriage & Ministry: Communication

Communication often feels like nothing sometimes – knowing in reality that it’s everything. Whether verbally, through our emotions, glances, lip quivers…we all are communicating something even when we say it’s “nothing.”

Mike and I both are natural communicators, but we communicate on completely opposite sides of the spectrum. He can talk and talk…and talk while I can listen quietly and feel that my body language and especially facial expressions can speak much louder than my words. And I’m also a writer, so I can tell you my thoughts through pen and paper best. In our jobs we daily communicate – all.day.long. So when we’re home I unload in silence while Mike could still talk a few more hours…

In any relationship communication is in the top three of dances you and your partner must learn to step in tune together... and at your own pace. What you say and most often how you say it can easily resolve or create an argument. There have been many missteps and still are as Mike and I learn what works best for us.

In this season of our ministry setting I’ve begun to realize just how magnified communication becomes…because not only are we communicating to one another – so many others are trying to communicate (even simultaneously) to each of us. From what others think we’re doing “right” to what they feel is “wrong” there are nonstop open lines of communication whether you would like them or not – and even in a much more intimate setting. Constantly sorting through and categorizing these additional lines can be and sometimes is overwhelming. How do you not take personally when someone tells you they don’t “like” your husband or were offended by how something was handled? And how do you choose what to communicate back to your spouse or not knowing that it could cause an issue between the two of you…though you’re just the messenger?

In one word it comes down to boundaries. It’s difficult to not want to take home what is very much so a part of our lives. We live.breathe.eat.sleep (you get the point) youth ministry. It’s our heart – but it’s not the crux of who we are as a family and especially our marriage. That was a hard pill to swallow without feeling guilty that we were letting our students and our ministry down. Most days we could easily come home and talk about the issues, plans, calendar ideas, and students in the ministry – but had a difficult time remember how to communicate and be vulnerable with our needs. We communicate, but not what matters most.

Having to weed through and establish times for when and where we would talk about ministry has had to put this part of our lives in its place. It is just as important as it always was; however, it has had to stop consuming us – and we’ve had to start talking about things that matter. 

Communication and time go hand in hand. Because our time is limited our communication is vital. Our planning is vital. And our time together that makes us stronger and fill fulfilled after sitting and drinking coffee at 12am on a Friday night is what keeps us sane.

I don’t know how you prioritize or set boundaries with your spouse in the midst of ministry, but we are taking one day at a time to choose when and where we talk about all of the other information we’re receiving throughout the day. There is always a crisis and being available is a part of it all. Set boundaries that work for you, extend grace to each other when words don’t come out right, and cover one another because that’s all you have at the end of the day.

Communicate what’s important to your marriage – sort out the rest in between – stay connected.

Marriage & Ministry: Oh You're a Pastor's Wife...

"So what does your husband do?"

" He's a youth pastor"

"Oh! So you're a pastor's wife?"

Reluctantly I've answered that question or subconsciously shown on my face what I felt in my heart when my husband initially began full time ministry over two years ago. There was a slight twinge in my core I couldn't explain or maybe it was the change in the tone of the questioner to my husband's profession... maybe a mixture of both. Sometimes the conversation would end awkwardly there or a few minutes later, but the automatic feeling that I had to become on guard was a blow to the chest every time (and still can be...). Before that moment I was normal or at least I could be myself without any apparent judgments, but now I knew and they knew there was an invisible expectation...because with different roles and titles there is always an expectation. I'm not just Carmen... oh you're a pastor's wife.

Stepping into ministry was completely by God's calling that I had pushed aside and with much bitterness in my heart refused to fulfill. I had served under many ministries since I was in middle school, always wanting to live at church and found it as my safe place. I loved helping and have always enjoyed encouraging others to greatness - it's just in my DNA. However, during my early 20's I had been greatly hurt by ministry (I don't wish upon anyone) and had seen how it affected and torn a part others in a way I didn't want to see touch my family...especially my new growing family. But sometimes our greatest fears are the fuel to our greatest impact in life. After a tugging on Mike's heart we returned to ministry, but not just in an inconspicuous way where I wouldn't have to get my hands dirty and could detach when I felt the need. But the front line.

[Insert angry emojis along with a few fire ones]

It took many nights of prayer and literally crying out to God angrily as to why He would place me in such a position. Pregnant I would sit in our room or in the living room on the floor and journal my anger; freely questioning if God even cared. My broken spirit didn't know if I could handle another tear or wound, not with a precious life in my hands. I reminded myself nothing would be different and we would end up like a statistic. I reasoned with Mike, because I know how to be extremely logical - but there was nothing logical about this...and when God is in the center it rarely is.

There are a lot of assumptions when it comes to pastors and their wives. Many times it is romanticized or even pitied, because pastor's wives can become lonely or neglected...I've had them and now in filling my own shoes, I experience them. As with any title or expectation you set the bar then watch to see how close one measures to it. Even for myself I felt that now I wear this badge I must be pretty much the opposite of myself: quiet, timid, soft spoken, not questioning much, and especially following the rules. 

                           What if I don't measure up? 

                                            What if that sounded too harsh? 

                                                                  What if I don't fit in? 

                                                                                      And truthfully I didn't. 

When Mike and I stepped into this roll all I could think of was how I didn't fit the mold...and it made me feel even less than when people would just prod and pick into our lives as if we were that awkward pimple on your nose...only to distance themselves and collect our responses to be shared or told in another setting. However, in those moments of transition I really had to learn to ground myself and rely on who I know God has created me to be. 

Stepping into ministry Mike and I knew what we would face especially with the titles we carry. Titles are so tricky and easily trap you, especially if you believe their hype. This was no longer an "I" or about "me" but rather a partnership that had to be so tightly knit we could hold each other no matter the circumstance. We are a team and in that I found myself starting to fit these shoes of a pastor's wife. Accepting the sacrifices I knew I would have to make and embracing the opportunities God has opened for me have gone hand in hand lighting each stone I step down this path... From writing letters to our young ladies and hosting girls only nights at our home - to listening to a broken young girl on the end of the  phone and praying with her because I know how it feels... I've been able to redeem my own negative view of who I thought I had to be.

Yes I am a pastor's wife...but more importantly I don't shy away from it now. It can be taxing and discouraging when a title is placed on your forehead that you don't even believe is right for you. Often times I don't announce who I am until we have to stand on a stage, because it doesn't define who I am or the person I should reflect when there are no accolades. 

Are you a wife in ministry? I want to virtually hug you and high five you as I continue to become encouraged to follow this path and run this race that is only for me. God calls us to roles that enhance who we are and challenge us to growth in areas we need most, I feel like I live this daily in these shoes. I wasn't sure if I would open up and write about this, but I felt it on my heart - because I'm there with you. Daily I have to communicate and make intentional time with my husband and our family so that I don't blame ministry or confuse my lack of initiative with it being "ministry's fault." I've learned wisdom in reserving what I say and praying more to whom I become vulnerable with...but I refuse to be a porcelain shell fearing who may break me a part. 

There is beauty in this challenge some days I see easier than others..but nonetheless beauty. I am still me, growing and learning just as any one else. I pray that this is an encouragement to someone starting in ministry and unsure of what to think or how to act. God called you - it's okay to be you.

Weekend Adventures: Virginia State Fair

On a whim we were asked by some friends to head to the state fair on Sunday. If you know me well, then you know that I am very much a hermit crab and will likely say no if given options in advance in regards to hanging out...don't get me wrong I love spending time with friends, I just can easily talk myself out of it (a terrible habit I know). I'm extremely happy we went! I've lived in Virginia for over 20 years (I'm 28) and I've never been to the fair - honestly I've never even known there was a state fair!

We ate lots of greasy and fattening foods which definitely made it even more worth the trip. Kai rode his first merry-go-round and his first roller coaster which he made by a hair literally when he was measured! The new experiences and my steak pita (mashed potatoes, steak tips, sauteed onions and mushrooms on pita bread) I would do it all over again...and again just for the pita.

I'm so grateful for friends who remind me to get out and enjoy trying something new. As much as I love my normal routine, I know that for my sanity and for Kai to really have awesome experiences I have to stretch myself even when I least want to. I recently read Elizabeth Ivie's post on intentional friend making and she even touched on navigating the whole paradigm of internet friendships. Shortly after I soaked in that post (it's a great read) - I spent a few minutes talking with a long time friend (more or less a little lecture) on needing to get out more and actually enjoy the friendships I've made. Life can get so busy I (especially all moms) easily neglect what we most need in general as women and that is genuine friendships. So thank you dear friend, I needed that push to not just sit behind a screen or interact at work, but enjoy the time spent with valued friends.

As always here are a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend (my camera died right before we got into the fair...but it probably was best to enjoy it all first hand)!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend and are ready for the week. I'm excited to share the crafts I've been working on and an update on my time with the She Reads Truth devotionals! Also I love this picture of Mike, I don't always catch him in a candid...but when I do it's something else.