The second thing you should know is:  I may or may not have obtained a CDL license last week.  But incase I actually did…if you ever need someone to drive a bus for you (must be without air brakes)…you just let me know.

Julia on the 4th of July - sporting her festive outfit sent from her Cupcake.

My sweet girl is four months old this week!  WHAT??  Seriously John and I at separate times got a little bit sad looking back at her baby baby pictures.  How has she gotten so big already?

Here’s the latest “Julia at 4 months” list:

• Stats: 15 lbs; 24 inches long (perhaps she’s not going to be as long..er tall..as we first thought.  However she has officially doubled her birth weight!)
• Loves to: chew/suck on her fingers or even her whole hand, “talk” – she will coo at her lion, the wall, or anyone that will listen, SMILE!, sit in her Bumbo chair, take baths, lie on her playmat and grab the toys and snuggle with her Momma when she’s sad.
• Not a huge fan of: extended tummy time, shots in the leg, loud/startling noises, too much people time, those darn hiccups that continue to plague her once a day almost every day
• By Month 5 I am almost positive I will be telling you that Julia: giggles, rolls over and sits up by herself!  She is so close!

More and more this last month we have realized that our daughter is an easy-going, happy girl.  She is just so much fun.  Every day is more fun than the day before.

1 flood, 1 earthquake, 3 blizzards +

Maintenance Man, Youth Minister, Seminary student, Sandwich/Pita Maker Extraordinaire, Church Starter +

Kindergarten Teacher, Wednesday Night Childcare Worker, First Grade Teacher, Seminary Student, Bath&Body Works, YMCA site coordinator +

California Cruise, Chattanooga Aquarium, Newfoundland, Caribbean Cruise, New Orleans, Grand Forks + 

Sunfire, Camry, Ford Ranger, Chevy Tracker +

1 cuddly cat and 1 crazy dog   -  1 cuddly cat and 1 crazy dog   +

Lots of fun friends and Lots of fun memories +

1 super sweet, beautiful baby girl

=

3 great years of marriage!

I couldn’t imagine living this adventure with anyone else!  I am so thankful that through sickness and health, good times and bad, prosperity and ramen noodles you have led our family to look to the things and the life of Christ as the way to grow and go.  I know we would both say that without forgiveness, sacrificial love, grace, selflessness, and faithfulness – traits that only God can truly give us – our marriage would not be what it is.  

I love you, My Love!

June 24, 2006

www.shellyburrisphotography.com

June 24th (ish), 2009

I learned a good lesson today about accepting help.  I am still struggling with finding that balance of being full-time employee, momma, wife, homemaker and just me.  I totally failed at most of those this week:

a fussy baby (not the norm) and an excessively busy work week plus lots of (fun) extras with our church planting endeavor led to…

much less sleep, a few arguments with the husband, clothes…paper…baby gear everywhere, crazy kitchen, and bathrooms, bedrooms and extra rooms screaming to be attended to which led to…

a meltdown…

Have you ever had one of those meltdowns where you just decide you can’t do it and it won’t ever get done…so you just won’t even try.  I had finally gotten our bedroom where I wanted it (switched out winter clothes..wahoo….determined which ones kinda fit….put away (most) maternity clothes…dusted (that’s right Mom)…and changed the sheets) and I was so tired.  The thought of vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, washing dishes, putting away things that should have already been put away AND all the “work” work I needed to do, PLUS taking care of my precious one was just not going to happen….so instead I decided to fix my hair.  Productive indeed.

Then my wonderful husband came to my aid and said (basically) you have three wonderful friends downstairs that would love to help you do these things (Disclaimer: Normally he would have helped as well had it not been for the errands he needed to run for a church team in town).  To which I replied “Of course I will not ask them to help ME!  I should be able to do all of this by myself!”  To which he replied…don’t you fuss at other women when they say that to you?….Good point.  Okay fine…but if they really don’t want to help they don’t have to.  Sometimes (more than sometimes) I am that woman.  Stubborn. Prideful. And A Mess!

So in good Mary Poppins fashion:  Pam vacuumed my whole house; Katie folded laundry, washed dishes and organized our office; and Jen fed, diapered and loved on my sweet Julia so I could do some cleaning as well.  And in about an hour or so my house was sparkling.

Two good lessons learned:

1. It’s always okay to ask for help.  It’s even better to ask for help when you don’t want to.

2. New Goal: Picking up things along the way and doing little cleaning tasks will probably eliminate crazy cleaning days…and won’t take as long.

Any other advice for this new life I’m navigating?

*Thanks Ladies for your help today!*

1 Calico Cat

Answers to the name “Callie”

Wears an orange collar with a bell

Has allergies..so her right eye drips

Super de duper friendly – if you give her any attention she’s yours for life

Declawed in the front…hasn’t been an outside cat since we’ve owned her

Last seen for sure: Thursday June 11

I am more sad than I thought I would be

This has not been a good pet year…

This summer, there are three college students from Western Kentucky University in Fargo to help John and Jeremy with all things church planting.  We have the privilege of hosting one of those three students in our home until August.  Saturday evening the students, as well as Jeremy and Pam Robinson (and Pam’s mom) got into town.  The college students for the summer, Pam and Jeremy to stay!  Hooray!

It has been a busy, but so wonderful weekend as we have gotten everyone unpacked and settled in.  We are so excited about how God might use these students to help grow our church.  We are also thrilled to have Pam and Jeremy here to be partners in church planting.  Starting a church is not an easy task (as if some thought it was), so we are excited to not only have partners but good friends here to help.  We are looking forward to a great summer!

Here’s a glimpse of their arrival:

Pammie's first time to see Julia in person!

Randall (college student), Steve, Daniel, Jeremy, John

'Auntie Pam' getting to love on Julia with Katie (college student) looking on. Pretty sure Miss Julia will be spoiled by these ladies this summer!

The weary travellers. 18 hours, 1200 miles and all they got to eat was Subway? There's Jen way in the back...she's our college student of choice! She's made herself Julia's sister for the summer!

And just a cute one of Julia. She was trying out the chair in Jen's room to make sure it was comfy enough..she's so thoughtful! (btw..no she does not sit up on her own quite yet and is actually in the process of slowly falling over as this picture is being taken!)

We have made much use out of all of the rooms in our new home this past week.  The Dudugjians came to town to visit their amazing son and daughter-in-law  granddaughter/niece.  While, let’s be honest, Julia was the main reason for the visit, they spoiled John and me rotten with Ruthie’s (and Steve’s) gourmet cooking!  Yummy!  I think I only cooked one time last week…which was a first cooking for Chef Ruthie (a little bit intimidating but she liked it! Hooray!)  

We loved having John’s family in town!  John loved being able to show Daniel and Steve around the towns we have grown to love as our own.  And of course it is just great to be around family – something we do not take for granted anymore.  It’s always special for me to be around John’s family.  What a huge blessing to be treated as one of their own and not an “in-law”.  

A special thanks to Daniel for working so hard on his summer break!  I love my new shelves in the basement!  Thanks too for setting the Wii up for me (and testing it out to make sure it was working properly! hehe)

Here are a couple of pictures from their visit.  I didn’t do a very good job of documenting the events…but here’s a few that I do have!

Julia hanging out with her "Mzee" (m-zay) which means 'honored old man' in Swahili. I think these two are going to be buds!

Uncle Daniel learning what to do when a baby "throws up". No worries!