So much has happened in the past few months, but oh so few updates. I'm overwhelmed by the providence the Lord has showered upon us. The blessings have come amidst challenges, but I'm struck by how beautifully God is orchestrating all things.
Because my heart is so full, I'm going to list some of the blessings that spring to mind.
1.) A healthy, growing baby girl! She cooperated to give us a hint of her gender about 4 weeks ago, and Dan and I are thrilled. She's kicking and growing (evidence: my bulging belly!).
2.) The purchase of a newly-renovated historic home! We started looking for houses last fall, but once we found out we were pregnant, we started looking again. We wanted a room for the baby and a room for guests. (We think that the arrival of our little cutie will draw some more visitors.) We put an offer in on one house, but the home inspection turned up more work that we were willing to do. Right at the same time, this house came into our hunt. It's in downtown Dayton and was completely rehabed by a Christian non-profit group. High efficency systems, new kitchen, gas fireplace, and a fenced in backyard makes it a perfect fit for us.
3.) Friends and family who made our move smooth. The downside of living 4+ hours from family is that they aren't always available to help on moving day. On the plus side, our church family and Dan's co-workers stepped in to make our move go flawlessly. We were completely moved in about 4 hours. Then, my mom and my sister arrived to help unpack some boxes. We wouldn't have been able to do it without these wonderful people.
4.) A vacation coming up! We're headed to the beach with Dan's family -- all of them! I'm so excited that we'll all be together for an entire week. We've missed family time.
5.) Time to enjoy life. School ended a few weeks ago, and I don't know how I would have been able to pack up, close on the house, and move all while teaching. I don't have a summer job (although I might try to find something). Also, I'm not going to be teaching next year, so I have some time to get settled in and then love on our little package of joy when she arrives!
6.) Dan. He's been super sweet throughout pregnancy. I've had it really easy, but for the things that have been different, he's been really supportive and/or understanding. For example, he didn't tease me about crying after we didn't buy ice cream at Meijer the other day. Yes, I cried because I didn't get ice cream. What can I say? I love ice cream. Anyways, he's going to be an amazing dad.
