We found a church home! We absolutely LOVE it there. We enjoyed where we were before and loved the people, but it was too easy to blend into the background instead of getting involved. We are now in a smaller church where I served in VBS as the preschool Bible story teacher. For those of you who have worked VBS with me in the past several years, you know that is out of my comfort zone. (I even helped decorate the preschool area!!) Registration is my niche! Paperwork is what I do. Not decorations! However, I decided it was time to stretch myself. I can't express how much I enjoyed that experience. We have also made some new friends there. I have joined the MOPs group that starts in September, and I'm getting ready to start teaching preschool Sunday school. Chase comes with me every week, but so far, his work schedule keeps him from being able to really get involved. It'll happen though. He can't help it. It's in his blood!
We were able - with the help of John and Beth, some of our new friends - to get Chase's truck fixed. Its tags and inspection are both current. It has Texas license plates. It drives great. Of course, we got it all finished right as summer hit, and it doesn't have an ac, so he still doesn't drive it too often. BUT he can. That's the point. I don't have to be stuck at home for 13 hours a day. If I want the van, he will willingly take the truck.
In 3 1/2 weeks (August 25th), my precious "baby" girl is starting Kindergarten! Again, I know time flies, but didn't we just bring her home from the hospital yesterday??? She is SO super excited. We are homeschooling so it isn't as sad for mommy as it could be, but I'm not taking it easy either!
The biggest change is coming in March when we welcome baby #5! Elizabeth originally wanted another little sister, but then she decided that CJ needs a brother. She is now convinced that it's a boy. Jennifer and Samantha don't have an opinion, but they are already in love. They sit on opposite sides of me on the couch and rub my belly and talk to the baby. CJ has no clue what's going on!! We have two boy names picked out: Jason Lance (my favorite name as a kid/my dad's middle name) and Chance Michael (Chase's favorite name as a kid/his dad's middle name). We decided that, if this one is a boy, we will use Chance Michael. We have used all of the girl names we've had picked out. We were talking and agreed on Allison. I went through several middle names but neither of us really cared for any of them. I just stopped trying and figured it would come to us eventually. Chase wasn't really giving any names but suddenly started laughing. Apparently one of the girls was wearing a shirt with Rapunzel on it. He threw that out there to see the reaction they would give. It wasn't what he expected, but it got him thinking. He started naming all of the princesses when he came to Belle. He decided, if it's a girl, he wants her to be named Allison Belle. It's not really what I would have picked, but I think it fits, and it's growing on me every time I say it. So, March 16-ish, we will be welcoming Allison Belle or Chance Michael.
So, updates on our family isn't the reason I started this blog, and I don't want it to become about that. I have so many things God has been showing me that I want to share. It's just hard, after 3 months, to jump back into it. I needed some kind of transition post to get myself used to sitting down and taking the time to do it!
Tea Party - Jennifer (3), Samantha (2), Elizabeth (4)
Playing at the park - CJ (1)
