Happy 4 years to my amazing husband of 4 years!
...and happy 2nd birthday to our precious gift from Above!

Blessed Redeemer

Up Calvary's mountain one dreadful morn

Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn

Facing for sinners death on the cross

That He might save them from endless loss

Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer

Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree

Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading

Blind and unheeding, dying for me

"Father, forgive them," my Savior prayed

Even while His lifeblood flowed fast away

Praying for sinners while in such woe

No one but Jesus ever loved so

Dying for me

Oh how I love Him, Savior and friend

How can my praises ever find end

Through years unnumbered on Heaven's shore

My songs shall praise Him forevermore

Tonight as I laid with Levi before laying him in his crib I sang him these lyrics. I was very humbled by the simple truth of these powerful words. Growing up in church your whole life you hear the message of the gospel so many times that it sometimes can become just another thing that you "believe." I believe that Jesus died for me, a sinner who is in need of saving from eternal damnation. I am supposed to spend time daily reading the bible in hopes that while I read, He will talk to me and we can have a relationship. I will refrain from certain things because He told me not to, and I will try to do good things because He told me to do them. When I do the things I'm not supposed to do, all I need to do is ask for forgiveness and then try not to do it again. 

While I don't have a problem with the truth of those things, I think there is something missing. There is something so much bigger and more complex about the gospel message than just belief in Christ and reading the bible and doing good. So complex, actually, that I think I could probably seriously learn new things everyday about how I should live. I mean, Jesus DIED for ME! 

Those of you who know me would probably say I am a good person. I am generally nice and go to church and am a good mom. I love my husband. I don't drink or do drugs. I don't sin big. I am a "good" Christian. I know what I should do and what I shouldn't do and I try to do those things. I havent "built a graven image" to worship as an idol, but I have had idols in my life: iPhone, iPad, TV, being a good mom, being a good wife...even putting so much emphasis on pointing Levi to Christ, while I neglect my own walk. I let God down so much everyday that I am sure He sometimes thinks that I am so hardheaded that it might just take a miracle to get my attention.  When I think about how I let Him down, I know I am no better than anyone. I needed Him just as much as the Boston bombers need Him. My sin is just as bad. My sin has kept me from living in the total power of Christ. MY SIN KEPT JESUS ON THE CROSS. 

I should be living every day indebted to Him and serving Him. I should never even think to question something He has told me to do. I should never hold a grudge, because what I've done to Christ is far worse than anything anyone has ever done to me, and he still died for me. I have no room to be unloving. I have no grounds to be unforgiving. I should never be discontent. I have everything I should need to be joyful. I should be thanking Him for every breath I breathe as well as every breathe He allows for my family to breathe. I should be living by faith and clinging to the promises God has given me, and not by fear or by what comes naturally. 

That is truely what it means to believe. 

Mississippi Bound

I know, it's been a while. The last few months have been very life-changing for our little family. Curan has successfully completed Officer Training School giving him probably the biggest promotion he will receive, we no longer live in our home we put so much TLC into and it is now being rented out to strangers (hey, we're landlords!), and we packed up all of our belongings and moved 12 hours away from friends and family...our first big military move. This move will undoubtedly be the hardest one that we will have to make, especially since we will be here for such a short period of time, and where we will be more permanently is still pending. 

So far, Biloxi is interesting, but I try to focus on the positives, and the fact that the negatives are only negatives for a few months. We are renting a two bedroom condo off of base that has a pool right in front of our balcony. We enjoy our balcony, and it gives Levi lots of room to run around and play on his little slide. We came to Mississippi in the months following the sweltering heat, so that is one advantage for us. We live within walking distance to the beach...which is more "lake-like" than what those in NC think of when they think of beaches. They are still pretty to look at while driving or walking by. We seem to have found a church we are interested in attending while we are here and are excited to try to get involved. 

Levi has adjusted well, even through the train that comes by and shakes the condo about 4-5 times a day/night. I know he misses his family and little nursery friends, but he has gotten a chance to play with a few other babies in the church nursery and the random times we go on base and play on the playground. He has developed a little bit of a shyness towards strangers though since we have been here. He got a chance to see Sesame Street Live which he enjoyed, but didn't understand why he couldn't run around and dance like all of the other kids :). I let him down once and he darted off, so back into the baby carrier he went. Poor kid. His vocabulary is starting to grow and he seems to be quite the chatterbox these days. Our favorite word he says is "bye" because of the thick southern accent that comes with it and the expression that he puts into the word. It melts our hearts :) He seemingly has a favorite book that he likes me to read over and over again, which is cute and annoying all at the same time lol.

Curan's Parade

Just after pinning his gold 2nd Lieutenant bars 

Packing our belongings

Levi saying goodbye to his best friend

Levi playing on the pier on base

In awe of Gods beauty

Sesame Street Live!

Hello everyone! I thought I would give a quick update, and share with some of the ones who don't have facebook some of our new pictures. Before Curan left, some of our sunday school class got together some money for us to get family pictures done for my birthday! It was very sweet of them, and our family pictures are some of my favorite things that we have. Here are a few of my favorites...taken by J&A photography!

 

For all of those wondering how Curan is doing, he seems to be doing a lot better this week than last week. He is super busy, with about 30 hours of work to get done in a 24 hour period of time. He gets very little sleep and very little time to eat, so he said that he leaves meal time hungry. They have to memorize two quotes per day, plus a whole lot of other military history and protocol which they have to be able to recite at any given point throughout their 13 weeks. Needless to say, he is very stressed, but doing his very best to keep his eye on the goal.

Levi and I are doing well. We can get a little bored sometimes, but Netflix and outings throughout the week tend to help with that. He is eating a whole lot of food for such a little guy, and only weighs 17 lbs 11 oz putting him in the 4th percentile for weight. He's very active, though so the doctor seems to think that is about where he is supposed to be. He is still trying to walk, and has been standing up by himself without pulling up on anything. He is such a sweet little guy to have around!

Anyway, that's about all for now! Hope you all have a great week!

Our Crazy Life

Well, I have been thinking for a while about starting a blog especially since we will be moving shortly, and this will be a good way for people to keep up with how we are and what we are doing. I suppose I will start with what is going on now! Curan is gone until the end of August, and Levi and I are on our own! It is definitely an adjustment to be a "single" mom, but I think we are managing fairly well. We have a lot of people that are willing to help out, and that have shown a great deal of concern for us. Thanks to everyone who has reached out! Even if it was just to say that you are here for us if we need you, you really have no idea how much that means. We will soon be in a place where it will be much more difficult to find people who are so caring.

Levi is acting different since Curan has been gone, and I know that he really misses his daddy. He is learning new things everyday, and it amazes me so much to see all that his little brain is starting to comprehend. He is really just a joy to have and I thank God everyday that he blessed us with such an awesome, adorable, smart little boy (I'm not biased at all :-) ). He has taken 3 steps so far, and is really trying to work up the courage to start full on walking. He will pull up on the couch, raise his arms up in the air with a sheepish grin as if to say "Im gonna do it!" and then falls. Soon, though, I know I will be chasing him everywhere.

Well I suppose that is about it for now! Thanks for reading :)