Vision

Judah, 

may your life be full of the beautiful and exciting, adventures and laughter. 

May you explore the peaks and imagine, dream and discover, wonder and understand. 

So much is to come, dear son. 

Yet, there will then be the quiet moments too. 

And then ones so loud with chaos and competing truths that you'll feel spun and confused and dive into the valleys. 

May it be in these rises and falls that you trust and find your Rock most grounded, most steady, and when you do, because you will, my son, hold on. 

I pray that on your life journey, the adventure of your calling, when your companions stumble and despair and you find yourself bloodied from the inevitable discouragements, disappointments, lift your eyes up. 

Hope. 

May you be the one to keep going, to keep pursuing, to press on with your vision even more narrowed on what is true and lasting. 

Beyond this, though, I dream even more for you. 

May you do this all with untouched joy, unfazed confidence through unshakeable faith. 

May you be able to sing through tears, bless despite curses, 

give glory in every circumstance to the One who sustains and causes all things to work for good. 

Give praise, my son. 

When life is beautiful and smooth, praise. 

When it is adventure and fulfilling, praise. 

When life is monotonous and tedious, praise. 

When it is treacherous and dark, praise. 

When sorrow and despair threaten, praise. 

My son, you have a Savior who knows all, sees all, can do all, praise Him in all.

Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be on my lips."

Five

Perhaps it's the newness, the miracle, the beauty

of growing into our new identity of five. 

Perhaps it's the fragmented sleep, the quiet morning rocking hours, 

the chaos

of life with a tender newborn. 

But,

my mind has been just bubbling, blossoming with thoughts and waking dreams, visions and prayers.

More to be shared soon.

As for now, 

spending time together

doing the daily

experiencing firsts

loving our Judah man

and balancing the noise of five

has kept us pretty occupied.

One's been a little momma

and one's growing more gentle by the day

but either way two are just loving

our number five.

Whirlwind

It's been a whirlwind week,

anticipated promises fulfilled, precious blessings arrived.

My baby sister a few days past her expected day went in for a checkup and on her way in, went into hard labor, on my birthday. 

My mother, my sister and I sat close, held hands and prayed in the waiting room,

and that evening, she was snuggling her baby girl.

The next morning, 

I reached my due date and the doctor determined it was time for my baby boy to have a birthday...

was in labor by the time they checked me in,

held him just about three hours later.

My sweet Judah Taylor

was here.

His name means

"I will praise the Lord"

and we shall along with him.

As I said before,

it's been the week of a whirlwind of blessings.

Judah Taylor

Our son.

Judah Taylor French
August 21st
8lbs. 20inches.

"I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be on my lips." Psalm 34:1

More to come.

Ride

Exactly twenty-eight years ago today, 

my momma had no idea she'd be bringing me into the world that evening,

and two days later, my mother-in-law, met her son.

I wonder the reminiscent ride they're on today,

watching us,

like them,

wait in love

to love the baby to come.

The hubs stayed home with us today,

(which we always like)

for some birthday time 

and

carousal riding.

Just seventeen months ago,

I took the little lady for a similar ride,

with a belly just as swollen,

as we waited for our little man

together.

Oh, the ride it's been,

and oh the fun to come.

Baby boy, we four are ready for ya.

Outtakes

Outtakes.

One of the biggest priorities of our day is timing the all-precious simultaneous nap. 

Oh, I love playtime and cuddle time and toddler conversations, but, nap time?

There's really nothing like it. 

These couple of hours, in all honesty, can be spent in various ways, usually cleaning, laundering, cooking or, yes, blogging, but regardless, it's the quiet and alone time that's cherished. 

On the weekends, even more so. 

Again, most of the time, the hubs and I go our separate ways, sometimes more intentionally than others...mowing, dishes, vacuuming, errands, it all has to be done.

But, sometimes, just sometimes, it's our time to veg, to tune out to the tube or,
like yesterday, to reminisce some of the outtakes of our relationship. 

Actually, we, quite by accident, stumbled across some of the sappy syrupy notes, or should I call them pure cheese of our past, and read through them....

Oh they were embarrassing.

But seriously,

how things so easily change, shift.

Inside jokes, now too often diaper changing negotiation.

Ridiculous pet names...direct requests and simple replies. 

Dreamy ambitions...budgeted, calculated plans. 

It happens, it's growth, it's life. 

But we found ourselves equally challenged by our little reminiscent vacation down cheese lane, 

to live a little more in the outtakes of life.

Maybe we could

cuddle just a little longer, a little closer after the alarm clock,

give a little more space, a little more respect when life closes in,

remember the laughter, reignite the pet names, share visions together...

even when, especially when the dishes are dirty, diaper pails full and budget empty. 

Outtakes.

Actually, these pictures were taken as Chris's birthday wish for a few with his munchkins.

And, really, the beauty of the attempt,

perhaps like life,

is in the outtakes.

We grow, we mature, we try, we plan.

And, yet, life never really goes according to calculation.

I can try to adjust it, try to control it,

Or, quite simply,

Cherish the outtakes.