9 Things

1. You guys are seriously totally the kindest.  I hope when you read that you know how sincere I am.  Thank you for the sweet words and prayers for Everett while we’re waiting to see how things roll out.  He had his cardiologist appointment yesterday…we’re just going to be regulars there so I’m trying to make peace with that 🙂 and it was good to talk with our beloved cardiologist.  We trust her so much and she really is so wise.  He’s already on a new medication and now we’ll watch and wait.  Everett has his own little bowl on our kitchen counter full of meds now.  Dude takes everyone one of them like a champ and you would actually think they all taste like cake.  If I haven’t said it enough already, this kid is a dream.

(these two…YOU GUYS…they are too much together)

2.  Amon and Everett are kind of the best things ever together.  They are just so similar.  The main thing that stands out like no other is both of their abilities to fall asleep ANYWHERE.  It is amazing.  I don’t even understand it, but it keeps us cracking up all the time.

3.  Harper got an Instax mini camera for her birthday.  She LOVES LOVES LOVES it so we made sure all the little kids knew it was not to be played with or touched when Harper was not around.  Amon came running up to me furiously the other day just beside himself because our littlest had been messing with Harper’s camera.  I went to investigate and interrogate.  She denied, denied, denied…she absolutely was not touching Harper’s camera…and then acted so hurt that I would even accuse her of such a thing.  Then I found this on the floor.  Bahahahahaha.

4.  All 4 boys are in 1 room with no closet and 1 dresser.  I finally came to terms with the fact that I do not think I can fit 4 boy’s sets of clothes in 1 dresser.  I pulled Everett’s clothes and now all of his reside in a basket on our bedroom floor.  Anyone have any small house tips for this?!?!  I think a bigger dresser might do the trick, but until a bigger dresser is purchased the basket is working.

5.  We had the Carman’s over not long ago for a full on Chinese meal.  We are insanely blessed to have family who are Chinese and speak Chinese and share with us all their knowledge.  When my SIL Becky taught me how to make Chinese dishes I actually thought about how nice it would be to show other mama’s who might want to learn a few dishes.  I was so so excited to cook for the Carmans and teach them what Becky had taught me.  My absolute favorite part was everyone gathered around our kitchen table making dumplings together.  It was just the sweetest time and I can’t get over how lucky we are.

6.  He is a total trip.  Every.Single.Day.  I cannot quit him.  Even better was when he was looking through binoculars wearing the swim goggles.

7.  Easter looked a lot like this.

Easter was good and messy feeling this year.  Solomon found the golden egg and Shuai gasped or said “Oh my goodness” every time he opened an egg and saw it contained something.  We don’t do Easter clothes so everyone wore what they wanted.  There was plenty of good food and even better family to eat it with.  I needed Josh Kelley’s man handkerchief during our church service due to excessive tears.  We invited people to join us for the day even when we truthfully didn’t want to.  At the end of the day I found myself so shocked by the ugliness in my own heart yet again.  Jesus laid out his life and gifted us with grace and love and mercy and then I turn right around and act as if I can’t possible do what He asks of me.  I wonder and doubt if I can even really trust Him lately.

At the end of Easter night I knew only a handful of things:

I’m messed up and He is not.

He is good and I am not.

He saves and I need saving.

He gave up His life and defied death just for me and despite my disastrous, sinful self I am so thankful he thought I was worth it.

And I am crazy grateful He still drives out darkness…even when the darkness is in me.

8.  Summer is almost here and we can feel it in our bones and in our wave pool lovin’ hearts.  For Amon’s birthday he asked to go to the wave pool.  Despite the real struggle of “Whoa, kids are out of school for how long?” and “I love summer and want to live at the wave pool forever!!!!!” everyone is anxiously awaiting summer and soaking in these spring days along the way.

And 9.  We had our first ever Buntinis from Nothing Bundt Cake last week.  When we received the disheartening news about Everett’s heart I called my friend Ashley in Florida to tell her the news.  She is always facetiming and calling to check in on how Everett and the rest of us are doing.  A few hours later there was a knock at our door and another great friend named Ashley too was there to deliver the yummiest set of cupcakes my bestie Ashley in Florida had ordered for us.  Did you follow all that with the multiple Ashleys?!??!  Anyways, I got to sit and have a good long chat with my friend Ashley in person and it just refreshed my heart.  Then when she left I got to enjoy the cupcakes my Ashley in Florida ordered for us.  I know it might seem small, but that sweet combo of treats and a much needed long conversation about life was just what I needed.  I love how God spurred one Ashley to order cupcakes for us and the other Ashley to deliver them.  He really is too too good.

Hope your week is going good.  We’re officially at the half way mark.

Happy Wednesday!