Visit with my sister

Mom and I met at Ruth's house on Wednesday. If you haven't heard the news already, Nate and Ruth have been reassigned to Alaska at the end of the summer. And so it looks like there will be frequent trips to Ruth's house over the next few months, while she still only lives 2 hours away. We are all a little sad about the prospect of missing out on Austin's first few years, but we are excited about visiting Anchorage sometime soon.

Austin is 5 months now, and so adorable! My boys just love him, and it makes me so excited for when they are all older and will run off in the backyard to have adventures together. But for now, we will keep our careful eyes on the 3 of them. And it is a job, as anyone who has met my offspring knows quite well. :) There is always something going on.
































































I was pleasantly surprised at how well the trip went. After all, I was outnumbered...it was me and a prone-to-car-sickness 3 year old... and a 1 year old who still isn't overly fond of being in the car. We had to make a few stops, but no actual puking occurred. I was so thankful for that. I'm sure this is only because I came prepared with a little trashcan (for said puke). Those things only happen when you're totally unprepared, don't they? :)

We found out that my dear friend from high school Beth (Hi, Beth!) and her husband are stationed in Anchorage too, and she called Ruth while I was there. I am so excited for them both, that they will be able to reconnect.

Austin is so much bigger than the last time we saw him, but he still has those tiny little baby legs. So cute. He is very interactive now, laughs and giggles at everyone's antics, likes to be constantly moving. Kinda like his big cousins. Just you wait, Ruth. Just you wait. :)

I was reading through Colossians 1 again today, and decided that this will be my prayer for Nate and Ruth as they head out into the vast unknown (aka, Alaska! It just sounds so far away!). Charlie Fizer calls this prayer, A Day Lived in the Will of God.

"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that
Sunrise - you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Sunshine - that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fulling pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Shadows - strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

Sunset - giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light." Colossians 1:9-12

When we live a life seeking to follow the will of God, we will encounter all these. Sometimes the day will be sunny, and sometimes all we will see are shadows. But we can be thankful for the way the Lord graciously supplies us with strength to endure the shadows. And we can pray for that for each other too. We're praying that Alaska will be a time of deep spiritual growth for Nate and Ruth, that they will grow closer to the Lord and to each other, and that the Lord will use them and make their work fruitful there.