It's a Girl!

So I've been doing a lot of babysitting recently. And I forgot how much I love children! I admit, it took me a bit to get back into the swing of communicating with toddlers and kids in general, but then I remembered how much fun they are! These last few weeks, I did childcare for a Walk to Emmaus, a women's bible study, and watched the pastor's beautiful daughters. So funny/cute stories (maybe you had to be there to appreciate them, but I'm gonna tell you anyway): The women's bible study is for my friend Barb at her sister Jess's house. At the house, I watch Barb's Jael (2?), her cousins Janessa (8) and Abby (6), Jess's Millie (short for Amelia 2ish?), Chloe (2), Riley (1.5 maybe), and Garrett (3?) while the women keep their infants (there are 3 infants and one on the way!) with them during their bible study. So Millie is adorable... but according to her mom she's also a stinker sometime. Understandably so, being in her own home and knowing mommy is in the next room, she wasn't happy the first time I was there and her cousin Jael wasn't there to (literally) slap her out of crying. So she walked up to the door and gently placed (note placed, not slapped or slammed) her little hand on the door, lowers her little head and so innocently and pathetically goes, "knock knock? Mummy?" as she cried. It was so heartbreakingly sweet and a little funny. Forward to next week: Jael's there and Millie is much happier, everything's going well and I'm feeling a lot better about babysitting. The women are thinking how quiet things are and so Jess thanks God for me and for the kids being good during their prayer to end the bible study. At that exact moment, Garrett accidentally bumps Millie over and she bursts into tears. This prompts Jael to cry too. I pick up Jael and calm her down as Jess opens the door and tells Millie that she's fine. Meanwhile, Garrett is looking terrified going, "I didn't mean to!" I go up to him cause he still looks so upset with himself and I say, "Oh it's okay Garrett. I know you didn't mean to and Millie's okay." This prompts HIM to sit down and burst into tears and whales! His mom comes in and goes "Did someone hit him?" Nuhuh. "Did he push someone?" Yes. "Oh, it's just self inflicted punishment." It was so cute.

Tonight I watched Alisha and Hanah while Joe and Luanne went to a concert featuring the talents of the Tomoka Worship Band and Beachside. I would have loved to go, but I had so much fun with the girls. We played hide-and-go-seek, Dora the Explorer Memory Game, watched Lady and the Tramp, then read a few books and went to bed (Note, this is pretty much the perfect night for me children or no children)

Sorry about all the baby talk.... OH BY THE WAY. My sister-in-law went to Odessa and got a 3D sonogram the other day. She felt really awful that Adam wouldn't be the first to know the sex of their baby so she got it and waited for him to call from Iraq before she told the rest of us that we are welcoming a baby GIRL into the Weather's family! I'm so excited about being an Aunt, I've already bought her some beautiful baby clothes, Pat the Bunny, Pat the Cat, My First Taggies Book, and some Doctor Seuss books. I already love her.

I'm so thankful for such a fun day/night. I really needed it. Leah left Thursday for Missouri and she comes back after I'm gone so I won't see her until August. And I hate having to get ready to leave. I have so many exciting things to look forward to this summer, but I love all the people here so much, it's like I don't want to miss anything. I'm like a sheep dog... I need everyone together... seriously, I want to herd everyone into the same room. Anyway, God is so awesome and I am so so so thankful for blessing me with this amazing church and these people!

He has taught me so much since I've been here, mostly about how much I fall short and how big His grace is. He has definitely been revealing to me how selfish I am and we all know what a battle that is! I desire that kind of knowledge so that I can allow Him to refine me and make me look more like Jesus, but of course when God reveals something to you, Satan always seems to be there to try to keep you from growing. And I'm in that time in my life where everything is so uncertain. Maybe it never becomes certain, but it just seems like it's more so right now. This is the first time in my life where I don't know exactly what's coming next, i.e. highschool-->college. The question of career, location, and FAMILY are just a few of the things that can so easily send me into a minor panic attack. And all of those things are entirely out of my control, which is frightening. I guess that's the point, having to rely solely on God to meet your needs, and he always does. Read about Elijah in 1Kings. God sends a famine on the land, tells him the ravens will feed him and he'll drink from the brook which Elijah does for a long time. Then God dries up the brook and sends Elijah to the last place he wants to go and has a widow take care of him. It's not easy listening and obeying, and He can change your plans suddenly, but the rewards for obedience are worth it. Now, I KNOW this to be true, but turning that knowledge into a realization is a bit more difficult. But God is Good All the Time and I can't help but be excited (amidst my terror) to see what He's planning for my life :)