Happy Fathers Day to my husband!

A few (ok a lot) of my favorite photos of you as a dad-my second favorite title you have next to being my husband!

David, I caught a glimpse of our future in your eyes.

As two teenagers, I wondered if you were the one. I wondered if you were the man of my dreams and the father of my unborn children.

I recall how you said you loved me for the very first time. Those three words blossomed into our family’s future.

Then there was the time you took me on two fancy dinners two weekends in a row to trick me into proposing to me.

All these moments were like dominos in our life; blocks suspended in time, toppling over, crashing into one another, moving you, moving us to something bigger, something beautiful.

I couldn’t have imagined it.

Then as I cried and embraced you while bringing our little one into the world, you held me and whispered words of encouragement. I remember seeing the tears in your eyes as you caught a first glimpse of our little boy… everything clicked.

I love you deeply and significantly, but then you became a dad, and this love changed.

I saw how you held our son in your arms and snuggled him close. You would sit with him in the rocking chair and read stories to him-Indiana Jones to a 3 week old. A baby in your arms made my heart flutter more than seeing you dressed in your finest suit.

I appreciate that in my first days of motherhood, you went beyond anything I ever expected. I’ll never forget how you helped me succeed at breastfeeding and truth be told I never would have been successful at that without you.

I’ll always remember how you would get up in the middle of the night and would bring our hungry son by my side, you still get up with him on the occasion he wakes in the middle of the night.

I adore the way you play with Canaan. From eating all the food he creates to building blocks, to puzzles, to superheroes; you make his interests your fascination and priority. 

I adore how when I have a tough day, you encourage me to take extra time for me.

I admire your patience, your creativity, and your humour in this parenting journey. I love how when Canaan does something funny, you laugh so hard until there’s tears in your eyes.

I love how when you come home, Canaan runs to the door screaming “Da Da!!!”

He loves you so very much, and I do too.

Every day you charm me with your smile, your humour, and wit but it’s in these moments of seeing you as the father of our children, that I realize just how much my love for you has grown.

Happy Father’s Day!

Happy 6th Birthday New Life!

Six years. This year seems to have the most weight attached to it. Actually, I think that will be how it is from here on out, just like marriage and life: it gets better as the years go on. Better as not just sunshine and rainbows but better in lightening strikes, broken air conditioners, and floods. I think it’s safe to say that the BAD has sometimes outweighed the GOOD in some of these years. We may have cried more Sunday’s after church than laughed, both happy tears and sad tears. Do you know our neighbors had bets going for how long we last here. I think David said to one of them "actually, is that bet still going, I might wanna get in on it?" In the early days I remember how we would pick landmark moments to spur us on when times were harder. Now we have so much stockpile on both sides of the scale that it is sometimes much harder than the earlier days of planting, but I have only ever seen my husband handle everything with grace.

All of those things aside, I am so proud of him! I get to see the countless hours he puts in. I get to see the literal blood, sweat and tears he puts into everything he does at New Life. I get to see the small victories and big ones. I get to see the way he pray SL for everyone here by name and I get to do it with him and my favorite is how he includes our son, Canaan in praying for everyone here as well. I am so proud of the atmosphere he has cultivated here over the past 6 years!

That atmosphere is largely in part to everyone who makes up New Life because David and I are not the church. WE are the church. I feel so blessed by everyone that is a part of new life. Every single one of them play their part here in one way or another. I honestly could not point my finger out in the crowd of them and say "they don’t pull their weight around here." That can’t be said of many churches. Each of them have grown so tremendously, and we all still have a ways to go. David and myself included.

Thank you all for putting up with us. We’re not perfect and if you’ve been here any amount of time you know that very well. We fail, we will disappoint you, and if we haven’t yet, it’s coming. Thank you for your grace towards us, we love you.

Happy Birthday New Life!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the past six years!