One Year Old!

We celebrated Ava's first birthday this weekend. I still am in awe that this year went by as fast as it did. Her actual birthday was on Easter Sunday so we decided to have her party the weekend after.   We had such a fun time celebrating with family and friends. I looked at everyone who was there and realized how each person/couple there had been there in some way for us the past year.  Most everyone had made a meal for us when Ava was born or baby sat our girls so we could get away for dinner of coffee.  Their love for our family and especially our girls overwhelmed me.  It made me so thankful for the friendships that we have made and how God places people in our lives, whether for just a season or for many many years.

Ava loved all the attention and was so much fun to watch.  She is much more expressive than Ella was at this age.  She is such a joy and we are blessed to be her parents!  Here are some pictures from the party and a picture of her the day she was born. We love you Ava!

Hello April!

I can't say that I am sad to see March go.  It was a rough month of sickness in our house so I felt like when I wasn't taking temperatures or administering antibiodics I was trying to catch a nap from all the lost sleep.  Chris had bronchitis to start it off and then Ella got sick and the day she finished her meds Ava was sick and started hers.  She finished hers yesterday and I am praying that we are done with our round of sickness around here for a while.  Praise the Lord that I stayed well through it all so that I could care for everyone!  Before all the sickness hit we enjoyed having company a couple of weekends.  Chris' parents were here for the first weekend in March.  It was great to spend some time with them.  The following weekend our really good friends (who are praying about church planting with us) came up from Mississippi.  While they were here the girls snuck off and got a manicure and pedicure.  Boy was that nice!

I love April and the Easter season.  I love to reflect on Jesus and what he did for us on the cross.  I enjoy teaching Ella about the cross and our sin.  My hope is that when I think about this season that it isn't just a "good feeling" because of what Jesus did for me but that it stirs something in my heart that will cause me to share this hope with others who do not know.  

7 Beloved, jlet us love one another, for love is from God, and kwhoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 lAnyone who does not love does not know God, because mGod is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that nGod sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, onot that we have loved God nbut that he loved us and sent his Son to bepthe propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:7-11

This verse is a great reminder of God's love for us.  I taught Ella a condensed version of this a couple of months ago.  The other day we were out shopping and right now Ella loves asking everyone "What your name is?".  Well she asked the cashier and the lady responded with "Cyn, short for Cynthia"  and said "can you say Cyn?"  I knew exactly where this was going.  Ella responded, "Sin in my heart."  I wasn't sure what to say or how the lady was going to respond.  But, she said "what did you say, sin?" and Ella responds with, "God loves us and sent Him son."  The lady was taken back and said "do you take her to church?"  It was such a neat example of the gospel through the eyes of my 2 year old and a great way to engage someone who we didn't know with the gospel.   I jokingly told Chris later that it was like carrying around my own little tract, much cuter too. 

I pray that this week as Easter draws near that it will cause us to reflect on God's goodness and His love for us.  And in return we will show others his love!  Happy Easter!!!