Today's Coffee: Espresso through a French Press

     Thomas is just now sitting down at the organ bench to begin the early service at Covenant this morning and Wilson and I are at home. Wilson hasn't been feeling too good these past few days, runny nose, sneezes, waking up every 2 hours at night. This is only his 2nd cold and I just feel so bad for the little guy. He's just so tired but having a hard time sleeping. 

     So, we are just hanging out. Oh wow, I just realized that our little buddy is 7 months old today! I can't believe where the time has gone! He's sitting up pretty well now and eats great! He weighs 17 lbs 10 oz and is still in 90th percentile for height and head size. I've gotten some pretty cute pictures of him lately...

 

At Pita House in Greenville, SC

We took a trip back to SC last week since we are only 6 hours away now. We had a great time with family and friends. And boy has he grown over these past 7 months!

What a sweetheart!

In other news, we have this very large hairy scary spider living outside our front window. It's there every night. We also have a bunny that we see most nights in our backyard. So, that's a lot of fun. The t-shirt rug is sloowwwllly getting finished. Had to make a run to Salvation Army for more t-shirts though. Thomas, Wilson and I went and ate at the Pancake Pantry. It's every bit as great as they say it is. We had just your normal buttermilk pancakes and think that next time we will venture to some of the more interesting kinds. All around me I kept hearing people order the Sweet Potato Pancakes... hmmmm....

Started rehearsing for the Christmas Concert at Covenant. It's going to be amazing! The music is great and it will be a fun concert. We are teaching in the after school enrichment program at the school. I have 6 violin students and Thomas has 7 piano students. I honestly have never taught anyone the played a 1/10th size violin. It is SO cute! The Lord has truly blessed us with the work that we needed! 

Thomas and I have taken on the challenge of being more daring with our Scripture memorization. After doing some reading we felt the need to memorize more than just one or two verses. We are now memorizing all of Romans 8. The whole subject of the chapter is salvation and grace and we felt that this would be best if we knew and could meditate on this chapter everywhere. No better way than to do that if it's written on your heart. We have done the first 5 verses already and it is challenging but more rewarding. We hope that the Lord will use this to help us battle much sin. 

Well, my little man has finally fallen asleep. I need to go put him down so he can sleep a little bit better. Here are just a few more pictures of my cute cute little boy.

Wilson and Poppy playing

He LOVES his exersaucer

I love this guy!

He's a pretty happy boy!

In Christ,

Julie

Today's Coffee: Colombian Espresso through a French Press

     We have now been living in Nashville for a little over 2 weeks now. I believe that we are finally getting used to it and we are now acclimated to our new time zone. Wilson is certainly doing a better job and is now only waking up once a night as opposed to 2 +. Over the past two weeks many things have been going on in our lives. Each event is a new experience and lesson to be learned. One of the main lessons I'm learning is currently through my devotional book I am reading: "When I Don't Desire God - How to Fight for Joy" by John Piper. This study on how to truly experience God's joy has been a convicting book to read as it is so easy to fall prey to the desire of the things of this world. Sometimes our Savior can get lost in the mix. One main point that Piper points out is that even through trials and tribulations we can worship God and find a joy in Him that this world cannot even come close to offering. I have made these verses my prayer over the past week:

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

                Habakkuk 3.17-18

     I have been praying that this would be my prayer for my every desire, trial and blessing. This book has helped me realize that this battle is not a struggle to carry a burden but a struggle to let the burden be carried for us (paraphrased Piper). I encourage you to pray these words and let them weigh on your heart as I have. The Lord will begin showing you areas of your life where you sin and desire worldly things. Convicting but true. 

     Also, our duplex has several problems with it (all getting fixed but troublesome nonetheless). So, when we told the maintenance men that we had water leaking in the pipes onto the floor in the laundry room, they told us to hang the hose out the door to do laundry until they could come back and fix it. So, we have been... it's a little sketchy looking but I guess something cool to come out of it is that we see birds taking a bath in our watered patio area now. :)

     The church graciously gave us an old Baldwin piano they were not using. Thomas is downstairs practicing anthems right now in fact. What a dear and sweet gift for us! I have also decided to get better at playing piano, and when I sit down to practice Wilson wants to be under the piano bench. It's precious. 

     For those of you who know what http://pinterest.com/ is... I'm hooked and loving it! Be sure to look me up and follow my boards: jules887. My t-shirt rug is coming along but I am in now in need of more t-shirts! One day it will be finished and it will be amazing!

     Now, for the pictures of our little boy who is growing up so fast! He's eating sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and rice cereal now. Loves it all! Also, he was much better in nursery on Sunday. We've been practicing sitting and he is getting better at it. 

Wilson sleeping with his pal!

Wilson was listening to Daddy playing piano and so we set him up with his own piano too! :)

Dressed up in froggy pjs for the evening!

Wilson loves chewing on this bath toy turtle's head... it's so funny to see!

He just LOVES the piano!

So, the men at the Fisk factory (organ builders) have this tradition that every day at 10 am they enjoy 'Mug Up' - when they all stop working and enjoy a quick cup of coffee. Thomas and I have decided that this is a FANTASTIC idea. Here is us at our first 'Mug Up' and Wilson chewing on a teething toy.

 

There has been a lot going on and more to come! 

In Christ,

Julie