My blog has been suffering again.  It's hard to get to the computer to type and have coherent thoughts while learning how to be Momma to TWO daughters!  YES, two!!!  I'm ashamed to say I haven't even posted about her arrival.  What a terrible blogging mom I am. (I'll have a post just about her big day soon)
It's a tricky balance for me right now, but we are managing to do more than survive.  We've actually been pretty busy.  And, when we aren't going from here to there in a mad flurry of bows, diapers, burp rags, and Barbies, we're at the house nursing and playing.  I love having two daughters.  It truly is a dream (that I never had) come true!  It is an absolute blessing and I love almost every minute of it.  Hey, I'm just being honest here.  I don't really enjoy the times when EK has to go potty and I'm right in the middle of feeding Ana Beth.  That's a little crazy.  But, we can do it.
I'm learning even more about multitasking.  I really thought I kinda had that down to an art form.  Not so!  There's even more to learn.  All my friends who have more children than I do are nodding their heads at me right now.  I'm also learning that my oldest can do WAY more on her own than I gave her credit for.  She's such a big girl and an amazing big sister and helper!  She has become an even bigger blessing to me in these past 6 weeks!  I'm such a blessed woman to have Elliana as my precious first-born.
On that note--through having another child, I am remembering our first time around with a newborn so much more clearly than before.  I have remembered things about Elli Kate that I absolutely adored and had forgotten about.  I loved how her downy soft hair felt on my face as I nuzzled her.  I forgot how thoroughly intoxicating the smell of a freshly bathed baby smells.  I forgot how those little sighs and noises are so comforting to hear at night.  And, I now remember how precious baby's breath feels on my neck.  I'm storing up all these memories in a more secure place this time around.  I don't want to ever forget these times with my children.  I can't explain it, but my heart is just so FULL and overflowing with love for these two completely different human beings.  It's amazing, truly.

When we first found out we were pregnant, I was both filled with excitement and gladness and also with fear.  I was so afraid that the grip of depression that I worked so hard and prayed so hard to be released from would come back and steal this experience from me too.  I hated the thought of that.  But, I talked to my friends and assembled the troops to start gathering around me in prayer.  Pregnancy wasn't the issue.  It was during the postpardom period when I fell into the deep hole of depression last time.  So, I needed the 9 months of prayer my friends and family could provide.  I needed I large thorny hedge to ward off the Enemy.  And, as the last month approached, I could feel myself getting more and more anxious about the next phase of life.  But, as always God through the Holy Spirit reminds me of His Word hidden in my heart.  He says not to be anxious about anything, but to present my requests to Him and He will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.  And, also that me being obsessed about her little fragile life and worrying about her all the time won't even add a single second to the time God has planned for her to live on this earth.  Those words calmed me more than I could have imagined.  I relaxed in the Lord and prayed then that God would let me enjoy every minute that we get to spend together in this life and that He'd preserve and save my girls so that they can enjoy the presence of God in the life to come.

God is so good, isn't He?!

Little Update

Well, this blog is a lot like my flower beds right now--a little neglected.  My flower beds, on the other hand, are having a hard time surviving!  It's so HOT!  Ok, that's the last time I'll mention that in this post, promise.
Since I posted last, we have decided on a name for baby sister.  And, I wont tease you about it this time.  I'll actually come out and say it.  Just be patient and keep reading. :)  We have been to one summer camp and had Vacation Bible School the week after.  Then, I spent a week away from this blistering Oklahoma summer (see I didn't say it was _ _ _...I'm keeping my promise), and went to the New Mexico mountains.  Namely, I went to Angel Fire with my sister and her daughter and my parents!  It was SUCH a wonderful week.  Anywhere I land in the mountains, it always feels like home to me.  This place is very special, even so.  My mom and dad bought it from my grandparents this last year after my grandma's rare illness last year.  That actually was the beginning of this blog.  I counted that time when she was in the hospital fighting for her life one of my most difficult.  I wasn't sure what would happen.  But, I kept praying that the Lord would keep her here for us.  Praise God, He did!  He provided a miracle and wonderful doctors and nurses to get her well and have an AMAZING recovery!

Anyway.  After the Angel Fire excursion, I knew that I had to be working on laundry and preparations for Falls Creek with my husband.  He is a youth minister (I don't know if I've mentioned that before) so this week before is totally dedicated to last minute details of camp prep.  He is such an organized person and so planned out for camp and other big events.

I want you to know that I think he does a great job of doing things for camp WAY in advance!  The week before camp is a lot of time on the phone confirming special guest speakers in our cabin, making sure our cooks are taken care of and are ready to go, and also answering questions by parents and students about camp (mainly about dress code..ha ha ha).  I'm so thankful, though, for the spiritual preparation that he does year round for the "harvest time", as we call it, that we tend to have every summer when we are there.  He is such a terrific example of a man seeking after God's heart and I cannot imagine that I deserve to be with such a godly man.  God was so gracious to me when Aaron was looking for a wife.  I feel like I snuck into his life and God blinded him for a few months time so he could fall for me.  I sure do LOVE that man of mine!  He is the biggest blessing in my life!

So, next week we go to this camp and are waiting with anticipation for what the Lord will do in the hearts and lives of the students we take.  That's another thing.  We are taking 114 students (not including sponsors) this year!!!  We took 86 students and 14 sponsors and 5 cooks last year and our cabin was comfortably filled.  This year we are overflowing!  We are taking more students than our total number of people last year.  We have 16 sponsors and 4 cooks and a nurse going this year for extra folks to help us out.  Praise the Lord!!!  I know that it is not of us that this happened!  The Lord is making waves through our community and He is causing revival to break out, I believe!  God is so good to us.  His kindness leads us to repentance for sure!

I'll be 33 weeks pregnant while we are there and will go to the doctor for an appointment one of those days.  It's crazy, I know.  But, this is our life and this is what I'm called to do.  Don't worry about EK, she will have a cool and cartoon laden week at Granny and Papa's house this week.  So, when you check out the weather forecast this week for Oklahoma, think of how...uhhh...WARM it will be at Falls Creek this week.  Pray for me.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.  I have to tell you the name.  I don't want to leave you in suspense any longer.
Baby sister's name is....drumroll please........................................................................................................

Anastasia Elizabeth-Fay!  We will call her Ana Beth for short.
Please reserve your critical comments for your pillow.  She has a beautiful name regardless of if she will ever be able to spell it.  (I know that's what you're thinking) ;)
Anastasia means resurrection and has special meaning to us for more than just the obvious reason.  Elizabeth is a classic name that means "God is my oath" and is in honor of a very special girl who, very faithfully, prayed for this baby for many months during the first of this pregnancy (Hope Elizabeth).  And, finally Fay--Breona Fay Morris' name is special to our family and always will be.  She is remembered through the name of our daughter.  Bre is resurrected to new life today with our Savior through her oath to Him and His covenant with her.
I love my daughter's name and am so glad that God gave her a such a beautiful one!

desk project

I have been nesting lately, but this project has actually been on my to-do list for quite some time.  I sat at my desk last week and organized everything!!!  I mean EVERYTHING!  It was a project in itself.  I'm not a self-proclaimed organizer by any means.  I am much the opposite.  Most days I border on hoarding.  If you've ever seen my back room (that will soon be Elli Kate's room) you know that I'm telling the truth.  Anyway, with the desk cleared of clutter and all bills and receipts organized finally, I thought it would be a great time to give the desk new life with a fresh paint job!  So, I thought, while Aaron works on the deck Saturday like he wants to, I can work on my desk like I want to, and Elli Kate can play in her sandbox like she wants to!  Everybody's happy--everybody wins!

So, I wasn't really thoughtful about how I would post this on the blog as I was going.  I'll get better at that.  I forgot to take a before picture of where it was before, but I have a few pictures of it in the background of other pictures of my daughter.  I'll include those.  This project literally cost me exactly $6.00!  So cheap inexpensive! :)  I already had the sandpaper and the roller and paintbrush I used.  I even had a new sponge roller brush.  Yay!  Aaron and I went by our local Sherwin-Williams and bought a quart of paint (that's where the 6 bucks comes in).  I wanted a really  bright green, but not lime and nothing too tacky.  So, I chose Julep in satin finish, the perfect color for a happy desk!  I won't be surprised if some of you think this color is pretty garish or even obnoxious, but I LOVE it.  So, that's really what matters.  It took me just about 2 hours to sand and paint two coats, while chasing a 2 year old in the back yard and trying to keep her in her sandbox away from "helping Mommy".  It was so relaxing.
Then, today I finished the project by spray painting the knobs to the desk.  I was thinking about getting some glass ones, and I still may in the future.  But, for now, I used what was already on the desk.  They were painted the same putrid color of green as the desk was before.  I gave them a little pizzaz with brushed nickel spray paint.  Now, I think they look nice.  Sooo....now--

Here are the pictures.  I hope you like the update!  I think it is perfect and helps me want to keep it cleaned off.  It also makes me pretty chipper when I go to write out bills.  Well, maybe that was a bit of a stretch...anyway.  Really, here are the pictures now.  :)
This is the best pic I could find for a before.  That was before the mirror was painted too.

Please excuse the A-frame and the spotty non-grass in the background.  You just looked didn't you? :)

 And, here are a couple after I started sanding.  The Sherwin-Williams paint man told me that all I had to sand was just enough so it didn't have the same shine it did before.  So, to all of you who hate to sand like I do, this wasn't that bad.

 BTW, the white paint on the concrete is not from me.  It was from the previous owner of our house.  I promise.  I'm not that messy!
After the first coat of paint out in the sunshine.  At this point I was kinda wondering if I did the right thing for the desk and for me.  But, now I LOVE IT!!!

 Finished and stuff back on the desk.  Knobs painted and all.

A little closer and a little less blurry.  The color sort of reminds me of the patina on an old copper dome in a small town that I'm pretty fond of.  (hint hint--my home town, Cordell)
Thanks for looking!
cory lynne