Thankfully, the morning sickness has subsided and I’m back to indulging my daily caffeine fix. I have TOTALLY needed it . . .

It feels like we’ve been living about three months of life in the span of a week.

Translation: life’s been full of fast and crazy chaos.

We’ve had some really high highs mixed together with low lows but by God’s grace we are still putting one foot in front of another, walking in faith, celebrating well, and attempting to adjust expectations and plans with grace.

Graduation

I have said it before, and I’ll say it probably a thousand more times. Words cannot describe the kind of pride I have in my husband. Graduating college is an enormous deal all by itself. Doing it WITH HONORS while working several jobs, raising a family, and loving a wife is an accomplishment of entirely epic proportions.

There were tears friends.

Tears of joy for the finishing and tears of remembering the sometimes difficult days we overcame together for him to get to walk that stage.

What a day, what a day, what an awesome amazing DAY!

Gender Reveal

After being entirely convinced this little one was a girl, arriving to our 20 week appointment with ONE name, and one name ONLY –

We found out Baby Ninja is a BOY!!!

It did take me a few hours to get over the initial shock and surprise, and some letting go of the girl-mom expectations that had been building up in my heart, but this all-boy thing – this just feels right.

Like this is who our family has always been called to be. A house full of rowdy, noisy, boisterous little men.

This little one is ours – a gift from God meant especially for our family at this specific moment in time. I can’t wait to name him, and meet him, and kiss the chubby little hands and feet that are ninja whacking my insides.

Life with three boys will be full and loud, and I’m certain someone is definitely going to get hurt, but already I can’t imagine my life any different.

Provision

I bought my first car, a ’95 Buick LeSabre, back in 2002 during my first year of college. It wasn’t a sexy car by any means, but it was affordable, in excellent condition, and bore my dad’s stamp of approval. Thirteen years later it has moved with us to four different homes, brought our babies home from the hospital, and continued to be reliable and dependable in the most impossible of ways.

But it was old friends. Old and failing. And not worth the time my dad put into it to keep it running. And we needed something bigger. You know, to be able to take Baby Ninja along with the rest of the family come September.

So God provided exactly what we needed, at exactly the right time, at an impossible to imagine price.

This to me was just one more example of God proving Himself faithful to us. We have worried about our car situation, but we also prayed some pretty bold prayers. And God answered. Like He always does.

Breast Cancer

I wrote a post last month featuring my friend Andrea who’s participating in the Avon 39 Walk to End Breast Cancer in June.

I had no idea that less than two weeks later, my mom would be diagnosed with it herself.

There are lots of emotions that bubble to the surface when the word “cancer” gets said out loud, but mostly (for me) there were just prayers. That our family would not become a statistic. That my mom would not have to endure chemo. That our story would end in the best possible way it can. With health.

With life.

Last week, Mom spent nearly six hours in an operating room for a bilateral mastectomy. Through this journey so far, our family has been so very thankful for the following things:

1. We have incredible friends.

As an entire family, we have been so moved by the care of our extended family and friends. Each one of us have had several people holding us up, offering encouragement, and seeking the Father on our behalf. It’s these relationships that make life so rich.

2. Mom’s prognosis is really good.

From all we can tell with the preliminary results back from surgery, the cancer has been removed, and it has not spread. All of our interactions with doctors has remained positive and forward focused for a long and happy life.

A thousand thanks be to God.

3. Her recovery is ahead of schedule.

Mom should not be doing as well as she is post-op, and we can only attribute that to the Lord. Even in the midst of this scary trial, His favor is so tangible and His mercies so fresh and new to us every morning.

God is so, so good to us

This is the mantra that’s been on repeat in my heart this week. Through inexplicably good moments, and the really difficult dark ones, He is there. Faithful when I am not. Firm when I falter. Constant when I can be anything but.

And while I am beyond grateful for a week that looks really really normal ahead of us, I am also just as thankful He always, always, always works out our stuff for His good.