Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Today, I found out my sister had her second little baby go home to be with Jesus. It is hard to understand why these things happen. I was praying for a miracle. I know that the Lord has made blind men see, the mute speak, lame men walk, and brought people back from the dead. He is able, and yet he didn't. That is hard to understand. Yet, I know his love for His own is great and nothing happens outside of his control. I know that in His sovereignty He is able to turn a horrible situation into something beautiful.

But, I know her arms still ache for what would be her seven month old baby today. I know how cautiously hopeful she was when she found out she was pregnant again. I know how she wishes she could have seen that little heartbeat today and looked forward to feeling this baby move. I know she knows that her baby is with Jesus. I know she has hope to meet her two little ones one day... but her arms are still empty.

This world can be so hard. I am so thankful that it is not our home. That one day, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

(Rev. 21:4).

A passage that someone encouraged me with when we lost Samuel and one I often think of when these little ones go home to be with the Lord is Isaiah 40:11

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."

My sister, Rebekah, is a mother, she has young ones, they are just in the Lord Jesus' care. He will lead her through this trial as He cares for her young. He is a great Shepherd and loves His own.

Fanny Crosby also lost a baby, which may have inspired her to write the following hymn:

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly my soul doth rest.
Hark! 'tis a song of heaven
Borne in the sweetest voice,
Echoed by saints in spirit,
Making my heart rejoice.

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly my soul doth rest.

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world's temptations,
Sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow,
Free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials,
Only a few more tears.

Jesus, my heart's dear Refuge,
Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages
Ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience,
Wait till the night is o'er,
Wait till I see the morning
Break on the golden shore.

Goodbye Summer, Fall is Here!

We had a great summer. We stayed inside most of the time since most days you could probably fry an egg on the sidewalk, but it was nice. We really enjoyed our annual trip to the Lake of the Ozarks with my side of the family. Even though we were there for over a week, the time flew by. We rented a house on the lake. It was so nice to all be able to stay together in the same place. Landon had a blast with his cousins, aunts and uncles, and nanny and bumpa. He wanted to stay there forever!







One of Landon's favorite things to do was to go fishing on the dock with Nanny. I think he caught 4 fish while we were there! He was pretty excited about it all.



We had a fire pit and roasted marshmallows one night. I think that was Landon's first exposure of roasted marshmallows... maybe marshmallows in general. Let's just say they are now his after potty treat :)


We were sad that uncle Joshie was only able to stay for a few days. Landon is always talking about his uncle Joshie and wanting to pray for him.

On Labor Day we ventured out and had breakfast on the lake at a local restaurant. It was so nice!


So, goodbye to a great summer!

I can't believe Fall is already here. Fall is my absolute favorite season! I wish it lasted longer. I love the smells, the soups, the leaves changing colors, the fresh cool air - I love it all and it was here over night. We got dressed for church like it was another typical summer day and were we surprised that we all had to go grab jackets and change the kids into warmer clothes :) Here are a couple pictures of the kids together...




....And lastly, here is my menu for the week. I need to find some yummy fall recipes, if you have any pass them on! It is a shorter menu since we will be visiting family in Topeka this weekend - we are very excited to see everyone there!

M: Broccoli-Mushroom Penne Pasta with garlic bread and salad
T: Mexican Lasagna with chips and guacamole
W: Chicken Parmesan over spaghetti
R: Mushroom Stroganoff with a salad
F: Broccoli Cheese Soup with homemade artisan bread and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

Menu for the week and 1 Month old

Here is our menu for the week. It's been a few weeks since I've done this! It feels good to be getting back into the swing of things as Olivia gets a little more predictable.

M: Artichoke Spaghetti with Meatballs, Salad, and Garlic Bread
T: Broccoli, Rice, cheese, and Chicken casserole with salad
W: Chicken stir fry
R: BBQ Grilled Chicken, Corn, Salad
F: Homemade Pizza with salad
S: Chicken and Rice Soup with bread
S: Vegetable Beef Stew

Hopefully soon I can post about our vacation, but it's been hard to find the time! Olivia is now 1 month old. She has started smiling which is so much fun. She's sleeping pretty good, 3-4 hour stretches and gets up to eat and goes back to sleep. She likes to be held a lot which makes certain things difficult, but I don't mind. I got a Moby wrap and that really makes multitasking possible. Here's a picture of our little peanut...

Our new every day life

We are having a wonderful time adjusting to our new normal. This little girl is such a joy and we are so thankful to have her here. She has been sleeping pretty well most nights, but has occasional bad nights. She had an appointment last week and was already up to 8lb8oz and 22 3/4 inches long, so she is growing well.





I've tried to slowly get back into cooking this week and I've found it's kind of nice to escape to the kitchen. I tried these sticky buns which were really yummy (probably because of all the butter...) - they are best hot out of the oven!

A couple good friends came down to visit this past weekend and we had a great time. Landon had fun playing his his friend Uriah (or as he calls him, My-riah). The first day Landon had a few hitting issues with him, but by the next day they were running around holding hands - it was so fun to watch them.





Friday we will be leaving for our annual vacation with my side of the family. We are very excited! Lots of riding on the boat, swimming, and relaxing. We rented a big house so we can all fit. I can't wait to meet my new niece, Aubrey, who was born just 9 days before Olivia. Hopefully I can get some packing done in the midst of caring for these two kiddos.