The Church Family

What a blessing it is to have a church family.

Most of our family is not in the immediate area. Having kids sure makes us wish we were closer to all of them. Even though we don't have our family, we have an amazing church family that we are so thankful for. So many have offered to watch the kids for us. So many have done so, especially when we've had unexpected things come up. There are still so many we can call upon that we haven't yet. There are two women in particular that have been a tremendous help during this season of craziness with two young babies.

One night a couple months after Makena was born, I shared with our small group how tired and exhausted I was and that I needed a break. I was practically in tears. Our friend, who is a special ed teacher, was soon going to be on summer vacation. She offered to come every Thursday afternoon for about three hours. It was great to have some time alone and a few hours to get things done. It was a huge help for me, but it also filled her desire/need to serve. She and her husband were unable to make it to Sundays for a few months to serve regularly, so she saw this as another way to serve the church body.

When our friend had to go back to school (so sad for us...), I was in a much better place. I had a routine and was no longer in "survival mode."

A few months later, another women from church offered to give me a morning off. Her children are teenagers and she still remembers the challenges that young moms face. I took the opportunity and got my nails done and ran a couple errands. She then offered another morning... and then another morning just last week... This last time, when she was leaving, she told me she wants to come every Thursday. She said first and foremost, her heart is to bless me. However, she is going through some personal things and coming out to spend time with the girls has been good for her. She needs the time here. How could I say no? I plan to use the time not just to run errands, but to take some personal time to reflect and refresh.

So I'll always remember that I got through this challenging season with a great husband and partner, an awesome church family, and a God who supplies me with lots of energy and endless love for my two great kids!

The Search Is On (Again!)

We found out today that our babysitter will no longer be able to watch Karis for us. She has put in her 2-week notice. In the past 7 months, we've had several short-term arrangements which has led to us having to look for a new caretaker every 1 1/2 to 2 months. Finding someone is always difficult, but we've never been without one. We trust that God has someone else for us to find in the next couple weeks.

If you know of anyone you could recommend, please let us know. If not, we would appreciate your prayers. We long to find someone who we trust and feel comfortable with and who will give Karis great care. Here are some more specifics about our needs:

• One day a week, preferably Thursdays
• 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
• The day includes feeding her two bottles and a snack and putting her down for two naps
• Karis is 9 months old and on a schedule. There isn't a lot of guesswork to taking care of her. She's a pretty happy and easy going baby!
• We can drop her off at someone's (baby-friendly) home or they can come to ours
• This is a paid position