This has always been one of my favorite posts to write because it gives me the opportunity to go back and see all the things we have done in just a month! I often find myself thinking, “WOW! That seems like so long ago, and yet, it was just…two weeks ago.” ha.
Okay so here goes…
We started the month off with a fun weekend trip up to Saluda/Hendersonville, NC.
If you’ve never seen Pearson’s Falls…you must. It’s so majestic and peaceful, and in the middle of the woods. The last time I had been there was in 2006, when I was going through a very difficult time in my life. A dear friend sent me to Saluda for the weekend and told me just to spend some time with the Lord and I did. I remembered sitting at the base of the falls that weekend for hours just thinking about all the things going on in my life then. This time, the trip was a little shorter, but seeing the falls and allowing the splendor of it all to wash over me was rich.
Along with our weekend trip to the mountains of NC was of course, apple picking! We went to Justus Orchard, at the recommendation of a friend who also has small children that need to be entertained. 🙂 It was so perfect for our family. We arrived early Saturday morning, beating some of the crowd {and yes, it got crowded}. We picked apples, fed farm animals, shot apples at Big Foot through an apple launcher – who knew!? – jumped on the biggest air pillow jumpy thing that I’ve ever seen in my LIFE! We drank apple cider slushies, ate apple doughnuts and fritters…it was all of my Fall dreams come true in one beautiful day.
Back at home and certainly with the Fall ‘itch’, Eliza Jane and I went to Wal-Mart and Kirkland’s to grab a few things to decorate the house for Fall. The front porch turned out cute, with our little scarecrows. Do you see the kids there? Eliza Jane has a flower for a head, Emory is the orange one because he has orange hair and Reynolds is the cute one with a vest! ->that was all Eliza Jane’s idea!
September was also a great month for weather in Columbia. A few mornings and afternoons were spent working outside. I finished putting together my Cultivate What Matters Powersheets for the month – talk about an accomplishment! Read more on that here.
I also started a new Bible study by Staci Eldredge, ‘Becoming Myself’, that has been a different sort of study for me, but incredible nonetheless.
After a few weeks of our church having to close it’s doors due to COVID, we were finally able to go back again and the kiddos all decided to wear stripes on our first Sunday back <3 Aren’t they adorable?
Like many families, soccer has started back for us this Fall. Can I say that I am SO thankful that my kids have organized sporting to do? I am. This pandemic has been so hard on everyone, I realize that, but especially on kids. There’s so much that they can’t understand/comprehend so to be able to allow them to run around and play with other kids has been a tremendous blessing on our lives.
Last Saturday they all had games at the same time {two are on one team, one is on a different team} so Andrew, my dad, his parents and some friends, rotated from one end of the field to the other so we could see all the kids play. I took this photo of the three of them after their games…looking like a posse ready to take over the playground.
I AM A HOPE*WRITER!!!! There, I said it out loud.
For several years now I have written blog posts as my creative outlet. I have felt like writing is a gift the Lord has given me and I want to use it to bring joy, hope, love and laughter to those who read it. I joined the Hope*Writers community this month to learn more about this art form and to establish a better writing rhythm so that I can share my gift more faithfully with you, my readers.
Ah…probably the best thing that happened this month. Reynolds was baptized. Bless his heart, he walked the aisle so many months ago and consistently asked when he could get baptized. When COVID shut everything down, all we could tell him was “when church opens back up.” Well then church opened back up, but baptisms weren’t part of the agenda and then church shut back down. We were not disheartened. We kept telling Reynolds that he would be baptized when the time was right. We also kept reaffirming that he understood what it meant to be baptized, and true to his smart, seven-year-old-self, he did.
Last Sunday, when we finally got to go back again after the second shut down, he wrote on his paper that he turned in to our Children’s Minister that he wanted to be baptized. Pastopher, as we all call him, knew this was a desire on Reynolds’ heart so he texted me the following Monday and said that they were starting to schedule baptisms, when did we want to plan for it. I replied, “Is this Sunday too soon? My dad will be here for his birthday and that would be perfect timing for us.” Done.
I love this photo on so many levels…I also love that little boy and am so thankful for those who have told him about and shown him the love of Jesus so that his heart could be captured for the Kingdom.
Last but certainly not least…PopPop with his grand kids. My dad was here for his birthday so we celebrated with a small group of friends by grilling out and watching football on the back deck. For dessert he had a carrot cake and Petit-Fours from Tiffany’s bakery and per the kids’ request, I made a Grammy cake…it was the perfect trio.
Ah…my heart is so full after reliving these precious moments. I was listening to a podcast earlier this morning talking about making time for reflection. I don’t do that very often, do you?
I think the one time I may do it well, is when I write this type of post. Looking back over a month always has me thankful in so many ways and maybe that’s the point of reflection and rewinding…seeing where we’ve been so we can make plans to move forward.
Until next time dear friend…
