Final Family of 4 Update

This will be my last official family update as a family of 4! My sister-in-laws were saying yesterday how it doesn't feel real to them that we're going to have another baby soon and I understand their viewpoint. They're not the ones carrying it around inside them, though! It definitely feels like there is a full-term newborn in there. :)

We've had some negative financial changes recently and we've been asking God to provide for us. Jared was thinking about possibly getting a part-time job again in addition to his full-time job, now that he's done the course he was taking. He mentioned he might want to deliver pizzas for a couple we know who are owners of a pizza restaurant, so I passed that information along to one of them. On Thursday, the owner texted her brother, who is close friends with Jared, asking if Jared wanted a job and could he start today at 4:30? This was around 2 p.m., so Jared said yes and started a couple of hours later. They trained him on making pizzas so that he will know how to do both, but he's hoping to mainly be a delivery driver. He will be working two 3 or 4 hour shifts a week over the supper rush. He has known the owners for years and some people from our church work there, so that's pretty cool and makes it fun!

Kiera has been conquering her fears this summer. I'm amazed at how she's growing in different areas! She used to be scared to climb in those tunnel/slide mazes they have for kids and now she has zero issues with climbing all the way to the highest one and sliding down. Last week, she overcame her fear of the automatic car wash. She screamed and cried at the top of her lungs the last time we took her, so after that we didn't take her. When she found out Jared was going to wash the van last week, she insisted on going along. So, Jared took her and she loved it! It was like a switch was flipped in her. Yesterday, we went to a park with a bunch of people from church and Kiera went on a zip line by herself! I had visions of her letting go halfway down and flying off, but she never did. She LOVED it and went down it over + over! She has also been throwing a lot less tantrums particularly when it comes to leaving a place she's having fun at. I've also been praying for a long time about her treating Blake nicely, instead of hitting or pushing him the second I walk out of the room. We're still having some issues with that, but we've also had several times now where they've played very nicely together for stretches of time by themselves! I see God at work and I'm just very thankful for all of the positive changes.

Blake has reached his "word explosion" stage. A few weeks ago, I wrote down all the words he is saying and the list was over 50 and now I can't keep track any more! I always thought he was way behind what Kiera was at his age, but looking back in the journal I have for them, he's not far behind! I've been praying he would be able to communicate with us before the baby is born and that prayer is being answered! He is definitely the clown in the family and makes us laugh quite often. I love when him + Kiera just sit there and make each other laugh!

There's not much new with me. I'm just getting ready for this baby. We moved furniture around this past week-end to get the baby room ready. We moved the bed to Blake's room and set up the play pen for the baby. Blake is still in the crib, but now the bed is there when he's ready (and when we're ready). I washed some baby clothes and this past week-end I washed all of the receiving blankets, too. I've bought a few packs of diapers and now all I have left is to pack our bags for the hospital! I've still been struggling with digestion problems and some days I get very discouraged. I was in the car one day last week and this song came on the radio which was PERFECT for how I was feeling. I only heard the last half, so a couple of evenings ago, I googled the lyrics I remembered and found it on YouTube. I sat there and cried through the whole song. It's beautiful! It's by Laura Story and she wrote it after her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After numerous surgeries and treatments, it's gone, but he has been left with a vision deficit and memory loss.

I have 2 very good friends, only a few years older than me, who were diagnosed with cancer a couple of months ago and I know so many others going through different struggles, be it health problems or other issues. Here are the lyrics:

Blessings

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

The words that jumped out at me were "We know the pain reminds this heart that this is not, this is not our home." Thankfully, I'm not in pain from my stomach problems and it could be much worse, but when I'm running to the bathroom, I'm just SO thankful that someday it will be over and ultimately, this isn't where I'm staying! I read a really encouraging verse yesterday: "He (Jesus) will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control." Philippians 3:21 Praise the Lord, I will have a new body!! No matter what, I have hope!

That's where life is at right now and I look forward to updating you again when we're a family of 5! :D