God is good.

Good things have happened over the course of the last 3 days. I'm going to do quick summaries because my inlaws are here and I need to get off the computer.

--Friday I went to the first Ladies Bible Study called Roof Crashers at church. There are probably 100 ladies that come from around the city and they are all ages and from all backgrounds. But childcare and breakfast are provided and I felt SUCH A SENSE OF CALM when I walked through the doors. It was what I had been missing. Fellowship with other ladies, small groups, and a good Bible study. And less face it, a couple hours with no kids and a good breakfast definitely doesn't hurt. We're doing "Can We Talk?" by Priscilla Shirer and it's going to be a good one! God is so creative. Do you know that in this city of 100,000 or so, there were 3 people that I had met at various places around the city (IU game, library, etc) that all were at my Bible study??? I mean, come on, what are the chances? I've been meaning to write a whole post about how weird it is to live in a city that you constantly bump into the same people over and over. If you have seen them once, you WILL see them again---most likely in less than a week, at some other random place around town. I love it!

--My inlaws are here and that is a blessing. They were able to be here for Noah's birthday which is special. Brian and I leave for Orlando soon (trip pending due to hurrican Ike. Pray we get to go!!) and I look forward--with no small measure---to a lot of relaxing. I don't need to list the reasons why I feel like I deserve a vacation because let's face it, my life is a whole lot better and less chaotic than some. However, let's just say that I am oh so willingly accepting the opportunity to be responsible for no one and actually get to spend some moments by myself, sleeping in, reading books, exploring Disneyworld, and having good meals with my husband that I didn't cook. :) So, I pray we are able to go, despite the weather, and that we have safe trips there and back and that Ken and Lindy have a wonderful time with our boys.

--My baby turned 4 yesterday. Can anyone believe that Noah is 4??? I mean, seriously, where has the time gone? Four years old is officially NOT a baby or toddler or any image in between anymore. He is a boy.....growing more boyish by the second. We had his birthday party today and 6 kids from the neighborhood came over. It was a mellow party filled with playing on the playground, water balloon toss, pinata thrashing, cake eating, and of course, plenty of presents. But you know you do not have a baby anymore when he is getting Nerf guns. I currently have 3 suction darts stuck to my ceiling fan from just an hour playing with these new wonders!

Noah is so smart. He soaks up learning and can even be a bit arrogant at times. He loves kids---big ones and little ones, even babies. He is an incredible eater and enjoys almost everything I cook. It looks like he picked up his dad's palate which is great for his future wife. He is very gifted at sports. He received a brand new set of golf clubs from his Nana and Papa and has been taking regular trips to the driving range with his daddy. He also loves baseball but would play any sport any time. He loves to sing and dance....something that has been true since he was 6 months old. I'm so glad that trait has stuck around. He loves his preschool and I feel like his teacher, Mrs. Kim, is going to uncover even more amazing things about him this year. He wants to understand God better and is always asking good questions. He thrives on order and structure and needs to understand EVERYTHING that is happening now, will happen tomorrow, or happened yesterday. He is very reasonable and seems to be content with most explanations of circumstances or rules. He weighed 36 pounds one week ago and I'm not sure about his height yet. We'll get that measurement this week hopefully. Most importantly, he's very very loving towards his brother---showing lots of physical affection to all of us which makes me so proud. God has given us such treasure in Noah. Oh how blind I was in those first months of his life to all the potential he held. Thank you Lord for choosing us to love and grow Noah. I feel so humbled and grateful. I pray we have many many more years of loving and growing with him.