Time Waits for No One

Obviously I made it a full 2 weeks into my New Year's resolution to blog once a week. And in fact, every time I have thought about it I've been overcome with a sense of self failure and have thus avoided it completely. Even as I opened this page I felt the heat of anxiety climb up the back of my neck and even had to flick my desk fan on to avoid sweating. Nobody wants to pit out in a light purple fitted-T. I enjoy blogging, and trust me, my daughter gives me plenty of material, but when I was at home with her all those months and in between my last post and this one, I just didn't find the time to sit down uninterrupted in front of the computer. I also felt annoyed with the process of uploading/posting pictures, etc.

But so much has happened since my last post. As of July 1 I am the Youth Pastor at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Yahoo. What a ride it has been to get to this point. I won't go through all of the twists and turns and delays, but let's just say I applied sometime in late January.

Lee & I have been so blessed in Hillsboro. It was been so wonderful to literally feel God's affirmation on our obedience in following His call on our lives to return. It wasn't easy and I've been reflecting on this as two of my very good friends have recently (as in the last week) packed up everything they owned, said goodbyes to good friends and loved ones, and came, well, to Hillsboro actually. One hasn't even arrived yet, she is just a few hours away. All that to say is it makes me think back to those terribly difficult goodbyes in Reedley and Bakersfield. People were hurt, family and friends, and we were hurting. We were leaving the place we started our lives together. The place we started off as a married couple, and where Lydia Jane was born. Moving is so overwhelming and exhausting, and I look at my wonderful, beautiful friend, Erica Haude, and I have such great sympathy for her, because I know it is anything but easy. Hang in there, E! God's blessings are rich and full in due time.

Time.

It just keeps going even when we want it to take a time-out. Every day  Lydia Jane gets older, and smarter, and faster!! Last Friday we celebrated her 2nd Birthday. In the morning I took her to get a donut at Vogt's, then we dashed through Walmart for groceries and party supplies, then we came home to enjoy Wendy's chicken nuggets (nobody said you had to be healthy on your birthday! We went with her favorites). And over lunch she got to Skype with her Nana Kelly in California!!

We threw together a simple party (but even simple includes a minimum of 12 guests if you invite my family). Pizza and cake--per Lydia's preference! The Haude's and Rob's parents actually arrived that very evening with their U-Haul. So of course we welcomed them in. It made for a great party.

Lydia was a pure delight to watch open her gifts. She wanted to spend time with each one. She is not the type to rush on to the next bright bow or shiny bag. She wanted to enjoy each gift, which meant she wanted to read the book, snuggle the animal, try on the back-pack, or in one particular case, pick up her new chair and carry it to her room away from the crowd so she could sit in it and enjoy some peace and quiet.

For Lydia's party we borrowed her cousin Emrie's pool--and Lydia LOVES to swim and splash. As you can see.

Lydia got a couple pretty cool 'big' gifts. A swing from Lee & me, and yes, a little-person trampoline, from my parents. Both have been big hits in Lydia's world.

On the night of Lydia's birthday, I rocked her to sleep, which I don't get to do very often anymore. I held my sweet baby and I thought back to that first night together. There she was, and though I was exhausted, I woke frequently all night long to check on her. I was just too excited to get any good sleep and I instinctively woke to every tiny sound. I could have held her close to me forever. I practically did. The first year of her life we spent the majority of the time snuggling and I wouldn't trade that for anything. The second year of her life hasn't been without snuggling, she still loves to snuggle, it has just been more of a healthy balance between snuggling and running.

Lee & I are always amazed at how much Lydia wants to do and say. She has a pretty large vocabulary for a 2-year-old and I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She may look like her daddy, but she's got a lot to say just like her momma. 

If you're wondering when baby #2 is going to happen... we don't know. Sorry! Despite so many people's sense of urgency that we reproduce sooner rather than later, we're just waiting for the right timing for our family. Don't worry though, of course I've got an itch. And the maker of the universe could certainly make it happen anytime He wants to, despite even our efforts to prevent it, so I'm not worried. God's timing is always best. It sure was best with Lydia Jane.

Lydia is doing awesome at Kid's Connection. What a blessing to have her in the daycare just a hundred yards away. It had a few rough days at first, but yesterday I over heard her running down the hallway in an attempt to escape with her accomplice Ashton. They were both giggling so hard I think they may have actually thought they might get away with it. That or the rush from breaking rules was just too much fun to contain. :) About a foot from my office door they both turned back at the teacher's (3rd or 4th) request to "Come back to class, please."

I am a very blessed woman.. a very busy, but very blessed woman...