Strawberry Adventures

We are blessed to live in an area where food is plentiful! We are surrounded by strawberries, blueberries, peanuts, and so many other small farm operations. I am thankful for this proximity to "the country" so I can raise my kids to know where their food comes from.

Last year Raylen sat in the fields and ate berry after berry to his hearts' content. This year, he got to help pick! that was so much fun! By next year, we will have all three of them running around picking [mostly eating] berries!

This great little farm is only 20 minutes from our house and is the perfect drive for a fun trip every couple of weeks. I hope we get to take advantage of it this summer!

Stay tuned for recipes we plan to use our strawberries for. These include strawberry pie, chocolate covered strawberries, and strawberry ice cream!!

Some other recipes we like are strawberry lemonade, strawberry shortcake, and freezer jam. I am hoping to stock my freezer with jam so that I don't have to buy any from the store this year! We shall see.

Time for a change... in address!

Kyle and I are so excited to officially announce we are moving! Again? I know. We moved to Milton in October of 2016 with the intention of getting back to Navarre eventually. Well, God has opened that door for us and we couldn't be more excited!

We started looking for lots with the intention to build within the next couple of years, but ended up being introduced to a builder and fell in love with his work. Before we knew it, we were under contract for another new construction! I have to say, this is the way to do it guys. When we moved into our Milton house, we upgrade a lot of things right away, but this builder goes beyond the call to make his homes beautiful and truly move in ready for his clients. I can't wait to watch the progress and for move in day!!

I plan on documenting the construction (as much as I am able), packing, moving, and unpacking processes and sharing video log style through this whole journey. We are kinda on hold for a few months while we wait to break ground (literally) with this new project, but then things should happen pretty quickly after that.

The glory is completely the Lord's in this amazing situation. Since we moved to Milton, Kyle has been making the 40 minute plus (one way) trip to work everyday, so needless to say our time together as a family is definitely precious. My poor husband spends over an hour and a half on the road everyday, sees the boys for a couple of hours before they go to bed and then gets up and does it all over again the next day. We are so looking forward to spending more time as a family. Daddy might even be able to come home for lunch a few times a week! I am so thankful that God allowed us to find this perfect spot for our new home.

I am by new means a seasoned mover, but having done this once with an infant, I definitely remember certain things that I will and will not be doing again.

As we are getting excited about the new house, we find ourselves pondering on the things we love about Milton and how God's timing in moving us here was incredible. We moved in October of 2016 and on New Years' Eve (SURPRISE) found out we were pregnant. Then in April we found it we were having TWINS!! God knew we were going to need the space that we just didn't have in our old house. He also provided a closer commute for the weeks the twins we in the NICU.

We also acknowledge that God put us in a place of testing. Without going into details, our church family went through a very difficult time in 2017 and God physically placed us in a position where it would have been easier and much more convenient to find a different church home. I don't say this to pat ourselves on the back, but because it is further testimony of how God is faithful to us. Throughout the entire situation, Kyle and I earnestly felt that God was NOT calling us anywhere else and that Midway is our church family. Now, He is moving us to be closer to that family again and I am thrilled! To God be the glory.

Romans 11:33-36

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are

his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Zoo Fun Day!

We went on a little adventure last week!

Things I learned...

1. Go with a friend!

2. Take snacks/ lunch. Zoo food is expensive.

3. Don't expect to get through the whole Zoo in one trip.

4. Just enjoy the experience and teach your children to interact with God's creation.

5. Don't be embarrassed to make all the silly animal sounds.

6. Have fun with your kids.

This was a great first outing to the Zoo with all 3 boys. I look forward to many , many more!!