Christmas Break!

I am on Christmas break--yea!! It's my first official day "off." I have not spent it how I anticipated, but more on that in a second. :)

I really want to start out by thanking all of you who left such sweet comments on my post about J & M moving. It was SUCH a blessing to know I have such faithful friends and prayer warriors in my life. And it was such a reminder to me that I AM surrounded by friends, even though we might have some geographical distance separating us. Through you, the Lord blessed and encouraged me in SO many ways. Thank you, thank you. Thank you for your support, coming alongside me in my hurt, and also for those of you who shared similar struggles. It sounds awful on one hand, but it it's such a relief to know there are others in such similar places--further confirmation that I am NOT alone! I also have the added blessing of being able to pray for the places YOU are waiting and wondering--which is a great privilege and way to keep from focusing too much on my own places of waiting. :)

Secondly, today's changed schedule. :) Our assistant pastor's wife is due this week with their first baby girl!! They have twin boys (about 6 years old) and a 2 year old boy. But the baby girl is on her way! They were going to be induced last Monday, but the hospital didn't have any beds (no room at the "inn"!) available. Yesterday at church, Frank told me they MIGHT be able to get induced that night. They were to call the hospital at 10 and then go in at midnight if they hospital had room for them. They needed someone to stay overnight with the boys if they got a "yes" and wondered if I could/wanted to. Of course I wanted to! And as it turns out, the hospital DID have a bed for her when they called at 10. So, off we went to drop my car off at Rob's (where the boys would be for the 2nd half of today) and take me to Frank's. I got to spend the last 12 or so hours doing something I haven't done in over a YEAR, something I used to do at least weekly... babysit! The boys were great and VERY excited about the baby coming. They are THRILLED it's a little sister. :) I talked to Suzanne this morning, and she was having some contractions but overall just waiting around. Hopefully we'll hear an announcement before too long! After breakfast, playing outside, reading a story, snack, getting dressed, etc., etc. (not in that order), I drove the boys in Frank and Suzanne's van over to Rob's. It was fun to get to be around little ones again and "play" mommy, especially to such SWEET little boys. Matt was really excited that I got to help out, but kidded that maybe he SHOULDN'T let me go... joking that it might kick the maternal instincts into high(er) gear and get him in trouble that we don't have any kids yet. :)

I had to kind of chuckle at myself at one point. Going through so much child development training (it was my major, after all) and having such wonderful families for whom I babysat back home, not to mention teaching experience, I was pretty confident. The littlest one woke up in the night, as I'd been warned he's been doing lately. He was very sweet and didn't panic that I was there, but my presence also alerted him to his mom's absence. He ended up waking about about once an hour, immediately remembered each time that his mom wasn't home, and started crying. I tried all my usual tricks, patting and rubbing his back, rocking, whatever I could think of. He would look like he was drifting off, but he was just laying with his eyes closed. I could quiet him down from crying, but I could NOT get him to fall deeply asleep. What a great reminder for me that I NEED God, and will need Him all the more when we have children. It's not that I think I have it all figured out, but it was sweet to run to the Lord and have Him provide--not through Aaron falling asleep better, but through the energy to get up each time he awoke.

Matt's home to eat a bite of lunch before heading back to work, so I should go. Enjoy your day and walk with the Lord! :)

Love,
Becca