Trey's first visit to the dentist

This picture makes me laugh - who gets their family picture taken with the dentist?


Me clapping that Trey was such a good boy for Dr. Peck

Trey really wanted to touch all the instruments

David and I had our 6 month dental checkup and cleaning yesterday. Everything went well for both of us. Trey also had his first visit with Dr. Peck, and he did great! Dr. Peck checked out all 8 of Trey's teeth (the same 8 teeth he has had for 9 months). Trey loves when we brush his teeth every morning and every night, and he even got a new toothbrush. Dr. Peck said that it looks like Trey is starting to push through his molars.

Trey is 17 months now - he is learning new things every day and loves to go out in the grass and explore. The weather has been beautiful, so we've continued to enjoy being outside.

I don't have much more to write today - I've been pretty exhausted with work lately. I really feel like I am in survival mode lately. It seems harder and harder to work night shift, but I am thankful for God's provision of a good job. Please pray for David as he is trying to figure some things out for the future as far as schooling and work. I really want to be supportive, but on days when I am really tired, it is hard to be patient about the process. However, I am confident God is working in all of our lives.

Trey sitting very still for Dr. Peck

Trey and Mama before his exam

I like my new toothbrush - thanks, Dr. Peck!

2 sweet boys

Please pray for Jonah and Stellan - two sweet baby boys who are fighting for their life. Please pray for peace and rest for their hurting parents and families. I can only begin to imagine what these 2 mamas are feeling or experiencing but I know that Jesus is holding them and their little ones as they are clinging on to Him.

Off and running...

Trey and David reading before bed

We have been having fun with our little man walking / running from place to place. He is a very curious little boy, and we are enjoying (most of the time) watching him learn and discover. One thing he does when I am in my room sleeping from working the night before is he will knock on the door. And then I will hearing him calling for me. He knows I am in there but he doesn't know how to get to me. It breaks my heart to hear the little tap tap on the door. When I work and come home in the morning, Trey is usually just waking up. I will play with him until about 10 and then go to sleep until about 4. Then I get up and play with him, spend time with David, eat dinner, then head off to work. It makes for short sleep on the nights I work, but it is working for us.

Trey loves to "help" me get ready for work

We went to the airshow at Luke Air Force Base on Saturday and Sunday. We actually rode our bikes there on Sunday. The Thunderbirds were there, and we were all amazed at their skill. David had seen them before when he was in the Air Guard, but I had never seen them. Even Trey watched them - we had brought earplugs for him but he took them out after about 20 minutes and started eating them. We were able to look inside different aircraft and talk with different airmen on the base. It was a fun couple days.




David has been busy around the property. We had a windstorm on Sunday night that knocked down most of the lemons. Instead of throwing them away, I juiced them and froze about 25 cups of lemon juice for future lemonade. I have to tell you that lemons truly make me happy - they are so yellow and sunshiney. Our place smelled great yesterday. Trey carried several lemons around the house as I juiced the lemons.

Trey also loves to be outside, and we love all the room we have for him to run outside. I am looking on Craigslist and at yardsales for a little slide or something for him to play on outside. We also have parks nearby that we can take him to. David takes him for tractor rides. He sure loves to be with his Daddy (I do too - so thankful David is able to do what he is doing right now - the family time is priceless).



We have had so much fun riding our bikes around town - we rode to Walmart last night and bought some groceries.

A precious gift

Today I received this sketch in the mail of me holding Trey when he was 10 days old. I didn't even know that it was being drawn for us. My Aunt Christine in Florida drew it - my mom told me she spent hours on it. I think it is one of my favorite things anyone has ever given to me. She has done other sketches (including one of my Grandma and also my dad as a baby), and she is available for freelance work. You can see more of Christine's work on her website. The below picture is what she sketched from. Thank you so much, Aunt Christine! This is something I will cherish always.


As a side note, if you could remember to pray for my Uncle Charlie and Aunt Christine as they have been in a very long process of trying to adopt their little girl from China (since at least 2006). They have named her Sarah - please pray that God will bring her home soon. They are trusting God's perfect timing, but their hearts are anxious to have her in their arms.

Missionary Aviation Day

Getting ready to take off

Our view from the air

Still sitting still...

Fascinated (almost as much as his Daddy)

Trey felll asleep about halfway through our flight

Trey's arm painting - an airplane with UIM written

Running to his Daddy

Off and running...

Watching the other kids in the bouncey house

We had such a fun weekend together. We went down on Friday night to Tim and Ginnie Ried's home to spend the night. They are missionaries with UIM which is the mission that we are serving with currently as caretakers. We have been praying and thinking about missionary aviation for a while. We didn't know the plan when we moved out here last August. We thought that I would work and David would go to school. Then this caretaker position was literally dropped into our laps while we were driving out here. Our plan was to rent until we found a home to buy - the housing market out here is truly a real estate mecca for buyers. As you know, we had a contract on a home but then felt like God was directing us to wait on buying a home. We were kind of disappointed but didn't want to rush into something we shouldn't. But more than that, we felt like God was directing us to stay and serve here as caretakers for a while longer. We don't know how long God wants us here but we are content to stay here as long as we need to. Missionary Aviation Day was further confirmation to us that God does indeed have a bigger plan for us than what we ever dreamed. We were so encouraged to talk with other missionary pilots on Saturday, and David got a lot of excellent information on schools that specialize in missionary aviation. The downside is that none of them are here in Arizona. One that David is really interested in is Moody Bible Institute that has their aviation department in Spokane, Washington. We are really committing our future to Him like never before. It is scary and exciting. We were reminded on Saturday that missionary aviation has to be a calling - if not, you will burn out quickly. So this is something that we are seeking direction from God in - is this His plan for us or is He leading us in another direction? So many things have been pointing in this direction - from landing here at UIM that has a aviation branch to meeting so many different missionary pilots.

So we had a great day visiting with different people and getting information on schools - there were probabaly 15 missions and schools represented from New Tribes Mission, UIM, and Missionary Aviation Fellowship to Moody and LeTorneau University. We went up on a plane ride in a 4 seater aircraft. Trey did great and fell asleep at the end. Please pray for us that as God gives direction, that we will be faithful to seek His will for our lives.

Trey slept for 1 1/2 hours in his Burley after the plane ride - we took our bikes down to ride

Amanda!

My very very good friend Amanda came to Phoenix and was finally able to meet Trey. I love this girl - she was so good to me when I lived in Arizona before. We worked at Good Sam together and she let me stay at her place on days when I worked so I wouldn't have to drive back and forth to Wickenburg. She was so encouraging, and she even flew out to our wedding. Now she lives back near her family in Nebraska but still comes to visit friends in Phoenix which is great cause I get to see her every few months. Trey loved her - but then again, everyone that meets Amanda loves her. Thanks for coming over and having breakfast with us, Amanda!

He knows my cry

Psalm 18: 6-19

In my distress I called to the LORD;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears...

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalm 142: 5

I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion

in the land of the living."

I went to pick Trey up from the childcare center at our gym the other morning, and I heard him crying. There were probably 20 other toddlers in the room, and at least 5 of them were crying when I walked in the room. But I knew his cry. Even before I saw him crying, I heard him. I know his voice. I immediately went to pick him up and love on him and remind him that his daddy or I always come back for him. As I held him, I instantly thought of these verses written above - my God knows my cry. He cares about what hurts me. He wants me to cry out to Him. I was so comforted to remember that He knows right where I am each moment of every day. He knows my fears. He doesn't criticize me for being fearful, but instead He loves me. I love being Trey's mama, and I love how I understand more of my Father's love for me as I have moments like these with Trey.