Gosh, some MAJOR life changes have taken place since the last time I posted back in September. My few loyal readers already know what's been going on with us, but here's a quick summary for those who may not (and for me to look back on in 15 years when I'm feeling nostalgic for these sweet years):
We finished building our house and have moved in! When I first titled this blog "Acker Country Living," I truly thought we lived in the country. Ha! That was a mere baby step, my friends! We are legitimately in the COUNtry now -- 20 minutes from any full grocery store or viable restaurant, a bean field in our front yard, no sight of any neighbors, and the greatest play area the kids have ever known (47 acres of woods and swamp). We've been settled in the new house since just before Thanksgiving, and all 5 of us love it here. I could go on and ON about how proud I am of Pete for building this house. He took on the role of General Contractor without a second thought, not knowing at all what that entailed. He spared me of the bajillion frustrations he encountered every SINGLE day during the building process and was able to balance building, his paying job, and spending time with us without me and the kids ever feeling for a second that we weren't important. In the husband and dad department, I know I'm biased, but my Pete is a man among boys. The house is 2 stories with an unfinished basement; 3 bedrooms are upstairs, and we basically have one great-room downstairs. Here is a video that I made for my mom of the downstairs (the upstairs is not quite as put together just yet):
My twin sister Katie (aka Aunt KK) had a BABY!!! Her name is Addison Joy Haitz (Addie), and she is so unbelievably beautiful. I love hearing about her and seeing pictures of her and thinking about her and cannot WAIT to meet her! I fly out to Denver on January 20th to spend a few days with Addie, and I'm counting the seconds. Her parents will also be there, but they have officially taken the back seat in regards to being the cause of excitement.
We're pregnant! Speaking of ole Peter being a man among boys... (just kidding, Dad, gosh!) We're due in June and are able to actually get excited and talk about it now that we're settled out here and have told the kids. We are planning on waiting to find out the gender until delivery like we did with Mary. So far these are the name options Susannah and John have come up with: Kela, Holy, Hela, Gay, John-Mary, and Fan. I see some real winners in there! Here's the video of when we told the kids:
Susannah turned FIVE. Good gracious, I've blinked too many times. I cannot keep these kids from growing up. Susannah's kindheartedness has grown exponentially over the years. She is so sweet, and though she and John definitely drive each other bonkers at least 4 times a day, I've never seen a more loving and doting big sister. She wants to be like me in every way, and that is one of the most convicting things I've ever encountered -- it challenges me to up my game in every respect because I know she's watching me so closely. We're trying to teach her some gumption these days because her sweetness sometimes keeps her from being strong in her beliefs and feelings; even though that makes for a very obedient child, Pete and I truly want to see her feel strong and bold enough in her convictions to occasionally push back, whether that's toward us asking her to do something she doesn't want to do or her friends who are playing in a way she doesn't want to play (she has ZERO problem pushing back against John and Mary though - go figure!) :D Sus is absolutely beautiful inside and out, and we are ridiculously proud of our five-year-old.
Don't think Mary and John have been mere bystanders the past few months. They're still stealing the show everywhere they go. Mary might be the smartest year-and-a-half old in the whole world. Her vocabulary is ridiculous, and she is so funny. She is definitely one we do not have to worry about with boldness in her convictions. Unlike her big sis, that girl LOVES to push back. It's a good thing she's so sweet! She has her scowl face down, and she saves it for right when I'm about to get real upset with her about something, knowing that I'm going to crack up. Mary is also in a TODDLER bed now and is doing great!
John is mini-Pete in a million ways. Pete took him "hunting" (walking to the location in the woods, sitting for 10 minutes, walking back), and it's hard to describe the absolute delight in John's little countenance in the preparation to go hunt. He loves talking about it, making plans for it, getting dressed for it, and heading out the door for it. And then he's ready to come back where he can be rowdy! I know for a fact, though, that the day that he's actually allowed to carry a weapon out there to shoot something he'll sit for as long as he needs to sit to take down whatever unsuspecting animal crosses his path.
Here are a few more pics from recent weeks in no particular order:
Walking to the mailbox and back is the perfect length for a good afternoon activity.
I found Sus and John's toys set up like this the other day. I think it is a perfect and hilarious representation of the life in their little shared room.
We went to the Williamsburg Christmas parade back at the beginning of December. The kids had never seen a parade before, and they for real loved it! Our kids, however, do not like strangers, so to each nice person who stopped in front of our kids to speak and try to get a smile or high-five, I'm sorry. (But not really...STRANGER DANGER!)
The kids' new favorite activity.
Figgy, Pops, Aunt Sarah, and Aunt Vicky came to town a couple weekends ago to surprise me for my birthday! I was literally brought to tears by both the sweetness of that gesture (I've had a lot on my plate, and this family is SO good about being receptive of that and knowing when a good time to step in and lighten the load/mood is) and the hilarity of this cake. I can't help but think that maybe Paul Simon almost had the perfect lyrics, "And Betty when you call me, you can calllll meeeee [F]al!" It was also supposed to be orange and blue, to which Pete said so appropriately, "Tennessee wins again." (If you followed college football this fall, you know that's unfortunately funny.) BUT I will say that it was THE yummiest ice cream cake I have ever had. The story that goes along with it just made it that much better!
Snow day!
Susannah's first Christmas program! She and her little preschool buddies did a GREAT job singing and entertaining us.
Sus and her best friend Ella at the program
Church Christmas program time! John refused to sing the songs during any of the practices, but he sang every word during the actual program.
John's shoe also came untied during the program, and he just could NOT go on until it was tied! He sat there forever, pretending like he knew how to tie his own shoe until our sweet program director Jessica tied it for him during one of the songs.
John with his two best buds, Lane and Wes. They are such a fun trio!
Had a nice, warm-ish day to go splashing around in muddy puddles this past week. Needless to say, we went straight to the bathtub.
And now for a little personal reflection:
I started a read-your-bible-in-a-year plan last January, and I'm about 17 weeks behind where I should be to finish next week; but my reading this morning was surprisingly appropriate for this season of Advent: Psalm 62.
We wait for the Lord. It's a constant thing. In this season of Advent, we are to draw our focus back to the waiting that God's people had to do for hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. They knew He was coming; they didn't know when; so they waited. Sometimes with joy, sometimes with lamentation, sometimes with loneliness, but always with anticipation for the promise they knew God would fulfill. It is so much fun celebrating that day -- the day God's promise for a Savior to be born came true -- and trying to imagine the feeling of fulfillment, even if just for a moment, the world felt when Jesus entered the world. And now, we find ourselves...waiting still. Not only are we now anxiously waiting on Christ's second coming, but the waiting for answers to our questions and victories in our battles and completions of difficult seasons and healings for the hurting continues. Waiting is hard.
We're currently waiting to sell our old house. This is a really difficult thing to just wait on, and I find myself putting my hope in a realtor and in the efforts of our own hands. What can wedo to get this burden off our backs? My heart was so convicted this morning when I read Psalm 62:5 because my waiting had become so focused on being freed of this financial burden that I was losing sight of the goodness of God and His promises. "For God alone, o my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him." And it goes on to say that my salvation rests in Him and He is my refuge. My hope, my salvation (from sin and from the burdens of this world), and my refuge are all found in the Lord. Not in the house selling or in having just one mortgage or in putting Glade plug-ins in every room or in stalking our realtor to see if she's even doing anything over there... My hope should rest in the promises that the Lord (1) will provide our daily bread, (2) knows when the house will sell, and (3) has a purpose that's for our good and His glory.
Putting and keeping our hope in God's sovereignty and promises instead of the things and ways of this weary world is a much safer bet. As Pete prayed last night for the sale of that house, his words began this conviction that the Lord set in this morning: he praised God for the blessing of our old house and for how abundantly rich we are. Those words settled so deep in my heart. That house was absolutely a blessing from the Lord, and it didn't take me but half a day to start cursing it when I didn't want it anymore. Our family is rich beyond measure, in more than just money, and it didn't take me but a week to start bemoaning the possibility of not being able to do all the things I want to do this spring. Through Pete's prayer to God, God was speaking directly to me saying, "Stop waiting for your problems to be solved--there's no refuge there. I'm your refuge. Wait on me."
Whatever it is that you're waiting on--be it daylight after a long night of nursing a newborn (cough, cough Katie), or retirement, or marriage, or healing of a physical ailment, or healing of an emotional ailment...we're all waiting on something--whatever it is, let's make sure we're first waiting on our God, seeking refuge and salvation in Him before worldly solutions. I need to trust Him more fully--He's reminded me of that big time this Advent season. And as hard as it's been, God's been so good and loving to me, teaching me and drawing me closer to Himself. Isn't the Lord always so good to us like that? May we always direct our hearts toward Him in our waiting.
