Life in Lompoc

Things in Lompoc have been great. I have adjusted to the almost-always-windy weather. Phoenix and I enjoy the occasional warm, wind-free morning, but we usually just wear our jackets. The days go by so much faster when we spend time outside on stroller walks or sometimes I let Phoenix lead the way and chase him around the apartment complex. These are the most charming apartments we’ve stayed at. I really like it here. At the beginning of the day, it feels like a hurdle to cross over- what will we do today? How can I keep Phoenix entertained? I feel a constant pressure…Am I teaching him enough, do I spend my days in a way that pleases God, am I raising him the right way, what could I do differently, what more could I do? Then I remember “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Phoenix is doing some pretty cute things lately. He has two sippy cups with straw lids (he never did like those kind you have to tip up to get the drink to come out). Yesterday he discovered that he can play with them as if they are umbrellas, since they look like little umbrellas (that is one of the words he is learning from reading his books with me). So he carries them around our small, but cosy, apartment and says “mmm-brell-ahhh”. He played with them in the bath last night, and while the water ran he put them under the faucet, just like real umbrellas. It’s so cute, and I’m proud of him for being so smart and creative.

Also, I noticed after our stroller walk this morning that Phoenix was not following me up the stairs like usual. We have a stone path in the grass by our stairs and he was walking on it over and over. He has discovered these little paths all around the apartment complex and loves to walk on them. So on our second walk of the day today, I led him down a few stone paths, and whenever he sees one, he just HAS to walk on it. When he does little things like this, it makes me worship God in my heart and fall in love with Him and my son even more.

Yesterday, Isaac sold an alarm to a man who is a strawberry picker. The guy took him out to the strawberry fields and let him help pick some. That was so neat, he came home with 10 pounds of strawberries! They’re all over the fridge and freezer. It’s a good thing Phoenix loves strawberries, he could eat a whole package of them in one day. On Sunday we are going up to Santa Maria to pick more berries in that man’s field (how generous of him to share), and then church at Calvary Chapel Santa Maria. I’m excited, I love going to new Calvaries and I’ve wanted to go to this one for weeks. Then Isaac said we could go out to eat after, and I said “Olive Garden?” Here in Lompoc we have no chain restaurants, just little mom and pops and lots of authentic Mexican food. I love pasta and soup and salad, so Olive Garden sounds wonderful to me. Isaac is such a trooper, he goes there with me even though he would rather eat a steak or some ribs somewhere. He knows how much I love food!

The pregnancy has been good. I still get nauseous from time to time, mostly towards the end of the day. My legs are starting to cramp and my lower back hurts, but I am happy to feel the baby moving inside. We call it “Baby J,” since we’ve decided to wait to find out, and our names are Joslyn for a girl or Jaxon for a boy. I really feel it is a girl, but it will be wonderful to push our baby out and hear “It’s a…”. I love surprises. I never thought I was the type of person that could wait 40 weeks to find out if my child is a boy or a girl, but something put the idea in my head and heart after we moved here, and now I am excited to wait. It is really special that God is the only One who knows if it’s a him or a her. As I type this, Baby J is kicking around in there. :) I’ll be in my 20th week tomorrow, so almost halfway.

I’m learning a lot from my Bible studies. Ever since we decided not to have a TV in our home, we’ve started reading the Bible and praying together every night. I love it! I’ve wanted to do this with Isaac for over 3 years, but we never seemed to make a habit of it. I never stopped praying that Isaac would lead me in this area and now I see God working in him in awesome ways. It’s great because I’ve prayed that God would be the center of everything in our lives, and we hear His voice more and more as we let less and less of the world into our lives. God is good. :)

Laughing and Moving

Last night, Isaac and I were laying on our mattress in the living room and looking up stuff on the Internet (since we had sold our TV, couch, and entertainment center earlier that day for $17 to a guy who had just moved here from Colorado and needed furniture). We found this HILARIOUS picture of a girl sitting on a play horse, and her face is so silly that I laughed until I cried, literally, tears. I saw the picture again today and still laughed my buns off. So I had it pulled up on Wendy's computer (our power is turned off) and Phoenix came over, saw it, and said "Ewwww....". Ah. I laughed again, squeezed his face, kissed him, and thanked God for that moment.

We move to California tomorrow. It's been a crazy few days, packing and cleaning and saying good-bye to people. After being sick for so many weeks with this pregnancy, I really felt like a prisoner in my own home. Things had gotten so disorganized, unclean, and out of control. But this move is a lifesaver. I got to go through every corner, closet, and drawer and throw away things we don't need. Moving can be sad but is always refreshing. We looked up our apartments in California online, and they look very cute and nice. I am excited to have another summer with just the bare essentials- no TV, none of our own furniture, just the summer weather, a new town to explore, and lots of things to learn. The 8-hour drive is not great, but after that it will be exciting.

A few weeks ago we went to the fair here in Nevada. It was so relaxing to have an afternoon spent outdoors, with my little family of three (four if you count the baby in my belly), with nothing to do except walk at a leisurely pace, see the pigs and goats and rabbits and chickens, eat homemade ice cream and delicious root beer, and watch our son marvel at the tractors and eat cotton candy for the first time. It was precious and priceless, like a miracle day.

Then we spent 5 days in California, so Isaac could work for a few days and we could check out where we'll be living for the summer. Santa Maria is where we will be (not Anaheim, Disneyland will have to wait), and it is a very nice town. We went to a great Farmer's Market, which is where I plan to do a lot of my summer grocery shopping. The fruits and vegetables you can get at these markets are amazing and beautiful, and so fresh tasting. There is just something special about getting your produce straight from the farmer instead of from the aisles at Wal Mart. Thus far, Phoenix has handled the travelling very well. It's an 8 hour drive without traffic, and every time we are done with the drive, I let out a big sigh and wonder how we made it through with our almost-2 year-old in the backseat. Then I wonder how we made it through our 24-hour drive last summer. Aye yay yay!

I really feel the Lord working in my life right now, arranging my future for me and calling me to grow in my walk with Him. I love the Lord so much, not just for what He gives me and the blessings in my life, but for who He is (my Father, Savior, Comforter, Provider, Best Friend) and what He has done for me already on the cross. God is good, and life without Him is no life at all.

Good-Byes

This month, I will have to say a lot of good-byes. We are moving again for Isaac's job, this time to California. Somehwere in the Anaheim area, so on the plus side, we will have great weather, new sights to explore, the beach, and Disneyland. But these things I will truly miss:

1. Our church home. Calvary Chapel Mesquite is a very small, but very intimate, fellowship. I will miss the people, my pastor, my friends, serving in the nursery, and the awesome worship services. This church is amazing and really gave me so much.

2. Our dogs. We had to give Max and Jack away, because we are moving into a furnished apartment (not very doggie friendly), and after the summer is over we aren't sure where we'll be going. We just can't keep leaving our dogs with other people to watch while we figure out our life. We had those two boys for several years. They became a huge part of our life. Max was there for me during my morning sickness in both pregnancies, always by my side when I was throwing up or just couldn't get out of bed. And Jack was always good for a laugh. I will miss them both so much.

3. Small town living. I love being able to walk to the store if I want, that there is no traffic ever, that everyone knows everyone and the crime rate is practically non-existent. I grew up in a big city and for the first time ever, I got to spend some time in a small town. I have really enjoyed it.

4. Family. Isaac's parents live across the street, and my grandma and aunt live 5 minutes away. These people have really helped me through these past 6 months, with Isaac being gone so much for work, or with me being so sick with this pregnancy. I will really miss spending time with them.

I am very much looking forward to the journey ahead. There is something very refreshing and liberating about throwing all your stuff into storage and moving very far away to someplace new and unfamiliar. It is thrilling to take a bare-bones apartment and turn it into your home for the summer. It is exciting to get to know new people, shop at different grocery stores, and fall out of your regular routine.

Last summer, God did amazing things with my life. I know that this summer, He will do the same. Good-byes are tough, but there is always something to say hello to on the other side. "He gives, and He takes away."

Pregnant

Since the last time I wrote in this blog, a few things have changed. Isaac is no longer working for VitaMix, which has been like a breath of fresh air each day. He is home everyday, and he and Phoenix are developing a deeper Daddy/Son bond. And the timing is impeccable...now that I am pregnant (yes, 6 weeks along and due October 22nd), I need his help so much and could NOT do this with him being gone for 10 days at a time. He has been so helpful and encouraging. He takes care of Phoenix and all the housework for me when I am just too sick to get off the floor, which this week has been everyday. I remember being sick with Phoenix, but not this sick. Ugh.

We visited my Texas family in January. That was so much fun. Phoenix and Lily both walk now and actually played together for the first time. Also, a couple of weeks ago, we drove to Gilbert, Arizona. We stayed with our friends, Nate and Taryn, and Isaac spent the week selling alarms for the first time since last summer. He is starting to get the hang of it again. We move to Washington in May for the summer. I thought we would never do another summer of alarm sales, and yet here we are. I prayed for the Lord to give us something besides VitaMix, and alarms is not the best option but it will be another great adventure. Luckily I should be done with this "morning sickness" ( more like 24/7 sickness) by the time we move to Washington and Isaac has to be away from home for 10-12 hours a day again.

I have not been reading my Bible or praying as often as I should. Also, exercise is difficult with my nausea and upset stomach. But I am making it a goal to do better in these areas. I always feel 100% better about life when I put God first, where He should always be, and take care of myself by exercising. It's just been so hard this week since I feel like I could lay in bed all day and I rarely feel like doing anything at all.

I have to take Scripture and personalize it: "I can do ALL things (even live through the first trimester of pregnancy) through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. "For I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. Father God, please help me through this. You have blessed me with this baby, and now I pray that You will help me deal with this sickness. Amen.

Heaven In A Bowl

It is ten days into the New Year. I have not even begun to touch the things I want to do this year. I refuse to call them my "New Year's Resolutions", since in the past I have never kept any of them. I just know there are some changes that need to be made in my life, and I plan on working on them daily. I will not say "Lose 5 pounds", but I will say "Eat healthier every day, and exercise more." I will not say "Read a chapter of the Bible every single day" but I will say "Spend more quiet time alone with God each day."

We survived our trip to Visalia. We drove home late New Year's Eve (Phoenix slept the whole time, yes!), and drove through Vegas at midnight. The roads were not busy since everyone was on the Strip partying. I did not want to be one of the partiers. Instead, I was having meaningful conversation with my hubby and enjoying our time together in the car. Much more special. :)

Isaac is away in Southern California on a ten day show right now. He gets back late Sunday, more like early Monday morning. And then on Tuesday the 19th, we are flying out to visit my parents in Texas. Yay! I finally get to watch my son play with his Aunt Lily. How weird, she is his aunt, but he is 2 months older than her. I am looking forward to a fun stay in Georgetown. I miss my family, they miss us, and Isaac could really use a few days away from the stress of work. We plan to visit a few fun Georgetown specialties, especially the Cotton Patch. This restaurant has this Bacon Cheddar Potato soup that I totally adore. Real, thick potato chunks with smooth, real cheddar cheese and buttery chunks of delicious bacon. It is like heaven in a bowl, people!