New Camera!

For our anniversary last week, my in-laws were extremely generous and got us a new camera! I am so excited to learn how to use it and to take really great pictures, especially with our new one arriving soon! I have always enjoyed taking pictures, and am excited to be able to take really high quality photos.

For the last few years, I have been making shutterfly books for each year (moving past the old method of printing off each pictures and putting them in photo albums). I love how easy shutterfly is to use and how you can creatively design each page.

I have great plans to make a family photo book for each year, and then also make a book for each year of my kid's lives that they can keep (for however many kids we have). That way I can include every special/big moment in both books, yet also be able to go deeper into what was special to them each year.

So, for those of you camera curious, we got the Nikon D3300. I am so pumped! Thanks to my wonderful in-laws!

Amazing faith.

Sometimes there are just those Scripture verses that really impact you/blow your mind. Then you kind of move on and forget you read it, until you read it again later and then the same thing happens. 

This passage always does that to me. Especially at the end. The apostles were just FLOGGED, and they walked away REJOICING that they were "considered worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (verses 40-41)

I want faith like that.

From Acts 5-

The Apostles Persecuted 

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.

25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Third Trimester weeks 27-30.

I don't know about others, but I personally was super excited to hit 30 weeks! I feel like that is a big milestone! At first I felt like nothing had really happened to write about in the last weeks, but actually quite a bit happened! Week 27's picture was taken in Branson on our family weekend trip, which was really fun. Week 28 was taken on the day I headed up to Minneapolis and got to see some college friends and go to my old roommate's baby shower. I also had my second and third baby showers in there, which was a huge huge blessing and so much fun!

Pregnancy wise, I have been doing pretty well, which I am so thankful for. I am still working full time, so I am really grateful to be feeling so well. I am starting to get pretty tired after working a 10 hour day full of kids, but it's okay. My feet have still been swollen (they basically are constantly swollen now), but it's gone down since the humidity hasn't been too bad recently. It's actually been a super nice summer to be pregnant- not too hot or humid! My back has been hurting, which isn't fun but it's tolerable. Baby is also pushing into my ribs a lot, and I have been feeling much harder kicks now! I also feel like I have been more emotional recently. There are also a couple other minor things that I would be happy to discuss with pregnant friends, but don't need to announce publicly. :)

Thankfully all my doctor appointments have been pretty good also. They say I am measuring right on track and baby is doing great, so that's wonderful news! The only hiccups were that my hemoglobin levels were low, so I have been taking an iron supplement each day to raise that. I also failed the initial glucose screening test (where they test for gestational diabetes), so then I had to go in for a three hour test where they drew my blood four times to test further, but thankfully I passed that and don't have diabetes!

I feel like I have recently been getting bigger (obviously), and since I hit 30 weeks I am getting really anxious to meet this little one!

Week 27

Week 28

Week 29

Week 30

Teacher Devotion.

Today was our inservice day at school! I was so excited, because the Early Ed. only gets ONE inservice day each year, so it's really special to have our own meetings, time with coworkers, and time getting our classrooms ready for our new classes (even though we teach all year, we still have big "transition" periods of kids just like a regular school year).

I actually asked if I could share a devotion today in our meeting, which is unlike me. I don't typically like speaking in front of groups, but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with trying to prepare for a whole room full of new kids immediately after coming off of a tough(er) summer, because I had a classroom full of kids with many clashing personalities. I figured what better way to battle discouragement than by proclaiming/speaking encouragement?

I shared Colossians 3:23, which talks about in whatever you are doing, do it as if you are serving the Lord, not men. I also shared Matthew 25:40, which talks about how whatever you do to serve others, you are also doing for the Lord. I know these verses are pretty popular, but were convicting and encouraging for me this week.

I also read Jen Hatmaker's Dear Teachers Everywhere, which is a blog post she wrote last year for Teacher Appreciation week.

I ended with listening to Casting Crowns new song, "Thrive." I really love the lyrics to this song, and thought it was a great song to kick off a new school year. Also, it was a really neat connection that this song is kind of our "school song" for the year, which I had no idea about before this morning.

I am so blessed to work at my school!

Year Four.

Today is our fourth anniversary. I am so blessed by our marriage and so incredibly grateful to be a part of it. The way God orchestrated us coming together and has paved out our path has been and is amazing. I can see His love for me and others so much better since getting married. I have certainly learned a lot and am trying to become more selfless. Certainly not everything is always perfect, but I know that Kley is perfect for me. There is no one else I would rather be with and I look forward to seeing him at the end of each day. I am so excited to watch him become a dad very soon. I am grateful for the many ways in which he loves me. 

Kley, I am absolutely in love with you and can't wait for all our journeys ahead.

Treasured.

This weekend was/is a great relaxer after two really busy weeks with lots of activity. I got to hang out with my family a lot this weekend because Kley was studying/taking this big ethics test he had to take. It worked out nicely, because my sister leaves for college again on Tuesday. (Where did the summer go?)

This morning we went to the farmer's market and it was really great. It was perfect weather- not hot at all, and I got to walk around with my family and get lots of tasty fruits/vegetables for cheap. Great morning!

All in all to say that I really love weekends like this because I got to spend a lot of time with my family, and tomorrow I will have Kley back after his test, so we can spend some time together! Kley has been working really hard this year with school, and I am so proud of him.

I treasure these moments. Thank you, God, for my family. I am immensely blessed.

One of my favorite gifts ever.

My Grandma Schut, actually handmade us a baby blanket! That is so special to me and I am so excited for our baby to have such a sentimental gift. Thanks Gram!