The handyman and his conquest

"Before"

notice "window" on left wall
"After "

Award winning

I wish I could take credit for this great photo...but...I can't! Great job Brandon on a beautiful picture!

Chicago trip

EEEEEek! I just realized that I haven't posted pictures from our Chicago trip. So...

family pic outside Aunt Lynne and Uncle Phil's house

Nolan enjoying the train ride

Yay train ride!
handsome men



Adelynne fell asleep on me during the train ride back from downtown Chicago. I hated it! :)


Waiting for ice cream at a little ice cream shop downtown Wheaton. We had a wonderful time!

A few months ago, Brandon and I were able to attend a concert at a coffee shop where Bethany Dillon was the featured artist. I'd heard some of her stuff before, but really LOVED her in person. A friend purchased a CD of hers for me, and I haven't turned it off since. So much so, Adelynne walks around singing the chorus to the song Let Your Light Shine. :)



The first verse of that song is this:

The Calmer of the sea

Here in this room with me

So gently welcoming

The weakest things in me

You are the blood over

The door of my heart

What pain You spared me from

How could I know it all?

Oh wonderful love, You died for me

The power of Your life is in me.



I don't know how many people throughout their life can truly relate to these lyrics, or what that looks like for that individual. I've blogged before about Christ being in the boat with the disciples during a storm, but it seems to be an analogy that's meant for just Megan:) I have felt, literally, the first two lines of this song very recently. While trails and despair are things I would, frankly, rather avoid, it's only in these times, I've have physically felt the Lord's presence. I mean, I remember when each of the kids were born and even at our wedding where I felt so thankful and knew that those events the Lord had his hand in. But, in the darkest moments of the last year, have I truly felt the Lord next to me, in the room, a peace that is indescribable. Also, in these moments of knowing He's here, do I also feel His compassion and understanding...allowing the pain, sadness, confusion and even anger to be part of the process and knowing, He's ok with it. There could never be anything as wonderful as a Saviour who gently welcomes the weakest parts of us. I find this so refreshing because I sometimes feel as though as a christian, we are supposed to put on a smile, talk about God's goodness and never let anyone know how hurt and broken we are. How could anyone possibly live up to that? I know I can't. I want to feel sad and angry, but then be soothed by my soft and gentle God.

A sweet friend told me that if a period of time happens between blog posts, she worries about us. I hope others don't feel that. Pleas know that is not the case. Sometimes, there's so much to blog about, I avoid it because the task seems too daunting:) We, as a family, are GREAT!...honestly. We've really enjoyed the summer with Brandon's somewhat lighter work schedule and are dreading his return to school. We've taken a trip to Chicago, played outside A LOT, taken lots of walks together, worked on some projects outside, we've been to the apple orchard once already...etc. etc...Adie's learned to ride a bike with training wheels....we're very much enjoying the garden....the girls had chicken pox (Crazy!)...

We've had a break from doctors appointment too. We've confirmed and met with those necessary for Nolan's surgery which is scheduled for September 10th...and it is quickly approaching. We see nephrology (kidney's in August) and we see genetics next week, and I'm hoping that will be an end to the appointments for a while. Nolan's doing wonderful. He army crawled yesterday and is pushing up onto all 4's and is rocking. He's eating slightly pureed table food and is loving that. He's such a happy little bundle of joy. His PT is due to have her first baby in mid-August, so we're mentally preparing to miss her for a few months.

We're doing well. Currently (I use that term very seriously), everyone is healthy, happy, dreading Brandon's return to school, and praying for a safe and succesful surgery for Nolan.
Love from the Paschal household

Precious pics of a precious little guy...

He likes to eat grass.

Mommy loves the chubby baby paws.
Sweet little face.
Perfect.
My favorite.

51/52

I nursed Nolan for 51 weeks straight! ...that's 357 days and 8568 minutes I've been tied to him. For those of you who know me well...be impressed. I am not the mom who was so set on strictly nursing, but, did it because I had to. He wouldn't take a bottle! So, if it was feeding time, I had to be home, or have Nolan with me at all times. As he got older and ate food too, it became not quite so cumbersome, but when he was a newborn and ate every 2 hours...talk about wanting to pull your hair out...ahem... Weekends when grandparents would take the girls for the night...we always had Nolan! Our anniversary last December...yep, you guessed it...Nolan came:) On June 8th...Nolan gave up his mamma...willingly...can I get an AMEN! ?

Tomorrow, a friend of Brandon's is getting married in Louisville. We are going....ALONE! How pumped am I to be alone with Brandon? Alone enough that I don't have to rush through my dinner to make sure to get back and nurse a baby before bed! Awesome.

I remember when we went through our premarital counseling. We studied lots of verses on marriage, but may favorite is the illustration in Ephesians 5. Brandon is to love me the way that Christ loved the church, and in turn, I am to submit to him as the church does to Christ. I think our culture puts too much negative emphasis on the "submit" aspect of this illustration, as if Brandon rules over me with an iron fist...that he bosses me around...that he makes decisions without talking with me about it. True, pure submission, creates not only a God honoring marriage, but also unity, safety, joy, peace, happiness, etc. etc...God's smart...He knew what he was doing in creating a model for marriage. Only when we stray from these principles do our marriages fail.

Anyway...I got off on a tangent...sorry:) (Hey!...I've had NO adult interaction today:)

I haven't had much time with JUST Brandon this past year. I am looking forward to focusing on him, my first priority.