She Reads Truth

I wanted to share something that has been a blessing in my life for the past few months. 

She Reads Truth

The women in my community group at church started an online bible study. We read the daily devotional from She Reads Truth and post to a private fb group. It's been so refreshing to spend time each day doing this. I'll admit I definitely struggle with spending time in God's word. But this study makes it so easy, and it doesn't take long to do. I've really been encouraged by it and think you will be too!

Right now the study is on Ruth, a story I remember studying many years ago. I've loved getting a fresh perspective about how our God is a redeemer. Ruth goes through a very dark time and the story shows how God ultimately redeems her. 

Isaiah 45:3

I hope this encourages you today. 

Grandpa's 90th at Myrtle Beach

I've been trying to get this post up for a week now, but life always seems to get in the way (or Chloe wakes up from her nap) either way here is my recap of our recent trip to Myrtle Beach in honor of my Grandpa's 90th birthday!

It was a really great trip, and it was kinda a miracle that every single family member could make it. All my aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, everyone from my mom's side was there. It was so nice to spend time with them. 

 Here is everyone on the night we had the party for grandpa. My mom made these shirts for us to surprise him, his picture on the front, he got a kick out of it. Here's the back:

The local newspaper wrote an article about my grandpa and how he still plays softball and seems to not age. They called him the "ageless wonder" so we thought it would be cute on the shirt. 

Tried to get a good picture of the 4 generations but Chloe wouldn't cooperate, oh well. 

Of course we had plenty of beach time. Chloe absolutely loved it this time. It's so funny how 3 months makes such a difference, last time she was unsure, this time she ran straight for the ocean every time. 

She also loved the sand. She loved digging and filling up her bucket. When the tide was coming in late in the day she would laugh and laugh, shouting "wa" (her word for water). It was so cute.

Chloe loved her great grandpa. The first day we were there she let him hold her and play with her, which she normally doesn't do with men. It was so sweet.

Chloe also loved the pool, both swimming and watching the big kids.

 I'll end with the picture of her running into the ocean, well trying to run into the ocean.

So thankful for a grandfather who is still around. We kept saying we will do it again when he turns 100, and I know we will. 

A Home Away From Home

This coming Tuesday, June 10 marks the one year anniversary of us moving to Winston-Salem. It was a year ago that we finished packing up our home and started a new beginning here. It has gone by so fast, and so much has changed since then so I thought a blog post was in order, I'm posting now since we will be out of town next week. 

We have grown so much as a family while living here. We have had to rely on each other like never before, and it's been really good for us. Our marriage has been stretched like never before and I can happily say it's made us stronger and closer. Leaving Richmond was hard. There are times I still miss it so much. It still feels like home when I go back to visit, but more and more so Winston is feeling like home too.

I love our church here. It took us a lot longer to find a church home than I expected. It's been really good for us to get involved, hear new perspectives on things and continue to grow in our faith. I love the people we have met here, and hearing their stories and what God has done in their lives, it's amazing. About 2 months ago we finally joined a community group and this has given us the opportunity to really connect with other couples who have children as well. I can't say enough how Twin City Community Church has been such a blessing.

I absolutely love the running community here. After I had Chloe I knew I wanted to get back into running, so I made the goal to run the Richmond Half Marathon. When we moved I wondered if that goal was still possible as I knew I couldn't train alone. I found a running group at Fleet Feet, and I found friends in my pace group. I love the friendships I've made here. Even after training ended we stayed in touch, continued to run together and have plans to train for another half together this fall. I have pushed myself in training more than I thought possible. The terrain in Winston is very hilly, and I was so scared to run them. Although there are still hills I need to conquer (like Brookstown) I am ready for the challenge. I will also say the YMCA here has been so great for us as well. It gives me such peace of mind to know I can drop Chloe off at a place where she is loved, and well taken care of. She happily (most of the time) goes into child watch with a smile. 

There are other things I love about Winston too. My friend Kelly who I met through a mom's group and her daughter Olivia. We love playdates with them. I love the real sweet tea, our house, the pimento cheese, the greenways, the parks, the southern charm, new favorite restaurants and new places to explore. 

This move has been good for us. A year ago we felt God was calling us here. Telling us this is what he had for our family's future. It's great to see those things come full circle. 

There are times when I wonder how long we will be here. Sometimes we think about moving back to Richmond. Sometimes we think about staying here forever. One of the biggest things I have learned from this move is although I feel this need to plan out my life, there are some things that we must leave to God. God will show us in his time what we should do next. It's something I struggle with continually. 

So Winston-Salem is my home away from home. Maybe Richmond will always feel like home to me. For now, Winston is. I'm incredibly grateful that I have so much to be thankful for in this city though. So here's to one year in Twin City, and here's to another great one!

Monday Randoms

A photo dump of sorts for a Monday afternoon:

 Chloe is all about exploring our yard. Pointing to "Wa" (water) or the flowers, she loves it.

She also loves strolling with her feet up. That's the bar we put on for her infant carseat, and I haven't had a chance to take it off yet. I'm thinking I will just leave it up since she like it now!

Chloe and her bff, Olivia, playdate at our house last week. They are cute together. 

More playing outside.

Yesterday we found this trail behind the visitor's center in Bethania. Bethania is this very little township about 5 minutes from our house. Ones of our favorite places to eat, Muddy Creek Cafe is there, but we hadn't really seen anything else. So we went exploring, it was fun.

I was glad we had the bob, it was perfect for the rougher terrain. 

Now I'm just counting down the days until Saturday. We leave for the beach with my mom's side of the family. I can't wait to see the ocean and my family!