Fall 2014

I'm officially a bad blogger. I admit it. I really miss blogging regularly, but by the end of the day when the kids are in bed, I still have the kitchen to clean, laundry to finish and some time to hang out with Aaron. Blogging is the bottom of my priority list. But life continues to move and God continues to bless us. Abel and Belle are loving their 3K homeschool. We do about 3 days a week for 40 minutes - a worksheet (focusing on either letters, numbers, shapes or colors), Bible and reading time, and a craft. Sometimes we throw in some extra things like music or flashcards. If we haven't done school yet, they will ask "Can we do school now?" Haha! The pictures above were taken at a local pumpkin patch on a homeschool field trip with our church. They are dressing up next week for Halloween as a football player and cheerleader. I have mixed feelings about Halloween. I always thought I wouldn't celebrate it with my kids. But then the first Halloween after Abel & Belle were born, I thought "What is the harm in dressing up like something that isn't satanic or evil in nature? And getting candy?" Abel & Belle play dress up at home almost everyday of their lives and they eat candy occasionally as well. Also, awhile back, I read a post from another Christian who said "Every day belongs to the Lord. Why should Satan have a holiday? He doesn't have the right to take what belongs to the Lord. So, take back Halloween to the glory of God." That is what we try to do with Halloween...eat candy, drink cider and be merry to the glory of God! Of course, we respect those Christians who have different opinions too and don't participate in Halloween at all. And we know other Christians who celebrate "Reformation Day" on October 31st, which is the day that Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses. Whatever you're doing or not doing this month, Happy Fall Ya'll!!!

Jennifer :)

Mimi, Promotion and Homeschooling - Updates!

Thought I should give a quick update (Thanks, Ashley for the motivation)!

1) My mom moved to the Charlotte area a month ago, so Abel & Belle have been getting to spend lots of time with their Mimi- which they LOVE!

2) Aaron was recently promoted with his company, LifeWay, as a Market Manager. He will continue to manage his current store but will also oversee 5 additional stores in the market area. Promotion without Relocation is AWESOME! We have lived in 4 different cities and 2 states since we got married 8 years ago. We have lived here the longest (4 years), so we are thrilled to be given an opportunity for advancement without uprooting our lives. We love our church and our life here. We feel very settled for now.

3) Abel & Belle continue to grow up each day. I am going to start some Preschool Homeschool curriculum with them this fall. Nothing too big because I strongly believe that children this age learn best thru play. But, sometimes free play all day equals chaos, so I want to give them a little bit of structure. Maybe just 20ish minutes a morning. I bought some fun Disney workbooks from the Dollar Tree that focus on the alphabet, numbers, colors and shapes.I'm planning to go "School Supply" shopping this weekend when everything school related is tax free. I will get them some new crayons, supply box, washable markers, construction paper and other "preschoolish" stuff. We are excited :)

Below is a picture of our family at Chick-Fil-A's Annual Cow Appreciation Day! And also, here is a link to Aaron's blog about our experience that day and the Kingdom of God!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Abel & Belle!

Abel & Belle turned THREE on June 4th! They had their birthday party with friends at Monkey Joe's on June 6th. Their past 2 birthday parties have just been with our family but this year was their big party with friends! Monkey Joe's is an indoor inflatable playground. They had fun with their Batman and Hello Kitty themes. I can't believe they are 3 - officially preschoolers now! Where has time gone? It seems like both yesterday and forever ago that we were struggling and praying for God to grow our family through embryo adoption. And here we are now...What grace! They have been potty trained since February - WooHoo! Glad to be at the 3 year mark with that behind us now. :)

Abel: Talks non stop now! I recently reread their second birthday post and read how he could say words that weren't clear and definitely no sentences. What a change a year makes! He is all boy - loud and active! Belle entertains herself quietly while he continues to run around like a super hero. He is ALL about super heroes now...he doesn't play with cars, trains, trucks, planes or any other "boyish" toy...only super heroes!

Belle: All girl. She occasionally will play with her Disney princess dolls but is far more into playing dress up and cooking. She LOVES dressing up! Her favorite character is Hello Kitty (which is cool because HK was my favorite growing up too) but she likes all girly things: My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, Lalaloopsy, Disney Princess, Minnie Mouse, etc. Oh and she got her ears pierced for her birthday - with Hello Kitty earrings! She is so proud :)

They are best friends and worst enemies. They are always either chatting away with each other or arguing - But always talking! It is a joy to watch their bond grow as they can communicate more.

Happy Birthday, Abel & Belle! We are so grateful to be your parents!

Interested in SAVING MONEY?!

Aaron has recently started a blog for writers. Here is a post about how we saved money to finance his book. Even if you aren't planning to publish a book, the money saving tips are useful to anyone who is trying to finance an adoption or anything else!

P.S. Every time you visit his website, a chapter of the Bible is donated to someone who needs God's Word!

Easter 2014

Since we will be with family this Sunday and this past Tuesday was a rainy/indoor kind of day, we decided to go ahead and give the kids their Easter baskets. We don't do the "Easter Bunny", as in Abel & Belle know their Christmas gifts and Easter baskets are from us (although, we do sit with Santa and EB at mall just as we would Disney characters as DisneyWorld). Sorry that I have neglected this blog for so long...I just find it hard to have time to sit down and write. I really wish I did though because the kids are talking like crazy now and saying hilarious things - NEVER A DULL MOMENT!!!

Happy Easter, friends! So thankful that Christ crucified absorbed the wrath of God on our behalf...and rose again to confirm the validity of His work on the cross!

Get Aaron's ebook For Free!

We have some exciting news for everyone!  Right now, Aaron is giving his ebook away for FREE at www.noisetrade.com.  If you haven't been to this site before, you should really check it out.  You can download 100% free music and books from a variety of categories.

The direct link to download Aaron's book is:

http://books.noisetrade.com/aaronwilson/god-is-not-a-god-of-second-chances

Please feel free to share this link on your social media sites!  We hope you enjoy your free copy!

And of course if you want to order a paperback copy and help support church planting, you can visit your local LifeWay Christian Store or order your copy at www.godisnotagodofsecondchances.com.

Book Release!

We're excited to announce that Aaron's book, God is NOT a God of Second Chances...and other good news from the Gospel!, has officially released!  100% of the royalties from this book are being given to church planting efforts in the Charlotte, NC area.

If you haven't yet seen the promotional video, please visit the book's website here.  Or, you can purchase it right now by clicking HERE.  The book will also be for sale at all LifeWay Christian Stores across the country.

(You can also purchase the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or as an electronic version at CBD.  However, the church plant will get much less of a royalty percentage if purchased through these avenues.)

We'd love for you to pick up a copy of the book and share one of these links via social media!  Thank you for your support of this project and the church it is helping to support!