Moments 10.2023

Life Lately

October was a beautiful month, filled with so many things that brought us so much love & joy.

Friends Visit

It started with a visit from dear friends. Diana is someone who as been a mentor and friend to me for 16 years. I started meeting with her before I had my first child, and have leaned upon her wisdom, grace, kindness and love often in my life.

JP is a missionary, and Diana’s son-in-law. We were so blessed to spend time with him. My kids absolutely adore him, and hearing about his heart for the Lord, mission to spread the Gospel, and trust in God through incredible trials, was so encouraging for all of us.

God graciously gave us the gift of time with these friends who live out their faith in real, grace-filled and inspiring ways – and it touched my heart and healed my soul in ways I didn’t think were possible in this present season.

They reminded me that Jesus can truly identify with those who suffer, because He himself suffered. I have known this, but to witness them walking with Jesus through their own suffering was a tremendous encouragement to me.

We went hiking, spent many hours talking and just sharing in life together. Their visit was truly balm for my soul!

Another year older

Ritch & the kids celebrated my birthday and made me feel so loved. We went on an absolutely breathtaking hike in the mountains and then out to dinner at our favorite Mediterranean restaurant. They spoiled me, like they always do, and I felt blessed far beyond anything I deserved!

The Beach

This year we decided to prioritize rest, so we planned a handful of trips to get away and just be together as a family.

This month we went to Captiva, Florida and it was beautiful. We rented a house on the beach with a pool and relaxed and enjoyed ourselves.

The kids absolutely loved burying Ritch in the sand. He definitely wins the world’s best dad award for that one!

This particular island is known for it’s shelling, and we found hundreds of stunning shells, which the kids found very exciting. We saw dolphins every day on our beach too, and we got so close to them!

I loved this island because it felt very remote. People were few and far between (my kind of vacation haha), and it was really just us and the waves and sand. It was so relaxing.

As always, we played from sunup to sundown and had the best time. Ever since we got home, Keilah will randomly start crying and say “I just miss the beach.” Same girl, same!

Halloween

We had a blast on Halloween with good friends. It was our first time trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood, and it seriously felt so much like home. Our other neighborhood was bonkers on Halloween, and this one was very low key while still being super fun.

Zach was absolutely terrified of my friend’s son’s dinosaur costume (haha) and he literally has not stopped talking about it since – it’s actually adorable the way he talks about “Elijah dinosaur costume.”

This year we had 3 different versions of a spiderman/girl character. Keilah insisted on being a bunny (and what a cute bunny she was) and Bethany was an angel. Ritch and Naomi spent months building her Boca Tan costume which I guess is a character from star wars or something! They talked about how much fun they had for many days after.

Things I’m loving

Here are some things I’ve been loving lately…

• Agolde Stretch Jeans. I have the hardest time finding jeans I will actually wear. They have to be soft and stretchy, but still look classy. Well, after buying and returning 10 pairs of jeans this fall (at least haha), I found these Agolde Jeans and fell in love. Note that they come in stretch and regular – I did not like the regular jeans but absolutely adore the stretch version!
• Thanksgiving recipes. I already ordered my turkeys and am in planning mode for Thanksgiving! I have to give a nod to my favorite Cranberry Sauce recipe because the post got a makeover this year (don’t worry, no changes to the recipe itself).
• Sezane Fall Jacket: I have been looking for a great fall coat for a few years now (not exaggerating – I’m so picky about my clothes and won’t buy/keep things unless I truly love them). This year I bought this jacket and absolutely love it. I have it in camel (sold out but there are other great colors). I love that it can be dressed up or down. It’s pretty comfy and looks classy. I have a size small because I wanted to be able to layer sweaters and such underneath, but probably could’ve gotten away with an XS.

Life & Faith

This month has brought so much clarity and healing. I’ve been at an impasse for quite some time in my heart and mind when I’d think about Christians who claim their harmful actions are done “in love.” It was like (metaphorically) a person pummeling another person, and as they walk away while the beaten person is bleeding they say, “Oh, but I love you.” Like somehow that makes what they did ok.

However, the bible very clearly tells us what love is, and what it most definitely is not. “Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way.‘

So, we don’t have to wonder, “Are those hurtful actions actually loving just because someone claims they are? Do the people who harmed me actually love me?” And we don’t have to just blindly accept or believe those who say they love us when their actions communicate the exact opposite. Because, God, in His goodness gives us His Word full of passages that clearly tell us what love is, and what it most certainly is not.

God used the visit from my friend, who has been a tangible example of gospel love and kindness to me for many years, to remind me of these truths, and it brought great healing to my soul.

Snapshots

Our family photos came back from Brook Stein Photo and they are so great. She has been taking our family photos for 10 years now and we absolutely love her (and she will travel)! 🙂 Here are a few of my favorites:

Enjoying the beach.

The kids spent hours catching critters on the property where we stayed.

My mini me soaking in the sun and waves.

So grateful for a few perfect sunsets.

These two brothers totally have my heart.

This spoke to me this month 100%!