Happy First Father's Day, Brendan!

{Brendan with Charlotte soon after she was born}

Eight months ago my incredible husband, Brendan, became a daddy when our daughter, Charlotte Grace, was born. In typical Brendan fashion, he was not a bit worried about becoming a parent whereas I was full of questions and "what ifs". During my pregnancy his calm kept me stable. I was reminded then that God provided me with a wonderful complement to myself.

 

In the first days after Charlotte was born when I felt like I was grasping at straws to remain sane amidst the exhaustion and uncertainity of caring for my first child, Brendan jumped in to do new father things like he had been created for it his whole like - and I absolutely believe that he was! In those days, I saw that God had given Brendan natural instinct and ability to be a father.

My unselfish husband changed diapers (even those first poopy ones!), brought Charlotte to me to nurse (I had a C-section and it was a hard recovery), prayed and encouraged me while I learned how to nurse Charlotte and figure out her new little cries, posted wonderful accounts on our blog about Charlotte's first days, and just showed me how much his heart belonged to the Lord.

I don't think that I could thank God enough for grabbing ahold of my husband's heart and changing his life. Brendan's desire to be a godly father and husband is evident in everything he does. He provides love for us through the time we spend together as a family. He joyfully goes about the work God has given him to provide financially for our family - to put a roof over our heads, food on the table, and far, far more. He challenges me to not let our faith in Christ stay within the walls of our home but to extend to others.

Oh, and how I look forward to the adorable, can't-say-no father he is going to be to our little girl! How I look forward to seeing him develop love and discipline and so many other new attributes as our girl (and family) grows!

Wouldn't you do anything for a girl who falls asleep in your arms like this?!

I'm so excited to be sharing this life with him, sharing in the joys and struggles of raising our daughter, each having our own relationship with Jesus but also having one relationship together as husband and wife. God has richly blessed me and Charlotte!

Happy First Father's Day, Brendan!!

We love you!

One Thousand Gifts - Post #12

My continued list of thanks...

273. sound of wind blowing as a cold front moves through
274. feeling the cooler air as I hang out little girl's laundry
275. not gagging when Charlotte threw up :)
276. "doing the next thing" for about 1 hour as I cleaned up Charlotte and her mess
277. consoling Charlotte after her first real boo-boo
278. really feeling God give me patience today
279. the smell of eminent rain
280. my husband's relationship with you, Lord
281. finally receiving a long-delayed package from my grandmother
282. meeting a new mommy friend for tea - babies & all :)
283. a vacation in September to look forward to
284. the energy to wake up early this morning for quiet time
285. talking to my friend Jesse in Raleigh
286. sad I'm missing it but glad our house in Raleigh is being used for a wedding reception
287. the beauty of order and planning as seen in the Rose Garden in Retiro - beautiful circular row layout
288. Charlotte's first bubblebath
289. hearing from the Lord and really learning from the study of His Word
290. one last meal and prayertime with our community group in Madrid (short time with them but so grateful for the new friendships)

Interested in counting your own list of blessings? Read about One Thousand Gifts and The Gratitude Community here.

Weekend Video - Charlotte's Lip Smacking

One Thousand Gifts - Post #11

It just makes sense that if you pick up from the life you know and move to a foreign country - where you don't know the language and you don't know any people - that the months (or years) that follow are going to be a time of intense spiritual growth (that is if you allow God to work :)). I knew that going into this move to Spain, and I've known it for the past few months we've been here, but it seems that recently it's really sinking in for me.

I'm battling homesickness (for Raleigh and Texas) far more now than when we first moved. Some days I absolutely love being here...I love the culture, the sights & sounds of Madrid, the places we go, people we meet...I just love where I am now and that God has given us the opportunity to experience it. But there are other days (and I had a few of those last week), when I just want to throw in the towel and fly back to the U.S. I wouldn't really do that but it's seemed tempting when the temperature got hot last week and there was no breeze coming through our flat (we have no AC). And I just sit and dwell on what I miss from home and what I'm missing out on by not being there...being a part of Southbridge, playing games with our friends in Raleigh, walking through a quiet neighborhood, Texas sunsets & thunderstorms, raising our daughter near our family.

I don't quite know what all God is up to in our lives while we're here in Madrid. I try to keep reminding myself that He doesn't normally (or ever!) show us the full picture of what He's using our lives to accomplish. But I do know that He's changing me, as I've experienced Him do many times before. And just as I had to do then, I need to let go of my plan and embrace His. So much harder to do than to say!

At the beginning of June, I found this great desktop wallpaper on (In)Courage. It is beautiful and has a calendar for June, but what I loved most was the constant reminder of why I am here - To Glorify God!! So while I may not know the full details of what God is doing in my life, I do know the purpose...to bring glory to Him. And continuing to count the ways He blesses me sure does help me keep that perspective....

238. the precarious tower of Bibles, books, & journals next to my bed
239. the portero (doorman) who opens the door & elevator for me
240. feeling the power of prayer from friends
241. having no debt (except our mortgage :))
242. God using this time in Madrid to push, stretch, and mold us into who He wants us to be
243. a breeze
244. ice cream when its really warm in our un-airconditioned flat
245. laundry that dried fast (because of the heat)
246. cold water
247. ice cubes
248. a cool shower after a long, hot day
249. cold watermelon
250. finding a doctor's office that speaks English
251. getting an appointment at dr's office for the next day
252. baby girl staring at me while I cry, then touching my face...felt like she was wiping my tears
253. in every season, I have a reason to worship!
254. a friend watching Charlotte while I went to my dr's appointment
255. baby girl's ticklish spot on her neck
256. talking with another adult during the day :)
257. the "clink-clink" of dishes being washed at a restaurant downstairs
258. beautiful colors in the twilight sky
259. not changing ANY diapers for one full day!
260. Brendan and I deciding to hold each other accountable to technology use/time
261. grocery delivery service
262. a fan
263. book fair at Retiro
264. an English-language children's bookstore in Madrid
265. an orchestra playing during our picnic in the park
266. a surprise opportunity to eat Mexican food!
267. air-conditioning in buildings
268. Brendan and Charlotte "chasing" bubbles as I blew them
269. not hearing & waking up to my neighbor's TV at 1am
270. babies sleeping in strollers
271. sweet Spanish ladies doting on Charlotte - being thankful even though I don't know what they are saying
272. baby girl is doing a little "boot-scootin' boogie" crawl - but it's a crawl - our girl is growing!

Here's the video of Charlotte crawling for the first time: