New Girl in Town

On November 17, our family welcomed it's newest member. My brother Jake, married his love, Ember McKinney Rydell.

 

 

 

It was a very sweet day and several members of my family also got to be a part of it.

 

Robert was one of Jake's groomsmen and Maia and Josie were sign carrier and flower girl. Too cute!

 

 

I'm very proud of my "little" brother, who serves our country in the United States Army. It's exciting to have a new sister, too!  I'm praying as they begin this new marriage, they'll always look to the One who brought them together by keeping Him first, and always be mold-able to His will in their marriage.

 

 

Much love and congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Jake Rydell!

 

 

Adopted

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Luke 19:10

 

This is the verse that led to a life-changing discussion I had with Maia. We were studying and memorizing this verse for AWANA clubs that week. I asked Maia if she knew what the verse meant by "lost." When she told me no, I explained it meant those who needed to trust in Jesus as their Savior.  Then she said, "I've done that but you and Daddy won't let me get baptized."

 

There have been several times over the past year or so, when she would hint at being interested but then would quickly move on.  We knew when she was ready she'd let us know and so we tried very deliberately not to push her into this decision. 

 

But on the night of October 17, 2012, I knew the time had come.  I walked her through the simple ABC's of salvation, and there on her bed, our precious Maia asked Christ to be her Savior.

There is no greater joy for a believing parent, than to know that your child has made this most important decision and has the assurance of Salvation.

 

As I was  thanking God for this over the next several days that followed, many songs would come to mind. But one in particular kept popping up. Phil Wickham's This is the Day, to me, epitomizes this moment in a person's life. It's so fun and biblically sound.  I encourage you as you're watching the video to turn up the sound, really listen to the words and think about the day of your own salvation. Praise Him for it, because He's worthy!

Thank you, sweet Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins, for my daughter's sins, for the sins of all mankind.  We don't deserve an ounce of your unmerited favor, which makes it all the more precious.

Thanks for loving us so perfectly. 

My Architect

*Here is a little disclaimer about this post.  I actually wrote the bulk of it several weeks ago but needed to add a few finishing touches before posting it, and consequently it has been sitting in my draft folder ever since then.  Last week I read an article about why speaking well of your spouse is so important.  This is something I do try to do but admittedly am not great at. I don't bash him (at least I don't think) but I tend to do all my edifying in private. However, the point of the article was really about why it's important to speak well of your spouse publicly. That publicly part is what I find difficult.  Not that I don't have good things to say about my spouse.  But there are times when it seems those I know that do, are trying to overcompensate for something and it just comes off forced.  A judgemental thought, I know. But I guess there is a fear that if I'm boasting about how great my man is, then it will come off the same way. The truth is, it's not up to me to decide what the motivation is of others. I just need to worry about my own motivations and do what I'm convicted by the Spirit to do.  And so, this post has morphed a little from it's original intent, but that's okay.  Bottom line is I did catch a great one in Robert and here's some of the proof...

 

 

On Thursday, September 13, we got to celebrate a very momentous occasion in the Reed Family.  Our family and closest friends came together to celebrate Robert becoming a registered architect.

 

This was a goal Robert has been working to achieve for many years, and so deserved a proper celebration.

 

In case you are unaware of all that he had to do to become registered, here's the gist of it:  

 

Two college degrees: Bachelor of Environmental Design and Master of Architecture

Hundreds of required internship hours

Eight licensing exams totaling over 30 hours of test taking (which does not include time spent studying!)

 

Also, while he was undertaking all of this, he got married, had three children, worked a total of 19 months as interim worship pastor at our church, and began building a 400 sq ft addition onto our home!

 

 

It was so nice of everyone (minus a few due to sickness and distance) to come celebrate this huge accomplishment in Robert's life.  Even both of Robert's bosses came to help celebrate. 



SURPRISE! The party was not a surprise, but this New iPad was! A special thanks to Amy, David and Carol, Lindsey and Brandon, Janna, Sammy and Susan, Scott and Heather, and Shannon and Lorenzo for all chipping in to get him such a special gift.  This is something he never would have purchased on his own and he was so excited to receive such a gift!

 

During the party, Sammy, my dad, and Robert's boss Jim Rhotenberry, made some toasts to Robert.  Sammy began with some very sweet words and also asked if anyone wanted to say something.  I did in fact want to speak, but I guess nerves got the best of me.  However, here is what I should have said...

 

Two of my favorite qualities in a person are humility and authenticity.  These two things are a couple of the very things that I first loved about Robert.  All these years later, he is still one of the most humble persons I know.

 

He's a very creative and intelligent person, as well as gifted musically.  But you wouldn't know either of these things because he boasts about them, you have to see them in action.

 

He has been involved in at least four state and nationally award winning architectural projects and therefore has been recognized in state and national architecture magazines. But again, I only know that because I'm married to him, not because he's the least bit vocal about it.

 

Even when he found out he passed his final licensing exam, after a few days I asked if he told either of his bosses.  "Nope," came the reply.  Then another day passed and I asked if he'd told either of his parents.  His reply this time was, "You're the only one I've told."  So, I took it upon myself to enlighten them. :)

 

I am super proud of this guy for accomplishing something very few people can say they've accomplished. There are only a little over 104,000 registered architects in the entire U.S.  With a population of 311 million people, I'd say that's pretty impressive.  But, I know I'm biased!

 

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there are plenty of reasons for which Robert could speak of his own accomplishments.  But that couldn't be more counter to who he is and so, he never does. Which is one of the many reasons I'm so crazy about him!

 

Way to go Robert!  I'm so proud of who you are and what you're about. Congratulations on such a major accomplishment! Loves to you :) 

 

The First of Second: Part Two

Well our little Josie began her second year of Preschool this week.  This will be our fourth year of having a kiddo at First Presbyterian Preschool and Lord willing, we will have a few more to come when Kyra gets old enough.  I can't say enough about this preschool and how I love that they love my kids. 

Josie wasted no time in sitting down to get the day started.  She'd been begging to go back for weeks, so it's no wonder she was excited.

We had another new start this week.  I posted last week that Maia started second grade.  She was enrolled at Sam Houston Elementary, the school she'd attended for the previous two years.  Getting back into the groove of doing homework every night and getting up early every morning was making for a rough week for Maia and consequently for me as well.  

I'll spare the details, but last Friday morning as my day began, I felt an extreme burden for Maia in regards to her school and questioning my ability to guide her in this area.  The weight of motherhood was very heavy on me all morning and as I shared my burdens and concerns with Robert, I was praying for guidance and discernment in knowing how to provide the best environment for her.  An environment that would be best suited to her learning style and interests, which are usually creative in nature.

So I'm praying and thinking all morning, and at about 11 am, Robert called from work and said that Bowie Fine Arts Academy called and said they had an opening for Maia, if we wanted it. 

Bowie is a magnet school here in Midland, whose emphasis is on fine arts.  Seriously could not be any more up Maia's alley.  We had applied every year since she began Kinder.  We'd always been told that if they didn't get in during Kinder, then the chances were unlikely she'd ever get in.

We gave it some thought and discussion, but quickly realized this was the Lord Almighty answering our prayer in a big way.  That day began like I hadn't expected and certainly ended in a way that was even more unexpected.  My God heard my cry for help in how to best mother this child He's loaning me.  He was so quick to answer I almost missed it!  But when I recognized this was His leading, I was humbled and awed at His care for us. 

Maia began her new school on Tuesday and she's loved every single day.  It is a longer day because she goes until 5 pm.  So we're still getting into our new schedule and working out the kinks.  But this fine arts school is a perfect fit for this girl, who inherited her daddy's ability to think way outside the box.

I'm so privileged to serve a God who's so sovereign that when I'm anxious about something, He's got it all worked out perfectly.  By the time its a concern for me, it's already a memory to Him.  That brings my soul comfort.

Our Story: The Unabridged Version

Today, August 30, 2012, marks 10 years that Robert and I became husband and wife.  All the cliches are so true:

I'd marry him all over again.

I married my best friend.

It hasn't always been easy but it's always been worth it.

And the list goes on and on.



  He truly is the best earthly thing happened to me. My life had many dreadful moments before him and when he came into my life, he put a great, big, giant bandaid on my emotional wounds from all the years before. He was a gift to me then, he's a gift to me still. One that I'll never understand how I got and one that I'll always be grateful for. And so, here is our story ... at least my side of it. :)

Robert and I met right after he'd graduated from Texas A&M.  I had just joined the church a few months earlier and had begun attending the college class there.  Robert moved back to Midland to find a job so he started going to the college class as well.  I will tell you that it was not love at first sight, on either of our parts. I don't think we were ever formally introduced.  It was just one of those situations where we had mutual friends and just started talking and hanging out.  We did become fast friends and hung out often, always in large groups.  A few months after we met, he asked me if I would cut his hair, but with some kind of discount if he came every two weeks, or something like that.  So, I said sure and that is when we really started getting to know each other outside of the large group hangout. And friendship is where it stayed for a very long time, well over a year I think.

But, many ladies in our church had other plans for Robert.  He was sort of considered the most eligable bachelor in our church.  And why not?  He was handsome, had a college degree and good job, was faithful in church, had a beautiful singing voice and clearly served the Lord with his life.   People were trying to set him up left and right with someone they knew.  And others were trying to set themselves up with him as well.  All the while, Robert was doing his best to make it clear he was not interested in dating anyone at all.  It eventually became clear that he really wasn't even interested in marriage.

It also eventually became clear to me that I was not exempt from his appeal and I too had a little crush.  I truthfully was annoyed by this because I didn't want to be like all the other chics, and also, I sure didn't want to like someone who wouldn't ever like me back.  But, it was just a crush and I knew it would eventually go away.  Or so I thought.

Unfortunately the crush didn't go away.  We began hanging out all the time and no longer with a group.  We'd go to lunch, the movies, dinner.  We were buddies through and through.  All the while my feelings growing deeper and deeper.  To make matters worse, everyone around us began to notice us hanging out all the time and then the questions started flying.  Are you guys dating?  Do you like him?  Does he like you?  Most of the time I'd answer no to all of the above.  But my very closest friends new the truth.  That yes, I liked him, very much. 

People would always ask me these questions, but to my knowledge no one ever asked him and for that I was very grateful.  He was so open about not wanting to date anyone that I thought if anyone ever asked him about us that he'd break ties with me.  And even though I was crazy about him, he'd also become one of my very best friends and I was afraid of loosing that. 

So on it went, months and months of keeping my feelings hidden.  I'm not sure when it happened, but one day I realized that I didn't just like him, this thing was far beyond the elements of any crush.  I realized that I was in love with him.  Dang it!!

Well, this certainly complicated things. But I just carried on like normal and tried to will the feelings to go away. Then, in the fall of 2000 Robert moved back to College Station to attend graduate school.  I was of course, very sad.  We maintained in close contact by email and phone and I even made a trip to visit him and my friend Malita, who also lived there.  I kept thinking this separation would make the feelings go away, but they did not.

 When I was about 22, some very serious and very emotionally harmful things began taking place with some members of my family.  I was facing major battles almost daily, but was very ashamed to let Robert know.  Even though we were just friends, it appeared he came from the Cleaver family and mine was more like the Munsters. Things began to escalate over several months and due to several events causing damage to my life but of which I had no control over, I decided I needed to make a change.  So in the spring of 2001, I applied to and was accepted at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. 

As I began making plans to attend college, I was relieved I'd be away from all my family drama.  But also, I believed it would be that thing that helped me get over Rob.  It had become almost painful loving him.  He certainly wasn't doing anything to cause that pain.  But just loving someone whom you can't tell and has no idea, is a difficult thing. 

Around the end of April 2001, things between Robert and I were getting a little weird.  We'd always emailed often and kept things friendly.  But some of his emails were different and almost flirtatious in nature, which was completely not like him!  Finally, I guess I felt I had nothing to loose.  In a response to one of his emails, I confronted him.  Basically just letting him know I was confused as to where I stood with him.

His response is what completely altered the direction of our relationship.  I don't remember exactly what was said, but something along the lines of, "where you stand with me, no one else stands there."

Boom.

Then, by our next email coorespondance, it was like nothing had ever been said.  Which left me feeling vulnerable and very confused. 

Prior to all of this occuring, Robert had been given a grant to travel to Spain to study the architecture there.  And, at the exact same time, I had been asked to go as a sponsor on a youth mission trip to guess where...Spain. And as fate would have it, we were going to be there at the exact same time!

In June of 2001, Robert met up with our mission team in Murcia, Spain.  Nervous doesn't even begin to describe what I was feeling when I saw him.  We hadn't really discussed any of the new revelations since April.  The only thing is I'd asked him that he really think hard about what he wanted and pray about it and that we could talk about it when we saw each other in Spain.

Really, the first few days were very causal and we were the same buddies we'd always been.  Very comfortable and friendly.  But you could definately tell there were things to be said, that neither of us would say.  And I was growing impatient.  I didn't want to lead in this and feared he wouldn't.

Finally, on that Sunday after church and lunch, he said we should take a walk.  We walked to a nearby park, sat in the swings, and I said, "You go first."

I don't remember everything  that was said, but I do know that after that conversation two things were now clear in my mind. One, I wasn't the only one who'd been hiding some secret romantic feelings. And two, I was going to marry this man.

That night, I was journaling all that we'd done that day, and expressing my thanks to God for Robert and I finally having this conversation.  And, like any girl would do, I thought I needed to remember the date so we could have an anniversary.  Cheesy, right?  Well the date itself wasn't really important.  What dawned on me was that it was Father's Day. 

Exactly five years earlier, on Father's day, the guy I'd dated for 3 1/2 years, the guy I just knew I was supposed to marry, suddenly and without any warning, ended our relationship.  Obviously I was broken hearted.  I was young, but still it took me several months to get over this.

So on this day, exactly five years later, the Lord gave me my true future. I truly believed the Lord whispered to my heart, "Here you are, beloved.  He is what I had planned for you all along."

That fall, Robert spent the semester studying abroad in Italy, and I was at school in Virginia.  I didn't know why the Lord would finally bring us together to only set us apart.  But looking back, it was so good for us.  Yes, the physical separation was difficult.  But we were able to communicate and share with each other our hopes and dreams for our future, in a way that I don't think we would have, had we lived in the same town.  It was a very sweet time, for sure.

That Christmas of 2001, six months after our relationship shifted from friendship to courtship, Robert asked me to be his wife.  Of course I accepted.  Then, we kissed for the very first time.  Pure magic.

 

The rest is history I guess.  Eight months later, we were married.  My heart's desire for four years was finally realized. 

The last ten years have had some very difficult times and very beautiful times.  And through it all, we've stuck by each other and looked to the One who brought us together for strength and guidance.  We get a few things wrong, even after all this time.  But I can confidently say we get more things right.

 

I love being married to him and getting to be called his wife.  Aside from my salvation, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me.  And that's no lie.

The thing I'm most proud of is that we started off friends and we very much still are.  He truly is my very best bud.  If I have something important, or funny or dumb or serious to say, he's the one I want to tell first.  These days, that is a gift.

I sure do love you Robert.  Happy 10th!  Thanks for making it so great!

The First of Second

On Monday, Maia began the 2nd grade.  She's been asking me for a month when school was going to start.  So, obviously she was super excited.  My prayer for her as she begins another year is the same as it has been every year - that she would show Jesus to those who don't know Him, and also that she would learn a whole lot. :)

 

 

 

 

When we asked Maia how her first day of school was, she said it was great.  She also informed us that it was her third first day of school.  Funny kid.  So here are some pictures of her three first days.

 

First day of 2nd Grade

 

First day of 1st Grade

 

 

 First day of Kindergarten



You may also recognize the same backpack in all the pics.  Not only has she been able to use it every year, but I bought this on clearance for $4! I did a haircut for the monogramming.  As my friend Adrienne said, "doesn't it just make you happy every time you look at it?"  Yes, it sure does! It's the small things in life...

 

Have a great year, Maia!  We love you kiddo.

Kyra's First 10 Months

Kyra - The 10 Month Old

Cute doesn't even begin to describe this little lump of sugar.  At 10 months old, she is already Miss Personality.  She smiles at anyone who pays her any bit of attention.  And you know she's excited to see you when she starts pumping her legs like nobody's business. 

Strong and alert are two words we've used to describe her since the day she was born.  She already pulls up on anything and everything and walks around holding on to anything and everything.  I told her daddy the other day, I thought we needed to be on the lookout because she was going to be our kid that tries to crawl out of her crib!

And watch out for any and all tiny, little things on the floor!  I literally have to sweep about 5 or 6 times a day because every thing goes straight to the mouth, which have led to a few choking scares.  I guess she's doing her part to help with the housework. :)

 I think her very favorite things right now are her two big sisters and her Daddy and Momma - which is just fine by us.  She has been labeled a "momma's baby" by several.  And I know it won't last forever, so I'll take it!

Nine months in the life of Josie

(FYI, if you click on the photo collages you can zoom in and see the photos better)

Josie - The 4 Year Old

Where do I even begin with this little stinker?  In May, Josie finished her first year of PreK and she absolutely loved it! She learned many new things, including how to write her name (or something very close to it :).  She also completed her first year in Cubbies and even got to bring home Cubbie Bear, which is a huge deal in the life of a 3 year old.

Josie is a girly-girl through and through.  Every single day when we're picking out what she's going to wear, she asks to wear a dress that twists.  And if we're not going anywhere, she quickly changes into one of her many princess dresses.  If left to her own choosing, she'd eat pacaroni (mac and cheese), a burrito or natural Cheetos every meal of every day.

.  At any given moment you can find her singing, dancing, or both.  To say this girl has spunk is an understatement of the year.  And I love every single minute of it.  I'm so blessed I get to be her momma.

Nine months in the life of Maia

I've never claimed to be a great blogger.  And the past 9+ months have proven that to be true.  To say having a third child has given me a swift kick in the behind is putting it mildly!  But I'm slowly but surely getting the swing of my new normal.  So, I'm going to play a little catch up and hopefully stay more on top of our blog and try to post more often (heard that before???) Starting with Maia, here are some brief overviews of the past nine months of our lives...

Maia - the 7 year old

 

Maia completed the first grade this year and earned the Principles Award both semesters for academic excellence.  She also completed her second book in Sparks by learning over 50 verses.  Her smile looks a bit differently now because she's lost six teeth.  And for her 7th birthday, she got her ears pierced!

Some of her very favorite things to do are crafts, swim, crafts, watch The Electric Company,  and crafts.  She also LOVES her little sisters and really loves to laugh!

My most favorite thing about Maia is that she has a genuine love for her Creator.  She's inquisitive about things of the Lord and even at this young age, you can tell she already struggles with her sin nature, trying not to give in to it and desires to live a life pleasing to the Lord.  My prayer is that this part of her will never change.

Welcome to the world, Kyra!

Better late than never, is the Reed family motto. It's not intentional. Just the way things usually work out. So, four months after her grand entrance into the world, Kyra makes her first official appearance to our blog!

Kyra Dean Reed was born September 28, 2011 at 6:20 a.m. She weighed 8 lbs 15 oz and was 21 inches long.

That happens to be the exact same weight and height as her big sister, Maia. :)

As with the birth of our other two daughters, I took one look at her and thought, "you look just like your daddy." And with that, my heart was hers. At the time of this post she is now four months old. Other then when she's really tired, or tired of being in her bed, her disposition seems to be one of calmness and contentment. Which is funny, because I feel like the Lord was teaching me much about contentment while I was expecting her. (I'll write more about that later...)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, precious Lord, for giving us another daughter to love. As always, we commit her to you and pray you will guide us each day as we attempt to teach her Your ways and point her to You. I pray she would grow to be a woman that is hungry for You, who loved her first and loves her most.

More than a diaper shower

Several weeks ago, sweet Carol offered to throw me a diaper shower. Needless to say, she out did herself! I was very reluctant to have even a diaper shower for our third daughter. But Robert kept encouraging me to let Carol do this because she wanted to be a blessing to us. All I can say is I was so overwhelmed with the turn out and was truly blessed by everyone's generosity.

Thanks so much to Carol for hosting this and to my cousin Katie and aunt Sheri for helping her. You made this night a very special one!

Josie Starts Preschool!

In September, Josie started preschool at First Presbyterian. It seems like only yesterday Maia was starting at the same preschool. We love First Pres and we're excited to be back there.

Josie couldn't wait to start her school. She asked me almost every day if she was going to school. We walked in the door and hadn't been there 3 minutes, and she turned around and said, "Bye Momma." No separation anxiety here!

Goodbye Baby Tooth

No, her gap isn't growing! But, Maia did loose her first baby tooth in August. She has been waiting for a while for this day to come and fortunately it wasn't the least bit traumatic. The "tooth fairy" (which she knows full well are mom & dad) brought her $1 for her tiny tooth.

First day of 1st

On August 22nd, Maia began her 1st grade year of school. She's a little sleepy eyed in the pictures, but she was very excited. She was not as excited when she found out the next day, that she'll now be having homework every night! But overall, she is once again loving school. My prayer is the same as it was when she began Kinder. I'm so thankful for the teachable moments God gives us through Maia being at Sam Houston. I pray we never waste them.




Maia gets her own desk this year and gets to keep her supplies in her desk. Moving to the big time... :)


Waiting patiently for class to begin

Preschool Choir Graduation

In August, Maia ended her 3 years in Preschool Choir with a cute little graduation ceremony. She loved being in there and learned so much. We so appreciate Mrs. Smith's dedication to these little guys and girls, and know she loves each one so much.






Maia sure loves Mrs. Smith!

Happy 3rd Birthday Josephine Rose

On July 30th our Josie turned 3. Its so true that time truly flies when you have young children. It seems like such a short time ago that she came into our lives. Then we blinked and now she's 3, going on 13, I might add! I posted a while back about her little personality and the joy the little stinker brings into our lives. A few comments we hear on a regular basis about Jojo are: "I can't believe how light her hair is." (she had very dark hair when she was an infant) or "Look at those big, beautiful, blue eyes!" and one of our favorites, "She is an independent little thing, isn't she?" To which we can only agree.
I love this girl more than I could ever put into words, and secretly love that she prefers me above all others! Thank you, Holy God, for blessing our family with this child, and all the lessons you're teaching us through her. Help us to raise her in a way that glorifies you.


In keeping with the tradition of writing the number of favorites according to ages, I'll share three of Josie's favorite sentences at this stage in her life. I can only assume they are her favorites since she she says them several times a day:
1. "I can do it myself!"
2. "I can't be happy right now."
3. "I'm not little, I'm big."

Last day of Kinder

It seems like it was just a few weeks ago I was writing about my emotions as Maia began her first day of Kindergarten. But in reality it has been many months. Guess what, we made it through. At this age, Maia loves school and is really thriving. We're proud she made it in Project Think, which is MISD's accelerated learning program for K-2. She had very few behavioral issues for the entire year, receiving only a few verbal warnings for talking or playing.
Obviously, we made a decision that public school is what was best for our family. But it was a difficult one to say the least. Over the course of the year, the Lord affirmed our decision several times over. He's given me many opportunities to teach Maia about His love, using her classmates. Thank you, Jesus, for this gift and opportunity. May I never waste it.


Last day of school - May 2011


First day of school - August 2010


This was Maia's teacher, Mrs. Meador. She was very truly an answer to prayer. Going into completely unknown territory, the only thing I knew to do was to pray God would put Maia with the teacher that would be most suited to her personality and teaching needs. He answered our prayer through Mrs. Meador and we were so grateful. She and Maia formed a quick bond. And though she never gave Maia special treatment, I know she developed a little partiality towards her. Here is a quote from an email she sent me at the end of school, regarding Maia:
"Maia has also been amazing to have. I can't believe how creative, smart, loving, faithful, responsible and mature she is for a 6 year old. You have taught her well! She is always reminding us what Jesus wants us to do. It is so precious to hear. .. I can only hope my daughters will be like her."

Kindergarten Field Day

The last week of school Maia got to attend her first field day. The pictures speak for themselves. She got wet, got a little sweaty, and laughed a lot!