So today, First Church announced their new youth pastor. I am VERY excited. I don’t think they knew it, but they hired a good friend of Chris’–someone who we love and admire.  The church needs someone to turn some stuff around and I hope he’s the one to do it. I also think there will be much more appreciation for the position of youth pastor now. I hope so.

To my crossmind kids whom I love with all my heart:  This is the end of a looooong struggle of  being caught in the middle.  Five months ago, I told you that I would be available until a new youth pastor was found.  Well, he’s there now. For those of you who still need me, I’m still here.  That hasn’t changed.  But I’m here as your friend now, not as your youth pastor’s wife or mentor. While my role has changed a bit, my love and concern for you, and my investment in your life–has not.  You can call me whenever, and I love that.  BUT you have a new youth pastor’s wife now and she’s pretty amazing. I’m turning you over to her and I trust that you will be just as loved, just as prayed for, just as mentored…God knew what you needed. Chris and I were there for a wonderful season and we all did enjoy it, didn’t we?  Reflect on the past but don’t dwell on it. Look forward or you’ll miss what God has for you here and now.

To the very few of you who are still spreading rumors and inviting speculation:  Five months is a long time to talk.  Is anyone still actually listening? 

We’re doing more than fine and we’re happy to keep going with this new chapter in our lives.  We’re happier than we’ve ever been.  Life is good.

Support and love your new youth pastor and his wife!  First Church, you are lucky to have them!

*Moses never got to see the promised land.  It didn’t change the promise, though.* 

In other news…

We had another baby shower on Saturday.  This one was a brunch with a lot of my mom’s friends and our family members.  It was a lot of fun and Baby Gap got a lot of cute things.  I can’t believe I’m having another baby…4 weeks!  Yikes!

Keep praying Baby Gap flips around.  I don’t want a C Section!

Stretch mark count: Two.  But they’re only about an inch long, so I can live with that. 

Thanks to Jules, Shelley, Rachel, Lizzy, and Alex for coming over last night.  That was a blast.  You guys all turned out so well and I’m thankful that God allowed us to have the time we had together.  I love you all.

The baby is still breech and she hurts me every time she kicks, and I’m not sure but I guess that’s why my back is hurting so badly today–I’m having a hard time walking. Gracie is making me nuts with her typical 3 year old behavior–mainly the fact that she hasn’t quit talking since about three months ago.  She won’t pee in public restrooms, and God forbid it’s dirty or it smells bad because she never fails to throw up before we leave.  I’m trying to nest but things are everywhere and one project waits on another project, which waits on something else…it’s all just too much right now.  I’m supposed to be getting Baby Gap’s room ready to paint but I’m so overwhelmed, I don’t know where to start.

I wouldn’t trade my life for anything, and I know I’m so blessed to be able to stay at home with Gracie and our new baby, but I am very frustrated today. This is demanding work. I’m having a rough day.   Tomorrow will be better. 

EDITED FOR TADD and anyone else who needs a funny picture:

EDITED AGAIN FOR AN UPDATE:   I got a free latte at Starbucks.  For those of you keeping count, that’s like 9 free ones I think, for various reasons.  Today, the girl approached me in Target and said, “do you want this latte? I’m training and I’m giving them away free” Tasted great.  Fabulous! 

I bought a new iron (Gracie broke our NEW EXPENSIVE one that we’d only had a couple months!) a new ironing board, and a “we’re so sorry we broke the iron” gift for Daddy.  Gracie begged me for Peeps, so we are now the proud owners of a dozen (well, make that nine) baby marhmallow chickens. Gracie said she likes to eat their butts.  Great.  As long as you’re not talking while you eat them, I could care less what part of their mushy-blue-sugared anatomy you favor. Ahhh, it was about 10 minutes of silence on the way home.  I’ll clean the car seat later.  It was sooooo worth it. 

Bought a wall letter of the baby’s name to paint today.  No, you can’t know what letter it is.  Stop asking.  LOL

It’s almost naptime for the Princess, and for me, that means some chamomile tea and a relaxing lavendar bubble bath. 

Just had to renew my xanga premium…hope they don’t shut me down again.  Teeheee.

Gracie got a kiddie magnifying glass from her Ma and Great Aunt Peggy at the shower. She has been “making things bigger” all afternoon.  She tried to make the car bigger.  She made the flowers at Home Depot bigger.  She even made other shoppers bigger.  What a funny kid. 

I am going to start the process of transforming Baby Gap’s room today.  I can’t paint, of course, but I plan on doing big yellow polka dots on the doors. And I wanted her name on her wall with those cute custom painted wall letters.  I found someone to do it, but she’s so backed up, the baby will be 3 months old before they’re done! So I found the letters at Babies’ R Us and I plan on just doing the patterns myself.  We’ll see how that goes.  I figure if I just do one letter a week while Gracie’s at school, we’ll have it done by the time she gets here.  It’s going to be soooo cute once it’s finished!   

I saw Dr Saunders today.  The good news is I’ve somehow lost 5 pounds since last visit two weeks ago. I’m not complaining!  And the bad news is Baby Gap has decided she didn’t like to be “in position” and has flipped back over, completely breech.  Booooo.  So everyone pray.  We have plenty of time (kind of) but the bigger she gets the less likely she will be to move herself back. I’m not actually going to worry until I go into labor.  BUT…that explains all the weird kicks, pains, and pokes the past few days.  EVERYONE PRAY that she turns around so that I can just have a normal, no drugs, healthy waterbirth like Gracie was! I am open to anything with the end result of healthy, happy mom and baby, but the thought of a C-Section makes me sad and anxious.   

WOW! The shower was amazing, thank you to Robin and Meagan who worked so hard to pull it all together.  I can’t believe how tasty all the food was and how beautiful the cake turned out!  The games were a blast, and the poems were so special (thanks Bart!) Thanks to everyone who was able to come and those of you who weren’t, were missed very much.  Baby Gap has quite a wardrobe now…and it’s all super cute!  Hehe, I can’t wait to put her in all her cute little outfits.  Ohhh, and Arbonne baby stuff!  Yay! I also got some major mommy- pampering things like super cute PJ’s and spa treatments! Anyways, I forgot my camera but my buddy Brittany brought hers, so there will be pics on here soon.  We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives to love. 

Countdown to next shower: 7 days!  Spoiled little fetus…    

Whew!  That was embarrassing.  But we’re back online now and ready to update!  Everyone forget that other Xanga site, we’ll be using this one ’cause this is the one I paid for.  Sorry for the confusion and inconvenience.   

We went to the Shrine circus today. Gracie was not nearly as impressed as I thought she’d be, but she seemed to enjoy it. She loved the clowns and watching the ponies. Her favorite part, she told us, was the “spinning ladies” LOL One chick hung by her hair and spun around, throwing glitter confetti everywhere.  Bizarre, yes, but it was the circus. 

Baby Gap has been all over my tummy today!  Pretty soon she won’t have enough room to do that.  I’ve been having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions with her lately.  These are different from the cute little minor BH I had with Gracie–these are stop-me-in-the-middle-of-whatever-I’m-doing-and-just-try-to-breathe-contractions. When I get them, I kind of feel like I’m strapped in, a steel bar across my waist, heading up the first big hill of the highest roller coaster in the world, about to take the big plunge and set the whole crazy ride into motion.  There’s really no stopping it, there’s no turning back. I just have to embrace it.  But that chunk, chunk, chunk all the way up is not very comforting at all.  Just don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back…