Outings and Priorities

State of Wonder

As the official end to the summer hits us hard this weekend, I've been looking back at the best summer of my life.  I had a great summer right before my senior year in high school that will forever live on in infamy (inside joke), but this one blew it right out of the water!  I got to spend the entire summer with my daughter.  Isabella arrived right before Memorial weekend and she's been a trip ever since.  She is a constant reminder of God's providence over my life and a way for me to glorify God like none other.

This summer is great for two reasons:

1.)  I have just been able to enjoy it with my daughter.  We have been on so many family outings lately.  Jason and I are both developmental enthusiasts, so we have been taking 'Bella places in order to work on her development in the areas of sensory, gross motor skills, and cause and effect.  The best part is it is a lot of fun.  We went to the Children's Museum in Muncie and let her just touch everything.  She loved the musical instruments section (I hope this continues).  She also got to slide down her first (and subsequently, second) slide:

Then last week, we took her to the zoo and she absolutely loved it.  Her favorite part was getting to ride on the carousel.  She just laughed and waved her arms in the air.  She really enjoyed getting within two feet of a giraffe (who tried to lick her!) and watching the monkeys tackle each other.  Of course, she spent some time with the owls making "Hoo" noises.

We have also greatly enjoyed our walks on the Cardinal Greenway, at the parks, or just around the malls......

Beautiful Girl

2.)  I have noticed a shift in my priorities since 'Bella was born.  I used to want to be this big time professor and work hard in academia, but I no longer know if that's where God is leading me.  As a lot of people know, Jason and I have been working toward possibly returning back east.  Our priorities are different now.  We want our daughter to be raised near our families, both blood and church.  We want her to learn what really matters in life.  Continue to pray for us for God's direction and finances to be able to do so....there are a lot of obstacles but we feel God's hand on this.  It is our true belief that He can move mountains and annihilate obstacles.  I feel God is leading our little family to raise Isabella the best way we can:  with Him in mind.  I am looking to hopefully find work as a part time counselor in the evenings.  I still feel God's pull for me to help others, just in a different capacity.  Now none of this is set in stone, and I know His plan isn't often revealed way ahead of time but in little tiny steps.  Continue to pray that we are following it.

~ Bella's Mommy