Birthday Boy and My First Class

Last weekend Jack turned 2. It was our first big celebration after living here for 2 1/2 months, so I was really missing our family in Boston. I blew some balloons and that was a huge hit with Jack. We gave him a Mr. Potato Head and a child sized guitar. He is having fun putting the potato together but especially playing the guitar. He has certain songs (unrecognizable but definitely songs of some sort or another) that he sings and strums his guitar. He loves it! Josh keeps showing him how to hold the guitar but he still ends up awkwardly holding it upside down.
Last year Josh's co-workers at Starbucks gave Jack a party downtown. Somehow everything seemed uneventful this year but really I was just focusing on myself and not seeing all the great things God did that day. Our neighbors above us came over and gave Jack a gift then some other new friends came by to tell Jack happy birthday. I feel a peace about being here but it is still painful to be away from our community and New England, yet in God's sovereignty we are in Kentucky! I called one of our friends from Boston and she said-"I will have to look up where Kentucky is on the map." Some would say they are a world apart. I should write about the differences because it is comical to think about.
Tonight I got a small glimpse of all the things God has to do in us. Classes began for the Seminary Wives Institute- my class is on Prayer. I met some women and had my eyes opened even further for my need of more prayer. Just one thought from class- "We lay before him what is in us, not what ought to be in us." ( a quote from C.S. Lewis on prayer) That sentence was a summation of our time in Boston for me spiritually. I began to be honest with myself, God and my husband about what God was doing in me and my depravity. It was hard to do but so freeing. Now I want to continue that journey and let God do as he wills with me. Ok so one more thought. My other big takeway was from one of the teachers. Nora Allison said, "We try to believe more when we should start by believing accurately." How many times have I said to myself that I should know more about the Bible or be able to answer a certain question someone asks. That is one of the many reasons Josh and I have come to seminary. To know God and to believe accurately. I do miss Boston immensely but I know God has great things for us here- to change us and mold us for whatever is ahead.

Back to School

Josh started seminary yesterday. He is taking Greek, Church History, Theology of Worship, and Hermeneutics. It was certainly exciting for us all since we moved our lives here for school. Josh came home mentally tired but with so much energy for all that is ahead. We sat at the dinner table for a while listening to all the things he had already learned and will get to experience for the semester. I could see in his eyes dedication and joy in his voice. His year at Gordon-Conwell was so hard for us all so we have learned and pray we made enough changes for things to be different here. Just being on campus helps a ton! I signed up for two classes this fall in the Seminary Wives Institute- they offer classes to the wives taught by professors and professors' wives. I am taking Lessons on Prayer for the first fall session and Greek for the Rest of Us for the second session. Josh is taking Greek this semester so I figured I could learn a bit along with him and maybe pass some on to Jack as his brain is a sponge right now. If only we could go back to childhood and learn like 10 different languages. I would love to learn German and maybe Italian and French and Latin but for now I just know English and a bit of Spanish. So maybe by the end of this year I will know some Greek. It could happen!
Some last thoughts- Today I am praising God because two nights ago I got more sleep than I have gotten in 6 months (thank you Isabel), Jack is calming down in toddlerhood and slowly becoming potty trained, Josh is ready to work hard this semester and excited about school, Zadie Lattimer was born last week, I talked to some of my friends in Boston today (thank you Father for such amazing community even from a distance), and it is a beautiful day in Louisville.
I included pics of the campus so you can see Southern.

Milestones

I started the inevitable of potty-training Jack. It all began days and days ago on Monday (at least that seems long ago). Jack fought the change at first. He saw me take out his child sized toilet seat from the cabinet so that afternoon I walked past the bathroom and saw him putting the toilet seat back in the cabinet. He obviously decided he was done learning!
No victories until the afternoon when Josh got home and took Jack to the bathroom. Not only did he pee in the potty but he did it "like a man" as Josh would say. I had read we should teach him to go sitting down first which we both tried but Jack went standing up. Tuesday I was all excited to tackle this new thing well by 1:30 p.m. I was exhausted. We didn't have any celebrations and I was worn out from cleaning the carpet after accidents. Lo and behold (once again when Josh got home and took him to the bathroom)- Jack went in the potty. From yesterday afternoon on he has been going in the potty without accident- peeing anyway. So exciting for us all. I was spent yesterday so Josh suggested I get out of the house. I was out the door before he could finish his sentence; I went to a cafe and sat sipping a latte while writing in my journal.
Then Isabel turned 6 months old today and we began baby food this week- pears. She is certainly a better eater than Jack ever was and her thighs are proof.
Josh and I were so exhausted from all this excitement that we both feel asleep around 8:00 p.m. Of course Isabel woke up a few times before I was in bed for the night but it still was nice to get some rest so early in the evening.