FIVE on Friday

I'm excited to participate in a new link-up this week! I thought I would use this week's link-up to catch you up on a few changes in our world here lately that I haven't gotten a chance to officially share yet and some other randoms!

One-
I'm officially a stay at home Momma this year!! (with a little side gig of working in my Momma's store on our historic main street) This was a long time coming in my desires and I feel so, so grateful that God has gifted me this opportunity.  This desire started when I had Adeline and just longing to not have to go back after having her (as a teacher, I LOVED my students but my heart was being pulled to my own baby).  So after finishing my fourth year of teaching after my maternity leave, I opted (was so blessed by this!) to job share 2.5 days a week as art teacher at my school last year! And then God kept up the awesome blessings by helping us realize we could take this leap of faith after Justin got a new job (see #2)! Mommy is definitely my favorite job!

we lounge

and lounge some more

and play our days away

Two-

Speaking of the above...Justin is now a full-time Youth Minister! (along with working part-time almost full-time in our family's Landscape/Hardscape business). The process occurred in the Spring with his application and interview.  June 1st was his first day, and it has been such an amazing blessing so far! Our summer was a crazy yet fun whirlwind of mission trips, retreats and many other youth functions! We actually grew up in this youth group and our youth pastor (that is now our associate pastor) is a great mentor to us.  I am so proud of Justin for his dedication and perseverance to see God's direction in this phase in his life through to this exciting, culminating change for our sweet family! I am loving working alongside him in the ministry and excited to see where God takes us on this journey! He works his bum off and I'm so proud of him!

Justin's first official Sunday

Three-
I'm currently working on limiting my soft drink intake.  Especially diet (to stay away from aspartame). Mainly because I'm an all or nothing person.  I have a hard time just limiting.  So I went a good month or so with NO soft drinks at all.  Now I've slowly been reintroducing a Dr. Pepper here and there simply because I crave the taste! But that being said, I have turned into SUCH a coffee drinker! I have to have my coffee in the morning or I'm quite the bum!

Four-
I often stay up way. way. way too late chatting it up on Facebook Messenger with Mallorie, Natalie, Beth Ann, Allie and Jordan.  It still amazes me how God can bless you through online friends that feel like you have known them forever and see them daily.  We tend to chat about all things mommy, faith and other random tidbits that could easily make people blush (right, ladies? ;) Gotta love sweet friends you can be real with!

Five-
Adeline is more and more verbal these days (well let me be honest...she has always been such a "talker") but I am LOVING the sweet little conversations we can have these days where she puts a couple words together or a long list of words together that I don't quite understand ;) .  Whether it's if she wants milk or juice, what dress she wants to wear, or who she wants to pray for at bedtime.  These are the moments that melt my mommy heart. And I try to hold onto oh so tight as she giggles back when I laugh at the silly things she says.