Bourbonnais Update

Well, I have found a moment to sit and write. Levi is napping and Culley is sitting beside me with her "nack." I have only the time it takes her to eat her pretzels...or for me to eat them because she keeps feeding them to me. One for her...one for me...one for her...one for me.

So here we are in our new home...our new city. I wish I could say that through the adjustments and the transition I have glided perfectly along with no meltdowns or times of my sin nature winning over my new nature. But alas, I sit before this computer a sinner saved by grace and this season of my life has shown me just how incredibly tied to this world and our culture my default desires are...but with His perfectly completed promises He has shown me how infinitely great His grace is for me and I rest in that...plugging forward and begging Him to renew my mind and desires to be Christ-like...rather than Jodi-like.

On a lighter note...a few updates:

Culley is growing ridiculously fast. I really wish I could freeze her at this age. Watching her grown has been hysterical at times, rewarding at times, and quite honestly quite difficult at times. She loves her baby brother. I've actually turned around to see her holding him...and now I didn't pick him up and put him in her arms. I don't know how it happened and I'm sure I don't want to know. She loves to play with her kitchen set she receved for Christmas...loves to play in my cupboards, loves to watch Elmo, and LOVES to be outside. She is learning "obey your mommy and daddy for this pleases the Lord" and mommy is learning "love is paitent and not self-seeking." She can often be found with a hat on...any hat at all...and always a pair of shoes. Most recently she was spotted with a hat of Levi's on her head and her rain boots (much too big for her) on her feet.
She has her own style and I pray she stays that way.
She loves to help others...right now it's more due to her desire to be with people and not be left out, but I'm praying some day it will be because she sees others' needs and loves others more than herself.
She is ready to be potty trained, but we are waiting until her life has a bit more stability. She already has met new friends and we go to a play group at the grade school once a week. All in all, even with the increase in discipline, the joy of being her mother has increased even more.





Levi...or otherwise known as Ledi in our family...is growing just as fast. Even though he is four months old, his adjusted development age is two months. After completing a short survey of his development in various areas we see that he is actually right on schedule with his adjusted age. He is almost 10 pounds and I am VERY pleased to say he is sleeping through the night. He adores his older sister and I wish you could see his eyes light up when she walks into his line of vision. However, we have had a few challenges. Due to being a preemie, he has two hernias that will need to be fixed surgically. He was to have surgery on Februrary 28, but when they took a CBC, we found that he is anemic...which is common in preemies as well. So, he takes iron twice a day and a multivitamin once a day. His levels are up and as soon as they reach a certin point we will go ahead with his surgery. In spite of all of that, he is full of smiles and LOVES to play in the jungle (see picture).




That's an update in a nutshell...probably a bigger nutshell that some of you would prefer. I pray and hope that each of you chooses to live life intentionally as you bless those around you with the aroma of Christ.