Summer walks are one of my favorite things these days. Since Lydia tends to be a little cranky in the evening, I have found that is the best time to walk. It is cooler and she just happily watches the scenery or takes a little cat nap. Ellie is doing good walking by the stroller....we have had some serious pulling issues in the past, so I am very grateful that my strong 70 lb dog no longer pulls! On our way home from our walk tonight, we had a little bit of a close call. I was crossing the street near a turn in the road and was trying to get Ellie to go to the other side of the stroller. She was not understanding what I wanted so I stalled for a second to switch hands....not a smart thing to do in the middle of the road. However, it is a really quiet neighborhood and no cars had passed us the whole walk. Before I was fully adjusted, I heard a car coming around the corner quickly, I fumbled to get out of the way, but Ellie was standing in front of the stroller. Thankfully the car saw us just i time to slow down and give me time to get to the side of the road. Obviously, we are fine and Lydia snoozed right though it. It just got me thinking. Despite the fact I tend to be the safety police around here, I still obviously cannot keep me and Lydia...or Ellie for that matter...safe if it were left up to me. The Lord is reminding me that He is ultimately in control and he loves Lydia more than I could ever love her, and he loves me more than I know. He kept that driver from looking down at her cell phone or in her purse at that moment. Yes, He could allow something that seems bad one day happen to us, but He is still good and in control. I don't know why I so often fall into the trap of thinking that if I were in control, we would be fine. What a huge lie!
Just wanted to share a great book my sister introduced to me. It is called Prayers of an Excellent Wife by Andrew Case. I realized I have not been praying for Brian like I should. I tend to get so easily distracted and pray about other things. I have found that if I use scripture or a book to help guide part of my prayers, I am able to stay more focused and have more intentional time with the Lord. This has been an awesome resource. You can veiw the book online for free or you can order it. I have not seen it in stores. If you order it off the authors website you can get it for $4.82 if you use the coupon code:4HM3HHEE. His website is: http://www.hismagnificence.com. Sorry I tried to make it a link, but I can't figure it out. When you are on the home page just click on books if you are interested.
Another random side note....I have learned this week that flax seeds are great for constipated babies and high cholesterol. Since poor Lydia is so prone to constipation and Brian has high cholesterol, I realized this would be a great addition to our diet. After trying the food processor unsuccessfully, I read that you have to grind the seeds in the coffee grinder...fyi. So far we have only been at it a few days, but it seems to be helping Lydia already!! Hooray!!
Precious Emma Lynn arrived June 23 in Germany!! We are so excited for Jud and Li! It is so hard to grasp the fact my brother is a dad!! She is 5 lbs 6oz. They got home from the hospital on Friday and are doing great. We appreciate all your prayers for a safe delivery. I wish we could hop on a plane today to go see them! Lydia will have to look at lots of pictures so she will recognize her cousin as soon as they finally get to meet! It is going to be so much fun for them growing up only 7 1/2 months apart. Hopefully one day we will live closer to each other!
