Rob & Jess + 8

Ok, maybe not quite as catchy as "Jon & Kate", but we've got eight little ones on the way too!!! Eight little Roma tomatoes, that is! (Did you think I was talking about babies?!?! As Rob would say, "Are you crazy-outta-your-mind?") We also have 1 "early girl" tomato plant that currently has a baseball sized beauty on it; I keep mistakenly calling it a "big girl" instead of "early girl"! We've been working hard on our tiny little garden, and it will all pay off soon if we can keep the bugs & critters off. I'll take some pictures of my flower bed later this week- after I pull weeds.

Please keep Rob in your prayers this week. He left this morning bound for Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help with the flood recovery efforts. He brought two of his guys, three trucks, and a huge load of equipment, and is planning to stay at least a week. Pray for protection from injury and flood-related illnesses, for good sleep, and for compassionate spirits for Rob, Lee, and Joe. Pray too that Lee & Joe will see Jesus in Rob this week as they work together, that they will see more to him than just their boss. Pray for me too- it's hard to be separated from my hubby and it hasn't even been a whole day yet! Please ask specifically that I'll be able to sleep well this week without Rob next to me. Pray for the people of Cedar Rapids that Rob & his crew will be helping.

Good Night

It's been a busy couple of weeks since my last post. Make that- a crazy week this week! Rob & I made a last minute decision on Friday to drive to St. Louis on Saturday for my sister Kayla's surprise engagement party; it was an early departure and slight detour on our way to Indianapolis on Sunday. (I've worked at LifeWay for three weeks and they sent me on my first "business trip" to the Southern Baptist Convention). Before deciding to leave, we faced the grim reality that we're getting old and have to base our decisions on things like responsibility, rather than simply what we want to do... Can we afford the extra gas and hotel room?... We really need to mow the lawn before we leave for five days... What will we do with the dog?... Factors like those make it a lot harder to be spontaneous and fun!
We made the trip- and we're happy we took the extra detour- and got home around 12:30 last night. And then I spent today catching up on everything that had piled up while we were gone: grocery shopping, laundry, unpacking, etc. I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight, and it was not good. It has been a long day.
I went out to the patio after dinner to check on our tomato plants (since the ones we grow may be all we get this summer!) The one that's finally turning orange has a big hole right through the middle of it. Ugh- can't eat that one. I sighed and was about to come back inside when I noticed how pretty the sky was tonight. The threat of thunderstorms in the area, coupled with the creative genius of almighty God, brought some particularly bright pink stripes to the dark blue dusk sky. Pink always makes me happy, but tonight it just felt like a gift from the Lord, sent to make me smile. I called Rob to come join me, and we sat outside in the cool evening just enjoying the beauty around us. From our backyard, you can see pretty far up into the hills. It was so peaceful and relaxing to sit still for a little while, talking and laughing and forgetting the craziness of the day and the dirty dishes still on the table and remembering all over again how much I love my husband and how good our God is. I am tired, and excessively grateful. Life is too short to miss these moments.

PS- Congrats Kayla and Scott! Marriage is incredible- you're going to love it!!