July in our Home

First, something (big) that actually happened last month, but I forgot to mention: we got a van!  We've shared one car for most of our marriage (and all of the last 3 years) so this is big news.  Its a 1997 Honda Odyssey, so it'll probably last until we outgrow it (it only seats 6, not 7 like most vans) and the nice part is that its old and rusty so I don't have to worry about dents and scratches and the kids getting the seats dirty, etc.  Its also nice to have plenty of room to haul things around, like our huge double stroller, random items that I garbage pick, freecycle acquisitions, etc...

Now on to July.

Love these dudes.

The second weekend of July was our church's annual conference (and it was actually our second time going, as we had flown in from California last year to attend.)  The topic was "Salt and Light: Confessing Christ in the Public Square" and Doug Wilson flew in to speak, and several of our pastors spoke as well.  You can listen to the talks here.  I especially recommend the breakout sessions "Who is my Neighbor? Confessing Christ on our Block" and "Sharp Arrows: Training our Children to Confess Christ".  The conference was especially fun as my cousin came in from Cincinnati to attend.  We're counting down our visits with her as she is planning to go to Bulgaria for 2 years at the end of this month.  We're really going to miss her!

The last week of July saw our first trip back to California since our big move.  It was a great time.  We went for a wedding that Alex was in, but stayed for a full week, hanging out with friends the whole time.  We also got to see a sweet little girl who lived with us the first year of her life (I have really missed seeing her!).  It was really nice to be in California and actually get to enjoy it.  Our time living there was filled with so many different stress factors that when we left it was easy to forget the parts we loved.  Catching up with friends we care about was refreshing and encouraging.

Esther and "Lala".  A year younger than
Esther with 3x as much hair!

Did I mention that I now have a sewing table?  Since we moved to our new apartment last month, I now have a table in our bedroom devoted to my sewing machine and other craftiness.  This has made sewing so much easier and quicker, and I have been taking advantage!  In July I made a couple sets of bean bags, fabric blocks and a little girl's purse - all gifts for different friends.  I've been so grateful to be able to have the time and space to do these projects!  I'm not artsy, but I do need some sort of sewing/crafty outlet in my life.

Books I read this month:

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

Montessouri Play and Learn: a Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six by Lesley Britton