A Couch, Cucumber, and Comrade!

Here are a couple pictures of Malachi in the shirt that Mom and Dad Caudle bought for him in Wisconsin. As you can see, it's a little too wide for him, but fits him in length. He's been having fun when I stand him up at the couch or chair. He likes to stand there for awhile before falling down on the floor. We've also started reading a book at bedtime after his bath. He loves to turn the pages!

The last picture is of me and the first cucumber from our plant. It was really yummy, but it looks like that is all we will be getting. I waited too late to try and grow cucumbers. Maybe next year we can have a nice garden in our new yard.

Mike and I are enjoying having Mike's friend from college Travis Lennon here for the weekend. We've had some great fellowship. What a blessing to be around others who love and serve the Lord. I'm so glad that God led us to Crown College. We made some great Christian friends.

Mike's parents are in Alaska right now celebrating their 30th anniversary. This is the biggest trip they have ever taken and I'm so glad that they are having this opportunity. They definitely deserve it. God has given them a sweet, godly marriage. Mike is preaching while Dad is gone. I look forward to the message tomorrow morning!

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned." - Solomon's Song 8:7

Busy Blessed Days and Birthdays

Again, our little family has much for which to be thankful. We praise the Lord for giving us a great Vacation Bible School at our church this year. The theme was Seaquest: Diving for God's Treasure. To see the Lord work in the children's hearts was a true blessing, and the lessons were a challenge to my heart as well! I love working with children in the church. I am so thankful for that opportunity.

Last week I had the pleasant surprise of running into a friend of mine from Crown College. She was visiting a sister church in our town. I live nearby and am friends with a member of that church. I was taken aback to find fellow Crown student Rachel Boyle in her dining room when I went over there. Rachel is engaged and she and her fiance are going to Serbia as missionaries. Praise the Lord! I had her over to my house for lunch that day. How sweet of the Lord to arrange this mini Crown College reunion!

Malachi is really close to crawling. I love to watch him get up on his hands and toes with his little bottom in the air. He is also getting close to pulling himself up to standing position. His favorite thing lately is waving bye-bye and clapping his hands. Today he waved to someone in line at Wal-Mart. So cute! He steals hearts wherever he goes.

Saturday was Mike's mom's birthday. We had his family over for Sunday meal to celebrate it. The theme was Proverbs 31:28 and we all took turns reminiscing and praising the Lord for Mom. I'm so blessed to have a good mother-in-law.

Yesterday was Mike's 29th birthday. He said that he is getting old, but I beg to differ. We are both still young! LOL I took some cheesecake-filled chocolate cupcakes to Chick-fil-A so the crew could help him celebrate. Then last night I fixed him a special meal and gave him a couple gifts. I am so thankful to God for you, my Love!!

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." - Proverbs 31:10

Our New Home a Beehive of Activity

Summer is in full swing and we are keeping busy. Malachi loves to try out his new tooth and we are already trying to teach him not to bite. He is starting to scoot across the floor and has figured out how to reach his toy that is a few feet away. Watch out world! Here he comes.

A couple Fridays ago some friends came over to our house and we made some bars of soap from scratch. I really enjoy making soaps. Hopefully we will get another chance to do that soon. Those to whom I've given the soaps in the past have said they really like them, so they make great gifts.

Last Saturday most of our church got involved in having a yard sale at our house. We had a pretty good amount of people show up to buy things. What was left over we sent to the Salvation Army and Goodwill. It felt really good to just get rid of stuff! I jokingly said that I was a reformed pack rat.

The Bible Club at our house is going well. We are having a lot of fun while helping children grow in the Lord. More children from our neighborhood have come and others are excited about memorizing Bible verses and getting ready for Vacation Bible School. I am so glad that I am part of a church that wants to reach children for Christ. My husband's zeal for the same is also a blessing to me. We serve a great God.

Last week Chick-fil-A had their annual Cow Appreciation Day so Malachi, some friends, and I went to Mike's store with cow hats so we could get free chicken. I thought you would enjoy that picture!

I finished an excellent biography of William Wilberforce entitled Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas a couple weeks ago. Soon I plan to read Wilberforce's book Real Christianity. Wilberforce was a strong Christian whom God used to end slavery and reform much of England and the world socially. This was due to his view of Christianity, which he said should be a real Christianity as opposed to the cultural Christianity that was so commonplace in his time period. Mike is reading it and says it's good.

Right now I am reading A Charlotte Mason Companion. This book lays out a philosophy of home education and is so interesting to me. I plan to put many of these ideas into practice while homeschooling Malachi. I can't wait until he is old enough to toddle around and talk. We'll have so much fun learning together. Yesterday I picked up Amy Carmichael's If which is a book consisting of many thoughts concerning Calvary love. How convicting! Here's a quote: "If I can easily discuss the shortcomings and the sins of any; if I can speak in a casual way even of a child's misdoings, then I know nothing of Calvary love."

"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." - I Peter 4:8-10

Mike and I have spent the last month and a half getting settled into our new home. We are very happy with the house and neighborhood. God has certainly done "exceeding abundantly above" for us. We feel very blessed.

Malachi is doing great. His first tooth broke through his gums on Tuesday. He's hardly been fussy. He is such a good, happy baby. Mike and I are looking forward to when he starts crawling, but as for now he still stays wherever we put him on the floor.

Every Tuesday night of July the church is having a Neighborhood Bible Club in the front yard of our house. Last Tuesday was the first night and we had such a great time! Most of the children from our church came as well as four children from our neighborhood. Two children trusted Christ as their Savior. Praise the Lord! We'd appreciate your prayers that the Lord would continue to work in the Bible Club.

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20

Anticipation

Excitement in our household mounts as we anticipate our big move! The closing on our new home is set for Wednesday at 4:00. This past week has been another good one full of sweet, simple blessings. Praise the Lord that He is always at work in my life! Thought you all would enjoy some more pictures of Malachi. He's shown here with Daddy, Grandpa Johnson, and his "uck"(a little update on his size Grammy!). "For we walk by faith, not by sight." - II Corinthians 5:7

A Mother's Musings

What a great week this has been! Mike's Grandma Earp is here visiting us from Florida for a week. She flew in on Thursday and we have been spending lots of time with her. She is a sweet Christian lady.

Saturday was our church's annual All Youth Hot Dog Banquet. Steve made it home from college just in time for the event. It was so good to see him. Mike did a great job of organizing the night with fun games, singing, a Bible message, and of course, hot dogs!

Sunday Mike surprised Mom, Grandma, and me with beautiful corsages for Mother's Day. During the service, Mike and his dad and brothers sang a song about mothers that was touching. Mike's dad preached a message about Mary and the exemplary mother that she was. A family who has been attending our church for awhile came forward to join our church. Then we had Mike's family and a young Marine who is a member of our church over to our house for lunch that afternoon. The nighttime service was good as well. Then we had Mike's brothers over to our house again for more fellowship. What a fun-filled day!

Mike and I are very excited to finally get a closing
date set for our house. The big day is May 25th (Happy Birthday Mom!). This means we really should be moving into it at the end of the month. I will keep you posted onthat progress.

Malachi is doing great! He rolled over for the first time about a week ago, and then Friday he started saying "Dada". He brings us lots of joy, and I am praising the Lord for making me a mother!

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a might man; so are children of the youth." - Psalm 127:3,4

Growing, Learning, and Making Memories Together

We have been busy these past two weeks making memories and then saying good-bye to friends. For my birthday Mike had bought me several books about John Newton (the author of the hymn "Amazing Grace") and William Wilberforce (a friend of John Newton and the leader the abolitionist movement to end slavery in England). I finished John Newton's autobiography Out of the Depths, and recommend that you read it if you can get your hands on it. His life's story is a great testimony to God's abundant mercy and grace to undeserving, Hell-bound sinners. If you read this book, you will never sing "Amazing Grace" in the same way again.

Malachi continues to grow. Although I'm not sure of his exact weight, he must weigh at least 20 lbs. At 5 months of age, he's a big boy! His facial expressions and exclamations just keep getting cuter and Mike and I delight in him. One of the biggest things he discovered this month is that he can stick out his tongue, and he practices this often. So cute (for now, that is!). Malachi saw his first fireworks a couple Saturdays ago. Our city was celebrating our county's 275th Anniversary, and we live near the park where they had a firework display. Mike, Malachi, and I watched together from our front porch. Although loud noises usually make the baby cry, he really enjoyed the bright colors and didn't seem to mind to booming noise. Parenthood is so much fun.

Last Friday I went strawberry picking with some other families from my church. Afterward we went over to one of their houses and made jam from our berries. I tried a new recipe with Stevia instead of sugar. It tasted good but didn't set up at all. I'm going to try a different recipe next time! Anyway, we had a lot of fun that day.

Saturday I went door knocking with my church to invite people to our services and to talk to them about Christ. I was happy to have the opportunity to give someone a clear presentation of the Gospel. Please pray for the man Stephen to accept the Lord as his Savior. Another lady in our church got to lead someone to the Lord, and we praise God for this!

Sunday we had to say good-bye to some great friends, the Kubik family. They were members of our church for three years. Bro. Kubik is a Marine who is going to be stationed in California, so the family had to move. Their oldest daughter is going to attend West Coast Baptist Bible College there in Cali this fall. We had a farewell fellowship for them after the evening service and didn't say our final good-bye until well after 11:00. The friendship we have is a sweet one, and we will miss them greatly.

In early celebration of Mother's Day, Mike, Malachi and I spent yesterday together in Wilmington. We went to Mama Fu's Asian House for lunch (yummy!). While thrift shopping, I found a set of Blue Willow china, some Tupperware, and a few great children's books. I love my husband so much. He made me feel really special by dedicating a whole day to me. I don't deserve him or my little boy. Praise the Lord for faithful Christian friends and family!

"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name." - Malachi 3:16