Our new friend....Jonathan David Hodges

Yesterday was a fun day b/c we spent it with our friend, Julie, and her new baby boy, Jonathan. He was born on July 17 which makes him exactly 9 months younger than Lily. It was so nice having them together and being able to spend time with my sweet friend. Julie was my first friend when I moved down to Florida in 2000 and she was a great encouragement to me as I had just begun my new life in Christ. We worked together at the Waterfront Rescue Mission and we were blessed to see God do some amazing things through the ministry and in our own lives. Since that time Julie and her husband Charlie have been called to serve the people of China by being English teachers. You can learn more about their work here.

These are a few photos of the new Mommy :)

taken a few days before she went into labor adoring her gift from God
the new and improved Hodges family :)

there's nothing in the world like it!!

....and we ALL had to get some Jonathan lovin'

this is our friend, Jeanie, who also worked at the Mission with us

the whole gang got together last week to lavish our love on that new baby boy

these are my friends that I worked with at the Mission but they are

so much more than that!!! they are life long friends....

you know those kind that words can't express how much you love them?!

Rhonda, Frankie, Julie (and Jonathan), me (and Lily), Jeanie

having fun at Julie's house - wonder where she gets that "scrunching

her nose up" from????

still can't believe that we are both Mommies!!!

We were talking yesterday about being stay at home moms and how hard it is to get everything done....cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. with a new baby. But, you all know that this is just a season and we REALLY need to enjoy our babies b/c they grow up so fast. And I was reminded of a poem by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton. I want this to be an encouragement to all the mommies and especially my friends in this picture- it was taken at Julie's baby shower (these were all the pregnant ones that attended :) ) Aren't they cute!!

Jennifer, Julie, Sunne, Melody and Julie

Song for a Fifth Child.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.