Growing Up

As I write this blog post I am listening to the sound of the shower running in the next room. My baby Caroline (5 years old but always my baby) can now start the shower for herself and get clean with no help from her mother at all. This growing up thing sure is bittersweet. While I am glad she can do things on her own, I am also sad because she really doesn't need me for everything anymore. I realize that one day she won't need me to start her bath, to help her out, to put on her jammies, to take her to school, to make her lunch...Hopefully she will always need me as much as I need my mother now...which is A LOT! Just in different ways. I'm giggling right now reading this because it seems like just yesterday that she was a fussy baby never wanting to be put down. I honestly dreamed of the day when she would become more independent. My, how things change. In just one week, Tony and I will go to tour and register her for KINDERGARTEN at Wesleyan. I am excited and anxious about this big step for our little girl. I'm anxious as any parent of a Kindergartener would be and probably overly concerned from the good and bad things that I have seen/experienced as a former elementary school teacher. However, after much prayer, I know that everything will fall into place just as God has planned. He will guide, protect, and nurture her while she is at school and also while she is at home with us. This is one of those seasons in life where I just want everything to freeze. Life as a mother and a wife brings me a joyful sense of peace that I have never felt before. I have always had a pressing forward kind of feeling in life and have always wanted to rush on to the next exciting phase. But right now I just want to put it all on hold. I thank God for this time in life and I know that He will be right there with me for all of the transitions that are to come. Even if they are coming a little sooner than I would like:)

New Pictures to end 2011...What a BLESSED YEAR!

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Our good friend Alisha Schwanke was kind enough to share her time and talents with us. These are some of the beautiful photographs that she took of our family that we will treasure for a lifetime. God has certainly blessed her with an artistic gift and we are so thankful that she has shared that gift with us. www.alishaschwanke.com

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

And Duke goes on to play Stanford tomorrow at 1pm for the NCAA National Championship! I'm so incredibly proud of my Uncle, Robbie Church!!! He deserves this and has worked so hard to recruit and built this championship team! He is such a wonderful person in every way! GO DUKE!!!