Winter's End

Fresh Air & Hot Coffee>>>
    While it feels as though my last post was written days ago, somehow the calendar is showing we’ve hit April. Almost 3 months have gone by since my two-in-one month blog revival happened. Every day over the last few weeks “blog post” has been on the to-do list. However, life has been “life-ing” and the days just seem to pass me by. What better way to force myself to slow down and reflect on my end of winter happenings than with a little recap post? As my last entry was written in mid-January, I’ll rewind the clock a bit and start there! 

After some encouragement from Sam and my therapist (it’s 2024, mental health matters, don’t make it weird), the last weekend of January brought with it a weekend away; wait for it… just for me! I booked the coziest little airbnb a few towns away from home and had a weekend all to myself. I binge-watched some shows, finished a book, shopped around a bit, enjoyed hot coffee and fresh air, and had two nights in which I didn’t have to nurse a babe overnight or have a toddler alarm clock in the morning. In the last 3 years, there’s only been one night in which I’ve been away from both of my babies. I also struggle to “treat myself” as it is, so to book a whole weekend away was a big deal for me. It was restful and refreshing and I pushed all the mom-guilt aside to really just enjoy the time of rest. Oh, and fellow mamas, my therapist told me to tell you to try to do this for yourselves even just for one night, once a year. And no, Sam wasn’t babysitting, he was solo-parenting our children. I’m sadly aware this isn’t the norm in our society and I am grateful for the equal partner he is in raising our children. I am also hopeful that with time, this will be more normalized and encouraged for the support and well-being of family units as a whole. 

fsfasd
Birthday/Anniversary Date <3 

February brought with it our first 6th wedding anniversary. Yeah, I know, it’s weird but we eloped and then had a wedding six months later, so we technically have a wedding anniversary every six months. To be honest, we aren’t the type to do anything over the top to celebrate any occasion, but we are big on making family memories. We spent the morning in church and then took advantage of a beautiful afternoon in which many were preparing for Super Bowl parties (we’re not sports people) to take a family bike ride on a nearby trail. Benji brought his Jeep and was thrilled to drive along as we biked. We ended the night playing Ticket to Ride after the kids went to bed and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day. 


Matchy Matchy 
    A few days later the kids were delighted to get new matching pink hoodies for Valentine’s Day and even got some valentines in the mail. Three seems to be the age in which Benji is really interested and engaged in celebrations and traditions which has been so fun (another post on family traditions to follow). The day after, Sam’s parents flew in for his birthday and spent a long weekend with us. Even though they live in Florida, we’re spoiled with getting to see them every few months. We had a low-key weekend which included a trip to a new indoor play space for the kids, more games for us grown-ups (Ticket to Ride and Catan are the family favorites), and an afternoon lunch date for Sam and I. 

National Aquarium!
    Once March hit, we were really ready for winter to be done and spring to be here, yet it still seemed a little out of reach. A planned zoo trip when my cousin was home on spring break turned into an indoor adventure at the last minute when the late winter weather hit us again. Instead of the zoo, the kids and I drove down to Baltimore to visit the National Aquarium with my aunt and cousins. We had a great visit and spent hours following Benji and Ruth’s lead, taking in the world through toddler eyes. The moving walkways taking us up each level were Benji’s favorite thing of the day, but the jellyfish and tree frogs were close behind. A Chik-Fil-A car picnic before our drive home really sealed the deal on it being a memorable day for a toddler. Living within hours of a number of relatives has allowed for plenty of fun memories to be made, especially as the children grow and become more engaged in activities. 

Cousin Snuggles <3 
    The next day, Sam left for a work trip to Alaska and my two weeks of solo parenting began. Don’t get me wrong, two weeks of solo parenting two toddlers is not for the faint of heart (shout out to all single parents for showing up every day!), but his work trips are routine enough that we’ve gotten into a good swing for his being gone. This time, I packed up Benji, Ru and the pups to spend the first weekend with my family. We had a fun few days in which the kids got quality time with three of their grandparents, a few aunts and uncles, and their younger cousin. We spent the rest of the time at home, in our own space where we function best, getting outside and working on some spring decluttering. Then, a few days before Sam returned home, my cousin and her daughter came to spend a night with us. Benji and Ruth were jazzed to play with another baby cousin and I got to soak up a very snuggly contact nap while her Mama worked from our house. I continue to be thankful to be in similar seasons of parenting with my older sister and cousin and the connection it brings for our children! 
Easter Church Service


Unfortunately, March also brought with it some ick as we weathered our first family stomach bug. Don’t worry though, Sam was home from Alaska for a whopping three hours before I was taken out. With how sick I was, I don’t know how I would have parented two toddlers had I gotten sick before he got back home. God’s timing on Sam's return was so good as he stepped right in and took over all parenting until I was well enough to step back in.. just in time for him to get hit with it. Thankfully, Benji and Ruth had very minimal sickness and showed us a whole lot of grace and patience as we both needed half a week to get back to functioning at full capacity.

 

Easter Crew 2024
    Luckily, we were all back to good health in time for the weekend of Easter so we could celebrate with family. On Saturday, we dyed eggs for the first time, much to Benji's amazement. Then, my dad and step-mom came out for a visit and brought with them a fun Easter egg hunt for the kids. After finding the eggs one time, Benji asked them to hide the eggs again and again and again. He had just as much joy finding them on the 15th round as he did on the first. Sunday allowed us to start the day in church, praising God for the gift of Christ’s death and resurrection. The kids also got to open some spring themed Easter baskets much to their delight. We then spent the afternoon surrounded by family at my aunt and uncle’s house in Maryland as we gathered for Easter dinner. With living in different states, illnesses, coordinating shared holidays with in-laws, and fluctuating work schedules, it can be tricky to get family together. Even when we can coordinate, there’s usually someone still missing (this year my step-dad and younger cousin were missed!). This was the first time since a family wedding last June that my mom had all four of her children together in one space! Something about that fact just makes the time together feel so much more of a treasure to me.

First water table day of spring!
    These were just some of the highlights, but sprinkled throughout these months I also attended some fun celebrations for friends, had a few book club gatherings, continued my study through Proverbs with my small group, started to help out in our church’s nursery, celebrated our nephew’s 1st birthday, and got to meet the two babies that dear friends of mine recently had. At times it felt like a busy winter while at other points it dragged on in ways that felt never ending. I think this is the first year in quite some time that I have been desperate for the warmth and sunshine that spring and summer bring. While we spend time outside no matter the weather, you can only spend so much enjoyable time in the cold and wind with toddlers. I am ready for the days when we don’t need layers to leave the house! I’m sitting outside as I type this, with no need for a coat, the solar eclipse just having finished (it was cloudy so we didn’t get to see it which made me feel better about dropping the ball on getting glasses) feeling grateful that spring seems as if it is finally here to stay. Here's to hoping for sunny and warm days ahead! 




Fulfill Your Ministry

Benji's Dedication Ceremony Day!
As it’s currently sick season, especially for toddlers, we weren’t able to make it to church last weekend. Thankfully we live in an age where services in many churches are streamed online, ours included. As I was listening to the sermon this afternoon, I was struck by the closing point in our pastor’s message as he wrapped up a series on Colossians. Pastor Matt ended with Colossians 4:17 which speaks of the ministry God has given to each of us to fulfill (also seen in 2 Timothy 4:5). He broke it down for us before saying, “and if I had time, I would call everyone in this room out by their first name and look you in the face and say, ‘fulfill your ministry. God has given you a unique assignment and I don’t know what that is. Your ministry is not my ministry. My ministry is not your ministry… Use your gifts, and your experiences, your strengths, your struggles, your accomplishments, all that God has put into your life, use those to fulfill your ministry.’” (Watson. M.) The day before this sermon was preached, I wrote a blog post about the burden I feel for sharing my writing, that I felt God had gifted me with this passion and skill-set for some reason. Pastor Matt’s closing message affirmed to me that we each have our own calling, our own ministry. As I work to figure out what my specific ministry is-Writing? Mothering? Teaching? Helping mothers? Writing about mothering? All or none of the above?- I thought I could fill in some gaps in my “sabbatical” from blogging. Since this blog post and time of introspection was brought on by a sermon, I figured why not reflect on our church journey over the last few years.

     If you were to scroll my feed, it would only be a few posts down that you’d see one titled “Faith and Rainbows” (also linked below). In this post, I shared a bit of my faith walk up to the point of October 2018. This was shortly after our return from Alaska and we were back to living in a place where churches were readily available. But which one to attend? What congregation of people would support us as a newly married couple, new to the area we were living in? Which pastor would preach God’s word with diligence to scriptural accuracy? I was so new to studying scripture that I needed to know whoever was preaching was sharing messages straight from the Bible, not making vague references to it. We spent months visiting churches, sometimes calculating service times so we could attend two different churches in one Sunday. It’s tough when you’re seeking something that typically only occurs at a set time one day a week. We were both aching to fill a need in our spiritual lives that we hadn’t had easy access to in the four years we spent in the villages. Week after week, service after service, we left churches feeling as if the pastor, congregation, beliefs, etc. just weren’t the right fit for us.

    Finally, after about 5 months, in November of 2018 we visited a church that checked all the boxes. The congregation was a good size, the pastor preached from the Bible in a way that connected, we walked away with new insights and deeper understanding of the verses studied each week, and church members welcomed us with open arms. We soon stopped attending other services and focused our time on getting to know the Community Bible Church (CBC) congregation. We faithfully attended, connected with some other families, got to know the pastor, and both felt our spiritual needs were met in our current stage of life. We did worry a bit about the lack of couples in our specific season of life, but we were willing to push that to the side as everything else we were hoping for was met in this church. 

    Almost a year after our first visit to CBC, I was able to share my faith with the church community through being baptized. Unlike an infant’s baptism in some denominations (as in the Presbyterian church I grew up attending), a believer’s baptism is a public profession of one’s personal faith. In lieu of infant baptism, churches that practice believer’s baptisms also offer baby dedications (more to come on this later). Whereas I was sprinkled in my baptism as an infant, at CBC I was baptized by full immersion. The other handful of people being baptized were all elementary or middle-school aged and I was a little embarrassed at how old I was compared to them. However, the joy I felt after my baptism was well worth any anxious thoughts I’d had leading up. Multiple people came up to me after the service to share that they were encouraged to see me among the children. To them, it demonstrated that there is no age limit on professing your faith publicly. 


    Soon after my baptism, Sam and I became members of CBC and also began to teach Sunday School classes for grades 3-5. This definitely intimidated us at first and was a challenge for us (in a good way). It also helped us lean on each other's strengths as we grew as a couple. I was comfortable with getting the kids engaged in lessons while Sam was able to get across the big ideas of the verses and stories we taught. We enjoyed working with the kids and seeing “aha” moments as they connected themes across scripture and shared their biblical knowledge with us. 


    We continued to attend CBC throughout the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, watching recorded sermons over the course of many months. When protocols were lifted, we were eager to return to in-person services. It wasn’t until Benjamin was born in December of 2020 that we started to feel a greater need to be surrounded by others in our season of life. CBC felt like home to us and our spiritual needs were being met, but we were the only family in the newborn stage. In the best of circumstances that is a big transition, but especially during the pandemic when we were isolated in so many ways, we were especially in need of a “village”. We also weren’t ready for another transition, so we trusted that we were in the right church for the time being.


    As mentioned earlier, CBC is a church that offers Baby Dedication ceremonies in place of infant baptism. A dedication is just that- parents coming in front of their church family to make a commitment to raise their child in the Christian faith. I was eager for Benjamin’s dedication and thrilled when our pastor reached out and shared that dedications would take place on Mother’s Day. I was able to stand in front of our church family, alongside my husband, on my first Mother’s Day and make a promise to raise my son in the Christian faith. It was a surreal moment to see how far I’d come in my faith walk in such a short time. 


    Months later, when I was very newly pregnant with Ruth, Sam and I made a very difficult decision to begin visiting new churches. The needs we had for social connection as a family with one child would soon be doubled and we were still one of the only couples with “fresh” babies at CBC. We’d also made a move during our time of attending CBC and we were no longer living in the immediate community. We felt a church a little bit closer to home with more young families in attendance would be best for us in this season. The first time we visited Mt. Calvary Church (MCC), a sea of children got up when it was time for the children's church service. Sam and I had looked at each other and joked that we definitely found a place with plenty of families (but seriously, come for a visit even just to witness the stampede). Then I looked at the weekly flier and saw memos for small groups, family groups, mom meet-ups, even a book club. I think I released a breath I didn’t even know I had been holding. The promise for connection was everywhere we looked. After hearing Pastor Matt’s sermon that first Sunday, we also knew that we’d be getting relatable, relevant, biblically accurate teachings much like we’d been receiving at CBC. We didn’t feel a need to visit any other churches after that.


    Since we began to attend church at Mt. Calvary in late winter of 2022, we have made some really great connections. I am involved in a small group which allows me to connect with 3 other women as we study the bible and fellowship together. Twice a month there’s a meet-up called Coffee & Chaos for moms and children that has been fun to attend. I even joined my first book club this fall and have been really enjoying the variety in books chosen and conversation at our monthly gatherings! Sam is involved in his own small group and has taken part in some service projects the church completes within the local community. Benjamin just moved up to the 3-year-old nursery and is always so excited to go to his room. Ruth even gets to play with a little girl who is just one day older than her! Leaving CBC was not an easy choice for us, but Sam and I both feel that Mt. Calvary is exactly where our family is meant to be attending right now. 


    Another quote from Pastor Matt’s sermon that stood out to me was when he said, “We are brothers and sisters. We are a community. We, in this room.. we are a family. It might be your first Sunday here, look around, this is your family.” (Watson, M.). We are still finding our footing in the larger congregation and are taking our time before becoming members of the church. However, in the short time we have been attending we have felt at home and supported in many ways by the pastor, church staff, and other members. As MCC is located in our town, I look forward to strengthening connections within the congregation and also within our community. 

    The last few years have been full of spiritual growth for me in all facets of my life. I have worked through some great Bible studies on my own, with other church members, and with Sam. Day by day my personal beliefs are being honed as my knowledge and understanding of scripture grows stronger. Finding a church home that meets our needs in our current season of life has been on the top of our priority list and as of now, MCC feels like that place for us. I look forward to when we are able to hold Ruth’s dedication ceremony in front of this community of believers. I pray that she and Benjamin will one day share the same faith that I do and feel led to profess that faith through baptism. I also pray that the way I lead my life, treat others, face challenges, or even what I write about would be the catalyst for even just one person to want to know more about God and the truth of the gospel. I think that in itself would be a fulfillment of my ministry. 

*Click Here for "Faith and Rainows" Blog Post*


Works Cited: 


*It’s been awhile friends and I’m winging it on the MLA format here (Mrs. Perelli I trust that you’re reading this- please correct me as needed!) because it’s been awhile and to be honest I’m not even certain I need it for a personal blog. However, some things from school will be ingrained in your brain forever and properly citing sources is apparently one of those for me. So here we are. 


Watson, Matt. “Colossians-Christ Alone”. Mount Calvary Church of Elizabethtown, 07, Jan. 2024. Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. Sermon. 


The referenced sermon can be viewed here: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/yi-h3_fvX0s?si=qvSvE6EMrtp7uwVV


Image Credit for Col. 4:17: https://writethemonmyheart.com/2016/07/20/fulfill-your-calling/


Now is Now


Christmas 2023
When I first began blogging in 2014, it was to share my four month teaching journey in remote Alaska. I wanted a platform to share experiences and photos in one space. I also thought family and friends would be curious to learn of a place they might never get to experience for themselves. Four months turned to eight, and in the blink of an eye four years had passed. During that span, blog posts flowed naturally as I was blessed to travel to incredible communities, experience many firsts, learn to “adult” on my own, fall in love, take in the beauty of God’s creation with many different people, and spend my days teaching some really amazing children. It was my best intention to continue blogging as I transitioned back to the East Coast with my husband, Sam, and our village pup, Cessna. Yet, here we are five-and-a-half years later (with another pup, two kiddos, & 10 chickens in tow) and I have totaled a whopping six entries since I stopped calling Alaska home.

When Three Became Four

   My baby wasn’t breathing when she was born. I know that’s jumping right into things, but that sentence has lived in my brain for months whenever I think of writing this birth story. I am still processing a lot of emotions about the events of Ruth’s birth, but I want to get our story written while the details, even the traumatic ones, are crisp in my memory. It will be impossible for me to write transparently about this birth without intertwining my thoughts on the harm hospital protocols can bring to the birthing process. However, there’s another time and place for my full thoughts on the matter and my sole focus in this will be in sharing the experience of bringing our girl earth-side as positively as I can retell it.

When We Became Three


Do I think I will remember the crisp details from the day I birthed my first child until the end of my days? Of course I do. Am I aware of the way time begins to blur the crisp details of even our most important memories? Painfully so; but I suppose that’s the blessing and curse of aging. The beauty of written word is the way it allows you to step back into both the best and worst moments in history. For me, this is one of those “bests” for which I know one day down the road I’ll want to be able to bring those blurry details back into focus. 

Happily Hitched

When I moved back from Alaska, I had really hoped I wouldn’t fall behind with this blog, but here were are in February and it’s been awhile since I’ve touched base. Things have been going well, with nothing crazy taking place. I have been working hard to get my wellness accounts up and running in an effort to share my journey with others. It’s something that is near and dear to my heart and something that I am passionate about! I continue to pray that it will be an outlet that continues to grow, thrive, and bring me happiness while at the same time helping others in their own wellness journeys! 

Giving Thanks and Talking Traditions

2014- My mailed tree
It’s been a little while, but oh what things I have to be thankful for in the time since I’ve last written. I’ll catch you up with a quick little recap before getting to the traditions talk! The last few months have been quite busy for Sam and I as we’ve settled in to lower 48 living again and recovered from moving and wedding preparations. We’ve enjoyed a lot of time spent with family and friends, have traveled a bit, celebrated some weddings, and had some adventures. As for work, I accepted a long term building substitute position in a school close to home, with kids who keep me on my toes and bring me a lot of laughs throughout my days. I started a new venture in my writing and wellness journey and began a new instagram/blog focused on wellness and have been enjoying learning new things, trying new recipes, and sharing my journey with others; visit www.sapdak.com if you want to check it out! Sam and I are itching to set down some more roots and are praying that we’ll be settling into a house of our own by summertime. Thankful is an understatement and I just feel overwhelmed with gratitude as I write this, because while I want for things and daily life is not without it’s challenges, I live a life filled with many good people and countless blessings.