Where did July go!?!

It's August.  July is done.  It is unbelievable how fast the month flew by.  And it sure was a good month.  Here is a quick update on what has been going on in the life of Tim and Michelle (and baby boy)...

*Two AMAZING Family weddings!  

Wedding #1- My beautiful sister, Nicholle, got married on Sunday July 8th.  It was a warm summer evening at Green Villa garden adorned with dark purple, peacock feathers, oreo truffles, a nice breeze, and wonderful friends and family!  It was an amazing day and I am so happy for Jason and Nicholle Brainard!  Here is a little glimpse of their beautiful wedding party...

Photo by Megan M. Jones Photography

Wedding # 2- My amazing brother-in-law, Rick, and my dear friend, Caley, got married 6 days later on Saturday, July 14th.  Tim and I both had the honor of being included in their wedding...SO MUCH FUN!  It was an equally amazing and beautiful weekend of wedding festivities. The bridal party was so much fun, the setting was gorgeous, the family was all in town, and it couldn't have been a more perfect day!  I am so thankful for these 2 and the incredible friend and sister I have in Caley!  And here is a little glimpse of the wedding party from their day...

Photo taken by Jim Saffeels :)

*Big Decisions- With baby boy coming in less than 3 months, we definitely are starting to feel the crunch to get things ready and settled in.  We just transitioned into our cozy little apartment in April and we're praying about what to do for housing during this next phase.  Do we try to buy a house so we have more space?  Do we stay and work with the space we have?  Hard decisions.  God gave us a lot of clarity and after lots of prayer and a few melt-down moments (for Michelle, not Tim), we decided staying put in our little apartment was the wisest decision for our family.  And I am SO excited!  We have had fun being creative and shifting our closets/belongings around to the maximize the space we have.  I will be sure to post some of the creative ways we are making it work in the next few months.  

Now that we have decided to stay put, nesting has begun.  We are so excited to start pulling everything together to welcome baby boy.  Tim, his Dad, and my Dad started baby room phase # 1 last night and painted the walls a lovely shade of...well, I'll just have to surprise you soon!  

But here is a glimpse of the before...

*Settling into a New Phase- As we approach the fall, Tim and I are so excited about this new phase the Lord is bringing us into.  A year ago, we had no idea the journey God was about to take us on.  Through a span of months, God made it very clear that Tim was being called into full-time ministry.  Our hearts were being shaped and molded for this transition.  In the midst of this process we also found out that we were pregnant...SURPRISE!!!  As the spring progressed and after lots of prayer, God provided the opportunity for Tim to come on full-time at our Church, Salem Heights, in the youth ministry.  We could not be more excited to be involved in serving our incredible church family in a full-time capacity.  Much of July has been spent doing Tuesday park nights with the youth, meeting with the staff and getting excited for the school year.  Pray for Tim as he continues to transition and plan for the school year and pray for me that I can be a support to him in the ministry.  We are so blessed!

Another big change this fall is that I am going to be...staying home!  It hasn't hit me yet and probably won't until Sept. when everyone else goes back to school and I don't.  This will be the first time since kindergarten that I haven't gone to school in the fall.  I am going to definitely miss the kids and teaching, but could not be more excited to be at home with my baby boy.  Pray for us that God would be molding and cultivating our hearts to be prepared to love and parent our little boy with Christ's love.  And here is a little glimpse of what he is looking like right now...

We are in the 28th week and still feeling great!  

That's about it for now.  Be back soon for more updates on baby boy and life!