2 Months!

Wow this month has flown by!  My favorite things about Luke's second month of life are his smiles and the way he stares at me when I talk to him. :) Here are some recent pics:

Sitting tall in his rocking chair

I think I'm ready for a nap!

Senior Trip VI!

We spent the last 5 days at a house in Palm Springs with our college friends. This group of friends is so special to me.  We met through an on-campus fellowship called Campus Crusade for Christ, our freshmen year at UCSD.  Over the four years of college we grew in our friendships and several are now married to one another! We have attended each other's engagement parties, weddings, and get together twice a year: once in December for a ski trip and once in the summer for our annual "senior trip."

The senior trip tradition started 5 years ago when we graduated from college. We rented an RV and traveled to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell.  Since then we have done a "senior trip" each year, doing anything from camping to a cruise. This year was our 6th senior trip and we spent the long memorial day weekend at a beautiful home in Palm Springs.  The girls spent the day relaxing by the pool and playing with Luke, while the boys golfed and played several rounds of Monopoly and Poker.  It was a very relaxing 5 days and was such a treat to have lots of willing hands to hold and love on Luke.

Pool Time!

We went out to dinner one night right about Luke's bedtime-can you tell? :)

Getting loved on by Shannon

Great friends-Cassidy & Kate

Besties plus Luke

From Missions Banquet to High School Ministry

Jesse had a full weekend of work! Saturday evening Intervarsity hosted their annual Missions Banquet.  This is a dinner and talent show to raise funds for summer missions.  IV staff-workers served dinner to about 200 students and amazing performances were put on by students.  Students are going to places all over the world from Asia to Latin America to right here in San Diego.  The funds raised Saturday night will go towards the San Diego Urban project which sends UCSD students to work with inner-city San Diego migrant workers.

Hungry students!

Full house

Jesse & one of his top leaders, Daniel Joe

The UCSD staff team

Sunday morning Jesse had the opportunity to speak to high school students at Horizon Christian Fellowship about the importance of finding a community of believers at college.  The statistics are alarming: 70% of high school Christians will leave the faith when they enter the university setting.  This was a step to defeat those odds. Jesse invited juniors and seniors to stand to commit to seeking an on-campus fellowship in order to continue their walk with the Lord.

A Week Up North

We spent a week in northern California introducing Luke to my family, fundraising, and meeting with supporters.  It's not easy for Jesse to be off-campus and our year-end goal seems almost impossible, but we know that God is faithful and He can move mountains, so we are trusting that we will end this fiscal year (June) with no deficit!  

Luke with his second cousins

Snuggle time with Auntie M

Taking a bath in Nana's sink:)

Mother's Day

This mother's day was extra special for two reasons: first, it was my first mother's day. I feel so blessed to be Luke's mom! Second, I got to spend the day with my mom & extended family, which I haven't been able to do for several years now.  Being adopted, I am always extra thankful for my mom and the family I was placed with. She is one of the most patient and loving people I know. I have learned so much from her about being a mom.

4 generations!

Smile!

Luke smiled for the first time this week & my heart melted. :) I was able to get two of his smiles on camera. The top one is definitely my favorite!

A New Season of Life

Jesse and I have entered into a new, and from what I've heard hardest, season of life: parenthood! We are loving being parents to Luke and in the short month he's been here we have learned so much. Another change has taken place in that Jesse has begun a 4 month furlough, meaning he is off-campus fundraising full-time.  After praying and looking into various job & mission opportunities for the past year, we feel God is calling him to stay on campus and recommit to Intervarsity for another 5 years.  He has experienced so much personal growth in his relationship with the Lord, as well as has been a part of influencing and changing lives on the campus. He has been able to walk alongside students who are struggling in their faith, feeling lost and lonely, broken and hurting.  He has ministered to them and helped them experience the freedom Christ offers.  There's no greater joy than this! So, we are praying and asking the Lord to provide the funds for him to stay on campus. He is so faithful and has never let us down yet.

The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalm 145:13