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Landon and I are savoring these quiet days with each other as we wait for this newest addition to our family.  I love it when Landon gets home from work and we get to snuggle or sit on the couch and talk about our days...one of my most favorite times.  Soon, he'll come home and snuggle with me and our baby as we catch up.  I can't wait for that.

Still no sign of baby yet.  We had an appointment on Monday and the midwife was so calm and laid back about me being over due.  She said we can technically go past Thanksgiving if baby waits that long, and they aren't pushing induction at all right now.  I'm so thankful for that.  Landon and I truly believe that the baby will come when he or she is ready.  Since I'm over due now, I'll go in for monitoring once a week just to make sure all is well, and if so, we just keep waiting.

Oh, my precious baby, mama can't wait to hold you, and see you, and kiss you.

fall & flannel

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year!  I don't mean to shortchange these last days of summer, but I'm so excited for fall to arrive.  It's only in the 70s today, and I'm getting the itch.  Fall is special to me...I started getting interested in Landon at a fall party one year, we got engaged in the fall, married in the fall, and fall colors are my favorite!

How about some nice flannel shirts...Landon has worn flannel ever since he was little, definitely well before flannel became popular.

Fall is the perfect time to linger in bed a few minutes longer, or catch up on all those books you've been wanting to read while snuggled up in a warm blanket.

And of course you have to have apple cider and doughnuts!  Now for all you city folks, I'm not talking about cider from the store...I'm talking about true, un-pasturized, sweet, tangy, fresh cider.  We were raised on this stuff every fall.  There's another good thing about living in the midwest.

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And how about a nice tour of some fall-ish destination?  Here's Bonneyville Mill in Bristol, Indiana where I grew up.  It's right in the heart of Amish country and so very lovely in the fall.  You can pick up some freshly milled whole grain flour too.  Doesn't it look so pretty with the fall colors?

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So here's to fall coming soon please!  I guess I should tell you to make the most of the these last days of summer, but I'm not...I'm telling you to start planning what you'll do in the fall so you can make the most of this short, but gorgeous season. :)  But that's just me.

Love,
Leah

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow...

God is so good and we are so amazingly blessed by His love and faithfulness.

This week has been such a blessing to me. I was able to spend this week off of work with my favorite people in the whole world and share and laugh like I haven't for so long.
We shared some amazing time up at my sister Hannah's, which is always so relaxing and fun. We just hung out, read, had a fire, grilled, drank coffee, played guitar hero, wave runner fun, and talked.
I think talking is so important to me...I would rather talk with someone and have a conversation than sit and watch a movie together. Whenever my family is together, we have some pretty good conversation time. I love it so much...it makes me feel so close to others when I have meaningful dialogue with them.
So family was a blessing this week.

Then, Landon and I received some much anticipated and prayed for news that he is being hired as an employee for the company he's been at since October. Basically, Landon was hired through a temp agency to work for GPD (the engineering firm) back in October. So he was technically an employee of the temp agency, therefore not receiving paid holidays, vacation, or any benefits. GPD hires most of the temps on after they've worked for 6-10 months and brings them on as full benefit employees. So we got the news this week that GPD is hiring him on, and he'll start as their employee on Monday! The benefits package is amazing, he gets a much deserved pay raise, and Landon likes what he does and the people that he works with. We are so happy! I'm so proud of Landon because he has worked SO hard these past months. He puts in overtime every week, yet still comes home to spend quality time with me. I love him.
So job stuff was a blessing this week.

My heart is so full tonight...this has been such a wonderful past few days, yet I'm sad it's coming to an end. I had to drop my little brother Ezrah off at the airport tonight to fly back to Denver. We only see him about twice a year, and it was hard saying goodbye again. He's grown up so much, and he is such a kind and caring person...I love him so much. I took him out for sushi tonight, his favorite dish. I think Hannah took him out earlier this week too. :) But we had a good day together relaxing and bumming around Indy. I'll miss him.

But tomorrow I get to see Jonah! And we're all going to a Blitzen Trapper concert in Broad Ripple. What a fun evening that should be. I shall savor my time with him until he goes back to school in Texas.

So I guess this is long enough, but I just needed to write out how I'm so happy this week. God is so loving to us. I grew up thinking that God was this distant bearded man seated on a white marble throne. His eyes were hard and he would look down and judge us. But this is such a wrong view! I'm learning more and more that God is involved in each of our lives SO much! He cares about every part of us, every situation we're in, and every pain or trial we face. He is for us, not against us. And it's just things like this week that show me His love.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Manly Man

My husband is amazing. Simple, loving, forgiving, godly, gentlemanly, solid.......I could go on and on. I am so lucky to be married to Landon and for all he is teaching me. Marriage is not easy...it's a relationship that constantly needs work and perfecting. I am challenged so much with my attitudes, and Landon is so patient with me.

I am so tired of the modern woman's attitude towards men...a lot of times they make men out to be big dumb oafs that only care about physical stuff and video games. They undermine man's god-given design to be protectors and leaders and cripple men's desire to be that godly man. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe in Landon being head of the home...this doesn't mean I am lower than him or unimportant in our relationship, but I have a different role. It is so wonderful and amazing to see a man carrying out his God-given role...he is like a captain of an army who is the leader of his troop. He has an important job of leading, protecting, and fighting right along side of his men. It is such an honor for me, as a wife, to work in a complimentary way with Landon. I am his helpmeet, and my job is to support him and assist him any way I can. I love that!

This picture just reminded me of my amazing husband who is always so good to me. I feel safe and protected with him, and God has shown me a lot of His own characteristics through Landon. So here's to manly men who aren't afraid to be what God intended them to be, and for wives who appreciate and respect that...I'm preaching at myself on this. :)

Just some thoughts for your brain to chew on.

Cheers,

Leah