Life Changes

Justin and I recently found ourselves fighting/bickering a lot.  We decided to discuss the core reasons why and came up with quite a few things.  You can imagine what the core reason is:

We don't spend enough time with the Lord.

All the other things stemmed from that one fact.  We decided to make a list of all the things we would like to see change in our lives.  We now have a rough list of some changes that need to be made.  We need to define them so that they are achievable.  We also need to add a time frame in which we would like to institute the changes.


I am so thankful for a husband who is open and understanding.  The fact that he came to me to talk about these things encourages my heart to the core.  I love to talk about things, but I love better when he pursues the things we need to talk about.  He is so in love with God.  He wants to honor Him in everything and sees that he needs to tweak his daily life a bit in order to do that.  I LOVE that openness.  I am encouraged, impressed and just plain blessed to have that kind of best friend. 

One of my goals is to blog more.  It is one of the lower ones on my list, but I think it is somewhat important.  I seem to do a lot better emotionally and spiritually when I make time to journal and/or blog.  It would be a good way to update people on our lives, share spiritual truths I am learning, etc.  Plus, I love reading other people's blogs as well.  I think it would help fill my void of personal connection I have been feeling.  Moving to a new place, becoming a wife and stay-at-home momma in one year's time have all finally caught up with me and are taking a toll.  I miss friends and college.  Growing up is draining.  (Don't get me wrong, I love every single minute of it, but I do have times when I just want to get together with Neal, Bev, Lundy and Whorts and play a good game of Catan or watch a rediculous episode of MST3K!)

There is a brief update, and I hope to be more organized with my posting than this in the future.  Hopefully, if I don't take so much time in between my posts they can be short and sweet (which are my favorite to read) and perhaps meaningful :)


One more thing.  I was challenged to read the book of Philippians by a friend who spoke on Philippians 4:8

" Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." 

She spoke about our joy being rooted in Jesus and not in happiness.  How our joy is conditional on Christ alone and happiness is conditional on circumstances.  I feel like I used to be really good at being able to say, "It is well with my soul," and mean it.  I felt like my joy was deep and evident to most people around me.  

Somewhere along the way I have lost track of my Savior, therefore losing track of my joy.  I'm on a mission to get it back!

 

I was going to create a new post (which I am actually doing, I realize) but then saw that I had zero comments on my last two posts...not very motivating.

Maybe later...

TOUR!

Here is the house tour on video! You can see pictures on facebook!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS2dbZtDzaA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njZ-cEbV_VM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8o3ju4gI_M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrm5a9DUHOc

 

Together forever :)

Jane is growing like a little weed! She now smiles, rolls over and "talks". She has actually been trying to talk since the day she was born. She is a very vocal little girl. Oh, and quite the drama queen! Lately I have been doing tummy time with her, baby massage and yoga/stretching with mommy. She is a homebody like daddy, which drives me a little crazy since I am the opposite! I try not to push her too much, but there are lots of things that mommy and Jane need to go places to do. She is getting a little better - as long as I fill her up with yummy mama-milk before we go!

Daddy put me in a basket...

On Thanksgiving Jane got to meet her cousin
Lucia who is 22 hours older than her!

We closed on our house and moved in on the 18th! It is so great. We are ALMOST all set up. We had our room and living room complete within 24 hours :)  Now, my main task is to finish Jane's room. It has been the easiest to put off since we aren't using it much right now. My goal for our house is to have it completely set up by Sunday! Once it is spotless, I will take you on a picture...or maybe video tour!

Here's a glimpse of our living room...

I have been able to cook and clean and be a mom in my own space for about two weeks now, and it is glorious! I praise God everyday for it! I don't think we are ever going to take this for granted.

Justin started his new job! He is working at a CPA firm and has his own office - of which Jane and I got to go help decorate the other day :) It is the perfect job for him right now - he was glowing when he came home from his first day. I am so proud of him.

A friend wrote a blog about vulnerability and I felt a bit convicted. Lately, I have only been sharing "braggy" information. Not to brag, just to share good news! Nonetheless, I am not altogether amazing. I have not been consistent in spending quality or quantity time with the Lord. I finally put my foot down about it the other night when I was praying at a communion service at our church. We had a time of reflection on sin; I realized how huge my sin of un-love for God has become. So, I have made it a goal to take time each day, while Jane is down for a nap, and spend that time reading, journaling, praying, etc. It takes effort to put aside cleaning and organizing and other distractions that may come about. I have succeeded in doing this two out of three days...not horrible. It's a start.
You can help keep me accountable. You should ask how my times with Him are going :)
So far, they have been really refreshing. It is SO nice to journal and pray through things. And reading His word is beyond encouraging. I am thankful for a Creator who is so willing to embrace me whenever I decide to return to Him - and who is patient the entire time I stray from Him. I am SO undeserving.

A whole new world.

Last time I posted was at the end of my pregnancy...I was excited, ready and terrified.  Well, now we have our Jane!  The birth process was amazing.  Not horrible at all.  Painful, yes, but not even as bad as I expected!  And I was able to do it naturally and drug free :)  Recovery, too, has gone really well!  I am so thankful and continually praising God for such a care-free experience!!!

This is our sweet Jane with her proud Daddy on her Birthday. She was 8 pounds and 1 ounce at birth and 20.5 inches long. Perfection.

I was also becoming impatient with our house.  We finally have an official closing date of November 18th at 9am and plan to move right after we sign!  PRAISE God!  So excited.  And ready.

Here is our house again :)

So, now - I am a mom!  My days consist of snuggling my sweet baby, feeding her growing belly, rocking and shushing to calm her, enjoy a few quiet moments during her naps, changing her diapers and spit-up-enhanced clothing, talking with her and enjoying each little sound and face she makes.  Sometimes I get time to do laundry, clean, cook and occasionally shower.  It is the best :)

On our second Sunday to church.

Another new part of our life will be Justin's job!  He recieved a phone call yesterday asking for a follow-up interview with a CPA firm he interviewed with this summer.  They met this morning and offered him a position!  He will be making more money than at the bank, have his own office AND be working in his field of study!  All the things he has been praying for in a job.  He plans to give his two weeks tomorrow and begin working at the new place on the 28th. 

Something you may have caught about us Villmers, we love change.  Not necessarily, but we have been embracing LOTS of it in the past year!  And God has been gracious in walking us through the hard stuff and continualy blessing us far beyond our deserving.

thirty-seven weeks...and counting.

Jane is safe to be born! At the birthing center!

She is a biggin'!

We are beginning to see what it is like to be in the "waiting" phase of pregnancy. I never thought it would come, but once we got the car seat bought, our birthing-center bag(s) packed and 37 weeks hit - we feel ready. Plus, we are just so excited to meet Jane!
I am a mixed ball of emotions. Totally excited to meet her and hold her, but TERRIFIED of squeezing her out! I know it will be worth it and I will forget about the horribleness, but it still exists. I actually had a dream that I missed my entire labor and delivery process and woke up with a baby - and I was so sad! I do want to experience it, I am just nervous.

I know when it starts I am going to cry, cry, cry and tell Justin that I "can't do it"...knowing that I very well can. I'm just overwhelmed thinking about the whole process and the fact that my body can perform such a feat. Not to mention the after-affects and recovery! Ah!!


PLUS, we are waiting on lots of little details to come together in regards to our house! We don't have an official closing date yet, and it is driving me nuts! I did start packing yesterday, the things we don't use; that was good. I need to continue doing that little by little as Jane stays in the womb.

People keep asking me if I'm "nesting" - and I have a weird answer: YES - I want to set up all of her things and have them perfect for when she comes, but I can't quite do that yet - instead I get to pack everything except for what we will be using in the first few months with her. Even doing that helps me to feel ready, but it is very hard not decorating her room and setting up her crib and all that, to perfection.

Plus I really want to start setting up our HOME!

Gist of this post: I am impatient.

Our house...

...in the middle of the street...

We are buying a home. We found it! We have signed papers and are currently in the process of gathering all necessary paperwork for the loan application (which we have been pre-approved for) and then having the house inspected next week, etc. We are set to close on the home no later than October 30th! How exciting!

Here is a virtual tour of the house: Presenting 810 W. 21st St. in Hutchinson, Kansas!

We LOVE it! It is the perfect size for our family now, and allows room for expansion...i.e. the basement. There is a nice big back yard for Nemo, a great dining room for entertaining and even an attached garage! We will live two houses down from a highly recommended elementary school in Hutchinson as well! Jane can walk to school : )

We are so VERY excited...did I mention that? And SO thankful that everything is coming together so beautifully and quickly. The Lord sure knows what we need when we need it!

Please pray for us! Pray that everything continues to come together as it should and that as we are close to having our sweet baby and closing on a house that we would not be too overwhelmed. We are really praying we can get into the house before Jane is born, but don't really expect to be able to move in until a few weeks after she is here - either way is fine, I just think it would be easier to move with her inside the womb. There are lots of details that go into buying a home, and Justin is amazing at getting it all done, please ask for ease in doing it all as he already has SO much on his plate right now.

In other news - my first baby shower is in Olathe tomorrow and I am super excited! My mom is taking us shopping to pick out a carseat/stroller combo - I think this will help us to feel more ready for her to come. Each day I get a little bit less nervous about her being born...I think it is the fact that we know where we will be living! I am excited to see friends and family and celebrate Jane together! Praise God for creating such a wonderful thing in childbearing and life - it is quite humbling to think that He chose ME to have our baby - I am so inadequate and yet so prepared by Him. Yey.