The last two weeks have been packed with fun for our family. We had family come for a visit last week and the boys really enjoyed playing with their cousins. I won’t post many photos to protect the privacy of others, but here are a few of Malachi’s smiles.

As many of you know, Jake and I are originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Tennessee in 2004. We still have family in Ohio and Tennessee but also Georgia and Virginia. We are always thankful when the people we love are willing to enter our world and come for a visit. Traveling with all of the gear to keep Malachi comfortable is getting more difficult and accessibility is proving to become a significant issue that we have to consider. When he was smaller we were able to easily carry him wherever we needed to go. Now that he is larger it isn’t as safe to carry him up flights of stairs or long distances.

Malachi has been losing a lot of teeth lately and I am TERRIBLE with helping pull teeth…I get so squeamish. We are worried he might swallow or choke on them so when they get loose we try to help get them out at his request. He knows I get ridiculous when I have to do it and that little stinkers keeps asking me to pull them after Jake goes to sleep. If you could be a fly on the wall for that show you would get a good laugh, as does Malachi each time.

Both boys are so happy that we are all home for the summer. Malachi wakes up with a smile on his face and Levi is just so content to have us all together. He is getting more brave and trying new things! And he wants to be doing something active from the moment he wakes up to the moment we make him lay down for bed.

And Malachi’s swimming skills have been incredible! Check out this video of him swimming with the cousins.

Medically speaking we are about to hit a very busy season for our family. Levi will have his surgery in Cincinnati two weeks from today and we have 7 additional appointments that week in Tennessee to get back to.

We have been dealing with a lot of behind the scenes medical drama with supplier changes. We recently had to change suppliers for enteral feeding (g-tube supplies and high calorie formula) due to insurance. The new company doesn’t supply their normal formula and has sent us the alternative that is supposed to be similar but a different brand. Malachi isn’t handling the change well and is extremely uncomfortable, triggering his seizures and ability to rest well. Tonight is Levi’s first night on the new brand so we will see how he tolerates it. We hook him up to his pump while he sleeps. Change is really hard on my crew.

This week Jake and I celebrated our 16 year anniversary! We wanted to do something special as a family and decided to go to a soccer game.

I narrated the game play by play and Malachi was hyped up by the crowd! Levi appreciated the unlimited hot dogs and people watching opportunities.

Levi heard the fans yell “you stink” to the other team. So he decided to try to join in and shouted “Your team is so gassy” then looked at me and said “Mom, did I do that right? Not quite son. But valiant effort.

Last week our church held a VBS and Jake and I taught the 5th and 6th grade class. It was the first time we have taught a class since stepping down from the youth and it felt so…comfortable and normal. I am not really sure how else to describe it. Studying God’s Word with the purpose of sharing its truth with others is just so beautiful!

On the final day the scripture was over John 14, particularly about the Holy Spirit. The trinity is always a tough topic for children to fully grasp. And differentiating between your conscience and the Holy Spirit is also hard to explain. But with the Lord’s help we did our best.

As I prepped for the lesson I couldn’t help but be reminded of the love of God in sending “another Helper” as John 14 puts it. Scripture goes on to call the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth” and explain “will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (verse 26).

Y’all, God is so good. What a gift we have been given! God is not a God of confusion- He is a God of continued clarity. We have His Word (the Bible) to help guide us and we have the Holy Spirit to minute by minute help us remember the heart and words of God.

I guess today I just feel exceptionally thankful for God’s providence in knowing our sinful, nasty nature would need a God, Savior, and Helper.

Proverbs 4:25-27 “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.”

Let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. I needed that reminder this week as I have been allowing my eyes to be distracted to the right and to the left.

Sincerely,

Leah