It has been awhile since I have shared a family update with you all, so I thought it was high time. Spring has been gradually peaking through the clouds here in the Northwest. We have had a few days of glorious sunshine which is a blessing after months of indoor cold rain weather. Spring brings beautiful colors and allergies all in one. The springtime has included celebrating my son Titus’ third birthday, hosting a baptism at our home in our backyard hot tub, hosting Easter dinner with family and friends, celebrating Lent and Easter in our home with passover and other fun readings and activities, starting some flower and veggie gardening in our backyard, spring walks, and a weekend getaway to the Oregon Coast to rest, walk on the beach, play games, and simply be together as a family.
We are in the final stages of launching my husband’s new business, but I believe the end is in sight. We can finally tell you all what he has been working on! The business is called Bourbon and the mission is to provide mobile websites for small businesses – restaurants, retail stores, etc. Aaron has set up the launch page for the business, which you can view here. We are super excited and praying fervently that it would take off over the next few weeks. Our prayer is that it would be able to financially support us and give our family more freedom to start serving more actively in our church and missions. It has been an intense 4+ month period as he has been working days and most nights. It has certainly been taking its tole on our family, but by God’s grace I am holding on and trying to enjoy the ride.
We have been prioritizing our family and keeping our schedule pretty free and simple. My blogging has been minimal as you might have noticed. 
I have felt bad for all the times I have had to say “no” to various invitations, but I know it is paying off in the long run.
During this transition, I have really been seeing the value of just being a helper to my hubby. As wives we play such an important role in keeping our men going strong. We can tear them down through discouraging words, or we can help them flourish and succeed through loving support and cheering them on in our words and actions. Guys seem to be pretty simple. They need us to believe in them. I have been amazed at how just a simple text message or email expressing my love or telling him how proud I am of him sometime during the day can make a world of difference on his spirits. It’s easy to forget about our men while taking care of the little ones around us…but honestly, when we plant those seeds of expressing love and admiration, our love will only grow and flourish all the more. Write him a note, make a love message board that you can update regularly, plant post it love notes in his car, on his desk, or wherever he visits frequently. Let him know you are behind him…and you might just be surprised at the results. Care to join me in striving to just write or speak one little message each day to encourage our men?
Enjoying our first passover meal
My sister, Christa, and her fiancé Dan
My younger sister got engaged in early February so we are in the preparation process for a wedding in mid-June. I’m so excited! We are all involved in the wedding, so I have been searching high and low finding appropriate attire for all of us. In my spare time, I’m planning a shower and will also be hosting the rehearsal dinner. It has been a joy doing some spring cleaning here and passing on some household items to help my sister get started well.
Eden girl has an awesome army crawl mastered and is cruising around all over the place at 9 months of age now. Karis is starting Kindergarten work, and my Titus man is my sweet helper watching out for his sisters (amidst some challenges with his potty training 
). They all keep busy taking walks with Daddy, unloading the dishwasher, reading lots of books, playing dress up, and romping around outside as sunny days start peeking through the clouds. We are looking forward to a full summer with my Karis girl turning 5 this week (which we are celebrating with a small mommy/daughter tea party), Aaron and I celebrating our 6th anniversary this month (which will include a day outing to the Columbia Gorge – yah!), my sister’s wedding, summer outreach projects in our community, and a family vacation to the beach! Praise the Lord. He is good.
Springtime Reading
What have I been reading lately?
Books on my nightstand over the last few months have included: Jane Eyre, The Scarlet Letter, and Madam Bovary (which I am currently reading) as I continue in my goal of reading more classics to further my own personal education (thanks to inspiration from The Well Educated Mind). I have also been inspired to more intentional generous living through the life and testimony of Katie Davis in her book, Kisses From Katie and her adventures in her early twenties adopting and caring for children in Uganda. I want to be active in the care of orphans and children around the world. I want to be able to live a radical life of generosity in all that I do. Such an inspiring story!
I also have been reading off and on Comforts From the Cross and Overcoming Fear, Worry and Anxiety, which are both by one of my favorite authors, Elyse Fitzpatrick. She has such a powerful way of turning my heart and mind back to the truths of the gospel. Highly recommend her books! Aaron and I are reading The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller and this book is by far the best marriage book we have ever read. It is so rich, meaty, thought-provoking, and challenging us in the truth of the beauty of God’s design for marriage.
The Thankfulness List continues…
I am continually working on my thankfulness list…one by one God is continuing to draw my eyes to focus on the beauty around me. I forget about it here and there, but each time I come back to it, my soul is encouraged and lifted up to rejoice in the goodness of the awesome God that I serve. Here is a sneak peak at some of my recent blessings…
1151. The delicious meals concocted from leftover ham
1156. The delight of bare feet on sunny days
1158. The warmth of socks on freezing toes
1162. Diapers drying in the sun
1164. Overflowing laundry baskets displaying we are well clothed
1165. The blessing of one stop shopping at consignment sales to cloth all the kids for the next season
1167. Baby girl sleeping in my arms
1169. Daddy cuddled up with kiddos reading the Bible
1170. My daughter’s delight in reading The Boxcar Children together
1172. Tickling fest with little underarms, feet, and bellies
1176. A good classic movie to enjoy with the kids
1178. Creating a garden space for my little ones
1180. Spring robin birds created from sweet foot prints
1186. The simple joys of making new friends through hospitality
1188. Buttoning up three little jackets
Thank you so much for all your continual support of this blog! I want to give a hearty thanks to our faithful sponsors – Paula’s Breads, Sweet Bottoms Babys Boutique, The Fertility Flower, Savvy Teas and Herbs, and the Willow Store. These companies have supported us for multiple months at a time and it has been such a blessing working with these awesome people! Check them out!
May the Lord richly bless you all!
Lindsay, thanks for sharing a piece of your life with us! I’m always learning from you
I am guilty of getting too busy and forgetting about my husband sometimes 
Lindsey, Thank you for your posts. Just found out about your blog a few months ago and when I can find a few minutes to get on the computer, I like to check out your blog. It is so encouraging to know that other mommies of little ones are in this journey of loving our King Jesus first, our husbands next and then loving our precious little ones He has blessed us with…as we also try to minister to those around us. What a balancing act. May we live at His feet b/c it’s only there where we find the balance and perspective on this life that we need. I enjoyed reading about your family—you and I have kiddos the same ages. I have a sweet girl Kara Grace (5), Maci Joy (almost 3) and Caleb Scott (9 mths.) What you are able to do and accomplish through Him who has to be your strength and give you grace, amazes me. Thank you for your encouragement and for challenging us to love Jesus and our families and to live simply.
An encouraging post… Thank You for sharing! I love seeing how the Lord provides in all our needs for our family, and how we can continue to lift up our spouses and children to worship Him more fully with our lives.
You read Madame Bovary for fun?
But not in French I hope?
I had to struggle myself through that one
I did like the Scarlet Letter and Jane Eyre!
I like the update, it had been awhile
Thank you!
I’m in a book club so I’m reading what the general consensus is among the other members. I am reading Lydia Davis’ translation and is an excellent translation – it flows well and very poetic in nature. I’m not a huge fan of the story line by any means but it sure has stirred up alot of good discussion on contentment.
My husband heard about an idea on a radio show where a couple uses S.H.M.I.L.Y. (See How Much I Love You) to show they are thinking of each other. They take turns leaving S.H.M.I.L.Y written somewhere. Once you’re “tagged,” you’re it! The fun is in being creative where you leave the note. The last time I left it for my husband, I used one of my son’s bathtub crayons and wrote it on the shower wall.
We’ll be praying for a successful business launch – Go Bourbon, Go!
Another amazing marriage book is The Mystery of Marriage by Mike Mason. This without a doubt would be one of my top 5 books I have ever read!
Enjoyed the update and have also been encouraged and challenged by “Kisses for Katie”. Any ideas on how you plan to help with orphan care? (I know you support an orphanage already.) A lot of my friends are feeling the same way, just not sure what to do.
Also, does your husband have any plans of extending the mobile websites to churches? We have recently church planted and decided we need to go with a company that focuses on mobile apps as the “old fashioned” websites aren’t practical anymore. Would love to consider Bourbon if it’ll fit!
WOW!! The preview site for your husbands new website is incredible looking!! I definitely think this type of thing will be in high demand (wish some of the businesses in my town would sign up
). Blessings!
I recently found your blog and have really enjoyed popping over whenever I get a moment. I really appreciate the insight and encouragement that I find here. Your family seems so sweet.
I just simply love this!
Thank you for the encouragement to daily show love to our husbands. It was what I needed to hear this morning!
Thanks for sharing! It’s so good to be reminded to keep my priorities at the top of the list….in fact I’m off to text DH!
Encouraged by your updates,
Tiffany
I love getting these updates about your sweet family. Thank you!
I pray that your husbands business is very successful. Great job being his cheerleader!
i always love hearing updates on your family! thank you for sharing about life.
i also am a fan of katie davis. a couple years ago i was first introduced to her blog, and challenged by her sacrifice. about a week after that, my husband and i were asked to take in four foster kids (because they were all siblings and close in age), and we took the step of faith (i figured if katie can have 12 kids, we can do four!). we had originally said we could take in two. it was quite a ride, but i wouldn’t take it back.
Thank you for sharing your family life with us! I respect you for pulling back when you needed to. Your husband’s business looks like such a good idea, too!
Just dropping you a note to let you know you are a blessing and an inspiration to me! I am a newlywed…married december 2 of 2010.I aspire to live a proverbs 31 life and you are a big help. I have learned to love christ and my husband in ways I never would have imagined! I look foward to another update soon and possibly youtube videos? Lol I know you lead a busy lifebut just know that you are a wonderful role model to many newlyweds out there
It is so easy to forget in this day and age that we as wives are first called to be a helpmeet to our husbands! Im so glad you see that!
Blessings,