Bringing Me Joy

Here's a bit of randomness for you, in no particular order.

1. I think Brooklyn had the most beautiful spring this year. Maybe it was just a really hard winter, but the blooms and greenery just constantly took my breath away.

2. I found my new favorite chocolate bar. I first got it at Brooklyn Market, but then found it at C-Town and bought two (and shared with Will). It's so good.



3. A few weeks ago I met my friend Erica for a walk around Prospect Park in the evening. It was such a lovely time with her and the park was just gorgeous that day. I'm thankful for meaningful friendships and once again, living in such a beautiful city with little pockets of places that are just so peaceful. I'm so glad I took this picture:



4. This adoption-related book! I was mailed a copy to review, and it made me think so much about adoption from many different perspectives. It gave a lot of insight into Chinese cultures and was just a book that stuck with me. Have you read it?



5. Little Annalise at church one day, helping me work the sign-in table. I'm really excited about the way things are going with our church right now. There are so many special relationships and genuine people. It's been very encouraging for us to see how the church is growing in numbers and diversity, but also that Will and I have had a lot of unique ministry opportunities lately. I won't divulge those but it is truly an honor to walk with people in life and to be invited into their stories. Ministry is such a hard but good thing. We also recently hired a new staff member, and we are really excited about this new family and the improvements to come in our church!



6. I got a new grocery cart the other day while I was out. My little one has just collapsed randomly when I'm walking and things get smushed. It's so annoying and I just needed to bite the bullet and get a new cart. I'm thankful the first one lasted 2 years but SO HAPPY for a new, reliable cart!



7. I snapped this picture of Bay Ridge (our brooklyn neighborhood) the other day while crossing the bridge into Staten Island. I really love our neighborhood! We've been here 2 years now and I have definitely experienced varying emotions regarding our location. I will say that right now I'm really glad to live where we live.



8. A new Mickey. He was really gross and Israel bites him and chewed off his nose, so wet stuffing was coming out... barf. $25 worth it.



9. Edith is an all - around Mama's Girl, but she's been on a little bit of a daddy kick lately, and I can't complain about it. Makes me love them both a lot more, and it lightens my load a bit.

10. These three kiddos. They are a lot of work but so precious. What special gifts they are to me! We are just months away from Edith being in school full-time and I'm going to just have Annie with me during the day. Once again my role and routine will shift. Motherhood is full of constant sacrifices but the privilege is not lost on me. I love these three to pieces.