Hola….it’s Brian this time. Here’s the latest.
Micah turned 6 months this week. He is so incredible. We can’t take our eyes off of him. Amazing how your love for your first child can grow so much for two kids. Truly this is the biggest blessing in life….being a parent. Having ‘things’ is great, but it is so shallow in the fulfillment that it promises and always fails to deliver. So much is learned about life, about yourself, about your relationship with the Almighty God when you are responsible for one of these little guys. You are stretched so thin and brought to tears, but also ache with joy so deep as you gaze upon the innocence of new life. Children truly are a gift from the Lord…and I am finding out that they are also a tool that He uses to refine and shape us….a small tool that screams a lot, poops a lot, and doesn’t sleep for very long.
We are dedicating Micah to the Lord on the 26th of June at our church. It’s not confirmation and it’s not baptism as both of those aren’t found in the Bible for infants. Rather, it is Joelle and I standing before God and our congregation as we give Micah back to the Lord and commit (dedicate) him and ourselves to raise him in the ways of the Lord. When he is old enough to understand, he can make that decision to get baptized.
On a different note, I was laid off from my job about three months ago. It has been an interesting ride so far, but the Lord has been so faithful for my whole life that I have no reason to doubt that He will lead and provide for my family. Actually, I am incredibly excited about the future. I have started my own landscape architecture firm called GROVE Landscape Architecture. I get a laugh that my last name fits so well with what I do for a living. Anyhow, I’ve spent the past couple months getting this thing off the ground (business cards, website, home office, marketing, etc) and I’m diligently seeking work for municipal, commercial, and residential design. I’m actually getting used to cold calling architects and civil engineers. Check out my site if you have a moment at www.grove-design.com . Your prayers are appreciated.
Emmelia absolutely loves her little brother. She gets so excited around him that she can’t control herself and we often need to separate her to calm down. She starts pre-school this August at our church and she is so ready for it. Gramma has poured so much knowledge into her that she already knows the stuff that she will be taught. We love her so much that it hurts. Since she is three though, she has become more challenging. She is certainly testing the boundaries that we set to see what happens. Generally, things don’t work out so well for her when she does. Lately, she is really into this cartoon called the ‘Backyardigans’. If you don’t have small kids you probably don’t know what it is, but she can’t get enough of it. I’ve watched it and it’s innocent and harmless, but the characters names are Pablo, Uniqua, Tyrone, and something else. When she is in her room, I can hear her pretend talking to them…it’s pretty funny. For some reason, she absolutely adores me. She’ll bum rush me and try to tackle me or jump on my back…but she loves me. I’m soaking it in because it won’t be long before dear old dad will be an embarrassment.
Joelle is doing ok. Her work is very stressful and often leaves her exhausted at the end of the week. My prayer is to have her come home when my business takes off.
Thanks for catching up with us. We hope the Lord blesses your life, your family, and your occupations.




