the ayars affairs: the (one-day-at-a-time) plan

These days at home have been WONDERFUL. I'm still in my pajamas, the girls have been enjoying and adoring and getting to know Nora, we're loving this time with cousin Evie and Aunt Lisa, the girls have all been playing in the yard and inflatable pool 4-5 hours a day, and aside from birth certificate/passport work, there has been so little stress and so many sweet moments.

Like these:

Nora is fabulous. I don't know if it's because she's number three and we have some small idea what we're doing (sure does take off some of that first time stress!) or if it's just her personality, or the fact that we have 2 girls anxious to help and hold, or all the help Aunt Lisa has been, or the fact that I'm feeling really good...but she just couldn't be easier. Eats, stares, sleeps, wakes up every 3 hours at night, chill as can be, even with lots of toddler love.

I know we're just at the brink and lots, of course, could change. But for now, we're praising the Lord and enjoying the day and have been all over and through every kind of plan for this weekend possible.

And it may be crazy, or maybe not...but I think this is what we're going to do!

Matt headed off this morning, got into New Jersey right at 4:30 for the rehearsal and dinner tonight at 5:00. He wasn't anxious to leave the girlies, but on cloud 9 tonight to be with his BF Don, and to be celebrating his baby girl getting married!

Tomorrow morning he meets up at the church to start getting ready for Sunday and gets tickets to lots of area churches, then tomorrow evening is the big wedding! Tomorrow morning, Lisa, Lily, Sofie, Evie, Nora and I pile in the van and head to Pennsylvania, stopping along the way to visit some family we need to see before taking Nora home to Haiti. Final destination of the day is Philly, where Uncle Adam can meet Nor, and where we can spend all day Saturday recouping.

Matt'll spend some of Saturday with us and a lot of Saturday getting ready for Sunday, then Sunday morning, we can all attend Seeds of Greatness together, where Matt is speaking. (If you're in the New Castle area, COME OUT...8 and 10:30 am!) Sunday Matt and Phil and Em and about a billion volunteers will be doing all kinds of stuff, from meals for the band to set-up, and then Sunday night at 6:30, it all stops.

There will be nothing else to do, nothing else to plan, nothing else to prep, and just a night of exactly what we've been saying:

worship.

I can't wait.

Aunt Lee is going to come with us to help with the girls, who are excited beyond measure to have a night with their beloved Uncle Don and Aunt Brenda, Ethan and Haylie, Zoe, Ellie and Dahelson, Dodo and Bubba, Junior, Mr. and Mrs. Oval Head, and hundreds of friends old and new from churches who have been holding our ropes for years.

Monday Matt will be in EBS board meetings all day and we'll have that one last day to chillax with Lisa (I think we'll be starting to miss actually seeing Matt at this point :) and then Tuesday, ALL said and done, Matt and I and our three will head back to Ohio to (please keep praying with us about this...I'm trying to keep trusting) finalize Nora's paperwork and GET a going home date.

How could these four be ANY cuter? Melt my heart.

Man alive, do I love them. So incredibly thankful for the daily opportunities to disciple and God-love this little crew.

I promise to have lots of fun stories from our first all family road trip, from some really special days ahead, and from the opportunity to just BE a part of something that has taken 6 months and tons of work and prayer to put together, alongside some very special family, with a little miracle who has taken 9 months and lots of work and prayer to put together :)