I don't like the word blog. I mean I REALLY don't like the word blog. Who wants to blog? It sounds like I'm throwing up... "Blaaawg!" So I want to make it perfectly clear that I'm doing this in spite of that. Yes, I said I would never get caught up in this newfangled fad of blaaawging (you know I'm right. It does sound gross). But then I read some that are really cool. And then a lot showed up that were truly amazing. And once Facebook became a problem to my personal life and started eating up too much of my time I realized... I need a blog.
I need a way to share myself and my family with those I care about without opening myself up to hours of peeking into everyone else's life. My God needs me. My husband needs me. My children need me. If I'm serious about raising my kids to play outside and read books instead of watch TV and if I'm serious about homeschooling and getting my house draped in scarlet and getting my food from afar I've got to stop reading other people's opinions about how to do it and just DO IT.
So here I am. Blaaawging. Don't worry, I'll stop saying it that way. Eventually.
I have named this blog "Life More Abundant". It is taken from John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." I thought that was appropriate as we grow our family and find ourselves surrounded by abundance of all kinds. Not just physically, although God has been very kind in that aspect of our lives, but emotionally, spiritually, mentally and socially. In all aspects of our life, as we grow in grace and knowledge, we are offered life more abundant. My desire is to always reach out and take it and not disdain what God is giving me. But I'm finding it harder to do in practice than in word. There's always that nagging doubt. "Is this really what God wants for me or am I shoehorning myself in to what I want?" "Surely He wants us to enjoy THIS blessing over here! So what if it's not in line with our current plan? God works off His plan, not ours!" "God, you don't really want me to spend time with this person... they have nothing in common with me! Nothing to *offer* me (Yikes. Maybe I should? Sounds like I have room to grow...)".
Most posts will hopefully have a less rambling, scrambled feel to it. But this being my first perhaps it'd be good to give a bit of background.
My husband, David, and I have been married 9 years. It's been pretty awesome and he's truly a gift from God. We lived in Indianapolis for the majority of that, moving to Columbus, IN only a few months ago temporarily into a rental here. He's been working at Cummins for 15 years and the commute (60-75 minutes one way) was getting to be too much.
We have two amazing kids, HannahBeth and Joshua. I might refer to them as HBC (HannahBeth Cobb - but don't let that throw you off. Beth is part of her first name. Her middle name is Caroline. HBC just sounds cooler than HCC) and JAC (Joshua Armand Cobb) if I'm feeling lazy. They are almost exactly two years apart in age. In fact, if Joshua would have waited another hour and fifteen minutes to be born they'd be perfectly two years apart. Yeah, we planned it that way. We're just that good.
We're also expecting our third, supposedly due the first of May. My first prenatal is tomorrow so perhaps I'll have more news on that front soon. And that brings me back to the rental - yes, renting. So we've been blessed with two healthy homebirths and we're planning for this one to be as well. But I'd really rather not give birth in this specific house. It's dirty and... dirty. I think the problem is it's not my house and it's not my dirt. Not that moving will change that about the dirt, but at least in a house that's my own and long term I can clean and bring in people to scrub and clean and help me nest with no guilt that it's short term. Anyway, finding a house has proven to be a test of patience and faith. Our first house (in Indy) literally fell into our laps and we were happy there for 8 years. Both our kids were born there. It was hard to say goodbye. And to make another commitment like that and knowing that this could be the only house our children know, it's hard. It needs to be a God-thing. I really need Him to put the perfect house on the market. One we're both on fire about. One that is the perfect price and made to order. And if that happens before this baby comes, HOORAY! And if the window of opportunity closes and we need to wait a few more months, so be it. We're happy here. I'm working on being content here. We're just... dirty.
Ok. So I guess that's as good as any intro to our family and our world. There's a lot more to share, but there's a lot more time too. A lot more pages to unfold, a lot more exploring to do. So for now I'll say goodnight and remind us all to live life abundantly!
