Still Here!

I haven't found/made time to post anything in months! I will take time to upload some sweet pictures later but needed to break the fast with a quick post! Here is what is happening in Murphy-land:

* I am working at Franciscan Medical Pavilion in Bonney Lake three days a week and am LOVING all the time home with my sweet Evie! The job is pretty great too, but the schedule is what makes it. :)

* Brian recently took a position as a Project Manager with Servpro Puyallup and God is growing and blessing him (and our family) in so many ways through this new position. (Side note: it is pretty intense to adjust to new jobs/schedules for BOTH the momma and the daddy within just four months of each other. God has been so gracious with us and given us a full measure of His peace while we trust Him to help us!)

* Miss Evie Daryn is blossoming before our eyes! I cannot express how madly in love we are with this precious girl. She is speaking so well, picking up something new everyday. She is so funny and starting to really communicate her little personality with us. The best part....is she has been a little cuddle bug these days. I am soaking up every second I can!

* Finally, we have another sweet baby girl on the way!!! She is expected to join us around the first week of March, and we couldn't be more thrilled. We are so excited to see how God blesses our girls through life as sisters, and how our family will change and grow closer to God and each other with the addition of this little lady. :)

So, SO many changes have been applied to our little family this past year. We started praying last October for God to provide a new schedule for me, allowing more time for Evie and the children we so badly wanted to add to our family. He didn't waste ANY time! He has taken a job away, sustained us through a financial drought, and added two new opportunities and a little life to our family. We have learned that He is fully trustworthy, fully in control, and that His timing is perfect. Our Lord is so good, and so faithful to care for our needs. We are so thankful for all He has taught us to draw us closer to Him these past few action-packed months!

Life is like a box of...waffles.

My sweet Evie gets to watch one (sometimes two if the dishwasher needs emptying haha...but usually one) episode of TV each morning. She gets to choose. She gets SO excited about selecting either Sophia, Mickey, or LeapFrog. Not a moment of the 23-27 minute episode is wasted or taken for granted. Unless.....she wants a waffle for breakfast.

The gourmet mom that I am, I regularly offer my Eves frozen (but whole grain...high-five?) waffles for her am meal. Something strange happens the moment I put that cold, boxy puck in the toaster. Evie loses her mind. Like, literally, goes all bananas on me. Arms out, head back, tears streaming into her ears while she wails.....crazy. It's funny, because she knows how the waffle-toasting process goes. Yet, almost every time, she misses out on almost two minutes of her precious morning TV time while fretting about her breakfast.

This got me thinking the other morning; am I not the same way with certain things? I know that my Heavenly Father is completely in control, and more than capable of providing for me. Yet, sometimes, I lose my head a little bit worrying, wondering, STRESSING.... while waiting for the blessings He has promised me. Promised! Could he give me the "frozen waffle?" Of course He could. But HIS timing is perfect, and allows for the golden, crispy goodness of the full blessing. If I am very patient, the blessing may even come buttered with syrup! (Poor Evie is a little young for such decadence...and will have to wait a bit for butter.) But I am getting lost in my own metaphor....

I love how He is so amazing to speak to me in the midst of real-life circumstances. He gives me grace in the middle of the "stuff" of my day. My Heavenly Father has so many "waffles" in store for me and my little family. When I focus on a waffle that isn't ready yet.... I miss out on what wonderful life is happening RIGHT NOW. I miss my own two minutes of "Sophia" stressing about a half-frozen goodie that will be perfect. When it is done cooking. Which takes time. HIS time.

Thank you, Lord, for so lovingly showing me the silly-selfishness of my own heart. And thank you for providing every good and perfect thing for me anyway. You follow through despite my doubt and worry. You discipline me over and over without giving up on me. You bless me despite my sinful heart. You smile at me and comfort me through my "tears streaming into my ears" fits that are so foolish, because You love me. Thank you for sweet Evie, and the way you reveal yourself and your ways to me through life as her mommy. And thank you for the waffles.

Lucky Seven?!!!!

Today is the hubs' and my SEVEN year wedding anniversary. Wow. I can't believe we are even old enough to have been married that long! For a "together total" of eleven years, that makes our "Bremily-ness" span more than a third of our lives! I guess time really does fly when you're having fun. :)

God has so hugely blessed us over these seven years of marriage; I can't even begin to describe His goodness!

 I love you, Brian Murphy. And I truly am more thankful for you everyday. Here's to 100 more! :)

April Showers

April has been a lonnnnnnnnng month. I haven't worked much, so money is getting tighter. Our little family shared a not-so-little cold. Miss Evie Daryn has discovered her will, and it is a STRONG one. She also made her first public "scene," complete with a fall and a bloody nose. And the big one: my sweet Grandma Campbell went home to be with the Lord. (That one is REALLY exciting for her, but clearly hard on all of us who miss her.) In summary, April has really been a month of "showers" for our family.

BUT, we are so thankful to have the Heavenly Father we do. He holds us up, surrounds us with people to help carry the burden, and dots months like these with really amazing highlights to help keep us moving through the valley on to the next peak. So onto the highlights... :)

-I interviewed for a position that would be amazing for our family (will find out in May.)
-Eves and I had several super-duper fun playdates with friends and visits from family.
-I travelled to LA with the little miss, my sis, and bro to visit Grandma before she went home and we all had a really special time together.
-We finally got things up on the walls of our bedroom! No really...that is a big deal around here.


Some of the photographic evidence of April: (Please excuse the poor quality of some of these pics...it was the best I could do with a toddler and a camera phone haha.)

Puppy Love

Evie's haul from the wonderful Johnsons! :)

Evie's first real beach experience

Visiting my friend, Maria!

Starting a shoe collection

Gettin the boogers out. Colds are rough!

Clipping her nails (don't call CPS...they were not open)

Turned her mullet into piggies! 

Accessorizing :)

So there is my April blog post. Almost missed it and went right on into May.  It was a long month, but still a good one. Everything the Lord does and allows is for His perfect purpose, and we are looking forward to all of the May flowers these showers will bring. :) 

March Madness

So.... I was pretty sure I was going to be a terrible blogger....and my intuition was spot on! (haha). I really need to perhaps make a schedule for myself to ensure I post at least SOMETHING in a month's time. Oh well...this is for memory-keeping anyway ;)

The bad news... is that I have taken FAR less pictures of my sweet Evie-bug since I have been home with her. The great news... is that I take less pictures because I don't need them to sustain me through my days away from her! God is so good, and has been so faithful to care for our little family through this strange time. I have cherished every second with my precious girl (and those few frustrating moments....I cherish in hindsight, haha!) But seriously....I do.

So we have been very busy playing, singing, snuggling, learning, and growing together lately! Life is great in Murphy-land. :)

Cheering on the Seahawks! 

Watching ducks at Point Defiance Park

Sweet mornings with my sweet girl (she gets/loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) 

Playing dress-up :)

I thank God every day for this time with my precious girl, and am so grateful to have time to spend with other people I love so much, too! We are excited for more adventures, playdates, and opportunities to grow closer to our Lord and each other.

-em