Our New Place!!

Get excited!! Here's a video of our new, unfurnished place!
We're so excited to share it with you!!

It has two bedrooms, a kitchen, 1 bathroom, a living room/dining room, rooftop access, two tiny little balconies, and a place for Jude to play! All the walls
are yellow! I'm going to be quite limited in my decorating with it! At least
with the color schemes I have here!

You must understand that places here do NOT have closets or shelving...and our kitchen has PLENTY AND we have one in each bedroom! I'm thrilled!

Jude even has two playmates in the apartment below us!!

From the rooftop, there is a BEAUTIFUL view of the city! You can even see the mountains! Jon said it was a great reminder for us to see everyday.

Thank you SOOOO much for asking for a place
for us!! We love it!

And since you're all dying to know, we get to start moving in THIS coming week!!

We'll upload another video when we've got the place furnished!!

All Sorts of Things and a Traveling Rocker Baby

To answer your question:
Yes, I'm still blogging!!
If you can't read the WHOLE post, AT LEAST look the pictures!!
Pay special attention to the fam pics by Brandon & Bethan!

Jude in his rocker baby do!

He looks like a different kid doesn't he?!
We've come to find that moving is the theme of Jude's life. His little body is always going, even when he's sleeping he's all over the bed!! He's also been on 6 round-trip flights and by the time we move he will have taken 8!!! This little one is a trooper!

He's using lots of words now and beginning to sign really well. Although it is quite common that he learns the word before he learns the sign! What good is that?? He now uses signs for eat, momma, thank you, please, fish, and water. He attempts to sign cracker and diaper as well.

He's constantly singing or making music with anything he can turn into a musical instrument! He's fallen in love with guitars. Somehow he knows to hit the strings and not the body...he pays more attention to things than we think! He's also recently learned not just to bang, but to strum with his fingers!

He's mastered a quick walk that's sure to turn into a run in no time. As always, he LOVES to play chase with Daddy. He giggles so hard as he walks that it makes him fall!

Here's a recent development...Rocker Baby.

We spent a great two weeks in Colorado at PILAT, a how-to-learn-language school...meaning we didn't actually learn our target language. I know this is confusing...it was to us before we went! But we were so thankful for it! It focused on a learner-driven style and taught us how to prepare best for using a language tutor. We were also surrounded by gorgeous scenery and new friends! I was so excited that we got to hike!Sunrise Picture!!
Gorgeous Colorado Sunrise! PTL!

Our new friends Consuelo & Aaron with precious Malachi & Sonora!
(Give us a break, it's hard to get 3 kids to look at the camera!)
(for the record, Jude is blowing a kiss to the camera!)
My friend Becky and I on Pike's Peak
(okay so we didn't exactly make it to the Peak...)

So in a 24-hr turnaround we headed to College Station to connect with our WONDERFUL friends there! We were so thrilled to be back at LH! We got share at Hope Groups and meet some new friends! Thanks so much to the Royers, Supers, and Amanda who let us crash their places! Here's a fun video of Jude and Josiah! I just caught the tail-end of Jude laughing at Mrs. Rachel!




Here are Thomas & Rachel! Our sweet, sweet friends who willingly host us EVERY time we come to College Station! We are so thankful for their wonderful hearts! The Father is really working among us!
(who knows why my eyebrows are clear up to heaven in this picture!
I was happy, what can I say?)

So in another whirlwind 24hr turn around, we headed to be with our friends Brandon & Bethan in KY for 6 days!! We SO enjoyed our time with them and I, personally, gained so much from this godly woman! Just being in her presence is good for my soul! We got to talk through a lot of things that really gave me a lot of perspective! I am so thankful for their place in our lives!
But can you believe that the WHOLE time we were there we did not get ONE picture of the four of us!??! TRAGIC!!!
However, they did take some fun pics of us!! They are so talented!
Sweet Kisses!!
May He make our path straight...
Precious Jude!!Finally! Couple Pictures! These are our first since our engagement!


Want to hire them? They're professional photographers! And they're willing to travel!!

And AFTER THAT...in a 5 hr turn around, my sister Kaye and niece Gracie (who live in FL) surprised us in Houston!! Soon followed my sister Mary and niece Chloe (who live in San Antonio)!! And of course wonderful Amy was already here in Houston! It was so fun to be all together again! I definitely didn't think this was going to happen for AWHILE!
This a pic my mom caught of me cuddling Grace when they surprised me!
I was so thrilled to see her!! You can connect emotionally with adults over the phone or Skype...but babies are so different, you just have to be there to touch them! And I thought I wasn't going to get to hold Grace for several YEARS!

Okay, that's enough uploading of pictures!! I'm just going to have to do the pictures of Jude, Grace, & Chloe later!!

Hope you made it through the whole ENTIRE post!

Hayden's Brain

So now that I haven't posted in 146 days, or close to that, I figured that it would be appropriate to reopen this whole blogging adventure with letting someone else write for me so I can delay writing a real post.

Now people, don't even be tempted to think that I'd pass on a lame story to you. I really need you to go to this link and read this story.


Do it.

Now.

I'm not kidding.

Go read it.

I FEAR raising a boy because of the stories this woman produces about her children, namely Hayden. But in the same breath I must say that I CANNOT wait to see what Jude comes up with. I just don't think Heather's life could be any funnier. Without this child, her life (and mine for that matter) just might be void of all humor. And the greatest thing about it is...

It all comes from Hayden's brain.

No one wrote him a script.

No one has to pay money or turn on the TV to see this kid.

Wonderful!

I hope you laughed as hard as I did.

And I just have to say, Heather wonders where this child gets his strange brain and hilarious humor from????

Look in the mirror sista. He's your boy clone!

Happy 1st Birthday Jude!!!

It's amazing the transformation!!

Our sweet little boy celebrated ONE YEAR yesterday!
(We were out of town and couldn't blog about it, sorry!)

We could never put into words our love for this child!
We discover new things we love about you everyday!
What a joy you have been!
Our short time with you so far has taught us so much about the character of God. His goodness to us is unending and his love for us is immovable. You are a pure example of His goodness!

Pics of the celebration to come!!

30 Years!!!

Today, August 13th, was 30 YEARS for these two.

Woohoo!!

Last night we went out to dinner and they shared stories of their wedding day with us.
Who knew by thirty years they'd have
4 daughters
3 son-in-laws
and 3 1/2 grandbabies!?!

I am so thankful for parents who are STILL married. I am so thankful that our kids will have generations of examples of healthy marriages!
You've given us a RICH heritage!

We receive the blessing of your commitment to your covenant before the Lord!!
We cherish your faithfulness!

We love you Mom & Dad!!
We hope that in 27 1/2 years we're still enjoying each other like you are!

P.s. Happy Birthday Jenny Isaminger!! I love you and you are sweet treasure to me!! I wish I could have been with you to celebrate your wonderful day!

Lessons on being a Good Friend

(my girlfriends)

Um.
I once was a REALLY great friend.
I made my friends feel special and made sure that they NEVER doubted how much I adored them.
Why don't I still do that?
Read here for a lesson on being a good friend. (ha!)

I love my friends.
This Love
...takes risks.
...pursues.
...wets it's pants.
...puts itself out on the line.
...listens when it wants to give advice.
...forgives.
...waits.
...keeps on forgiving.

...laughs.(my sisters)

.
..sits in the driveway and cries.
...tells you when you have a boogie or a pantyline.
...talks on the phone for hours.
...blesses just because.
...blesses beyond offense.
...doesn't just listen, but hears.
...keeps no record of wrong.
...laughs until it tinkles a little.
...throws a party.
...drives to College Station, Louisiana, Houston, San Antonio.

...flies to Orlando, Montana and Kentucky (Some day soon Jo and Bethan!)(my Bethan...

This was the cutest picture I had.
Too bad I'm 7 1/2 month prego in it!! Bethan, we need more pictures together!!!)

...admits its faults.
...calls just to tell a funny story.
...falls apart and relies on others to help her pick up the pieces.

This love enjoys.
I enjoy you girls.
I love you.

Just thought I'd leave you with this one. I never thought I'd post a picture of my booty on my blog. Now, you tell me, who's who???

The famous Ach-girls

Amy, Kaye, Mary, and Me.
Four Sisters.
These are the famous Ach-GIRLS.
(My maiden name is Achgill hence the title "Ach-girls")

And we're about to spend FIVE days together!!
We're just gonna have a blast! I can't wait!

Vernon & Julie- aka Dad & Mom; Pops & Grammie
Amy
Matt & Mary & Chloe
Scott & Kaye & Grace & Baby "Question Mark"
Jon & Sally & Jude

9 adults, 3 babies.
All in ONE house.
Scary?
Yes.
Incredibly, Hilariously Fun?
Absolutely!

We're never silly.

Amazingly Amy is the only one not making a silly face in this photo
...cause it's usually the opposite!!

More updates to come!
We'll take lots of pictures so you can be in on the fun too...

Our Lil' Mogli-- 11 Month Update

Jude is growing so fast! We are quickly approaching 11 months!

Our Sleepy Head
Jude is the cutest when he wakes up!
He's always got a big smile for us.

Mr. Musical
Jude will entertain himself with ANYTHING musical
and loves to try to sing along!
Recently we visited the Brooklyn Tabernacle. The AMAZING choir began singing an anthem and Jude stood in my lap and lifted BOTH HANDS to the sky!! He's already praisin'! And when the music got really loud he covered his ears and turned to look at us! I almost whipped out my camera right there in church! It's so hard to believe; I wish I had a video of it! Thankfully there were MANY witnesses. Those church ladies (who were lifting their hands too) just LOVED it!
This boy is bright! It's amazing to watch him develop!

Here's a fun video. If he's awake, he never stops moving! If you listen carefully, you can hear him imitate a little song I sing to him. And toward the end he flashes me a melt-your-heart smile!

Prince Charming
This kiddo catches the eye of anyone he passes and evokes many winks and smiles.
God answered our prayer! We have prayed since he was in the womb that he would be a blessing to all those who encounter him...especially with how much we travel!

He's not quite walking yet (and for that we are thankful). But everyday he comes closer and closer!
My sister, Kaye, has always called Jude "Mogli" and now he really lives up to the name! Here's a video for you to enjoy!

Love My Mommy!!
This kiddo is going to be hard to wean! Sometimes he just wakes up in the night to cuddle! Many women have urged me to enjoy this while I can because it will soon be over! So while I hate to wake up so many times every night, I am taking advantage of the cuddles while we're traveling. As soon as we get home this kiddo must sleep through the night!

He is talking all the time and now has several words in his vocabulary like...
Mama,
Dada,
Uh-oh (he uses this every chance he gets!),
Na-na (banana),
Ma-eu (milk),
and Wa-er (water)!

He has definitely discovered his voice and LOVES to scream and imitate loud noises--
or imitate any sound really!
He still loves to play chase and now is fascinated with pinching peoples' noses!

These are my cousin Helen's kiddos
(J.D. & Katelyn)
enjoying Baby Jude!
We had a wonderful time with them in Connecticut!

We also got to visit with Chris & Gwen Wren (Bethan's sister) while in NYC. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the fun of having scarily similar husbands who agree about things like
"Why decorate a baby's room when the baby's not even going to know the difference??"
and
"How is it that you can be so close to someone you've only met a few times??"

And can I just say that us crying just gives them both hives??

Thank you all for your prayers as we've traveled! We'll be home in less than 7 hours!!

To Trust Him when the Answer is "No"

.:Dead dog tired:.

We're here in Clifton, NJ at a month-long training program to help equip us for our work overseas. This training consists of classes from 8am-1pm, a study time in the afternoon (with LOTS of homework and about 8 books to read) and outreach at night until around 9:30pm. Just to paint you a picture, we're sleeping on the linoleum floor of a church basement and Jude is sleeping less than 10ft from us. And also 15ft from the other families sleeping in the basement. It's a little like boot camp. Two weeks have passed and we have two more weeks to go!!

We've learned a TON. I felt a little overwhelmed in thinking of ministering to such a difficult people in our special country. I feared what was foreign. But God has really broken down the walls of intimidation for me. God has granted us much grace in our interactions with people here. We've really learned to see them as PEOPLE. Not as "the lost". They each have a story. Their stories are as different as yours and mine and they can't be stereotyped. Jesus loves each of them. I find rest in knowing that He knows their stories and He longs for them to know Him.

We have so much to be thankful for! Jude has been a blessing to those around us! He's such a happy child and his little smile brings so much joy!

Many of you have been praying for us and for that we are so thankful. Our greatest request for prayer during this time has been for Jude's sleep because it has such a great effect on the rest of our family functions. And MANY of you have told us that you're praying. Thank you!!
I wish I could tell you that the answer has been YES.
But it hasn't.
And I'm discouraged.
I'm wrestling now with why God's answer to me has been "No".
This has been the most exhausting two weeks of my life. I have never faced such heavy weariness.
Jude has awoken every hour and half of every night for the past week.
My wonderful husband has done everything he can to try to relieve me.
Yet still I'm tired.
Desperately tired.
I pray for relief. You pray for relief.
I firmly believe that God has the power to control Jude's sleep.
So why is He answering no?

The only rationale I can find comes from Scripture, verse 29 in particular gives me hope for His purposes:

Romans 8:28-29
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

He is making me like Himself. Ease and joy do nothing for my sanctification. Brokenness brings an unrivaled dependence.
My only strength is His Strength.
My only joy is His Joy.
My only rest is His Rest.
And I will cling to this Truth.

When I ask Him why, I must remember that He is out for His glory and my good. And my good means His likeness. I will bless His name. My joy is to His credit despite the pain. He IS good. And I will hold tightly to that Truth.

My girls

These are my girls.

I miss them.

Joanna got married on Saturday.

She was beautiful.

They laughed.

They made memories.

They smiled pretty.

Now she’s married!!!

And I wasn’t there.

My heart was broken.

I am in NJ learning how to love our special people.

Learning how to share Jesus with them.

So I had to miss this big day.

But this is just the beginning.

of saying goodbye to things that I treasure.

But what God’s doing is so much bigger than us.

And I’m so thankful that these friends understand that.

Congratulations sweet friends!!!

We love you!

I miss you all already!!

Happy Birthday My Love!!!

This Man is my Best Friend.
This Man is my Leader.
My Laughter.
My Confidant.
My Accountability.
He is passionate about the Word.
He is quick to forgive.
He admits his mistakes.
He keeps no record of my wrongs.
He sacrifices for my good.
This man loves me deeply.

This man is my Baby's Daddy. :0)
And he's an incredible Daddy.
He loves this little boy like no one else could but Jesus.
He plays, laughs, and trains this beloved child.
Jude and I are so blessed to have him. And so thankful God gave him to us.
Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day Jon!
We love you so much!!

P.s. Happy Father's Day to our Dads!!! We love you both SOOO much and are so thankful for such wonderful Dads!!

We Miss You Already!!!

Jon's Mom moved overseas for work for a year this past Sunday and we already miss her dearly. But we did take some wonderful pictures during our last weekend all together.

Enjoy CeCe!! We love you!!!

Scrub-a-dub-dub! Jude Loves the Tub!

Our little guy is full of expression these days! He's just such a treat!
I picked up these letters in the dollar section at Target and he sure did light up! They also make great teethers! He's due for a tooth any day now, as he doesn't have a single one yet!

We're just about ready for all of our traveling this summer! We'll be all over until August.
Here's what our schedule looks like:

June 4th-10th in San Antonio, TX

June 12th-22nd in Pennsylvania for our Pre-Departure Orientation

June 23rd -July 1st in Houston for VBS
(we're the spotlight m-ssionaires!)

July 1st-July 28th in NY/NJ area for training for our special country

Whew! We'll be SO busy! But the Lord has opened LOTS of doors for us!

Our target date for leaving is mid-to-late October!

We are so thankful! Hope you enjoy the pics!

Playing Chase

My guys are just so much fun. I couldn't have picked a better bunch.

Time has FLOWN by! Jude is almost 9 months old and crawling all over the place! He's also quickly learned the art of pulling up on everything in sight. We're sure he'll be walking by the end of summer!
He has a few new tricks like
waving hi & bye-bye,
covering his eyes and playing peekaboo,
and patting his mouth like an indian!He giggles and smiles all the time and is just such a joy to us! He takes SO well to strangers and lets just about ANYONE hold him which is a great blessing considering we're around new people all the time. We praise the Lord for such an adaptable and pleasant child.
He's curious as ever and is "exploring" new things
around the house like
...outlets!!
So, as you can imagine, he's hearing "No, no" a lot these days!
He's generally a good eater as long as the food isn't green. :0) He's eating yogurt, toast, a variety of fruits, and a variety of veggies.
He's self feeding...which is fun to watch!Jude loves to move and play. People are his primary entertainment. If strangers are around he hardly ever fusses!
He's most definitely a sanguine!!
He's also started following us around the house!
Where ever we go, he follows right on our heels.Jon has started to play chase with Jude and Jude gets such a kick out of it. He just laughs, and laughs, and laughs.
Enjoy the video!

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