While I was over here growing my eyelashes, my sister was growing these two. Meet Colton & Kenna. I think they’re pretty cute. They hung out with me yesterday. Well, except for diaper changes. I figured I’d give their grandma the privilege of doing that. She thought that was very generous of me for sure. I try.
Not to brag, but I definitely have this whole newborn twin baby thing down. Well, except for changing them, feeding them, and getting up in the night with them. Otherwise, totally got it down. Just sayin’. They obviously love hanging out with me. Not a peep out of either one of them. So… I’ll just be over here getting some work done while drinking some coffee while hanging out with these two.
And besides babies, being at my parents is a plus because the next best thing to running on dirt roads is running to the beach. I love the beach. Well, really I love being by the water. They’re something about it that soothes my soul. The sound of the waves and the sand on my feet is my happy place. Like a hot cup of coffee, for just a moment all seems right in the world. Of course, it was 6 miles to the beach. I ran there. Then I made my dad come pick me up. No need to run away from the beach.
And when you run, you get to eat chick-fil-a. It's a rule. If there's a Chick-fil-a close, a run earns a meal there. I mean, is there really ever a reason not to eat there if it's close? No. The answer to that is no. It’s personally a goal of mine whenever I visit this lovely little piece of heaven on earth to see how often I can get them to say “My pleasure”. It makes me smile.
Sooooo... not to totally rock your world too much, buuuuut did you know that there are two Stephanie Black’s in this world? I mean, hopefully there won't be two forever. I'm hoping to move on from the last name Black eventually, buuuuut for the time being I'll gladly share my name with this human. Meet my doppelganger, well at least in name. I’m hoping in hair color soon too. We're basically the coolest aunts ever. At least that's what we plan on telling these two.
And I rounded up this weekend with my very first horse show. I obviously had to show my support for Bella with some apparel... Team Bella style. I warned her that myself and my friend, Brooke, would be showing up wearing our support. I’m not sure she believed me. I mean, I feel like at this point if I’m willing to show up to her place of work in costumes, nothing should be too shocking... right?!?
I've learned that life is worth living... which obviously means that when at a horse show you take advantage of all opportunities. And so when you come upon a rack of horse show outfits, you obviously try them on. Uhhhhh, friends!!!… Who knew that horse shows required that the riders wear so much bling? And how did I miss this my entire life? I definitely missed my calling. Apparently, though, there is a division for adults. I'm currently weighing the pros and cons of taking care of a horse versus the opportunity to constantly sparkle. I’m torn. Can I have the outfits without actually having to muck a stall? That is the questions.
But seriously, isn’t Bella the cutest? I want to be her when I grow up.
Ok... since babies are on the mind. Let’s see how many of you knew this. I hate to say it but I was thirty before I realized I had this all wrong. Like someone said something to me and I was like… "WAIT… WHAT?!?" And then proceeded to get schooled and realized my whole childhood was a lie. Well, not really, but still… mind blown.
You know the childhood Bible story about the Pharaoh ordering that all baby boys be thrown into the Nile River? Moses is born and his mom makes a basket and places him in it and puts him in the river... And then the Pharaoh’s daughter finds him and raises him as her own.
How many of you, in your mind, whenever you have heard this story have this picture of the basket floating down the river? Prince of Egypt style... Or really any childhood book or picture about baby Moses ever.
Me. Right here. That’s totally how I thought the story went.
And then my world fell apart and I realized the Prince of Egypt movie lied to me. Haha.
Apparently, Moses was placed in the reeds, probably very purposefully, knowing that the Pharaoh's daughter would come that way. No floating down the river. No tossing in the waves. No scary watching your baby drift away. PLACED IN A BASKET IN THE REEDS. Now, don't get me wrong, the whole story is tragic. I can't imagine having the option of having my child killed or placing him in a basket in hopes that someone finds him. God certainly had a plan and worked in the details in this story... But for the purpose of this post....
The moral of the story. Do I think this way because it’s something someone told me or because I’ve figured it out for myself?
It’s a legit question and one that should be asked for just about everything in life probably.
Especially in this lovely world we live in today.
Exodus 2
Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
But also, more baby pictures....