And then there were Three...

So, this week I FINALLY got to catch up with one of my very best friends, Tracey.

I was filling her in on the goings-on of the Hill Family. As I poured my heart out to her, I realized that I needed to eventually get all of this down on paper. Or blog. Whichever. 

Actually, I much prefer typing, so this is it for now.

Two years ago, I sat in a bible study class at my church, Eastridge. Mary was sitting to my right and Kelly to my left. The class was ending and we were sharing prayer requests. Suddenly, I felt a HUGE nudge (or push) from the Holy Spirit to share my heart.

I was petrified. I wasn't sure how much to share, but I did anyway. I told the girls in the room that I felt like God had a little blonde haired boy that He wanted us to help. I would look in the back seat of my car and visualize a car seat with a small child sitting in it. A boy. With blonde hair.

I cried my eyes out as I told the story, because I knew that we could not have more children. Lem was "fixed" and the last thing he wanted was another mouth to feed.

At the time, my friend Heather was dying of cancer. She had a son that was Joseph's age, Scotty. I have written about him a lot on this blog.

I thought maybe Scotty was the little boy that I kept seeing in my heart for us to help. I wasn't sure though. Scotty was too big for a car seat. 

The girls listened intently as I spoke from my heart. Even as the words spilled out, I felt for sure that maybe I was crazy.

After hearing my heart, they all gathered around me and laid their hands on me and prayed for this "desire" in my heart to help children. Or have more children. Or whatever it was.

Fast forward to this week.

My nephew, Danny, has come to stay with us. He is 5 years old. He has blonde hair. He sits in a little blue car seat in my back seat.

It is the greatest honor to be able to have Danny stay here with us and go to school with our children. We are beyond thrilled to have another little person to love on. 

Ironically, Lem and I were finished with our fostering process and were ready to receive children by mid-August. 

What do you know? Our first child to love squeeze on is our very own little nephew. 

What a blessing!

If I could tell you one thing right now it would be.....listen to the Holy Spirit. Listen intently to Him. There are many voices clamoring to be heard, but the only One that is worth listening to is His. Sometimes we have to be still and quiet to hear it. Sometimes we have to turn off our flesh and our mouths to hear Him.

Sometimes we are so busy listening to our voices, that He is missed. 

I know I have missed Him many times. I am sure of it. However, when we do hear Him...we know without a doubt that it is Him. We know that we could never have come up with that on our own. It has to be Him.

Seriously, the Lord amazes me. He never ceases to blow me away with his intimacy. It gives me chills to think how close He really is. I can barely fathom the thought.

Here is our first week with Danny. Which is also our first week of school. Fun times around here, and many more to come!

good morning sleepy heads! first day of school

i love this girl.
top of her head to bottom of her little feet.

.

all smiles for second grade!

1st grade
"i just can't believe i am in first grade, aunt jilly."
he has said this at least 87 times. just today.

yeah, I'm cool.

hello 6th grade! watch out!

these faces are so typical of their personalities.
wasn't the best picture out of the 112...but it was the MOST like them!

the loves of my life. 

we still kinda like each other.

who's taller?

i had to post this picture.
classic joseph using the bathroom outside.

super cousins!

we are all growing.
 (if you love me, do not zoom in on this picture. thank you.)

my 2nd grader. <3 td="td">

"aunt jilly, that's enough picture taking already."

up the hill to FIRST grade!!

danny and mrs. huff.
the sweetest teacher around!

drew, our little neighbor, just so happens to be in danny's class.
yes, God was all over that one too.