Her nursery is complete.....

With 2 weeks left to spare, Kevin and I finished Miss Ruby Kate's room. This project was a true labor of love. (With the majority of the labor part falling on Kevin.) On September 26, 2013, when they told us that our fourth child would be a girl, I immediately started envisioning what I wanted to do with the nursery. The room that has been dedicated to trucks, boats, and balls for the last 6 years. No more! It is all pink and frills! The transformation is crazy and it turned out just the way I had hoped.....now all we need is our little girl!

 

Wall above her crib

 

 

 

My favorite corner

 

 

Tiny, silver tutu

 

 

Her dresser

 

 

 

My momma's baby picture

 

 

 



Monogram above her crib

 

 

 



 

Love, love, love this bird mobile! So delicate and feminine.

 

 



 

Curtains and toy box....I just realized I didn't take a picture of the crib but this is her bedding too!

 

 

 

So loved...

 

 

That's all for the nursery but I just heard the UPS truck pull up to my house! Whoo hoo! Not only is her nursery done but her stroller and car seat are here! One more thing checked off our seemingly endless list of things to do before she arrives. We can't wait! Praying for an easy delivery and a healthy baby girl!



 





Renaming the blog.....

Today I am thankful that it is time to rename this blog. In a matter of weeks (3-ish) or possibly days (please let me have her bag packed and car seat installed), Miss Ruby Katherine Hatchell will be joining us. I am truly thankful for the blessing of another child. I am overwhelmed with excitement over meeting our first daughter. So with her upcoming arrival, "Life with my Boys" will no longer be an accurate description of our family.  I need help! What ideas do you have for a good blog name? Kevin likes "3 Hims and a Her" and I like "A Ruby in the Rough," but I want to hear your thoughts. My creativity is limited these days. Babies steal my brain cells and I am already predicting this is going to be one smart little girl if my absentmindedness (is that even a word?) is any indication.

Every time I ask someone in person what they think about a new name for my blog I always get asked, "Will you have to change the name again in 2 years? Will there be more Hatchell babies or is this the grand finale?" I honestly can't say. That is a very debatable and emotion-filled question that is better left unanswered. I am so incredibly thankful for the blessing of our 4 children. There are days that I simply can't fathom the richness of God's goodness bestowed on me through my babies. To think, 9 years ago when Kevin and I got engaged he was set on 2 children. Only 2. No more. And here we are almost a decade later with double that amount. The neatest part is my husband was just as excited the fourth time I told him there would be a new baby as he was the very first time he found out he would be a daddy. God is so good and I am so grateful that HE is in charge.

I am looking forward to your feedback on a new blog name! And hurry- we are running out of time!

Convictions

http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2014/01/when-christs-body-got-too-busy.html

I read this blog the other night and was convicted to the core of my being. Every ounce of me. Guilt, sadness, and fear swept over me all at once. It is so easy to get caught up in this life of ours. The hustle and bustle of raising children, the overwhelming need for perfection, the desire for more. It's in all of us. That's the way we are made. Sinful and self-absorbed. We cram our days so full there is little time to examine things outside of circle of existence. It's not easy reading things like this. It hurts our pride and condemns our current norms. But I know God put the words in this blog in front of me. He meant for us to be broken for the things that break Him. After reading this entry and many more,  I just knew I needed to do something.

Do I think Kevin and I need to pursue an international adoption? No, or at least not right now, God has not called us to that. (I am sure some of our family members and friends reading this just took a collective sigh of relief.)

Do I think Kevin and I need to about HIS business of taking care of the widows, the poor, the orphans all around us? YES! Absolutely. His Word commands us to.

" Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" 1 John 3:17

I would like to believe that I would never turn my back on someone in need, but how many times am I so consumed with my own life that I overlook those very people. If God placed a child in our path that needed a family. Could we say yes? Would we think it was too much for two parents with 4 biological children, a small house, and limited money. Those are just the beginning of the excuses my human side would use to build a case. But He asked Peter to WALK ON WATER. What is crazier than that? It goes against our human way of thinking. That's how God works. So I know it would be very foolish of me to say what is going to happen. God's bigger than my plans or my attitude. I pray that when these situations arise we will be quick to rely on His truths and respond with a resounding "Yes" without doubt or question.  I  always think about that song, "What If Jesus Comes Back Like That." For those of you not up-to-date on 90's country- here are the lyrics:

"What If Jesus Comes Back Like That"

He came to town on an old freight train
He jumped off in the pouring rain
Everybody says he's insane
Just a low down account hobo

He made his bed beneath the county bridge
The town folks said that's not his
They signed a petition they're gonna get rid
Of that white trash low down no count

What if Jesus comes back like that
On an old freight train in a hobo hat
Will we let him in or turn our back
What if Jesus comes back like that
Hey what if Jesus comes back like that

Born with a habit of drug abuse
She couldn't help what her mama used
It wasn't like she got to choose
Now she's laying there all alone

Got a monkey on her back
Nurses say they never saw a smile like that
Doctor says she might stand a chance
If somebody takes her home

What if Jesus comes back like that
Two months early and hooked on crack
Will we let him in or turn our back
What if Jesus comes back like that
Oh what if Jesus comes back like that

Nobody said life is fair
We've all got a cross to bear
When it gets a little hard to care
Just think of Jesus hanging there

He came to town on a cold dark night
A single star was his only light
The baby born that silent night
A manger for his bed

What if Jesus comes back like that
Where will he find out hearts are at
Will he let us in or turn his back
Hey what if Jesus comes back like that
Yeah what if Jesus comes back like that
Will he cry when he sees where our hearts are at
Will he let us in or turn his back
Hey what if Jesus comes back like that
Oh what if Jesus comes back like that

 

 

And if that's not enough- watch this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7At75kN_YsI

 

 

My heart breaks for the needs in our world. There will never be a perfect time and we will never have enough money. But God commands us to go and to go now. I don't know what God is asking you to do. I don't even know what God is asking me to do! I do know that we must be willing. We must accept the impossible, allow for discomfort, and examine some of our choices. Please pray with me that we will open our hearts and lives to what Jesus has in store.