Mississippi Mudding

So,
I figure it's about time to update you all. It's been while since I've blogged. Truly there is not a whole lot in our lives that is earth-shatteringly new. That will happen any time between now and the 28th of August; for that we just wait. For now I'll just give you a little list of new happenings here.
~We've had a couple of baby showers at which we got so many amazing cute things for Levi (some that will be passed on to his brothers and sisters someday). I haven't taken pictures of anything yet because I packed the camera in the hospital bag and I'm afraid if I take it out I'll forget to put it back. That would be awful! I have to say one my favorite things that I (Levi) received is a home-made quilt from Auntie Becca. Her girls have the same kind of quilt that some other people have made for them. It is all the more special because she put her sewing skills to work and did her best to give a precious gift to her nephew (I'm feel pretty loved by that). We're so blessed with all that we received, though! And thank you for everyone who contributed to our diaper stash! I'm a naive little mama and have no idea how many diapers I'll use. It truly amazes me how many things seem trivial for a baby until you start putting together a nursery (of sorts) and realize you might need a few more things to make your little one ideally comfortable (though if he didn't have those items he might never know...). I also never realized how many cute boy items there are out there. I've always had girl on the brain for two reasons: 1. I have more nieces than nephews; 2. I had thought for a long time I'd have girls first only to be surprised by an ultrasound.
~Some things that have been happening in our life are more matters of the heart. I've been nervous for a while about giving birth and bringing up a little one in a world I have myself barely begun to figure out. Jon, as always, seems a little more relaxed about these sorts of things. Every night as I lay down to sleep, I'm always thinking of Levi and imagining how the first moments of his life will take place and what our reactions will be. I recently listened to a devotional given by my Mother-in-law about what God has been teaching her personally...but it hit home. She spoke about good and perfect gifts from above that we are given. She was not speaking of children, but the spiritual and physical gifts we are given to live a life unto the Lord. Through a series of verses she explained that the gifts we are given are individual and perfect for each situation we're put in. This gave me confidence that I will have what I need to birth my son, and to raise him though it might seem I'm not doing things like everyone else. This is something I've been able to insert into every circumstance in my life....
~This past weekend the annual Selin Family Reunion was held at Camp Arrowhead up by Mile-Lacs lake. The camp is actually on Lake Placid close to Crosby. Well, Jon and his brother, Ben, decided they wanted to take the old pontoon out for a spin at about 8:30pm on Saturday. No big deal right? Catch a fish, maybe, take the (very) prego out for a spin on the water, have a few good laughs and head back to camp. Nope. Didn't happen that way, except for taking the prego on the lake. The little trip looked more like this: spend 30 minutes trying to get the motor going (divine sign right there?), forget the paddles until we're pulling away from the dock, buzz to the other side of the lake so Jon can fish by the weeds (about 1-2 miles away) and turn off the motor to have it never start back up. We were up a crick with no paddles (haha), quite literally. Ben and Jon worked on the motor for about 1 plus hours only to give up. With no tools on board there was not much they could do to get a spark or gas to the motor. We proceeded to destroy a bench on board and use the 2x4's and a pontoon door to "Mississippi mud" ourselves back to shore. The men (which included Jon's second cousin, Carson) we're very worn out after a great deal of "paddling", but we made it back to camp at 10:30pm or so. I felt a little bad, but being 38 weeks pregnant they wouldn't let me paddle and send myself into labor on the lake. They comforted by slightly pricked conscious by telling people I was the encourager of the group. This was just one more place where my MIL's lesson of perfect gifts for each situation seemed to apply as I sat in the boat praying in the Spirit for ingenuity and wisdom for the men.

So, for all the "un-new" happenings, we've had a few adventures for which I am grateful as they shape our lives and bring us to new understandings and closer relationships to people in our lives. Praise the Lord for excitement, eh?