May 2016

April showers bring May...showers? May has been a very rainy month. Thankfully, we had lots to celebrate along with a few disappointments. Read on for more details.

Jeff's birthday always kicks off the month of May. We enjoyed lemon cake and fried pickles (not at the same time). A week later was Mother's Day. We were blessed to be able to celebrate with some sweet friends who have become surrogate grandparents to our kiddos. Two weeks later was Mommy's birthday and we enjoyed celebrating with pork chops and angel food cake. So many fun celebrations!

We wrapped up homeschooling the middle of the month and continued packing as we awaited the day of the move. God had other plans. Unfortunately, the buyer for our house could not get her financing in order and the deal fell through. That left us having to cancel the contract we had on our next house. We were very disappointed, however, we believe that God is in control and has a plan for us to give us hope and a future. We are not sure what the future holds but completely trust in the One who holds our future. It may sound cliche but it is true. In the meantime, our house is back on the market and we are praying for just the right buyer.

What has been so sweet is that in the midst of our disappointments is how God has used His people to bring comfort and encouragement. The day we found out the deal was off, a sweet lady from church showed up on the doorstep with gorgeous flowers as a reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness. Our family (both blood and church) showered us with prayers and notes of encouragement. Friends called to remind us of God's promises. Even our children, though disappointed, were able to learn more about God in this process. We would not have wanted this to happen but we want to be in the center of God's will. So we wait, pray, and lean more heavily on Him.

Jeff also finished another year of school. He loves his job but always looks forward to spending more time with us in the summer. Just so he wouldn't get bored, Mommy had a list of honey-dos with his name on it. We are so thankful that Daddy likes to fix things as we have a tendency to break a lot of stuff!

The kids continue to grow like weeds. Eli is such a big help around the house and now he helps mow the lawn and weed-wack. Thad can empty a dish-washer like no ones business and loves to play with Eden. The girls are both talking more and Mommy can't decide whether this is a good thing or not. If either girl says something and no one acknowledges them they will say it over and over at an increasingly loud pitch. The volume in the house can get pretty loud at times!

It has been such a crazy month! We look forward to June as we eagerly anticipate getting to travel and see family. We already have many things planned so you will have to read on next month to find out what we are up to. Please remember Thad in your prayers on June 9th as he has a tonsillectomy. Until then, enjoy the pictures!

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April 2016

April was an exciting month in the Rice household. Read on for details.

The month started off with the newest member of our family getting settled in. Eden Grace was born on March 27th and was released into our arms from the hospital on March 31st. She is a tiny bundle of joy. We had been anticipating her arrival but the night time feedings cannot be prepared for!

We were super blessed to have a visit from Nana and Papa. God's timing is perfect and they were able to help with Eden, make meals, enjoy the kiddos and be a part of the graduation celebration. They were also here to be a part of more exciting news.

We put our house on the market at the end of March and two weeks later God brought a buyer. After the offer and our counter, it was accepted. We then finished up the house hunt when the Lord brought us back to just the right house here in Fort Smith. The house is more then double the size of our current house and is on a 1 acre lot. We are super excited!!! Please join us in praying that God would continue to work out the details. Right now we are set to close on both houses May 18th. There are still many things that need to fall into place but we are trusting God to do all in his perfect timing.

The end of that crazy week we got to watch Thad celebrate the end of kindergarten. It was such a special ceremony and we got to hear what he wanted to be when he grows up: an inventor. He loves creating things and says he wants to make things that help people too. This crazy, sweet boy is a great reader, loves to play outside, and is a great help with his siblings. We couldn't be prouder!

Less than a week later, Thad visited an ENT at Children's Hospital in Little Rock. After the consult, we were told that a tonsillectomy is in order. The poor guy has been snoring like crazy and complaining of a sore throat for months. The surgery is set for June unless a spot opens before then. In the meantime, popsicles are his friend.

We also had the boys bi-annual kidney check-up. The results were mostly good but we discovered that Eli has kidney stones. A day later, Jeff ended up in the ER with a kidney stone of his own. YIKES.

As we continued on with school, we were blessed to be invited to see the Fort Smith Symphony. Each year they do a special performance for the local elementary schools and highlight the various instruments. They do a great job of getting kids interested in music. They played many selections that the kids recognized. It was fun to see so many tiny heads bobbing up and down in time with the music!

Next on the list of activities was the boys' piano recital. They have both worked very hard this year and made great progress. You can enjoy their performance by watching the Smilebox  below.

We wrapped up the month with a very special date. Jeff and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a night away at a local B&B. We had a couple very special friends who volunteered to watch our kiddos so we could have some alone time. It was so nice to relax and get sleep that was uninterrupted by a hungry newborn! The next day was spent walking trails, visiting a local pool place, eating great food, and talking without interruption. It was amazing. We have so much to be thankful for this past 10 years. I couldn't have been blessed with a more perfect man to walk through this life with!!

As we start a new month, we look forward to new beginnings. Today we celebrate Jeff's birthday! Lord willing, in just a couple weeks we will move into our new house! Jeff will end another year of school and we will start another awesome summer! We can't wait. God is so good and deserves all our worship and praise.

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