The Best Is Yet To Come: A Review of the Last Few Months

Wow! Alot has happend since the last time I posted the happenings of the Keiffer family! So here is a quick review of the events that have kept us busy over the last five months. We finally finished packing and barely fit all of our stuff on a moving truck, as well as in Luke’s blazer, trailer and my car. At the last minute, we decided that Austin and I would fly down to San Antonio instead of trying to make the 9+ hour drive. Luke’s mom came with us and I was so glad we went with that plan. I mean, Austin loves his carseat but there’s only so much he can handle. I hated to leave all of our friends and family. In fact, I had a harder time than I thought I would. Once everything was packed and loaded I took a look around our first house and realized that it really is the memories and special events that make a house a home. I was so thankful that our house sold and we were able to take everything with us in one trip. Once we made it to SA we unloaded all of our stuff into the Keiffers’ garage. Luckily, it was a 3 car garage and all of our stuff fit. The house hunting was a little discouraging for a while. I was amazed at the fact that alot of people don’t seem to take any pride in their homes and many of the houses we looked at needed some major updating, including the one God finally provided for us. I told Luke one night that if He hadn’t miraculously worked out so many of the intial details that I would’ve questioned whether or not we made the right decision.

As the “cosmetic remodeling” began Luke was off to Dallas for a mandatory training…for THREE weeks. In addition, the Keiffers found out they were being transferred to Dallas so we were on a major timeline to get our house move in ready before they moved. It was so neat to see how God worked out the details of their move as well. We hated to see them go but knew it was God’s plan. I took care of all the details of the remodeling, which included but was not limited to picking out counter tops, backsplash, paint colors, light fixtures, etc! We had a wonderful contractor who made it so much easier on me. Once move in day finally came I was blown away by 2 things: 1) how much different the house looked and 2) how much stuff we had! I quickly realized that moving and unpacking with a baby is no easy task and I feel like God used it to work on my patience and perseverance. I’m not exaggerating when I say that at one point it looked like the UHaul store exploded in our entry way!

Austin did very well, though, considering all of the change and activity going on. I can’t believe how much he has grown and changed since we first arrived in San Antonio. He’s rolling over, sleeping through the night, talking constantly in his cute baby talk, and so many other things that are so fun to watch. He’s definitely gone from just laying around to moving and exploring. He keeps me on my toes for sure. One of my most favorite things is his little laugh. I can already tell that he is going to be a joyful, people person. However, he is also stubborn but I’m thankful that he will have a strong personality that can be molded to sticking to his beliefs and values. Ready or not, Luke and I have begun the “train up a child in the way he should go…” phase.
As far as looks go, most people say he looks like me in his little face. He has the shape of Luke’s head, his fingers and toes, AND his laid back personality, which is the most important thing. His hair is getting thicker and is a light brown color. I love the color of his eyes which are a stormy grayish blue, but the best thing about his eyes is how they light up when he smiles.

I’ll close with this thought that has been on my heart for the last few days. When I was pregnant with Austin and still adjusting to the surprise of getting ready for having a baby, God gave me this verse.

James 1:17“Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows.”

All the change was overwhelming for a girl that doesn’t do change well and the promise of him being a gift from God got me through the morning sickness, fear of labor and delivery, and the apprehension for what was to come. Now that Austin is here, I can’t get over what a blessing he truly is and how perfect God’s gift is. He is the perfect baby in every way, even when he is a challenge. It’s these times that God uses to grow both Luke and I and reveal how perfect His strength is when we are weak. And with that I’ll post a few pictures of the little man

So cute in his highchair :)