NEWborn, NEW job, NEW home, NEW JERSEY

There seems to be a theme around here. All things NEW! Kevin, Xander, Nike, Gandalf and I have started a new chapter of our lives. Xander is 16 weeks old today and we have been in New Jersey a little over a week. I'm not much of a "blogger" per say but I promised my little sis I would start blogging once we made it to New Jersey. I have a feeling Xander may have some other fans out there too! Also, I think this may be neat to go back and read one day when my little guy is all grown.

I'm going to take another page out of my lil' sisters book and share a few Xism's. Xander does the cutest lil' side to side head action when he is sleepy. He rolls his head from side to side just like Stevie Wonder. When I cradle him in my arms he does this little vulcan death grip thing to my shirt, just in case I decide to lay him down before he is ready. It works too! Xander has an impeccable sense of smell. If he smells something yummy he is ready to eat, immediately if not sooner. So needless to say it's a challenge for me to eat a hot meal these days. He actually did this even while in my belly. He would start kicking at the smell of food. He got into a bad habit while we were staying with my parents. My Dad leaves for work pretty early and has coffee brewing at 4:30 am. X definitely takes after his Daddy. Loves the smell of hot java in the morning. He still likes to get up early and have some milky. I really can't complain though because he has been sleeping around 8 hours or more a night since May 21st. Atta Baby X! He loves dancing to music with Momma, or is that the other way around! The past several weeks he has discovered he likes sucking on his fingers. Most of the time he sucks on his two middle fingers. It's adorable! My little rockstar! Although Grandpa Riggan may suggest that he is saying hook 'em horns. Xander LOVES his feet to be rubbed! He will stop crying mid-stream if you rub his little tootsies. He gets that from me.

Many of you know that Kevin and I were intending to help plant a church in Astoria, New York with a couple from the Church at Brookhills. Well it seems God has different plans. Kevin's job requires him to be within an hour and a half drive from Atlantic City so NYC is out, for now at least. So we find ourselves in the complete opposite of NYC. We are in the township of Little Egg Harbor. Laughable really! It's a cozy little coastal town in desperate need of the gospel. We are just around the corner from an ACTS 29 church called Great Bay Fellowship. We actually walk to church! This church is the complete opposite of what we had in Birmingham, size wise at least. It's like a big small group. Ironically enough the pastors name is Kevin Platt. Our wonderful pastor in Birmingham's name is David Platt. No relation. Our goal is to still make it to NYC, but for now we really feel like God has called us here to serve this hurting community. Only 2% of the population is considered evangelical. The harvest is plentiful. Please pray God uses us in a mighty way.

We are getting settled slowly but surely. We love and miss you all. To be continued...