Max

So after much debate, we finally named our kitty. His name is Max. He has been such a sweet new addition to our family! He has been so playful and chill! He is the perfect kitten. He is still adjusting to his new home. We get a hiss here and there when we get him out from his hiding places, but he is getting more comfortable with us. He is currently playing with my hands as I type this. He's so much fun :)

Here are some new family pics:

Updates

Ignite
So I am pleased to announce that our first evening at Ignite was so much fun! I really really really enjoyed myself and know that Jordan did too. We have a really great group of kids and I am so excited to get to know each and every one of them! We are already so looking forward to seeing everyone next week :) Thank you to everyone for your prayers, God has definitely blessed us with this opportunity to minister and we are excited for what the future holds for these students!!!

New addition to the future Starks clan
We have a new family member!!! We got the most precious little kitten you could ever even imagine. He is so sweet and we love him so very much already. We brought him home last night, and he had a really good first night at home. Then tonight we brought Carter over to Jordan's apartment to meet his new kitty! (This is his birthday present...a little early). He LOVED it! Oh my goodness, it was the most precious thing to watch him with "his kitty" all night long. Adorable. It was quite the battle getting the little kitten home because Jordan was not a fan. But now, Jordan loves it probably more than all of us, go figure! We do not yet have a name for our lil' guy because I was dead set on letting Carter name him...but he want's to name it "Ellie the Camel" after the song "Sally the Camel" he learned at school. Well...Jordan refuses to call the "manly" cat a girl name...so we tried to convince Carter he was a boy kitty and he said he wanted to name him "Boy". Which Jordan also refused. So we will be announcing his name shortly. He is very picky with the suggested names but really does love the name "Ellie". Too cute. Here are some pictures that the awesome family that saved him posted of him, I will post more of ours later:

He is the gray tiger striped one on the right :)

So cute!

We love him so much already!!! 

One semester left until Graduation!!!!!!!!!
The most exciting thing of all is that I just finished my semester today and I only have one semester left until I graduate! This semester will probably the most challenging yet, but I can't wait to be done! Woo hoo! So close!

Prayer Request

Hello all!

I'm just writing a quick note to all of you who follow :)

Jordan and I start at Harvestland next Sunday, April 18th @ 6pm doing the youth service there! We are so very excited to see what God is going to do there and we can't wait to get started!

If you would be willing, we would really love and appreciate any prayers especially during this upcoming week and throughout our time there. We are both very new to youth ministry and are going into this expecting something from God but we have no clue what exactly to expect ourselves ;) We would so greatly appreciate prayer support during this exciting time!

My prayer is that God would prepare Jordan & I's hearts to serve these young people. That He would use us, annoint us, and that everything we do there would be of Him. That we would hear from Him on what we are supposed to do in this group. That the Spirit would move in these youth meetings each and every week. I pray that He would prepare the hearts of these young people that are already so faithful in being involved in the group and also for the future youth that will be coming there. I pray that He would help us build a foundation in this core group, that relationships would be built with them. I pray that He would give us the wisdom, guidance, and preparation that we need and that He would also continue to work in us to cultivate our relationship with Him so that we can be transparent and better serve others.

We are so thankful, Lord!

Thank you to all who are so supportive of this! We love you and will be keeping you updated!

"SPIDERS ON YOUR HEAD!"

So Carter just woke up from his sleep...crying. I try to avoid my natural maternal instinct to rush to his "rescue" and see if he'll fall back asleep (very unlike me). No such luck. I finally go in there to see what all the fuss is about and with snot all over his face he says,

"I just want to eat all my easter eggs!!!"

I of course am annoyed that this is why he is throwing such a fit. I tell him that he can play with them tomorrow and to go back to sleep.

"But MOM! I just wanted to lay with my Mommmmmyyyy!"

Okay. Let me clarify something-I do NOT get called Mommy anymore. It's Mom. Or even Jess if he pleases from time to time. Not Mommy. So this melts my heart.

"Mommy please can I come and lay with you. I want to sleep with you. Please."

Well what do you think I did? Gave in of course! So I carry him and his blanket and his "bubba" and his snot soaked pillow into my room. In my bed. Where I was so happily enjoying a book-that wasn't even a text book! Ugh. The joys of motherhood-2 nights in a row might I add.

Now don't let me fool you, I absolutely adore sleeping with Carter. He cuddles and kisses and loves on me in between the kicking and yelling at me to scoot over and talking in his sleep. But I really do enjoy it-no sarcasm there.

So I'm all ready to cuddle him and sleep next to my baby and just as I start to relax...

SCREEEEEEEEEEECHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I jump up, startled of course. He did in fact, just scream in my ear and possibly damaged my ear drum.  I ask what's wrong?!

"A SPIDER JUST BIT ME ON THE FINGER! IT HURTS SO BAD MOM! HE BIT ME HARD! THERE IS A SPIDER!!!"

First of all, I am deathly afraid of spiders. Fortunately, I have done everything I can to hide this fear from Carter so I don't pass it on to him (or so I thought). Somewhat similar to how my Mom did for me :) So I am freaking out! Where the heck is the spider!?! I don't even want to get back in my bed...I inspect him, his fingers, the bed. And what does my little drama queen do? As I inspect his finger...

His entire body quivers. "Don't touch me Mom! A SPIDER just bit my finger!"

Whatever. There is no spider (at least I seriously hope not). I calm him down and try to get him to sleep. So as I think he's finally sleeping-

Another scream.

Ants! They apparently are everywhere and he cannot sleep with ants in the bed. Seriously? GO TO BED!

Wakes up in tears. Real ones. Tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Mom, there is a spider! ON YOUR SHIRT! LOOK MOM, IT'S ON YOUR SHIRT!!!" 

Freaky!!! There wasn't one, thankfully. I discovered this after jumping and squirming about inspecting my shirt. Next you ask? A butterfly. There is a butterfly in the bed. I had had enough creepy crawlies in my bed for one night. So I asked Carter if there were bugs in his bed.

"No. Just yours Mom."

And I even changed my sheets today! There couldn't possibly be bug infestation quite yet. Oh well...

Off to Carter's bed we go-where it is bug free! After new socks, prayer, and convincing him that there were no ants in his bed-he is sound asleep. For now. Hopefully I didn't just waste the little time  of peace on blogging and not sleeping :) Good night! 

 

 

 

 

Easter Festivities!

Such an awesome night with such an amazing boy!

He found more eggs!

So proud of his easter eggs :)