It’s Friday! It’s been a BUSY week of ministry, changes, growth and work. But as the week comes to an end, I’m looking back with a happy heart at the little moments with my family. Have a beautiful, wonderful weekend, friends. And snap a pic of a moment you want to savor!a

Today, I broadcasted a teaching for Help Club for Moms all over the world. I wanted to speak specifically to those of us who feel like it’s hard to “get it right”, there’s always something slipping away from us, there’s never enough of us to get it all done. I wanted to speak truth and some practical real life into dismantling, chaotic thoughts. You don’t have to be a mama to relate to that!

Brag session: Chris Ladd was looking goooood on Sunday morning at Southpoint Church online. I’ve been hitting on him ever since. There’s just something so right about a man who has walked through the deepest, darkest of times and climbs out of it to tell others about the faithfulness of Jesus. Am I right?

Last week, I wrote a short, silly blog about hunting rainbows. We were up to our ears in laundry because the rain had been relentless. In that blog, I celebrated the end of the drought, Benjamin’s love for mud puddles, and mentioned that we don’t have a tumble dryer.

GUESS WHAT!?!…

The Ladd house has been hustling! Chris has preached for Southpoint’s Church Online for the last 3 weeks in a row. (Click here to see messages!) And we have kicked off the 15x15 Worship Challenge, Virtual Book Study, and online community for Help Club for Moms South Africa. Every day, Chris and I are more blown away that God is giving us platforms to do the things we love to do so much.

In 2014, I was a single missionary living in the African bush. At one stage, every other leader of the ministry I was working with had to travel out of the country, and I was singlehandedly leading a local staff, missions staff, hosting international missions teams, facilitating all ministry and running the missions base. At that same time, I heard the popular speaker, Christine Caine, share her amazing life’s accomplishments. She said when she started to feel like she had too much on her plate, she’d ask God for a bigger plate. I started to pray that same prayer, and God was so faithful.

There’s something magical about the earliest morning hours for me. Tiptoeing through the dark to make coffee, cracking open God’s Word, and getting your head and heart in the right place before the day begins. Benjamin also loves that time of day and doesn’t want to miss anything. When I wake up extra early to get ahead of him, so does he! So... we got a Fun Box.

While I’m up extra early with Benjamin every morning, Chris makes the coffee and jumps right into a quiet time and a super early start to his work day. He winds down on the couch in the evenings while I work. We always try to go to bed together, even if I have to wake Chris up from the couch after I finish up for the night.

I have to buy Benjamin a new pair of pants today because ALL of his pants are wet and muddy. Good news! The Cape Town drought is OVER! Just a little over a year ago, we were all showering in buckets and recycling water too many times just so the city would not run completely dry. Now I CANNOT keep my child dry! We’ve been cold and wet for days, and we are celebrating! Benjamin is especially celebrating.

Boom. Clap. Boom. Clap.

The sound on the kitchen counter during breakfast this morning. Lifa was trying to teach Benjamin how to slap his palms down on the countertop and then clap to make a beat. It was adorable. Benjamin will do anything Lifa does. (Which is not always adorable.)

My sister is very pregnant, and I’m dyyyyyyying to touch that belly. I want to celebrate pregnancy milestones with her so badly I’ve started craving what I ate while I was pregnant. (Note: I am definitely not pregnant! It’s just a very weird way I’m responding to missing my sis!)

I’m so happy you’re here. Really. I feel like you and I have a special thing when you’re here. Like oceans, continents, not even pandemics can keep us apart. I feel like you’ve been to my house, gotten glimpses of my heart, and have been completely inundated with photos of my children.

I want to tell you about a short series of small events that have turned into something of epic proportions. A couple of weeks ago, Chris’ visa renewal application was denied. It felt like a step far, far, farrrrr away from the prayers we’ve been praying for our family’s documentation for the last three years.

It’s the first day back to school for Lifa after another 2 week COVID-inspired holiday. That boy is ready to be around kids his own age! His little brother will be sad to see him go. We’ve had a beautiful time together in our beautiful city. Cape Town, we love you!

Yesterday was Ladd Family Screenapaloouza! (It’s very weird that auto-correct just kicked in and added a “u” to that word. Is screenapaloouza a real word?!) Chris preached the message for church online, and Lifa was featured in a worship dance video for kids. I live with legends! I had been prepping all week to record a short video series for Help Club for Moms, and we decided Sunday was the best day for me to film.

We’ve been winning all week! Not by circumstance, but by heart posture. (And with coffee… and not all the time.) I hope you’ve a winning week too, even if it was just one win.

Another way to find a win is to remember your other wins. Remember God’s faithfulness. Remember Jesus left heaven for earth because you are worth dying for. Can you remember a time when you felt like you couldn’t and God did? Or can you remember a time that was absolutely ridiculous, and you still came out ok? That’s what I’m remembering today!

Have you ever had one of those moments that, even while you were in it, you couldn’t believe this was your real life? I’m not talking about your deepest, darkest secrets. I’m talking about the everyday lows. The things you said you would never do, like giving your kid candy in the supermarket line so they wouldn’t throw a fit. One of mine was week three into having a newborn and realizing I’d already done 99% of the new mom things I said I would never do.

Lifa’s got one more week home from school. There was a long time of no school, and then there was school, and then school closed again. We’ve loved having him home, and we’ve had some wonderful moments in our beautiful city together. My boys love each other with a very special love, and I thank God for that every single day.

But despite all the pretty pictures and sweet stories, we’ve got some boredom, grumbling and pity parties happening at the Ladd house. If you read yesterday’s post, you might know that it’s “Find a Way to Win” week, so we created an action plan!

I’ve cried many tears over missed birthdays, weddings, funerals, births, summer vacations, holiday celebrations, and plain old Saturdays in the last five years since we’ve seen our US families. Chris has become a ninja husband, skilled in the ways of comforting an emotional wife.

Today is another special day. It’s Uncle Patrick’s birthday! (Patrick is Chris’ younger brother.)

Is there anyone else out there who thrives on schedule, rhythm and routine?

Does anybody live their best life within some good old fashioned structure?

And then 2020 happened!?!

It’s not that I’m anal or hyper-organized. (You could ask my husband about that... but don’t.) But I do thrive on order. One of the ways I care for my family is by bringing order to our home.