10 months and an update

Where has the time gone?? Seriously, it is July. I know you know that, but I needed to say it out loud. In blog world.
J continues to be a serious joy. He has been recovering from a virus/ear infection for 12 days, which has of course made him a little more whiny on top of the teething. But, really, if my biggest complaint is that he wants to be held too much, then I'm not complaining one bit!
He is definitely "crawling", I'll post a video below. SO cute! And, he's definitely "talking" more in grunts, growls and coos. We have yet to hear babbling, but I'm pretty sure it's right around the corner!
For Father's Day, Matt got a swing for J and we hung it from our glorious cherry tree in the backyard. He LOVES it. We try to get 2 swinging sessions in each day. It's wonderful that Matt is home for the summer, he gets to spend so much time with us and play with J at an age where he is SO fun to play with!
On a completely different note, yesterday I took on the task of washing all our windows, outside and in. Can I tell you just how easy it was? Very easy. I bought this contraption at Home Depot, screwed in a broom handle.. and away we went! I researched the best green way to wash windows, and settled on a mixture that ended up being about half vinegar, half water, with a few squirts of dish soap in there for good measure (found out the soap will help to cut through the waxy buildup that other window cleaners leave behind). It only took like an hour (that was for you, Alisa!) to clean the windows inside and out (don't forget to pop out your screens!), and let me tell you... it makes a huge difference!! It's the little things, right?
Also, I've been on exterior overhaul. Not only have I successfully wiped out our current overgrowth of morning glory, (see last post), but my dad also installed a new front porch light that is awwwwwessssooome! (Yes, I just used my Oprah voice). Well, anything would be awesome compared to the 20 year old falling off piece of junk floodlight that blinded our guests every time they walked up our path at night. And, we're putting up shutters (best website ever!), and new house numbers. All in all, it's only going to be $135 dollars for all these little makeovers vs. the $1000+ it would cost to paint the siding. Ah, compromise, I know you well!
Here are some pictures and video, followed by my most recent HFL update. Just thought you might enjoy reading what HFL is up to and you can read the "personal update" for details on the job sitch.

This month has been so great. I am continuing to plan a trip to Guatemala in November. I am learning so much while I work on this trip, I can't imagine a  volunteer having to do all this on their own! There are so many things to think about. I have been in contact with our field partner's wife in Guatemala and am amazed at her humility, commitment, and willingness to serve the people in her community as well as the teams who come to visit. I know I say this often, but I am so thrilled to get to work with such amazing people locally and globally. There is such beauty in the body of Christ!

We are continuing to get "yes"es from more groups and are thrilled that we're going to stay busy! God is so faithful to lead us to the right connections and it is so encouraging to get to watch the body of Christ desire to be His hands and feet in a very real and sacrificial way. He is so worthy!

Prayer Requests:
- Our auction is October 14th!!!! That is exactly 3 1/2 months away. That makes me a little nervous because it's so much work, but so excited because of how much fun it is to celebrate what God has done in a year. Keep your eyes out for Save the Date cards coming this August! Also, if you have any connections for auction items, please let me know! We are already well into the process of gathering items.
- Please continue to pray for supporters to team with HFL and our staff. We are so humbled and know that the ministry of HFL couldn't exist without the kind generosity of each of you. We are trusting God to provide like He always has!
- We are working on assessing a new field partner in Northern Haiti (the community I was able to visit in October of 2009). We are so excited for this opportunity and we're praying that the assessment process goes smoothly so that we can start sending teams there SOON!!! Northern Haiti has been affected post-quake as much as Southern Haiti because of refugee families and rises in food costs.

Personal Update:
Jason continues to thrive. He had a small virus and ear infection that he just got over, but he seems to have completely conquered it, which is awesome! His weight gain has plateaued a little bit, so we are trying to get creative with some high calorie snacks (on the menu tomorrow: toast with loads of butter and ritz crackers with cream cheese. With lots of avocados and olive oil of course.) :)
This month was a bit of a faith-builder for the Snyders!! June 1st we learned that there were some prescription changes to our insurance, which almost doubled our monthly medical costs. I applied and interviewed for a part-time position in a local school as an Achievement Coach and went through the process of figuring out if it would be possible to continue with HFL part-time, work in the school part-time, and still take care of Jason the way he needs! With the generosity of my mom and mother-in-law offering their Jason-watching services, we felt comfortable with the prospect and trusted the Lord completely to work out the details. At the same time we were doing all of this, we also applied for financial assistance with Jason's two most expensive medications. It was a bit stressful as I waited to hear back about the job and the assistance at the same time. I learned that I didn't get the job, but that we qualified for the assistance!!!! The assistance is through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which is the foundation we raised money for through the Great Strides walk in May. I am thrilled to get to continue to stay home with Jason, give my quality attention to HFL, and, as a crazy turn of events, we are actually paying $93 less per month than we were before our insurance changed! God is so good. We never doubted His providence, but it is amazing to watch it actually happen. He is concerned with every detail of each of our lives, all while working His grand plan together and building His kingdom here on earth... how amazing is that!? Also, the cool part is, we raised $3800 for the CF Foundation through our Jason's Journey team, and that is almost the exact amount we'll be getting through them through this program. Coincidence? I think not! I'm doing the Beth Moore Esther study right now, and as she quotes, "A coincidence is a miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous."