picture from the past

Ah, yes. This is a good one.


The night I met AJ's family.
It was AJ's birthday dinner at Olive Garden.

He looks a little too excited about that cake.

homesick

Yes, I am.
I've been struggling with it. It's starting to sink in that this is it, and I'm having a hard time. It's been a drastic change from the norm, and it's not easy.
I like quiet.
I like simple.
I like routine.
This is none of those things.
I'm not trying to be ungrateful because Gail has helped us tremendously
... but I want to go home. I just do.

o give thanks

Psalms 136
 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

just the girls

I got to take Tim (our pastor) and Karen's family pictures last week. We were trying to squeeze them in before the weather went bad.

I was so happy with the way they turned out... it wasn't hard because all of the girls are just gorgeous.

Molly



Lily



Emma


Hannah


Lucy

Leah

frosty foggy morning

ear to ear

That's right, folks.

Charlotte is full on, no holding back, ear to ear smiling.

Isn't she precious?

seattle vintage

not too bright

Recently my children have been left to themselves more than usual.
We're in the midst of moving, and I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off busy as a bee.
The point is that young kids, even ones as intelligent as mine, if not watched constantly can get themselves 'stuck'.

When we used to hear crying or whining in another room we'd assume that one of them had clobbered the other. Lately though, we've been seeing more of this...

Drew doesn't like to stay in bed, so we just turn off the light and shut the door. He stands at the door knocking and yelling something that I can't understand. After about ten minutes he gets tired of standing in the dark and puts himself back to bed.
On this particular night, we ignored his protests as usual, and checked on him before we went to bed. There he was. Stuck.
Yes, he decided to crawl under his bed, and halfway through figured out he didn't fit.
He yelled, and we ignored... so there he stayed til we found him.

No, you may not climb to the top of the monster dollhouse
... and wipe that smile off your face. You're not funny.
M'kay. Maybe just a little.

I don't know how. I don't know why.
Maybe he has a deathwish. Maybe he likes the adrenaline rush.


Now that I've taken precious time that I don't have to blog... It's back to the throes of packing.
We have to be out by Saturday.


Goodbye very first real house. *sniff sniff*

His grace is enough

What makes God's grace so paramount, so essential in this thing called life is that without it there would be no life at all. It was by God's grace that he even considered creating us to enjoy Him. His grace is woven throughout all of creation, offering us breathtaking examples of his beauty and majesty. His grace consistently and persistently pursues mankind, even going so far as to lay down His own life in order that we wouldn't perish but instead enjoy life forever with Him. Grace is fundamentally essential to life, in all its layers!

God's grace is powerful for transforming lives, for in it we find something of the essence of God, the truth that He really does love us with an everlasting love. His compassion is endless, His salvation is permanent, His mercy is great, and His faithfulness reaches beyond the heavens. When you come to the place of understanding and appreciating the limitless grace of God, you finally reach a place in your life that transcends circumstance, that is beyond the physical, material world that appeals to the rottenness of our sinful flesh. You enter a place of peace, untouched and unmarred by anything this life can throw at you in hopes that you fall. And even when you do stumble, God's grace is there to pick you up.
-Jonathan Daugherty

clover