{ Blog Guilt + Giddiness + Birthday Girls }

I get into this silly little cycle of guilt when I haven't blogged for a while. I feel bad about all the things that I have not recorded...and in the back of my mind there is this little tug, over all the sweet times my kids won't be able to read back on, because I did not write them down. And I always plan + hope to "catch up " on them eventually while the weeks fly by and in the meantime I've failed to jot down today's joys, because I still haven't " made up " for two weeks ago. Like I said, so silly. Great if ( and highly unlikely ) I ever get back to filling in the blanks of the last month, but for now I am going to pick up where I left of and even skip over some unwritten posts in my head and start fresh list of joys for today:

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying and inspired by these two amazing friends who are blogging daily in the month of November. It's called 30 days of Gratefulness. Or how excited I am to tell you about another beautiful friend of mine...meet Nikki ( who rather prefers being called Mrs. Mike ) one of my dearest, since we were little girls with long braids and dramatic pen names, our heads in the clouds and the like friends. She's started a lovely little blog. Pop in and tell her hello. . you'll come away with your heart warmed, I promise. That and a good giggle.

Jack's had is half birthday Nov. 1st. And Annabelle and I celebrated by making a big batch of cinnamon rolls ( most of which David took to work to share with the guys on his crew, as a final, farewell from us treat ) complete with cream cheese frosting which we let Jack have generous licks of. Me oh my, do we ever adore the boy. He really has the best grin. We gush over it. And these stout legs, complete with chunky thighs. Which we tickle. And the kissiest cheeks. Which we squish up and smooch away on, all day long. And his funny baby antics ( growls, squawks, chuckles, chortles and coos ) are hilarious . I can already tell he loves making people laugh. Just last night he had me cracking up so hard. He would start laughing when I would stop, just get me going again. We are all also a little in awe of him...He's weighs, and I am not kidding...18 1/2 lbs...and I have to squeeze him into size 12 mo clothes. Just ask his Dad, and he'll tell you, " the kid already eats like a horse." And to think that Annabelle only weighed 18 lbs when she turned one. He's crawling all over the place and is making many attempts to pull him self up on things. Oh and he snuggles right into you, when you hold him. That melts me. Annabelle was never like that. She has always been too on the go, for that sort of thing.

The back and forth of giggles coming from the couch tonight where Daddy + daughter are cuddled up watching old cartoons together.

Reading out loud + loving all of E.B White's books. First Charlotte's Web, then Stuart Little, and now we are half way through Trumpet of the Swan. And I am reading + loving A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , for the very first time.
Playing together outside. And Annabelle's pleading, " oh Mommy, can we go outside and throw leaves at each other, again...please? "

All of the things we are doing for the last time this week. After which, I may or may not sit in the car and cry a little. As Granniebelle told me last night..."honey, moving is a very emotional experience. "

Saturday we move. In just two days. And I am giddy. It feels so surreal. As we take off on what is certain to be a grand adventure, I anticipate and welcome all that the future holds for us, especially knowing Who holds both it + us, in His perfect love. Excited to enter this new season, as I pray it's one that brings great growth to my life and soul and a deeper knowing of Love. One that will make my heart more like His. So I can love better as a wife, mommy, sister, daughter, neighbor + friend.

Celebrating this dear friend ( and wishing so badly it could have been in-person ) today as she joins ranks with the rest of us who as David so bluntly put it on my birthday, are only two years shy of no longer being in our twenties. Many, many good things could be said about this birthday girl, for she is truly + in every way amazing. She is a giver not a taker. She is as strong ( or what you'll hear her refer to as feisty )as she is sweet. And she is sunshine for every square inch. She is a lovely, lovely, wife + mama + friend + example. Leslie, I want to be just like you when I grow up. Oh wait, I am older than you. Darn.
Wishing that your birthday + the year to follow, will be your best yet. Or in the words of C.S. Lewis:
" There are better things ahead, than any we leave behind."

{ a pocketful of grace }

My first-day-of-October collection of thankfuls.


My $ 2.00 bargain bouquet of the most gorgeous dahlias from a nearby roadside stand.

Morning and evening's necessity to " run and put on a sweater."

Annabelle's delight in learning. You should have seen her excitement over learning the the word polliwog today. We are reading Charlotte's Web out loud. A real chapter book. She sits perfectly still and stares at my face, spellbound. But then she also argues with me like a practiced 15 year old. Right now she's equal parts heart-melting + hard.

Dreaming of baking up something spicy and comforting. And then sharing with loved ones and neighbors, over a big steamy mugs of good earth tea. Now if I only I could decide either apple or pumpkin?

Giddy, so giddy at the thought of moving at the end of the month...knowing that friends are waiting with open arms, ready to love us. Also giddy for our friends who have over the summer become man and wife or welcomed sweet new babies, for friends who are moving + settling into their new homes. As the answered prayers unfold around us and your heart aches with gratitude. Still we continue to pray and pray for friends that are still waiting for it to be their turn.
Annabelle rosy-cheeked and twirling as flame-tipped leaves swirl around the yard in the wind.

Our little evening visit with Granny Annie. And how wonderful it is to really truly see her back to herself again.
Snacks of perfectly crisp apple slices + juice-down-your-chin pears.
Recent cravings for the company of a good book. And have been staying up into the wee hours of the morning curled up on the couch reading to the the soft beat + rhythm of the rain against the window as background music.
Stretching out the early morning under the cover giggles, cozy + snuggled up together...
Loving the schemes and plans and brainstorming sessions with David, over ideas for the house. And our future.
Jack's delicious roly-poly-ness. His unbelievable squishy kissy cuddle-bug cuteness. Oh and did I mention, he's sporting not just one but two (hard earned) wee pearly whites. That and he's had his first taste of real food? Pumpkin pie. Straight off Daddy's fork. First he loved it...and then he puckered up and made terrible faces and we laughed so hard, and then after he got used to the texture, he loved it again and clamored for more. He is dying to crawl and gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth. Once he figures out how to move his arms he will be everywhere.
Longing to grow. Keenly aware of my insecurities, of how ugly the selfishness in me is.
" Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. " Rom. 5: 20
The fear is like a blister. Doubts tug at me.
Until I remember Jesus. Then I am overwhelmed by His goodness. Overtaken by love.
Perfect Love.
" For perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4: 18
And then my smile returns. And it is huge.

boy oh ( sweet ) boy

Do you even know the sunshine you have brought into our

lives since you came to us, only four short months ago?

With your highly contagious grins.

{ Jack in his most darling wee sweater, knit by this sweet friend }

And that look you have the one that says, “Mommy, I am in love with you.”

And the tender way you peer in to my eyes, that makes my heart melt into a syrupy little puddle. Every single time.

And your pout Jack-Jack, you have the best pouty lip. Your bottom lip turns under in slow motion and starts to quiver when something upsets you . It is hilarious + adorable.

I am crazy about the dimples in your elbows. Crazy I tell you.
And the way you curl your toes.

Jack you are a fusser. Auntie Deb, who you adore, dubbed you " Jack-the-finicky" but she says you make up for it by being so cute. And I concur. Some days are just sad and Mommy has to hold you nonstop and jolly you along. You popped your first tooth a couple of days ago. Teething has been miserable for you. And we all feel so bad for you as you drool like a leaky faucet and try so hard all day long to get both your hands in your mouth so you can chomp down. Mommy’s even started to call you chomper. That and, chubby-wubby-fuzzy-wicks. Because of all the little fuzz that has suddenly sprouted on top of your head.

My wiggle/giggle bit of boy you are such a love. Your laughter comes quick and easily. And you have the most remarkably sweet grin. And you are so quick to smile, even at strangers. I love how your face lights up in response to others. You are in awe of your big sister and think her very funny. And she loves that. And is she ever, ever in love with you. You two started playing your first game in the last couple weeks and it is the sweetest thing in the world to hear your babies giggling together. I am going to post a video of it soon.

Daddy is very proud of how strong and big you are. You can get up on all fours and hold your head way, way up. And you love to stand with help. And always try to pull yourself up. And you are long enough to fill out the striped size 9 months jammies you are wearing today. Daddy also takes great delight in how much you love being outside. You are content for hours to stare wide-eyed from your pouch as the the world goes by. Like this:

{ walking on the beach }

{ Book List }

We have been reading up a storm around here. Toting home stacks of of books at a time. One of the highlights of the summer in particular for Annabelle was getting to go to Pajama Story-time and also participating in the summer reading program, which we completed last week and turned in our reading list and returned home grinning, with her prize of a 68 piece art set, in hand and the promise of a free pretzels and pizza. And I am happily making plans to start home school pre-school after Labor Day Weekend. I will be (loosely) using this curriculum. I am going to put very little pressure/expectations on either Annabelle or myself. We are just going to have fun and learn together, as we have only now with a tad bit more intentionality. And I think she could use the added activities in her day and I am going to appreciate a little more structured schedule. Really more than anything in the coming school year my heart and focus for Annabelle is to keep praying for her that Jesus will make her heart tender towards Himself and others and to continue telling her about Him and how amazing His love is, and most of all to better visibly model that love day to day, as her Mommy.

{ picture source }

So I thought I'd share with you our list of favorite books from the summer.

They are the following:

-The Jesus Storybook Bible

A definite family favorite around here. Our bedtime routine includes reading out of the The Jesus Storybook Bible. We are on our second time through with Annabelle and plan to continue rereading it to her and Jack for years to come. I love the wording and way in which Sally Lloyd Jones portrays the Bible, as the greatest Love story of all time. As the title states, " Every story whispers his name." Breathtaking in it's beauty and simplicity. Here's an excerpt from the introduction:

The Story and the Song

Introduction from Psalm 19 and Hebrews 1

The Heavens are singing

about how great God is;

and the skies are shouting it out,

" See what God has made!"

Day after day...night after night...

They are speaking to us.

Psalm 19:1-2 ( paraphrase )

God wrote, " I love you " - he wrote it in the sky and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere! Because God created everything in his world to reflect Him like a mirror - to show us what he is like, to help us know him, to make our hearts sing.

The way a kitten chases her tail. The way red poppies grow wild. The way dolphins swim. And God put it into words, too, and wrote it in a book called " the Bible."

I have been on the look-out for the perfect age appropriate Bible for Annabelle. My search has ended here. Could not recommend this more highly and might also add that I love reading it for myself.

- Our Nest
- The Apple Pie that Papa Baked
- The Gardener ( As Annabelle would tell you, " my Mommy loves this book ")
- Tweedle Dee Dee
- Whopper Cake (our favorite part about this silly book is the dedication. Karma Wilson, the truly wonderful author is also friends with David's family. " To Hildi ( who is the precious mother of my husband and beloved Mor Mor to Annabelle and Jack ), who has been known to deviate from a recipe or two, but always cooks with love"
- Mortimer's First Garden, ( whis is lovingly dedicated to David's Dad who was, an amazing gardener )
- Mr. Murry and Thumbkin
- Tumble Me Tumbily
- All In a Day
- Hello Twins
-Once Upon a Time, the End...Asleep in 60 seconds
( David's most favorite children's book. He laughed so hard the first time he read it I thought he might fall off the couch. It's hysterical. He was still reading it to Annabelle and chuckling over it two, three, four weeks later.)
- On Our Way Home
- The Little Green Island

Now we are so curious to know what you are reading?

{ For Nana Especially }

We.

Miss.

You.

Too.

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea...

Off we go, for our annual much anticipated weekend away with our family on the coast. To this lovely little spot.

As Anniebelle Lucy would say: " Yip-pee Skip-pee ! "

And there is sunshine in the forecast.

Double yip-ee skip-ee!

Ready or not, sand and surf, ruby-golden sunsets, pitter-patter of bare feet, kite tales in the sky,long walks on the beach, heart to heart + hand in hand talks,as we remember, cuddles galore, and bike rides, sticky marshmallow fingers, stories told, peels of laughter...

Here. We. Come.

Oh and smooching...lots and lots of smooching...

{ the bouquet }

How did he know, it was just the cheering up I needed, after a long fussy/grumpy little day. The kind that leaves the edges of your soul feeling more than a little unraveled, as he me at the door after, his long hard day at work, with a smile and a kiss as he produced with a flourish, from behind his back these glowing roses...

How kind it is that the God of the whole universe, is concerned and about me and how my day plays out and the condition of my heart enough to send along a little pick me up?

And how blessed am I to have a husband who is in tune to the voice of God, down to the smallest details of life. For I am just sure it was God Himself who whispered that taking home roses might be a good idea, in his ear. After all, He is the source of all good things, great or small. And He is the only One who really knew how worn down and discouraged I was feeling at the end of that particular day.

And I wonder, how many times a day do I let His quiet, tender gestures of love slip by unnoticed? Oh Lord forgive me for all the times I have missed the joy you've set before me. And give me eyes that see things through Your heart, so I can thank you for each of these minute to minute, day to day, life-graces you so kindly gift to me.

I have been deeply moved by the writings of this woman, found via this truly beautiful woman...that have fueled my desire to " Take Joy" as I Count Up Blessings. ( from a few years back, where I first blogged.)

Ready to continue and expand the list.

Anyone care to join me?

“ Every song you love, every memory you cherish, every moment that has moved you to holy tears has been given to you from the One who has been pursuing you from your first breath in order to win your heart. God’s version of flowers and chocolates and candlelight dinners comes in the form of sunsets and falling stars, moonlight on lakes and cricket symphonies; warm wind, swaying trees, lush gardens, and fierce devotion.”

— taken from the book ‘Captivating’ by John & Stasi Eldredge

{ housey house, house }

I wanted to post a little update on the status of our big beautiful work in progress, 100 year old house. We will continue living here in the little summer cottage until October and then into another rental house, preferably within walking distance of our home. The hope + goal is to be able to move in by March.

David, bless his heart has been making the five hour drive on any and all open weekends. I tell him all the time, " it's a good thing your shoulders are nice and big " because he is carrying around quite the work load this summer. Working really long days. So far this week he has averaged 13 hour days. I am blown away by the sacrifices he makes to take such wonderful care of us. Of course he doesn't see it as a sacrifice, it's nothing more than a means by which to love. But this summer especially, in my book, this man is more super hero than he is human.

Anyway he, with the help and expertise of his best friend, who interestingly enough, possesses some super hero powers of his own, have done wonders in saving our garage, which the neighbors told David they were sure was going to collapse during the propping up process. But they did it, don't ask me how but the two of them salvaged the garage and pulled it back into plum and from all reports, the transformation is magical. I wish I had a picture to post, to show before and the afters. Next time I am there, I will try and remember to get pictures so I can see for your self all the progress that is being made.

Meanwhile I am at home, taking care of littles, missing my man and daydreaming about what color this or that room is going to be painted, while making up pictures of future kitchens in my head. Which leads me to this: You see, I have a serious crush on this dress. And as ridiculous as this may sound I want my kitchen to look like this Dress. I think this dress would look amazing as a kitchen. And I love the bright/bold/happy/cheerful accents of color, on pure white. And while we are at it, can I just say that I love this one and this and this. And don't you think this skirt would be oh so cute on her? Or this one on her. And this one on her. And wouldn't this look so very lovely, on her?
Okay, so I got a little sidetracked and now you know what I would do with the money, were I ever to win the lottery. Unfortunately my odds are rather slim, considering that I do not buy lottery tickets.


But I cannot wait to get my hands (scrub + paint brush) on you, great big old neglected house of mine. Superman and I have big plans for you. We are going to make you shine.

{ awakenings }

Here I am, pecking away at the keys and it's late...so late that today is about to slip past us into tomorrow. And while I sit here I feel compelled to at least make an effort to try and spill out some thoughts, in spite of my fear that they will come across as muddy and confusing.

In the past months I have found myself longing for more alone time. The all day, every day demands of a 3 month old and a 3 year old, as most of you Mama's already know so well don't exactly add up to "extra" time to quiet my heart before Jesus, and allow Him to fill me up. And yet I find myself in greater need of Him than I ever have before in my life.
It's a thirst.
A longing .
A missing.
A ache.

A soft but persistent tugging at my soul as He draws me to His heart and towards the things that I know will bring me to a deeper knowing and sense of His love. I feel like I am in the midst of being changed. And I desire a heightened awareness to His gentle whispers of truth and overflow of grace. Like I said, I feel my need. My soul is like a raw open, gaping sore as I am painfully aware of this truth: that the only thing that is deeper than the ugliness in my own heart, is the pure flawless beauty that He has replaced it with. And what an exchange it is, bought with His precious life blood. I feel shaken up and so unsure of myself, and I mean that in a good way. I crave more time with Jesus, more time listening to His beautiful, holy voice. More time pouring over the life giving, joy bringing words He put into a love letter for us. More time sitting at His feet and collecting wisdom and the fruits of the spirit, and feeding my soul with His very own. And out tumble these stunning thoughts:

God wants us. God wants me.
God loves us. God loves me.

Without limit or constraint or conditions.

And while I cannot even begin to grasp an inkling of the reality behind all of that, I feel as if I am being woke up, ever so tenderly from a long drowsy summer afternoon nap. And while the warmth of the sun enfolds me, and the wind kisses my face and all is comfort and peace and I am dearly tempted to curl up further and continue to give into the sleepy, heady haze of unconsciousness. While the sky beyond is waiting, as if brushed across in alternating shades of blue and sapphire. While golden rays reflect off the lake, as in a mirror and skip twinkling across like a million diamonds. While a field of green, with the greenest green grass you've ever seen, is intertwined with thousands of cheerful daisies that are graced by every exotic kind and color of butterfly known to man, flitting in the shadow of great craggy, snow capped peaks.

The open eye, holds greater promise.

And if only I knew the scope of the depth and beauty and spiraling heights of joy that await, of course I would want nothing more intensely than to wake up from any nap, now matter how pleasant it's dreams.

Lord, please open my eyes.

{ photo borrowed from here }

{ all in a day }

Today. Today they had baths. And then we built a quilt fort and made bread and cuddled on the couch and read our new stack of books from the library. While the rain poured outside our windows.

See.

Just another ( blissfully) ordinary day.

{ digesting }

Reading in James this morning. And these words reached off the page and grabbed me as I prayed that they would become the heartbeat of my day to day life:

Count it all joy.

Count it all joy.

Count it all joy.

Count it all joy.

And then there is my sweet little grinning baby boy,

who of course I " count" and recount as one of my greatest forever joys.

I swear this grin of his is unstoppable...

and I can't stop taking picture of his dear little full of light, precious smiling face.

Hook. Line. And Sinker.

Oh my.

I don't even have the words to tell you just how hard I have fallen for this baby.

This is the look he gives me all day long.

.

{ Jack smiling his famous good morning Mommy smiles }

And it melts me.

Every. Single. Time.

Like. Nothing. Else

Can I just say that looks like his handsome Daddy, even though we can't quite put our finger on what it is exactly it is about him that does, especially when he has so many of my features ( chin, mouth, shape of eyes, etc. ) And I pray, oh I pray for him to grow up and have a heart like his Daddy. A Jesus loving heart. A heart that is strong and good. A heart that loves well. And the best ever grin.

{ he's a jolly good baby }

So far he has picked up these endearingly nick-names: Jack-Jack and Jacks and baby lover-boy, by Mommy mostly. Annabelle calls him baby brother and Wiggle Worm and all sorts of different things, most of them silly made up words, never the same thing twice, spoken in her own personal secret language. Daddy always asks, hows the little fellow, or refers to him as my buddy?

{ Jack, 1 month old }

He's growing faster than the weeds in our backyard. Tipping the scale at just under 14 lbs. And he's squishy and chunky and strong but not fat, just built. He seems tall to me. At least he is compared to Annabelle who was always more petite.

{this picture was taken in the middle of packing up our bedroom, around 5 weeks old }

He's quick to smile. And smile and smile... and he loves to talk. Loves to be sung. He laughed for the first time over the 4th of July weekend, while Anniebelle and I were singing this song " Oh the Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord, for giving me the things I need, the sun and the rain and the apple seed...the Lord is good to me..." in the car. He thought it was hilarious. Ever since then when he tries to laugh it gets caught in his throat with a " hhhheeeeeep" and he ends up with the hiccups.

{ This is his bewildered look, we get that a lot...as if he was saying, you guys are cuckoo.

Guilty as charged. }

The poor little guy has struggled with severe cases of the following:
baby acne
cradle cap ( the worst I have ever seen)
heat rash
Hates riding in the car
(he screams...eyes wide open, how could you do this to me sort of screams )
gets the saddest tummy ache attacks ( i.e. colic )
and appears to be teething
everything babies are prone to get
you name it, he's got it.
If any of you Moms know of any miracle cures out there for any or all of these things,
please do speak up.
But he sleeps like a dream at night. He loves his bed and from about 11 p.m. - 5:30 a.m.
We literally do not hear a peep.
So far.
We know better than to think it will always be this way.
If there is one thing, the wild world over that is subject to change,
it is a baby's sleeping patterns.
But for now I enjoying getting to be one of those terribly spoiled Mommy's
who gets plenty of sleep at night.

Annabelle has a hard time containing herself over him.
She the kind of personality that has to have her hands all over you...and squeals very loudly and
jumps up and down as a means of showing her affection. She is very enthusiastic in her loving. She actually shakes with giddiness over her brother. I don't blame her either. I know how she feels. And it's so sweet. Until of course he gets overwhelmed by her very animated attention and needs a break, poor baby. We are working with her on being gentle and quiet with him and trying to teach her how to be a little mother. But you can see it in her eyes, she loves him so much, she could just squeeze him. Which is why, bless her heart, we watch her every move.

{ Annabelle and Jack with and the line-up of friends we
were so blessed with, by some of you dear ones}

Oh and his hair turned red. I am still scratching my head over how that happened. But I love it.
And yes he really is as cheerful in real life as these pictures portray.

{ I adore him in the little Kangaroo outfit that the gorgeous KT made for him }


He is one bright eyed, wide eyed, alert, perky little boy. He has been since day one. Oh and his kisses are amazing...he loves to open his mouth wide when he knows a kiss is coming. Also, I love how his head bobs back and forth as he takes it all in from his perch in the baby bjorn, which he loves to ride in.

My darling baby son,

I cannot wait to watch the coming months and years unfold for you...and see you grow and discover and become...for now just know, you are your Mommy, Daddy's and Sister's absolute delight.

Kiss, kiss baby lover boy!

All my love always,
Mommy

Mostly a matter of perspective.

( Waterlilies picked from yesterdays trip to " Me-Ma's lake"


Or an alternative title this post might be: Blogging with a baby on your lap. (While his big sister runs in and out the door with a handful of baby carrots to feed the imaginary baby bunnies that live in our yard...she is wearing her pink ballet leotard and white church shoes with golden curls that match the bounce in her step. )

A very dear friend sent me a email yesterday asking me, hows your summer going? Hows your heart doing? I adore her for that because she sees beyond the day to day, " Hi how are you, " that is asked without a pause taken to hear the reply. She notice's peoples hearts. She intentionally looks beyond the surface, not that she wouldn't be the first to notice a cute pair of earrings, just that she wouldn't stop there...that she would keep going... down deeper, and peer into your very heart. I long to grow in the habit of caring for others hearts. Especially the hearts of my husband, daughter, son, my family and my friends.

Also, I have been thinking a lot about the future and how it is built one day at a time and about how the future that I am looking into now, my children will look back on someday as their past, and how these days are so quickly turning into the years that make up their childhood. I ran across a quote yesterday that stopped me in my tracks and made me do some serious thinking. It's one very simple and yet profound sentence that struck a deep chord, and I have asked that the Lord would use it's truth in my life because more than anything in the world I the rhythm of my heart to beat in unison with His . And lately it feels like I am being reminded daily just how much of life has to do with perspective. That " What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”— John Lubbock. That the out come of a day, or a life, has so much to do with how we chose to perceive it. That you can see deep, unparalleled joy in the weak smile of the nine year old leukemia patient, who despite all she suffers sees each new day as a gift and lives with gratitude and appreciation...or you can hear the hollow misery in the voice of the woman with the flawlessly beautiful face, complete with designer car/bag/clothing/shoes/who has everything she could ever want, materially speaking and yet her life is frighteningly empty and she is obviously unhappy.

I wonder what would happen, if you were able to take two people, with similar temperaments and personalities and make their circumstances and environment identical...I am guessing that after such a experiment those two individuals could come up with very different views on the quality of their experience and whether it was positive or negative. So much hinges on perspective. That's why I want learn how to value what is lovely and good true... things like, cheerfulness, and humility, and patience, unselfishness, hospitality, kindness. Because I so desperately want Annabelle to be able to look back and on these days that are her childhood and be able to say...we might not have had the latest or best of anything , but that never kept us from being happy,and there was one thing we did have in abundance, the love of Jesus.

{ Warning }

{ David was so thoughtful to bring me these flowers from the yard of our Spokane house... }

We are back online.
With some heavy duty picture posts to come.
So far our connection is hit and miss so it could take me a while to get posts up.
But I have so much I cannot wait to tell you about our summer so far.
And you won't believe how much Jack has grown.

For now here is a little sneak peek preview of this seriously darling little duo.

{ Fun things to do at Poppy and Nana's House }

For instantce, you could climb the ladder with Poppy to pick cherries out of tree.

Sample Cherries.

Help Poppy pop out the pits with the cherry pitting machine.

Eat cherries till your face turns purple.

Or you could spend hour after delightful hour playing dress up

and pretend with your cousin. The two of you girls had so much

fun together are a very sweet and at times rather dramatic twosome.

You could enjoy the sights and sounds of Nana's bird house village, as the swallows and wrens swoop and sing, and the humming birds zip back and forth and butterflies gracefully flit from one pretty petal to another.

Or you could gobble up handful after handful of Nana's better than candy, sugar snap peas.

You could not quite resist the temptation to pick and bring pretty flowers to Mommy. Every 3 minutes.

You could go to town with poppy and get a popsicle and a lollipop all in the same outing.

You could jump on the trampoline and squeal with glee while Poppy sprays you with the hose.

You could be graced with the honor of getting to taste the very first cherry tomato of the summer.

You could help Mommy help Nana plant a border of cosmos.

You could sit on Nana's lap and let her read the books to you that she used to read to your Mommy and your Uncle Nate when they were your age.

You could come inside and watch Mr. Rogers on T.V. during the afternoon, instead of having "nap time"

You could spend time together with me in the attic bedroom, the one I used to call my own, thw one with the walls that are covered with pink roses and blue swirly ribbons, pouring over the trinkets and treasures of my childhood.

You could miss your Daddy and ask a dozen times a day when he was coming to see us.

You could watch as Nana helps your Mommy sew you your very first piece of clothing, a red and white polka-dot skirt, with blue ric rac, for the 4th of July.

You could consume the half a dozen lemonade popsicles that Nana made just for you.

You could run around all day in nothing but your swim-suit. Or just nothing.

You could participate in all the flirting sessions one has when one has ones very own irresistibly cute, smiley faced baby brother.

You could smile and laugh and giggle as you run around the yard in bare feet and golden curly pig tails and be a pure delight those around you. How I love getting to relive these wonder filled, care-free summer days through the sparkling eyes of a three year old. As my Dad turns to me and says with feeling, " and just a few short years ago, that was you."

{ a slice of sweet conversation }

Mommy ( to Annabelle) : Hey Sug. ? ( short for sugar)
Annabelle : Yeah, Mommy?
Mommy: Who loves us the most?
Annabelle : Daddy.
Mommy (Smiling) : Yes Daddy. And who loves us even more than Daddy?
Annabelle ( without hesitation ): Oh Mommy, Jesus does.

That's right, Sugar. That's right.

{ For Whom The Bell Tolls }

I sat on the floor, in the corner of our living room, observing the empty space and the eerie way my voice bounced off the walls in an echo when I called out to my husband. In the mad rush that was filling and loading all our earthly belongings into boxes and the miles of bubble wrap and packaging tape that come with such a ritual, my little five week old son let it be known that just because we'd forgotten about our dinner, he had not forgotten about getting his. So I scooped him up in my arms and settled with him down on the floor, the flurry of moving day put on pause for a little bit, and then it all began to hit me. I could hear myself think and it scared me because I dreaded the deep surge of emotion that I had tried so hard to bury in box after box being loaded onto the U Haul, to be moved over the mountains, and across the state to a new home.

Then the bells from the Catholic Church adjoining the back corner of our yard began to ring out, their last call for Saturday night mass. As I sat there I thought about how much I'd grown to love those bells over the last five years of my life and remembered how I would always stop whatever I was doing to listen to their happy sound whenever they would ring, and I thought about how much I was going to miss those moments of peaceful reflection. Those bells expressed so well all my feelings toward this home sweet home we were about to leave...they summed up almost six years of memories made...hours of accumulated laughter, some tears, the birth of both our children and many beautiful milestones, great and small, along with the millions of just regular, ordinary sort of moments that make up life.
And as I listened to the familiar dong....dong...dong...the tears that had been pooling up in my eyes spilled out over my cheeks, as I felt an overwhelming pang of sadness knowing that I was hearing those bells for the last time.

The next morning as I stared out the car door window, familiarizing myself with the streets and houses around my future home, half pinching myself inside as we pulled up in front of the towering blue, circa 1909 house that we'll someday call home, half terrified at the task that lay ahead in making this house a home, I stepped out to the car, with a hopeful heart. It was then that I realized I was I hearing bells. Lood and clear, these glorious bells rang out around me. Goose bumps popped up all over my arms as, awestruck, I whispered my thanks to Him. In that moment I felt seen and known and loved as I listened to the bells ring in a new season as they had rung out an old,  His faithful love stunning me afresh.

But isn't that just like Jesus to send us little reassurances, like that.




P.S. - I cannot tell you how glad I am to have a blog full of memories to look back on, of the years we spent in our first home. It's one of greatest blessings of keeping a blog. That, and having the love and support and encouragement of each of you.

{ finding our rhythmn }

We are all settled in to the sweet little cottage. It's been a crazy full week with unpacking and setting up our life here, including evenings out, friends over, and the bridal shower of one of my dearest ever childhood friends that I got to decorate for and attend this weekend.
Go, go, go and rush, rush, rush, has been the rhythm of our life. But I am
looking forward to the rest of the summer, to a little slower pace of life as we are tucked away in our little one bedroom cottage without phone, internet, a debit card ( which I have handed in, as we have made the switch to a cash only budget this summer, in the hope that it helps with saving money) or even an oven to cook on. I am enjoying my little one burner hot plate and a toaster oven and I am going to attempt baking potatoes in it for dinner tonight. Starting yesterday I am being more intential about how I spend my days...incuding reading more, to Annabelle and in general. ( This book being our favorites of the week), taking longer walks, spending quiet moments alone with Jesus and my bible at the kitchen table in the mornings, devoting my days entirely to my children and to playing out in these sunny summer days. To spending our evenings just being together, taking long walks and have lengthy conversations, and cuddle sessions, and soaking up every single moment, so many of which are magical with our beautiful growing children. To seeing this particular chapter in our life as more than just a transition period or temporary, and not missing the sweetness each day holds...

I should be packing...

Instead of blogging. Especially while the kids are both fast asleep for the night.
But I ran out of boxes. And rubbermaids.
So here I sit, munching away on a dark chocolate bar that I just uncovered in the bottom of my dresser drawer and had stashed away weeks ago, compliments of my very own personal postpartum chocolate fairy -
You know who you are...And hopefully you know as well, how very much I adore you. For many, many reasons, in addition to the steady supply of chocolate of course.

To put it mildly, life is a wild and crazy topsy-turvy tangle of boxes and babies and lists and houses...such as the one we are leaving, in 5 days, the one we are moving into ( more on that in a minute ) and the one we bought on the other side of the mountains and are renovating...David and I are feeling excited and encouraged, a little bit exhausted and a whole lot loved and taken care of. We have had an incredible amount of support, prayer, and help and once again find ourselves overwhelmed by the faithfulness of God in meeting our needs. Two days ago, at this time, we had no idea where we would be moving after our house closed. We were starting to feel the pressure, as we have only 5 days left to be here. I was working on finding a short term rental for the next three months, while David finishes up work over here and while we work on getting our new house livable over there. Yesterday afternoon I probably called over thirty different apartment complexes, desperate to find something, anything...and I begin to notice this trend: if ( and it's a big IF )they offer a short term lease at all, the price is always higher ( a lot higher ), because it is so temporary. And then we got our hopes up when we thought this lady was going to rent us her teeny tiny cottage, but that fell through because she found someone who wanted to lease it for longer than we did. All of that yesterday, and getting no where...totally back to square one.
An hour and a miracle later, we are handed the sweetest, beyond our wildest imagination gift, the invitation to stay for the next couple months in the little place we lived in after we were married, which we've always called, the honeymoon cottage...a place and time in our lives that we hold the happiest memories of. David just happened to be driving by there after work, to see if maybe the cottage might just happen to be empty and if so, the owners just might happen to be open to letting us rent it for a couple months from them...they just happened to agree, and then happened to give us a killer good deal on rent, all of which just happened to be God's answer to our prayers. We couldn't stop grinning last night, and truly cannot tell you how thankful we are to know we will have a roof over our heads, after we leave here. Add to that the sweetness of getting to go back to our very first little love nest, that was and still is so dear to our hearts. I told David last night, if we ever and I mean ever doubt God's faithfulness, from here on out, I hope he gives us a good, swift kick in the rear.
Without fail. Every. Single. Day. He supplies our needs.
And we hold countless proofs of His love.
Of His perfect love.

" What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a stone."

- Jesus ( Luke 11:11 )

" All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. "

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

{ well worth your time }

This uplifted me yesterday. So I have to share. I walked out of church, with tears running down my cheeks, asking Jesus to renew and expand my love for Him...I don't want a day to pass by that I am not growing deeper and being changed by the joy of knowing Him.

( oh and don't forget to pause project playlist first )