Saturday, January 30, 2010

so what have you been doing?

if you live around here i bet you have been enjoying this winter wonderland.





from fluffy stuff yesterday to hard core frozen ice for sliding today- it has been an adventure.






i can not even count how many times i have dried and warmed our clothes for another round of snow fun!


and the images below... yes, we did sled behind a 4 wheeler in our baby pool. what a scream!





and yes... he did pull our child behind the 4 wheeler on his belly (no sled). way way too much fun!

*

but please know we always take the safety of our children and others as tip top priority around here....

it's just we like to have loads of fun too!


and what makes it even better? having a few friends snowed in and sleeping over:)


and to those who are sticking their toes in the sand and feeling some warm sunshine... we KNOW you miss THIS! and we miss you!

Friday, January 29, 2010

let the fun begin...

totally thought since school was cancelled so early that we'd have no such luck at a real snow.
*
so we ventured out to town this am without even a flurry.
we came back to snow covered slippery road. and if you know my road- it is a hazard waiting to happen. i almost had one. snow driving- not one of my skillz. so we slipped and slid and well... i recovered- thank goodness.
*
a driver in snow i am not. a player in snow i am. well, WE are!

several inches on the ground as i speak and it is putting it down fast. wonder how much we will end with?

resting and warming now for the next big adventure!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

promise

i read the story of Noah tonite to the kiddos before bed.
they always love the part about the rainbow- God's promise.
i was reminded of the rainbow barron and i saw off our deck last week. it seems lately i have needed the reminder of a rainbow.
i am struggling with the wait for Bristol.
i am ready. but, you see, God doesn't have Bristol ready yet. and when He does, then and only then, we will get "the call".
easy to say, hard to live.
like i said...i am ready now. my heart aches for her more than i could have ever imagined without even seeing her sweet face.
so, i soaked in the rainbow.
a promise for Noah.
a reminder to me that God loves me, He is in control, and He is everywhere- like in the awesomeness of a rainbow.
just when i needed to see Him, He sent a rainbow.
...and just a little extra tidbit... i believe this was the closest i have been to the end of a rainbow. in case you were wondering- no pot of gold. we could have used that too:)

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Amos Story

BACKGROUND INFO ON THIS VIDEO... in this video are our friends and their 2 precious children from Haiti, among other sweet faces. Amos is the handsome fella you see throughout. the song is about him. they have been waiting years for him. and now he is caught up in the earthquake disaster. the sweet girl is Story who just came home a few months ago. you'll see their momma holding them and their daddy is the main character in the video. what a journey this family has been on.

please help pray Amos home!

just do it

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~Mark Twain


Thanks Joe for being willing to take risks.
Sometimes I cringe at them. Sometimes I wonder why oh why. Other times I follow head on and become blessed beyond measure.

this little "risk" was taken on the pond that succumbed to far too many days below freezing and proved to be way too much fun!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

12 months = 1 year


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the number of months in one year.
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the actual number of months TODAY that we have been on the "wait list" awaiting our referral of Bristol.
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please pray it will rain referrals. my heart longs to meet her and hold her.
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and if you are wondering...we are so close.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010

clearer vision

you can tell something has changed around here- right?
not that this guy wasn't cool before...
but look now!

this was hard for me. verge of tears folks. i had a pretty good sense it was coming, but still it was hard.


i know- dumb. it's just glasses. i mean- come on. it could be something terribly worse.


it's just it took me back to when i got my glasses. i hated them! nope- no one ever made fun of me. i just flat out h-a-t-e-d them. and still do to this very day. lasix surgery is in my very near future:)



it's just there is such a stigma to glasses. you know?


well. then there is my brax. truly the coolest guy i know. he is such an amazing kid. i am daily reminded of how before i even knew i was preggo (but was) the Lord telling me i would have a baby boy and he would do great things for God's kingdom.

as i watch him grow, as i see how he reacts to things, soaks things in, how he is sensitive to others yet so tough himself, how intelligent he is and how patient and compassionate, he's quiet yet a leader, and man- what a thinker. lots of thoughts (deep ones) go thru this noggin.




well,
i am amazed. amazed at the gift of braxton. from the beginning he has defined odds and i know he will continue to do so.
and i am amazed at how much older he looks!

glasses. who cares! i love them already! and braxton, he has thought they were great since he picked them out at the eye doc.



seems like these days glasses are cool. briley informed me i can and should buy her a fake pair at walgreens. are you kidding?! don't think so!










Sunday, January 10, 2010

baby it's cold outside

when you finally get the snow you've been waiting for
but it is just too cold to play out in it you just do this...


and mom gets a chance to play with her new camera.
these i took from the porch...





i have so much to learn about photography and am so excited to do so!
a class is in my near future.

Friday, January 8, 2010

too...

look who is starting to look so grown up. this haircut aged her, but i love it and so does she.

Monday, January 4, 2010

new (or not?)

so i was looking back here to see what my goals were last year.

thinking that doing so would help me with my '10 goals.
and they did...

i came up with my goals but wasn't sure anyone else really cared to hear about them.

so i decided to sum it up with these thoughts...
it is taken from my favorite book of this past year (besides my sword- of course:)
and from a sweet new friend who shared this verse.

here it goes...
any of you who does not give up EVERYTHING he has cannot be my disciple. luke 14:33

He gives all. He asks all.
He wants all or nothing.
you are either in or out.
you are either hot, cold or worse yet- lukewarm.

it's about eternity.
how will you answer the King when He asks you..."What did you do with what I gave you?"

and a little more...
and if i have a faith,that can move mountains, but have not love, i am nothing. if i give away all i have and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, i gain nothing.
for love is... (everything i want to be!) 1 Cor 13:2-13

study these verses like you never have and truly live by them. it's a challenge and i am going for it!

then there is...
Matthew 25:31-46 about the sheep and the goats. and how you did or didn't feed, clothe, take care of, invite in, visit with...
i tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

and let us love not with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16-20

according to God, we are here to LOVE.
in fact, He measures our lives by how we do it.

i have a big year this year.
and i plan on clinging to God and loving greater than i ever have.