The Hutto Connection

2011 in Review

2012-01-01T17:04:00.026-05:00

In January, we...

Enjoyed watching our son's love of trains.

In February, we...

Had fun dating our kids...

and prayed for our baby cousin's healing.

In March, we...

celebrated our children's talent, on stage...

and off...

In April, we...

watched our children grow and learn...

and celebrated our Savior's Resurrection and His healing power (rejoiced over His healing of our little one!)

In May, we...

lost some teeth (for the first time)...

and graduated from preschool...

In June, we...

celebrated 8 years of marriage...

finished school and "bridged" from daisies to brownies...

coached and cheered on the cutest t-ball player in the world

In July, we...

swam, swam, swam...

went on vacation...

turned 7...

and had fun visiting Mimi and Pop

In August, we...

enjoyed our last days of summer...

Cheered on Mama as she ran a mini sprint triathalon...

Purchased a doll that took 13 months to save for...

and started school

In September, we...

enjoyed the start of fall and football season

In October, we...

turned 30...

Ken and Abby went to Chicago to celebrate...

started vision therapy...

and were Princess Leia and Spiderman

In November, we...

won a photography award...

turned 6 and had a pirate party...

and gave thanks...

upon thanks

In December, we...

sang in some concerts...

ate a little too much sugar...

and enjoyed each other's company (we had so much fun with Mimi, Pop, Pop-Pop and Uncle Jason that we forgot to take pictures!)

At the close of a year with so many ups and downs, I am struck by these comforting thoughts: That God is faithful and true, He never changes, He is always the same. He is good even in our sorrow, and powerful in our pain and weakness. He is the beginning and He is the end. All of life is found in Him. I have no doubt that 2012 will have it's own share of joys and sorrows, but the same God who brought us safely this far, will be with us until the end. Behold Him making all things new.

Hope that never puts to shame

2011-11-06T11:13:00.006-05:00

The past few months have been a difficult season of life for me. No really big problems, just lots of little trials and hurdles. Some have challenged me to take a long, hard look at where my real hope lies. Several trials have involved my children, which pierces my heart with pain. I have struggled to keep my hands firmly grasping both sorrow (reality) and hope (promise).

Both children had the stomach bug this weekend, which forced my schedule to slow down to a halt, and gave me time to reflect and wrestle with my soul. I stayed up late in Harry's room the other night, preparing for a talk that I am giving at our women's retreat this weekend. Three of us are dividing up the book, A Praying Life, by Paul Miller, and the section that I am speaking on is about finding God in the desert. This was exactly what my heart needed to mull over at 1:00 a.m. with a throwing up kid next to me.

This quote from the book has stuck with me over the last several months: "...Gospel stories always have suffering in them. American Christianity has an allergic reaction to this part of the gospel. We'd love to hear about God's love for us, but suffering doesn't mesh with our right to the 'pursuit of happiness'. So we pray to escape a gospel story, when that is the best gift the Father can give us." I think this is what I have been doing for most of my adult life. I have been wanting to be like Jesus, but without the pain and suffering part. I have wanted a "gospel story" without the cross that is the center of it. I am beginning to realize that the two are inseparable. Jesus isn't a Savior without His cross.

So I am praying to find the Father within the sufferings. The trials are a means for me to be purified, to have my heart become completely His. So many things have been crowding Him out of my thoughts, and they need to be removed and put in their rightful place. This verse is constantly being brought to my mind: "...we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope DOES NOT PUT US TO SHAME, because God's love has been POURED INTO our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5: 3-5

I want to have a heart that belongs, completely and wholly, to the One who has poured His love into my heart. He has borne the ultimate suffering, the curse of the tree, so that I would never have to. I can bear these trials, even rejoice in them, to have Him become my only Hope.

Hannah as "Princess Leia" and Harry as "Spiderman"

Playing around...

2011-10-07T13:20:00.007-04:00

...with the camera I got for my birthday from Ken and the kids! As a special "gift", the kids let me take some pictures of them, so I could try out my camera. It's a steep learning curve for me as I have always had a "point and shoot" model until now. I'll have fun experimenting!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-01T20:25:00.006-04:00

I know I have not yet posted pictures from the rest of the summer or of the beginning of the school year, but I had to post these pumpkin patch ones! We had so much fun picking out our pumpkins, even though it was a little cold and windy outside. I LOVE pumpkins, especially the ones that are varying shades of gray and white. We tried a new place this year, and I was really happy with it. Instead of charging different prices for different kinds of pumpkins, they just charged unilaterally by the pound. The same pumpkins would have cost me $6 more at Kroger. I know, because I checked! :)

The pumpkins were such beautiful works of art! Fall is one of the most lovely and colorful seasons in our neck of the woods, so hopefully more autumn pictures to come!

Summer Fun, Part 1: Travels

2011-08-22T19:48:00.007-04:00

It's been a long time since I last posted. We had a really fun summer, and I plan on sharing what we did over the next several posts.

One thing we did a ton of was TRAVEL! We traveled over 7,000 miles this summer going on vacation and visiting with family. It was fun to get to spend time with the people we love and don't get to see near enough.

We went to Hilton Head with my family and enjoyed the beach, the bicycle trails, and all the fun activities (like putt-putt). Ken sent me a week ahead of himself and the kids, so I actually got a REAL vacation!!! What a sweet sacrifice from my dear husband. Thanks to Mimi and Pop coming to visit that week to lend a helping hand, I was able to read on the beach, sleep in, and basically do whatever I felt like for a WHOLE WEEK. Words just can't express. All you tired mamas know what I'm talking about. Ken and the kids came for the second week and I was so relaxed--I was actually able to enjoy my children on vacation. Such a blessing. :) Here are some pictures from that week:

Breakfast at our favorite diner in HHI

Grandparents sweetly watched the kids one night, so Ken and I went out on a much needed date:

On the way home, we stopped off in Savannah and showed the kids the B&B that we stayed in on our honeymoon! Fun memories. Also funny to think about what a DIFFERENT stage of life we are in these days! Sigh...

That's all for now. Hopefully some more updates to come soon!

The VERY BEST thing about summer...

2011-06-13T13:32:00.004-04:00

...is getting to spend loads of time with this girl! I miss her a lot during the school year, and summer is a fun catch up time for us. We've been shopping, picked out our summer reading books, painted toe-nails, gone on bike rides, played at the pool together, and have just enjoyed each other's company. Days full of memories to treasure.

Here are the pictures from her "Bridging Ceremony" for girl scouts. She is now officially a brownie! Yes, that means we will be selling cookies next year. What this means for me? I will now be able to order as many boxes of thin mints as I like without anyone knowing! he he he

My Little Slugger

2011-06-09T13:04:00.002-04:00

Here's my handsome little man (and my other handsome man) in their baseball uniforms! It's been so fun watching Harry play and Ken help as an assistant coach. Fun days.

End of the Year Reports, for a 1st grader and her Mama

2011-06-04T10:29:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, Hannah went with her class to the zoo. Each child picked an animal that they wanted to observe in their "habitat" and then wrote and presented an animal report at school the following week. Hannah picked the sea turtle as the animal that she wanted to observe. She was so cute at the sea turtle exhibit! She watched very carefully and patiently (as sea turtles are not your most active and exciting animals at the zoo). Her patience was rewarded when she got to see him swim slowly from the bottom of the pool to poke his head up for air and then swim back down.

At home she wrote an awesome report on sea turtles from a library book. We also printed off some pictures of sea turtles online so that she could have some visual interest on her poster board. Aside from helping her understand the diagram her teacher sent home and tracing lines on the paper for her to write on, I did not help her. She wanted to work independently, and the results were amazing! She decorated it with stickers and even put thought bubbles on some of the pictures. I was really proud of her hard work--it took her around 2 hours of concentrated working to pull the poster all together.

Her teacher liked her presentation so much that she asked if she could keep it as an example for her kids next year. I asked Hannah, and she said that she would like for her teacher to keep it. I was a little sad, but made sure that I snapped some photos before we left school.

It has been really fun to watch Hannah grow in her confidence this year. She never would have wanted to work independently at the beginning of the year or present anything in front of the class. She would barely speak in group time in September. Her teacher thought she couldn't read, because she was too shy to talk much to her. So much has changed! Yesterday when I visited her classroom, she was talking during group time, telling a long story to the whole class. Her presentation of her poster was great (so I heard), and the kids all loved her "jokes" of what the turtles were thinking.

I'm very thankful for how far she has come since September, for her sweet and patient teacher, and for the ways we have seen God working in her and for her this year. It's been a growing and stretching season for her as she has had to work through some of her insecurities and fears. My heart has broken on many occasions watching my tenderhearted child work through the pain of dealing with bullies, of feeling rejected, of sensing her own inabilities and short comings. Thankfully, these came in short spurts, otherwise I don't think we would have made it! There were lots of good parts mixed in too. One thought carried me through good and bad alike: It is such a comfort to know that everyday I drop her off and watch her walk through those doors, I am not sending her into the world alone.

My kids love the imagery of Psalm 23, of the Shepherd who walks alongside of them even in the darkness. His rod and staff comforts them, because in the dark, when they can not see, He can. He beats back their fears and holds their hand, so they can confidently walk in this world. What peace this visual picture brings to my own heart, of the Shepherd King holding hands with my children, guiding them with His staff and protecting them with His rod. "Even though I walk through the valley of deep darkness, I will not fear, for you are with me." Trusting God with my children has been a real struggle for me, but I am confident that He is able (seems like a no brainer, but the heart sometimes struggles to keep up with the head) and He is good. All the time. Even in pain.

"Only goodness and steadfast love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Longing for Home

2011-05-21T10:11:00.006-04:00

I've been experiencing more and more the desire to be living closer to our families. Our much loved parents/grandparents are both 8 hours away, my sister and her husband (as well as my nieces and nephew) are also 8 hours away, my youngest brother is 6 1/2 hours away, and my other brother has been living abroad for the last 3 years. Ken's only brother is 8 hours away as well. Ken and I only see our grandparents about once a year, which truly breaks my heart.

This is not what I thought our lives would look like. I always thought that my children would grow up alongside of cousins, aunts and uncles, great-grandparents and grandparents.

I was listening to a sermon not long ago about the deepest longings of our hearts. God did not intend for us to be separated from the people we love. He created us for unbroken fellowship, not just with Him, but also with each other. Our deepest longing is "to have love last", to be with the people we love forever. But, in this broken and fallen world, that is not our reality. Death occurs slowly. We are separated by sin, misunderstandings, grudges, distance (both emotionally and physically), and eventually by time and space when our loved ones pass away.

Our culture is one of constant change. People don't grow up and settle in the same towns anymore. Our loved ones live far away. Our siblings take jobs in far away places. Our best friends move to Africa. Children grow up and leave. We watch our parents age. Time moves quickly.

That's why even the best love, that of spouses and family and the dearest of friends, can not truly satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. There is only one Love that will never fail, never be separated from us, never leave us or forsake us, even in death. He calls Himself "our Eternal Dwelling Place". God longs to be our Home, our Family, our Parent, our Spouse, our closest Friend, our forever King. And our deepest longings can only be met in Him. Our hearts are safe in this Eternal Home.

He is a good and kind Father. He sent His son to turn back the clock, to undo death itself. He is recreating, reviving and renewing. It's taking a long time (to us), but one day we will know the joy of being in unbroken, forever fellowship with Him and also with the people we love, the people we have lost.

Until then, we long for, we wait for, we hope for this day. And we drive a lot. We talk on the phone a lot. We go on vacations together. We make the effort to be involved in our loved ones lives, because in the end, life is all about the relationships. Our relationship with God and our relationships with each other. They are what sanctify us. They are the means in which we share Christ with each other. They are what set up apart in a world that hungers for things that can never truly satisfy the soul. People are the treasures that we store up in Heaven.

I for one, echo the longings of John in the end of Revelation. "Come, King Jesus, come quickly!". We're ready.

Swimmin' Fools

2011-05-16T12:33:00.005-04:00

One thing we have loved about living here is our indoor community pool! It is really nice to get to swim in a heated pool when it is still freezing outside. The kids took swimming lesson for 8 weeks. Last week was their final week. Hannah loves to swim and did really well. She is so fun to watch--completely fearless when she is in the water. This is not the norm for the other realms in her life, so it is a special joy to watch her take chances and venture out (all under the watchful eye of her instructors!). I look forward to seeing her grow and develop in her swimming skills over the summer!

Harry has decided that he is afraid of the "deep" water (which comes up to his chin). So, he decided half way through the classes that he just wasn't going to try to swim too much. He would rather just hang onto the swim instructor and kick his legs occasionally. However, he did persevere and complete all eight classes, and we are proud of him. I'll be honest, it was nice to see him have a somewhat healthy fear of SOMETHING. He's our risk taker, so I don't mind that he wants to be extra careful in the water. He's already enrolled for more lessons this summer, so hopefully he'll grow in his confidence as he learns new skills.

On a side note, Harry's favorite part of swim lessons was waiting for them to start. That was his opportunity to dance along with the old ladies in the water aerobics class. He's one of a kind!

Who heals all your diseases...

2011-04-20T18:27:00.004-04:00

This week as I've been reflecting (or attempting to reflect...as much as a mama of little ones is able to reflect) on the suffering of Jesus. At times in my relationship with Christ, this has been an abstract concept for me. The benefits of my salvation have been equally abstract as well. I am realizing that these two concepts are inextricably linked. The more I gaze on His suffering and all that He went through, the more my heart sees and is amazed by the benefits that I now have because of His sacrifice.

One benefit (from the long list in Psalm 103) that keeps coming to my mind is this beautiful phrase..."Bless the Lord, O my soul...who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit." This is fresh on my mind as I have labored in prayer over my sweet niece, Abagail. Several months ago, she unexplainably was unable to swallow liquids. They went straight into her little lungs. For a (then) 5 months old, this is a major problem. Long story short, she ended up having a feeding tube inserted in her nose, so that she could continue to eat and live.

When I went and visited over spring break, I had the joyful privilege of carrying her around in the snugli while the other kids ran around one day. One thing that I noticed, that completely broke my heart, was how little people would LOOK at her. Some would look, see her tube, and glance away, with an embarrassed expression on their faces. Some did not even see her at all. My sister later shared with me that this was "normal"--something that her heart had experienced many times as well.

After I came home, I began to realize how much I do not SEE people, especially people with disabilities. I glance away quickly, feeling awkward. I think, "did they notice me staring?". I even found myself walking the long way around people in the mall, just to avoid the feeling of not knowing what to do. Jesus quietly convicted my heart of my self centeredness, my desire to be comfortable, to not feel awkward, and my insensitivity to the needs of others. The NEED to be SEEN.

This was not true of the life of Jesus. He always looked at people. He saw them--not just the outside, but straight down to their souls. He saw their deep longings, their broken hearts, the baggage that they carried, the crushing weight of sin that they bore. He looked. He saw. He moved towards them.

Isaiah 53 was one of my favorite passages in college. One of the phrases from that passage comes to mind when I think of all these things. "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." Not only did Jesus see those that no one else even bothered to look at, He also became unseen for us. He even experienced the rejection of His Father. So marred and disfigured by sin, even His own Father turned away His face from the Beloved Son.

What kind of God does this? What love must be ours? I am rejoicing that, through His disfigurement, His rejection, we are healed. Not just in the next life, when He comes to make all things right and new, but in THIS life as well. After months of praying, my niece is healed. No diagnosis, because earthly doctors didn't know what was wrong. But her Great Physician did, and He moved to graciously heal.

He is healing my heart too, of my addiction to self, my need for comfort, my desire to always look like I know what to say, know what to do in every situation. It is a slow process. I am looking, trying to see the person behind the disability, the disfigurement. I am praying in my heart for them and for an opportunity to speak, if my King desires for me to do so. I am looking forward in HOPE to the day when there will be no tears, no sickness, no sorrow, no pain, no death. He is near, His Kingdom in at hand. It will be a glorious day when we walk on the sand of Jordan's banks.

Abagail, healed, redeemed, restored

January and February in Photos

2011-04-04T14:19:00.005-04:00

I can not believe we are already in April! Where has the first part of 2011 gone? I am very behind on posting as our lives have been pretty crazy. These last few months have been stretching for my faith and have forced my heart to grab onto the HOPE that we have in Jesus.

We have experienced some sadnesses and trials that have caused me to take a hard look at my life and my faith and ask myself some searching questions. I have had to take an honest inventory of my hopes and have had to scrutinize my heart. I have had to admit to myself, and to God, that I have been looking to certain things, other than Him, to give me security, comfort and peace.

Though seasons where God strips you of your idols are painful, they are also beautiful and rewarding. I have been blessed to see God's goodness, even in the midst of sorrow. I feel that my heart and His heart are becoming more tightly bound together. I believe in His faithfulness and love in new and real ways. I'm sure I'll be sharing more on those changes in later posts, but for now....PICTURES!

We took Harry to see a massive train show that came to town in January. My boy loves trains and it was fun to see him enjoying all of the exhibits! There are not very many pictures of him, because he was running around the convention center the whole time! Ken had fun trying to keep up with him:

Our downtown skyline recreated from legos!

We stood in line for FOREVER so they could ride Thomas for about 90 seconds! Harry was too interested in the ride to look at the camera. His is the profile you see riding in front of his sister. :)

Then, in February, Ken took Hannah to the annual Girl Scouts Father/Daughter dance. Harry and I went on a date as well. So much fun to spend some alone time with our kids!

Hannah and her handsome date!

This girl loves to hula hoop and dance! They had a lot of fun together.

Christmas at the White House

2011-02-09T19:08:00.005-05:00

One night we headed over to the White House to see the Christmas trees. If you have never been to D.C. during the Christmas season, it really is impressive. Right next to the White House is the national Christmas tree that the President's family lights every year. Surrounding it are trees for every state and province, decorated by artists native to each state. It was really beautiful!

Nana, Pampa, Hannah and Harry

The guys were posing for a picture (because I was making them), and someone snuck into the shot last minute!

Pampa and his shadow for the week

Harry's favorite part! They had several trains set up all around the huge Christmas tree.

I was happy to see a nativity scene. It's nice to know that Jesus is still a part of something at our nation's capital!

Hannah and Harry Take D.C., part 1

2011-02-06T19:59:00.004-05:00

One of our favorite places that we visited in D.C. was the Museum of Natural History. We spent most of the day there. I have to say, my kids were TROOPERS the whole week. We walked all over the place, and there was a very minimal amount of whining and complaining even though they were running on late nights and no naps. Of course, it did help to have 2 parents, 2 grandparents, and 2 uncles at their disposal.

They were so cute to watch while we were touring the museum. They almost ran from room to room, so excited to discover and explore as much as possible. The one thing that Harry said he wanted to do in D.C. was to see some dinosaurs. When we got to the big room that has the largest dinosaurs, he was so thrilled. Pampa held him for a while so that he could see even more (it was pretty crowded). So fun to see such sweet moments with grandparents!

On a side note, this trip convinced me that I definitely need to invest in something more than a point and shoot. I really like my camera, but it just doesn't cut it in certain situations. I hate to have so many picture perfect opportunities that pass me by! Any suggestions on what to look into?

Our Christmas

2011-02-05T20:25:00.004-05:00

This is a VERY belated post about our Christmas break! We've had some craziness in our lives for the past month, but that is a whole other post (which I am sure I will get to eventually).

We spent Christmas at home this year, which was a nice change of pace. The more Ken travels with work, the more he likes to spend our holidays at home. It is very fun and sweet to begin our own family traditions centered around the birth of our Lord Jesus. I also feel like I SEE my kids more when we are at home during the holiday season. With all of the work it takes to pack up gifts and get everything together and then all of the fun stuff we do when we actually get to where we are going, I often feel that Christmas morning comes and goes and I haven't enjoyed my children. This year was different. We did a lot of the low key things like decorating the house, making gingerbread cookies, drinking hot chocolate around the fire, wrapping up in blankets and driving around to see Christmas lights, and going to our own church together. It was so enjoyable to just focus on my own little family as we celebrated God's greatest gift to us.

We also decided to just get the kids one nice gift each, instead of a ton of little things. I was so happy we decided to do that! The grandparents showered them with presents, so they had more than one gift to open, which was nice. Another plus was that we just didn't spend all that time and money on unnecessary things. I felt like we wasted a little less this year, which is always a good feeling! On the whole, it was a much simpler Christmas than we have ever done before, and it was very satisfying and rewarding. It left us time and energy to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas and each other.

After Christmas, we packed up the car and headed to Washington, D.C. where my family was gathered. My dad was speaking at a college kids' conference, so we all spent the week after Christmas together running around our nation's capital. Stay tuned, as there will be more pictures of Hannah's and Harry's adventures to come...

Thankful for Sons

2010-12-09T21:06:00.010-05:00

In the month since I have last posted, I have experienced many things for which I am very thankful. Instead of doing one long post, I will split them up into several little ones. Who am I kidding? Make that several wordy ones! :)

This post is for my little Harry boy. He is not so little any more! He just celebrated his 5th birthday. He always has, and continues to be a source of joy, life and happiness in our home. Hannah and I have had several opportunities to be home alone together, and though we enjoy the time with each other, we both ALWAYS end up expressing how much we miss Harry. He brings the elements of surprise and laughter into our lives every day!

I have seen such growth and maturity in him this past year. He is growing and developing in his sense of compassion for others. It is so fun to listen to him pray. Last night during our family devotion time, he prayed for a woman he saw while we were running errands a week ago. He asked God to help her because, "she has crossed eyes, and I don't think she has any children, and she looked lonely." It was humorous at the time, but really touching to me later. He remembered her, even though I didn't mention her and he was worried that she might be lonely during this Christmas season. Such a sweet and tender heart.

He is so smart and loves to learn. He has an eagerness to understand. He is rarely satisfied with the pat answer of "just because" and wants to know how things work. He wants to understand deep concepts as well, and is always ready to talk about what is on his little heart. I LOVE that, and hope that we can continue to want to talk to and understand each other as he grows older.

He is funny and curious. The other day he told me, and I quote, "Mommy, remember that time we were at Sam's and I stuck my finger in that carton of cream and it spilled all over the floor and you had to get someone to help clean it up? Well, sometimes children be curious and that's why they sometimes do naughty things." Well said, Harry. That about sums up my entire childhood, and is a pretty good foreshadowing of what is to come in his.

I could go on an on about things I adore about my son. But I can't think about him without thinking about another Son. Knowing the love that I have for Harry, though I am flawed and far from perfect, causes me to stand in awe of the love that the Father has for his only Son. When I look at Harry, I know that I would give anything to protect him, to save him. At times I am overcome by the love the Father has FOR US, that He would send into this world his only, beloved, perfectly obedient, precious Son.

I always cry when we sing "Silent Night" on Christmas Eve. Even though the night is joyous and wonderful and we sing about everything being "calm and bright", I can't help but imagine what was going on in Heaven the night Jesus was born. The Father, watching the Son that He loves, being born into a world that that would not understand him, that would mistreat him, ridicule him, and would ultimately nail him to a cross, naked, alone, and forsaken. That first Christmas had to be one mixed with joy and sorrow. But our Father was willing--willing to sacrifice the one thing He loved more than anything else. Willing to feel the pain that would pierce His own heart too, as He watched His precious Son become a man of sorrows. Willing to hear his only boy cry out to him as he hung dying on a cross of shame, knowing that if He saved him, He would lose all of us. Willing, because His love is so great, it is incomprehensible. I can't wait to get to Heaven, to begin the joy of knowing that Love face to face.

So, happy birthday, my son, Harry. And Happy Birthday, to the Risen Son, who has fought the fight against sin and death, and has been the Conquering Hero, the Son of Promise! His birth is one worth celebrating! May every son born to us look and live just like Him!

Family Night

2010-11-06T16:37:00.004-04:00

I have very fond memories of Friday nights from my childhood. My family (for many, many years) had a weekly "family night". We all stayed home and ate pizza, watched movies or played card/board games together. At one point in time, we spent Friday nights eating popcorn and listening to my dad read aloud the Little House on the Prairie book series. These were such fun evenings. Unfortunately, they grew less and less frequent as we got older and wanted to spend the weekend nights out with friends.

Ken and I have started the "Friday Night Family Night" tradition with our own little munchkins. Usually we just head over to the library on Friday afternoon and pick out a movie and then have a "picnic" while we watch movies and eat pizza. Occasionally, we try to mix it up a little and go somewhere for family night. During the warm summer months, we rode our bikes to our downtown and walked around window shopping and eating ice cream. Now that it is colder, we are having to mix it up a little. Recently we played putt putt and got hot chocolate together. On a side note, Harry always gets a least one "hole in one" every time we play. Seriously.

Our family time feels rare, with Ken traveling a lot for work. These times together are precious. I hate to think that one day our kids might be too cool to hang out with us. Maybe then we'll become those annoying parents who chaperone every event their kids go to. :) In all seriousness, we hope these Friday nights are helping to build the foundation for communication and mutually satisfying relationships with our children. That's is our prayer.

Voting Day

2010-11-02T17:34:00.003-04:00

Hannah's school was out today for voting day, and as Harry's school was still meeting, we had the whole morning to ourselves. We decided to go to Bob Evans to get her free birthday meal (yes, I know we're about 4 months late on that). Hannah was so cute. Right before we went into the restaurant, she asked if we could pretend it was her birthday while we ate. I said, "Sure!", since we were technically celebrating her birthday. She got so tickled when the waiter brought her free pumpkin bread (for her birthday), and everyone kept wishing her a happy birthday and asking how old she was. It was fun to watch her. We had a great time together, talking about school and dolls, and the upcoming holidays.

It was so nice to take a breather and look across the table and remember what is really important. My daughter has truly been one of God's greatest blessings to me. She is tangible evidence that God is a loving Father who gives the greatest, most needful gifts.

Halloween Extravaganza!!!

2010-11-01T19:18:00.005-04:00

We celebrated Halloween at our house for 6 days!

On Tuesday night, we held our first annual pumpkin carving contest--boys vs. girls. Ken and Harry created Pierre, a fierce pumpkin who's main purpose in his short life was to scare away naughty squirrels. Hannah and I carved Violet, a fancy young she-pumpkin who sported a saucy birthmark on her cheek and purple accessories.

On Thursday, Harry dressed up as Darth Vader for his school's annual Halloween parade. He wouldn't stop long enough in the procession for me to get a good picture. That night, we headed over to our friend's neighborhood to trick or treat with her family and several of our friends. Hannah was Ariel--complete with bright red wig.

Hannah's school parade and party were on Friday. Her class paraded around the school and the adjoining neighborhood. Then we had a party in her room with games, snacks and plenty of dancing! She also recited a Halloween poem with a few of her classmates. It was so fun seeing her in her element with her friends. She has such a fun and wonderful teacher and lots of sweet kids in her room.

On Saturday we went to a neighborhood Halloween party. We've been in our house for 3 1/2 years, and that was the first time we met several of our neighbors. Only problem with meeting people at a costume party--it's a little harder to recognize them later on. I'm pretty bad with names anyways, so I guess it doesn't matter that much!

By the way, Harry did have the coolest Darth Vader mask, but it didn't make it into any of the pictures. I think it was not all that comfortable to wear. You'll just have to see him in person sometime to get the full effect of Lord Vader.

Missing Something?

2010-10-30T15:55:00.002-04:00

Someone lost her first tooth! She put it under her pillow last night, and found that the tooth fairy left her some coins for her savings fund (she is saving up for an American Girl doll). Looks like it will be a lucrative month for Hannah when it comes to teeth--she has two more loose teeth that are ready to fall out!

ABC's and Compassion 101

2010-09-17T09:59:00.006-04:00

Harry has finished his second week of pre-K and is really enjoying it. I was a little nervous about putting him in for 4 mornings a week. I got some kick back from him last year for his two mornings a week of school, so I was afraid that would happen again (times 2). SO FAR, I have only had to encourage him to have a good attitude one morning these last two weeks. He seems to really be blossoming under the higher expectations and learning load of this pre-K program. His classroom is really focused on kindergarten readiness (Ohio has a long list of things kids are encouraged to know before entering kindergarten), so they do a fair amount of school work each day. His writing has greatly improved--I can almost read his name! Each week they focus on a letter and he comes home every day full of new information.

One thing that really encourages my heart is seeing him grow in empathy and compassion for others. I've seen him try to reach out to others that feel shy or lonely--one boy in particular in his classroom. Along those lines, I've also seen him show empathy and kindness to Hannah when she has come home after a rough day at school. She has a couple of mean girls in her classroom and she has a tendency to be sensitive to the way they treat her--the apple didn't fall far from the tree with this girl! :) I pointed out to Harry that she was having a little bit of a hard time at school and his immediate reaction was to run to her and say, "Hannah, I'm sad that you are sad and I want to give you hugs and kisses. Will you come and play with me?". He's not subtle, but he sure is sweet.

It is these little glimpses that help settle my heart in the path that we are following. I had a hard time in junior high with my first experience of public school. I felt like the odd man out a lot and experienced a fair amount of teasing (although I think almost everyone does in middle school). Hannah had a hard week at school last week. There is one girl (we'll call her "F") who is "popular" and the ring leader of the "mean girls" and she is choosing to be unkind to my little Hannah. This is so hard to navigate through--hard for me to guide Hannah in kindness when I just want to go to school and kick some first grader butt. Last week I was ready to pull her out and start homeschooling. I had to keep reminding myself that we PRAYED about this for FOREVER and this is where we feel like God has led us to be. There will be sacrifices as we walk in obedience. I have to fight against my mama bear mentality and realize that my responsibility is to teach her how to deal with unkindness, not protect her from ever experiencing it. We talked a lot about persisting in love towards "F" while also seeking out other friends who might need some kindness themselves.

I saw two things happen in Hannah's and my heart this week. First, I saw God soften my heart towards "F". I volunteered in Hannah's room (which I will start doing on a regular basis) and saw some things that made my heart move towards compassion. "F" is from a lower income family and has some insecurities herself--she seemed to really need attention from all of the adults in the room, almost seemed to crave it, which makes me wonder how much she gets at home. The second movement towards compassion that I saw was in Hannah, and it looked very different from what I thought it would look like. Hannah was finally included in "F"'s "group", but noticed that she then turned on another child, calling her "stupid" and telling her that she was not aloud to play with them. Hannah, who is my timid child, stood up for this other girl, telling "F" that it was wrong of her to speak in this way. Hannah then left the group (that she has been wanting to be a part of since the beginning of school) and asked the ousted little girl to play with her. All of this growth would not have happened if I had intervened and separated them, like I was tempted to do. Hannah now sees for herself that this is a group that she does not want to be a part of and these are not girls she wants to emulate.

God's way is always the best way. I'm going to have to come back and read this post the next time I need to attend Compassion 101. I can trust the Teacher to always know what is best and to guide and direct us on the path that He has laid out for us to walk. It will not always be an easy road to follow, but it is guaranteed to make us more like Christ--which is the definition of true happiness.

Send me over a piece of that corn...

2010-09-08T17:28:00.002-04:00

New year, fresh starts

2010-09-01T09:26:00.003-04:00

Hannah had "bear week" for the first week of school. She brought a bear she has had since she was a baby and dressed it in an outfit that she wore when she was about 4 months old.

This dude is even creepier in person! Harry really wanted his picture taken with him, but Hannah wasn't too sure. Harry kept saying, "I've seen you on my tv!"

I don't know why, but I always feel more geared up to overhaul our lives in the Fall than I do in January, when the rest of the world is making their resolutions. Looking back over last school year, there were several things I wanted to change. I want to plan ahead more, use my time more wisely, and spend more quality time with my kids.

One thing Hannah and I have been practicing is organizing our time better. Last year our mornings were all in a rush, and usually resulted in crying on both sides! :) One thing I learned about her: she likes to take her time and feels most confident when she is doing things on her own, at her own pace. Last year, I forced her to do things on my schedule, at my pace. I'm not saying that this is all bad--I do believe that children should fit into the life and rhythm of the family, as set out by the parents. However, I also believe in "remembering their frame", and working with them in the way that God has made them. So...Hannah packs her own lunch the night before and lays out her clothes. This way, as soon as she wakes up, she gets herself dressed. After breakfast all she then needs to do is brush her teeth and hair and grab her backpack (which I check every day for homework/notes as soon as she gets home from school). I know this sounds like something I should have figured out pretty quickly last year, but I'm a slow learner. Needless to say, with this new routine our mornings have been peaceful and enjoyable! Harry starts pre-K next week, so I'm hoping to get him on the same schedule as well.

Last week went very well. Hannah really likes her new teacher. She is extremely sweet and patient with the kids--a perfect match for my tender hearted girl! At home, I've been enjoying my one on one time with Harry. It further seals in my heart and mind how much I want to use his preschool time to get my work done, so I can be free to just enjoy him when he gets home. He is one who really blossoms with one on one attention. I've been brainstorming on some fun things we could do together this year. I know my days with him are numbered and I want to use them well.

We ended last week with a trip to our downtown area for one of our monthly "festivals". One thing I love about being in the public school system is the feeling of connection with our community. It's fun to sense that we really are a part of this town, and that we truly care for its people. I am praying that God will work through us to grow His Kingdom in our little corner of His world.

Little Soccer Girl

2010-08-13T20:34:00.007-04:00

Hannah starts soccer in a few weeks. She is so excited and really enjoys practicing with her fellow team members. They started practicing this week. She is doing well for having never played before! I think her favorite part is all the new gear--shorts, socks, shin guards and her first pair of cleats. She has worn her soccer socks since she and Ken got them on Monday (I have had to make sure that they are washed and ready for the next day). I bought her a second pair today, so I wouldn't have to do so much wash! It's fun to see her so excited about trying something new. She is our timid child, so I'm very proud of her for putting herself out there. Our other child, who is not so timid, has been asking us constantly when it will be his turn to play soccer. He will start his baseball class in the fall, but I guess that seems a little too far away for him. :) He insisted on getting some "baseball" pants when we were picking out shorts for Hannah. They look HUGE on him, but he is very proud of them. :) It is gearing up to be an active fall for our little family!

Chicago

2010-08-11T15:47:00.003-04:00

Every once in a while (like once or twice a year), the kids and I go along with Ken on one of his business trips. We went with him to Chicago a couple of weeks ago. We had so much fun! We drove up on a Monday afternoon. The next day we all had breakfast together, which was such a treat (at home, Ken is already working by the time the kids and I eat breakfast). While daddy worked, H & H swam in the pool--although Harry liked the hot tub much better. I had to limit his time or he would stay in until his cheeks were red! After getting cleaned up, we walked around the downtown area (we were in a suburb a little north of downtown Chicago), and ate lunch, window shopped, and played with the trains at Barnes and Noble. Daddy came back from doing his work and we went to see a movie, walked to lake Michigan (just a few blocks), and got some Chicago style pizza. The next morning we ate some of the most fantastic pancakes/french toast I've ever eaten and headed back home.

It was a quick trip, but well worth it. What I loved most was spending time with my kids and not being distracted by cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. I could actually talk to them! They are getting to the age where they enjoy interacting with me and each other. I love their little personalities, and to hear the way that they process life and think through things. It was such a blessing to my heart--like balm on a wound. We've had a crazy and somewhat sad summer, and the Lord knew I needed some sweet time with the three people I love the most. It was a good break, and a good reminder of what is important in life--what is lasting. I am so easily distracted by the "to do" list around me that I often forget what God has called me to do--to love and serve my husband and children, and to teach my children to love and serve their Heavenly Father. I will always have floors to clean and laundry to wash and toilets to scrub, but I will not always have these precious souls living under my roof. These children are my legacy, my offering to God--they are the work of my hands.

"So teach us to number our days, so that we may get a heart of wisdom...Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!" Psalm 90:12, 17

Farewell, sweet friends...

2010-08-10T15:59:00.003-04:00

We said goodbye to our sweet friends, the Robsons, on Saturday. They are now on faculty at African Bible College in Malawi. Our loss is definitely ABC's gain! I will miss my sweet friend, Jessica. She has been my best friend and sister since we moved here 3 years ago. She has helped me in more ways than I can express here on this measly little blog. I can honestly say that I am a better person from her influence on my life. Our friendship has been one of God's sweetest gifts to me.

Harry is losing his best friend too. He and JJ call each other their "brothers". When we were putting him down last night, Harry cried because he misses his friend. They have known each other since they were 18 months old--they met in the nursery on our first Sunday at Walnut Creek. JJ and Georgia have been a blessing to our family--practically members of it!

We will miss them, but we know that God is going to do great things in and through them as they minister to the students and faculty of ABC and to the people of Lilongwe. If you are interested in reading about the work they are doing, you can keep up with them by following their blog: Robsons in Malawi.

We love you, Robson family! You are in our thoughts and prayers and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Love Happens...at Home Depot

2010-08-04T08:04:00.002-04:00

Ken is out of town, giving me a chance to watch all of the sub-par chick flicks that he would only laugh at, were he forced to sit through them. Last night I watched Love Happens. As far as the main love story went, it was mediocre. However, I really liked a side plot about one of the characters who is grieving the loss of his 12 year old son. Walter, a former contractor, is guilted by his sister into attending one of Burke's (the main character) A-Okay workshops on living through the loss of a loved one. Walter has a hard time getting in touch with his emotions, but finally breaks down and tells the group that he has lost everything since the death of his son. His son died on Walter's construction site so he couldn't face going back to work. He lost his company, his wife, is working as a night janitor and can't even walk into a hardware store without feeling the death of his son all over again. As a final exercise, the whole group takes a field trip to Home Depot. In a really touching scene, all of these people who have lost someone significant to them, gather around Walter, and fill up his cart with all the things he will need to start his life as a contractor again. They all leave Home Depot a little stronger for helping Walter.

That scene reminded me of a lunch I had with some friends yesterday. One of us is going through a particularly difficult time. In retrospect, it felt a lot like that scene at Home Depot--we are all in the same boat--none of us has all of the answers or has "figured out" life. We are all, in a sense, grievers, learning to live our lives with God in the midst of pain, disappointment, loss and sorrow. But in that pain and sorrow, we know what to fill up our carts with. Through out the lunch, we just kept coming back to Jesus. Yes, life is painful. Yes, it is often not what we would have planned if we were in control. Being a believer does not automatically safe guard us from deep sorrow (actually, it often opens us up to even deeper sorrow, but that's another post altogether). But we CAN trust the One who is in control. We can look at the cross and see the extent to which He will go for us. We can look at Him and see the depth of the Father's love for us, even when that Fatherly love may not make a whole lot of sense. This is the essence of a life of faith. Choosing to see life through the lens of what God says is true. Though all of life may contradict, God does love us. He has not forgotten us. We are not beneath His notice or beyond His power to protect. He is in the business of saving us from the power and lingering effects of sin and transforming our world through His radical love.

One of the great mysteries about the love of God is how to experience it. I once heard from a youth minister back in high school that the only way to really keep hold of God's love is to constantly be giving it away. That has made more and more sense to me as I have needed others to show me God's love and as God has given me opportunity to do the same. As we encouraged our friend yesterday, we all grew a little stronger as we reminded ourselves that God is everything He claims to be and we can trust and obey Him. We all walked out of that restaurant a little stronger.

2010-07-06T15:05:00.005-04:00

We have been busy since my last post. I'm going to have to do some "catch up" posting over the next several days! These are pictures from a wonderful visit we had with Mimi and Pop at the beginning of July. We did a lot of fun things with them. We visited a couple of parks, saw Toy Story, went to the zoo and ate some good food and ice cream. We had a fun-filled time together!

Vacation Pictures

2010-06-22T16:35:00.006-04:00

We just returned from vacationing with my family at Hilton Head. We had a wonderful time together. The kids are getting to the age where they are able to play longer at the beach, which is so nice! They also had a blast with their cousins. We did a ton of fun things together: playing at the beach, riding bikes around the island, cooking with Nana, playing putt-putt (where my 3 yr. old niece hit a hole in one), and eating lots of yummy food. Because we were so busy, I did a horrible job remembering to take pictures!

Ken and Denver got to play golf twice. They so enjoy spending time together and I think it was especially nice to escape a house full of crazy children. :) I am so thankful for their friendship--it's really a blessing to have your brother-in-law be one of your best friends. Family get-togethers are fun for all of us!

Seven years...

2010-06-07T08:10:00.002-04:00

of being married to my best friend. Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!

Thoughts at the end of the school year...

2010-06-03T15:21:00.005-04:00

Hannah's class had their end of the year concert (with all of the other kindergarten classes). They sang several songs and all looked so precious standing up on the stage! I have really enjoyed getting to know a lot of these children and their families this year. Hannah has been blessed to have such a good teacher. He really enjoys music (as does she) and incorporates it into all aspects of his teaching. She has matured and learned so much over the past school year.

I was reading a friend's blog on homeschooling the other day and thought I would chime in on the conversation. How we choose to educate our children is a hot topic in the Christian community. I believe that God has given us great freedom in this area. Ken and I looked into several options when deciding what to do with Hannah this year. We checked out a Christian school in our area, looked at our local neighborhood school, and also talked to several parents who homeschool. We prayerfully considered all of the options as well as Hannah's strengths, weaknesses, and personality. In the end, we felt that God was leading us to put her in the neighborhood school.

We made this choice for many reasons. We felt that the teachers and principal really cared about the students and strove to provide a safe and stimulating environment for them to learn and grow. We wanted Hannah to experience diversity among students at a very early age so that we could begin to have some deep conversations with her about loving people who are different from us. We wanted her to be in situations where she may not feel 100% comfortable, so that she could learn to lean on and trust in the Lord for herself. These all factored into our decision, but the main reason for putting Hannah in our local school was simply because we felt that God had given us a desire to love and invest in the community that He has placed us in. People in our community are intensely devoted to their children (almost to an unhealthy extent). We felt that we would lose a connection with our neighbors if we put our kids in a private school or chose to homeschool.

Loving our community has looked a lot different than I expected. I thought we would make friends easily and quickly. The first event we went to NO ONE even talked to us!!! We were at a picnic for about an hour before I chased down the only mom I had seen before. I came home feeling like a loser--and very discouraged about the task that God had given us. I prayed a lot over the next several weeks and really felt that this would be an area where I would have to sincerely trust in the Lord even for something as simple as a conversation!

We have made an extra effort to attend EVERYTHING at Hannah's school, as we are trying to forge friendships and relationships. I tried to volunteer in her room on a regular basis. We planned several play dates. We joined a girl scouts troupe from our area for some extra "face time". It has taken almost an entire year to feel connected to other moms. It has been tiring to continue to invest in relationships that are not as close or as natural as the ones that I have in my church. I have often felt a little odd and sometimes rejected as I have put myself out there! However, I can look back over the year and feel a deep satisfaction--I saw the Lord provide in some really hilarious ways to open doors and start up conversations that I know I couldn't have done on my own. People are a little harder to start relationships with here, but it is worth the work.

We are just beginning the journey of loving our community--getting to know people is the first step. I feel excited for the years to come. I know that I am doing what God has called us to do. I am being His ambassador to people who may not otherwise meet Him. I feel myself beginning to care for people that I would have never even met if we had chosen a different path. I never thought that getting outside of my comfort zone would be this rewarding. I am thankful, that even when I am uncomfortable, I am never alone. I am simply following in the footsteps of the One walking ahead of me.

Love this girl...

2010-05-29T18:08:00.003-04:00

Harry's last day of preschool

2010-05-18T15:33:00.005-04:00

Harry had his last day of pre-school on Thursday. He really enjoyed his first school experience. They did some fun activities throughout the year including a visit to the pumpkin patch, a Halloween parade, Thanksgiving feast, a visit from Santa, a visit to a fire station, a trip to a local gym to learn about living an active lifestyle, a miniature olympics, and a field day (just to name a few). Whew!

We have really been blessed to have the opportunity to send Harry to this wonderful pre-school. The teachers have really been sweet! They have made the kids feel so loved and special. Our primary reason for enrolling him was to help develop his social skills and friendships (too much hanging out with girls can ruin a young man!). We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of academics that he received. His teachers were excellent. Harry has already learned most of what he needs to know to enter kindergarten! I am excited to see how much he will learn next year as well.

So what will the "man of leisure" do for the next 3 1/2 months? We have lots of fun stuff planned while we wait for Hannah to finish up school. Donuts at our local bakery, park days, zoo visits, golf in the backyard, etc. Unfortunately, pre-school has set the bar pretty high for his expectations of how busy he thinks we ought to be! Somebody still has to cook and clean around here!

L'enfant artiste

2010-05-14T08:13:00.003-04:00

We attended an art show at Harris' school last week where every class (3yrs. to 6th grade) was represented. We have always thought of Hannah as being our little artist, mostly because Harris is way too busy to sit down and create anything! Seeing his artwork hanging up on the wall made me feel so happy for my little man! He is very creative and the time he spent working on his pieces really showed. He was so proud as we took his picture by his creations. Looks like we have two little artists in the making!

P.S. This was a good lesson to me as a parent not to put my children in "boxes". I have always assumed he was not into artistic outlets because he is so athletic and active. Maybe he can and will be both!

Haircuts and Hearts

2010-05-12T20:32:00.006-04:00

Last week Hannah said she wanted her hair to be as long as Rapunzel. Yesterday, on our way to our friend's house for hair cuts, she told me she wanted it really short. I asked her several times just to make sure, but she was adamant. So we went for it. It turned out really cute! I made sure that I got a shot of the back so you could see the fabulous "stacked" bob that Laura (haircutter extraordinaire) gave her. I knew she loved her short 'do when she wouldn't stop staring in the mirror as we were getting ready for bed last night!

Today at her girl scouts meeting, the subject was "inner beauty". During circle time, they passed a mirror around and each girl had to tell something they thought was beautiful about their outside and something they thought made them beautiful on the inside. When it was Hannah's turn, she instantly said, "My short hair". When the leader asked about what was beautiful about her inside, she said, "My heart". She didn't elaborate, and I wasn't even sure that she knew what the leader was really asking. Some girl after her said, "My skeleton", so I wasn't sure if Hannah was confused and was just naming a body organ.

When we got in the car, I told her I loved her answer and asked her what made her heart so beautiful. She said, "My heart is beautiful because Jesus lives there. It's His home!". I 'bout cried, no lie. She made my week.

Isn't that what we all want? To be seen as beautiful, not for anything that is fading away on the outside, but for something that is everlasting, that can never be taken away? Hannah is beginning to grasp the true meaning and value of beauty--that we are lovely and worthwhile because we are loved and made worthy. We are lovely because the God of the universe has made us His own. We are valuable because He said we are--and He never changes His mind. I hope this is a mindset that stays with her through out her life. I am thankful that God has put her in my life to challenge me to live out the true meaning of beauty for her to see. I can easily fall into the trap of forgetting these truths and focus too much on my outside. I am thankful that God gives me these good little reminders to keep my eyes fixed on what is true and important!

My ham, Harry

2010-05-07T15:36:00.002-04:00

Enjoying our Downtown

2010-04-05T15:54:00.006-04:00

It's been sad to see how much the economy has affected the small businesses of our area. I have been making a little more of an effort to shop locally. If you know me at all, you know that this is very much outside of what I would normally do! I am the quintessential "find a bargain" shopper, especially when it comes to food. I really have to change my mindset when I walk into these little shops. Sure, I could buy my wine, thread, spices, tea, and plants from Wal-mart and spend less (a lot less, actually). However, it is satisfying to know that by spending a few dollars more, I am investing in a family and my community. We can't afford to do this all the time, but every once in a while is fun. It's also a great way to get to know people from different walks of life that you would not normally intersect with. So...support the economy where you live and shop somewhere local today!

Chopsticks

2010-03-31T15:11:00.001-04:00

Industrious Harry

2010-03-30T10:42:00.004-04:00

Harry has discovered the joys of earning money! It all started last week. To speed things up in the morning (because we are ALWAYS running 10 minutes late, which leads to a screaming mama and a crying Hannah...), I have started setting the timer for individual tasks (getting dressed, brushing teeth, making beds). If they finish before the timer goes off, they get a coin. Now Harry has never been one to be interested in doing jobs to earn money. He would much rather play. However, since he has begun collecting money for his morning tasks, he has been bit by the money bug. He keeps asking for jobs to do to earn more coins. This produces a little bit of a problem, as there is a very short list of jobs that he is able to do. He can sort laundry, sweep (sort of), use the handheld vacuum and dust. I do love his enthusiasm, though!

Any ideas from you more seasoned mamas? What are some good jobs for an energetic little boy? I'm looking for chores that will NOT cause me more headache than they are worth! Let me know if you have any suggestions! Harry and I would both appreciate it. :)

Pictured above: Harry sweeping and Harry "sorting" laundry from the clothes chute

Confronting Fears

2010-03-28T13:45:00.006-04:00

When I was signing the kids up for some spring recreation classes, I gave Hannah several options to choose from. I was surprised when she chose a rock wall climbing class! This surprised me for several reasons, one of the biggest being Hannah's fear of heights. I explained that I would happily enroll her, but she needed to know that she would be required to attend all six classes and at least try to climb during each one. That might sound a little harsh, but we are striving to teach our children the value of following through with our decisions and commitments. She agreed, and I signed her up.

She has completed two classes, and I couldn't be more proud of her perseverance! She made it a third of the way up during the first class and a little further the second class. She is not letting herself get discouraged by comparing her progress with others (all of the other kids made it to the top during the first class). She is just pushing herself to make it a little higher each time. I am so proud of her because she is showing courage and perseverance! I am so afraid of failure that I don't even attempt to try things a lot of the time.

It's funny how the little expressions of the faith of others can bolster our own timid spirits! I have been sensing God's call to express faith by trusting Him in a certain area of my life. I would prefer to remain in my cozy little comfort zone and be happy only doing those things that I know I can be successful at. This, however, is not a life of faith. It takes no faith to live my life relying on my own skills. It takes great faith to move out of myself and my comfort zone, to rely on God's strength to showcase itself in my weaknesses.

I listened to a sermon last night about Thomas, whose faith needed bolstering. Thomas had every reason to be reluctant to believe that Jesus was alive. He had just seen the man who claimed to be the answer to all of his hopes and dreams, killed like a common criminal on a cross of shame. Having already lost everything, could he bear the pain if this news turned out not to be true? If this same man really had risen from the dead, what would be in store for his followers? Given the "proof" of what Thomas had seen, I think I would have had the same fears myself. So how did Jesus strengthen Thomas' faith? By showing him His wounds--wounds that PROVED the extent of His love, the pain that He would willingly endure to change Thomas' condition. In that moment Thomas believed.

When my kids are reluctant to obey, I ask them two questions: "Does Mama love you? Does Mama want what's best for you? Then trust my love and obey!"(not always that eloquently, but you get the picture). :) Aren't these the same questions God asks us, when we are reluctant to step out in faith and walk in obedience? "Do I love you? Am I for you or against you? Am I working for your good? Then look at my wounds and trust and obey!".

Watching Hannah face her fear of heights makes me want to step out in faith in my life too. If God is for me, who cares who is against me? I have all the proof I need of His love and the extent to which He will go to keep on saving me. I can trust that love and walk in obedience.

"Crown him the Lord of love;

behold his hands and side,

those wounds, yet visible above,

in beauty glorified."

Girl Scouts

2010-02-18T18:09:00.005-05:00

Hannah started girl scouts in January, mostly to get to know some other girls her age. Since she is only in school 2 1/2 hours a day, and most of that time is taken up with academics, she needed time to develop more personal relationships. She has had a lot of fun at the meetings, and has learned a lot about empathy and caring for others.

Some of the fun things they have done so far: 1) an art sale benefiting the Haiti relief fund. They spent several hours making their art work and manning a booth at our local Starbucks. They ended up raising $130! It was wonderful to see Hannah caring for people she has never met in a country she has never visited. 2) a "fun in the sun" sleepover. Hannah's group (all 5 and 6 year old girls) were invited to take part in the earlier portion of the area wide girl scouts sleepover. They dressed in fun summer clothes and played a lot of games in the school's gym. She had so much fun--especially getting to stay out until 10:00 p.m.! 3) a Father-Daughter Valentine dance. The theme was "Mardi Gras". 4) Pokeno night at Manor Care. Hannah and I had the opportunity to go to a local nursing home and play pokeno with some of the residents. They were a hoot! Talk about being competitive to win those quarters (and I'm not talking about the girl scouts)!

A fun side story about our visit to the nursing home. One of the ladies we were helping, Rhonda, was really wanting to win some quarters. After 6 games, she came very close, but never won. At the end, she dug into her purse and pulled out 2 quarters. She leaned over and whispered, "I want you to give these to Hannah because she did such a good job helping me." Immediately I thought of the story in the Gospels about the "widows mite". These quarters may not have seemed like much to the average person, but I knew she was giving to Hannah out of her relative poverty (this particular nursing home is for folks who don't have a lot of money). I was so touched by her generosity. Hannah and I walked her back to her room and were able to spend some more time with her. It was a treat for all of us!

We will have many more opportunities to serve our community and grow in our friendships over the rest of the school year through our girl scouts troupe. Sorry I don't have more pictures of all the events Hannah has been to! I keep forgetting to bring my camera!

Cheap Date

2010-02-15T10:29:00.004-05:00

We did Valentines Day on the cheap this year! Ken's parents sent us a little money in our Valentines card and we put it to good use. Ken cooked us a wonderful dinner and I decorated the dining room in white Christmas lights (an idea I borrowed from a friend of mine). We put the kids down and enjoyed a quiet dinner and adult conversation that was long overdue!

So what was the final end result of our cheap-o date? Here's the run-down:

2 tenderloin steaks= $10.00

a bottle of wine= $10.00

steamed broccoli, buttermilk mashed potatoes= $4.00

Christmas lights + fine china= free

chocolate covered strawberries for dessert= donated from Ken's Valentines goodies

having a restaurant quality meal in your pajamas= priceless

Funny Valentines

2010-02-14T17:32:00.003-05:00

We've been all over the place with festivities this Valentines Day! Ken and Hannah went to a Father-Daughter dance Saturday night, hosted by one of the local girl scout troups. They went to dinner first (Hannah picked Pei Wei because she likes to eat with "chinese sticks") then went to her school for the dance. It was a Mardi Gras themed dance, so she and I went shopping last weekend for her purple and green dress. They had a blast doing the electric slide, hula hooping, and playing limbo together.

Meanwhile, Harry and I had a romantic dinner together at a swanky little joint called Chick-fil-a. We had a sweet time visiting together. One-on-one moments are so rare with him--I cherish every one I get! He is such a little sweet heart. He will make one lucky lady very happy one day.

This morning we opened our valentines from each other. Hannah has been really into frogs lately, ever since her Pampa sent her a frog necklace. She really liked her chocolate frog. Harry was most excited about his cars that he picked out at Target last night with the money that Nana and Pampa sent him. He told me he had "saved up his money" for the cars. I had to laugh since he had just received the card with the money that morning. I guess not spending it for 8 hours is "saving" in his book! :)

Thanks to all of the grandparents for your thoughtful and sweet cards! Receiving cards/letters in the mail is one of our favorite things. We're happy you are our valentines.

Snowmen!

2010-02-09T13:24:00.002-05:00

We've had a lot of snow here over the past several days (or weeks, really). This weekend we got enough snow that we were able to build our first snowmen! We've lived here for 3 winters, but this was the first storm that dropped really good "packing" snow--perfect for building snowmen, making snow balls and having snow wars.

The kids are standing next to the snowmen they created. Ken helped a little with Hannah's but Harry insisted on making his by himself. If you are wondering what all the red is on Harry's face, you are probably not alone. Right before we went outside to play, Harry decided to "paint" his room and his body red with a marker he had smuggled in from Hannah's room. He is not allowed to keep markers in his room, for obvious reasons. Such is life with Harry.

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 4

2009-12-30T16:23:00.003-05:00

For Day 4, I am thankful for my little boy! By the way, the thankfulness was in order of birth, not importance! :) I love my little dude! He is spunky, energetic, sweet, and simply precious! He fills our home with laughter and joy. Following so closely on the heels of his older sister, I was afraid that he might get lost in the shuffle, but he has made his presence known. :) He has a funny sense of humor that keeps us laughing all the time. He loves his family and has been enjoying making new friends at school (though his best friend or "brother" JJ will always have first place on the friend list).

I look forward to seeing all that God will do in and through my little man. He is so perceptive--he never misses a thing. I look hopefully to the day that God will use the gifts He has given him for His glory. He is a leader already--and we pray that God will continue to grow kindness in him as well. I am excited for the man I know he will one day be!

There is no greater gift from God than children, and I believe that sons hold a special significance. After all, it was through His own Son that God chose to save the world. It is through our sons that the world will be brought under the dominion of our King! As they lead in their families, churches and communities, they proclaim the faithfulness of One who has saved them. This is my prayer for my own son, that He will shine the Light and Love of Jesus as he loves, works, leads, and serves during his time here on earth. May many more sons follow in his footsteps! I am thankful for a God who not only saves individuals, but whole lineages of people--redeeming the world throughout the ages through the blood of His own Son. We have a God who gave up His dearest possession so that He might gain many more sons and daughters! Hallelujah!

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 3

2009-12-30T08:02:00.005-05:00

So, of course, I'm a little behind on my 12 days. Traveling back home from NC has put a kink in my well laid plans! :) However, I have been contemplating each day what I have to be thankful for. For day 3, I would like to thank God for my little girl! She is a delight to my soul with her kindness, her tender-heart towards others, and her love for her family. So many times I look at her and wonder at God's goodness to me! I was only 22 when she was born, and I felt completely overwhelmed with the responsibility of being a mom. The thought that she would be looking to me to see what kind of woman she should be, almost paralyzed me with fear. How thankful I am for a God who supplies us with all that we need when He calls us to do a task for Him! Somehow we have made it through 5 years together, with no major scars or missing appendages! :)

I am thankful for my little girl, my sweet little friend. I am thankful for the time we get to spend "just girls" together. I am so incredibly thankful for the love she has for God and for the people around her. I look forward to watching her continue to grow into a beautiful, godly young woman. Most of all, I am thankful for a God who would give such a wonderful gift to such an undeserving person.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 2

2009-12-26T17:23:00.004-05:00

Today I would like to express my thankfulness for my husband! He is a wonderful man. Over the last 6 1/2 years, I have grown more and more appreciative for his gifts and abilities. He is kind and gentle. He is the quiet strength that holds our family together. On our way to my parent's house for Christmas, we got caught in a blizzard in West Virginia. From 5:30 p.m. to midnight, we sat in our car in stand still traffic. Finally (after screaming children woke up in their car seats at 12:00 a.m.), we turned around and found a hotel. NOT ONCE did my husband lose his temper or self control. I was losing it all over the place! :) That story is a perfect picture of his calm, steady spirit. It is truly a gift.

I am thankful for a husband who loves the Lord, desires to walk with Him, and strives to honor Him with his life. I am thankful for a husband who is humble, non-argumentative, who always puts others first, loves his wife (I am truly spoiled!), and is dedicated to loving and teaching his children. Second to Christ, he is the greatest blessing my life has known. I look forward to many, many years of knowing and loving this wonderful man.

Pictured above: my superhero, with Buzz Lightyear.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 1

2009-12-25T14:27:00.002-05:00

I would like to set aside these 12 days of Christmas as a time to be thankful. Many of us have been through difficult times as of late: times of uncertainty, lonliness, loss, and sorrow. I find that one of the benefits of suffering is an increased clarity. When we struggle in this life, we are often blessed by God with a renewed sense of what is truly important.

I would like to kick off my 12 Days of Christmas by expressing my appreciation for our Father God--the One who has given us all that we have. I've been studying through Genesis this year with the women at my church, and I am constantly amazed at the faithfulness of God to love His wayward children. Created to bring Him glory, we selfishly desire to be independant of the only One who can bring us abundant life. The effects of our selfishness are all around us--we destroy ourselves and each other. Why doesn't God just give up on us? He should scrap this world and start over completely!

And yet, the heart of God yearns for us, His rebellious children. The first chapter of John is beautiful in the way that it describes God's heart for us. For years He sent His word through His Spirit to His people. What was our reaction? We distorted His message, convincing ourselves that He was a hard and brutal master. We killed the prophets He sent to warn us of the effects of our sin. We hardened our hearts to His love. What was God's reaction to us? Did He destroy? Did He give up? Did He withdraw from us forever?

John tells us that God did none of these things. He was not content with being misunderstood. He was not willing to lose us to our own destructive ways. He wanted to be KNOWN by us--so He sent His Ambassador, His exact representation. He sent His only precious Son. He wanted to show us who He is--a God who is willing to bear the burden of our life, the sorrow of our pain, the weight of our debt.

He sent His most precious possession, His baby boy, into a world that would use Him, mock Him, and eventually nail Him to a cross like a common criminal. Why? Why go to such effort for such undeserving people? Because He loves us with a love that is unfathomable. Because we BELONG to Him and this makes us worthwhile in His sight. Because the only way to free His beloved children from the power of the sin that imprisoned them was to take on the chains Himself. In one day, God paid our penalty, and freed us from bondage.

How can we resist a God like this? His love changes everything--we are free! Free to love, free to give, free to obey (our obedience is no longer a chore, but a joyous offering to One who is so beautiful!). I am thankful for a God who wants to be known, and a God who wants to know me. I am thankful for a God who is willing to suffer, so that I might gain everything from His hurt and pain. By His death we have abundant life. Life to the fullest!

Merry Christmas! I hope that today is a day that you set aside to realize how precious you are to God and His Son, Jesus. You are His reward, His prize! I hope you feel the depth of His love today, and that your response will be love in return. What are you waiting for? There is abundant life to be found in His Light!

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

2009-11-30T15:19:00.003-05:00

Harry turned 4 last week! We had a great time celebrating his birthday and what a gift he is to our family. He is sweet-hearted, fun, energetic, and full of life. He bring such joy to our hearts. He brings sunshine with him into every room. I have really come to appreciate him this year as he has been attending pre-school twice a week. The house is so quiet and dull without him here! He is my little source of joy. We are so thankful for our son and brother!

Pictured above: Harry and his presents and our family out eating birthday dinner at Harry's favorite pizza place.

Getting Away

2009-11-09T13:37:00.003-05:00

It has been a hectic few months at our house with all the traveling that Ken and I have both been doing, school functions for the kids, and all the fun fall festivities. Add on top of that the fact that our kiddos have been sick on and off for the last 3 weeks, and you have one stressed out, stir crazy mama! I desperately needed some alone time with the hubby, and my sweet friend Jessica watched my kids along with hers (making that a total of 4!) on Friday night so we could get away. We booked into a local hotel and shopped, ate out, and went to see a movie, and just spent some great time focusing on one another, without interruptions or distractions. You don't realize how much you need to be alone until you actually are. It was wonderful to get to sleep in on Saturday morning. My son did not get the memo about the time change, so now we all wake up every morning to him singing at the top of his lungs at 6 a.m. I have a renewed appreciation for sleeping in these days.

It was a much needed break, and I am thankful for an evening out with my husband, renewed energy to tackle my kids, and my sweet friend who was willing to sacrifice for me. Jessica, you are a wonderful answer to prayer, and I thank God every time I think of how He has blessed me with your friendship.

Unfortunately, our date was cut a little short on Saturday morning, as one of my kids decided to throw-up. Not to be out done, the other child was also throwing up on Sunday. It almost seems as if sickness has become a competition at our house. So, I've been doing a lot of cleaning since I got home. Ahh...such is reality. We can't all live our lives in posh hotels, although I wouldn't mind trying that sometime.

Halloween Fun

2009-11-02T15:11:00.005-05:00

Harry's parade

Fancy Nancy, Buzz and Woody

Buzz and Woody strike again!

Nana and Giselle (from Enchanted) :)

Halloween this year was nuts! On Thursday, Harry dressed up and had a parade at his school and his class party. That night we went trick-or-treating with some friends (different townships of our city trick-or-treat on different nights--I have no idea why). Friday, I volunteered in Hannah's classroom with their party complete with cookie decorating, spooky gym, and a parade through the classrooms. My parents were in town for the weekend, so we decorated pumpkin shaped cookies with them on Friday night. Saturday we went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood with some of our friends. All that to say, we are up to our eyeballs in candy (my kids would see that as a positive, however I do not), but have lots of fun memories from the weekend!

Already and Not Yet

2009-10-19T13:32:00.005-04:00

At my church's women's retreat this weekend, we talked about the concept of the "already and not yet" aspect of our lives as followers of Christ. When we become new creatures in Christ, we begin to see areas of our lives redeemed, revived and renewed. New life grows in us and we experience healing in our families, relationships, communities and world. Yet there still is a longing in us that is never quite met here on earth. We are not as we were created to be; the ravages of sin have taken their toll on us and on God's creation. Yet we have this great hope in us: that Jesus entered into our brokenness and pain and is healing and renewing from the inside out.

I had such a beautiful taste of that this weekend. I am so thankful for the women of my church. As I looked around the room, I saw my mothers and my sisters in the faith who have really made Columbus feel like home to me. Their friendships and love have brought healing to my soul. They have truly been the hands and feet of Jesus to me over the past 2 1/2 years. Being with them was a taste of the "already"; a glimpse of heaven here on earth.

When I came home from my lovely weekend, I was again reminded of the "not yet"! My baby girl was sick and she and I spent the next two hours in the urgent care waiting room to see the doctor. Good news is she doesn't have H1N1. Just a really bad cold. Even in this though, I saw God's hand of redemption. I have been away from home 7 days in the last two weeks. It was a joy to get to spend two hours cuddling with my darling girl and just enjoying her presence (subdued as it was). It reminded me of some of my favorite verses of a hymn we sang in RUF:

No chilling wind nor poisonous breath

Shall reach that healthful shore.

Sickness, sorrow, pain and death

are felt and feared no more!

When shall I reach that happy place,

And be forever blessed?

When shall I see my Father's face,

and in His bosom rest?

I am bound, I am bound, I am bound

for the Promised Land.

I am thankful for a God who was not afraid to enter into the sickness and suffering of the ones He loved so that He could rescue them from themselves. I delight in partnering with Him as He recreates His world through His Church. I long for the day when I shall see Him face to face; to see Him as He truly is will be heaven enough for me.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-13T14:55:00.004-04:00

Harry and I went with his preschool class to the pumpkin patch this morning. It was SO cold!!! You can see from the pictures how we had to bundle Harry up! It was lots of fun. First we went on a hay ride with all of his classmates and parents. Then we listened to a presentation on how pumpkins grow. Then came the fun part. We picked indian corn, gourds, and pumpkins. Afterwards we headed straight to Starbucks to load up on hot chocolate. It was such fun to spend the morning with my little man. He is a joy to my heart.

Also awesome was the fact that we paid $4.50 and got 4 ears of corn, 6 gourds, and 2 pumpkins. Talk about a deal! I just spent $5 on a pumpkin from the grocery store last week. I guess it pays to go local.

Girlies being girlie!

2009-10-04T16:09:00.003-04:00

Ken went to NC this weekend to play in a golf tournament with his dad. He decided to give me the sweetest birthday present (a few days early)--a weekend alone with my daughter! He took Harris with him so he could have some fun alone time with his Mimi.

I have never spent an entire weekend with just one of my kids and it was such a treat!!! We had a great weekend together. Hannah took me out for an early birthday dinner on Friday night (isn't she sweet!). We then went shopping for new fall clothes for her, which was fun for both of us. We watched several girlie movies of her choice, decorated the house for fall, and then went to see "Cloudy with a Chance for Meatballs" on Saturday. She picked the dinner place on Saturday night, and ordered a hamburger as big as her head. I was shocked when she ate almost the whole thing--I even couldn't finish mine! We had a sleepover in my room both nights, which was her favorite thing of all. :)

As much fun as we had, she and I have both missed the men of the house. We are looking forward to their return tonight. By the way, Harris had a wonderful weekend with Mimi. She took him to pick apples on Saturday. They also got to watch a college baseball team practice (where Harris was given a baseball by the coach) and went to look at some airplanes before leaving today. Sounds like a great weekend was had by everyone.

The last days of summer...

2009-09-12T14:44:00.003-04:00

We are outside as much as possible, trying to cherish these last few days of summer! It won't be long before the leaves start changing and it gets dark at 5:00 p.m.! Here are a few pictures from our back yard and a "hike" we took at a nearby metro park. We feel so blessed to have three really wonderful metro parks within a 10 min. drive from our home. This particular one is smack dab in the middle of our city, but inside it feels like you are out in the country. The kids love it!

Big Man on Campus

2009-09-08T14:39:00.004-04:00

Harry started preschool today! He really enjoyed meeting the kids in his class and he likes his teachers. There are lots of fun toys to play with, new things to explore (he loved the science center), and new friends to make. After dropping him off, Ken and I celebrated our kid-free morning by going out to breakfast together. It was REFRESHING! Although I enjoyed my few hours of silence, it was nice to have Harry home. The house is too quiet without him! :)

School days!

2009-09-03T22:07:00.005-04:00

Here are pictures of my lovely little girl on her first day of school (yesterday). So far, the transition has been wonderful! She loves her teacher, loves her classroom, and is looking forward to getting to know her friends. The BEST part: I have wanted to WALK my kids to school for as long as I have wanted children. What a blessing to live 2 blocks away from her kindergarden! We have walked to and from school together these last two days, and it has been a wonderful opportunity to talk about life, to pray for her upcoming day with her, and to share stories of my own childhood school experiences. It has been exactly what I hoped it would be. I'm so thankful.

P.S. The 2nd picture if of Hannah and her principal. I was taking her picture out front and he walked over and asked if he could have his picture taken with her. He is super nice and great with the kids. She was, of course, tickled pink! You can see it all over her face! :)

End of summer countdown!

2009-08-15T10:37:00.003-04:00

18 days until the start of school! We're cramming in as much fun as we can until then!!!

Garden Art

2009-08-13T07:40:00.003-04:00

We're trying to cram in all of the fun we can before school starts in a couple of weeks! Yesterday we went to one of our metro parks and participated in a kid's event on "Garden Art". We heard a presentation from one of the park scientist and then got a chance to make our own art for the garden. It is so fun to watch the kids learn more about the world that God has created for them to enjoy!

Pizza night!

2009-08-10T15:33:00.003-04:00

We started a "make your own pizza night" at our house this summer. Here are some pictures from this weekend. We are pizza fanatics, so this is a little way to have our pizza and save some moo-lah at the same time. :)

Birthday Girl!

2009-07-27T15:35:00.003-04:00

I'm very late in posting these pictures of Hannah's birthday! She asked for a "big girl purple room" for her birthday this year. While she was away at Mimi and Pop's house, I painted her room and got her all new purple bedding. It turned out really cute. She was very surprised when she got home. She also had a "Fancy Nancy" themed birthday this year. She has really gotten into those books. We ended up the birthday week with a princess tea party. Sadly, I have no pictures from that, as I was busy helping the girls make tiaras and serving little sandwiches and cake. :) Hopefully I'll get some pictures from the grandmothers to post later.

I'm SO VERY THANKFUL for my little girl, who is not so little any more. She has brought more joy into my life than I can say. She is full of compassion for others; she is kind-hearted and generous; she is quick to forgive. She often bolsters my faith with her love for Jesus! I dearly love my little gift and look forward to seeing what the Lord will continue to do in her heart and life.

Vacation pictures

2009-07-13T15:05:00.003-04:00

I'm slow in posting pictures from our vacation two weeks ago. We went to Hilton Head, SC for a week with my family. We had a wonderful time catching up with everyone. I hadn't seen one of my brothers since Christmas, so it was really good to hear what is going on in his life. We had tons of fun and did a lot of stuff together. The kids then went on to spend a week with Ken's parents and Ken and I got some much needed alone time.

I think my favorite parts of the trip were the times that Ken and I got to spend with our kids. We went down two days before everyone else got there and had our own "mini vacation". One night at dinner, Harry put his arm around Ken and said, "Your my best friend, daddy!". This was especially meaningful to us because Harry has typically been a "mommy only" boy. Ken and the kids really grew closer together over the week. I'm thankful for the time we could all spend together.

Finding Joy in the Walk

2009-07-07T09:40:00.003-04:00

I've been reading through an excellent study on the first Epistle of John. This week's lesson was on having fellowship with God and finding that fellowship once you lose it. One of the points that struck me the most was this: in our present culture of business one of our major idols is productivity. "What have I produced today?" is the question that seems to define our worth in society. Now, as a stay at home mom, I really struggle with this! I often look around at the end of the day and think, "How can I have worked so hard and see so few results?". I have a difficult time understanding the concept of investing in things that do not produce instant, measurable, visible results.

What does this have to do with fellowship with God? Fellowship with God is not something I can produce in my life by checking off my "to do" list. To experience fellowship with God requires me to slow down. It is a relationship that can not be rushed or forced. J.I. Packer talks about this in his book, "Keep in Step with the Spirit". He points out that a life lived in contemplation and prayer and in observance of the people that God has placed around you is set in direct opposition to our present culture of business and productivity. Yet we all hunger for the intimacy, warmth and affection that a life lived before the face of God will afford us. What is the answer? Slow down! Invite God to "interfere" with your schedule! Look for Him everywhere; listen for His voice; spend time in the Word and in prayer talking to Him.

As I was reading this morning about slowing down, I was reminded of a scene from a movie that I watched recently. There is a beautiful scene in "Becoming Jane" that reveals the mindset of the two main characters, Jane and Tom. Jane lives in a part of England that is known for its landscape, forests and wildlife. Tom is forced to leave London and spend some time there in the country. As they walk through the woods, Tom hacks his way through the beautiful scenery with his head down, seeing nothing. His intention is to travel from point A to point B. He is met with frustration as the plants and trees block him from his goal. Jane, on the other hand, takes the meandering path through the woods, traveling slowly, enjoying the beauty around her. She takes her time, touching the plants and trees, soaking in God's creation.

I feel like these are the two approaches to life. I can either hack my way through it with my head down, or I can enjoy the path that God has placed me on. Either way, I will reach my destination, but my EXPERIENCE of the walk will be drastically different. I believe it is possible to "get to heaven" without enjoying your journey with the Lord. Fellowship with God is the POINT of life. How can our lives bring Him glory if we don't enjoy Him? How can we enjoy Him if we don't slow down long enough to get to know Him? If I hack my way through this life I will miss out on the pleasure of knowing God, knowing my husband, knowing my children. I will miss out on the joy of being known. I will miss out on the beauty of the world He created for us to enjoy. I will miss out on the job He has given us to do--to make His glories known to those around us. I want to reach my destination, and I want to find joy in the walk as I make my way there.

P.S. Pictured above is Harry at the beach. He was the only kid who slowed down long enough to sit with me and watch the waves. I was shocked by this, because he is typically my "doer". We had some sweet time together, watching the waves going in and out. I am thankful for the moments he "slowed down" with me.

Anybody want one?

2009-06-25T09:55:00.003-04:00

Is it just me or do you ever feel like boxing up your kids and mailing them to their grandparents? Good thing Daddy intervened before I got out the packaging tape! :) I was talking to another mom at the pool yesterday and we agreed that summer was invented as a way to torture parents. Longer days with no schedule and lots of energy draining activities. I still LOVE the summer even though it may not be a slower pace of life. It's fun to be outside with the kids at the pool or park or in the backyard. I think I'll be ready for school to start by August, though...

Little Swimmers

2009-06-20T09:53:00.003-04:00

We have completed the first of two weeks of swim lessons at our neighborhood pool. I was very surprised at the role reversal in my children this week. Usually, Harry is my "jump-into-everything-head-first" kid. I was afraid he would take that quite literally at the pool. Hannah tends to be my more cautious child. However, when we got to the pool, it was Hannah who couldn't contain the excitement long enough to sit on the wall with the other kids! After a little while she settled down and joined into the group activities. She has taken to swimming like a fish to water! She has been the bravest kid in her class--jumping into the deep end more times than any other student. Most of the other kids wouldn't do it, even with a life vest.

Harry, on the other hand, has been very suspicious of the water. If he can't stand, he's just not sure it's worth the effort. After the 3rd lesson, I made him practice his back floats in the bath tub. That seemed to help his confidence level the next day. He is enjoying it, but still not as eager to go into the deep end as Hannah. I'm hoping next week will help him get a little braver.

We are headed to the beach in a week, and the kids are super excited to practice those new swimming moves out in open water! I have already informed them that they will have to swim with other adults. Mommy is afraid of water that goes past her knees. So, maybe Harry comes by his reticence honestly. I'll be sitting on the beach with my books and he is welcome to join me anytime! :)

Happy Anniversary!

2009-06-08T13:50:00.002-04:00

Ken and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on Sunday! We were busy with church activities on the actual day of our anniversary, so we celebrated on Saturday night. We went to a quaint little town about 30 minutes away from where we live. We browsed the shops on the main street of town and then ate at the inn in the downtown area. It was such a wonderful evening! We try to go on dates at least once a month, and it is AMAZING to be able to have a conversation with one another without being interrupted! :)

These past few years we have seen many of our friends' marriages become troubled and several of them end in divorce. Ken and I have had our own troubled times as well. I have become increasingly more thankful for a husband who is committed to his relationship with the Lord and committed to his love for me. He is always looking for new and better ways to serve me and our kids. He is generous, loving, and self sacrificial. I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man! I am also thankful for a God who models unfailing, unselfish, and constant love for us. "A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart" (Eccl. 4:12b). I know that without the presence of that third Strand, we would not be able to make it! I am thankful for all He has done to bind our hearts and lives together over the past six years. I am looking forward to many, many more.

Bike rides in the park

2009-06-04T08:43:00.003-04:00

At a rummage sale at our church last weekend, Harry found a "big boy bike". We weren't planning on buying him one until his birthday, but this one was in great condition and very cheap (can't beat $10!). It has been funny to watch him learn how to ride it! He isn't used to having brakes. He rode his tricycle backwards as much as he rode it forwards, so it threw him off a little to stop suddenly when he pedaled backwards. Once he figured that out, he was fine.

We met some friends of ours at a park new our house. It has a great bike trail that goes in a big loop and then through the woods. JJ and Harry had a blast and were so cute on their bikes! It's funny to see such small people ride bikes so fast! Hannah is more of a leisurely rider--she likes to take in the birds and butterflies and talk to people as she rides. The boys were a bicycle version of speed racer. I could barely get them to slow down to take these pictures!

Just as an aside, please pray for JJ's parents as they are in Malawi, Africa this week and next week. Jessica is teaching a class for music teachers at the college and her husband is preaching some and helping out where needed. The missing plane that has been in the news lately has been a great reminder to PRAY for everything! Please pray for their safety as they are away, and for the Lord to bless the recipients of Jessica's hard work (she has been working for a year on the class she is teaching). She is a VERY talented music teacher and I am so excited that the Lord is using her gifts and abilities to inspire and encourage people on the other side of the world.

Let it snow!

2009-06-01T10:19:00.003-04:00

When we went in to get Harry up from his nap yesterday, this is the scene we found. Harry had taken all of the stuffing out of his bean bag and spread it out all over his room! When asked what had possessed him to do this, he replied, "I wanted to play snow!". At least he is creative.

I find it humorous how the past often revisits you. I have heard all of my life about what a handful I was as a child. I was often "experimenting" and leaving a wake of disasters behind me. Now that I have a curious and creative child, I wonder how my mother survived my childhood without killing either of us. I don't ever remember her even yelling at me (although I did spend a lot of "alone" time in my room to think about what I had done). This is a good thing to keep in mind with my own little one. I actually was able to laugh about this snow storm (after the talking to and clean-up).

I told Harry that I was taking this picture to document his childhood for when he is a parent one day. I made him make a sad face (so he could remember that this was not one of his best ideas). He also had to pick up all of the stuffing and put it back in the bean bag, which took about an hour. Let me just say, it is a wonderful thing that God has given him such a happy, enjoyable personality to go along with his healthy curiosity! I love my little mess-machine!

The Graduate and the Baseball Player

2009-05-25T16:04:00.004-04:00

My princess graduated from pre-school! They had a little ceremony, where they were each presented with a folder of the work they had completed over the last year. It is amazing how much she has learned! They also sang a few songs for us and then had a little reception. Hannah said goodbye to all of the friends she has made this year and her two wonderful teachers. I am so thankful for Mrs. Lehman and Mrs. Halley. They really worked hard to make the kids feel special and at home in their classroom. Hannah had a great year!

My dad was in town for the weekend, so he was able to attend the ceremony with us. After lunch, he and Hannah went to the park and to get ice cream together. I think it is really special for the grandkids to get to spend one-on-one time with their grandparents! That night Dad took Harry to a baseball game. He had so much fun! He got to eat all kinds of junk at the game (plus the trip to Dairy Queen on the way home!). We weren't sure how long he would last, but Dad said he made it all the way to the 6th inning before deciding that it was time to go get ice cream. When he got home, he went on an on about the "baseball guys" and how they slid into base. It was adorable!

Sisters, Mothers and Grandmothers

2009-05-25T15:41:00.003-04:00

I had a real treat a couple of weekends ago--I was able to spend some time with my sister, mother and my grandmother. When we all lived in closer proximity to one another, we saw each other all the time. Now that we are further away, our visits are less frequent, but more valued and cherished. On Saturday the "ladies" all went out to lunch. Hannah felt so special to get to join in the grown-up fun! It was a sweet time. I so enjoyed visiting with Grandma (my dad's mom). She has such good insight on the important things in life. She has lived a full and blessed life of 83 years. It was a joy to be in her company.

On Sunday, we all got together for Mother's Day and were a part of my nephew's baptism. It's always sweet to see Pampa baptize his grandchildren. It was so great to worship and celebrate together. We are so thankful for the youngest member of our family, little Liam!

I am thankful that I was able to celebrate Mother's Day with some of the most important women in my life. I am thankful for all they have given to me and instilled in me! I hope to be as encouraging and inspiring to my own daughter as they have been to me. I have been blessed to have been surrounded by such a loving group of women all of my life. I love you Mama, Joanna, Mimi and Grandma! You are truly women whose worth is far above jewels.

P.S. Nana would want me to clarify, that in the above picture, she is partaking of ROOT beer. Just in case you were curious. :)

Callouses in the Creator's Hands

2009-05-05T15:00:00.006-04:00

So today, when we were riding around town, Hannah asked me why animals don't have to wear shoes. I told her that God gave them "built in" shoes by creating them with paws, hooves, talons (and yes, I actually said "talons" which gave me a flashback to Napoleon Dynamite). I said, "Their feet are hard already, so they don't need to wear shoes." Harry pipes up, "Yeah, like me!". Harry seriously has the nastiest feet I have ever seen on a man this side of 70. I've had to take a pumice to them several times all ready. Ken has nick-named him "hammer toe", it's just that bad. Well, I'm happy that his massive callouses are seen by him as a special gift from his Creator! Now he has another reason why he won't want to wear shoes when we go outside. :)

All this makes me think...what things in my life do I see as hindrances, ugliness, defectiveness, that my Creator had given me? What brokenness is their in my life, that I think is holding me back? Could my "callouses" actually be assets? In God's hands, they can be! What an encouraging thought. Left to myself, my weaknesses will always be just that. Weaknesses. Given to God, to His purposes, my weaknesses can become a venue for His strength! What a crazy thought, that God can actually be MORE glorified, BETTER served, more PURELY loved when I bring my weaknesses to Him, rather than trying to be strong on my own! After all, HIS power is made perfect through MY weakness! So, cheers to my weaknesses, my frailties, my ugliness! May God take them and make them a place where other's see His beauty in me.

Earth Week 2009

2009-04-27T21:28:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Earth Day for the first time this year. Now, in the past, I have usually scoffed at all of the 'tree hugging liberals" that have celebrated this holiday every year. However, my heart has begun to be softened towards those who love our earth and I have begun to see the value in cherishing the gifts of nature that God has given us. After all, Jesus not only came to redeem His human creatures, but to begin to create a new heavens and a new earth! I can do my small part in this task.

That being said, how green can the Huttos be? Our very livelihood depends on poisoning the ground, streams, and insects in an attempt to rid the world of weeds and pests. :) Aside from getting my husband into a new career path, I have been baby-stepping my way into a greener lifestyle. We have purchased energy star appliances when our old ones have died. We recycle diligently--we actually reduced our trash output by more than half! Our recycling bins are always full every Tuesday. I've been trying to buy eco-friendly cleaning products. My newest venture is to switch all of my paper towels and napkins to recycled paper only products.

This year we celebrated Earth Day by taking the kids to the Disney movie "Earth". It was very good, even if it was a little over Harry's head. Hannah loved it! Ken also helped the kids plant some flowers and herbs, so they can watch them grow. We also got 3 fir trees (tiny baby ones) that we will plant in pots until next Spring when they will go in our yard. Our family goal is to have a compost pile in the near future. Baby steps, right?!

A Mary's heart

2009-04-15T20:27:00.005-04:00

I've been down in the dumps lately. It might be the recent weather we've been having (cold and rainy) or the recent sickness we've been experiencing. We weren't able to worship together as a family for Easter because Hannah was sick, which was a real bummer. I've also been feeling exhausted lately, like I just can't seem to catch up with things. For a "results oriented" person, this is especially frustrating.

I came with a heavy heart to the women's Bible study as my church this morning. But, as always, Jesus meets me when I'm down and out and expecting nothing from Him. He's sneaky that way. :) This morning we talked about Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Now, in those stories, I always relate to Martha more. That is what my life tends to look like--doing for Jesus rather than being with Jesus. I have recognized in the past that I often use service for God as a way to avoid having to be honest and intimate with Him.

Then there's Mary. Oh, Mary! Emotional, oblivious, extravagant Mary! As we took a deeper look at her life this morning, I was really struck by Mary's vulnerability with Christ. She was willing to look foolish, lazy, or even scandalous in her openness to Him. She sat as His feet as He taught (when she should have been in the kitchen). When her brother died, she collapsed before Him and wept--in a raw and honest way expressed her disappointment, her sorrow, her pain. In an act of beautiful worship, she anointed His feet with a bottle of perfume that cost a year's salary, and proceeded to wipe His feet with her hair. She didn't care that everyone criticized her for this. She didn't care that they were scandalized by her unconventional behavior. Mary's heart saw Jesus for what He really is. He is worth everything. Her heart was enraptured by Him so much so, that the opinion of others mattered very little to her.

Is Jesus a means to an end for me? Do I serve Him because I think that it's "the right thing to do" or because I want the benefits of an obedient life? Do I obey Him because I want to get to Heaven when I die, or because I want godly children? Do I somehow think, that by obeying God, I will put Him in my debt, that He will owe me an easy life? That would be using Jesus as a means to an end. He would be the means, but not the goal.

Or am I like Mary, serving Jesus, obeying Jesus, loving Jesus, because I want more Jesus? Is He the end goal of my life? Do I sit at His feet and gaze into His face, because I am enraptured by His beauty? Do I open the Scriptures, expectant that He will show me more of Himself? Do I open myself to be honest and vulnerable in my prayer life (as one of my friends puts in, "buck naked honest before God"? Is He worth everything to me? Would I blow a year's salary as an offering of praise and thanksgiving? These are the questions that I must be honest with myself about. My hope is this: Only the Spirit can open my eyes to His beauty. My heart is willing to see. I am reminded of this prayerful hymn and it gives my heart reason to sing...

More Love to Thee, O Christ

More love to Thee, O Christ,
more love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee.
This is my earnest plea:
More love, O Christ, to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Once earthly joy I craved,
sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best.
This all my prayer shall be:
More love, O Christ to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Then shall my latest breath
whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry my heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be:
More love, O Christ to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

P.S. I just randomly put a picture of Hannah up that I liked. No real reason for it other than I love her face.

I just can't seem to get enough...

2009-03-31T12:11:00.002-04:00

Of these precious faces! Sometimes I just like to sit and watch my kids talk and play and eat because I cherish their little faces so much. It makes me sad to think that they are changing and growing all of the time. The face I saw at breakfast this morning (with cocoa crispy rings around the mouth) will not be the same little face I'll see tomorrow morning (the cocoa crispy rings, however, remain a constant). So, I'm eating up those little expressions, round cheeks, big blue eyes and little pink mouths--cocoa crispy rings and all--and treasuring them in my heart. They are a daily reminder of God's goodness to me.

Spring Fever

2009-03-26T13:41:00.002-04:00

I decided to go with my friend to have some Spring pictures taken of our kids. It was really fun. The last time we went to a photographer's studio, the kids were much younger and it did not go so well. They did a great job. Here are a few of my favorites. I don't usually like the themed backdrops, but for some reason, I did like this one.

A day without television...

2009-03-17T14:27:00.003-04:00

This is the result of a day without television. I had begun to notice a pattern in my parenting recently. I was putting my kids down in front of the tv for an hour each morning so I could "get a few things done". Instead, I would read a little, check my e-mails, talk on the phone, etc. So today I instituted a tv ban, more for me than for my kids. The kids didn't even ask to watch anything, which goes to show who the tv was really serving. They played play-do, danced to music, helped me clean a little, and played "indians". We had lunch together as a family, which was rare as I am usually using lunchtime to play catch up on my chores. And, the most surprising thing of all, I actually got MORE accomplished this morning than I usually do. So, apparently the tv wasn't really serving any of us well. I am not anti-tv, but I am happy to know that I don't need it like I thought I did. Hmm...I'm starting to sound like my mother.

I thought these "Indian" pictures were funny. As you can see, Hannah has a vastly different impression of Native Americans than Harry has. I guess Harry has watch Pocahontas too many times. I'll have to re-educate him on his early American history. I did make him smile sweetly for one of the pictures. And I do mean "make", as it was not done willingly.

Cousin Love

2009-03-16T15:16:00.003-04:00

We had a great visit with our cousins this past week! It was so fun to see the kids playing together--MJ is just now able to keep up with Harry and Hannah. Liam is still a small fry and unable to join in on the shenanigans, but he is was very generous with his smiles and laughter. Ken and I really enjoyed spending time with Jo and Denver as well. The guys knocked several items off of my "to-do" list while Jo and I hit the outlet malls. All in all, it was a great visit. I'm just sad that we live so far apart! These are some pictures from our zoo trip.

Mellow Mushroom

2009-03-04T14:48:00.004-05:00

Ken and I were so excited when we learned that our FAVORITE pizza place was opening up down the road from us. We waited in anticipation (driving by all the time), waiting for the "Now Open" sign to appear out front. Finally, it opened up and we took the kids to experience Mellow Mushroom. The pizza is great, but I realized the other day, just why I love this place so much. When Ken and I started dating, we would occasionally go on dates to Auburn, Alabama, where Ken went to college. Almost every trip involved us eating at the Mellow Mushroom there. I associate that restaurant with falling in love with Ken. It's just fun when life begins to come full circle. Who would have thought on those dates, almost 10 years ago, that we would be sitting around eating pizza with our two little blond-haired blue-eyed children! My cup runneth over!

Daughters

2009-02-26T13:47:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about my life. What kind of woman do I want to be? Am I moving toward that goal or away from it? Is what I'm doing today helping me to become that person? I had a great lunch with my pastor's wife yesterday and she brought up a lot of good questions for me to think about. I have been generally dissatisfied with my "performance" as a mother. Before I had kids, I had this picture in my mind of what kind of mother I was going to be. Unfortunately, I feel I have missed the mark in many ways. Because I do not measure up to all that I thought I could be, I struggle with doubts, discouragement, and fear. If I fail at this, how can I be worth anything???

Lunch with my dear friend yesterday reminded me of a few unchanging facts that I had lost sight of. My identity is first and foremost that of a daughter. I am God's daughter, the delight of His heart. I was struck by the truth of this fact as I watched my daughter and her daddy snuggling on the couch this morning. That girl is the apple of her father's eye. So am I! I could fail at everything I try to do, and God will not love me any less because of it! He adores me, even more than I adore Hannah (and Harris too, of course, but this post is primarily about daughters). I will never stop loving her, delighting in her, treasuring her. If I feel this way about her, how much more does my perfect Heavenly Father feel over me?

The other fact that I had lost sight of, is that the weight of raising these children does not rest on me alone. These are God's children, not my own! I am called to live a Gospel-centered life before them, complete with my failures and God's strength to be victorious over my sin. This, of course, will look differently in each stage of their lives. However, the point is the same. God will use all aspects of my life to speak to my children. He is the primary parent of their hearts and my own. I count it a privilege to partner with Him in this work.

Finally, I am encouraged by this fact: Hannah is a saving grace in my life. God has placed her here to be my silent accountability partner. Her mere presence challenges me to be the kind of woman she can look up to, can aspire to become one day. My only prayer is that she will look at me and see God's grace, working in me, flowing through me, changing me day by day. I am thankful for my daughter, who delights my heart, challenges my soul, and is used to increase my faith. I can honestly say, that I finally feel motivated to be a godly woman for the right reasons: Because Jesus loves even me and as simple as that may sound, it is becoming everything to me; and because I absolutely love my husband and children and want them to have the best of me.

It's a long road God is calling me to travel. Good thing He has walked it ahead of me and will guide me through its twists and turns. I know that there will be a lot of falling down, a lot of bumps and bruises and tears along the way. But I also feel confident, that the One who calls is the same One who enables and empowers! Without Him, I am nothing. In Him, I have everything I need. God's blessings and strength to you as you journey with Him.

Seeing other people

2009-02-19T12:41:00.002-05:00

One of Ken's and my resolutions for this year is to go out on dates with our kids on a regular basis. We're not sure how often we'll make it (we're shooting for once a month). We did our first "date night" this past Monday. They were so cute! Hannah insisted on wearing a dress, her favorite jewelry and having her hair curled. She picked a hot dog place in our little downtown. Harris was so excited, he couldn't take a nap that afternoon (which made for a fun date with Mommy!). He felt like such a big boy at our local pub--he ordered a huge hamburger and got to sit in a booth, which is definitely a step up from the high-chair he is usually restrained in. All in all, we had a great time and are looking forward to our next date. Ken and I get to go out on a "real" date this Friday (sans babies). We'll see if he measures up to my last gentleman caller.

A Think-Break

2009-02-16T14:06:00.004-05:00

Ken and I just got back from a trip to sunny Orlando--I tagged along while he went to a business meeting. It was such a nice break! I didn't realize just how tired I was until we got there. I slept at least 8-10 hours every night, and it wasn't until the last day we were there that I finally felt caught up on my rest! We are so blessed to have parents who are willing to take our kids for us for a week at a time! Ken's parents had them this trip, and it was nice to be able to let go, knowing that my kids were enjoying their vacation as much as I was. It took me at least a day to de-stress and finally relax! You don't realize until they are gone how much your day (and life!) revolve around their needs. I kept feeling like there was something I was forgetting. It was a great opportunity to refocus on the things that are really important, not just the tyranny of the urgent. It's amazing, all of the things that I let get crowded out of my mind by my "busyness". I was so thankful to have time to actually THINK and COMPLETE a thought deeper than, "Wonder what we'll eat for lunch today?" or "When was the last time I took Harry potty?". So anyhow, I was thankful for the break, and the time to reflect. It was just the right amount of time, too. I don't think I could do much more than a week away from them. We're all happy to be home together! I'm not sure how long that feeling will last... :)

Snow Days

2009-01-14T16:04:00.002-05:00

We've been getting a ton of snow here lately! I let the kids out to play before it accumulated too much--we have several inches now and we're supposed to get several more over the next few days. The kids love it, but I'm a little cold. Here are some pictures to enjoy! I like the one where Harris looks like Ralphie from The Christmas Story!

Family

2009-01-04T17:36:00.005-05:00

This was my favorite picture from Christmas this year. It was such a gift to be able to spend time with each of my siblings. I was struck this year especially with how much I enjoy being with my family on the rare occasions that we can all be together. We are spread out all over the place now: Ohio, Tennessee, Mississippi and Peru. Every time we are able to get together, I appreciate it so much more. The gift of family is truly one of God's greatest blessings.

My favorite memory from Christmas this year was this: My dad went around the table and told each of his children (and sons-in-laws) what he values most about them and what each of us has brought to our family. It was such a sweet time to appreciate each other. I know this is what it is like to be a part of God's family as well. We each bring something special and unique to His table. We are not perfect--sometimes our imperfections irritate one another--but we are family and the table is not complete without every member present. Each of us is valuable and brings our Father's heart great joy. I am thankful for both of my earthly families, the Huttos and the Rosses. I am especially thankful for God's ever growing family, and my place at His table.

Hannah's class Christmas party

2009-01-04T17:26:00.004-05:00

Here are a few picture's from Hannah's school party. They had a great time--even Santa showed up! Parents and siblings were allowed for the last 15 mins., so Harry had a great time visiting Hannah's room too. The best part of the party was when the kids presented their parents with the "secret project" they had been working on since Thanksgiving. They each made a glass ornament with "snow" inside and 5 little snowmen painted on the outside(made from their handprint). It was precious--an ornament I will cherish forever. Why do children have to grow up so fast?!

Christmas Cookies

2009-01-04T17:16:00.004-05:00

I only got a few pictures of our Christmas vacation at my parent's house. Here are some from making cookies with Nana. Everyone joined in--Hannah, Mattie Jane, and Harry. Their cookies were hilarious looking, complete with finger indentions and teeth marks (Harris was slightly impatient). Notice the chocolate ring around my kids' mouths. This was a permanent look for them while at Nana's house, since she was constantly slipping them Hershey's kisses when I wasn't looking. At least I'll have someone else to blame when they have rotten teeth before making it to kindergarten. Memories, memories!

The girl's got style...

2009-01-04T17:09:00.003-05:00

I asked Hannah to go and get dressed the other day and this is what she came down in. I love her wacky sense of style! Harris wanted to get in on the "posing" action too. I love the first picture--she looks like she is too cool to be bothered with me. Hmm...I hope this is no indication of what the future holds for us!

Christmas card pictures

2008-12-11T14:33:00.003-05:00

After taken about 30 pictures of my two lovelies, I was able to get ONE where they were both smiling and looking reasonably happy (the first one, if you couldn't tell!). I thought that some were still funny enough to post, even though they did not make the Christmas card. Hannah is ever the photogenic princess...Harry is ever the ham.

Thanksgiving Pictures

2008-12-09T09:17:00.003-05:00

For Thanksgiving this year, we went to Ken's family reunion in Alabama. We had a great time catching up with his family, some of whom we had not seen in a while. They are a warm and loving group of people and we really enjoyed spending time with them. Here are a few pictures that Ken's dad took of us. He is an excellent photographer and we manipulate him into taking pictures for us as often as possible! :) Thanks, Pop, for the pictures--we love you for so much more than just your photo taking abilities (even though they come in quite handy). I am not as skilled in the photography department, so if I can't get any good pictures of my children in their Christmas outfits, you may see one of these on our Christmas card this year! :)

Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

2008-12-05T15:35:00.003-05:00

We did my most favorite event of the year on Tuesday--we got our Christmas tree! There are few things in life that bring me more joy than Christmas trees. I'm not sure what it is, but I just can't be in a bad mood with a Christmas tree all lit up in the corner of my family room. Apparently, neither can my kids. I love these pictures of them! They have really been enjoying each other's company of late, which is a nice break from all of the bickering and fighting. I'm sure it won't last long, but I am enjoying the respite while it's here. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-24T13:12:00.002-05:00

I loved this picture of Hannah! They made Native American t-shirts, turkey headbands, necklaces and place mats for Thanksgiving at her school. On her place mat, she had drawn a picture of our family as what she was most thankful for. I love my precious girl! I am so thankful to the Lord for the gift of children. We wish everyone a wonderful week of giving thanks to our God who has given us more than we could even ask for!

Happy Birthday, Harry!

2008-11-24T12:57:00.003-05:00

Harry celebrated his third birthday this past weekend. He had a healthy diet on Saturday of doughnuts, pizza, cake and ice cream. He had a "super hero" themed birthday, and is now the proud owner of a Spiderman, Batman, and Superman. Aww, my little man is growing up! No more baby toys. Anyhow, we had a fun weekend with our little guy. We were blessed to have Nana and Pampa in town for the weekend to help us celebrate as well. Happy Birthday, Harry!