thankful





although we celebrated our day of thanks over a week ago, i am reminded tonight of the things that really matter. i was blessed to be able to spend the day with a group of people offering their time and talents to serve the people of a shelter for the homeless by taking their portrait.{help-portrait.com} this shelter happens to be connected to my church and i am ashamed to say that i have never served or spent time there. i asked one of the women in charge if i could sneak a peek at the area where they house women and children during the winter months and she said that was fine. as i walked over to the beds, something caught my eye and almost brought me to my knees. lonely stuffed animals and doll babies waiting patiently on the beds for the return of loving arms. children sleep here. children like my own. those could be my children.  i was overcome with a feeling of great burden. a burden to pray for these young souls who sleep in old beds, surrounded by strangers, not tucked away in a cozy, warm home somewhere. we take the simple things for granted. the comfortableness of a familiar bed, an old quilt, a nightlight, the knowledge that we can wake up and have a warm cup of joe on the couch in our jammies. so, tonight i am counting my blessings. my children are tucked away in their beds, secure in the knowledge that their needs are provided for. they might not think about that actual fact, but they shouldn't have to. pray with me tonight for those children that do.

jack turns 5!

my little guy is growing up. someone tell me how to stop it. i have come to learn that years 5 and 6 are the end of little kid and the beginning of big kid. baby teeth are ready for the tooth fairy, chubby cheeks become less plump, and reading opens up a whole new world of adventure for their little minds. it has been a blessing and joy to be jack's momma and we love watching him grow!

8 is great!

all the woodland creatures came out a few weeks ago to help us celebrate gracie's 8th birthday! we have quite a love of all things owl, gnome and toadstool around here lately.... so the woodland theme was fitting for a fall birthday party. meme and papa were so gracious to let us use their fun fire pit for roasting marshmallows and their backyard woods for a scavenger hunt...fun was had by all!

swim suits for sweaters



last day at the beach

 summer is over and fall days are here.  back to the books for us. as a home school family our days are full of learning, creating and plenty of whining of course. it is a true blessing to watch grace and jack learn and grow in knowledge.  but the older they get, the faster time seems to fly and i am not sure how i feel about that. i try and savor every moment, but truth be told some days are tougher than others. kids will be kids... and who really wants to sit and do addition and subtraction worksheets!? we will miss our lazy days of picnics on the beach and finding giant clam shells for the front stoop. i guess it's time to trade swim suits for sweaters and beach towels for blankets. thanking God for the sweetness of fall which makes the transition not so hard; cool days, big pots of warm soup, crunchy apples, leaving the windows open, and picking out the perfect pumpkin of course.

loving. summer.

summer seems to be zipping by this year. we celebrated the first {official} day of summer with a little inspiration from maya*made. we made summer crowns, had a picnic, ran through the sprinkler, and actually got out the moon sand (outside!). our flower garden is a buzz with butterflies and bumble bees and they joined us in the festivities!

all the delightful things that come with summer have finally arrived. beach days, picking blueberries, free movies on an extra hot day. and of course all the summer fare we love to fill our tummies with;  ice cold watermelon, sweet corn and warm from the sun tomatoes. we are loving every minute of it.... these lazy days of summer are cherished ones.

a final goodbye

we spent the past few days in northern michigan. bidding a final farewell to my beloved grandparents. a bitter sweet time was had by all. it was a joy to be with family members, share stories and spend time celebrating life. the trip to ‘the lake’ was a bit more difficult than I had imagined, as it is a place that i hold close to my heart. the reality that we will not be able to spend the time there that we once had, and my children will not experience the joy there that i did, was a hard one to come to terms with. the distinct scents, the clear green water, the pockets of forest unexplored, will be longed for. through the viewfinder of my camera i captured my children doing the very same things i grew up doing. hunting for petosky stones, riding the paddle board and discovering all sorts of wildlife. it was a surreal and joyful experience. i didn’t want it to end. but something was missing. an empty place in our hearts translated to that physical place and I felt it. the bold, full spirit of my grandpa and the gentle, sweet soul of my grandma were not there. i pray that they are together for eternity sharing the love that we knew them to share on this earth, tenfold.

day trippers

a long cold winter had us itchin' to get out and away! our first taste of spring was an extra sunny, extra warm one and we headed to dc to soak it all up. what a blessing to be so close to such a full and exciting city!

fighting for joy

...this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

{2 Corinthians 4:17-18}

happily ever after.

three months to the day of my grandpa's passing, my dear sweet grandma closed her eyes and went to be with her love. we should have known it wouldn't be long...for they were hardly ever apart.
my grandma nancy holds such a special place in my heart and i have often secretly thought we were kindred spirits. my love for art, creativity, neatness and organization come from my grandma nancy. she always took the time to make things extra special for all of her grandkids. picnic scavenger hunts, painting rocks, baths in the lake, and hours of flipping through her detailed photo scrap books are all fond memories i have of time spent with my grandma.
the last few years grandma suffered from dementia, and when grandpa died i was able to spend some quiet time with her.  she was unaware of the sadness that was around her, but through her confusion still had a spark. i will treasure those moments.
although we all knew this time would come, it doesn't make it any easier. two people, who loved so great, and were loved by many will be sorely missed. a place in our hearts left empty.
i love you grandma and pray that this day you are whole again.

every girl needs a place.

reading. tv watching. lap topping. stitching. praying. resting.
this has become my new place. a cozy little corner of our humble abode. just for me.
i likey.

ringing in a new year....

 back to blogging after a busy and fun christmas season.....new years eve 2009 will be one for the books. getting older and having littles has its perks....one of them being our excuse to stay in and eat lots of sweets instead of drinking ourselves silly like back in the "olden days".  we told the kids they could stay up till midnight for a movie marathon consisting of  plenty of cheesy movies.  our menu of gummy bears, m &m's, cracker jacks kept us going and seltzer with a splash of juice was our bubbly! a mean game of SORRY went down at around 9:30, where I proceeded to school everyone in the art of board gaming. jack crashed around 11 and gracie made it until the ball dropped. daddy even slept in the living room with the kids...sleeping bags and all (i snuck up to our comfy bed!). simple joys and lots of love. i am blessed. praying that 2010 brings many more joys, sorrows that make us stronger and the motivation to make a difference!