quiet moments.

the simple things left behind by little hands brings joy to my ordinary days. miley girl's creations leave me thanking God for such a fun little girl with an imagination that grows every day. she always seems to find the perfect little places to line up her favorite toys and leaves them for mommy to discover. i love it.
isn't it wonderful when you realize that the goodness of God carries over into the desires of our hearts that aren't always necessities? our neighbor friend at the end of the hall knocked on our door the other day asking if we wanted this...for free. i was prepared to pay a little something for it, but when he said he was just going to throw it away {?!}, i happily took it off his hands. whoa. i immediately felt the goodness that the Lord has for my girls...complete with all the wooden furniture, and car {and a couple of 'liv' dolls}, they play with it for hours! thank you, sweet friends, but most of all, thank you, Lord for impressing it on their hearts to think of us!
happiness is found in the quietest of moments.
there have been many quiet moments found in this last week as we've been relishing in every minute of our break together. sadly, our courtyard and pool will be closed starting this coming monday due to the construction on our building. here's to hoping i continue to find the small blessings in ordinary days as we spend most of our time inside during the heat of the rest of the summer.

papa love.

it wasn't long ago that we moved here and settled in, wondering how often our grammy and papa visits would stretch in between each other. you see, we need these long hellos and warm hugs. they keep us going...counting down with gummy worms until the next airplane lands or in this case, motorcycles come barrelling down the road.

it's amazing what the physical presence of family can do. we are blessed beyond blessings with the amount of time they've spent with us and most importantly, with our girls. their investment into our lives has been irreplaceable. and we are thankful.

we are thankful for family all over that have invested in prayer and thoughts of our little family. we can say with confidence that we feel uplifted every day knowing that we are loved in so many ways. it really is overwhelming. overwhelming to know that God loves us so much that He has purposefully put those people into our lives for a specific reason. we'd be foolish to look past them...foolish to ignore their influence. foolish to keep walking without a glance in their direction to say thank you.

every physcial visit reminds me that there are so many more who are lifting us up in spiritual and emotional ways. and for that, i want to look up and say, thank you. i don't want to miss an opportunity.

as we've been soaking in every minute of "papa & papa" {referred to by miley girl} time, here are just a few favorites from the last 10 days. thankfully, we still have two full days left...

and a few from our christmas in july celebration on the 15th...i really don't need a reason to throw a little party, but how often do you recognize Christ as the newborn King in july?

i think she's in love.
it's a little known fact that when my dad visits, he'll be hanging something or putting something together for me. this time? he did both {you rock, dad!}.

exhibit a: love my new curtains that i ironed for six hours to earn {thankyouverymuch *wink}.
exhibit b: yup, ikea. thankfully, i only go there when {both} my parents visit. true story. haven't been there since december.

open doors.

from day one with "new friends", every morning, 9am. doors flung open to meet the day, smiling neighbors on the other side.

two weeks later, with a comfortable, settled summer routine it may not be 9am every morning, but this is what our view is like somewhere in the midst of a 12 hour day. whether it's during the usual morning brew, the lunchtime rush, immediately after naps, or while dinners are simmering on stove tops...our apartment space doubles in size simply by opening the doors. what a joy to be able to warmly say, "come on in!" every day.

not only do i love when days greet me with friendships, smiling faces, and the promise of my coffeepot working by the sweet aroma in the air, but i also kinda love when i accomplish something with absolutely no intention of doing it in the first place. exhibit A: our junk drawer.

like any morning, i must have needed something out of that dreaded corner drawer {probably a pen, a crumpled note, or someones phone number}. as i struggled to simply open it, my frustration was creeping its way into destroying the morning ambiance i was trying to create. my coffee was almost ready and our front door already wide open {another reason not to blow my top...cause you know me *wink}.

and then i just started, like a good habit kicking in. i started to organize one piece at a time - one little paper clip. one large rubber band. one expired coupon. one tiny wrench. one bag of nails - at a time. voila! about an hour later, i had conquered the looming project. the uncontrollable had been controlled.

there are several reasons i love that our door is always propped open to neighbors and friendly visitors, but two stick out to me today. first, it causes me to be even more organized with my life. the more people stop by and see , the more likely i am compelled to pick up and keep things tidy {the unintentional quickly becoming the intentional}. second, it gets me up and going. not to say, there have been several mornings {like today} that innocent eyes behold my morning glory {poor things didn't have a chance *smile}. and trust me, that says a lot. i don't go prancing around in my baggy pj's and poofy hair for just anyone.

journey anniversary: one.

{picture taken in nov.09 - half way through our first year}

1-2 by entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with Him, make us fit for Him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. and that's not all: we throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. we find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

3-5 there's more to come: we continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. in alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! -romans 5.1-3 {the message}

i can't believe this is it...the first anniversary of driving into the big city, setting our eyes on the sky scrapers that outlined our new destination. we'll never forget bumping down I30 in our moving truck, the hubby and i, as the girls stayed behind with grammy and papa. we were making the first arrival to sit down and have our renter's meeting, to sign the papers, write the first check, and pick up our keys. once our meeting was over, we had some time to grab lunch. i'll never forget how hot it was that day as we walked to mcd's a block away. me, in my polka dot heels {hey, i wanted to make a cute first impression} sweating like a true beginner texan. i clenched my hubby's arm, pretending to be confident as i limped with blisters along new sidewalks, new territory. it was all so surreal. we had made it...and it was all just beginning.

with one year under our belt, i'd like to say we're veterans to this all; but in reality, we continue to learn on a daily basis what it means to live the 'seminary life'. as i boiled ramen noodles this afternoon, i thought about college life and how it's not much different. hubby works for insurance, we buy books in the fall, we scrounge the fridge for something to eat...but yet, we continually see, hear, feel, and taste the goodness of what God has brought us here to do. only by His grace can ramen noodles taste so darn good and only by His grace does He bring us through each month with more than we could imagine.

slice of kindness.

my girls are getting so big. which means their sicklies and colds get bigger with them. i really despise seeing them feeling so miserable. wiggly with body aches. bright pink with high fevers. sweaty bed head after nap {even though mixed with their sleepy groggies, it's pretty stinkin' cute, if i do say so}.

jessa was so disappointed to miss her little friend's birthday party this morning. all her friends gathered downstairs to make pizzas and color their own aprons while she lay sick in bed. my heart broke right next to hers as i was telling her it's ok to be sad and that being sick never comes at the right time. this is the birthday boy {picture taken a few weeks ago} and what he did after his party was the sweetest thing...

...they brought jessa some slices of pizza he had made at his own party with two pieces of BIG, blue birthday cake. jess told me, "that was so sweet of rana, mommy." it's so encouraging when her five year old friends can teach her love and kindness at just the right time. the Lord has blessed her, and all of us, with such amazing people to build us up when we're down. to walk along side of us when we feel broken. to help carry our burden when it feels too heavy.

whether five or ninety-five, goodness is found in sharing a slice of pizza or a piece of cake. now that, you can take to the bank!

profile of my day.

it started with the moment my eyes barely creased open as i lay still snuggled under the warmth of my covers. the floor fan still blasting its cool breeze in my direction. i always have a hard time getting out of bed with the fan going; i don't like being welcomed to a new day by a cold front coming in.

i caught an unwelcome glimpse of myself in the closet mirror. eek. for a moment, i thought i had permanent donuts plastered around my eyes. the swelling was obvious. the need for more sleep was obvious. the tiredness was beyond obvious. now, i not only was shivering from my in-bedroom weather system, but also at the thought of bringing my puffy eyes back into the world.

the morning forecast didn't look good.

i don't know how, but my weak and lethargic body *flumped* out of bed and made its way to the bathroom. i had to get moving, we had a breakfast birthday party to make it to by nine. it was a pajama party and though tempted, i passed on sporting my striped pj pants {as flattering as they may be. not}. after screaming for a good twenty minutes, miley calmed down and was ready to join our morning getting ready to head downstairs. preparation was minimal and i was thankful for that.

the storm was rolling in.

the party was lovely. the company was lovelier, but something was bringing me down. i hadn't even made it to the afternoon, but my emotional state was crumbling and my physical pain was increasing. i've had a hard week with my "symptoms" and living in chronic pain has started getting a piece of me i don't want to give away {i don't want to admit it}. but it's true and it's real. and it's there. something i'm going to need a plan to deal with and a prayer to make it through.

i was craving a nap more than any other day. but with a lot on my mind, i couldn't shut it off long enough to close my eyes. my patience was thinning and i knew myself well enough to know i wasn't going to be a very pleasant mommy when the girls woke up. you know the feeling; irritated. easily frustrated. tired. achy. it was all there, as obvious as the donuts around my eyes. i knew i needed help {something i'm always good at admitting *wink}.

the clouds started breaking up.

i started thinking about calling some friends to hang out with the girls for an hour so i could go have some alone time to organize my thoughts, pray, and paper journal {you remember that, right?}. an argument started in my thoughts about the selfishness behind that request, but knowing how much i needed it...if not, how much my girls needed it. as i was 'arguing with myself' {yes, i do this all.the.time.}, there was a soft knock on the door. i was changing miley, so i told jess to ask who it was. as she opened the door with my permission, i immediately heard the request from a dear friend for the girls to come play. are you serious?, i thought. God, are you s.e.r.i.o.u.s.? yes, He was.

He answered before i had to ask. because that's the kind of friend He is. that's the kind of Abba Father He is.

so i went and had my 'me time'. i was gone for an hour and a half, but because it was so sweet and precious, it felt like three. it gets even better...

after picking up the girls, we were sent home with the girl's favorite dinner - spaghetti. we enjoyed a short, quiet evening together before i put them to bed. they were asleep in five minutes flat...another blessing from above.

blue skies, baby.

when i'm busy noticing just the outline of my day, the profile, God is busy putting His fingerprints in the details...sprinkling His faithfulness like seeds in a garden. and that's how i want to remember the portrait of today. i want to proclaim His love in the presence of my pain. and even though i still have donuts around my eyes, i am praising Him for walking me through my day to the very end.

life, everyday {week thirty four}.

{02.05.10} friday: after a semi-stressful week prior to this glorious friday, it ended in cleaning and organizing the endless contents of a deeper-than-it-should-be purse.
{02.06.10} saturday: our little perched peanut. she loves looking out of the now free access window, using our movie trunk to climb on up. i have to admit, it is a good view to spy on going-ons down below. *smile
{02.07.10} sunday:more decisions to be made. more books to go through. more information to browse. through this whole process {and so far, it's been a small one}, the Lord has kept His mind on us, not forgetting about our future and the future of jess's education. this sunday at church, i was sharing some of our decision process with a friend who has two children past the age of kindergarten. before i knew it, she was generously offering me the WHOLE curriculum of a well known {and quite expensive} homeschooling program for kindergarten. umm...yes please? i couldn't believe it; then again, i totally could. God's just that good.
{02.08.10} monday: it's been a bit more chilly outside this week and the after bathtime routine takes a little more effort for getting warm. and she's just so stinkin' cute.
{02.09.10} tuesday: jessa's been working hard at putting her hand to work making her valentine's. she carefully makes each letter of her friend's name with love and detail. and this mama is impressed with her perfect penmanship. *wink
{02.10.10} wednesday: there she is, in the long pink coat with the brown hat fancying up the snowman. she was so excited to go outside with her friend, jordyn. she came home, shivering from head to toe with frozen little hands {despite the socks she wore on her hands}. this may have been her only chance to play in something that we're a little more used to back home.
{02.11.10} thursday: jess loves any reason to celebrate. especially when it's celebrating one of her friends. today, we had our playgroup's vday party and mark's birthday party all in one. i love her face here. giving her best to one of her favorite songs for her little friend. she's such a giver and i just love that about her.

our "bigger" space.

as i stand with my back against the front door, you can notice more carpet space for princess dance twirls and ballet moves {this space being known as our built in ballroom}. it has been quite lovely being blessed with more room so early into our stay here - we truly feel spoiled. this is the first time i really felt good taking a picture of the living area...and now that i did, we actually just moved the desk that is sitting below the window into our bedroom for more solitude during study time. we believe that's been a smart move and frees up even more space, creating more light to flow into the living/family room.
this is my happy space. our little playgroup happens here and with enough space to now store all of our fun activities, crafts, and games, there are endless opportunities for learning! *smile

more to come {cause you just have to check out the girl's princess room...it simply glows pink}.

on a few wednesday words.

-first of all, chris {see post below} is doing exceptionally well in comparison to last night. i have no doubt that his fever breaking was the work of loving and merciful hands from our most faithful Physician. thank you for lifting him up and calling on the name of the Lord on his behalf.


-i forgot to mention jessa's favorite word; i asked her this about a week ago after watching word girl on qubo. it was the sweetest response as she said, without prompting, "beat-iful". and just today, she put it into use as she told miley something even sweeter in secret {i am oh-so-thankful that i overheard them in the bathroom as jess was getting ready}. jessa complimented miley saying, "you are such a beautiful sister, miley." can we please just have moments like these every. day. of. the. week? please? cause that would be just awesome.


-we have the joy of adding two year old twins to our day today. caleb and alethia are buddies of the girl's and needed someone to care for them while mommy went to work. i am happy to report all four children are sleeping at one time. don't ask me to attempt that again because i'm not really sure how i pulled that off. *wink. we are having so much fun together...they are the most laid back two year olds i think i've ever met, since jessa {she was an uber-easy toddler}.


-i can't believe it's wednesday already. the twenty-third nonetheless. my mom comes tomorrow!! and i'm not sure it's really sunk in yet. some days, i feel like we're on a completely different planet, incapable of having visitors from our home planet. as crazy as that sounds, i miss them all so much and am amazed that we get the blessing of my mama for two weeks! my bestest friend is coming to town {this deserves a very apparent happy dance with the involvement of my girls...and the hubby too, he's pretty stoked}! *big smiles


-our second preschool playdate commences tomorrow morning before i head to the airport. we're going to start our abc's, with the focus on finding words/stories/people from the bible that start with "A" {ex: 'adam', 'abraham', 'animal creation'...}. i will most likely focus on one letter from the alphabet for two full days, maybe even more. giving time to its sound, its shape, and how and where to use it. there are endless bible themed coloring pages online, including coloring pages for pretty much anything you can think of. it's a bit ridiculous how many free resources are out there {games, curriculum, activities, crafts, cut-outs and templates, etc.}...besides completely sucking my time, you won't find me complaining. *wink


-the hubby has a really full week. being half-way done, i'm impressed at how well he's holding it together, but not one bit surprised. a 36 hour work week on top of classes and studying for 12 credits is just the beginning. and he still manages to make time for his girls...me included. *smile


-praying each one of you feels the blessing and joy that comes from knowing a wonderful and loving God.

a purely awesome day.

this past week/weekend has been full of preparations {photo id's, mmpi tests, biblical assessment tests, orientation, prof introductions, leadership meetings, syllabus overviews, [more] book buying...and lots of praying *wink} before starting school next week.

this coming tuesday is the big day.

thursday was a monumental day in the journey of our seminary training. it was the new student orientation and it solidified a very important point for us. as we sat there, surrounded by an environment of prestigious faculty with a solid biblical heritage that is the foundation of this 'harvard of evangelical schools', we were reminded of one of the many great truths of the God we serve. that is, He is in control. He had put us in those chapel seats for that moment. a moment of realization - that the next few years are going to change our life. we will change the way we love God, wholly, and the way we love others.

we have a plan built for us that is intentional. soaked in integrity and integrated with His truth. we are humbled that we have been called here.

the hubby specified it perfectly saying, "i feel spoiled. it's a privilege to have been accepted. it feels like i get to enjoy a four year bible camp." i quickly added "bible boot camp" at the end of his quotation. the work is going to be hard for him, but i have no doubt he is fully capable to achieve beyond what he's called to do. that's just the way he is and what makes me proud to stand next to him.

it's so easy to get trapped in the temptations of doubt. one of the things i appreciated the most were the key note speakers, including the president, dr. bailey, who focused on the daily challenges the students {and their families} may possibly face. things like balancing our time between studies, work, family and required ministry hours. things like not giving up {a favorite quote: "it's always too soon to quit."}. things like intentionally developing a relationship with someone that is different than you. things that challenge us to think and act for the better. the best theology that was stated yesterday was this: "you have been ordained to be here...God is in control." things don't have to be complicated to be profound. amen? amen.

as we find ourselves quickly {and what seems like suddenly} delving into the aspect of studying on this journey, we want to function with perspective. a perspective that is rooted in focusing on the word of a true and living God.

and to take heed of my favorite quote from our day at orientation by dr. donald campbell:

"don't doubt in the dark what God told you in the light."

-dr. donald campbell, 3rd president of dallas theological seminary

luke's closet.

i used the saying today, "it's too good to be true". but today, it was true. and it is true every wednesday of every week. on campus, there is a wonderful service {luke's closet/luke's pantry} for students and their families only, to pick up food and clothing items. for free. it's basically a second hand shop, run by volunteers and donors and is a HUGE blessing to those it's designed around. there's books, shoes, toys, linens, household decor, produce, breads, baked goods, canned goods, toiletries and paper products.

31 diapers, 2 sets of pj's, 1 pair of sketcher shoes, 1 cinderella lamp, 1 barbie book, 2 pair of shorts, 1 plaid shirt, 1 hooded heart-vest, 1 box of cereal, 4 onions, 3 green peppers, 1 loaf of bread, 1 can of tomatoes, 1 can of peaches, 1 can of pears, 1 can of pineapple, 1 can of mixed veggies, 3 cans of tuna, 1 large jar of strawberry jam, 1 large jar of grape jelly, 1 bag of sugar, 1 package of pasta, 1 tube of toothpaste, 6 snack-size applesauce's and 2 boxes of mac n cheese later, i was fully blessed for the month!

in the summertime it's open once a month. starting next month, when school is in full swing, it will be open every week. things will be rationed to each family differently once it's more busy, but today was 'take whatever you want as much as you want'. honestly, i felt a little like i was stealing as i left with an arm-load of free goodness. it was a feeling i couldn't really help. when jessa found her barbie book, she told me she wanted to buy it and i tried my best to explain that we get to just take it home, explaining the generosity of those that were there.

i never thought i'd find a thrift store that was beyond thrifty. i found one that is free!

thank you, Lord, for your daily blessings and provision!

we made it.

night two in our new place and we couldn't be more happy. we have been absolutely spoiled by the outgoing, friendly people. the accommodations and "luxuries" of living in a high rise. the beautiful views. the comfortable arrangement of our quaint new home. this place is truly a gift.

our desk looks out over the city and as i type this, i can peacefully watch the lights glimmer in the distance. the hum of traffic as they make their way home. the sound of summer as it makes its way to my window. i take it all in with one deep breath after another. we made it. we're here.

jessa's already made a friend and accepted an invitation to a birthday party. we've been invited to dinner and me, to an informational meeting on home schooling. we've made friends down at the pool. met several families on our floor. and familiarized ourselves with our neighborhood {which includes a starbucks one block away and a target 1.4 miles away - eek!}. we've managed to unpack and get things hung in a matter of two days, eager to turn this into our "nest" of comfort {pixely goodness coming soon}.

thank you all for your warm thoughts and well wishes...but down here, can you please send "cold" thoughts, if you get my drift? *wink

pukey blessings.

no, really...it's true. leave it to the Lord to rain down blessings during the flu. this is something i did not expect to have hit so hard once we arrived in my hometown. miley hasn't been feeling so hot all throughout the week, due to running non-stop and not capitalizing on enough sleep. well, i decided to come down with the same thing and found myself in the bathroom or my bed most of the day yesterday. uck.

the best part? the part that i find a complete blessing? getting caught up on my sleep. yes! for the past two weeks, i've been rising before six and moving constantly. i have not been eating properly or hardly at all and filling my body with obscene amounts of coffee just to steady on. so, you can imagine why i just hit a wall. i have {almost} loved every bit of this process and journey this far...with a few crazy moments of wanting to just throw myself over, in reality, it's been amazing.

as i had many minutes to simply reflect yesterday, my mind was filled with last week's memories:

when we gathered together last wednesday night with jacob's family we were almost all accounted for...with the squeals of my niece and nephew continuing to echo, little landon's squishy smile melting my heart and the warm hugs that i will bottle up forever.

last thursday night, when we had some incredible friends gather for our bbq...little ones giggling while splashing each other in the pool, andy as the master griller and all the ladies filling the air with their lovely chatter. it's a funny feeling, really. when i think about my girlfriends i get this sense of my heart breaking and swelling with joy all at the same time.

friday morning, jud and a surprise visit from thelma left me feeling super special. we met at barnes & noble (a tradition), had our coffee and treats, they spoiled me with their kindness and yet again, i had to say my goodbyes. *sniff.

friday night, my mom & dad-in-law brought pizza to jacob's granma's house to spend some quality time with her before we left. it was utterly relaxing to hang on the back porch watching the girls play on the basketball court...jessa attempting with every inch of her body to make a basket, miley kicking a wiffle ball to her heart's content and us, soaking up conversation with one of the most trendy and fashionable granmas i know. *wink. she really is SO cute.

saturday and sunday were a bit surreal. as we loaded the truck with jacob's parent's help, the house continued to dwindle down to a bit of nothing. all of my hard work from that week was being loaded onto the back of a box of metal. each pile disappearing. each trinket that was gently wrapped smooshed together with numerous other boxes. my imagination swirling with thoughts of everything crashing down with one bump on the highway. i failed to remind myself that i have an excellent packer in the hubby {sure enough, not one thing visually broken when we arrived on monday}. saturday morning i brought jessa down to play with myah all day so that i could pack in peace - miley went with granma for the day. i perused the corbin park yard sales with a few friends before heading back to my mess, which was a much-needed break. strolling the park with our coffee finding unnecessary, but very cool treasures was right up my alley that morning. a deep breath did me some good. *smile. however, it left to saying "see you later" again to some amazing ladies...sending me home in a heap of emotional blahs. amazingly, i had 6 1/2 hours to myself...you can imagine the temptations that befell me to want to just sleep perfectly soundly all afternoon instead. i supernaturally turned my energy, or lack of, into getting everything pretty well packed. i went back to pick up jess at myah's house that night and spent a little time relaxing with my "old" neighbors. they may or may not have bribed me with pizza.

sunday was such a blessing. we rose to a gorgeous morning, early, of course, with the help of jacob's parents again to load some heavy last items and then off to church we went. the message couldn't have been more perfect as it focused on "stuff" just being "stuff"...where we place our value on materialism and being open to the needs of others - sowing into the kingdom of God rather than storing our things on earth. hmm...yup, just what i needed to hear. we had to give big hugs to jacob's sisters again {which was completely hard} and watch them drive off. *sniff. in-law's offered to take miley for us as we met friends at tomato street for a farewell lunch. she still wasn't feeling well and ended up taking a four hour nap - dang girl! only for other people, huh?! lunch with kate, mike and ben was so much fun...we topped it off with a frozen yogurt dessert and obvious tearful hugs. you know, at this point, i was getting really "tired" of these farewells. it's just too stinkin' hard. i had been so overwhelmed with the packing process that focusing on the emotional aspect has been vacant. hugging my little pregnant best friend was a bit much.

later sunday night, when we went to pick up miley girl, we knew that's when we'd see his parents for the "last" time as well. we took our time soaking in their farm house and all that it means to us {sheesh! it sounds like we're dying or something}. i don't even want to get into what it looked like when we left their house...we are going to miss them in an incredible way.

now that i've taken up every inch of the blog world with my lengthy post, i need to go nourish myself with some lunch. we've had an extremely long morning reopening boxes and prioritizing. not.fun.at.all.

blessings on your day...but hopefully not pukey ones! *wink

oh the joys!

as much as i'm missing "home", it feels really good to be back here, my original home. and really, when it all comes down to it, my family is homeless and jobless, with one key on our keychain...and i never knew it could feel this great! *wink. it leaves all kinds of room for the Lord to show His glory in mighty ways. and boy! has He! we've been blessed in huge ways already, even in the few hours we've been here - from support to organizing time to spend with friends and family, God's hand has been orchestrating.

after the hubby got our truck unloaded and delivered, we spent the evening helping mom and dad unload the rv (they just returned from a 10 day camping trip), dealt with a grumpy and tired baby (and mommy {me!}), had some dinner, and jessa is currently having some quality papa time on the outback swing. she should totally be in bed herself. sheesh! but how could i possibly interrupt that?! yeah, no way.

thank you all for your prayers for safe travels to our first destination! i will continue to update and hopefully get back to posting some european adventure pics!

seven glorious years...and counting.

anniversaries are fun. they're fun to reminisce. they're fun to get all ooglie-googlie eyed over. they're fun to find a babysitter and go out on the town for the night. any reason to do that sounds good to me. they're fun to hug a little tighter, smooch a little longer and be a little more thankful. and seven years with this guy has been just that.

the age old saying about time flying by has nothing on the last seven years for us. we've jammed packed each day full with great memories, lots of laughter, a handful of "discussions" that have made us stronger and joys that have come from above. the beautiful two little girls that have joined our family have reassured our love for each other on deeper levels. the Lord couldn't have blessed us any richer through His love for us. what a God we serve!

two years ago, we were celebrating five years with a surprise trip to disneyland that i will never forget. today, we are dropping girls with grandma and grandpa in the afternoon and heading downtown for some dinner and a little shopping.

babe, i am so in love with you and respect the man you continue to become. thank you for giving yourself to our marriage 112%, sacrificing and loving beyond yourself. happy anniversary!

"love. true love. you do silly things." - jacob

you know what i love?

i love that the Lord knows my weeks. He knows when they're going to be busy and stuffed full to the brim. He knows that i would totally benefit from dinner invitations and prepared meals. a weeks worth. i love that He knows how and when to bless me.

i love that i have to "call" the computer to blog first before the hubby. i love that he is thinking in terms of blogging when we're out. he's been warped by the addictive powers. i love this new connection we have.

i love that we have been enjoying country walks. peaceful strolls and wagon rides. i love the way the sun outlines the fluffy clouds, creating the illusion that heaven is just on the other side. i love the creativity of my King.

i love the interaction between two little girls that call each other sister. i love how they share handfuls of fishy crackers and sippy cups full of apple juice. i love how jessa scoots miley around on her ride-along car and the squeals of excitement that escape one happy little girl. i love tickled toes and baby giggles. i love my girls.

i love the support of family. that i can ask any questions and not feel belittled. small. i love that i am heard. uplifted. i love that i can depend on a group of loved ones and be comforted with encouragement. i love my family.

i love that the girls and i got home safely last night. i love the fellowship we shared while at grammy and papa's. i love the laughter given around an applebee's table, meeting new members of a joined family. i love the anticipation of traipsing around italy. and frolicking through france. i love the chase through the grass that a game of tag creates. the squeals and giggles of being caught. i love the way the wind makes a kite dance across the beautiful blue. the same freedom that dances in jessa's eyes as she holds the reigns. i love a quiet evening at home just being a family. i love days like today.