Ready...

...to celebrate a 5 year birthday tomorrow!

Green is not in the picture for us, but maybe pink icing on pink cupcakes.
Maybe Pineapple for breakfast with Zachary's Banana bread.
Some gifts and balloons?
Jelly Belly's, pink and white frosted animal crackers, and Skittles.
Certainly no shortage of sugar, but what's life to live if we don't celebrate it once a year!
Perhaps some cousins to play, and hot dog roll-ups for dinner per request?
I think so.
It's going to be good - this turning 5
But I hope the next birthday takes more time coming ;-)

An unplanned detour

AJ's cousin Rob spoke at our wedding ceremonies over 13 years ago;
his eldest daughter then 2, made her way down the isle as Flower Girl along with my 4 year old sister Mattie Grace.
Rob and his family hold a dear place in our hearts and lives, yet with many miles between us it's seldom we meet.

 Last weekend as we departed Chico to head Idaho-ward, we decided to take I-5 a little farther North
just so we could impose on their hospitality and abscond with their grace!

2 years since we've seen each other, and 6 since we visited at their home,

About 10 children since then.

It was a small slice of heaven.
A full house.
An incessant din of nonstop chatter
creativity
joy
and the discovery of friendship - both new and old.

Our beloved cousins have just started their own blog and I invite you to take a peek
because Rob and Melissa have a heart and passion to see the Invisible Hand of God
at work in the everyday-ness of life.

Something that I have been striving to see and take notice of.

 Rob has a way of sculpting words, and I would feel honored for you to know
some people we consider very dear to us!

At "the beach" near Ferndale Washington

Dearest Cousins......

You made us feel welcome in every way.  
We left your nest refreshed
inspired
and full of memories!
It is a delight to share blood ties,
but it is a privilege to share the fellowship of being family because of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for your love.


Love,
~us

Proof of being a lucky girl:

 3 sisters. 
L-R:  Emma 20, Me (old...er...est), Molly 26, Mattie Grace 17
(and I'm the only one without gorgeous eyebrows! - but then, I did get AJ, so what can I say?)

One full month in California and it's coming to a close.
We are heading home to Idaho this Saturday and I pretty much holed up while here.
Not very social, but a luxury I decided to grab when I had the choice!
Before we came, I decided to make several things a priority:
1) spending time with my family - especially the kiddos with Grandma
2) enjoying time with my sisters: Molly and her family; and my sis Emma.
3) swimming lessons for my Bugletts
4) trying to continue Bible, Math, Reading, and Writing
(since I can't consider every road trip a "vacation" at this point though my children would like that!)

If you feel that your own life is full to the point that just accomplishing meals and clean clothes is a victory,
than you will have grace with me for not reaching further than that list encompasses.
If you can't relate.... I will have grace with you ;-)
I'm grateful that I got to do what was most important to me in these travels,
and which revolved around my little family unit, and that larger family sphere I am privileged to belong to.
It was a delight - these past weeks - and every day I saw the Hand of God at work in my life.
Even in the difficult moments, and the days that strayed from my original plan.

I can't fully realize how blessed I am,
but I try!

To those who I missed on this trip:  I love you!  Thanks for loving me in spite of my hermit-like tendencies
and other quirks :-)  You bless me.

This is my best friend.

 And even though I have six children under age 10 (which feels like quite a lot at times)
and even though my world often revolves around them;
and even though I am 7 months pregnant and round
which means I am slow, and tired, and sometimes emotional...
And even though there are plenty of other things tugging at his time and energy,
vying for his interest and begging for his attention...

He took time for me.
Just for me.
We went to the Mendocino coast,
talking all the way there
and back
and in between
except when we were enjoying silence together.
We went to all our favorite haunts
our "traditions" that include Chocolate at Papa Bears
and Crab Cakes at Noyo harbor.
Picking though treasure at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg
Hot clam chowder at a deli  on a back street of Mendocino.
This time we added to that
stopping at all the used book stores we could find.

It was wonderful!
Every moment -
and I knew I was cherished
as more than mother to 7 and supportive wife.
I am loved as friend.

The Greatest of Greats!

Two of my grandpas departed in the last two years,
But I am one of very few who can say I knew both my grandparents.
AJ grew up with both sets of his grandparents,
and we have had the the rare opportunity in our marriage to enjoy 4 sets of grandparents
who were each others life companions.  What a legacy!
I wish my children could grow up with them all, but I know it's a precious privilege for them
to meet and know even some of their amazing Great grandparents.
Perhaps they will get to know the others some day.
I hope so.

Who wouldn't like a Grandma like this?

Or a Grandpa like this?

Clone

So, do you think this little lady looks the spittin' image of her Great Granny?

We do!

Project "Quilt for Lydia" complete!

Thought you might enjoy seeing what my sis (my brother's wife) and I
made for my sister and her baby girl.
Hannah designed and appliqued all the beautiful Poppy's and I'm the one
who took forever to finish the quilt.
I think it was Linda who asked some weeks ago "what's that you're working on?"
in this post.
Well here it is!

I think Lydi-Bug likes it :-)

And wouldn't you say there is a slight resemblance between me and my sister Molly
in that top picture?

Scrumptious First Baby Sister O' Mine

A bona fide grown-up now, with her own scrumptious chubby-cheeked daughter to kiss!

I met her, my very own sister, when I was almost six.
I remember sitting on a really tall hospital bed - so high up that my legs dangled far above
the sterile white floor - when dad placed her into my arms for the first time.
It was love at first sight.
The red-headed little pixie had me at hello!
I wish I had pictures to show you of her flamboyant spunky childhood.  Let me just say that I NEVER learned how to apply lipstick as well as my sister Molly already did at age three and a half.
She was amazing in every way from her freckled nose to her songbird voice.

But now she is an Auntie, a wife, and momma, making her home into a serene kingdom for her family.
We had the privilege to visit my sis and her family in their own nest last weekend, and my heart was blessed.

Here are a few pictures of our time together.

 

The big guys taught Zachary how to throw a football, and he was very committed!

Then...

That ball made contact with his head.

I thought we might not get to see this too many times in the future, so snuck a few pictures:

The cousins together except missing Charlie's kiddos

Uncle Nick - if we could have chosen, we would have picked you!  

You're head and shoulders above the rest.

And we sisters...

I'm so glad for you, you sweet sister you!

Thank you for a wonderful day :-)

Happy Valentines Day!

In these days

I am....

asking the Lord to SHOW me His unseen hand at work in my life.

And He does.

Every time I ask, He does.

And often when I fail to ask.

The kiddos and I are becoming more deliberate about this,

and when we see things

we might have otherwise overlooked,

or taken for granted,

we worship Him 

together.