What is Your Name?

After a year of being married and living in Tennessee, Seth and I felt that it was time to move back home to Orlando. In 1998, the Lord began to do much in the both of us. Freeing us from the guilt and cynicism that still runs rampant in a whole generation of "church kids". Not long after our move, Seth and I began to get involved in the church. Which was a pretty huge step for us. I began to attend a woman's group called Titus which was started by Seth's mom. I had never really experienced anything like it. The discussions, the praying for each other...it was all new to me. One particular night, I had asked for prayer for some direction in our lives. The women prayed very sweet prayers. I actually remember many of them. Towards the end, the leader asked one of the ladies there if she had heard anything from the Lord to say to me. I had never met her before. She said she only had two words for me..."Precious Jewel". Something about these 2 words just shot deep into my heart. I had never really felt precious before and I certainly did not think myself a jewel yet I knew it was the truth. I tucked this phrase away and pondered many times over it. A few months later, I happened to go through some of my old treasures. I have a large, black trunk filled with things from my childhood, precious things I would never trade for the world. That day I opened an old photo album given to me after my grandmother passed away. They were all baby pictures of me. The very first photograph made me almost physically jump. It was a picture of me, on the day I was born. Written on the bottom was the phrase, "Precious Jewel". Out of all the things my grandmother could have called me, these were the words she chose. Or was it she who chose them?

Only a very loving grandmother or an even more loving Heavenly Father could call this newborn face "precious"! =)I looked like I just stepped out of a boxing ring! Onto Part 2...

Over the past couple of years I have had an idea. An idea I have discussed with Seth extensively. I even ran it past my mother at some point. I have thought much about it and prayed about it. I wanted a tattoo, a permanent reminder that tells me this truth every day of my life. It was so special how the Lord gave me this message. I am still far from totally believing this truth about myself but I trust Him to teach me. It is a message not only for me, but for every person out there who struggles with his/her identity. We are precious to Him, each uniquely designed. So Saturday I finally did it. I will have this reminder all the days of my life and for that, I am grateful.

The Week that Rocked

'Twas a week of music. That's right, friends, I attended two shows. Something I have never done before, unless you count me going to Seth's band shows back in the day. I'm sure they played 2 times in a week at some point in their illustrious, albeit short-lived career.
So the first band, Over the Rhine...WOW. I have been a fan since the year I graduated high school. Nothing like a good, old Over the Rhine song to take me back to the crazy emotions that filled me that year. This was my first time seeing them live. They were beyond amazing! Deep, sultry sounds interrupted only by a few drunken yells from fans who should have stopped at drink #4.
The second show was the. best. show. we. have. ever. seen! That's about all I am going to say about Mute Math. It was one of those performances where you just couldn't help but smile. Because they were incredible.
My social life is now coming to a close. Seth will be out of town for the next couple of weeks so you could say I took my opportunity when I had it. And what opportunities they were!

Introducing....

Clyde

You may be wondering why I would be introducing a horse, ridden in this picture by a complete stranger. As of yesterday, Clyde has a new name....Clyde Macchi! My mother-in-law, Pam, has had a lifelong dream of owning a horse. And now she is the thrilled owner of a 4 year old half paint/half quarter horse. He is beautiful! Welcome, Clyde. I think all of us have a special place in our hearts reserved just for you...

I want you to notice the people in the background of this particular picture. Yep, that's Seth and me! Our very good friends actually live here where Clyde lives. This ranch hosts horse shows periodically and our friends invited us out to watch this particular day. Little did I know that just a few months later, this horse that so obviously caught my attention would become part of the family.

Training

For the past months, Seth and I have been training. Lots and lots of running. Our lives have revolved around running. Can we go out and have dinner? Nooo, we have to go out and run. It's the weekend. Can we sleep in? Nooo, we need to get up and run.
It has been an interesting journey, this marathon training. It simply began for a half marathon but somewhere in there, it changed. The call to go higher, I guess you could say. Now 26.2 miles looms before me like a mountain I'm not sure I am able to climb. But inside I feel the challenge and say "Okay, let's do it."
Last night, Seth and I ran almost 18 miles together. It's a terrible process to go through. The breakdown of physical, mental, and emotional capabilities. Until all that is left is the resolve to get home. One foot down...good...next foot down...good. There are also the nice parts. The second and third and fourth winds that come unexpectedly and you think you can run forever. The moment of finish when you cannot believe you have run that far.
I will save you the plethora of spiritual analogies the Lord has shown me through this training. All I will say is that Paul spoke of "running the race" for a good reason. It makes total sense to me why he would use this as a picture of our lives in the Lord.
Seth and I will be running this race on October 2oth. Goal? To cross that finish line in whatever fashion seems fit, although I would like to stay away from the hands and knees crawl. Too dramatic for my taste...

Out of the Blue

"Mom, do you have a baby in your belly?"
"No."
"Well, when are you going to have one?"
"I don't know."
"I bet Heaven is just filled with babies."

I bet Elijah is right.

How Old Are You?

2
Dos
Deux
Zwei
Due
Two

Here it is...The Pout

Aaannd we are back to normal

First Day of School

It was not quite how I have envisioned it for the last five years. There were no tears, no moments of "my baaaby", no shuffling off to kindergarten bright and shiny with new school clothes and a brand new backpack. Instead, Elijah and I sat down at the table with a pile of workbooks and a pencil. We began kindergarten in our kitchen at 9am.
If I have not made it obvious enough, I am homeschooling Eli this year. For five years I took a pretty opinionated stance on this subject. I believed that it just would not happen. I could never have the patience for it. Elijah loves being around other kids. As he grew older, I became more and more convinced that traditional school was definitely the path we were going to take. And it all changed this summer.
We tried every door available to us. We took a tour of the brand new public elementary school 2 minutes from our house. As we walked through the school, the discernment that we had prayed for gave us a pretty solid "no". We checked into private schools in our area. We decided that $4900 was a bit too much for, um, kindergarten!
So we prayed and prayed and prayed. The Lord finally put me in a place where I said that if He wanted me to homeschool, I would do it. Truthfully, I didn't really mean it. But then no other doors opened up. So I said it again and this time, I kind of meant it. Which surprised me. Time was running out. August 16th (first day of school in our district) was quickly approaching and we had no game plan. My one last hang-up was Eli and how he felt about going to school. So I asked him what he thought about homeschooling. Within five minutes of not much convincing on my part, he told me he "decided" he wanted to homeschool. Not to uber-spiritualize it all, but when he said this, I totally felt a peace. I knew that this year, we were going to do this thing. And it was cool.
Yesterday we began. And it was fun. The best part was the reminder of what an amazing kid Elijah is. Despite the stubborn-ness (I can't EVEN imagine where he got that from!) that rears its head on a pretty regular basis, there are so many layers the Lord designed in my son. What a privilege to be able to spend concentrated time this year, gently opening these layers up, revealing the beauty of Elijah's personality and giftings.
Yes, it's going to be a good year.

Ya Think So?

Yeah, he's pretty cute.

Camping Weekend

This is what a 2 year old looks like after a weekend of camping. Notice the location? Yeah, he crashed in the middle of the living room after sleeping in the car for 2 hours!

We really had a great time. Our new friends, Mark and Priscilla, accompanied us along with their three adorable kids. It was so chaotic and fun all at the same time. When you have 5 children running around, how can it not be?? Here are some more pictures of the kids. Unfortunately, I think the camera came out only once during the weekend so there were not many pictures. Oh well, what we did get turned out really cute!

Eli thought it was pretty funny when Josiah fell asleep in the middle of the room.

The Five Amigos minus One. Elijah and Cahira were inseparable the whole weekend. There were mentions of marriage and weddings. Ummm, yeah, I think Dana's wedding (see next post) did some "damage". The other two, Eranae and Josiah pretty much did what all 2 year olds do....ignore each other or repeatedly say "no" for no apparent reason. Trevan missed this picture but he is definitely one cool kid. He and Eli had some killer sword fights.

Snackin' in the new screen tent. Visited by Mr. Raccoon the first night. The 2nd night, Mr. Raccoon almost got his tushy blown off by Mark's BB gun.

We are definitely doing this camping thing again before it gets too cold. We have 2 boys. What more can I say?

My Life

Okay, so we made it back from Colorado in one piece. It was an amazing trip filled with so many memories. We actually survived our hike which turned out to be unbelievably fun. Not to sound cheesy, but our anniversary was perfect. It totally fit our lifestyle right now and our budget (very important these days!!). I posted a little slideshow of our vacation here.
The weekend after we returned, I got to do a little part-ay-ing with some dear friends of mine. My friend Dana was going to get married the next weekend so, of course, we had to celebrate with a little dinner, a fun scavenger hunt down at The Plaza, and some chocolate covered strawberries and gifts after. Here are some pictures of that night...

Here is the beautiful bride, Dana. She wore this all night!

The girls.

The night was a bit steamy. We opted for air conditioning.

Fun, Fun!

That evening preceded a gorgeous wedding. Dana watches Elijah and Josiah every week while Seth and I go to our care group. So she and the boys have an awesome relationship. They LOVE her! They were very excited to see Dana get married...Elijah couldn't stop talking about it. A bit too soon, don't you think? (says the overly possessive Mama...)

The land is rugged. As we drove up to the mountains yesterday, I thought of the pioneers who had travelled hundreds, maybe thousands of miles and then faced the Rockies. And they kept going! The giant rock formations with trees sparsely covering them, beckoning and taunting.
It is a landscape I am learning to appreciate more each minute I am here. I grew up camping in the Pacific Northwest, green and lush. I lived in Tennessee, just minutes from the Smoky Mountains. Also densely covered with giant green trees. But the Rockies. They are different. A harsh beauty. I can see our family spending lots of time in this area in the future.
Today we went on a 4 hour horseback trail ride. Our guide took us up a mountain and down a mountain, through meadows and fields. It was amazing! It gave us an opportunity to sit back and enjoy our surroundings. My horse, Elmer, was a trooper. Blazing through muddy trails, making his distaste for puddles of water very known by choosing other paths every time, even if it meant sending his rider through tree branches. Seth's horse, Cutter, was the poky one. He had paid his dues, done his time and wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. If he felt like stopping to take a nibble on some tasty nettles, who was going to stop him? I think he and Seth got along perfectly. They understood one another.
During the ride, I asked our guide if we would see any wildlife. He said "probably not" because in the summer, the larger game stay up higher where it is cooler. I was a bit disappointed by his answer because I really wanted to see some kind of animal, maybe bigger than a squirrel. You know what the Lord did? Nestled in a patch of trees was a big herd of Elk. HUGE males with big ol' racks and the females eating peacefully. Do you ever get the feeling that God just gets a kick out of blessing His children? I do.

Well, friends, I have had a long day and that hot tub is calling my name. Tomorrow is our 10 mile hike. Pray for us =)

Trip Advisor?

I think they forgot to put the "Qua" at the Quality Inn here in Colby, Kansas. Of course, when you stumble in at 2:30am, bleary-eyed, you don't have the normal resistance of a sane person. It's one of those rooms where you cannot look at anything too closely. I made that mistake last night. The light switches have enough grease and grime covering them to send Mr. Clean on the warpath. If this is any indication, I have not taken off my sandals except to crawl in bed. The carpet has a non-plush squishiness to it. I won't even mention the bathroom. I should have taken the warning when I read the front sign that said "We serve homemade and Mexican food".

We are about to take off for our short drive to the Rockies. Last night's drive was a breeze. Night-driving through Kansas farmland is actually quite ethereal. Especially when you have just the right mix on the iPod!

And We're Off...

Tonight we leave for a gloriously planned trip to Estes Park, Colorado. That's right, friends, just Seth, me, and lots of nature...as in National Parks and horses and hikings. But, lest you think we are "roughing it", we will be staying at a condo that looks like this. Hot tub on the deck, here I come!
We are so very grateful to Seth's parents for agreeing to watch the boys while we are gone. I do believe a few more jewels will be added to their crowns this weekend! Eli has been looking forward to this looong stay with Grammy and Papa for months now. They already have a "list" of things they want to do. Elijah loves "the list".

So, my dear ones, stay tuned next week for the many pictures that will follow....

Summer of 1997

Let's see if we can dig up some memories for you. We'll start with movies.

How can you NOT like Harrison Ford as President? I would vote for him!

Seth liked this one.

Oh yeah.

I loved this movie so much I bought the soundtrack.

Next comes the song selection. Do you remember names like The Verve, "Bittersweet Symphony"? I remember this video more than I do the actual song. Because he was tall and lanky and never stopped walking. How about Chumbawumba "Tubthumping" or Smash Mouth "Walkin' on the Sun"? How could you ever forget the amazing group Hanson and their brilliant songwriting in "Mmmmbop"? I think I only hear these songs now in elevators.

Hmmm, what was that question? What was I doing the summer of 1997? Oh right, I became a wife. My little 19 year old self got hitched. On August 2nd, Seth and I were married. I remember little parts of that day. Like airing my underarms in front of the stand-up fan because it was August in Florida and the air conditioning was not cutting it in the ready room. Like feeling so grown-up and such a little girl all at the same time. Weird emotion. Like seeing so many of our friends' faces. Friends we had just graduated high school with the year before! Like completely, so obviously forgetting my cousin's name as I bent down to give hugs. Awkward. Like looking down at my hand and seeing a wedding ring and then looking up into my husband's face. Woh. Like the moment in Seth's grandparent's back bedroom where I changed from my wedding gown to my going-away dress, my Mom walked in and we just stared at each other, and then cried in each others' arms. Letting go.
I really like being married. I like it more now than I did 10 years ago. It was kind of a rough decade for us. We grew up together and let me tell you, it wasn't always pretty. But we were friends and we both knew deep down we weren't going to quit, no matter how much that temptation came around. And then all of a sudden, it became easier. I think that was around year 5 or so. Most of our words were actually understood by each other and not bouncing off cement walls like before. That was nice.
The Lord really took care of me when He chose my husband for me. I recognize that now more than ever. I am very grateful for our relationship. For the depth that is there only by the grace of God. I am blessed.

Well, here we go for another 10 years and then 10 after that and then eternity.

Some Thoughts

I just have to say, this summer totally feels like we all have jet packs strapped to our backs. Flying through the last weeks, holding on for dear life. I have been purposefully (is that even a word??) trying to slow down enough to enjoy the long days, the warm weather, and my sun-kissed boys running around. But when I think of the weeks ahead and how every. single. weekend. is taken up, I find myself breathing a little faster.
My summary of The Call (3 weeks ago!!) is this: It was amazing. We stood with thousands of other believers from all over the world, crying out for justice and mercy. It was hot and uncomfortable but we pushed through til the evening. I was so surprised how well the boys did all day. We knew they were supposed to be there because that is what the Lord impressed on our hearts from the beginning. One of the first things that happened that day was a time of repentance to the people groups who have been so wronged (ie. First Nations and African Americans). A Senator from Kansas stood in behalf of our nation and repented to representatives of these people. It was so significant and beautiful. I don't even have words to express what I felt when the First Nations man stood there and said "In all grace, I forgive you. " Such humility and grace. The Lord healed wounds of our land on July 7th.
The worship was incredible. But what struck me was the whole nameless, faceless thing. Something that has been prophecied for years, the Lord is doing now. We had no idea who would be on that stage next. This is what the Lord is doing. Soon will come a day when the "superstars" will go unnoticed and a whole movement of anointed worship will rise without names or faces for "fans" to follow. It was really exciting to see this.
We left around 6:30pm. Tired, hungry, and thirsty but filled with expectation. We haven't really seen any tangible evidence of what the Lord did in us that day but we knew it wasn't for that. It may be years before we see the "why" of being there. It was a good day...

I will keep posting on the rest of our summer shenanigans. We have a few up our sleeves!

Happy Birthday...

...to my Dad! You can read about him here. Today I am going to let this video speak for all of us. You are the best, Dad! We love you....

Hey There

This is for you faithful 3 people who have tirelessly checked this blog, patiently waiting for ANYTHING new. It's funny how you have to get back in the "blogging mindset" after taking such a long break. I am working on some thoughts of our trip to The Call but today, I will leave you with this video. Just watching it this morning made me want to cry. Not necessarily for the man who video taped it, but for those poor parents who were forced to stay in the airplane for 7 HOURS!



Flying Delta anyone??

This Is My Dad

Always my hero. I remember the different moments when my little body just filled with pride when I thought about my Dad. As a little girl, he was bigger than life. Strong enough to throw me across pools, quick enough to keep that dribbling basketball from my reach in the driveway (although, I always managed to get it in the end...very mysterious...), gentle enough to keep encouraging me to read and play piano, fun enough to slide with us at the water parks and explore with us when we went camping.
So many memories. But today I just want to honor my Dad. For being a good man but, most importantly, for loving the Lord with all of his heart. He and my Mom have built and are building a heritage that will not end.
I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day!

Randomness in General

This is my husband. He may look normal on the outside. But he's far, far from normal. He's kinda weird. And now I have proof to back me up on this.

I like to read other people's blogs. I find one and then link to another and then to another until I find myself lost in some kind of maze. A blog maze. Usually they are from the IHOP world so, not only are they entertaining, but usually have substance as well. Here are some blogs I frequent often. I know I should become a little more technologically savvy by signing up to their feeds but they're still on my favorite bookmark list so I just have to check them as often as I am online...

Randy B. - A blogging pro. You never know what you are going to read each day. Could be hilarious. Could be totally serious. His family consists of 3 boys and a newly adopted little girl. Somehow I feel like I can connect on the "boy thing".
Kelsey B. - Wife of said blogging pro. She has awesome things to say. Totally feel like I can relate by being a mom and having a really passionate heart for the Lord. Plus she and Randy put together the Omega course. An amazing run-through of the end times. Seth and I are watching the DVDs right now and are pretty speechless about all the things in Scripture we have never thought or heard about before.
Shelley P. - A photographer from Minnesota. I am dreaming of the day when she can come to our house and take photos of the boys and our family. I love her work and she is super nice (she and I have corresponded about a good date for sessions. Nothing has worked out yet and it looks like I will probably wait until next year to have her come.).
Molly M. - Found this blog on one of my reading binges one day. I really like her writing style plus her blog links to a bunch of interesting ones I like to check.
Tracie L. - An IHOP Mom. She has a ton of motherly wisdom. She and her family recently adopted a little baby girl. Seth and I both feel adoption is in our future, so it has been neat following their story.
(I have to admit, though, it's a bit strange reading these different blogs and then seeing these people in person at church. I recognize them but they have absolutely no idea who I am. I guess I should introduce myself one of these days...)

My 2 year old is waaay too attached to these. I have haunting visions of Josiah as a 15 year old, walking around with one in his mouth. I have been very thankful for their amazing soothing powers but, honestly, they're gross. My hygiene limit gets very tested. 5 second rule? How about the 5 minute-just-wipe-it-on-your-jeans-because-he's-screaming-bloody-murder rule?!

Is there such a thing as slow death by tooth ache? I'm not talking about cavities or anything like that. I'm talking about these. Right now my teeth are so sensitive, if I touch anything the wrong way, I get chills up and down my whole body!

Seth and I have been doing a lot of this lately to train for this later on in the year. I have scaled the goal back to a half marathon this year. Something I know for sure I can do and I think we are going to have a lot of fun doing it. There are some monster hills in the course so we have been going up to a trail close by to help us build up for that.

It's going to be a busy summer for us. I'm pretty excited about that. Seth's brother and his lovely family are coming to visit the first week of July. We can't wait to see them! In July, we are taking a family road trip. And then in August, Seth and I will be driving to Colorado for 6 days to celebrate our 10th anniversary. It's going to be awesome! We will be staying here and will be spending a lot of time here.

My baby is graduating preschool next week and will be entering "real school" this fall. I cannot believe this kid is well on his way to 6 already. I am so proud of Elijah, I could just burst. Look at the mini cap and gown!


Well, friends, I believe this is my last post until the first week of July. Hope you all have a blessed next month. Stay safe and have fun!

Picture Randomness

I'd like to give you all a taste of my world. Living with 2, no wait, 4 boys (I'm including my dog in this one) is insanely fun. This world doesn't even know what the color pink is. Even Josiah, with his artistic bent, is ALL boy. Just yesterday, I watched him pass time by stomping on every ant he saw. No one taught him this. Believe me, I asked!
But they're just so cute. I wouldn't trade them for a million girls!

Umm, yeah. I don't know. Cool guy with bedhead and a pacifier?

He calls himself Lightning Man.

Superhero for the midget world.

They really do like each other. Amazing!

I have always joked that my boys will be taking naps 'til they're 16. Well, at least I have said I was joking. Wonder why he's sleeping with his hat on? Yeah, I'm a little curious too.

So Much to Learn

"Dad, can I go play in Josh's yard? They're playing in the sprinklers. Can I please, please?" Seth and I never see Elijah move so fast as when he has to get ready to play outside. He's like Superman. One minute he is in one outfit. The next minute, he is in another. Bathing suit and sunscreen on, Eli ran out to meet his friends.
An hour or so later, I see my little man running through the yards to come home. Strange because he has his glove, bat, and light saber with him. I automatically assume that his friends had to go inside. One look at his face and something tells me a different story.
Elijah is 5. And when a 5 year old tries to look brave, it melts the hardest of hearts. I ask him what was wrong and he just crumbles. I pull my very huge baby onto my lap and just hold him for a minute and then begin the questions.
"What happened?"
"Josh and Tyler don't want me to be their friend anymore."
"What? Why?"
"Because they wouldn't do what God told them to do." (Insert eye bugging, hold-in-that-laugh face here. Did we name this kid right or what??)
"Well, son, you can't really tell others what God wants them to do like that. It ends up sounding totally bossy." A light of understanding begins to dawn on his face. Ohhhh.
"And son, we really need to forgive even if the other person doesn't say he's sorry." So easy to tell a 5 year old to do!
"Mom, can I go tell them I'm sorry?" I know I am exhausting this point, but he's FIVE! He understood how to make things right.
"Sure, that would be great."

So, off he trotted to go tell his friends that he was sorry for being so bossy. But, alas, they still didn't want to be his friend and said he couldn't play with them. By this time, I was in tears. I had just witnessed my son's heart breaking for the first time. We talked and hugged some more.
And, I tell you, it wasn't even five minutes later, he was bouncing around like old Elijah. Kids are great like that. They don't hold grudges. They just move on. I can learn so much from that!!
This was one of those life experiences I wasn't really prepared to handle. As a parent, I want to protect my children from every hurt. I would choose putting on an actual bandaid over a wound any day over having to hold a crushed little spirit. But it ended up being a good lesson in forgiveness, not only for my little man but also for me.

Week with Nana and Grandad

Last week my parents flew in from South Carolina to visit. We had a really great time. The boys loved every minute of it. Especially Josiah who followed them around calling out "Nanai" and "'Dad". It was actually a nice break from the million-a-day times I hear "Mommy" belted out as only my 2 year old can do!
Friday we all went to the Deanna Rose Farmstead. An awesome petting zoo/learning center for kids and it's actually free. The weather was amazing and because it is still spring, there were lots of baby animals to say "awww" over.






We celebrated all sorts of things while my parents were here. My mom and I share our birthday (May 5th) so we had to celebrate that. We also did Mother's Day and Josiah's birthday (since they weren't here to share the big day with the little man.) In the middle of all that celebrating, we managed to have lots of downtime as well. The boys love being read to!
The week flew by way too quickly. We are all looking forward to next time....

It's Time

For a few months now, Seth and I have made plans to be in Nashville on 7-7-07. An urgency has been growing in us about this day. We both feel like it will be a day marked in history. Maybe not right away, but definitely for all eternity. When I first heard about the Call, I immediately thought "cool" but didn't really feel anything about it. One day it hit me...we need to be there. Not just Seth and me but the boys, too. It is very important that Elijah and Josiah be there. For so many reasons.
We are also going to be participating in this fast. Read the article by Lou Engle and let me know what you think!

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

I wish I was the one snoring! Rainy weather always makes me so sleepy. And it has been raining for days and days. We have a sump pump downstairs. For all of you who don't know what that is- a sump pump takes the extra water from the ground and pumps it away from the house (I had no idea what they were until I moved to Missouri). Ours has been working overtime which I am very thankful for because we are hearing many reports of flooding basements.
My weekend was wonderful. As Seth mentioned in his Week End Weekend Review, he watched the boys while I spent my time with my beautiful friends (and about 90 other women) at a woman's retreat. I'm usually not a big fan of the "extreme girly-ness" that is bound to happen at these events. But when I found out that this retreat was taking place and it was going to be on my birthday, I knew it was what the Lord wanted me to do. And it was pretty darn awesome! I watched the Lord heal my friends' hearts. Which blessed me more than I ever thought possible. And my heart? I just have to say He is so good and so personal and so ready to speak. To all of us if we just slow down enough to listen. One truth I walked away with- He doesn't run away from us, we run away from Him. He is always there, loving and kind and NEVER disappointed in us.
My 29th (gasp!) birthday was so special. I have a feeling that this year, walking into 30, will be quite the adventure!

Quotes from a 5 year old

Since Seth has gotten all creative over at his blog with his fancy "Week end Weekend Review", I thought I would begin a weekly post as well. I feel like your worlds would not be totally complete if I didn't share some of the things that pop out of my 5 year old's mouth. Sometimes weird, sometimes hilarious, always entertaining. Elijah Macchi will always come through for you!

"Mom, why do you look all wilt-y like a dead flower?"

Now, in my defense, I did just survive a pretty wicked 24 hour bug. Thanks son for your keen insight!

I read a book last week

and I cannot stop thinking about it. I highly recommend it. It's called Same Kind of Different as Me. (Click on the link and you can read the synopsis.) It was just one of those books when you put it down, you sigh and say "Wow, that was sooo good!". It didn't just make me laugh and cry, it provoked my heart to understand more of what the Lord has for me. He has called each of us to care for others, to love them as we love ourselves. What exactly does that mean in my small, small world? Am I passing opportunities by to share the Love He has so mercifully shown me?
Okay, so go buy the book or check it out at the library and let me know what you think. I would love to get your opinions!

Video

Seth was a kind man today. He made me a movie of some birthday clips from yesterday. (By the way, when you see Josiah bending over to blow out his candles and I say "Oh Gosh. Wait a minute.", it's because there was a long string of spit ready to drop right on the cake. Yep. Thankfully, I caught it before anyone tasted the "essence" of Josiah.)

Josiah's Birthday

The weather could not have been more beautiful yesterday. I hope when I am older and the kids have grown, that I will never forget days like yesterday. Spending an afternoon with family and friends. The smell of grilled chicken wafting by on the wind. Watching little munchkins running around in the freedom they so love. And then, when it's all over, piling back into the car. The kids with their sleepy eyes and the contentment of having played their little hearts out. The parents trying to keep tired meltdowns to a minimum.
As much as I want to recall the rainbow colored moments, I also really want to remember the storms that bring those rainbows into existence. The panicked feelings of "did I forget anything?". The tantrums of a 2 year old who feels the injustice of not being allowed to dip his finger in the icing again. "You let me do it before, LET ME DO IT AGAIN!" The whining of a 5 year old who has reached his limit of allowing most of the attention to be directed to his little brother.
All of it creates "a day in the life of" and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. It was a good day...

Enough of the rambling, here are some pictures.
This is my first attempt at a decorated birthday cake. Final verdict? We buy them from now on!

Birthday Boy. Nothin' cuter than a little boy in overalls.

Partay consisted mostly of our care group friends. They're awesome! Grammy and Papa let us have it at their house because they have a bigger yard. The kids appreciated that.

Mr. Dan teaching the fine points of lawn croquet.

Highlight of the party. Papa's neighbor insisted the kids get a tractor ride. So fun!

Best thing about this? The entertainment was free =)

Someone Turned 2 Today!

Yep, it's true. Josiah is a full-on two year old. All the joys and frustrations wrapped up in one cute Josiah man! He gets his own little party on Saturday so I will definitely post pictures from that...

I Can't Stop Laughing

You guys have to read Seth's new post here.

It's pretty darn funny.

Please tell me...

...how someone can wake up in the middle of the night with hiccups! That's right, last night at approximately 1:15 am, I woke up with full-on hiccups. How weird is that??

Vision

"I know the God who speaks. I want to know the God who acts".

One of the teachers at IHOP, Allen Hood, spoke this a few months ago. It pretty much sums up all that Seth and I have been feeling lately. When do we get to see the "greater than these" signs and wonders that Jesus spoke of? How long do we have to wait to walk in this power and authority?
The Lord has placed us in the midst of a people who are ready. Ready to contend for the things we have only dreamed of.
I love our home group. I mean, really love the community the Lord has placed us in. Our group is one that consists of strong leaders. Leaders that you can truly see the Lord do amazing things through in the future. But, for now, He has put us here. Together. For a reason. Most of us are around the same age. Young couples with young children. The Lord has, in His wisdom, also placed older couples in the group for balance. And there are many times where we can perceive His wisdom through these couples' experiences. These last months, we have really concentrated on building relationships with each other. We have shared meals. We have laughed and laughed. We have prayed each other through difficult circumstances.
Now we are ready for that next level. Last Thursday we spoke of this "prompting". A plan was formed. God has placed each of us in different environments, different mission fields. We all have situations where we would love to see the Lord break in. So that is what we are going to concentrate on. Praying specifically each week for each situation...the salvation or the healing or the miraculous provision. Focusing our week on this and expecting the Lord to give us all words of knowledge, dreams, and Scripture to encourage the one who must step out in boldness to carry out the Lord's plan.
I am so excited because I know I am finally going to see the things my heart has been longing for.
There was one concern during our discussion of this. "Will we still have the dinners?" Absolutely. Because the Lord has placed in our group some really, really good cooks! =)

Easter Sunday

What a great day! We celebrated Easter with lots and lots of friends today. A wonderful couple from our home group invited us all over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. They have a beautiful home with an amazing 1.5 acre backyard. Perfect for 8 children, all under the age of 7!
This was Josiah's first "real" Easter egg hunt. I'm not certain he has the concept yet but he sure was cute...


I even managed to capture one more picture before the batteries in my camera ran out. This is Josiah's cutie-patutie friend, Elise.

Family Video

Usually Seth posts our family movies but since he has decided to spread his posts out, oh like a couple months apart, I am going to go ahead and post it on my blog. This last year's turned out really cute. Hope you enjoy!

Still At It

Apparently our feathered friend has not taken the hint. As I type this, I hear "Plink, Plink, Plink". What happens to a bird's ability to think when its head is thrown up against a hard window over and over again? I mean, it's not like he had much to begin with!

Looking Back and Walking Forward

Yesterday I had to hunt through my old journals to find an entry I wrote a few years ago. As I read through my writings from 2004, I was just amazed at what we had to walk through that year to get here to Kansas City. It was so difficult yet it was so full of the Lord's grace. We walked step by step while instruction was given only one direction at a time. Circumstances with family and friends drove us, not away from the Lord but straight into His heart. Desperate not to walk in unforgiveness. Determined not to let bitterness take hold. As we received nourishment every day from His Word, His beautiful and kind Word, it strengthened our resolve to follow His will.

3 years later and I am still amazed by our story. Only because it was written by a Hand who always knows the very best. Moments of bewilderment of why the Lord moved us here to Kansas City are becoming less frequent. Because we are beginning to see. We are being established in friendships. We are being given glimpses of our destiny. And it looks so much different than we pictured it 3 years ago, 5 years ago. As we grow in Him, this view will undoubtedly change again and again. Because our destiny is less about us and so much more about a stunning King who will have His Bride. An utterly abandoned Bride who thinks nothing of what man can do to Her. A Bride with a focused gaze, listening only to His Words and walking in His will.

We have so much to look forward to because we have looked back and recognized His goodness and His faithfulness. He never changes. And that is just so comforting!