{memories...part 1}

As we've begun packing and just anticipating our upcoming move, I've been bombarded by all sorts memories of the almost 8 years we've been in our house. One thing that I'm continually reminded of is God's amazing provision and protection over my family all these years. The horrifying moments have been far out-weighed by the amazing memories made by my small little family of 4.



We bought our house in Sept of 2001...when Emma was just 18 months old. She was such a tiny little thing and had us wrapped around her itty, bitty finger. This is really the only house she remembers at this point.



When she was about 2ish, I found a Little Tikes House bed at a garage sale for her. She LOVED that bed...it had a little window in the headboard w/shutters that actually worked. She stored so many little treasures in that secret hiding place...books, Squeaky, Mr. Bun, barrettes, socks. One day, while she was supposed to be napping, I heard an odd noise coming through the monitor. I snuck up the incredibly creaky stairs to see if I could figure out what was going on and I peeked through the key hole in her door. Much to my surprise Emma wasn't in her bed, but I could still hear the noise. So, I very quietly opened her door to find her perched on the roof of her house bed peeling the nasty wallpaper off the wall. She had found a loose seam in the wallpaper and took it upon her tiny self to remove it. She was so very proud of herself too! I was astonished and a little upset...her bed was covered in wallpaper shreds. She still didn't know I was there so I said, "Emma Grace, what are you doing?" Her sweet little reply was, "Mommy, I'm on a tall mountain! Look!" I didn't have the heart to get mad at her. From then on, when I heard the sound of wallpaper being torn off the wall, I just yelled up the stairs for her to get off her tall mountain.

Oh my, I love that girl! Who knew a little flashback would make me so weepy?!

{stellan needs your prayers}

Visit MckMamma and pray like you've never prayed before for her sweet baby boy, Stellan. He is not doing well at all.

{ask and He'll...}

When you ask God to give you patience...He won't just give you patience. He'll give you situations in which you learn patience. Really, when I've asked God for help w/something, He's never really just swooped in and solved my problem like I really want Him to. He wants me to lean on Him and not myself. He wants me to trust Him w/my future and my family. He wants me to grow more dependent on Him and less dependent on myself.

The past few months, I've been begging God to sell our house and move our family. He's sold our house and now we're waiting for Him to move us. As awesome as it's been to have our prayers answered, it's even more amazing the patience He's taught me.

I've never been a patient person...and am not claiming to have mastered it now. My natural tendency is to present God w/a detailed list of what needs to happen to ensure my request is granted. I've usually got it all figured out...or so I think. But God's ways are not my ways and His timing is not my timing. So, this chick has had to learn to be patient. I've had to give Him my anxieties and fears. I've repeated over and over again "either I trust God, or I don't"...and wholeheartedly, I do trust Him. Sometimes it just takes my brain a little while to catch up w/my heart.

I didn't totally fall apart last week when we found out that a house we all really loved and wanted was being taken off the market b/c the family decided not to move. That's huge for me! Three months ago, I would have still be a sobbing mess 4 days later.

God is working and carrying me through this time of waiting.

I'm so very thankful!

{with a thankful heart}

Our amazing realtor, Deb Eberline, came over at 7am to post the SOLD sign so Miss Em would see it when she first got up. How awesome is that! Bless Deb's sweet heart...she willingly had her picture taken w/Em in her glasses! We love ya, Deb!

Em has been praying everyday that there God would sell our house and there would be a sold sign. After Deb left Em said to me, "God answered my prayer!"

Thank you, Jesus, for answering our prayers!

{water + sun + sand = fun at the swim beach}

awwww...the days of summer!

{for the love of photography}

Head on over to the creative mama and check our her new series devoted to photography. She's also got an AWESOME giveaway today!

***disclaimer***
if you win her giveaway, you must give it to me! ;)

{please, hit your knees}

I just found out about the McRae's whose young daughter, Kate, has been in the hospital since last Monday after being diagnosed w/a tumor the size of an egg in her brain.

Please visit their CaringBridge site to follow their story and let them know you're praying for them.

Pray without ceasing!

{the summer list}

Meg @ whatever does a summer activity list and I think it's an awesome idea! So, here's our summer '09 list...


Have you made a list w/your kids yet? You totally should...it's fun to find out what they think will be fun and adventure-filled.

{friday night...pizza night}

The sky is cloudy and threatening rain. There's a nice breeze. The birds are chirping. There are fireworks exploding all around. The kids are riding their bikes in the driveway...seeing who can make the longest skid mark. My husband and father-in-law are in the garage talking about who-knows-what. I'm sitting on the deck enjoying this beautiful evening.

This is something we do almost every Friday evening...come to Paka's(my father-in-law) for pizza. This tradition has been going on since my husband was in grade school. Sometimes we don't make it...sometimes my sister-in-law and her family don't make it...but more often than not, we're all here. The kids play, the grown-ups catch up w/each others lives. What I love so much about it is the relationships that have been fostered w/this tradition.

So much life has been shared around the table on Friday's. Just a few weeks ago, my sister-in-law announced to us that their baby was going to be a big brother! Rich's beloved Uncle Francis used to be a constant fixture on Fridays and all the time for that matter. I'll never forget the first Friday night after Uncle Franci died...it just wasn't the same. In fact, 3 yrs later, it's still not the same. But life has gone on and we're still doing Friday night pizza.

When Rich and his sisters were young, their friends were invited to join the family for pizza on Fridays. Boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends, team members...they were all invited. Some of my friends have even joined us for Friday night pizza.

I want to start a weekly tradition w/my family. What should it be...Tacos on Tuesday has a nice ring to it! ;) What family traditions did you grow up w/that you're carrying on w/your family now?