This GIRL, you guys. She is changing so much!
When life tangles
September 12, 2012 by
Life is messy.
It tangles and weaves and chokes and hurts.
But somewhere in the tangle, beauty springs forth.
A cool breeze on a stifling day.
A blanket of snow on a frozen ground.
A tender giggle when the tears threaten to fall.
God has woven so much beauty into this world, but…
Sometimes you have to look through the tangles to see it.
Life is busy and the busy leaves us tangled.
So many plates spinning and every last one threatening to drop.
Can we catch them all?
Can we keep up the spinning?
Can we weave through the tangle?
Sometimes it takes a conscious slow down to stop the spinning.
Then we can see the beauty.
A deep breath on a hectic day.
A good book when the laundry climbs.
A phone call to a dear friend instead of a clean kitchen.
There is beauty to be had in the tangle.
Do you see it?
Can you weave through the tangle today?
Leave the plates to spin on their own for just a little while.
Take the time to breathe and see the beauty.
Tangled, beautiful mess.
Name that Photo
June 12, 2012 by
I’m wicked tired today and so distracted. I don’t feel funny, or deep or contemplative – I just feel…blah. So I’m offering up a giveaway to end all giveaways. Seriously, you’re glad you stopped by here today.
Some of you have already seen this on Facebook, but you can still play the game. Jenni from Avodah Images snapped this candid shot of us when she did our family shots. At some point during that evening, Landon stepped on a sand spur and I thought this picture was taken during that time, but Lee reminded me that that happened later in the evening on a different part of the beach.
So I have no idea why our faces look like this:
So, who wants to play a rousing game of Name That Photo?
Give this photo a clever title, or tell me what you think is happening in this picture to make us look so, um…scary.
The rules of this game are easy: Leave a comment with your suggested photo name or scenario. At the end of the day I will choose my favorite Name and will award the lucky winner two virtual high fives, one telepathic side hug and super-duper thoughts of awesomeness and glory.
This prize package is nothing short of stellar, friends. I mean, this is big time…
So what are you waiting for? What’s happening in this photo (because for the life of me, I don’t know why we look like that)? Don’t hesitate to enter – this is a prize you don’t want to miss out on.
Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this post…sadly. The virtual high fives, telepathic side hug and super-duper thoughts of awesomeness and glory are my own and have not been provided to me by any third party.
The swell of spring and new life awaits
March 30, 2012 by
Florida spring is beautiful. Crisp mornings give way to hot days signaling summer’s swift descent. But as we await the sweltering days, I’m struck by the new life springing up around us. Even in Florida, when nothing goes dormant, spring brings a pleasant crop of welcome change.
Spring also means that swimming season is upon us.
Speaking of new life, my cousin Summer brought home her two sons from Ethiopia just five months ago and in a few short weeks she will welcome a daughter into the world. The ladies of the family gathered together to celebrate this much prayed for baby girl last week.
May your weekend be filled with sunshine, flowers and the welcome relief of a warm breeze.
Friday Fotos
March 23, 2012 by
Are you all not completely blown away by my stellar titles this week? Pure genius.
A few photos fotos for you this Friday morning. These were all taken by our friend Sarah who, along with her friend Kristiana, spent the week loving on our family. Awesome? I think so.
Check out those tiny little muscles. My four year old is ripped.
Sweet girls
We have watched this sweet girl grow up and love her so much.
Happy weekend, everyone!
I’m the Cruelest Mom Ever but Look at the Awesome Pics I Took of this Caterpillar, Yo!
March 14, 2012 by
Sometimes coming up with clever titles is just too much, you know?
It’s spring break ’round these parts. Well – it’s spring break for the public schools. My kids, however, are being forced to do school this week because I relish in torturing them.
Muahahahahahahaha…
Seriously. you’d think I was standing over them with a bowl of cold gruel and a whip barking “What’s the sum of 5+7!” They are in the dungeon of learning, folks. You should feel sorry for them.
In a lame attempt to garner a few meager cool points, I’m offering a lot of breaks and we’re starting an hour later than usualy each morning. This gives them ample opporunity to enjoy the awesome that is Florida spring weather and hunt lizards and caterpillars to their little hearts content.
And speaking of caterpillars, check out these photos we got today of the creeper we affectionately (and completely unoriginally) named “Spikey.”
So, in celebration of my lack of awesome, please tell me – what did you do today that was awesome?
So dainty and girly and…
February 29, 2012 by
The table was set to girly precision. Purples, pinks, greens and blues lit the room and danced around the table.
There is no greater thrill for the six year old girl than glass bowls, wrapped in ribbon and filled with candy.
The guests arrived all dressed to the nines. Skirts, dresses, hair bows and even a bit of glitter.
They smiled shyly as they each took a seat around the frilly table.
And at the head? The Birthday girl in a purple shirt, ribbon pinned proudly to her chest.
Image courtesy of Avodah Images
Cake was served immediately and each girl picked up her fork delicately.
The chatter was quiet and endlessly interrupted by delighted giggles.
And after the cake came the ice cream.
Of course.
You can’t have a decent ice cream party without it.
Image courtesy of Avodah Images
Colorful goblets filled with ice cream and topped with more sugar than should be legally allowed raised the decibel level of the room to a new level. High pitched voices joined in a cacophony of silly laughter and girlish banter.
Image courtesy of Avodah Images
They ate with gusto. Tiny mouths lined in chocolate, fingers sticky, eyes glazed in a sugary daze.
And yet, there they sat so prim, each in her seat with a grin on her face.
When the ice cream was served, the room quieted again as young ones concentrated on eating their delights.
Image couresy of Avodah Images
Then one spoke, breaking the silence.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” she said with a grin. “Or I’m gonna fart.”
Image courtesy of Avodah Images
Cue uncontrollable laughter. Hands clasped over mouths and feet kicking.
And the potty talk commenced as each enjoyed tossing in her own gem of a quote.
Little girls.
They’re so dainty and girly and…
**********************
I only got a few pictures of the awesome and girly ice cream party, but my friend Jenni graciously offered to photograph the whole event for me and she got some amazing shots.
I think you should check them out.
Then check out the rest of her site at Avodah Images because she is a spectacular photographer. I’ve heard her say more than once that when she’s looking through a lens she sees God Himself as the world comes into focus. I love her heart and her pictures.
You’ll love her too.
If you’re ever in Florida and want family pictures made, Jenni is definitely your girl. She knows how to capture that one special moment and forever immortalize it for you. What a gift.
Image courtesy of Avodah Images
The perfect blendship
February 20, 2012 by
It’s amazing what happens when you move away. Friendships change. It’s inevitable, of course. Not seeing someone every day or every week is bound to altar the dynamics of any relationship, but I’ve found in the times I’ve moved that I’m always surprised at the way the meaning of a friendship can change shape.
I’ve also found moving to be an amazing barometer of the significance that friendships play in your life. The people you miss the most are not always the ones you thought you’d miss the most. The people who reach out and make the effort to maintain a relationship take you by surprise because, sometimes, they aren’t the people you thought would reach out.
And then there are times when you have a friendship so deep that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that that friendship will withstand the miles that grow between you.
I am blessed by such friends. So very, very blessed. And this past weekend we basked in the love of friendships so deep that the momentary pause between our face to face interactions didn’t even cause a hiccup. It was as though we hadn’t been apart. I have precious few friendships like that and I give praise for each one.
(If you’re a Broadway nerd like me, you’re going to want to listen to this song while viewing the following pictures….)
- My dear and precious friend.
A weekend of playing with our friends at the beach, the aquarium and even a Russian birthday party solidified in my heart this lasting relationship. How grateful I am for this precious family.
So what about you? Have you hugged a friend today?
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