Saturday, November 28, 2009

Our Thanksgiving Blessing

Alaina Brooke
Born on November 26th
6lbs, 9oz
19 1/2 inches long



Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above
James 1:17

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Preparing for a new little one


The kitchen counter stands quietly right now covered in a mess. A mess that does my heart good. It makes me smile. Faith has grown to love cooking with me and will often ask if she can keep "doing a recipe" even after I am done. Somehow the mess never cleans itself up.

There it is, waiting for me to gather up a little girl who has run off to play, to begin the cleanup.

I find myself pondering what life will look like in a month. A new little one is joining our family and she will be full of needs. There will be a lack of sleep at first, feeding times, and just the simple adjustment of adding a new life to our family. Yet, life does not stop. It does not stand still. There will still be meals to cook, laundry to be done, messes to clean up, hearts to train... and I realize how much I will need Him... I know I can not do this on my own.



I will need His strength.

I will need His grace.


And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
2 Corinthians 2:9,10



His grace is sufficient. He is sufficient. He is all I need and all I will need.



I am excited, thrilled, to be entering this new season. I am not in denial though. I know there will be hard days. Days when I am crying out to the Lord. Days when I need my Loves help more then ever. Days where some things just won't happen. So, I'm praying now... praying for joy and peace even during those times... praying for His love to be poured out... praying for more of Him... more of His grace in my life...

And I know He is good. He is faithful.

He will walk with me.

So, we wait for this little one. Joyful hearts are all around. An excited anticipation.

I know He will provide.

Friday, November 6, 2009

This morning found two boys sitting on the couch and reading The Dangerous Book for Boys and discovering what to use to make invisible ink... milk, lemon juice, egg white and urine. They laughed and laughed at the thought of using urine to write and then quickly decided they would try rice milk to write some messages. After running to the garage to sharpen some sticks for their pens, they grabbed the milk and poured it into a bowl and began writing their names. After waiting for it to dry, we held up a candle lighter and nothing. Maybe because it was rice milk? We decided that we should try the lemon juice next.

The joy of learning and discovering.



Now they are studying the go-karts very closely...



Monday, November 2, 2009




Mom, your tummy is getting so big. I think it's going to be as tall as the fireplace.

It was said with all sincerity and love. Thankfully, I know it will not get as big as the fireplace!

:::

The picture is from this last weekend when my sweet sister and some gals from Church gave me a baby shower. Just a couple of weeks to go...

Monday, October 19, 2009


I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me.
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.

Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.

I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me,
Drew me back into His way.

I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me.
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.

I was bruised, but Jesus healed me,
Faint was I from many a fall,
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
But He freed me from them all.

I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me.
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.


:::



Praying for this day... every day... that His wondrous story... His wonderful works ... would continually be on my lips.


:::




Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
Psalm 145:3-5


Monday, October 5, 2009


Fall is here and the days are growing cooler. You can look up to the mountains and see snow gracing their peaks. It's such a beautiful time of year...

The boys have started wanting to do some of their school by the fireplace on the cooler mornings, the light of candles join us, and we enjoy the smell of soup as it sits on the stove... The warmer days of fall still call us outside for school, windows open allowing the warm sun to drift inside...




John-John, Benjamin and Faith decided that they wanted to build a little fire pit in our backyard this last week. They cleared the ground and gathered rocks and sticks to begin their adventure. I always love watching them explore and create... after they finished their project they could not wait for Daddy to get home so that they could start the fire and roast some marshmallows. They are now working on putting together a little town for their exploring. Such fun and special times...


It's amazing to think that this new little one will be joining our family in less then two months. Olivia is constantly telling me that there is a baby inside her tummy. :) Life will change, adjustments will need to be made, sleep will be lost, but a new little one will be here to love and we are more than thrilled.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

It amazes me right now that we are coming to the end of August and that the warmth of summer days will soon be behind us. This summer has been so crazy for us... we are finally settled in our new home, although there is still a pretty large "to do" list that sits in our notebook. We have seen God's hand at work in so many ways this summer, we just stand in awe at what He has done, what He has provided, what doors He has opened.
We are now in our third week of school and we are finally getting into our daily rhythm. This is such a fun time of year... I find myself looking forward to the coming fall days... the cooler days, the lighting of candles, warm meals cooking all day on the stove... mmmm....



We've had a small "adventure" in the planning stage for the last eight months. The kids have known about it, know that it was coming at some point and yet did not know exactly when we would be doing it. Well, due to the opportunity expiring very soon, this is the weekend that we will make the exciting trek. We've decided to add a little bit more fun to the adventure. :) Starting yesterday the kiddos have been getting little clues and they are beyond excited!! While a lot of guesses have been thrown out, including what we will be doing, they still have no clue and are just enjoying the suspense. :) It will be so fun to begin the journey with them...

Friday, July 31, 2009

Our week in pictures

A little peak into life at our new home...


:::

Off to go exploring
:::

:::

:::

:::

:::

Friday, July 10, 2009

Just slipping back in to say...

as sure as we were that this new little one joining our family was going to be a boy, we found out that it's a little girl!


A sweet little girl will be joining our family!



Thursday, June 25, 2009

Just a quick note to let you know that we are in the midst of packing. I should be back at some point in July.


Enjoy your summer days!


Thursday, June 18, 2009

Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. Psalm 71:8

Abounding in thanksgiving! Brimming over with grateful love! So full of joy and rejoicing that, 'my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long.' This is how it should be.

Sussanah Spurgeon


My prayer, the desire of my heart... to be flowing with praise, thankfulness for all that He has done and all that He is doing... Abounding in thankfulness and joy.



Monday, June 15, 2009

The last few weeks have found us enjoying the first days of summer and although the weather has been pretty cool and rainy we are still enjoying our slower days. I've been working on end of the year reports and planning school for next year, trying to begin packing for our move in a month, and just basking in the days of summer...


We are enjoying life...




Friday, June 5, 2009

Our week in pictures

finally... our vacation pictures.  :)


:::

:::

:::

:::

:::

:::

:::

:::


:::






Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Living a Song

I sit here now looking at my writing place, a place for my thoughts to take shape,  a place to record those silly things they say, for remembering what my days are like, a place to record our dreams, a place to record our prayers and a place for us to remember what God's doing in our lives, and I begin to think... 

Our days are full of laughter and learning.  Time spent basking in the warmth from the sun, enjoying walks and bike rides.  Minutes of rest and quite to be soaked up when they can be. Time with family and friends. The everyday cleaning, planning, and training will always surround us.   Our days are simple and yet they are full.  It's our life.  

It's the beauty of life I want to see and want to express...  
For our lives to be living a sweet song.

A song full of love, joy, peace, trust, faith.  

A song pleasing to our Father.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Today we celebrated our last day of school.





Yet, even though our traditional school has come to an end, our learning will continue.

Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.
From Charlotte Mason

Wednesday, May 27, 2009


The week before we left on vacation I had some time to get creative with Faith.  We made this little bag out of two fat quarters and she instantly fell in love with it...

Monday, May 25, 2009

The days are full... another school year is coming to a close... we just arrived home from a wonderful vacation... God is at work and answering prayers... change seems to be all around us...


For today, laundry needs to be done, weeds need to be pulled, preparations need to be done for a family dinner tonight, and we are just enjoying our last day of having Daddy off...


Enjoy your day, my friends!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I have questioned God sometimes when prayers have gone unanswered.  But answered prayer is still harder to believe.  
David Wilkerson

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Oh my!

The silly things they say...

I'm busy flossing my teeth and sweet Faith comes up, 

"Mom, are you taking out your teeth?"

"No, you silly girl.  I'm flossing."


Oh, how they can make me laugh!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Raising Little Warriors


Growing up I was a girly-girl.  I loathed anything that fell into the snake, spider, or scary category... I just never understood boys and their likes.  This fact is pretty funny to look back on because as much as I detested dirt and anything that crawled outside, I was still in love with Little House on The Prairie and the dream of living on land.  Anyway, I even remember sitting in horror as Brent would share stories of how he grew up shooting birds for fun.  For fun? You've got to be serious.

Now my days are full with two growing boys.  

Seeing jeans that have holes in them brings a smile to my face.  How is it that they seem to get holes in every pair of pants?  We have hands in our home that need to touch dirt... they love to explore and create using mud.  One minute they love the little creepy, crawly things and then the next minute they love to test their dominion over it, driving their Nana crazy.  :) There is a need to run, to wrestle, to build and to destroy.  They always seem to be running around with a gun in their hand and I'm reminded of stories from my dear husband, stories from his years running around on a small farm.  I laugh when I see them laying on the floor surrounded by legos with socks on that need to be changed...  they are so completely different then their little sisters.  

It's in those minutes that I smile.  I have come to love watching these boys.  They love life.   I'm excited about watching them grow into warriors and I find myself so full of vision for who they will become.   

As I see these boys running around and loving life, I whisper prayers...  that God would be at work in their young lives...  That they would fully surrender their lives and let Him take full control...  That even now they would be as grown up plants, having the heart of David and the character of Daniel.

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth
Psalm 144:12

These boys bring such laughter into our home, such love, such strength and such energy...  

I'm so thankful for this journey of raising two little warriors.  

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

He's Teaching Me

There are certain books on our shelves... books that are worn, the pages have creases, the binding is coming off...  These are books that you are able to read again and again, books that bring encouragement and laughter or maybe they teach and challenge us.  They bring life.

One such book for me is Streams in the Desert.  I've read it for several years now.  I don't read it daily and sometimes it will sit on the shelf for months but then there are those times when it seems to be calling me and I find myself going to pick it up, finding that days reading and it is usually at that point that the words written within begin to speak to me...  


Unfortunately, a great number of people play at praying. They do not expect God to give them an answer, so they simply squander their prayer time. Our heavenly Father desires us to transact real business with Him in our praying. 
Charles H. Spurgeon

.:.


Their strength is to sit still. 
Isaiah 30:7


There is a perfect passivity that is not laziness. It is a living stillness born of trust. Quiet tension is not trust but simply compressed anxiety.


.:.


We must have periods of lonely meditation and fellowship with God. Our souls must have times of fellowship with Him on the mountain and experience valleys of quiet rest in the shadow of a great rock. We must spend some nights beneath the stars, when darkness has covered the things of earth, silenced the noise of human life, and expanded our view, revealing the infinite and the eternal. All these are absolutely essential as food is for our bodies.
In this way alone can the sense of God's presence become the unwavering possession of our souls, enabling us to continually say, as the psalmist once wrote, "You are near, O Lord" (Psalm 119:151) F.B. Myer



The Lord has been using this simple daily devotional to speak to me the last several weeks.  prayer...  being still...  having God near... all things that I need to learn.


What are your favorite books?  The books that have changed you... the books that have drawn you closer to Him?  I'd love to hear!

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook

My Mom and several friends have done The Simple Woman's Daybook and I always have loved reading them... I thought it might be fun to join in today. :)




FOR TODAY... April 27th
Outside my window... the skies are cloudy, the ground is wet, and the air is moist. We've enjoyed the rain all morning and how I love hearing the sound of rain. I am really looking forward to warm days, enjoying the time outside but today I am thankful for a rainy day.
I am thinking... I've been pondering a wonderful sermon we heard last night at Church.
I am thankful for... a wonderful husband that works hard, the laughter from little one's playing, the taste of fresh fruit, the smell of rain...
From the learning room... It is amazing to think that the traditional school year is slowly coming to a close and we are beginning to see that with our school work. We've been painting in our thankfulness books and doing a lot of reading. John-John started learning multiplication in Math and that just boggles my mind... how can he be learning that already?
From the kitchen... tonight will find us enjoying spaghetti, a fresh salad and french bread. It's simple but everyone loves it.
I am creating... ummm.... nothing right now. haha I have plans to make a little bag/purse for the girls when I am able to get the sewing machine from my sister. I need to scrapbook and have plans for knitting projects but I don't know if any of it will get done before we are done with school. Truthfully, the most important thing we are creating right now is future adults.... we are in the midst of training, teaching, and encouraging little ones. What is more important?
I am going... to enjoy the quiet day inside.
I am reading... The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson along with Tramp for the Lord by Corrie ten Boom
I am hoping... and praying (!!!) that we have a home of peace and joy.
I am hearing... the sound of children.
Around the house... we cleaned the house this morning, how I love a clean home. :) The dishwasher is running and laundry is going... it's always amazing how much laundry is created in this home.
One of my favorite things... hmmm... a warm cup of green tea
A few plans for the rest of the week: I need to make an appointment for Olivia, Church, time at the library...
Here is picture thought I am sharing..
.

Go here to see other Daybooks

Friday, April 24, 2009

Our week in pictures

The last two weeks have found me enjoying a little break from blogging...  on some levels the break was planned and yet what I was planning on slowly evolved from there.  Isn't God good to continually draw us in and teach us?     

.:. .:. .:. .:. .:.

Last weekend the Denver Museum of Nature and Science hosted a free day.  We packed lunches, jumped in the car and joined my family for several hours of  wandering.  
Our drive into Denver is always so breathtaking.

The Museum exceeded my expectations...  it was so fun for all of us! 

.:.

My sweet girl helping me with green beans.

.:.

On Thursday we walked to the lake and enjoyed lunch, kayaking and time spent with family.  



The boys were so anxious to go swimming.  
While it was a warm day, the water was still pretty cold.  :)


quick in... quick out.



Have a beautiful weekend, friends!

Friday, April 10, 2009








Ashleigh shared this on her blog and I had to post it here.

Sunday's Coming!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

There is a Redeemer

There is a redeemer, Jesus, God's own Son,

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One,

Jesus my redeemer, name above all names,

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,

Oh, for sinners slain.
____________________________

Thank you oh my father, for giving us Your Son,

And leaving Your Spirit, till the work on Earth is done.
____________________________


When I stand in Glory, I will see His face,

And there I'll serve my King forever,

In that Holy Place.
____________________________


Thank you oh my father, for giving us Your Son,

And leaving Your Spirit, till the work on Earth is done.
____________________________


There is a redeemer, Jesus, God's own Son,

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One,

Thank you oh my father, for giving us Your Son,

And leaving Your Spirit, till the work on Earth is done.

And leaving Your Spirit, till the work on Earth is done.
-Keith Green




Praying your Easter is wonderful!   

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Mother




Mother
In her eyes, the look of loving, 
In her smile, the warmth of caring. 
In her hands, the touch of comfort, 
In her heart, the gift of sharing. 
- Author Unknown



art from allposters

Monday, April 6, 2009

Enjoying God's Creation

We got a call from my Mom today, The fox has five babies and they are out playing around...

We finished the project we were working on, grabbed the camera and jumped into the van.  We were anxious to see the fox and her cubs but I wondered if they'd still be out playing.  All eyes were peered onto the grass area where we knew their den was...  ah, we see them as squeals began to erupt from the back of the van.  We see them!  

We went and parked, watching them play and wrestle with one another, watching the Mom as she guarded the opening to their den..  It was such a special time.  Then we made the quick trek home. 

This afternoon as found us reading on the fox.  Reading about her tail, the den that she makes, what she eats, and finding out how old the cubs probably are.    


What was so interesting is that a fox will usually only have 4-5 cubs while our fox had 9 little cubs running around.
***


We found ourselves thankful for this day... thankful for being able to watch and enjoy God's creation... 


Friday, April 3, 2009

Our week in pictures


Our moments have been spent simply.


Creating   


laughing


working and serving


holding and loving



We are suppose to get another big winter storm tomorrow, so I think we will be spending the day inside...  enjoying the fireplace and some family games.  I pray you have a wonderful, peaceful weekend.