Body Language

He always has a lot to say, my husband. Most days I am up for it and enjoy listening and adding my two cents. I'll hop up on the kitchen counter to get comfy or motion for him to follow me upstairs while I tend to laundry. "I'm listening," I'll say, "keep talking," as I move into the next room. He's even followed me into the bathroom on occasion and does so without missing a beat. I love hearing what he has to say, I really do. The older he gets, the more profound he gets (or maybe I'm just rubbing off on him--yeah, that must be it!). But some days. . .well, some days my insides are screaming, "Oh, honey, please stop talking." I say nothing and remind myself how blessed I am to have a husband who wants to share so much with me. I know it is not common and recognize it is one way he honors me, but there are days it seems like extra noise on top of an already noisy house. Of course, I think I'm pretty smooth, discreetly hiding it, but does my body language give me away?

When I'm having a hard time concentrating on what he's saying, I don't look at him much. I don't ask questions. I kick into Martha mode and secretly hope he notices how distracted I am, all the while feeling guilty for not giving him the attention he deserves. My body language would say, "I'm sick of you. Could you please leave me alone?" but it's not indicative of what my heart feels. I don't want him to interpret wrongly, so sometimes I'll say something like, "Honey, I really want to hear about this, but I'm trying to do too many things at once here. I'm sorry." He is truly not an annoyance to me, but he probably gets that feeling sometimes.

Do you suppose there is some body language I get from him that is not a true reflection of his feelings? We interpret other people's words wrongly on occasion. It wouldn't be totally far-fetched to think we misinterpret their body language too. Could his polite nod I perceive as a dismissal really be him trying to figure out how to make things happen for me? When there's tension between us and he takes a deep breath, it may not necessarily mean I expect too much. It may only be a way for him to release his frustration. The pat I interpret as, "Neat, honey, now be on your merry way," may be his way of saying he needs some time alone, not just time away from me.

Why haven't I figured this out before? The lesson is not to assume too much in my husband's body language. Our bodies, as well as our mouths, don't always tell the whole story. They react like our insides. They lash out like our tongues. They become lazy as we grow weary. Proverbs tells us, "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense," which in my mind includes those offenses that are spoken or otherwise.

Poor guy, my Kevin. I analyze his every move. Lucky for me he's a lot better at this overlooking business than I am. Maybe he'll start rubbing off on me soon.



For more Marriage Monday posts, visit our guest host, Lynn, at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

Refreshing

The ground sighs and sips deeply as God gently pours the rain. Though the sky is dark, spirits are not. God faithfully renews them.

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Mmmm. . .Thank You, Lord.



Thanks to CaptPiper for the amazing photo.

Musing on Relationships

I was in a fog the moment I opened my eyes. My head was swirling with questions and thoughts and scenarios concerning my relationships. Recalling vague memories of odd dreams, I wondered why it was so consuming, filling even my unconscious mind. The more I thought, the more I prayed, the more jumbled and disconnected my brain became. I can't seem to shake the inadequacy I feel over relationships. They're tricky business.

One friend's name has been on my list to call for three weeks. I've tried a few times, but haven't been successful catching her. Life pushes on and it's hard to get to it, though she is on my mind often. And I carry around a sense of failure. There is no way for her to know I've prayed for her and about our relationship. No way for her to know I hurt for the loss of what we use to be.

I see the loneliness in another and feel helpless to soothe it. There are no magic words, no way to be there for her each time it strikes. She can't imagine the countless prayers uttered on her behalf.

It saddens me to think that as careful as I try to be with my words, they have undoubtedly stung people I love.

Though I can't explain it, this woman's presence calms me, but it bothers me we don't have ease in our conversations and I suspect I haven't seen the real her. Why doesn't she trust me?

Another friend and I have been on some rocky terrain. We are both trudging through and experiencing miraculous healing from God, yet I wish she could see my heart, how it still aches over what happened.

I would love to pick the brain of another woman and find out more about her. She is a consistent source of encouragement to me and my heart longs to hear what she thinks about.

I could go on and on. Maintaining relationships can be overwhelming. There are a lot of people I sincerely care about. I have good intentions, but it's hard to raise a family, complete the tasks God has given me, and make sure people know I still care. The sad reality is I can't do it all. Time with one person is time away from another.

So in my fog I prayed for God to intervene. I prayed He would guide me, show me who I should contact, who I should let be. Though people cannot see my heart, I prayed He would. I asked Him to honor my attempts to love others. Then I started my day.

And what a day it became! I had several meaningful discussions with a variety of people. There were two timely, precious phone calls from the very people I had dreamt about. An unexpected visitor was a pleasant surprise. Our whole family had a leisurely walk with friends culminating in ice cream and honest sharing. The icing on the cake was some especially meaningful and much-needed time with my husband. It was a day of true connection and comfort with friends and family alike, too many encounters to dismiss as coincidence. It was as if God was showing me it is okay. I am not a failure. All I asked for was wisdom. What He gave me was affirmation and hope that if I follow His lead in this relationship fog it will be okay.

And now I am left humming:

"How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough?
How amazing is Your love.
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King
and it makes my heart want to sing."

Thank You, Lord, for this amazing gift to me. Thank You for Your peace in my fog.



Join Iris at Sting My Heart for more Thankful Thursday posts.

Finding my words

How do you explain God?

I can give you plenty of reasons why God is far-fetched. How can He know everything about us? How can He listen to the prayers of an entire planet at the same time? How can He stand by and watch people hurt? How can He take the lives of innocent children in accidents? How can He bring thousands of people to their death in a natural disaster? Why would He let those who follow Him risk their lives to meet together? He doesn't make sense.

Yet as I think about how to refute such things, I am blank. When someone says, "How can God be in this tragedy?" I have no answer. When they ask, "Why would a loving God let this happen?", I am speechless. Oh, I can come up with the standard responses, "God is in control", "You just need to ask Jesus in your heart", "Trust in the Lord". But those answers seem too pretty. I absolutely believe them, but they're too churchy, too pat, not real. If I'm a Christian and those answers turn me off, what do they do to skeptics?

What is wrong with me that it is easier to come up with questions regarding His existence than it is to come up with original ways to explain Him? Why do the trite, cliche answers of Christendom annoy me more than the trite, cliche phrases of the world? Is it because God is so much more than our answers? Is it because you can't explain God, you can only experience Him?

And why do I TRY to explain God? I can't explain why I love my husband. I can tell you what I like about him, what I find attractive about him, yet I don't feel the need to defend my feelings for him to anyone. Others may think I'm stupid, I'm ignorant, I'm crazy, but it doesn't bother me in the least. I love him, period. Why can't I think of my relationship with Jesus the same way?

This frustrates me so much because I WANT to point others to God. I want them to experience the same peace I do. I want them to know there is more to this life. I want them to have the assurance they are more than what the world tells them they are. I want them to see His transforming power at work in their lives. And I feel so inept because they want specific answers and I have so few. God is too big to be explained and my meager attempts to do so always come up short.

How do you explain God?



Photo Credit: killermonkeys

Have a Heart

I just woke from a dream that has my heart feeling very heavy.

I dreamt my husband and I had to leave our children in a shelter over night. Apparently we were having a hard time with money and made them sleep there because we thought it would be better for them. The next day as I saw what conditions they were in, I was absolutely sick. The room was dingy and dark. My girls had slept on a hard platform with a bunch of other girls and my boys had sacked out wherever they could find a space. I imagined the older ones comforting the youngest as best they could and looking out for each other. I was horrified at how they must have felt--alone and insignificant and forgotten. Wracked with guilt, I gathered my kids around me and apologized through tears. I told them how sorry I was and how it would never happen again, how I would keep us all together no matter what.

And I woke up.

I think it's God's way of telling me to be compassionate. You see we have in a new chapter in the saga of that stinkin' house. We discovered yesterday our renters have cleared out. No explanation, no money (and they owe us a lot), but TONS of junk and garbage and well, let's just say it truly is a stinkin' house now.

But I'm not mad. I'm not questioning God. I couldn't even bring myself to leave a nasty message on her voicemail--"It looks like you've skipped town on us. . .Wow." (I am a force to be reckoned with, I tell you!) I'm definitely not looking forward to the massive cleaning job ahead and not sure what steps to take past that, but my dream reminds me sometimes people feel forced to make hard choices. Whether it is right or wrong, leaving us in the lurch was a desperate attempt to ease their family's burden. I can't imagine the stress and worry that accompany them every day. Even my eleven-year-old recognized it when he asked, "How could you live like that?" Granted, they have created some of it themselves by poor choices of the past, but realizing that doesn't take away the anxiety.

I'll never figure out God works and I can't come up with any reason why He would have put these people in our path or why He would allow them to do this to us when we have gone out of our way to be patient and merciful with them. But it's okay. God is teaching me to move on without the answers and you know how hard that is for me. Hey, progress! I am confident He is working.

There is one thing I wonder, though. Did I fail? Did I pass? How do you measure your faithfulness to a particular task like this? I have no control over the behavior of others, but I can learn how to make my own behavior more pleasing in His sight. The problem is I never knew God's purpose here. Did I say enough? Did we do the best for them? I tried my hardest to love them without strings and say things that weren't easy to say in hopes of helping them. She seemed to like talking to me, but I doubt she was always telling me the whole truth. It seems nothing was accomplished here. I know, don't say it--only God knows. I may have "planted a seed" and all that. Sigh. It's one more thing I'll have to leave in God's hands.

Tonight, as that helpless feeling I had in my dream lingers, I am compelled to pray for them. They have made a hard choice, perhaps in desperation, perhaps without thought to their actions. It doesn't really matter. What matters is there are three kids dependent on them, three kids needing to feel safe and be fed. Would you offer up a prayer on their behalf as well? We may not see results, but God doesn't ask for results. He asks for action.

Lord Jesus, may this family stumble across You in their running. Block their path until they recognize they can't flee from You. Heal them. Give them hope. Protect those children.

Thank you for your prayers, friends.


Photo Credit: brainsluice

Home

It seems no coincidence to me now that the kitchen is the first room you encounter in the house where I grew up. It was there I sang with my mom and sister as we did the dishes. It was from the kitchen I noticed my twin baby brothers in the next room had figured out how to hit the nipples of their bottles on the top rail of their cribs just right so they could squirt each other. The kitchen table hosted countless games of Aggravation, Shanghai Rummy, Pitch and Pinochle. It was there my dad told me he saw something special in my relationship with my husband before we were even married. The kitchen became the "Everything Office" when my sister and I were kids, keeping us busy for hours pretending we were a one stop shop for any need. We conducted science experiments there (at least that's what we preferred to call it when we threw spaghetti on the ceiling and timed how long it would stick), heard stories of our mother's childhood, talked on the phone and savored many family meals together.

I sat at the kitchen table with my parents as they told me of their plans to divorce. "Nothing's going to change that much," my dad said. After we'd all worked through the pain, I eventually saw he was right. The same dynamics were in place. My parents were gracious enough to do things as a family to make it easier on us kids. The biggest difference was my mom and dad lived in separate places.

But I will never forget the first time I walked into that kitchen after Mom had left. It felt different. The absence of her presence was palpable and I realized instantly I had lost my childhood home. It was the same building, the same furniture, and my dad was still there, but the kitchen nearly screamed that she was not. Though my childhood house exists, my childhood home does not.

It was a hard lesson, but a valuable one. I learned that home is not a place. Home is people and relationships and memories and common experience. Home is being comfortable anywhere regardless of the physical surroundings. Today I think it a gift, being able to look beyond the familiar to see what is real because finding home apart from a place means I can take it with me forever.



To join in on this meme or to read other remembrances of home, click on over to Owlhaven.

On the Road Again

You know how I was frustrated the other day, feeling like I didn't have what I needed to do the job God asked?

You know how I asked for your help?

THANK YOU!!

You'll be happy to know I got a breakthrough late Wednesday morning (or maybe you're just rolling your eyes at my melodrama). In any case, the light bulb went off and I'm at it again. I know there will be struggles ahead, but at least I'm moving forward for now.



The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
Psalm 145:13b-14

I thank You, Lord, for your faithfulness to me, but I also thank You for the waiting. It forces me to put my money where my mouth is when I say I trust You. Thank You for not leaving me hanging forever and thank You for the dear people who uttered prayers on my behalf. Help me love them as well as they have loved me.

Have a beautiful day, my friends. God is good.


Remind yourself of His goodness by checking out some other Thankful Thursday participants at Laurel Wreath.

Aaaargh!!!!!!

Hey y'all.

I

AM

STRESSED

!!!

Have you ever had God ask you to do something and you weren't sure you could do it, but you accept the challenge anyway, knowing He will give you what you need? And the going gets a little tough and you get a little frustrated, but you press on understanding that opposition is a good thing because it may indicate Satan's not so happy about you doing this job. So you do what you can and wait for God's leading. . . and wait. . . and wait. . . and it gets down to crunch time when it really needs to be done but you're still in waiting mode.

I've got a job to do and I'm waiting for the all important next step from God. I've been working on it and praying and thinking really hard and still missing something that's got to come from Him. It has to come soon because this job has a time limit. All last week the unexpected came, sucking up my time, but I knew each thing was necessary and important so I stayed calm knowing He would supply. Each day I pray confidently, asking God to give me the big idea to get the ball rolling, expecting Him to show me what's next and every night I mull it over, tossing and turning, anxious to get the "aha" moment that never seems to come.

I know You can do it, God. I know You will give me what I need, but could Ya bring it soon?

I've been telling myself all morning, "He who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

But now I wonder if it's time to humble myself and ask for your help. I don't think God ever called us to be lone rangers. We need each other and this morning I realize no matter how capable I want to be on my own, I need you. Will you pray for me? Will you pray for God to clear my tired, fuzzy head and fill it with true inspiration? Will you ask Him to give me discipline and discernment and perseverance? Will you pray as I do, that God will give me the ability to do all that AND be the wife and mother I need to be, maintaining outside relationships as well which are vitally important?

My husband told me as he left today to take a deep breath. He's right, I know. It will be okay. What I need will come. This waiting business just jiggles my nerves.

A Surprising Reminder

He is only eighteen.

Yet as he tells me about the events of his last twelve hours, I am struck by his maturity. It is no easy stuff, but he sits here composed, ready to take on whatever is ahead, doing anything to help.

"How are you?" I ask.

He crosses his leg and leans back in his chair, inhaling slowly. "Oh, I'm fine. My faith is strong enough that I can take pretty much anything." He blushes a little as he smiles and says again, "I'm fine."

I realize he could be putting up a brave front, but I am still so proud of him, proud of his tactful handling of the situation, proud that he cares and does what is best, proud that he does not scare easily and run away, proud of his unwavering devotion. I pray my own sons display the same character at his age.

Bravo, my friend. You may only be eighteen, but without a doubt, you are a man.



And I am thankful for the reminder from an unexpected source that action is always preceded by a choice to do the right thing. My heart may not be in it and I may not be sure I can do it, but deciding to do it anyway is the first step. Saying the right things comes before doing the right things. Intention counts because it determines behavior.

Happy Thursday, my friends! Be sure to visit Sting My Heart for more Thankful Thursday posts.

Connecting our dots

My head is still wrapped around my post of a couple days ago concerning being needed. Every single time I touch on this topic of connectedness it hits a hot button with people. Words that have come up this time are needed, wanted, accepted.

Apparently we're all desperately seeking this validation, this significance from others and not getting it. Whose fault is it? Are we not giving enough? Do we expect too much from others? I want to pin it on our frenetic society, always filling up our days with too much stuff, but I think what's really happened is Satan has done a number on us. And we're letting him do it.

Technology is wonderful, but I realized this week it contributes to our problem of being unconnected with others. Much good is done to encourage others in the blogosphere, but much time that could be spent having coffee with a friend is eaten up also (you bloggers know exactly what I'm talking about). My husband and I often work on our computers in the evening and the problem hit me smack in the face one night as we found ourselves e-mailing each other from across the room instead of actually talking!!! My son does way more text messaging than talking on his cell phone and it occurred to me it was because it is easier. He's not shy, but a shy person would rather type than talk, right? But are we sacrificing the skill of interacting with people?

But the problem is not technology. The problem is Satan is using it in a spiritual battle we have not engaged ourselves in. Let's get in the game, people. Let's fight him. Let's be real and honest in our communication with others. Let's be willing to say we struggle and let someone help us. We can have meaningful relationships, but we're going to have to fight for them. Satan won't let them just happen.

Jesus said in John 15:14,17, "You are my friends if you do what I command. This is my command: Love each other."

I think we love each other by being involved with each other and combatting Satan's lies. Things like,

They don't want to talk to me.

I shouldn't bother them.

They couldn't need me.

They wouldn't like me if they knew the real me.

No one cares what happens to me.

All UNTRUE!!! Refuse to succumb to these tricks and put yourself out there. Fight for the connections you want so badly. Follow Jesus' command to love each other by considering it your work in the Lord.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Let's work together to cultivate the sense of community we all desire and which Satan dreads. If we are together we are stronger which makes him shudder. Let's give him the heebie jeebies!

Building for the future

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing yet had been done."
~ C.S. Lewis ~

When our son was in first grade, we literally took him kicking and screaming to school for weeks. I'm not kidding. Imagine your worst getting-a-kid-to-school nightmare, then take it times three. We're talking peeling fingers off of door jams, trying to get out of a moving vehicle type of thing. Now lest you think you should call child protective services on us, let me tell you that half an hour after he got there, you would never know there had been such a commotion earlier. The day would go on without incident. There was nothing dangerous at school. He had no bad experiences there. He had lots of friends. He liked his teacher and principal. He was only having some kind of separation anxiety (and trust me, it's not because our house is such an amazing place to be!).

Over the years we have still struggled from time to time, but as he's gotten older, I've been so proud of the way he has pushed himself. He has gone from "I'M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL!!!" to "I don't want to go to school" to "My stomach hurts. I can't go to school" to "I don't feel good, but I know I have to go" to no words at all, only a familiar look in his eye I recognize as "Don't ask. I'm sucking it up and going." I am glad because I know every time he makes himself to do something that may be a little scary, it is one less thing to be scared of next time. He has learned that even though he may feel nervous, once he does it, he will be fine. Having the ability to push through the fear will serve him well. It will allow him to have a myriad of opportunities in his future that he may have missed otherwise by being too afraid at home.

So while I agree with today's quote, I think it is important to remember our past experiences with God empower us to trust Him all the more in our future. My son has learned he can press through the anxiety because he knows how it has worked out for him. We know we can rely on God because our past experience tells us He is trustworthy. Yes, each day is a choice to follow God anew, but knowing how He has been there for us gives us the extra oomph to obey once again. Every time we decide to trust Him we strengthen our faith muscle making it more likely we will choose wisely the next time. Our anxiety is only another chance to rely on God. (Remind me I said that the next time I'm freaking out, okay?!)

Find some other impressions of this quote by visiting our host, Iris, at Sting My Heart.

Trying to prime the pump

The week we've been back since our vacation has felt unnatural, lacking purpose and motivation. I've felt so out of it and have had a hard time getting back into the swing of things. I suppose it didn't help we had one laundry catch up day before the Independence Day holiday and family gatherings and such, but I have felt restless and anxious without reason. It kept me up last night until 2:30.

And today we went to church. I scanned the crowd and saw the familiar faces, the steady, loving influence that is my church family. I couldn't help but smile as we sang praise songs. I was greeted with many hugs and closed the place down having great conversations with wonderful people. I was safe. I was comfortable. I was home. And now I am rejuvenated and ready to get back to my routine. God's Spirit filled me up. It was exactly the boost I needed to get on with life again. Aaaaahhhhh. . . .

As I walked away refreshed and grateful, I couldn't help but think of some of you, my blogging friends, who have struggled in this area. Some of you don't feel fulfilled or connected at all in your churches. You go to honor God, period. Or week after week you visit another church, trying to find the right fit, desperately seeking the refuge I get every Sunday. I wished I could give you the shot I got today and help you see what a blessing a church family can be.

And it made me wonder what makes the difference? How can I be so enriched by my church life and others, just as devout as I, come away lacking? I know when we first moved to this church, I went through some years of feeling unknown and unconnected, and found excuses why I couldn't go (motherhood offered lots of them). But today it occurred to me perhaps what really bothered me so many years ago was a feeling of being unneeded. Is that what gets to us when we struggle not only in church but also in relationships? Do we "not get anything out of it" because we don't feel needed?

Which takes me to, yes, you guessed it, another question. Does being a good friend, a good member of the body of Christ involve making others feel needed? How can I do that? What can I do to jump start others to a wonderful church life?




Photo Credit: chadrogers

Mmmmmm. . .

While we were gone I was tagged by e-Mom for a restaurant meme, so here goes nothing. I'm supposed to pick five of my favorite restaurants. I feel I need to preface my choices by saying this list will seem very boring to most of you. There are not a lot of fine dining opportunities in our little community and my budget has not allowed for me to take advantage of many of those that do exist. I've decided to highlight some places that are distinctively Nebraskan and missed by those natives who move away.

1. The Black Crow. This is the best eating establishment in our little town and boasts clientele from around the region. The chef trained in Europe and I found out recently he nearly opened his place in Seattle (thought you'd get a kick out of that, e-Mom--it could have been on YOUR list!). Dinner can be pretty pricey, but never disappointing. The last time I ate there for dinner I had some kind of concoction with salmon, shrimp and squid in it--very exotic. Lunches are very reasonable and I believe there is nothing on earth like their Chocolate Decadence dessert. The ambiance is fantastic which is always a big plus in my book.

2. Valentino's. This local Italian restaurant chain started in Lincoln, Nebraska. I grew up on their pizza and associate it with many fond memories as a child, which is probably why I always like it best. Their Sunday brunch is one of the best around. Their family pack specials are a favorite of our family and a very good deal for larger families. We order one often at our house for movie nights.

3. Runza. Okay, technically this is not fine dining. This is actually a fast food chain, again originating in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Runza "sandwich" is a ground beef, cabbage, seasoning mixture rolled up in a dough and though this is their signature item, they also have the best hamburgers, french fries, onion rings and chili around as well.

4. Grandmother's. Like I said, I'm all about the ambiance which is one of the reasons I chose this restaurant. Again, this is a Nebraska original started by, I believe, Bob Kerrey, a former governor and U.S. Senator of Nebraska who once ran for President. Their menu is pretty standard home-cooking kind of fare (and very good), but my favorite part of this place is its roomy, tall booths. The tops are enclosed with etched glass which makes them seem very private and drowns out the usual noise found in a big eating establishment.

5. Carlos O'Kelly's. Yes, I know, this is a national chain and not purely Nebraskan. It just happens to be a favorite of our family. We don't often take the whole clan to sit down restaurants because it can really kaching (if you know what I mean), but when we do, this is one we like to hit. Their chips are full of pockets of crispiness (had to put that in for my daughter).

And there you have it. If you're ever in the fair state of Nebraska, check out these places and enjoy. I've decided not to tag anybody else for this as my delay in getting it done has probably made this old news. If you'd like to share (especially those of you from Nebraska who think I may have missed some really good places), please feel free to leave a comment or post something on your own blog. Bon Appetit!

Thinking on the beach

I sat on the beach, soaking in the sun and looked out at my family. My family. How did I get here? How can I be this old and have four children when I still feel about 12?

That's how old I was when I thought my dreams for life may be unattainable. Yet God chose to become real to me then too. He gave me hope by showing me a wonderful promise in His word, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4) I decided right then I would believe Him despite the odds I saw ahead of me and set out to please Him, trusting Him for the rest.

Fast forward over thirty years and I'm lying on a beach, relishing the sight of my own family. My husband is helping our older daughter hunt for seashells, my boys are constructing some kind of sand fortress and my youngest has made "a little sea friend" (one of the best "Keeli-isms" to date).



I've been married over twenty years and a mother for seventeen, so why does it still catch me by surprise that I have a family? And not just any family, a really great family. How did I get teenagers willing to ride the carousel and Dumbo ride just to make their little sister feel important? How did I get kids who wanted to make sure I got to do the things I wanted to do and who missed going to church as much as their parents? Why did God give me a husband who understands that the best vacation for me involves him taking care of all the details? Realizing my life is way more than I imagined it would be when I was 12, I can't help but think, Wow, God, look what you did. Thank You so much. You truly are faithful.

Thank You, Lord, for this incredible gift, this family. I couldn't have planned it better myself.

We're Baa-ack!!

We had a GREAT time on our big vacation and were happy to get home late last night. Thanks for all your prayers.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and since my brain is still a little fried (not to mention my body--we enjoyed the beach FAR TOO LONG on Saturday), here's a few of my favorite pics from our trip. I'll have more to say later, I promise. (As if you were worried--sheesh!)