Saturday, July 28, 2012

Saturday!!

Have a great weekend!!! I think she plans too!!! "I have to wear these so I will have a place to put my bb's!!!"

Busy weekend!!! {as always}


Friday, July 27, 2012

13 days {13 roses}

Thirteen days until marriage for Caleb and Kristen! 13 roses representing the children the Lord has given us from the womb to enrich our lives upon this earth! A dear lady at church handmade this handkerchief about a year ago. A quarter of a century ahead of me, I think she knew nothing has changed. A mom cries at her children's wedding. I was touched she had the single rose above the cross, delicately representing our little Joel!! I can't help but think of as the cliche says "I'm not loosing a son, but gaining a daughter." I'm gaining much more than that! I'm gaining an answered prayer, a friend, another child to fellowship and play with her new siblings, another prayer warrior for our growing family, another helper {when they visit} another woman to share joys and years and hopes and dreams with. So from these 13 roses represented on this little cloth, my prayer is that God will multiply faith, fruitfulness, hopes, dreams, laughs and life until our Lord Jesus returns.


I love you both......

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

options...

Mercy does not have mine, Bethany's or Hosannas hair! It thin and she doesn't have much of it! Poor thing!! She is 6 and it has never grown past her shoulders yet!! She longs for "big" hair!!! Anna also has hair like Mercy, not much of it. Soooo looking for options of how to make it look like more!!!! She was all excited about the the rollers and the new "do!!" I soooo remember my mom rolling mine in the pink sponge rollers! I hated it!! Mercy kept hers in ALL day surprisingly!! It turned out sweet!!!

Friday, July 20, 2012

friends!!

Friends are here!!! One of my bridesmaids in our wedding!! Hahha!! We are still "crazy!!!"

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

extremely busy!!

For some reason I had this idea while Terry, Anna and Jeremiah were at church camp and Elijah, Micah, Andrew and josh also Bethany working everyday that I would relax, have a slow paced week and just hang out at the house!! NOT!!! it has been unbelievably busy!! Mercy, Josiah, Hosanna and I have had a fun, busy few days!!!



Sunday, July 15, 2012

home.....

Why is it Sundays are "photo" days!? I think my kids can vouch that their mom probably declared that Sundays were "the day" to take pictures. From squirmy impatient toddlers to impatient texting teens.... I LOVE TO GET PHOTOS ON SUNDAY!! :) BUT today it was actually Terry's idea!!! So we tried before church and the light was no good! Sooooo we said after church. As we pulled up to check the Saturday's mail, I thought lets take one on our road/drive to our house. Kinda of like this is where it all began. I was trying to push back the sentiment as I was thinking of the almost 19 years of this road that leads to "home!" lots of coming and going, lots of prayers and thank you's as we came and left for safety, lots of imagining angels sitting on those 12foot+ tall posts wondering if they thought we over worked them with all the "goings" of them having their wings around about us!? Lots of bouncing toddlers in a huge van coming and going, to errands, to sports events, to church, to evening dinners with the whole family. And then when we increased drivers and seems like we needed a stop light at the end of the drive for all the comings and goings. From dashing ER visits to get sewed up, stapled up,  to daily Dr. visits with Joel to unknowing the last drive out that day in Dec., would be his last drive out of the gate from his farm, to the driveway as a sort of beginning for a certain blonde pulling up in it clueless to the fact that she was driving "onto" a road that would be very meaningful to her later. And of course now, all the business of older children....what a busy "road." Looking at this photo, the words to Stephen Curtis Chapman's song came to mind, "The Long Way Home." I hope every child will hold dear this road that leads to their home, but also the "road" we are traveling on to eternity is a long road home.....


"Long Way Home"

I set out on a great adventure
The day my Father started leading me home
He said there's gonna be some mountains to climb
And some valleys we're gonna go through

But I had no way of knowing
Just how hard this journey could be
Cause the valleys are deeper
And the mountains are steeper than I ever would have dreamed

But I know we're gonna make it
And I know we're gonna get there soon
And I know sometimes it feels like we're going the wrong way
But its just the long way home

I got some rocks in my shoes
Fears I wish I could lose
That make the mountains so hard to climb
And my heart gets so heavy with the weight of the world sometimes

There's a bag of regrets,
My should've beens, and not yets
I keep on dragging around
And I can hardly wait for the day I get to lay them all down

I know that day is coming
I know its gonna be here soon
And I won't turn back even if the whole world says I'm going the wrong way
Cause its just the long way home

When we can't take another step
The Father will pick us up and carry us in His arms
And even on the best days, He says to remember we're not home yet
So don't get too comfortable
Cause really all we are is just pilgrims passing through

Well, I know we're gonna make it
And I know we're gonna get there soon
So I keep on singing and believing
What all of my songs say

Cause our God has made a promise
And I know that everything He says is true
And I know wherever we go
He will never leave us
Cause He's gonna lead us home


He is......



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

VBS 2012

We are VBS-ing this week!!! They love it, especially Mercy!!! What doesn't the girl like!!! Anything social, she is all over it!!! AND today a little boy gave her a "note!!" oh.my!!!!!

My friend Natalee and I are the craft teachers!!! Ha!! beware!!!!!!

Next 2 weeks..... church camps!!! Summer busy-eeeee-ness!!!


Monday, July 9, 2012

one month!

So close now!! One month from today and at this time Maryland time, 5pm, they will be saying "I do" for life!! What a blessing to see what God has done over these last two years. I couldn't desire it any other way!! Blessings upon their hearts, their homes, their work, the womb as they go forward and begin their own journey!

Thank you Lord!!



Sunday, July 8, 2012

sunday

made it to church!!! A good thing since terry wasn't here to help get the morning going!! Ha!!


Saturday, July 7, 2012

rocky mountain mamma{gal}

Love this capture of Bethany and her huge Nubian Buck! Her and her dad traveled to Colorado to the National Dairy Goat Show!! So proud of her!!!

Love her smile!! She loves her goat endeavors!! {and you can tell}


farmers market!

Come see us at Farmers market! or rather just Josiah and I!! The rest are scattered from Colorado to Maryland and in between!! Josiah and I are the "Lone Ranger and Tonto!" it's going well!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The 4th!!!

Happy birthday America!!! Hope you all have a great day!!! Cooking, swimming and fun over here!!!

Monday, July 2, 2012

38!!!!

Only 38 days til marriage!!!!! Yay!!!