Wedding

Here comes the groom... I mean, the trumpet player.... I mean, the groom that plays the trumpet.

and here comes the lovely bride...

She picked her own bouquet out in our back yard.

Bottling vanilla extract.

She is my helper... and has helped me three years out of her four.

Fall Beauty

Apple Picking

This is my bat branch.  I couldn't get the bats to fly right so that disappointed me, but that's ok.... I taped some of them on my branch.

Our Q-tip skeletons... this one looks like he's jumping over a chair

We went apple picking this past weekend.  I thought I was at Green Gables.  :)

Ducks to be fed...

Hay rides... and me looking so nicely filled out!

apples... they were everywhere!

Got some apples to spare tree?

Videos of the Kids

Things we are doing

Thoughts Swimming in My Head

James 1:27

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

I heard this verse the other day on the radio.  I've heard it before and then it struck me again.  Pure and undefiled.. don't we all want that in our lives?  

So, the other night I saw flashing lights at a house down the street.  A man died and now his widow lives alone.  I don't know her... but how do I make myself available to her?  Orphans... it doesn't just mean the kids in the orphanages... people that need help.  People that have lost their way.  How do we stay unstained from the world?  Walking in the light as He is in the light?

^{Galations 5:25} Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

Sommarpsalm

I am preparing this song in Swedish.  The translation I thought was so beautiful.

A friendly verdure, richly garbed,
has adorned valley and meadow.
Now the wind's warm breath caresses
the fair herb meadows.
And sunshine and the rustling in the grove
and the murmur of the wave in the willows
proclaim summertime.

The frenzied birds praise
their happiness and their summer peace.
From the thicket of the wood, from the quiet nest
their song sounds forth.
A hymn strikes up with joy and up
from their glad chanting,
from the flowers and fields.

But you, O God, who makes our earth
so beautiful in the summer hours,
grant that I may heed your Word first and foremost
and Your wondrous mercy.
All flesh is grass, and the blossom fades,
and time banishes everything,
only the Lord's Word remains.

Always Room for One More

I saw a book that I've never read on the side table the other day.  It's a children's book and it's called "Always Room for One More".  It caught my attention because I have recently heard a family that adopted say "I just thought... is there room at my table?  Yes, there is room" and I was moved.  I read this book and it has been on my mind ever since.  The theme of this story is that if you live with vulnerability and an open hand seeking to serve others, it will one day most likely be returned to you in a fashion you never imagined.  I love that idea don't you?  Here are the lyrics to the Scottish song that turned into the children's book:

There was a wee house in the heather
'Twas a bit o' a but and a ben
and in it there lived all together
Lachie MacLachlan and his good wife,
and his bairns to the number of ten.
"There's a fire on the hearthstone to warm me, 
and porridge to spare in the pot,"
Said Lachie.  "The weather is stormy,
so me and my wife and our ten bairns,
Will be sharing whatever we've got."

So he hailed every traveler that passed by his door.
Said Lachie MacLachlan, "There's room galore.
Och, come awa' in!  There's room for one more, 
Always room for one more!"

A tinker came first, then a tailor,
and a sailor with line and lead;
A gallowglass and a fishing lass,
With a creel o' fish on her head;
A merry auld wife full o' banter,
Four peat-cutters up from the bog,
Piping Rury the Ranter, and a shepherd laddie
down from the brae,
with his canny wee shepherd dog.

He hailed them all in as he stood at the door.
Said Lachie MacLachlan, "There's room galore.
Och, come awa' in!  There's room for one more, 
Always room for one more!"

Rury's pipes set the rafters a-ringing 
Till the clock danced a reel on the shelf,
And they all fell to dancing and singing, 
And the little dog danced by himself.
Och, the walls they bulged out and bulged in then,
The walls they bulged in and out.
There will never be heard such a din, then, 
As came from the folks
In the wee little house
While they rollicked and frolicked about.

They filled all the house up from door to door,
But Lachie cried out, "There's room galore.
'Twould be a tight fit, but there's room for one more, 
Always room for one more!"

Then the rafters they clappit like thunder,
and folks in the nearby town 
Stood stock-still to listen and wonder,
When the wee little house
With its but and its ben
and its walls and its roof dinged down!
Then the tinker and the tailor,
and the sailor with line and lead;
The gallowglass, and the fishing lass,
With the creel o' fish on her head;
The auld wife full o' banter,
The four peat-cutters up from the bog,
Piping Rury the Ranter,
And the shepherd laddie down from the brae,
With his canny wee shepherd dog,
and Lachie MacLachlan,
His good wife, and his bairns to the number of ten,
They all tumbled out again!

And they gowked at the place where the house stood before.  
"Och, Lachie," they cried, "there was room galore, 
But worry and woe, there's no room no more,
Never no room no more!"

They wailed for a while in the heather, 
As glum as a grumpetie grouse,
They they shouted, "Have done with this blether!
For Lachie MacLachlan, his wife and bairns,
We'll raise up a bonny new house."
The house that they raised from the auld one
Was double as wide and as high.
Should an army come by it could hauld one,
With Lachie MacLachlan, his wife and his bairns,
and whoever else happened by.  

And then the whole lot of them stood at the door,
and merrily shouted, "There's room galore!"
Now there will always be room for one more, 
Always room for one more!"

Better Than A Hallelujah

Love this song:

Zeke Helping

Jake and Melody's Wedding

I have a new sister-in-law!  I couldn't be more happy for this wonderful couple.

The groom and MY groom

Little tiny chicklets kept Zeke and Gwen busy during the ceremony.  I just have to say... my mother-in-law is a GENIUS!

Uncle Jeff smiling at Zeke :)

Lovely bridesmaids

drum roll please... Gwen as a flower girl!  She was so cute!

Melody is so lovely!

Be still my heart

Be still my heart again

Flower girl and ring bearer.  They had a blast together!

I LOVE THIS BOY

I LOVE THIS GIRL

Zeke Talking

I feel like I never post any videos of Zeke's sweet voice.  Here is one for your enjoyment.

Gwen's First Day of Preschool

After much anticipation the first day of preschool arrived for Gwen.  She is thrilled to be around other kids, class pets, and be in a new place.  

Gwen and the watermelon vine.

a rainbow we saw this morning.

Gwen

Here is Gwen's new eye makeup... a shiner.  She tripped over her towel at bath time and dove right for the bathtub.  Scared us... but she's ok.

Today was meet the teacher morning at preschool.  Gwen will be in a class for a few hours 3 times a week.  I thought it would be an interesting experiment to see how she might handle being in school next year.  She was thrilled with it all and very sad to leave.  It is like she has always wanted more independence.  I just stayed to the side and watched her today.  She especially liked the class chinchillas they have.  She is so excited that she tried very hard to write her full name today and succeeded.  She is my strong willed, compassionate, intelligent and independent girl.  I've started praying over her when she's asleep that the Holy Spirit would direct her strong will to His purposes and His ways.

I heard Gwen this afternoon say "Zeke, I wish you could come to my new school with me."

Five Minute Fridays- Join

So I'm still new to this whole thing, but here is where you can read about Five Minute Fridays.  It's a writing exercise with no editing for 5 minutes.  I'm trying to see if it cleanses my mind or magically makes me a wonderful writer or helps me drop 20 lbs.  The topic this week is Join... GO.

So the other night my friend was over at the house and she saw some laundry that kind of smelled of mildew, saw the construction I was doing on a bedroom upstairs, saw my kids rooms with books all over the place and saw my cluttered pantry.  I thought of joining her being a type A person and having lists and being organized.  Why in the world do all the cups in the cabinet automatically become sippy type cups or character cups?  So, I've purposed in my mind that I will work on one room a day this upcoming week... organizing some small area.  So tomorrow it is my kitchen.  BUT I will also purpose to give myself some grace here and there too.  It is hard to keep it all balanced and together.  Who knows, it might be very healing her seeing all my rough edges.  Friends need to see each others weaknesses don't they?  I think so and I also think that this post is going to change lives... change lives I tell you!  I have one more minute left and what should I tell you?  How about that we went to a party tonight and some lady said "Oh my gosh" and my two year old said, "um... we don't say that in our family."  :)