Zeke's Third Birthday

For Zeke's third birthday we took him to a place called Little Monkey Business... or as he likes to call it "Bunkey Miznuss".  

He loves Spiderman and has quite a funny sense of humor.  He likes to do things himself lately and doesn't like to wear socks.

This is little Claire... my neighbor/friend's baby. I sometimes think of her as my own.  The first picture is of us last year at Little Monkey Business and then this year there.

There was a girl dressed like a monkey... gotta love those teenage jobs!

Katie Beth and Gwen with the monkey.

My sister in crime, Janna.

We finished off the day with a bubble bath.

2013

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."

I read this quote lately and I've decided I'd like that to be something I work toward in 2013.  Seeing service as joy.  I know that having small children is sometimes not easy and adding one more to the mix is both a blessing and a responsibility. 

I feel like I'm just now getting a glimpse of what being a follower of Christ really means.  Losing your life to gain it.  I've been a Christian for a long while now and I'm just beginning to grasp this concept.  How can we understand it in this culture when we have so much stuff... so many blessings... so much?

  

Giving your life away for others.... living a simple life on purpose... giving radically so others can see Christ... adopting orphans... helping the poor.... these are the things that the world should be seeing Christians do... but so many times it is easy to get caught up in the stuff and the business and to be self reliant.  I want to live my life differently.  

Mustaches

I'm having a mustache party next week.  I bought some mustache cookie cutters and look how cute they are.  You may be wondering why mustache party.  Just because I think it will be funny to have a bunch of women with stick on mustaches eating fondue.  :)  I'll post pictures.

Great Expectations Part 3

We found out a week or so ago that I am expecting Baby Barreth #3.  We are happy and I am grateful to the Lord for this gift.  I am feeling pretty good, but a little queasy.  I am the kind that can't keep good news to myself, so I thought I'd tell you, my blog readers.  Of course, that is only about my mother and sister. :)  Maybe late August or early September we should have a new face to love.

Depth of Mercy

How I love the idea of our prayers asking for mercy instead of blessings and more blessings.  We are already so blessed we don't see it most days.

Lately

My mom got this marble course for the kids.  They enjoy it.

Big full moon.

Gwen asked me to take this photo today.

Playing chutes and ladders with friends.

I told Zeke to hold the baby like he's taking care of it.... hands around the neck. Hummm...

Rest

There are days when we seek things for ourselves
and measure failure by what we do not gain
On the Sabbath we seek not to acquire but to share.

There are days when we exploit nature
as if it were a horn of plenty that can never be exhausted.
On the Sabbath we stand in wonder before the mystery of creation.

There are days when we act as if we cared nothing
for the rights of others.
On the Sabbath we are reminded that justice is our duty
and a better world our goal.

Therefore we welcome Shabbat.
Day of rest, day of wonder, day of peace.

Christmas Day

Christmas morning.  They came into our bed and I asked them if they were ready to go downstairs.  They said they were and I asked them why they wanted to go downstairs.  They told me to eat breakfast.  They had forgotten they would have gifts.

We first opened a present to Jesus we had kept on the mantel.  It had slips of paper inside with things we had done this year for Him.

Dream Lites... they love them and I can see why.  They put wonderful stars in different colors on your ceiling.  I think they are overpriced, but the kids LOVE them.

My sister gave him this light up gun and sword set.  I don't think he has put it down since he opened it.

My little ponies.

a mermaid

The sword

  Then on Christmas night we had a dinner over at Jeff and Beki's house.  We had Christmas crackers with crowns.  I'm turning myself back into weight watchers tomorrow.  This picture just confirmed what I already knew... ugh.

kiddy table

Lovely Beki and Jeff... let me just say, they outdid themselves this year with homemade gifts you wouldn't believe if I listed them.  In fact... I may do a whole other blog post about this cause it's INSANE. (in a good way)

Christmas Eve

I'm so blessed to have these two.  I've arranged all the gifts for them to open in the morning.  They have just a few presents, but they were bought with love and we have remembered the Savior this Christmas.  

Snow Day

The other day we had our first snow of the season.  

Rosy cheeks and good friends.

a new way to wear a watch

Jesus on the cross that she drew on her arm

Baking and Snow

Recently we went to a place that had bubbles that looked like snow shooting out of a machine.  Great fun!

Yesterday we made chocolate graham crackers in the shape of men and women.  The kids were a big help.

Can I love them any more?  I asked them to make a funny face and I have to share all of them cause they are too cute!

This morning I was woken up to "mom, there's lot of snow!  Come on, I'll show you!"  They wanted to have breakfast by the window.  Our first snow of the season.

He filled my hand with freshly fallen snow and I'm grateful.

Christmas Tidings

So much of my Christmas time is made up of singing.  I've slacked again with blogging, but suffice it to say that I've been loading and reloading the dishwasher... reading books as fast as I can... disciplining... trying to exercise with friends... parties with too much chocolate... and back to singing.  I love it.  I never get tired of Christmas time and Christmas music and lights and such. 

A Scripture that has been on my heart lately:  Psalm 61:2 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Lately I have felt an unrest.  Not an unrest as in I need to move or anything like that, but an unrest that says I need to do more for the kingdom.  I'm not sure if it's welcoming more people into our family or what yet, but I am asking... and looking for people to love.  There is no shortage of people before me.  I have felt this for a while... but haven't found my rest in giving monetarily which we have done more this year than any year before.  We are not preventing having another child, but no child yet.  My palms are wide open waiting for the Lord to fill them... with a purpose or a person or a fresh clean snow.

Winter Snow

I'm preparing this song for our church.  I thought the lyrics were sweet.


You could've come like a mighty storm
With all the strength of a hurricane
You could've come like a forest fire
With the power of heaven in Your flame


But You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below


You could've swept in like a tidal wave
Or in an ocean to ravish our hearts
You could've come through like a roaring flood
To wipe away the things we've scarred

Oh oh but You came like a winter snow
You were quiet You were soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Ooh no Your voice wasn't in a bush burning
No Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind
It was still it was small it was hidden

Oh You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Ben's Doings and My Doings

This is Ben's gang on CNN.  We are interested to see the long term of this project.




My choir is nominated for a grammy!

Me Singing

Gwen and Zeke Singing

Doxology- 2012