Father's Day

 

 

Camping

 

 

Summer

Mother's Day

Summer...

I have started, multiple times, to update our blog...but always got distracted by something else, and just never came back to it! So, here's what we've been up to...

We had lots of celebrating in April. We celebrated Easter with some good friends from church and celebrated both of our birthdays (I was blessed to have a surprise party thrown by a dear friend...Hibachi grill and a movie with my girlfriends. It was a great night). At the end of April, Norah's eye teeth started coming in. We had 3-4 rough weeks, waiting for all of them to pop through. We are very thankful they are all in now!

At the beginning of May we bought a van! And we LOVE it! It has been so wonderful to have the space, convenience, and comfort of a van.

We did our first camping weekend with Norah, at the beginning of June. We went with my parents, my sister and her family, and a cousin and his family. Norah did really well...Lance and I were both pleasantly surprised that she adjusted to the camping schedule, sleeping in a camper, eating outside, etc.

Norah is talking up a storm. She is putting lots of words together, and occasionally even puts 3 or 4 words together to form a sentence.  She will (sometimes) sit and listen to a whole book...for those of you that know Norah, this is progress. She rarely sits still, so it's been fun to have her sit on our laps and just sit there, listening! She loves Veggie Tales and Diego. She is starting to sing songs with us, and loves to dance when there's music on.

Lance and I have been enjoying the start of summer! He has gotten in a few rounds of golf already, and is enjoying being able to run outside. I planted a small garden again this year, and have been enjoying watching the plants pop up. Norah and I get outside many times throughout the day. Today she was playing with my watering can, and I heard her say 'foggie in 'er'. Sure enough...there was a frog in there! Didn't bother her in the least...she wanted to play with it!

I have really been enjoying my job as a stay at home wife and mother these past few weeks! Norah is getting to a point where she is pretty content to play on her own while I'm busy. And she is starting to get more interested in the things I'm doing and 'helping' a little! She is at such a fun stage right now, and it's so helpful now that she can communicate with us!

I will be getting pictures posted sometime soon. Stay tuned....

Ever Green

I read something today from Jill Briscoe, that really challenged me. Thought I'd share it with you.

"A tree with roots in the riverbank will be ever green. The leaves are green, the branches are strong, the trunk is solid, the roots are deep. Similarly, the woman who chooses to live a spiritually vibrant life will choose to be a 'planted' person, like a tree planted in a channel where the water never stops flowing. God's grace plants his followers in running streams of his love. These 'trees' have to flourish, for they have all they need.

We need to find out what sort of people we are--planted by the riverbank or blowing across the desert. If we are God's people, he plants us in his river of salvation, where our roots are bathed in the water of eternal life. We need to let our roots drink deeply of this living water so we can be transformed. If we are truly planted, we will be productive, however hot the desert sun or barren the wilderness around us. Planted people are joyous people (Ps 1:1--Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.) Our soul, like the tree with its roots in the river that flows from the throne of God, will be ever green."

This made me think...am I a spiritually vibrant woman...is my life ever green... are my branches strong...are my roots in the riverbank, or blowing across the desert? I have all I need, in my Savior, so why don't I drink deeply of this living water more often? Is my focus on the material and temporal, or the spiritual and eternal? Am I delighting in Him throughout my day? He has blessed us so abundantly, yet I seem to focus on the things I don't have. Why do I do this? When I sit down and take an inventory on all He has blessed us with, it is a pretty amazing list! Here are just a few...

Eternal life

A loving, supportive husband

A little girl who brings us so much joy (and trouble!) every day

Extended family who live close

A home to rent

Wonderful Christian friends

A church family

Two cars that still run

Lance's job

Being home with Norah

Babysitting-giving Norah a playmate

Good health

Food in our fridge

Clothes in our closet

Gas in our car

Running water

Heat on the cold days

...

The list could go on and on...but these are just a few. I have been trying to look at these blessings, and remember that they are just that...blessings and not burdens. Some days I can look at this list and find the burden instead of the blessing (I want a better car, different clothes, a home of our own, a daughter who doesn't cling to my leg all day). But I am trying to be content, and see the blessing instead of the burden!

Norah is becoming a little girl...she isn't a baby anymore. I think part of this is that she is finally getting hair!! She is talking up a storm, and learning something new every day. About a week ago, she was riding in the car with Lance, looking at one of her books and said, "ABC's"! She just happened to be looking at an ABC book! We aren't sure where she learned it, but somehow she learned what letters are, and any letter is "ABC's" to her! One of her new phrases is, "Yah, ok"! She enjoys coloring, reading books (she now 'reads' to herself), riding on daddy's shoulders and running through the house, and watching her "moo-moo's" (movies)! She is such a joy...it's hard to remember what life was like without her part of it! We look forward to spring coming, as she loves being outside! Here are some recent pictures of Norah...

I hope that you will remember the blessings in your life, even on the burdensome days! :)