Proud to be an aunt again!...and again!

Aren't they the cutest!!!!!!

Andrew Grant Yount (middle picture), was born weighing 5 lbs. 14.5 oz. and measured 18.25 in. Graham Thomas (bottom picture), was born weighing a whopping 7 lbs. 5 oz. and measured 18.25 in. The babies were welcomed into this world on last Friday, June 15 at 6:52 p.m.

Jeffrey and Krystal (Tom's little sis) Yount are the proud parents. Big sister Becca and "big" brother Jay are happy to welcome them home.

Remembering Ruth

So sad (yet rejoicing for her) to hear of Ruth Graham's passing. I am posting two links to CT posts/articles that I found really inciteful. They are short...if you have a minute, read them. I think you will be greatly encouraged.

www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/juneweb-only/124-43.0.html
I loved the quote "the martyrdom of a long life" and the story of her outsmarting her son by climbing in a 2nd story window. I better start working out a lot harder before the teen years is all I can say.

www.ctlibrary.com/15655
I thought Billy's Graham's line, referring to their marriage to be profound..."we are happily incompatible."

Happy Fathers Day

To my husband, my kids Dad, my childrens hero:

I can almost smell Isaac's neck and feel the soft folds of his neck as I look at this picture. It is one of my all time favorite pictures I have ever taken, because it captures a small piece of the relationship you create with our children. Looking back on our history together I often wonder what ever made you fall in love with me. Every day is a gift to wake up knowing that love is unequivocal and always constant. However, back in our early years together, even though I knew you'd make a great Dad I just had no idea how great "great" could be. From the very moment our first child entered the world there was an overwhelming realization I could not do this without you. You are Dad 24/7 and no job ever seems too hard, too late (or too early) to manage. You know how to work, play and laugh with your children, but perhaps most important you know how to "be" with them. You are an incredible role model to them. Your patience, calm wisdom and steady hand are ever molding them into "who God wants them to be (your constant prayer for them and us as a family)." I know it sounds cliched--but it is still worth saying and needs to be said. You are the "best Dad ever" (Cole's line....hmmm wonder where he learned that love of superlatives)! Thanks for loving us all so completely...you give yourself to us freely, completely, and wholeheartedly. Today we honor you, thank you and thank the God who gave you to us.

Nothing good about bye

Mothers Day 07, Pet Springs

Good-bye just doesn't say it all. It's been a hard week to accept the finality of those simple two words. Our dear family friends, Rod and Jill, just left town this morning. Pictured at right are Ben and Maddie (3rd in birth order to both respective families). Maybe it was the fact we lived a few blocks away from each other, were led to the same church family, both had a heartbeat for missions abroad and in our neighborhoods, had four children (surprise, surprise!!) of almost identical ages, or "maybe" it was the amazing God we serve who definitely brought us together to walk this leg of our life journeys in very close relationship with each other. We've been blessed to live out our daily lives together with all of you. You'll be missed more than words can possibly say but there are so many more memories to be made....

The following is an excerpt from Dennis Kinlaw's devotional This Day With the Master that had ministered to me in thinking of this move.

I Like You - Exodus 25:1-9 & John 15:14-16

God loves the world and His people and wants to be in our midst. He wants to be one among us. He likes us. It stirs my heart much more to think that He likes me than to think that He loves me. We have used the term love in such a way that we think that God is obligated; He is love, so He has to love everyone. But do you know that He likes you? He may not like what you do, but He is drawn to you.

There is a vast difference between the relationships you have with people you love because you are supposed to love them, and those you have with people you like. I notice that the people I like are the ones to whom I want to get close, with whom I love to spend time. I tend to migrate in their direction for fellowship and communion. I want to get into my life some of the richness that is in theirs, so I seek them out to enjoy the relationship.

That is the kind of God we read about in Scripture. He likes proximity to us and want to get close. That is why in the book of Joshua we find God attempting to procure land for himself. He wants a little real estate that belongs to Him. He owns the whole world, but the world has repudiated Him. He longs for a bit of earth where the people look up and say, "We belong to Him. We like Him. He made us. He
sustains us. We are His, and He is ours, and we like the relationship."

If you like a person, you will let that person invade your space. Do you like God? Is your home or your office a place that belongs to Him? If He free to rearrange your schedule and your plans? Is everything in your home accessible to Him? He is longing for us to look up at Him and say, "We like You! We belong to You. We like belonging to You, and this bit of the world in which we live is Yours, and we are glad."

Jenny: I praise you God for rearranging our lives--for shaking up our "safe places." No more questioning your timing. I clearly see Your fingerprints all over this friendship and throughout this move. "Jesus, Lord over all...be the Lord over me"...over my friendships....over our kid's friendships...over our families...our communities...our schools....our everything.

Uploading Pictures

Awwww.....So sweet....these are the moments you want to remember forever, run for the camera, and once in a great while actually capture.

I have hair "issues," anyone relate...

Good Read

Daddy's coming home today! So, we are excitedly cleaning and doing the Saturday morning chores knowing tonight is going to be a sweet reunion.

Tom recommended this article (Holy To the Core) written by a new friend of his over the phone to me this week. I really liked it and thought I would share it with anyone else interested.

This quote, taken from the article is a very good (but short) summary: "holiness is the grateful submission to God's claim on our entire lives--to accept that our lives are not our own."

http://www.ctlibrary.com/print.html?id=44819

Articles seem to me the perfect length of reading material for my stage of mothering--it's about all I have time for but enough to provoke some deeper thinking (which makes me a better mom, as well).

I would love to see someone start a "book club" of sorts (large hint and vote of confidence in those interested)...

Every Minute

Wow, the blog thing has been exciting. I'm definitely recommending it (as some of you can attest I've been talking about it a bit much). Initially I just enjoyed reading, but taking the plunge into joining the community has been really neat. I think if it's interesting enough to you to read, it would be even more interesting if you join the exchange. So, that's my plug for the day...

Thanks to all of you who have commented...it's been so fun to reconnect and you've all said way too many "ingratiatingly" sweet things. But each and every comment has made my day and as I've been home alone this week it was a special reward to find your kind words.

Friendships and relationships are such a joy to me in life. They are so fragile in the sense we never know when life will change and move (or take ) someone dear away from us. The combination of reconnecting a bit with old friends via this blog and preparing to move away close friends here has left me wanting to say thank you to my friends and family--you weave the fabric of our family's lives into a very rich pattern. I'm not a poet but I'm going to quote the lyrics of one of my favorite singers (2nd plug of the day) Sara Groves.

I am long on staying
I am slow to leave
Especially when it comes to you my friend
You have taught me to slow down
And to prop up my feet
It's the fine art of being who I am

And I can't figure out
Why you want me around
I'm not the smartest person I have ever met
But somehow that doesn't matter
No it never really mattered to you at all

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome
At the risk of self-discovery
I'll take every moment
And every minute that you'll give me

And I can think of time when families all lived together
Four generations in one house
And the table was full of good food
And friends and neighbors

And I wish all the people I love the most
Could gather in one place
And know each other and love each other well
And I wish we could all go camping
And lay beneath the stars
And have nothing to do and stories to tell

We'd sit around the campfire
And we'd make each other laugh remembering when
You're the first one I'm inviting
Always know that you're invited my friend

What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

We just got back from a morning awards assembly in which Cole earned the Good Student Award for being an exemplary student in his class (he was one of two chosen from his class). But that's not the part I am most proud of. After the assembly, many parents were reviewing the childrens writing journals that were on display. Cole's journal was a large book filled with open ended statements like "My favorite subject is...(reading)". "My favorite thing to eat is...(spaghetti)", "My favorite hobby is...(maps)" and so on. Well on the page titled "What I want to be when I grow up," Cole's answer was a missionary. I realize he is young and we will surely teach him that God can use him as a missionary in many fields, careers and places. But for now, it is so exciting for us to see that desire in his heart and to watch him grow as he shares his faith at school.

And on a totally lighter side, last week I had to pick up Cole early from school and I was running a few minutes behind. When I picked him up he questioned, "I thought you were coming around 2:15." (It was a few minutes past but school was in session so he was still in his class) Jokingly, I responded "Someday, kiddo, you're going to be carting around toddlers and realize it's a lot harder to be on time than it looks." His immediate response was "But Mom, I'll be the Dad, I'll be at work!" Hmmm......

Shock and Awe

These days the pictures do not make it to the mailbox. So I decided to share with a broad audience and the least amount of effort. Now, don't you feel special?

P.S. the "shock and awe" title is for you, kimber--i hope i don't put you into cardiac failure, you really don't need that