11 Years Strong....Thank You God.

I still remember having a crush on a certain boy when I was 16 yrs. old.....and now that boy is a man.....and that man is my husband. 

I'm still smiling, still laughing, still holding on tight.....praising God for this blessing of a man in my life.  A man who takes his role as head of his household very seriously, loving me more than I could have ever imagined.  Loving his children in a way that brings constant joy to my heart.

There are still days when I look at my husband and am overwhelmed with the fact that God chose me to be this man's wife. I love being his wife. I love being the mother to his children. I highly respect my husband and am in awe of the mighty work that God is doing in him. 

The two of us became one on September 16, 2000....I can look back and see how God's sovereign hand has been at work in our marriage leading us to chose a path to live a life for Him....not perfectly by any means....but a life together with the same goal in mind.  11 years strong....only by God's beautiful grace.

Happy Anniversary Jared....I Love You.

Peace....

A few days ago as the three older lovies played out on the front porch with their cars...peacefully I might add, (I savor those moments!), Luke was enjoying his bananas. I stood at the sink washing the breakfast dishes. 

I turned around and saw my baby happily sitting there....saturated in the sunlight dripping through the window. It was beautiful...he looked so beautiful in the light...he was glowing. 

I was drawn to this light, couldn't take my eyes off of how it covered my baby...I dried my hands and  sat there beside Luke for a moment and just enjoyed the peace and warmth that was pouring through the glass.  It was one of those moments.

Of course I had to retrieve my beloved camera off of the nearby shelf, which is the convenient home for my memory catcher.

 Luke hammed it up for the lens staring at him....a bit of a distraction from his bananas. I tried to capture the peace that I was feeling at that moment. 

That's kind of the way I take photos...and why I enjoy them so much at a later time.  I remember what I was feeling when I took the picture. I know that may sound odd...but it's true. 

I have countless photos that are so much more than just a visual image to me...yes they bring back memories...but I can sometimes actually experience the exact same feeling that I had the moment I captured it.

We only have a few days remaining here in the old farm house with the New England address. We are going to be saying good-bye very very soon.  The house is in shambles...boxes everywhere...papers and books piled.... toys scattered. I am not fond of clutter...not at all...so it has been difficult for me to find the peace in among the messiness and all of the emotions that parallel a change of this magnitude.

I have been praying and spending much needed time in God's Word....a refuge for finding peace and comfort. I actually have butterflies in my stomach on and off when I think of moving to the Midwest. 

This is going to be a huge change for our family on so many different levels.  I find major comfort in pondering the truth found in the Word. I will share a few of the verses that I will be clinging to throughout this transition. Yes.. I am genuinely excited and looking forward to this new chapter....however, change is change....and it's getting me out of my comfort zone...a place that I shouldn't ever spend too much time in. In my experience, not a whole lot of spiritual growth occurs when I am too comfortable for too long. 

By God's loving grace I am going to embrace this change...butterflies and all. And when I do feel the stress monster rear it's ugly head I will recall the Scripture that God has written on my heart....and just maybe I will reach for these photos of Luke in the peaceful light and remember how I felt at that moment. 

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. "  John 14:27

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

Baby Luke....

For those of you who know me well....you know that I'm a total sap. And what I mean by that is I am a cryer...I admit it. I like to cry. It doesn't take much for the faucet to start flowing. 

Basically I cry for every emotion...that may seem strange to some...but that is just me. Whether I am overjoyed, saddened, excited, proud, upset, nervous....I cry.

It used to annoy me that I cry all of the time....but I have come to accept that I am just an emotional person, I am a cryer. I love life....and it's ok to cry when something moves me.

My sweet husband loves me with or without tears....bless his soul. (Don't forget he's had to deal with all the emotional stuff through all of my pregnancies....he's a keeper!)

Ok onto the sappiness.....so my baby Luke is going to turn one next month....deep breath...and I am kind of having a hard time with this. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy each stage of childhood that my lovies go through, (as challenging as some of them are)....but he's my baby and he 

just. keeps. growing. 

I know that I have been blessed with each one of my lovies...and God knows I cherish them. Our quiver is full, (exact words from my hub), so once Lukey leaves babyville and enters toddlerville....that's it. 

I have embraced motherhood....this is my calling....being a wife to Jared  and a mother to our lovies. So I am trying to pull myself together and embrace the fact that my baby is going to be a year old soon and I will keep right on enjoying every single day.

This little guy has brought our family so much joy. Jared and I are always curious about what kind of personality each one of our lovies will have. It's usually around this age where they really become their own...and their personality blossoms.

 This post was a bit longer than what I had planned, but anywho, I'll make it longer by adding a sappy poem I wrote for my baby. It's about his babyness (I know that's not a word, but you know what I mean) I didn't write about all of the big boy stuff he does now...I'll do that on his 1st birthday post. 

Oh and Dad you might want to grab a tissue....(we all know where I inherited the sappiness from...love you)

Baby Luke

Pondering and Praying

Watching you grow

To my sweet baby Luke

I thought you should know

Your breath on my face

Your hands in my hair

I cuddle you close

No feelings compare

Nucky in your mouth

Little bear held tight

Curious and wondering

Eyes so blue and bright

Kisses from your brothers

From Sissy a sweet embrace

Chubby Little fingers 

And a chubby little face

Taking in these moments

Before life passes by

Savoring our snuggle time

While trying not to cry

Holding on to my baby

But I know that it's time

Time for me to give thanks

To my God for this joy

For this baby He gave me

Who will soon be a big boy

I love you so deeply

My precious little son

This I thought you should know

before you turn one

My Favorite Kind Of Picture.......

.....is when they don't know that you're taking their picture.

Lauren was being a little too quiet...as that is not always a good thing. So I went to go check on her. And here she sat, looking out the window.

I quietly grabbed my camera, (as I always have it handy on my bookshelf.) And I just started shooting. At first she didn't notice me, and these are the shots I got.

It was really sweet to see her being still...being peaceful...being beautiful. It reminded me that I need to be still sometimes. 

My days seem to literally fly by.....but I know that God wants my heart focused on Him.....He wants me to be still and know Him, to grow in my faith and knowledge of Him.

All the other aspects of my life will be in their right place only when my heart is right with God.

My 2yr. old lovie reminded me of this....and now I try to take that time and be still, to breath, making it a priority to meet with God by reading His Word every day and through spending time in prayer. 

My lovies are always teaching me something. Usually they help me to see where I can be more patient, more loving and more self sacrificing. It's not ever easy to see our sin....but I know that through this journey God is helping me to peel the sinful layers from me and changing me....little by little. 


I am saved by His amazing grace....nothing can I do apart from Him. Praise God!

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth!"  

Beautiful Winter.....

Just the other morning we woke to this beautiful display of winter. The view was breathtaking wherever my eyes traveled. Pure white snow on everything...it really was a sight. These photos do not do God's handiwork justice. 

As I slowly walked around our house, just taking it all in, all this beauty....it hit me that this would be our last winter living in New England. After that realization, I took my time breathing in the cool air. 

God has allowed my eyes to experience many beautiful moments, and this was one of them, and I am forever grateful to have captured it....as good as I could have with my camera. So many memories of living up here flood my mind that I will never forget.

I am looking forward to the flowers in a few months....and I think I will take my time breathing in the Spring air. Of course I will have my camera around my neck capturing what will only be a memory of our lives here in New England.

Thinking of Spring......