Moving Preparation

Today we left the children with Grandpa and Grandma Weaver. They will stay there while we finish our last few days of packing and meet us in Wyoming in a little over a week. We will miss them! Darren's folks will bring a trailer on Monday night and we will load up. Then Darren will leave on Thursday, and I will fly to join him with Edward on Friday.


 But they are sure to have a splendid time :)



Little Edward is growing so fast! It's had to believe he is already 2 months old!



My brother James with Edward - photo credits for this post - Peg Kelly

It was great getting to see my family one last time before moving, and an added treat - my mom's cousin Peg, who is like an aunt to us was there also. I hadn't seen her in years! So nice to be able to touch down! Joyce and Carol also came and spent the day. Now they should all come and visit me in Cheyenne!

Edward at Two Months

Here's our little man - two months old today! Doesn't time have a way of flying!?

Today at Our House

Today at our house is a day of rest. I'm home with the children because they are potentially contagious. Tomorrow will be the start of a busy week - the last full week before we head west for the summer. There is so much to do.... And yet sometimes it's just time to stop a bit and do something with the little ones. Here's a project we did last evening -

 

Re- purposed Board Books

I had an old ripped up one that was just about to hit the trash when I remembered seeing a blog post about using them to file your children's art. The result was that the paper and paste came out and the children were soon happily enjoying their new art books.

And I think I may have to do this again! Each of these have a very limited number of pages since they are both only part of a book, but I may even consider picking up another cheap but not specially good board book to do this with for them to use on our long drive out west. 

But there's so much to do getting ready yet! We'll see what happens.

Everythings coming up flowers!

     Sometimes in life we forget the flowers for a while...

     Sometimes we just let ourselves be too busy to take time to smell them...

     Sometimes we don't remember to look for the splashes of joy that fall across our paths...

     I've been there too often. Lately it's been the busy thing mostly. But when I do stop and think long enough I find so many many things to delight in. 

      One of the little things that makes my heart beat quicken with delight is the harum-scarem flower bed I have behind my house, which is now all color besplashed. The poppies especially delight me for some reason, but each new color burst has a sort of thrill. 

     There is no rhyme or reason to my planting but this - I scattered some wild flower seeds broad cast on the plot in the spring, and am so glad I did! I'm sure the lack of "order" to it must pain the perfect gardeners around here, and I'm sorry, but if you are one of them and you read this, please accept my apologies and overlook the weeds that strive to overtake it. The only excuse I can offer is that I really AM busy. It's hard to find the time to do all that begs to be done in a day, which is why I haven't written here for an age and a day.

      Anyway, I thought I would share just a few photos of them with you, and a note to you all that we plan to go west for a few months next month. Pray for us during this time as we continue to seek God's will for us long term. We have some things we've been praying about, but nothing that we can as yet say we know for sure is the next step after the step we are taking to go west for the summer.

    We are praying that these next months will be the time "apart" we need to refocus.

    This bee inspired me and reminded me of something I believe I read in Amy Carmichael's works, about being like a bee, and spreading a bit of life to every soul I touch, just like the bee spreads seeds of life as it carries pollen from flower to flower. I want to carry life with me, all unconscious of myself as I do it. I think this is one of my biggest prayer-requests, if you want to pray something for me, to be a bear of life in word and action - life words that build my husband and children, life deeds, life and laughter shining out of my face and splashing over to those around me.
"streams of living water flowing out from my innermost because I am filled to the uttermost."
      Lately I've felt a bit dry, but I don't want to stay that way. He has what I need, and my desire is to be always going to him for it.

My Birthday Blessings

This is what God gave to me today as a reminder of his love...
Two times today he brought this verse to me, once by email and once in a card -
Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your hear."
It reminds me so much of another time he brought this verse and a rainbow at the same time - with a note from a friend to start looking for my rainbow...
It was just before I met Darren, and would you believe it? His first letter to me came on RAINBOW paper! :)
Here's few more quotes sent my way today - "May today bring a new awareness of God's love and ... may you have special expectations of the good things he has planned for you."
"All things work together for the good of them that love God."
"It's been a blessing to see how God has been at work in your life, showing you his goodness, and revealing the plans he has for you. Your birthday is a special time ... to anticipate the many good things he promises yet to do."
And twice - "God rejoices in you"
"The Lord you God is with you, He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
Thank you to all of those who played a part in helping to remind me on this special day that I am loved not only by you but by my Father.

Why Stress? And Delightful Surprises

 Such busy days! And so many lessons that I want to learn from these days! My little ones take so much of my time. But they are worth it. Right now they are both sick... :(  One of the treasures of these days is the deep peace God has been giving as I learn to trust him and let the details of my life in his safe hands. Stress is because I am trying to control the situation. So I can choose not to stress, simply by giving the controls over to the One to whom they really belong. It's so much happier. I am so much happier when I do. Thank you, Lord for beginning to teach me this lesson.

Thank you, Lord, for a child's delight in the answer to his heart's desire! Thank you for the pleasure too deep for words that spilled over into moist eyes as he realized that it really was a gun! A real honest to goodness rubber band gun!

 Thank you for fathers who take the time to teach their children, including first lessons in shooting and gun safety! Rule number one - never point even an unloaded toy gun at people. 

Thank you for the joy of being remembered by loved ones for my birthday this weekend, and the extra specialness of an unexpected package in the mail - for ME! I  could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it was addressed specially to me! Such a sweet thoughtful sis! And the very book I've been thinking of purchasing for myself! It is well worth the read! I borrowed it from a friend and read it, and started over reading to Darren. Now I can return her book to her. :)

And an added touch of remembrance for the little ones too! So sweet!

And Time Keeps Rushing On

It was only yesterday, wasn't it, that I cradled him in my arms the first time, as he gasped and then began to squall. Wasn't it only yesterday that I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry at the wonder and beauty of my baby boy, as we dedicated his little life to the Lord? And he is four years old tomorrow? Surely it can't be! Yet it is true. The years keep rushing by, and if I am to get the full benifit from them I must savor the moments and turn them slowly in His light and see them for the gifts that they are.
So here are just a few photos of his birthday party a day early with little friends.

I'm so excited Mommy!

little friends

A new flashlight! Wow! I hoped it might be a gun but this is really nice! (Yup, boy, the rubber band gun is coming tonight! One from us, and I happen to know that Uncle Jamie has another this weekend for you, and a camera! This will be a birthday to remember all right! Your top three wishes are all on their way, but I won't spoil the surprise for you yet.)

Made to order cake - Carrot Chocolate Peanutbutter with a mountain, a bear and a waterfall with rocks. (And mom knows it's fairly healthy as well, with wholegrain and honey, that didn't spoil the flavor. By the way to those who are saying gross at the carrot part, that was only a little to satisfy him)

Extinguishing the flames and about to enjoy the eating