i ♥ fall...

...on crisp sunny days like today!  we spent the majority of our day outside.  i am so grateful for this gorgeous weather.  can't believe it's already november!

i ♥ fall...

...on crisp sunny days like today!  we spent the majority of our day outside.  i am so grateful for this gorgeous weather.  can't believe it's already november!

in between showers

now that the rainy season has arrived, i'm not sure where i'll take all of my snapshots of the kiddos every month.  outside scenery just looks better in my opinion.  :o)  oh, summer i miss your bright sunny days!

in between showers

now that the rainy season has arrived, i'm not sure where i'll take all of my snapshots of the kiddos every month.  outside scenery just looks better in my opinion.  :o)  oh, summer i miss your bright sunny days!

two years old!

i love the dimple in your chin when you smile.

i love the mischievous sparkle in your eyes.

i love your frenzied excitement when you see someone you love.

you are a miracle baby.  so strong and perfectly created.

you have come so far and achieved so much already.

ms. mari....happy birthday!  i love you SO much ladybug.

love, auntie

two years old!

i love the dimple in your chin when you smile.

i love the mischievous sparkle in your eyes.

i love your frenzied excitement when you see someone you love.

you are a miracle baby.  so strong and perfectly created.

you have come so far and achieved so much already.

ms. mari....happy birthday!  i love you SO much ladybug.

love, auntie

what's the next step?

most of my life has been spent yearning for tomorrow.

when i get my license...

when i graduate...

when i move out on my own...

when i get married...

when i have my own kids...

when i'm old and gray... well, maybe not this one yet.  :-)

recently a friend envisioned a picture of what this looks like and described an accurate portrayal of my recent journey.  God is a lamp that i'm holding along this dark path and it only illuminates one or two steps beyond me.  i'm straining to see so far beyond the light that i lose sight of what God already is showing me.  the end destination (the hopes of tomorrow) seem so distant and impossible because i can't see them.  in reality they may only be three steps away.

this last weekend, pastor jason spoke about how miracles sometimes hide in the process of obedience.  he explained the concept by using Jesus' first miracle as an example (john 2:1-11).  Jesus asked the servants to fill the six stone water jars which held a grand total of 120-180 gallons!  i had never really thought about how time consuming and challenging that might have been.  the servants had to go to the water source, fill a container, bring it back, dump it in and repeat.  when did the miracle happen?  was it the first drop that fell into the water jar?  was it the 100th bucket full?  all we know is that it happened sometime between the first step of obedience and the little sip that impressed the master of the banquet.

instead of focusing on what is just out of reach, i am learning to live joyfully in the moment and anticipating the next step God is calling me to take. 

"the only influence you have on the future are the seeds that you sow today."

Clive Pick

what's the next step?

most of my life has been spent yearning for tomorrow.

when i get my license...

when i graduate...

when i move out on my own...

when i get married...

when i have my own kids...

when i'm old and gray... well, maybe not this one yet.  :-)

recently a friend envisioned a picture of what this looks like and described an accurate portrayal of my recent journey.  God is a lamp that i'm holding along this dark path and it only illuminates one or two steps beyond me.  i'm straining to see so far beyond the light that i lose sight of what God already is showing me.  the end destination (the hopes of tomorrow) seem so distant and impossible because i can't see them.  in reality they may only be three steps away.

this last weekend, pastor jason spoke about how miracles sometimes hide in the process of obedience.  he explained the concept by using Jesus' first miracle as an example (john 2:1-11).  Jesus asked the servants to fill the six stone water jars which held a grand total of 120-180 gallons!  i had never really thought about how time consuming and challenging that might have been.  the servants had to go to the water source, fill a container, bring it back, dump it in and repeat.  when did the miracle happen?  was it the first drop that fell into the water jar?  was it the 100th bucket full?  all we know is that it happened sometime between the first step of obedience and the little sip that impressed the master of the banquet.

instead of focusing on what is just out of reach, i am learning to live joyfully in the moment and anticipating the next step God is calling me to take. 

"the only influence you have on the future are the seeds that you sow today."

Clive Pick

triple the fun!

 

this last week has been PACKED to the brim with car stuff, hanging out with the kids and church.   you had better believe that i'm taking advantage of every bit of sunshine and blue skies that this week has blessed me with.

the kids and i ventured out to salish ponds on monday and had such an amazing time.  (thank you alexis for showing me that area!)  we walked, threw rocks into the lake and played with a fuzzy catapillar that meshach found.  i will miss these outside adventures when the rain comes...we will have to come up with new exciting things to do!

triple the fun!

 

this last week has been PACKED to the brim with car stuff, hanging out with the kids and church.   you had better believe that i'm taking advantage of every bit of sunshine and blue skies that this week has blessed me with.

the kids and i ventured out to salish ponds on monday and had such an amazing time.  (thank you alexis for showing me that area!)  we walked, threw rocks into the lake and played with a fuzzy catapillar that meshach found.  i will miss these outside adventures when the rain comes...we will have to come up with new exciting things to do!

my dream

these are my favorites this month so far of the kiddos that are growing up so fast!

yesterday was a struggle for me.  while in the church nursery, a baby that hadn't been in there for a while came back and re-stole my heart.  he is now a toddler and though i try not to have favorites, his joy and piercing blue eyes stand out.  driving home, my mind flew through scenarios that would allow me to babysit or even adopt the little guy.  at the heart of the issue...i am dreaming of the day i have my own little ones to love and chase around.

last night God and i had a little chat about it and i was reminded how blessed i am.   not only in my future, but today.  i get to love my nephews and niece and get paid for it.  i have the privilege of blessing parents and their little ones at church.  i have friends that love to have breaks from their little blessings.

i'm living my dream.

my dream

these are my favorites this month so far of the kiddos that are growing up so fast!

yesterday was a struggle for me.  while in the church nursery, a baby that hadn't been in there for a while came back and re-stole my heart.  he is now a toddler and though i try not to have favorites, his joy and piercing blue eyes stand out.  driving home, my mind flew through scenarios that would allow me to babysit or even adopt the little guy.  at the heart of the issue...i am dreaming of the day i have my own little ones to love and chase around.

last night God and i had a little chat about it and i was reminded how blessed i am.   not only in my future, but today.  i get to love my nephews and niece and get paid for it.  i have the privilege of blessing parents and their little ones at church.  i have friends that love to have breaks from their little blessings.

i'm living my dream.

emma's model shots.

emma is looking so much like a little girl now. i feel so privileged to watch her and capture all the fun expressions on camera. such a beautiful kid. thanks for letting me hang out with her travis and alexis! enjoy the pictures.

emma's model shots.

emma is looking so much like a little girl now. i feel so privileged to watch her and capture all the fun expressions on camera. such a beautiful kid. thanks for letting me hang out with her travis and alexis! enjoy the pictures.

meshach ezekiel ~ 4 years old

boy, how time flies! it still really hasn't hit me that meshach is 4! i can almost see him as a teenager in this first picture... and then the goofiness came out. this summer we have read SO many books. i love that i am passing on my love of reading to him. next year he will being going to school! crazy.

meshach ezekiel ~ 4 years old

boy, how time flies! it still really hasn't hit me that meshach is 4! i can almost see him as a teenager in this first picture... and then the goofiness came out. this summer we have read SO many books. i love that i am passing on my love of reading to him. next year he will being going to school! crazy.

mari ~ 22 months old

mari is almost 2! we have had her now for almost a year. she has grown and changed SO much. she has learned how to sit, crawl, feed herself (still is very messy...), and sign 6 different words! she recently started to crawl on all fours instead of army crawling. i am so proud of her. i don't think she will outgrow her mischievous

side though. :o)

mari ~ 22 months old

mari is almost 2! we have had her now for almost a year. she has grown and changed SO much. she has learned how to sit, crawl, feed herself (still is very messy...), and sign 6 different words! she recently started to crawl on all fours instead of army crawling. i am so proud of her. i don't think she will outgrow her mischievous

side though. :o)

azariah jesse ~ 19 months old

this little man has officially hit the parrot stage. his vocabulary is expanding! he understands so much of what he hears, but doesn't always like it. his giggle and silly dances always make me smile.

azariah jesse ~ 19 months old

this little man has officially hit the parrot stage. his vocabulary is expanding! he understands so much of what he hears, but doesn't always like it. his giggle and silly dances always make me smile.