Old Treasures

I love old stuff.

Old fences, old pots, old chairs, old gadgets.

They make me happy. 

All that chipped paint.

It brings such character.

Love, Love, Love IT!

There is such mystery about old things.

Who has used it?

Where has it been?

One of my very favorite people

turned 96 today - in North Carolina.

My grand-dad, "Pop."

He and my grand-mother, "Mama Jo"

still live in the same beautiful, old, southern home

that they did 72 years ago when they married.

How I miss them and am celebrating with them across the miles. 

Happy Birthday, Pop. You and Mama Jo are my heros! 

Today, I am praising and thanking the Lord for your life. 

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, 

to show that the surpassing power 

belongs to God and not to us."

2 Corinthians 4:7

Tiny pigtails

It's VBS week.

Ellie is helping for the first time because she is too OLD!

It seems like yesterday she was in the nursery,

like Chasey, with those tiny pigtails!! 

My, how time flies.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way

and the truth

and the life.

No one comes to the Father,

except through me.'"

John 14:6

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NUM NUM

We are loving you across the miles Num Num and want to all wish you a very, very, very, happy birthday!!! Perhaps I might should clarify who "Num Num" is. She is our dear mom and Grandma in the great Northwest. . . i.e. NW Mom :)

Num Num seems like a peculiar name for a grandmother, some might say. How did she get THAT name?? Well, our one and only Ellie. . . the infamous FIRST grandchild. . . would NOT cooperate and call her by the name we had all picked. We of course had chosen something more common, such as "gramsie" or "grammie" (I actually have a TERRIBLE memory and cannot remember the original name!!) Anyway, "Num Num" was what the one year old insisted on, and "Num Num" is the name that stuck!!

I asked the kids tonight what they LOVED about Num Num and here are their answers:

~Ellie loves that she gives lots of hugs.

~Drew loves that she watches baseball games with him and gives him lots of hugs and kisses.

~Abby loves that she gives us treats, is very kind, loving, AND sweet, and that she cares about us.

~Toby loves that she pushed him on the swing when we were at her house.

~Whit loves that she gave her "my bear pillow" (Num Num cross-stitched BEAUTIFUL pillow cases for each of the kids that they all LOVE!!)

Thank you for being such a wonderful mother and grandmother to my children! I love that you know me so well. I am thrilled about the pewter dish-set you got me. . . and can't wait to get up to your neck of the woods to use it. I truly am grateful that the Lord sovereignly ordained that we would have so much in common. . . we both fear and love the Lord, are married to pastors, are from the South, love the country, adore thrift shopping & old quilts, and tend to be "junk collectors." :) There is much more I could say, but those are a few things that are especially meaningful to me! Thanks for loving me so well!

We ALL love you Num Num and are praising the Lord

for your life today!!

"But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Psalm 79:13

Let Your Kingdom Come

Your glorious cause, O God, engages our hearts.

May Jesus Christ be known wherever we are.

We ask not for ourselves, but for Your renown.

The cross has saved us so we pray, Your kingdom come.

Let Your kingdom come,

let Your will be done so that everyone might know Your Name.

Let Your song be heard everywhere on earth,

till Your sovereign work on earth is done.

Let Your kingdom come.

Give us Your strength, O God, and courage to speak.

Perform Your wondrous deeds through those who are weak.

Lord, use us as You want, whatever the test.

By grace we'll preach Your gospel till our dying breath.

(Bog Kauflin, copy-right- 2006 Sovereign Grace)

We sang this song at church this a.m. . . It is very meaningful to me considering how the Lord is growing our family at this time. I love the words and the TRUTH that life is bigger than what is around us. I pray that we will all have "eternal perspectives" and grow to a deeper understanding about what that means. We, the Church - Christ's bride- are to be. . .

ABOUT KINGDOM BUSINESS!!

"Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven."

Matthew 6: 10,11

Happy Birthday Toby!!

Today my sweet son turned six!! How proud we are of him. We celebrated last night by inviting a few families over for pizza, cupcakes, and ice cream. The kids played on a slip and slide, had water gun wars, and beat up a pinata! When it came time for Toby to open his gifts, to everyone's surprise, we realized he had received ALL water toys. (It has been in the high 90s this week. . . great minds think alike :) . . . 2 slip and slides, a water balloon launcher, two small water guns, and five HUGE ones!!! He absolutely LOVED it though. . . Just imagining the water gun battles ahead with his brother and sisters puts a smile on my face!!

Today was a pretty low-keyed day. The kids all hung out with their neighbor friends while the pastor and I worked around the house. They all tried to stay cool, swimming and playing with the water-hose and slip n slide. Toby had a very FUN day swimming with his buddy Charlie.

Tonight we headed to Chevy's for dinner because Toby requested a "bean and cheese burrito" like I knew he would. He was super embarrassed when the waiters came out singing "happy birthday" with a HUGE sombrero and ice cream sundae for him. At the dinner table dad suggested everyone share what they love about Toby. Some answers were:

his laugh

his blue eyes

that he shares his toys

his hair

his personality

the way he makes me laugh

(he asked me, "Are you going to say you love my chicken legs?" :)

Afterwards, we headed to Toys R Us so he could spend some of his birthday money. I want to share pictures of these fun events, but I'll have to do it next week as we are having some computer troubles. I so wanted to document this day though.

As I think of a verse for Toby, I am reminded of Psalm 1. He memorized it earlier this year with the other children. Here is a part of it:

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree

planted by the rivers of water

which brings forth its fruit in its season,

and whose leaf also does not wither.

In whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

Thank you dear Father for my precious son Toby. He is Your child!! Thank you for "loaning" him to me for a time. How I treasure every day with him. Would you bless him? Would you help him to grow to be a man of God who loves you and honors you? Protect him from harm Lord. Keep him in your hand. May he grow to delight in Your Word, wanting to hide it in his heart and obey all that it says. May he trust in your Son as his Savior. Help him Lord to understand what You have done for him. In Jesus name, Amen

Gratitude List (#115-142)

"Sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!" Psalm 66:2

good old-fashioned Coca-cola

beautiful California days

safe travel across the country and back

play dates

sleep overs with friends and family

family movie nights

alone time

reconnecting with old friends

willing family and friends who watch my children

fireworks from our back yard

friends willing to take all 5 to see Toy Story 3

egg burritos

sitting in jacuzzis with friends

children laughing and playing in the swimming pool

watching cousin Chase

vanilla lattes from Starbucks

11 little 3 and 4 year olds in my Sunday school class

homemade chocolate chip cookies

friends who come and go. . . who enrich our life

lunch at the Club

shopping alone with my dear hubby

lazy mornings, sipping coffee and tickling my "babies" in bed

a good book

seeing the Covenant body work

God's perfect plan for our life

chips and salsa

my mom's desire to disciple Ellie and her excitement about it

watching my garden grow

"O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress,

the God who shows me steadfast love." Psalm 59:17

Our Week With Cousin Chase

My dear hubby has been at General Assembly all week in TN

. . .so I've been holding the fort down.

I realized last night, that we spent a little bit of each day with cousin Chasey!!

The week was very full and very busy, but hey,

the kids had fun and boy did they sleep good each night!

Tuesday we headed to La Jolly Shores for beach day. . .

A number of friends joined us including Chasey.

It was a bit cool and overcast (June gloom hanging on),

but that didn't keep the kids out of the water!!!

Wednesday we had some play dates planned for the older kids,

and then that afternoon we headed over to Chasey's.

The kids played and swam with her and Aunt Heidi

while I found some treasures at my favorite thrift store!

That evening we grilled out and then all had a sleep-over!!! FUN TIMES!

Thursday we said good-bye to Chasey, and headed to the pool again-

this time to say good-bye to some sweet military friends!

More play dates in the afternoon followed. . .

Chasey joined us Friday morning for a couple of hours

and then we all headed to lunch together with a dear friend.

All of these pics were taken after lunch. . . sweet times!

The kids have sooo much fun with their cousin.

I don't feel like I have to do much when she is here with us.

I have so many little built-in baby-sitters who absolutely LOVE to love on her!

As the kids were dancing in the girls' bedroom Abby came out and said,

"Chasey is going to be just like me. . . She's wild and she likes music!"

I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?