Strawberry Picking

My mama and daddy are in town. We were able to spend Fathers Day with my dad (the first time in years for me)! Yesterday they were able to visit church with us and hear Andrew lead worship, meet our friends, and have lunch with our honorary Poet family.
This morning we did some serious strawberry picking. Dad carried Ransom in the backpack and Ransom chatted happily from there while we picked. When we had filled our containers I let Ransom roam in the patch a little while and when he grasped the concept of picking berries, there was no stopping him! Dirt, bruised berries and stems didn't interfere with his snacking! :)

Celebrating Life: AJ turns 26

Yesterday I threw a surprise birthday party for AJ's 26th. It worked! He had no clue! There were a few girls over from our youth group for our regularly scheduled small group, so it seemed like a normal night until people started arriving, and we rearranged the furniture to accommodate the crowd in our little apartment, and snacks food and Martinelli's started appearing. He had no idea (a big success, I tell you)!
There was a cheese ball and baked Alaska for my dairy deprived husband and his friends. And the look on his face as I brought him baked Alaska with a candle in it with everyone singing makes me think he knows he's loved. Oh, good.
I don't have a single picture from the party. Instead I took pictures of snapshots of little AJ that I decorated with. I love the one of him in his little suit, the one with his cute double chin grin, the one with his dad baptizing him.
Happy birthday Andrew. I love you!

Who's that boy?

This week we cut off all Ransom's hair. The curls at the back of his neck and the problematic hair in his eyes are gone, and I'm left thinking, Who is that kid?!

Before:

 After:

I do love seeing his forehead now. There were expressions we were missing out on because his hair covered his eyebrows. And I like seeing his very boyish hairline. 

He looks like a mini version of AJ with my eyes and with chubby cheeks! :)

Beauty and the First Lady

Politics aside, I have a heart for the First Lady, Michelle Obama. It's not just because of the pretty dresses she wears, the importance she places on military families, good nutrition, and exercise. It pleases my romantic sensibilities whenever I see a picture of her with her husband and they're holding hands; I want their marriage to succeed. Something tugs at my heart when I think of her and her family of four. I see pictures of them dressed up and going to church and my heart hopes, but at the same time sinks. I want faith in Jesus to be real for them, not a veneer to impress potential voters, which is what I fear might be happening. I want a Jesus revelation to move the hearts and actions of the President and his Lady, not political game strategies. But I don't know the hearts of Barak and Michelle. What I see isn't the whole picture. So, I'm reminded to pray for them, something I don't do often enough.
Jesus, please stir things up in the Obama family. Place strategic relationships in their lives. Protect them, and let them know it is you who watches over them, who gives them breath and life. When they get dressed up and go to church, make it a physical representation of their desire to bring their best to you, to offer themselves to you as living sacrifices, doing the good works you prepared in advance for them to do. I pray for Damascus road experiences for both Barak and Michelle, and that you will open their eyes to see your plans at work. Let them align themselves with your plans, Jesus, not their own, not a political party. Bring people in their lives who are true friends to encourage them and to challenge them, who will stick with them when things are messy. Let them be dazzled by you, Jesus, not by big names, big money, big titles. Make their desire be to honor you.
God, may the glimpses of beauty I see in the First Lady become more frequent, coming from a deepening love for Jesus and a desire to let it be unto her according to Your will.
Your ways are higher than ours. Amen!

(Picture found at: http://mrs-o.com/newdata/2009/2/25/isnt-she-lovely.html )

Ransom, 16 months

Ransom at sixteen months: he LOVES crackers, and can say "cra-ka" when he wants one; he has learned "more" and "please" in sign language; his hair is looong but I'm nervous to try cutting it but I probably will soon; his bedtime routine includes diaper change; pajamas, brushing teeth, books, prayer & sometimes singing; mangoes don't agree with him; he is getting ever so much more chatty & responds to our questions with his own words. He's a lot of fun, this baby...er, toddler.

an achievement

The day came. Finally, yesterday, AJ's band received their long awaited albums. We are SO excited, satisfied, grateful! It's wonderful to hold in our hands the product of long hours of writing, composing, practicing, and recording.

This morning & afternoon Ransom and I have been listening to it nonstop, and he'll constantly point to the CD player and declare, "Dada, Dada!"
He knows his daddy's voice!
Now we're looking forward to the CD release show on Friday night.
Congratulations, to Joshua, Seth, Jordan, Andrew C.,
but especially (because I'm allowed to be partial) to AJ! Great work guys!

Moriah's visit...don't you wish you had a classy sister like her?

My little sister Moriah visited last week, for her interim break from university. We had her to ourselves for seven days! It was delightful!

(Side note: this girl is going to be going on her first missions trip to Nicaragua & Costa Rica next month & I wanted to present the opportunity for you, dear reader, to help her raise the money to go. It's tough to be a sincere follower of Jesus when you're attending a secular university, so I anticipate God working in big ways in the lives involved as Moriah is obedient and seeks God & what He's doing in other nations. If you're interested in contributing any amount email me at rajbeaird@gmail.com & I can connect you to the girl. BTW, she didn't ask me to do it, I felt a pressing to put it out there. Thank you in advance!)


Ransom got to spend some quality time with his auntie.


She spread some of her beauty around. Case in point: we made snowflakes out of book pages. They're still there.


She made her blonde brownies & tried out a new cranberry orange candied ginger scone recipe, twice! Wish my kitchen could be blessed with her baking more often!



We thrifted. We watched some old musicals. We had a couple knitting parties. We listened to lots of records. We went through a few pomegranates.

We went to the coast with Tia!


I'm so thankful to have been blessed with Moriah's presence in our family for a week. It feels home-like to be around her.