Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A bit of Beauty
It feels like it's time to do another photo challenge! This time I'm going to try to incorporate the name of this blog into it by capturing something I find beautiful in each photo. I may post a picture every day for awhile and see how it goes. Here's to being brave enough to find the Beauty in everyday life. :)
Monday, December 31, 2012
Surprised in 2012
I've been feeling introspective and thankful lately for lots of things that have happened this year, especially for the surprising things. Here's a list of 'em:
• We had to replace our Buick after wrecking it, and found a new (used) car, a Subaru Outback, which has been such a blessing...except for the few times it's needed repairs, although even those could be considered blessings since having it repaired means AJ gets to spend some quality time with Brian, our trustworthy Subaru Outback expert, who happens to be one of AJ's close friends. (See? Another example of how Jesus takes our sad circumstances and makes them beautiful.)
•We moved into a new home, a house we're renting with our friends Tia & Stephanie. It's got a spacious kitchen/dining area, a fenced backyard, space for a garden (hope to grow in that area this next year), and it's just a block away from the church where AJ works. This means he can come home for lunch and we can walk to church. It has been a tremendous blessing for our family!
•We found out we're having a baby GIRL in the spring! I was convinced we were going to have a boy, but I should never trust my inklings in this situation because I've been wrong both times! I must say, we're thrilled about welcoming a girl into this family, and I'm in the middle of purging excess stuff to make room for her. Gotta have space for all the shoes, right?
•Finally, a welcome surprise was the news that my in-laws are going to be moving to our area to pastor the church I attended in college!! We're going to have family living close by, something we've never experienced in all our (four) married years. It's been hard but good to be so far away from family because it caused AJ and me to depend on God, each other, and our church family from the beginning of our life together. Change is exciting, though! I am already feeling the benefits of this blessing, knowing that when baby girl arrives, Ransom will have grandparents to stay with when I'm in the hospital. How comforting to know we will have them close by and that our kids will grow up with family near by, something I have hoped for!
It's been a good year, and I'm looking forward to the new things to come. We have so much to be thankful for!
Happy New Year!
• We had to replace our Buick after wrecking it, and found a new (used) car, a Subaru Outback, which has been such a blessing...except for the few times it's needed repairs, although even those could be considered blessings since having it repaired means AJ gets to spend some quality time with Brian, our trustworthy Subaru Outback expert, who happens to be one of AJ's close friends. (See? Another example of how Jesus takes our sad circumstances and makes them beautiful.)
•We moved into a new home, a house we're renting with our friends Tia & Stephanie. It's got a spacious kitchen/dining area, a fenced backyard, space for a garden (hope to grow in that area this next year), and it's just a block away from the church where AJ works. This means he can come home for lunch and we can walk to church. It has been a tremendous blessing for our family!
•We found out we're having a baby GIRL in the spring! I was convinced we were going to have a boy, but I should never trust my inklings in this situation because I've been wrong both times! I must say, we're thrilled about welcoming a girl into this family, and I'm in the middle of purging excess stuff to make room for her. Gotta have space for all the shoes, right?
•Finally, a welcome surprise was the news that my in-laws are going to be moving to our area to pastor the church I attended in college!! We're going to have family living close by, something we've never experienced in all our (four) married years. It's been hard but good to be so far away from family because it caused AJ and me to depend on God, each other, and our church family from the beginning of our life together. Change is exciting, though! I am already feeling the benefits of this blessing, knowing that when baby girl arrives, Ransom will have grandparents to stay with when I'm in the hospital. How comforting to know we will have them close by and that our kids will grow up with family near by, something I have hoped for!
It's been a good year, and I'm looking forward to the new things to come. We have so much to be thankful for!
Happy New Year!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Camping
Last week we went camping with the youth group about church. AJ organized everything and he did all of the cooking too! It was a blast, and Ransom do so well. There was a mad Midwest-style thunderstorm our first night out and the little boy slept straight through it, though his parents has a bit of insomnia. :) 
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Late Tuesday Night
Tuesday nights are band practice nights for AJ, girls Small group night for me. After the girls leave and I put Ransom to bed, I am able to indulge in a little quiet time until AJ comes home. Some nights this means baking projects, reading, bubble baths, movie (or the Mary Tyler Moore Show) watching, or art making (tonight's activity for me).
Earlier tonight I felt defeated, ineffective for Jesus, doubtful that my life was making any difference, especially in my role as AJ's ministry partner and as an older sister/friend/encourager/mentor for the girls in the youth group. In the moment of texting my sister about my insecurities, one of the girls unexpectedly knocked on the door, arriving for small group. She brought me a latte...a soy lavender latte, which she remembered was a favorite of mine. Wow. Holy shark bait, Batman! I felt known and loved, not just by her, but by my faithful, oh so on time God.
Side notes:
::my mama and daddy left Saturday and we had a delightful time with them
::last week I went strawberry picking three times (with Jamie and mum and dad) and it was splendid...how many more trips can I get in, I wonder...
::Girls group tonight went well, and I feel like I am getting to know these girls better
::AJ and I are reading "Parenting by the Book" together do we can get some biblical wisdom on the terrific twos that Ransom will be entering into soon
::I let Ransom play with my color swatches tonight and he made a game out of sliding them through his baby gate, and I slid them through the other side, creating a repetitive game :)
::AJ is continuing to enjoy cooking shows (watching Master Chef and checking out Jamie Oliver cookbooks are fuel for the fire) and has plans to make brioche, ketchup, and ravioli soon...he started making pasta from scratch this weekend
::I yearn to be more effective for Jesus, even in my often isolated life at home with a baby, and am struggling to understand how it can work...I must not (as Liz said) belittle this calling to be at home with him, because this is kingdom work too
Earlier tonight I felt defeated, ineffective for Jesus, doubtful that my life was making any difference, especially in my role as AJ's ministry partner and as an older sister/friend/encourager/mentor for the girls in the youth group. In the moment of texting my sister about my insecurities, one of the girls unexpectedly knocked on the door, arriving for small group. She brought me a latte...a soy lavender latte, which she remembered was a favorite of mine. Wow. Holy shark bait, Batman! I felt known and loved, not just by her, but by my faithful, oh so on time God.
Side notes:
::my mama and daddy left Saturday and we had a delightful time with them
::last week I went strawberry picking three times (with Jamie and mum and dad) and it was splendid...how many more trips can I get in, I wonder...
::Girls group tonight went well, and I feel like I am getting to know these girls better
::AJ and I are reading "Parenting by the Book" together do we can get some biblical wisdom on the terrific twos that Ransom will be entering into soon
::I let Ransom play with my color swatches tonight and he made a game out of sliding them through his baby gate, and I slid them through the other side, creating a repetitive game :)
::AJ is continuing to enjoy cooking shows (watching Master Chef and checking out Jamie Oliver cookbooks are fuel for the fire) and has plans to make brioche, ketchup, and ravioli soon...he started making pasta from scratch this weekend
::I yearn to be more effective for Jesus, even in my often isolated life at home with a baby, and am struggling to understand how it can work...I must not (as Liz said) belittle this calling to be at home with him, because this is kingdom work too
Monday, June 18, 2012
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! :)
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! :)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
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!
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!
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