blooming!

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."
— C.S. Lewis

to say she loves her college is the understatement of the year

and to say we are absolutely, positively thrilled for her is the second understatement

and we're ALL so thrilled with God we could bust right open trying to contain our thanksgiving

He just keeps heaping on the blessings...

to our sweet girl who has been trusting Him when it was hard to see the path He was creating just for her...

but now she's around the bend with jaw dropped wide open

and arms lifted high

i will sing of the steadfast LOVE of the Lord forever

-psalm 89:1

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way!...

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Romans 8:31


God so rocks

going, going...

our house is buzzing with excitement and anticipation

college!  she's heading off to college!

when she had colic, we never thought we'd make it to her 1st birthday

{i think i cried more then she did...sleepless zombie that i was}

but here we are...we made it through

and they were right...all those who told us colicky babies turn into really wonderful people

we L O V E her so! and E N J O Y her company!

we're gonna miss her, that's for sure (she is a SUNSHINE GIRL all the way)

but to watch her take her first real flight from our little nest?

breathtaking

to everything there is a season...a time to laugh, a time to cry

and sometimes a time to do both!

river run

the past 2 years we have been guests in a new (to us) village and a beautiful river runs right alongside it

in the winter, the river becomes an ice highway enabling villagers to travel to other villages

but in the summer, the river is a boat highway enabling our friends to live off the land

fish racks dot the landscape

and the reddish-orange fish flags wave in the cool Alaskan breeze

salmon as art...love this photo

nets in a heap...waiting for their next fling out into the calm water

see the little plane?  i grew up knowing someone was visiting when i heard their car tires in our gravel driveway

here we know by the buzz of a plane engine

someone coming...someone going... or ride's here!

we love this village and her people


peaceful and quiet


along the river

seaside

how many kids can say they had a mud fight in the bering sea with their alaskan friends?

icing-on-the-cake blessings

{yay, God!}

through my lense

arriving...

meeting...

catching...

resting...

creating...

riding...

L o V i n G

Jiggedy Jig

we're back from the Alaskan bush!

this photo was taken in the Chicago airport after we flew through the night and awaited our next flight home

our trip was another incredible adventure!

travel? not so much...delayed flights, cancelled flights, a near car accident

 but travel mercies and miracles graced us throughout our journey

the 5 of us travel well together...

we all realize the importance of saying "it is what it is" when travel stuff goes haywire...and we've learned that our backpacks make wonderful pillows on airport floors

and we just kept laughing

it's 1:30 am but my body is telling me it's morning...back to my wonderful bed to say some more thank you, God! prayers before dozing off again

home again, home again...jiggedy jig!

{grateful for your prayers, my friends}

a different lense

remember i told you about losing it?


well, i did!  i met my goal!


i feel stronger...and prettier


and i like buying clothes again


i saw this ad on this blog (she was talking about another kind of house...so good)


but at my age, i think losing weight isn't at all about dieting


it's about protecting my house...


feeling fit & S T R O N G


taking good care of the house i've been given