niece Gigi

got to reacquaint myself with my niece yesterday. she hasn't seen me since christmas and at 3 she was a little wary of me at the beginning - a first for her and i. usually she warms up pretty instantly to me. but after a bit of time we were having a blast.

i got to chase her around with my new-to-me DSLR camera. usually she balks at having her picture taken and won't smile, but we made it a game and i just kept my finger on the button and i think i got some cuteness!!

isn't she a doll!?

she's always on the move.

now i just have to see sydney, nicholas, ethan, aidan and lillian. love these nieces and nephews!

slept in heaven

today my friend sarah and i went to the mall's chick fil-a for our weekly chicken biscuit brunch and mutual processing session. both of us have had a lot to digest lately in our ministry and personal lives. it's been a great little half hour escape once a week that often helps me focus in everything else.

now, because of our frequency to this chick fil-a, they really know us there. several of the workers know our exact orders. (in fact last week my friend megan went to pick me up lunch because i had a meeting run late and when she told them my order it the worker laughed and said "that's not for you is it? it's for your friend with blonde hair, right?" so funny...and a little embarrassing!)

today one of the workers commented to me, "i wish every customer was like you guys. you just look like you slept in Heaven. you always smile and are so nice. so many people come in and are grumpy and rude to us." i thought at the irony of someone commenting that i looked like i had slept in Heaven - me, the girl who never sleeps through the night. yet i do feel at peace. so while i didn't sleep in Heaven last night, i can always sleep with the hope of heaven and know that's God's love and joy is mine to share with others. sarah and i felt humbled by this and determined to make a greater effort to love and get to know our chick fil-a workers. so when we got our customary cherry coke refills we introduced ourselves by name and learned his name (jared). it's a small step to loving my neighbors in this city better. and i pray that they will see Heaven in my countenance more often.

a whole "herd" of us at cow appreciation day on the 10th. jared is in the background behind the counter.

today

sometimes i wait to post because i want something profound to say. so i post when i have some random burst of inspiration.

that doesn't seem to happen to often.

other times God is teaching me lessons, but i just don't know how to share them.

and still other times i want to share wonderful house-y type tips like my stay-at-home mom friends, but the past month hasn't been spent doing those things. and the reality is that isn't the crux of my daytime.

i've had an wonderful summer with friends. many of them new. and most of them are now gone. i am thankful and heavy hearted all at the same time.

today i am thankful that God keeps bringing me more wonderful friends since i live in a world where friends are always leaving to go extraordinarily far away.

today i am thankful for the flowers on my desk - bought from kate at the farmer's market. the color of them takes my breath away every time i look up. good job God.

today i am thankful for friends who love truth.

today i am thankful for supporters who encourage me and help me all along this crazy walk i'm on.

today i'm thankful for the baby who knows my name and waits for my car to pull into the drive with a huge smile on her face.

today my heart is heavy with all those i'm missing and thankful for all i've got.

this makes me feel like i'm in a band

and i love it

me & my roommates sarah and kristy

things i've been making lately

watermelon juice...yummy. don't be deceived by the spoon, i totally used my hands to smoosh the melon through the strainer.

i made two of these handsome little guys for friends' babies.

i cannot get over how cute his little tail is! you can't see it but he also has a little spikey mane going all down the back of his head.

okay, so technically i didn't make this - but i did get a new haircut! praise Jesus for Great Clips' yearly $5.99 haircut sale!

this one is guido the frog. he's a handsome little guy too. right now he greets all of us housemates when we walk upstairs, but his future home is with my future nephew - my roommates have joked that i'll have crocheted a whole zoo for the newest alter baby by christmas - we'll see.

using the leftover persimmon colored yarn from the giraffe i made myself a little hat!

(not a terribly attractive picture of me or my housemate, but it shows the hat's color)

and of course, another new cake, this one was a mocha chocolate something cake for my friend megan's birthday. i can't remember the name. it was coffee flavored so i didn't touch a bite, but i heard it was yummy.

discouragement

just jumped a really big hurdle for myself this morning. something that has taken me years to get up the courage to do. (vague, i know, but believe me, it's for the best). immediately after i got a bit of discouragement. questioning why i would do what i did. was it the best time? i knew it was long overdue and after a few minutes of hurting and frustration i realized - maybe this bit of discouragement is so i will trust God more.

and i have to tell you, the fact that i was even able to come to that thought after a year of not being able to see God in so much of my day to day life - got me butterflies in my stomach giddy. and the peace that came with it wasn't too bad either.