So there's this problem,

I was reading this blogpost from one of the blogs Elena follows (I was on her account by accident) and I was thinking,  "Wow, she must have a lot of pictures on her blog." Then I went to go upload some more pictures on the Curly Deisgn, and then I thought, " Well, she probably has had her blog for a while; we probably have a long time before we get there." And within seconds, blogger told me I have used up all picture space and would have to "upgrade" aka pay!
I just had to laugh at loud.
.........

So now, I'm afraid we must say goodbye to this blog.

As a side note, I was going over our posts, and we have published 390 blog posts (don't ask me have many drafts we have!).
Also, we've had 21,718 pageviews in our blog history.

You know, it seems such a shame to just end a blog, leave it in the dust, and move on.
So, I've  been toying with the idea of making a book of our blog, as like a family journal (but more orderly).
I think I shall.

If everything in my evil plan works out, I'll post again, only if I have the finished book, AND if we get another blog.

Love,
             Caro :)

Lead Me

Because this will be the last official song of this long blog series, I didn't want make it a Christmas song (you know, keep the variety going).

 Lead Me

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames, I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling, but on the inside

[Chorus] Oh, I can hear her saying
Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're independent, but on the inside

[Chorus]
So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh Father, show me the way
To lead them

Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me 'cause I can't do this alone
-Sanctus Real

This song, though it is not necessarily a deep song (under a microscope it, as all songs, has it's flaws) there is a strong point in it.
The first time I heard this song, the songwriter's cry rang loudly, and it still does:

"So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh Father, show me the way
To lead them"

This songwriter knows that all strength, guidance, and vision of a christian father/husband can only ever come from the Lord.
What a beautiful and humble cry of a man, a father, and a follower of Christ!

A friend and I are reading "It's {Not That} Complicated" (really good book!) and in one of the chapters, it talks about how our feminist culture, has in the past and is trying to, take over manhood, a.k.a dominate the role that men rightly have. But reading how weighty this role of being a leader is, makes taking it over seem silly. It is true that at the bottom of the feminist movement is the sin of Eve -wanting to be greater than her husband and God (two leaders/authorities in her life)- but to me, looking practically, being a leader would be tough.
Being a leader is being selfless, not "Chasing things that I could give up" . It's fighting against the evil things that creep in and root in families, similar to a shepherd of a flock. It's being responsible to proclaim Christ to your "flock", as well as those that surround you. It's late night talks (with an early morning the next day). It's being wise enough to make choices, show grace, protect, and yet be humble enough to know that all these things are from God.
Not to say that women are physically incapable; single moms can do it, but is this where women should be? There is a better, and customized, role that women belong in.

"Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
" And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.^{'"  {Genesis 2:18,22-23}}

All that to say, this song hits to home. No, really.

Oh, by the way, happy New Years!
Love,
       Caro :)

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

 {March 2007, France}

"But the Lord is in his holy temple;
    let all the earth keep silence before him.”
{Habakkuk 2:20} 

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of Lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to His presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

-French Carol

Not your typical Christmas carol. Yet, I think this hymn carries something that is, more often than not, missed in this upcoming season. Food for thought..

A beautiful song based off of Hab 2:20. This has been previously posted on our blog, but...it's been awhile. The tune of this song matches the solemn but reverent lyrics of this hymn. Basically the hymn tells how Christ came down (verse 1), became a man ( verse 2), "That the powers of hell may vanish" (verse 3), and now read verse 4.... yeah, I like this hymn too.

Not what My Hands Have Done

The Grand Canyon

Another favorite -actually, I think all of these songs have been my favorite- that gives such a poignant reminder of "not what my hands have done". A dear friend of ours from church pointed out how by just reading the beginning of each verse there is such a beautiful picture of redemption.

 Let's see, "Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;" no works righteousness, self-help, can save us. Not just plain save us, but save, " guilty soul" us. Guilty before who? God. "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight," {Psalm 51:4}. 

" And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." Isn't funny to think of all the things the Bible records God said and it happened? That may seem like such a vast and childish thought at first, but go read and ponder. This same Lord that has spoken so much, is the same Lord that, "can speak to me of grace;". In this second verse is the solution to the first verse, "Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;"

  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." {2 Corinthians 4:5-6}

This third verse pretty much fly's in the face of all other thinking (christian or not), "Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;"  It is Christ, and only Him, that can clean our slate, erase sin, and clear the guilty soul. His sinless life in a sinful and fallen world was, and is, significant. Therefore His death was just as significant because He took on God's full wrath, though there was no sin in Him, yet, "We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God." {Romans 6:9-10} It is Christ's who saves us. Where have we gotten the idea that there is a corner of us that is untainted by sin to choose God? There is nothing here about what we do besides sinning (but later praising and loving).

"I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine; ", the  sinner is now resting in the loving and gracious arms of the Savior that he has been speaking of. Not only does he rest in, but also blesses the, "Christ of God". This Christ of God, connects to same God that the sinner can't make peace with in verse 1. Also there is such firm trust and reassurance in this verse.

This last verse, "I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;" is a continued growth from the previous verse. Reminds me of the first question in one of our church's catechism, "What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." He truly is The All in All, the great I AM, and Lord! And He, "calls me His, I call Him mine, My God, my joy and light." This last verse kinda sums up the hymn, reminding, that is God who saves, pardons, and loves. It is only through Christ that we love and forgive. 
"  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 
{1 John 4:9-10}

Not What My Hands Have Done

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;
And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt; I bury in His tomb
Each thought of unbelief and fear, each lingering shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;
He calls me His, I call Him mine, My God, my joy and light.
’Tis He Who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;
I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives.

-Horatius Bonar

The Church's One Foundation

Switzerland 08-14-2003

One of my favorite songs to sing at church!

I  like how this hymn establishes who the Church's One foundation is -Christ!
Then it continues "Her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy Name she blesses," which so distinctly reminds me of the Part in Ephesians, "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵  one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

The Church's One Foundation

The church's one Foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation
By water and the Word:
From heav'n he came and sought her
To be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her,
And for her life he died.

Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food.
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.

The church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain and cherish
Is with her to the end;
Though there be those that hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against or foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

'Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace for evermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With the God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with thee.

-Samuel J. Stone (1866) 

 

 As I was vacuuming the living room, I was thinking over what I liked in this song (I do most of my deep and contemplative thinking while I'm vacuuming, supposed to be drifting asleep, and showering), I marveled at how comforting it was to know,
"The church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend,".
 I just started reading through a new history book, "2,000 Years of Christ's Power", and it was talking about the beginning of the persecution from the Roman Emperors -okay, okay, it was Nero and Domitian, to all you history geeks- and after describing some of the torments the Christians went under, it said how the church grew in numbers and in unity, more than ever before.
Lastly, these lyrics came to mind I was looking over this song just now: 

" And the wicked roam the cities and the streets tonight
But when the God of love and thunder speaks tonight
Oh, I believe You will come
Your justice be done, but how long?

How long? How long?
How long until this curtain is lifted?
How long is this the song that we sing?
How long until the reckoning?"

Love,
           Caro :)

  
                            

 

In The Valley

 

In The Valley

When You lead me to the valley of vision
I can see You in the heights
And though my humbling wouldn’t be my decision
It’s here Your glory shines so bright
So let me learn that the cross precedes the crown
To be low is to be high
That the valley’s where You make me more like Christ

[CHORUS]
Let me find Your grace in the valley
Let me find Your life in my death
Let me find Your joy in my sorrow
Your wealth in my need
That You’re near with every breath
In the valley

In the daytime there are stars in the heavens
But they only shine at night
And the deeper that I go into darkness
The more I see their radiant light
So let me learn that my losses are my gain
To be broken is to heal
That the valley’s where Your power is revealed

[chorus]

                                                                         -Bob Kauflin  [Sovereign Grace Ministries]

This eloquent song is based off of the book of puritan prayers, called, The Valley of Vision. Listening to this song and reading this prayer (though not at the same time), I always want to say, "yes, Lord, what he said, that's what I meant."

"Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;

 hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.

 Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, 

that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, 

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, 

that to have nothing is to possess all,

 that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

 that to give is to receive, 

 that the valley is the place of vision. 

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; 

let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley."

                                                                                 -The Valley of Vision (edited by Arthur Bennett)

P.S Check out this new album that's coming 

out this week!

Hoodies, Nealy's and Us

I don't mean to sound boastful, but I have a beautiful family.

This blog post title is the skinny of these past few weeks. Extra skinny, actually. There were thousand of extra details and curves to these past few weeks. To show you a crack of our week, I had the brilliant idea of trying out Elena's PicMonkey. 

 I think I just got addicted.   :)

One raining Wednesday in July, we left in the morning and spent a few days at my Grandma's, in Burnet. As a special treat, we  forced invited Ryle to come along. We had a great, but humid, time going for walks, watching old movies, and going to the Domain (like Houston's City Center) with the rest of the familia.

The girls insisted we peek in the creepy house for sale

As you can see, Abby and Nate thoroughly enjoyed Ryle

Grilled Pizza (grilled by Luke)

Thai eggplant from one of Dad's co-workers.

On Saturday we worked outside. We washed all four of the cars (Luke, Grace, and I had the privilege to be the first to wash Elena's new car), transplanted plants (one of which was the Thai eggplant), and did other odd jobs around the house. As a sort of reward, we went to the pool in the afternoon with some of the older Neal's.

Matthew McMuggins -simply yummy

The ultimate game of ultimate Frisbee out on the Parker's land

 

At our friend's the Parker's land for GfBC Conroe's baptism (we were invited by the Hood's for Mia's baptism). It was hot, but we had such a great time hanging with all the Conroe folks!

Mr. Wes, Mia, and Pastor David Shiflet

When I looking through these baptism pics I got a huge lump in my throat; they captured the moment beautifully!

Chicken sandwiches and and RJ Goodies cake in honor of Grace's birthday

Grace's birthday snuck up on us, so we simply had a special tea party.

But first there was Eva's birthday.

Nicole surprised mom with a spontaneous visit during which we celebrated dear Eva's berry first birthday! We didn't do anything too special, but it was just special to have her with us.

A few weeks ago, Dad went on a trip to Wales....(sigh)

The dear ducks have returned!

I believe it was two weeks ago that we spotted some ducks in our tree just outside the dining room. Since then we have been seeing them more and more frequently.

Hopey-dopey-doo and Joy

As I was sorting through the gazillion pictures, I found that I had to post these

O, Church Arise

Well, this is has become quite an inconsistent blog series. But I still have songs to share and a few more words to say.
This is a beautiful song that we sung one time last year at church and have heard numerous times since then. I have found this song to be very encouraging and uplifting. Take this part for instance:

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,

But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole

 A few Sunday's ago, our church was going through Revelation 2: 8-11 and in verse 10, there is a transition from "jew" to "the devil" in the context of how the christians at the church in Smyrna will continue to suffer. That transition really put things in there proper light --our battle really lies with satan, he is our enemy. We do not, "wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places"{Ephesians 6:12}.
All reason for self-anger, vanishes.  Mankind is at enmity with God, storing up wrath for themselves, they need the gospel! That is "Our call to war".
Lastly, this song always reminds me of this passage in Hebrews 12:1-2,

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  

O, Church Arise

O church, arise and put your armor on;

 Hear the call of Christ our captain;

For now the weak can say that they are strong

In the strength that God has given.

With shield of faith and belt of truth

We'll stand against the devil's lies;

An army bold whose battle cry is "Love!"

Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,

But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole

We will fight with faith and valor.

When faced with trials on ev'ry side,

We know the outcome is secure,

And Christ will have the prize for which He died—

An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,

As the Son of God is stricken;

Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,

For the Conqueror has risen!

And as the stone is rolled away,

And Christ emerges from the grave,

This vict'ry march continues till the day

Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him. 

So Spirit, come, put strength in ev'ry stride,

Give grace for ev'ry hurdle,

That we may run with faith to win the prize

Of a servant good and faithful.

As saints of old still line the way,

Retelling triumphs of His grace,

We hear their calls and hunger for the day

When, with Christ, we stand in glory.

- Keith Getty & Stuart Townend (2005)

From what I've heard from these songwriters, they are pretty solid in there lyrics. Check out their site, with all the resources you could want.

Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder

This hymn was our church's hymn of the month for April. It was funny, just a month before, Elena had started listening to this song "Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder", from Jars of Clay's Redemption album. Now the tunes are very different -it took a little bit to adjust- but the words are still good!

Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder

Let us love and sing and wonder,
Let us praise the Savior’s name!
He has hushed the Law’s loud thunder,
He has quenched mount Sinai’s flame:
He has washed us with His blood,
He has brought us nigh to God.

Let us love the Lord Who bought us,
Pitied us when enemies,
Called us by His grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears, and gave us eyes:
He has washed us with His blood,
He presents our souls to God.

Let us sing, though fierce temptation
Threatens hard to bear us down!
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conqu’ror’s crown:
He Who washed us with His blood,
Soon will bring us home to God.

Let us wonder, grace and justice
Join, and point to mercy’s store;
When through grace in Christ our trust is,
Justice smiles, and asks no more:
He Who washed us with His blood,
Has secured our way to God.

Let us praise, and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high;
Here they trusted Him before us,
Now their praises fill the sky:
“Thou have washed us with Your blood,
  Thou art worthy, Lamb of God!”

                             -John Newton

While I was lyric searching, I stumbled across another long but insightful looking article on this song. I find it hard for me to sit in front of the computer and just read, for a long period of time (office life is not the life for me), but what I read -in particular, the "Let Us Worship" section- was good. Tell me what you think, if you read any of it.
:)

The Means of Grace are in My Hand

I found this hymn in the book, A Portrait of Paul (excellent book which I highly recommend).  In the particular chapter the hymn came from, the authors wrote to their fellow pastors about the subject of the apostle Paul's ministry -Christ.

"It is Christ alone whom we are to preach and Christ only who can enable us, by His Spirit, to preach in this way. Do you feel the weight of this duty? Good! Then we are ready to fall on our faces and plead with God to equip us in mind and heart and soul and strength to serve His glory by exalting His Son, Jesus Christ."

The whole book is filled with great quotes, I could hardly stop underling! It is a great book for church member and pastors. We went through this book as a small group study, at a friend's house.

The Means of Grace are in My Hand 

The means of grace are in my hand
The blessing is at God’s command
Who must the work fulfill;
And though I read, and watch and pray,
Yet here the Lord directs my way
And worketh all things still.

I cannot speak a proper word,
Nor think aright, but from the Lord
Preparing heart and tongue;
In Nature I can see no good,
But all my good proceeds from God,
And does to grace belong.

I see it now, and do confess
My utter need of Jesus’ grace,
And of His Spirit’s light;
I beg his kind and daily care;
O Lord, my heart and tongue prepare
To think and speak aright.

Prepare my heart to love thee well,
And love Thy truth which doth excel,
And love thy children dear;
Instruct me how to live by faith,
And feel the virtue of Thy death,
And find Thy presence near.

Prepare my tongue to pray and praise,
To speak of providential ways,
And heavenly truth unfold;
To strengthen well a feeble soul,
Correct the Wanton, rouse the dull,
And silence sinners bold.

           - John Berridge     

I stumbled upon a christian blogger from the Philippines who had posted this hymn. Tell me what you think.                                      

Though Troubles Assail Us

John Newton, has a pretty popular story. He was born in London, in 1725, and raised by a godly mother (who taught him the Westminster Catechism), and had a sea-faring father. In his early years, John Newton, was a slave trader and led a, well, a sailors life. It was on a voyage, after a terrifying storm, that he wrote,
"I thought I saw the hand of God displayed in our favour. I began to pray: I could not utter the prayer of faith; I could not draw near to a reconciled God, and call him Father . . . the comfortless principles of infidelity were deeply riveted; . . . . The great question now was, how to obtain faith."
This was a quite a change from Newton's previous thought's, but he later said,
" I was greatly deficient in many respects. I was in some degree affected with a sense of my enormous sins, but I was little aware of the innate evils of my heart. I had no apprehension of . . . the hidden life of a Christian, as it consists in communion with God by Jesus Christ: a continual dependence on him. . . . I acknowledged the Lord's mercy in pardoning what was past, but depended chiefly upon my own resolution to do better for the time to come. . . . I cannot consider myself to have been a believer (in the full sense of the word) till a considerable time afterwards."

Later in life, John Newton became a devoted husband, a tender pastor, author, and friend to many well-known men.
I could go on to say more, but I've decided to make this brief. Kinda a "wet your appetite" biography.
Oh, when googling "John Newton", I stumbled upon this article by John Piper. I started reading it, then I stopped, and scrolled down...and down, down, down, and finally came to the end! All this to say, the blogpost is very long-- and I didn't finish it-- but from what I read, I would encourage you to read it (and tell me about it :P).

This hymn is one that my family discovered in our Trinity Hymnals (Baptist Ed.), because it has the same tune as Immortal, Invisible, which we love. When looking up this hymn, there are two more verses, which are not in the Trinity Hymnal, so I just left them out for now.

Though Trouble Assail Us

Though troubles assail us and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The promise assures us, “The Lord will provide.”

The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed;
From them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied
So long as ’tis written, “The Lord will provide.”

When Satan assails us to stop up our path,
And courage all fails us, we triumph by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart cheering promise, “The Lord will provide.”

No strength of our own and no goodness we claim;
Yet, since we have known of the Savior’s great Name,
In this our strong tower for safety we hide:
The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.”

-John Newton(1779)

Love,

Caro :)

The Gospel-Centered Marriage Conference--In Pictures

Surprisingly, I did not take many pictures of this part of the trip. I was quite occupied with taking notes instead. which I plan to share on this blog once we're settled in Dubai.

The weather was just beautiful: COLD! We all enjoyed pulling out our scarves, jackets, and boots. But, more on the actual conference at a later time. 

For now, here are the--few-- pictures I took.

Caro and I with Esther Leclerc.

Us girls with Emily Rose Brookshire.

Our good friends, the Smiths.

New friends, Aaron and Chelsea.

Smith girls, Marques girls (plus Dad), and a Barton girl.

Visit with the McNiels.

One of few pictures of the actual conference.

Happy 5th birthday!

Dear Mia,

Happy 5th birthday! Five years ago, I was blessed when God brought you into our lives. You were so small; I couldn't believe it when I saw your dark hair, eyes, and skin. Those tiny fingers, but big eyes.

I'm so thankful to have watched you grow and mature over the years. From learning to walk, to sucking your thumb, to wild stories, to cuddly times on the couch, to times when you cry, to time when you can't stop laughing, to jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler, to learning to read. 

I love to see how you love your family. How you enjoy anything related to chocolate and movies, but can't stand whipped cream; how you love to sing hymns and always wear dresses; how you like organizing cabinets, but don't like cleaning up toys.

I pray that the Lord will draw you unto Himself one day. That you would be a virtuous woman of God, one whose beauty is known by your "quiet and gentle spirit". That you would learn to fear the Lord, for this is beautiful and worthy of praise. That the gospel would be your passion and Christ would be your focus.

 Mia, I love you!

Mary Poppins Writes {Days 4 & 5}

{Playing with color pencils after supper}

Now you know that I don't typically spend much computer time on Sundays! In consequence, this post is rather picture heavy, so be warned (I'm sure you won't mind, Mummy. :)

Please forgive the disorderly photos, they're a bit mixed up and this post is a wee choppy on account of it!

{He insisted on eating with the ears on, I thought it was pretty cute too!}

After a long night (courtesy of Dom's unaccounted for screaming), Sunday morning was a bit slow but by His grace, we made to out the door, fed, dressed, and ready to worship! I say "by His grace" because that morning, Nicole was pretty hard up for sleep and a dreadful virus went through me and I felt just like Preggers did six months ago! It was definitely a trial to make the zucchini bake for breakfast and I had to have Sophie make the pbj's to take to church, thankfully I had the presence of mind to take a plastic grocery sack in my pocket (yes, I used it). After my "grocery sack episode" I felt so much better and this morning was right as rain. Just to ease myself into eating again, I cooked up some apples, blueberries, a knob of ginger, and a wee bit of coconut oil; it can hardly be called a sauce because I made it kind of chunky (just the way I like it) but it was a wonderful way to start the day. Memories of after my jaw surgery came back but all good things I assure you. :)

{Tomorrow's breakfast, plus slivered almonds, coconut flakes, and flax seeds!}

Tomorrow Nicole and I have nail appointments with my Aunt (at the fun spa she works at!), gotta prepare Preggers twinkle toes for the big day! She's graciously doing mine as well, they really need a good pedi and she is the only person I trust for the job!

When I was a little girl (Can I say that since I'm almost 21?), my Aunt Gaby lived with us for a season and, being the meticulous nail tech at the time, us girls were always well cared for, specifically in that area. I think we were the only girls in our circle of friends who had daisy's on our toes in the summertime. Ever since then she's been very good to make sure we have the best nail equipment and polishes; it's pretty painful but our hands and feet thank us after she's worked on them!

All of that to say that we'll be heading up to Burnet tomorrow to spend the day with my Grandmother and get our nails done. A delectable Asian Chicken salad is on the menu and fresh watermelon (my favorite!); Tita (my Grandmother) generally has some sort of yummy treat on hand, most anything from fresh flour tortillas to tasty gf delights! We're always well fed there.

{Playing with trains after supper, complete with graphic sound effects.}

{The lay of the land before the decluttering battle was fought.}

Today we tackled the largest area on our "To-Do" list; the caution zone that was the Stickies room; the handy dandy trundle bed makes it possible for all three of them to sleep in a room, Sophia graciously sleeps with Dom on the bottom, leaving the top bed for the Wiggle Worm that is Mia. I'll post an after picture later, we still have some rearranging to do. The decluttering bit was a difficult battle; many seven and four-year-old tears were shed and lots of lecturing was done but thankfully Nicole nobly smuggled out some items to be sold in future tag sales (that's New Yorkan for garage sale)--shhh, don't tell anyone!

{Dom wears these when he takes a shower, genius I say.}

In other, less tearful news, Dominic has taken to wearing swimming goggles while he has his bath! Why didn't I think of that when I was two?? Brilliant and very cute--video to come, Nani. "You will die!"

{We've been doing a bit of yoga relaxation before bedtime each night.}

Also before bed, I've taken to giving a wee yoga session to the Stickies, mostly just relaxing stuff; Dom and Mia don't really get the idea of relaxing their facial muscles (meaning, no talking) but Sophie gets it pretty well. They all enjoy it and it's still fun for them to do. :)

{Popcorn and nutritional yeast, baby!}