Ribbons

My little 3 year old package1

Her camera book from gramma dorius... right before the bath

I don't know how I got so blessed...
first the birthday party in Foley...
then to spend Conner D's actual 6th birthday date with him
and now today I spend with Nola on her actual 3rd birthday date!
As soon as I arrive home from work her and I decide that we will go for a walk.  We are going to walk Chloe first and then bring her home and walk down to Gramma D's.
It is hot, and we are sweaty ...
i pull up her curls with my fingers and tie them up with a band...
Lacey and I decide it looks like those ribbons that you run a scissors down and they curl up.
You take the ribbons and dress up a package.
When we get down to gramma D's we are still hot and sweaty and the curls are now really swirly... I take a picture,
and look at the beautiful 3 year old package with the ribbons on top.
Thank you sweet Jesus for this time here on earth.  Where we can enjoy family and relationships and get to know one another.  Where we can walk together safely through the town and end up at our great gramma's door, she opens it with love and we slip into the bathtub water and cool down leaving the ribbons lay tightly curled upon the birthday package.

The Cardinal

Today when I walked Chloe, I heard him singing.
The song they sing is close to one of the most beautiful things I hear out in nature.
I look up and in front of me I spot him on the very top of the neighbors tree, his vivid red set off against the lush green from all the rain we've had.
He sings, I continue to walk.
Walking I hear him again and I look up and in front of me I spot him on the very top of the baseball park tree, beautiful red cardinal.
He sings, I continue to walk.
Walking now towards the railroad tracks I again hear his song.  I look up and in front of me I spot him on the very top of the base ball field light.  Looking up at him I feel like he is looking at me singing his song even louder.  He flies to the next light and when he lands and starts his song, I stop.
I am wondering if there is more than one cardinal on my walk? Or, did this guy lead the way for me?
And I can help but think of Jesus our savior...
how he leads us in such beautiful ways,
if we will just stop,
stop long enough,
to listen to His voice,
in the still of the air as He gently sings in front of you and leads the way.

Feathers

For the first time sense we have been grandparents to five grandbabies...
we took them all.
Emily and Christ celebrated their 10th anniversary on May 10th.
Lacey celebrated her 26th birthday on May 9th.
K celebrated his 28th birthday on May 14th.
They planned a get away to a cabin up in Brainard.
They, meaning, the mom's and dads.
Who would care for the children?
Oh, we would love to.
We all had supper and Grandma Doris's apartment on Thursday for Lacey's birthday.
The kids were all gathered and put to bed and then Lacey, K and Emily drove back to Foley for the night.  They left for Brainard after having a nice breakfast at ______.
Grandma Jan from Foley has a beautiful cabin on Lake _________.
Meanwhile on the home front I have taken Friday off . The kids, Robin and Grandma Dorius head to NewUlm.  We stop by Schmidts meat market in Nicollette to pick up some piggy meat that Duey gave us (we just had to pay for processing which was $64.00 for 1/2 a piggie).
As we are leaving Nicollette and heading to NewUlm Jordyn and Nola are sitting in their carseats in the middle of the van.  They are looking out the window and Nola says " look at that house over there Jordyn" ...                  Jordyn looks out the window and says "whewr, over dere?"
I couldn't help but laugh at their great big grown up conversation about a house in Nicollette.  They are so happy to be together!
In the back seat are Conner and Jaci with Robin in the middle.  We go through the drive through of McDonald's and meet up with Carol down at the park.
The kids all play together quite well and actually meet a couple of other kids.
Leaving here we head to the Hackers pig farm to check out the baby pigs.
It is a long hot day and they are glad to be out of the van again.
It was an absolutely perfect day if you don't count in the incident of the feather...
Lindsey and Cassie come Friday evening to spend the week-end with us and help gramma Dorius and I with all the kids.  This is wonderful - it's two fold - not only will Lindsey help us... but, we will get to have Cassie too!
Thank You Lord Jesus for perfect day, for family and friends.
Thank You Lord Jesus for a perfect day, for parks, food and conversations.
Thank You Lord Jesus for baby piggies, chickens, walks and Your unconditional love.
...and sometimes when a feather gets in the way, causing fights between brothers and sisters -
help us to have the grace,forgiveness and love to continue on with the perfect day You have given us!
Amen

Best Friends

Jordyn Noel and Parker June 29th, 2013

I was going to ask Parker to be my best friend...
but then he left... so...
I'll have to ask him the next time!

Thinking...

I was thinking...

and then I thought some more...

that if I give a little pout and get my mom and dad over here

and then I will smile and kck a little and if I do things just right they will hold me

Oh yah... the thinking worked!  I got this figured out

Mommy's Blessings

It seems like when you are pregnant... not only does your stomach grow beyond what you ever thought possible...
something else happens - your heart begins to grow.
It seems that first little flutter of life that you feel within you begins you stretching in many ways.
Becoming a mother is an amazing thing.  It seems something we love to talk about for years to come.
And when you look at this little baby, just born, crying and red...
your heart becomes flooded with a love that you can feel to the depth of your soul.
And as those babies grow - it seems your heart continues to grow - you can no longer continue to contain it within the walls of your chest.
It is now on the outside, walking with each child...
open to the joys and pains that life brings -
you will never be the same.  It is holy ground.

mom and I

Grams and Conner

Lindsey and Jordyn

Jaci and I

Brittey (jack) Robin Nola Lacey myself Miranda Evelyn Carol

Lacey and Nola

JaciAnna, Jordyn, Conner

Jack and Robin

Grams, Cassie, me and Lindsey

NolaJean, Cassie, Lacey

Lindsey, NolaJean and Cassie

Miranda and Evelyn

Brittey and Jack

NolaJean and Lacey

Daddy's girl

Nola Jean May 2013

Who can work all day, come home, take out the garage sale beads and make a little girl smile like this?  Daddy
Who can climb rock walls with his bare hands and then put together a intricate head dress on a Wednesday evening before getting ready for bed?  Daddy
Who can take a cloudy day and turn it into sunshine?  Daddy's girl