we heart our city

yesterday was just a fabulous day

we started early with a little stroll

down main street at the farmer's market

check out that beautiful young lady

peddling her wares at the

Great Harvest booth.

(quite frankly, I couldn't handle the 

crowds, having to add numbers in my head

& make the correct change with a long line

of people waiting...I'm breaking out in a

sweat just thinking about it)

then we attended The Hinge

which is a yearly event held downtown.

it's actually a day of prayer set aside by our mayor

to pray for our city and to worship with other believers.

it was amazing

the weather was perfect

here's another beautiful daughter 

worshipping with her bffs from church.

seeing this makes me choke up - 

Brian & I are beyond grateful to see our 

kids mature in their faith, & to have the chance

to worship with them and pray with them

is priceless.

really, we've travelled to a country where

worshipping the Creator of the universe in

a public place would be illegal.

we. are. so. blessed.

Quinn's little buddy was asked to pray.

is he a cutie, or what?

our youth pastor taking time to pray

w/ some of the girls & for the schools they attend.

and there was much rejoicing

after 2 years of speech therapy,

today we heard the "d" &  't" sounds

for the first time.
( she been using "h" instead)

AND 

loud & clear that little princess said

"Daddy" 

Whooot to the Whoooo!

it may sound like a small accomplishment,

but  those are the only sounds we 

had never heard up until today.

God is good,

and this girlie is a hard worker!

last week was another post-op visit.
her nose looks great, and
her palate & gum line still look amazing.
we have 4 more weeks of
the nose stents,
(insert big sigh here)
and a new lip scar treatment plan.
(more to come on that!)

we're in somewhat of a school
routine around here.
reality is tough sometimes.

look at those little angels
quietly doing their work
while I enjoy a cup of coffee and
gaze happily around at
my spotlessly clean house...

a girl can dream, can't she?!

the most awesome fourth grade boy ever...for real

so God has led us

to another year of having my sweet boy

home for school!

between this smart boy

and one busy 3 year old sister,

I need to be eating my Wheaties

and chuggin' the caffeine for sure!

his new "first day" outfit

PJs!!
("nanee nanee booboo to my sisters who
  have to wear their school uniforms!")

the fun may now begin!

the next best thing

what does one do

when you head to the neighborhood pool...
4 kids in tow
lunches packed
to find that its closed?!

you create a back porch pool party
for special friends

complete with a poolside picnic

it's all good

to dare more boldly...

Disturb us, Lord, when We are too well pleased with ourselves, When our dreams have come true Because we have dreamed too little, When we arrived safely Because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when With the abundance of things we possess We have lost our thirst For the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, We have ceased to dream of eternity And in our efforts to build a new earth, We have allowed our vision Of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, To venture on wider seas Where storms will show your mastery; Where losing sight of land, We shall find the stars. We ask You to push back The horizons of our hopes; And to push into the future In strength, courage, hope, and love.

attributed - sir francis drake -1577

a kleenex and a side of "bless yous"

the kleenex?

that would be for me.

my big girls have their first day of school today.

the senior

9th grader...really?!!!

attending the same school this year!

why does the mama look through the camera lens

& see all the other "1st day pics"?!

the pigtails

the ironed little dresses
the missing front teeth

the Barbie lunchbox

the Madeline backpack

my, my, my

as for the "bless yous"?

those are for Ali & Erin.

aside from the lump in my throat today,

Brian & I could not be more proud of our teenage girls,

and we bless them today.

we bless them to be confident in who God 

created them to be.

we bless them to boldly share the love of the Father

in tangible ways with their peers and teachers.

we bless them to carry God's kingdom

and the power of the Holy Spirit 

everywhere their sweet little feet step.

they are where they are for a purpose,

and we can't wait to see the Father's

hand on them this school year.

as for Quinn & Gracie,

I'll be investing some time in them today -

explaining to them how they will 

never be allowed to leave mommy 

and go to high school,

putting little bricks on their heads & informing

them that they are not allowed to grow up

so darn quickly,

etc.

be blessed beautiful treasures!

so loved

I have loved the t-shirts from 
Wild Olive.
Check out their blog
HERE
for a great giveaway & to read
the story behind this beautiful t-shirt.

100% of the proceeds of the sale of each So Loved tee will be used to 
fund a future heart surgery for an orphan in China!!!!!!!!
now,
that makes me down right giddy!

princess power

100+ degree heat 

can't stop this girlie

from showin off her princess cuteness

heat, schmeat   

so it begins...

my brain has put it off all summer long,

but it's here...

the realization that Ali will now be a 

senior in high school.

today is senior portrait day.

I hope the photographer can concentrate

with the weeping and waling

coming from my corner of the room.

really,  a professional should be
well equipped to deal with
an emotionally unstable mother, right?

by the time poor Gracie has reached this milestone,
I'm sure I'll be a more poised mama...
hahaha
speaking of our youngest, check out
her first official "face" picture

talented, eh?
she had her 4th post-op visit last friday.
she'll be sporting the nose stents for
another three weeks
(whaaaa!)
and we are to up our game on treating her lip scar.
(her surgeon is still not pleased w/ the
redness and thickening going on)
so...more lotion & NO sugar it is!

well, I'm being invited to a tea party
by a very convincing little 3 year old.
I guess I should go change out of my pajamas...