Introducing Isaiah

We are thrilled with another nephew/cousin and can't wait to watch him grow up!! :)

Welcome to the world, sweet little one.

Congratulations, Steve & Amy!!

August 19, 2000

10 years ago today my dear Dad walked me down the aisle to my waiting groom. So much has happened since then, that it seems like a lifetime ago. We've lost a father since then, and in a sense we have lost a mother too. We've said farewell to two more grandparents. Our faith has been tested in these and other ways that we never would have wanted.

But God has been so gracious. He promised never to leave us. Through the sad times He encouraged us through His Word and Spirit, and through the love of His church. He has given us so many earthly blessings that we so often take for granted. He has poured out blessings on us in the form of three healthy, adorable children to raise for His glory. Although we have lost dear ones in our family, since our wedding 10 years ago my side of the family has actually doubled in size, with another little one expected any day to add to our numbers. Kev's side of the family has grown, too. The sweet fellowship that we enjoy in our church and with the friends God has given is a picture of Heaven on this earth. We are so happy where God has placed us.

I think back to what a baby Christian I was 10 years ago, and I am thankful that God brought trials into our married life to bring us closer to Him. We have not suffered much compared to other people, and God has blessed us with so much. I pray that we will be able to praise Him in these easy, prosperous years...but also if everything were to be stripped away from us. I am thankful that God holds on to us, because I know that human strength is weak.

I'm so thankful for 10 years with my sweet husband. I don't think I am an easy wife, but he takes it graciously. I praise God for His plan, for allowing us to be together. There is no one I would rather spend my life with.

"God makes your marriage indissoluble, and protects it from every danger that may threaten it from within and without; He will be the guarantor of its indissolubility.

It is a blessed thing to know that no power on earth, no temptation, no human frailty can dissolve what God holds together;

indeed, anyone who knows that may say confidently:

What God has joined together, can no man put asunder.

Free from all the anxiety that is always a characteristic of love, you can now say to eachother with complete and confident assurance:

We can never lose eachother now; by the will of God we belong to eachother till death.

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer~

This came in the mail this week, how fitting. :)

come over for a visit and I will probably insist you look at it with me. :) I love Blurb books! Amymom, I think I have you to thank (or blame?) for this obsession!! :)

simple. sunny. sensational. summer. (a totally random and disjointed post)

WOOHOo Jaden turned 4 today!! How I love our sweet son who it seems that just yesterday was just toddling around the house, and now is looking so old. He is very eager to learn all kinds of things, so I am hoping he will take off with the preschool curriculum. We shall see. :)

The other day he said to Ashleigh "Ashleigh, is it good to be proud?" And she answered no, to which he replied "Thank you. That was very helpful."

How adorable!! I wish they never had to grow up, at least not so quickly as they are. So bittersweet to watch. We pray that he will grow up to be a humble servant of the Lord. :)

I also love how he is so pleased with little things. He had a very dull birthday (especially compared to the circus we had for Ashleigh's 4th!!) but was so thrilled with his little cake, and with how people kept referring to his birthday. He is not always sweet, but sometimes he is just downright adorable and precious.

i took these for the last page of the Europe book that I spent, oh, a few hours making this past month. heh heh.


i think I might re-do them tomorrow though b/c it was too late in the evening and they are too dark. Bummer, since they are all looking so happy in them!!

this was less than pleasant. the friday before the long weekend no less! We were housebound the entire weekend (except when we borrowed my sister's car to get to church). Thankfully we were able to convince almost my whole family to come celebrate Jaden's birthday on the Monday night...NOTHING beats cousins time in this house!!

all kinds of drama for half the church to see. :) THe good thing is that kids find tow trucks extremely exciting, even moreso to ride in one. It is an adventure Kevin and I would rather forego though. :( Well, good thing for mechanics, especially one in the family!



This is at Ashleigh's soccer game, the boys LOVE playing inside the car. And they LOVE the baby of the house!!

What fun to have another sister living with us for the summer!

Especially one who cooks, cleans, babysits and gives pedicures :)




Sweet Josh has such a great work ethic and Kevin and I think it is adorable. I have to capitalize on it b/c who knows how long it will last. However I don't remember Jaden ever having a good work ethic!! Josh, on the other hand, feels very important to have a job to do and sees it through to completion. Makes Kev & I so proud. :)

He kept on working while the rest of us went for coffeetime!! He has always been Mr. Independent, quite the opposite from Jaden in that way. They couldn't be more different in fact!! I could sit there and watch Josh all day, he is at that incredibly cute age. To top it all off, he reminds me more and more of my dad (how he looks) and I think his character is like him, too. What a sweet blessing he is. :)

sweeeet delivery, from the Royal Mail. :) FUN!!!

Redmund is back in full force, hitting our office window probably hundreds of times a day. This started last spring, but he took a hiatus for the winter. Now he is back with a girlfriend who is pink. Maybe Redmund is actually the girl. Regardless, not the brightest bird on the block!

sweet Beppe was at a family thing we had a few weeks ago, it appears she was having a great time :)






This is funny to me b/c Ashleigh put this net thing that came on some pears on her head to be funny...but then forgot she was wearing it. half an hour later she wondered why Kev kept taking pictures of her. She is a huge help to me in the kitchen these days, she likes to springclean things for me. :) How adorable!
She is also increasingly confident playing soccer, a lot more fun to watch than last year. :)


clearly Jaden was due for a haircut.

sweet summer days. I don't want them to end!!

hope you're all enjoying your summer, too! :)

God bless!!