Beauty

Yesterday we had the blessing of seeing two delightful young people join their lives together in marriage.

Such a simple and beautiful wedding...

Several hundred people joined them in starting their lives together.

Anna's father had died a year and a half ago, but her brothers delivered her safely to the arms of her husband.

Anna and JT saved their first kiss for the altar. I love that.

It was a beautiful, beautiful day.

For more photos please head over to the web album:

So Sleepy...

It's a tough job, getting packed all over the sights of Kentucky...

 

But someone has to do it!

Count 'Em...

10 children. All in the same photo. No one's crying, no one's shoving... they all look nice.

 

I can go to bed happy.

And While I am at it...

Since I am all about truth in advertising... I must tell you this story.

Earlier in the month, I had out of town company. We were all sitting in the living room, enjoying the visit, while the children were running in the sprinkler outside. Then one of the older girls went running through the room saying, "Don't mind me... I'm just getting the soap and shampoo."

And in a matter of seconds, one of my deep dark large family mom secret is out. If I have kids running in the sprinkler and we would be having baths that day anyway... I send out the soap and shampoo and they just wash up out there. At least the parts outside their bathing suits. ***

Embarrassing but true. I got a few strange looks that day (and I deserved every one of them...).

So here is my question. Am I the only one in the hemisphere who does this? Is it totally weird or a great idea? Do you wish you had thought of it? Leave a comment and take the poll that is on the sidebar. I'd love to hear what you think?

Genius in the Form of a Homeschool Mom or Just Too Lazy for Words? You decide.


*** No children are hurt while bathing in this form. All children do receive other, more traditional baths in a bathtub, at other times in the week. Just wanted to be sure no one got up in arms about this form of showering once in a while.

WSS

About a million years ago, it seems, although it has only been 20 in reality, I was a college age student spending my summers at a Christian retreat center in Manns Choice, Pennsylvania.

There was a group of us who were there every summer, and others who came in and out for a summer or two.

We were an incredibly close group of young people. Our time bonded us, even though many of us lost touch throughout the years.

A year or two ago, I joined Facebook. In the ensuing few months I re-connected with many of these people! It has been so amazing to see the different roads God has led us down, yet still so many of us are serving Him wholeheartedly!

(This photo above is of the springhouse, where 22 years ago I dedicated myself to live as a servant of God no matter where He called me, or what He called me to do. I could not have imagined I would be called to raise 10 children in the hills of Kentucky!)

Last month we decided to try to meet up at the old hotel again. Just for kicks. And it was such an incredible thing... to see my children playing where I used to play. To have a child I did not know walk by and smile, and suddenly KNOW who that child belonged to.

In our little group there are pastors, missionaries, military families, and moms and dads who have traveled all over the world, shining the light of Christ as they went.

God has blessed me greatly to have these friendships. I treasure them greatly.

(This last photo is a group photo of all of us and our families. The power of time invested in a small group of people, when mulitplied... from that original group of 15 or so are now over 100 followers of Christ. That is how evangelism and discipleship work.)

More, Please?

1000 Words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in my life, just be glad you don't actually hear them. See this photo above? It looks so peaceful. So together. Like a quiet spot- go ahead... pull up a rocking chair. And many times it IS a wonderful, peaceful place to rock.

However- at that moment... Nope. At that moment there was much weeping. The kids were crying loud enough for Eric to call from our room's window and ask if I needed help. (Forget stopping to smell the roses... I just want to photograph them!)

See... that is the way that blogs are. You see only the peace and quiet. You cannot hear the fact that as I am writing Bethany is chasing a kitten. You don't see that Sam is climbing the table. All you see is the peaceful old hotel's porch... quiet and serene and assume that is my life.

The decibels of my life are high. The stress meter pegs often. But if I write about those things, it is only after they are done... after I have some perspective. After I can laugh at the chaos which is my life.

No one has it all together. I have many friends who maybe would appear by the parts we see to have it all together. And sometimes I am tempted to envy them. Until I remember that we ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God.

And I remember that the parts I envy from thier lives are just the parts that they do well, but that I do not do so well. I have things I do well that they do not. It is reciprocal. Because none of us have it ALL together.

Just wanted to let you know in case you are tempted to think that I have it all figured out. I'll be glad to get you in touch with someone knowing me in real life who can let you know that I do NOT have it all correct. :) In fact, you would not believe the number of stories I don't tell you because they would embarrass someone in my family. I am more than happy to embarrass myself, but try hard not to embarrass others. :)

So there. Now I feel better. And while you are at it... just go back to the top and enjoy the peace of the photo. Because you cannot hear the crying the way I do. Thank goodness for the silence of photos.