a photo-filled weekend

what a weekend we had. full full full. we started with apple pie. which is always a good start, i'd say.





and then on sunday, we were here:



the Biltmore. some friends got free tickets that they shared with us. we've lived down here for 7 years now and haven't gotten to go to this huge landmark. it was such a good time.







i think the views from the house were as beautiful as the house itself. i can't imagine people living there and seeing what they saw every day out their windows. just breathtaking.







and the kids did very well. samuel's feet 'fell asleep' a few times, apparently, and he wanted to go home. he got some 'piggy bank' rides and survived. He is no long-distance runner. my little guy.







jason got the camera away from me a few times so there are actually a few pictures of me. how nice. i need to relinquish control more often.





the gardens were exquisite and the stuff God makes just blows me away.





we really had fun exploring. i could imagine myself arriving at the house for some kind of Great Gatsby party. Just walking around the grounds made me feel under dressed. it was a great afternoon.





and then we needed dinner. and we got to go to our favorite Asheville spot: Early Girl Eatery.





oh the deliciousness. i just love it there. we talked about our homes and each took a crayon to draw out a little diagram on the brown paper table cloth of the plans we have for the future. the kids played with buckets of toys. fried green tomatoes and a bratwurst sandwich. just so yummy.



we closed the day at Kilwin's.





we got 3 handmade caramels, a ballooon for each kid. and we called it a day.


oh and some chocolate icecream that she somehow splattered Pollock-style on her face.



it was a day filled with new things, fresh green-meadow air, old friends, just a little tiny bit of child insanity. but ended so sweetly. i hope your weekend was a good one-- again filled with all of His gifts. He knows just what we need. happy monday, gang.

Spirit growth

my heart has been filled with baby Ruby this week. and all the things the Lord has been teaching me through this teeny little life. I posted earlier about the rough start she has had. God has been caring for her so well and answering so many prayers. She gets better every day it seems.

and the Spirit has just pulled my heart right up close to this little family and I have found that I can't stop praying for them. and what a blessing that has been. i've cried at my computer so many times this week thinking of the pain, fear and frustration they have been experiencing. and i've shouted praise to the Father when she's made leaps of improvement. only God can do that. both the healing, and the knitting of hearts. His Spirit so powerfully and mysteriously moves in us. and the result is just amazing.

so many around me have been taught by this experience. i know i'm not the only one. but He has not only shown me His might and His tender care, but also how wonderful His body is. How powerful His Spirit is. He propels us to act or speak right when something is needed. He provides. I have been taught about the beauty of prayer-- the joy in bearing burdens with my family. I have seen Him make His name great this week. I've praised Him more this week than in my uneventful, small and relatively easy past weeks.

and again i'm grateful. grateful that He teaches me. He grows me. He who promised IS faithful.

i know some of you who read this have walked this road as well this week. i'd love to hear what He has taught you through it. Thank you to all of you for praying for this sweet little life.

joy

last night, samuel and his daddy went for a little explore to try out his new compass.



so the girl made a bee-line for the hammock.



one-on-one time with babies is so special. and as we swung and cuddled and she said her brand new little 'weee' i was full of joy. just plain full.



she hung out over the edge trying to grab a leaf or two from the honeysuckle vine growing on the fence. and i could see myself as a small girl always reaching as far as I could out of the boat to grab reeds as we puttered on by. and she handed me her conquests with such pride.

these little ones are such reminders of what still lives deep in our hearts. underneath the frustration, the laundry, the anger, the disappointment- in days, hours and in my life. under all that is this child-joy. this simple laughter of playing and delighting in what's before me. so thankful for these little ones and the way He reminds me of so much when i really look at them.





a sweet friend is taking the kids apple picking this morning. so, under the soft cloud cover, i will drink coffee and sew sew sew.

His gifts. they are simply everywhere.

progress

progress is being made over here. it's exciting. i got a giant box of pillow forms, and they are slowing being covered, completed and shoved back into the box.





these cases i've worked on and stashed away for awhile now look so much better as actual pillows! life has been breathed into them.

i'm still working on headbands. trying to get these just right. i took a picture of myself in one, but... well... yeah.



i think i really will try to do a quick tutorial one of these days on these. they are so easy and fun. I made one yesterday that i thought was way too cute. so i kept it for myself. okay i made two.

but i still have some scatterings of fabric everywhere.



trying to make little piles and trying to organize into new projects. but my supply of beautiful fabric is running a low. and i'm at a bit of a stand still in figuring out how to work it into new pieces of beauty. but i think this is also the fun part. creating under constraints can really be such a fun puzzle.

_________________________________

my heart has been heavy this weekend as we've had friends dealing with a beautiful new baby who is now in the NICU with breathing problems. we've been praying and praying some more for sweet baby ruby. and for her parents. that the peace of God would rule their hearts and minds. and as i stood briefly alongside this new mommy i was reminded of how awesome our God is. He is holy. beyond my concept of holy. and He wants us to come to Him with all that we have. our anger, sorrow and grief as well as our joy and gratitude. so thankful that we have a High Priest Who sympathizes with us. Praying for this young little family.



blessings on your days, friends. may each of us run to His throne with whatever we've got. Knowing He receives us there with grace, love and patience.

birthdays and such

we had a wonderful birthday. he was so excited to be 4. i'd forgotten that childhood feeling of accomplishment, "i'm older today. i made it." we sang and he blew out his little candle. he requested vanilla cake with lemon frosting. what a miniature adult i have.



we had some friends over and tromped in our tiny little spring.









when jason got home we went to a park and my little boy discovered the joy of climbing on rocks. he's not the bravest of the bunch, but he's getting more and more willing to take the risk. it was so fun to climb rocks with him.





and then we found the sand volley ball court. oh the danger.





bath time when we got home. and samuel got to open his presents. he'd asked for three things: bird feeder, bird bath and bird food. so we hung up the bird bath in the last light of the day. he was so happy and content.

sweet boy.

time passing

today is my first born's fourth birthday. he awoke this morning, immediately stating, "I'm four." and then standing on his bed to show us how much he'd grown overnight.

and i will soon post pictures of all the joy and fun that was had today-- what a sweet celebration. but tonight i'm sitting with my mint tea, remembering the voluntary hugs i got this morning. and i can't believe it. 4.

the passage of time is hitting me hard tonight. and i tend toward the dramatic- turning everything into an excuse for cosmic reaching, eternal scope... tears. and i have been seeing my son as a high school graduate all day. the grooves in his heart & character i'm trying to create now will then be as good as they will ever get. and he'll leave. off to do what God has willed for his life. and my contributions will slow and cease. and the time will continue till He brings me to Himself. (i told you. dramatic.)

and i sit contemplative. grateful. that He has numbered my days and will grant me the peace i require to face them all. each one. and He is the only place, then, left to run when my drama overwhelms and i see the brief brief time i get with these precious remarkable souls.

i will run.

some flashback photos. a little 2 year old.