Music Play

***Note to anyone who comes by here to listen to the music ...You will now have to scroll down to the player on the right side and press play yourself. This is to accommodate those who only come to read and are distracted by the music;}

Monday, March 29, 2010

"I See a Generation"

"Hosanna" (the song whose lyrics are below) is the 2nd on my Playlist. As I edit pictures I often have my playlist on and when I was editing the above photograph and the remaining set the verse in bold below was playing. I cannot quite adequately describe the moment, but it was special. My heart was melting and praying that these would be the generation I see.
Maybe if you play the song while looking at this picture or of your own loved little ones, you will have the same beautiful, heart-filling, prayer...

I see the King of Glory

Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes

I see His love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest
Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith

With selfless faith

I see a near revival

Stirring as we pray and seek

We're on our knees

We're on our knees


[Chorus]

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdom's cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

[Chorus x2]

Hosanna in the highest

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Spontaneous Picnic in Black and White

Putting these in Black and White seems to make this carefree picnic TIMELESS:)




Spontaneous Picnic in Color

Amidst the beautiful weather here, the kids and I had 2 picnics down by the lake a couple of blocks up from our neighborhood. Unfortunately, for the first I didn't have my camera...but for the second, I had Jared bring it as he was able to join us being able to come home for lunch that day!

Of course the ever-elusive duckies when we try to feed them came right up to us the day WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING!...oh well...


Little Abby
too funny...Jared is smelling JJ's bottom to see if he has a "stinky"playing football

we decided they'd probably do better in a couple of years, but you can see Abby and JJ are really trying!

Everybody loves Susie:)
These next three just melt my heart...

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Student Videos

Here's the Link to some videos we shared at our Fellowship Dessert at the end of February.

It is a yearly fundraiser for the ministry all across Orlando. I hope you enjoy!

Susie Talking...she has lots to say...

...just like her mama:)
(you'll have to excuse the Thomas video in the background..."Thomas & friends" didn't know we were trying to video Susie, so they kept right on talking! THE NERVE!)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Vintage JJ...

I didn't catch the running back to his room (well) which we call "can't catch you", but that's what's happening in the beginning and at the very end is "can't see it" which is what INSTANTLY happens whenever we pull out the camera and he won't pose for a picture...it is really quite frustrating because he wants to see himself in the camera, but can't or it's with his hand up to get the camera (is this normal with digital cameras?) and why you don't see more of JJ on this blog right now...


Mama and Dada with Baby Girl

Anything with Daddy is great by Susie...here she is watching "March Madness"...so between her Daddy's love for sports and her MorMor (Susanne, who she is named for) there is no chance Susie will escape "lovin' sports!"
GO WILDCATS! (OOPS!) GO ORANGEMEN AND MOUNTAINEERS AND "BIG RED!" I DARE TO EVEN SAY Go GAELS! (fyi: from St. Mary's who beat 'Nova)

I just CAN'T hug her enough and she's already over 6 months!
Can somebody please tell me how you can 'just let your kids grow up!!'? It's tearing me up inside...




Sweet Susie at and around 6 MONTHS!

She's still so sweet, BUT oh my! is she active...not crawling, but rolling and moving ALL around her crib, but I LOVE how she's still a cuddler. She'll let you snuggle with her close to your chest and just look around at everything while hugging you...honestly so precious!

We think she looks "different" when she smiles...I think more like Jared:)

Is this the plumpest ladybug you've seen or what?


"Look Mom! I can hold my feet even WITH my chubs!"
You are catching her in her habit of sucking her lips...either bottom or top...it's so cute (of course! what else could she be??!!)
"Hey! what do you think of my 'sitting'? Am I doing a good job?"
Chillin' with 'Praise Baby'--Definitely the current favorite!


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

So many things...St. Patty's Day--HAPPY! HAPPY!

Not really any pics, but there are lots of reflections that come to me in the middle of the day and I'm going to have some thoughtful posts WITH some cute pics and/or videos to keep you reading and looking:)

Missing all of you "northeners" so much!!

So excited that my sis and niece(who just turned 16!!?? what!!???) are coming for Easter:)

Also, so excited that Jared's parents are coming in May and we will have Susie's dedication:) and it will be Mother's Day (I was excited because Jared's mom will be here and we've missed being away from her on Mother's Day, but JUST thought also how sweet that TOO our Susie named for my mom will be dedicated that day...wow! how special...)

Also, God performed a miracle in my sister-in-law's mom in Venezuela who was near death but has been able to have a life-saving operation...and is doing well after! wow!

Also, our dear friends/neighbors here have OFFICIALLY adopted their 3rd child--Little JJ!

And finally, my niece and nephew turned 2 today!

More soon!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

"The Time of My Life"

If JJ knew this expression he would ABSOLUTELY have used it to describe his experience at his good friend Shelby's ("sell-bee!" to him) birthday party. It was the second year he was invited to her b-day party and it was held at a place called "Sliderz" (like last year) BUT this year he was able to enjoy EVERYTHING about it! I have never seen him enjoy something so deeply and completely! I went over during the party and hugged Shelby's mama, Carrie (my good friend) and thanked her for doing this for Shelby's party and giving my son such an amazing experience!

Top Left: Carrie, benefactress of said "amazing experience", holding Susie who she's nicknamed "marshie" for marshmallow:)
Top center: Shelby--the reason to have a party and she was an AMAZING hostess!
Top right: Ella enjoying the cake as you will see JJ doing later!

As you can see from this picture, Susie enjoyed Sliderz too, although she didn't slide but was bounced on the side of the slide, and most fun for her, was held almost the whole time!
bottom right: you can see I had fun too!
(top center is our pastor, Matt, from Chambersburg, PA. We think he's great!)
JUMP! one of JJ's most favorite things...Jared and I both got a great workout climbing up the slides with JJ. This one Jared must have done with JJ 25 times at least and I did about 10 times and they were IN A ROW...seriously, a HUGE workout!
Again, you can see Jared and I having a great time below coming down the BIG SLIDE! This was amazing because after JJ went down with Jared the first time, he raced to go down it himself...there are adults who were afraid to go down! As you can see in the bottom pictures it's quite a workout to go down...I think I did it 3 times? JJ would have done it constantly and tried to go right back up after he came down which, of course, wasn't safe! He didn't want to wait, but had to since they only let one go up a time in case you fall down when you're climbing up so there is no collision...
The funniest part of the whole day came for me when I came down the first time and JJ peeked over the edge of where I landed, laughing and saying, "is-at fun?" (is that fun) which is what I always say to him about something we are doing together. He's been saying it more and it was just the funniest thing to have this little joke with him at the bottom of the slide!
As you can see, he also enjoyed the "after-party" of pizza and cake too! He earned all of those calories--believe me!

Sweet Susie

I can just hear your "oo's" and "aahh's"...though *slightly* biased I quite agree:)"I want to be UP everybody..."
"Do you think I can be the first A. grandchild to get this ducky out??"
Mom and Dad A...hope it makes you feel like a bit of you is here with us to see Susie in the exer-saucer all of the grandbabies have enjoyed:)


Mutual Admiration




Thursday, March 4, 2010

What Mamas Do...


Make extraordinarily crazy noises that their baby (and son) did laugh for, just NOT while filming:)...


Kiss their baby's cheeks...
Squish the living "bajibbies" out of their chubby cuties...

Hang out and have a life of leisure with a 2 and 1/2 year-old and 5 and 1/2 month old:)


Udja-Budja

This is what I get to look at every day and just "gush" over...seriously does it get any better than this??
(Hey Kristen or sisters, do you see a deviated lip?)

Proud papa:)



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