If You Don't Know My Husband...

...Here's a Really Good Picture of Him:)
Not only does he look very cute:),
but he decided that he would have a little lesson with the kids about the real meaning of Easter...
so admirable and they look very interested...

well, all except his son, that is;)

and they all did well...

...for a little while...

...well, through much repetition of such moments
JJ has since loved to say "Yeah! Risen!"
so I think he understands the real meaning of Easter...
"Good Job Daddy!"
this was "just a book"...

but it is another very good picture of my husband:)

Valentine's Day at Sea World

Jared and I spent a very SWEET:) afternoon of Valentine's Day going around to all of the things we haven't gotten to see with the kids. It really is an easy place to take kids, but it was fun to just be "us"...to look at the map and scope out places and wait in lines with no "inconvenience" or keeping kids entertained, just the joy of more "connect time" and conversations amongst adults. And not only adults--husband and wife:) And as I reflected later that night, I thought how dear, sweet and true it is that I am married to my best friend. That's not easy for a "twin" to say as we are so close, but she and I both know and embrace how our husbands truly ARE and ARE SUPPOSED TO BE our best friends.
(Jared...the following is a special message for you:)
Jared, there is truly no one else that I could picture journeying this life with--no better father or husband for me and to me. I love continuing to learn about you and have become more and more humbled at the great privilege of being chosen to walk alongside, support and encourage YOU. You know I have many moments of doubting myself and feeling like I "give so little and receive so much"...I will probably always feel that way because you are just that special...but I do promise to be open to the Lord to grow me more and more as your wife and the mother of our children and because of WHO HE IS am confident that "He will finish the good work He has begun in us", our marriage, our family...and because of that I look forward to all that the future holds:) I LOVE YOU!!!

This was a beautiful little garden on the way to the "shark encounter".

These were all taken from the Sky Tower which goes 300 ft. up and we can and will take the kids next time...it was a little bit of a wait, but not bad.
Come visit us and go to Sea World...you can ride "Kracken" see Shamu, ride "Manta" and so much more!

This was in "Wild Artic" and the top 2 pictures are of the Polar Bear who was sleeping. Jared read that they can get up to 9 and 1/2 feet when "standing" on their hind legs! Yikes! And they prey on seals:( (that shattered my fluffy white huggable image of them).
The bottom row are of the walrus...oh my! AMAZING! He was HUGE! and you can't really see too much, but in the bottom picture on the left was after he had just turned and shown us his face...it was magnificent...I really was amazed that such a beast is real and so BIG and, if he could speak, I'm sure he'd be funny and wise:)

These pictures are all from various points along the "Shark Encounter". There were some really neat tanks of quite exotic fish...certainly ones I hadn't seen. Then in the "shark tunnel" where you walk under and they are swimming all around (there's 50 kinds of sharks! but not huge like JAWS which I was scared to death would be) and "saw heads"...really amazing!
Listed outside was how this Sea World has the largest collection of "predator fish" (something like this) IN THE WORLD! I didn't know if I should be AMAZED or TERRIFIED!

The dolphins...these animals are the closest things to "talking Narnians" (from C.S. Lewis' chronicles) that we have, in my opinion. They are so friendly and beautiful and special. This area is amazing because you can go and put your hand on the water and they come right up (often)...

...in the one picture it looks like I am touching one of the dolphins...I didn't get to touch it, but oh so close...that's ok I WILL because we'll be back!

Happy Belated Birthday to Jared:)

Ok, so my whole blogging screen just "changed" and got really weird...well, I'll have to figure that out later...

We celebrated Jared's birthday at our last summer Bible Study with students this summer...it was definitely a great place to celebrate it as it's been special for us to host a great group of kids on Monday evenings this summer...

As you can see, Jared is having a hard time blowing out the candles...

And he still is...

Yep, you guessed it, they were the trick candles. I have NEVER used them, but they are what I had on hand...I guess at 32, my hubby is "losing a little wind"! HaHa never!


Jared's birthday was August 2nd and I was still recovering from our trip to Colorado and a stomach bug I got the day after we got back, so, that day was a complete wash for him:( I did make it up to him and cook his favorite meal (or one of them), Taco Pie! And then I made this ice cream cake with Mint Choc Chip ice cream and Jared says it may have become a new favorite! It's so easy, so that's great!

I love my husband so immensely and how he is just so "easy to please" and never makes me feel like I let him down, even though I feel that way. He really is the best and I couldn't imagine being married to a better man (seriously!)

I love you Jared!

Father's Day Tribute...

Jared Samuel, my beloved husband, I cannot even begin to say what it means to have you in my life, let alone to experience not only the sacrificial love you show me constantly, but how that fountain flows to our son. Yet I never feel second to him. I know that your love for me is second only to the love that you have for the Lord. Our children then follow.

You have one of the most tender hearts on the planet and yet your son absolutely recognizes your strength. Not only physically as you wrestle with him, carry him on your back, but also in who he can rely upon you to be. One of his first words was "ba-ble!" and that is because he sees his Daddy opening it daily and you demonstrate with your life how important it is to you to meditate upon this Word. He also has heard his Dada's voice in prayer so often...especially after we say the 23rd Psalm together before bed and you pray for his heart and soul to be the Lord's always.

It is so hard for me to imagine how, in your difficult times, you doubt how the Lord could love you because of where you are weak or fail. It is so hard to imagine because I see how naturally the love of the Abba Father flows to our son through you. He is far from perfect and has a (his mama's) temper, yet your patience is so constant and true. This isn't only what I trust to be true of you in these days, but I knew that you would meet the demands of fatherhood naturally. Yes, it has stretched and grown you experientially, but the capacity was so foundational to you that you flourished in the midst of it. JJ (and Susie) are among the most blessed children in the world to have you as their Daddy...I pray that they never take you for granted as their mama has all-too-often done.

Amidst all of this is the life-long calling we have embraced together to "walk alongside" the next generation. While in many cases you are a mentor, we both know that the void of true parenting, especially fathering, leaves a deep void in so many young people. I praise God that our son not only experiences a Dad who so faithfully walks alongside of him, but every young person that you touch also experiences this. Every young man who sees any bit of your life is blessed to experience someone counter-cultural, who LIVES extraordinarily and so strikingly different than the callous course of modern men. You are truly an amazing man who the Lord shines in and through and every life is blessed that comes into contact with you, most of all myself and then, close to that, our children.

My dear husband, today and every day I wish you JOY AND PEACE in Christ Jesus as you embrace who He has made you to be and continue to love Him in every area of your life. My deepest prayer is that the greatest gift of His unfailing love (Lamentations 3:22-23) nestles ever deeper in your heart especially through your daily joy of being such a father.

Happy Father's Day.

All my love,

Abigail

Father's Day '09 Montage

Since our church started to meet with another one, we have been going to the 9am service. Since I left teaching and have a husband who is able to (often) start work later, I really, really like to sleep in if I can. So, Father's Day morning was a little bleary-eyed with no "bells and whistles", but Jared did receive the gifts I had made for him and the card I'd made on Shutterfly (with the indispensable help of JJ's cuteness of course!). I fine dinner was to come later...

Here's "A DaDa" and JJ cuddling and looking at the album that I continued (more pictures below) which was first given last Father's Day.

Below are the gifts that I (we) gave Daddy. The top left are 3 photos that I framed of JJ and Jared. The one next to it is a close up of a shot I did in sepia of Jared and JJ overlooking Budapest! Jared didn't even remember it. I was able to crop out most of a light that had ruined part of the picture. (remember you can click on each collage to see them closer). The next framed one is of Jared and JJ when we met our friends at Daytona Beach. Those photos turned out so great because there was no one else at the beach so it looks like it is just Jared and JJ and the ocean.

All of the others are of the album. I took a picture of the opening page and then all of the pages that I did for this Father's Day. I didn't even get through half of what I have printed and cropped to do! I think I am going to finish with those and that will fill the album. I will probably go to digital after I am through with these because it will be easier and more "streamlined".



You can see in the collage above the page that says, "Father's Day '08". Jared and JJ dressed alike with green shirts and khaki's and so this year I thought they should do the same! Then I did another photo shoot with them in their matching outfits and bare feet...I think they turned out "so sweet!"

I love you MY BEAUTIFUL MEN! Especially on this Father's Day '09 Jared Samuel, I want you to know that you are the best Daddy for our children that I could ever imagine...I can't wait to see you with a daughter...your love is so real and tangible and I am blessed beyond what I can describe to have you as my husband, life mate and the father of our children.