One more baby girl!

What a wonderful week--2 nieces born! My sister, Mackenzie, and her husband, Brad, welcomed Annalise Cadence into the world on Monday morning. She was 6# 10 oz. and 19" long and has a pile of soft light brown hair. Pud had a midwife and gave birth at a birthing center called the "Birth Inn" in Wichita (yay! I had a midwife with both of my babies too!) and everything went just fine. I'm excited to visit and meet the little one...but not sure when I'll be able to make the treck with the summer calendar as crazy as it is. For now, pictures are up over on Jodi's blog if ya want to see Annalise. Congratulations Mackenzie & Brad! Now the real fun begins.

Dig It?

So Rustin tells me Sunday that he 'tagged' me on his blog. Whaaat?? I guess I'm not so "down" with blogging slang yet. Of course, now I feel famous since there is a link to my blog on one of super-blog-man's posts! Though suspiciously looking like a chain letter in disguise, I'll go for it...

5 Things I Dig about Jesus:

1. He's real. As in not phony.
2. When he returns there will be no hiding from him...I like to imagine him swooping down from heaven in the midst of huge thunderclouds & speeding across the sky with his arms outstretched. How AMAZING will that day be?!!
3. He's not afraid to walk away. JJones was the first person to call my attention to that...thanks!
4. Omnipresence. He has been since before creation of our world. Does he think: Been there, done that? Sometimes unfathomable.
5. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 He holds me, lifts me, always has me.

Here's the deal: I get taggged; link to the tagger (that'd be the Myth); list my 5 things; tag 5 more bloggers--but do I know 5 more bloggers that's haven't been tagged? Well, here are 4:

Jodine
Suzanne
Correnta
Bobbie

Scrapbooking Suggestions?

Seeing how much I am hooked on blogging...I think I may take a stab at digital scrapbooking-'cause let me tell ya...the real thing ain't happenin'! Have you ever tried it? Bought software and thought about trying it?

Seems iRemember is the only one available for Macs and looks like it's too basic for what I want (okay, looks really crappy). I'd rather not use just Photoshop, though I do have PS Elements on both my PC & Mac. Also saw stellar reviews for Creating Keepsakes software and Art Explosion Scrapbook Factory Deluxe---both PC based. Thing is that I keep all our pix on the Mac so would have to double up or something...not to mention I'd have to sit at the desk rather than on the couch with the PowerBook.
On the other hand, I could just keep blogging about my kids on Silly Rabbits and figure out how to print those out and mount them in a scrapbook! Two birds, one stone. I like that.

MAN-cation!

So is a 'MAN-cation' a vacation for my man, or a vacation from my man? Hmmmm....I'm going to say both! Mainly because I DID happen to mow the lawn again (well, most of it) & am playing solo-parent through a weekend--PLUS I got to enjoy probably one of the best evenings at home that I've had in a long time!

Last night we had our LifeGroup meeting which is always fun. Then after the munchkins were down, my dear friend, Molly, came over for a screening of Pride & Prejudice (seems we've both seen it too many times to count) and time to do our nails. Add in a fine bottle of Riesling and we had ourselves a dandy night!


My kids are now realizing that P&P is one of the only movies I watch given the opportunity to choose. And until last night and this morning's finish...I hadn't seen the A&E version from '95 in quite some time. So now I must muse and wonder which one I like better! Ah, the battle...I love Colin Firth's portrayal of Darcy, but Matthew Macfadyen certainly is more attractive to me...my heart goes a'flutter w/a few of his gazes--ahhh--and when he marches across the field to find Lizzy at dawn w/his jacket in the wind---swoon! As for Elizabeth, both Jennifer and Keira do her fine justice...maybe more passion in Keira's performance, but Jennifer is very believable. The energy in the new version is certainly more intense as they managed to cram the story into 2.5 hours, rather than the 6 it took before, but I really think they both capture the essence of the book in a grand way.

If I had to vote today, it would be for the new '06 version, believe it or not! Something about the intensity of the rain & music that speaks to the heart of their forming love throughout the show. Hmmm...maybe I should watch IT tonight and then re-think my stance. Ooooorr...just say I love them both and say THANK YOU Claire, for introducing me to the world of Jane Austen & YAAAAAYYY Molly, I really think we ARE kindred spirits! (You wouldn't happen to love Anne too? --that's Ann with an "e").

Auntie again!

My fourth niece was born in the early hours of this past Wednesday! Eric's brother, Travis & his wife, Kim are now the parents of two precious little girls. Zaritha is getting close to being 2 and the new arrival is named Lily May. Me and the kids went to visit them at the hospital and they were so proud to hold and rock baby Lily!



Kim kept laughing and saying things about "next time YOU'RE pregnant...". I just say don't hold your breath on that one! Our quiver is currently reading "full" on the meter!

Nick-knack-patty-whack

Sooooo.....Nicknames. I didn't particularly care for the nickname I had growing up. Pee-wee. Nice. Especially didn't care for it when Pee-Wee Herman came on the scene. Could have done without that one.

I have many names I've used to call kiddos over the years: the Lindsey girls were the "Chickadees", my younger siblings were the creative "Little Kids", babies in general were "bambinos", etc. etc. Enter my own cutie-patooties. Elena became "Lena", "Pumpkin", "Princess", "Ladybug", "Munchkin". But what has stuck? "Munch". MUNCH!!! What kind of horrid nickname is that???! Kai, same deal..."Copper", "Copper Top", "BOY", "Kai-boy". His sticker? "Boog", as in short for Booger. AAACK! What have I done??? Maybe it's not too late to undo this madness, but for now, I probably should go make sure Munch and Boog have finished their yogurt.

Nervous? Me?

Actually, and thankfully, not! God surely answered my prayers for a calm heart today as I set up my first official wedding cake! I've made wedding cakes before, just not for real weddings...class, "dummy cakes", anniversaries etc. So that makes this one a milestone in my cake life :) !

It's called a "Calla Lily Illusion" cake and the stems are supposed to look like they are coming up through the middle of the cake...I would do a couple things differently next time, but I won't give y'all details (the artist's eye is ALWAYS more critical...so I'm leaving well enough alone).

When I used the flash (see dorky picture I took of my cheesy self) the black flowers appeared purple-ish, and with no flash it's blurry, but oh well!

God's Hand

My heart is heavy and my mind is trying to sort through a lot of things. A couple months ago, I got back in touch with an old friend from college, Nate, through myspace. He was such a kind person…we had several classes together. Last night I nonchalantly went to see if he had new pictures up on his page as he and his wife, Maria, had a new baby boy in April. I was shocked to see that baby Chaz died May 8 after a head injury from a car accident. It makes me almost physically ill when I think about it and especially now, typing it out.

Even though it’s been years since we’ve had a friendship, I think any tragedy that strikes someone—close to us or not—is hard to understand. Especially when it’s a newborn or child. They are certainly grieving now, and looking for comfort from the Lord. Knowing they are believers is a comfort itself.

My dear friend who also lost a new baby says she thinks it was easier to get through that trial than some of the other ‘smaller’ trials of life. Maybe that’s part of the mystery of knowing Christ. It’s like the BIG things that strike us…oh, we for SURE know that God’s hand will comfort and guide us and pick us up to live life again…and we are more patient. But the little things that are hard to figure out…maybe a financial crisis or a child who seems out of control…sometimes it’s hard to see where God is pointing. I've yet to go through a really life-shaking trial so I don't know. What I do know, is that there is certainly a reason for each moment of life, I just wish each moment was easier to understand.

Our lives all have meaning and purpose…what baby Chaz’s was in his brief life will be completely known once we meet our Savior. I’m sure part of it was to bring joy to their family…joy of a new life, making their other son a brother for the first time, and all the other joyful experiences that are a part of having a new baby. From the online journal they have up about him, it looks like one or two other children received his heart valves via transplant. So even in death, he also brought life renewed to other families!

Anyway, after a night of fitful sleep and strange dreams, I’ll continue to pray for their family…for peace, comfort, understanding and sometime soon, joy. Please take a moment to pray for them too.

Song of My Heart

My friend Suzanne is a prolific blogger and I always find some kind of goodie in her recent posts--not to mention enjoying the pix of her sweet boy twins! She posted the lyrics to this song on the anniversary of her salvation:

"O Great God" Based on The Valley of Vision prayer “Regeneration”

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me
Words and Music by Bob Kauflin
2006 Sovereign Grace Music