To our mamas!
We are so thankful for you both.
Hugs and kisses.
Music by:
Ingrid Michaelson
Jack Johnson
Elizabeth Mitchell
Today my toes are cold and has left me dreaming of summer. In January of this year we had an opportunity to go to California for three beautiful days. Michael got to preform his first wedding and I got to experience a place that was eighty degrees in January! It was really wonderful and warm. These pictures are helping with the lack of warmth today.
Chael in moments of joy will say, “mom let’s just soak up.” He learned this phrase I am sure from Michael and me as we encourage him to sit in the sunshine and soak up the rays. Living in the Northwest leaves a person very deprived of sunshine and we really, really take advantage of it when it does shine. But Chael has taken the phrase to another meaning reminding me in dimly lit thrift stores to just soak up. On a rainy day as we play together his little phrase will come out so sweetly, “soak up mom.” How often I forget to soak up the moments given to me. This past Monday we spent the afternoon in our neighborhood park just soaking up, each other, the sun, and the evidences of grace given to us.
As a child I remember singing the song, “Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree,” in Sunday school. I don’t know why we sang that song in Sunday school but we did. The confusion would always take over and my mind would work at trying to figure out how a tree would produce popcorn. My family had a weekly tradition of making a giant bowl of popcorn and watching a movie together, so I knew how real popcorn was made and the thought of buttery salty popcorn on trees just didn’t add up. It took years until I made the connection. I was beyond singing that song, but when the realization was made my laughter of this phenomenon began.
I love the lightness that spring brings and the hopefulness of the season that things are changing for the better. We are about to celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The hope He brings is one that never leaves, and doesn’t bring confusion. His message was clear, and I can’t help but think of Him as the trees begin to produce the beauty of popcorn upon their branches.
I have been working on this new site now for approximately three months. The learning curve to create a website with WordPress has been harder than expected. I have had some very long nights trying to figure out how to customize a theme to my liking and learning out how all the functions and code work within wordpress. There are many reasons people go to school to learn all this stuff!!! I did learn a few things out about myself on top of just the technical side of things, I am a perfectionist, I fear what people will think, I have a quick temper, and I give up very easily. It is amazing that I have gotten anything done at all… I am sure I gave up about 20 times, lost my temper about 1000 times, but that incessant perfectionism kept bringing me back. Today I have decided that even though it is far from perfect, I am launching it. If I allow myself to continue to stew over the imperfections my fear will just continue to grow. Fear is such an ugly friend and one I hope to disassociate from soon. Proverbs 25:29 says, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” This is a very good word, and one that I am daily reminding myself.
He was so happy to be in the stroller. Honest.
These images of my friend Sarah were taken this fall. It was a beautiful day strolling around our town snapping images as we went.
His thighs are quite amazing.