Gonna miss...

this and

this and

this and

this and

this and

maybe these



but definatly not this!

Don't worry girls, only three sleeps and we will be home to see you! You are in good hands with those whom you love and love you! We will see you soon! xoxo mom and dad

S.h.e.e.r Dee-light!

There is nothing better than actually capturing non posed sheer delight! Those are the photos that you will actually cherish long after the nicely framed ones have made it to your walls. The natural laughter so captivating that you can hear it!

When things get quiet...worry!

Look what Grace can do to Kendell!!!! It's a good thing we can't find any scissors in our house...or maybe she has stashed them! :)

Wordless Wednesday

Don't blink

Moving from worry to motion

I have to admit...I am a dreamer.

I dream about what things will be like, look like, feel like, smell like...

So when I imagine us in a house that honestly...would be a dream house for us, I can't help but imagine my life within those walls.

But today I feel different.

I have been praying for God's peace regardless of the outcome because he says that he will take care of our needs. He says so. So, if I really am who I say I am, then I need to rest in that. And model that for my children while reminding them that mommy is SO not perfect and worries about things that God has under control.

So when I was confronted with a John verse(sorry...I am not great with references) yesterday, it hit me like a ton of bricks..."I have come that you may have life and that you may have it to the full" and a question popped into my head. So...if he says that he will supply our needs and that he came to give us life to the full...what does that mean for things that we WANT! And...why do I feel selfish for wanting a big house for our children. Is that selfish? Do we have to live like mouses as Christians?

For those who have gone before us...

buying a house. I would love to hear that you made it through with no stress...but I am guessing that if you are human, there was at least a little stress!

I am walking a line between being secure in God's provision for our lives and being petrified of this process. One side is calm...one side is anxiety driven! I am not kidding...PETRIFIED!

It would help to know that we had an unlimited amount of time in the house that we are in now...but that isn't the case. Our landlord is going to let our house go into forcloseure.(sp?) because to put it nicely...he is an alcholic whose wife has left him and has basically lost just about everything. It is a hard situation. I am trying to not be angry about it. We have been loyal to our landlord. We have never been late on a rent check and to find out that he has decided to "drink" our money is sad. His life hangs in the balance and although I am pretty angry at the situation, I pray that he will seek God for a greater direction in his life.

So...we ask for prayer. I know that buying a house isn't really a catastrophic problem. It doesn't even rank when it comes to the blessings that we have in our life. Our children are healthy, we both have jobs, we are striving to improve our marriage on a daily basis and we have God at the center of our lives and of our home. So...where is he going to be the center? We pray that it is the house that we are interested in. We pray that the plan includes the house that we think would be perfect for our family.

And we rest in the fact that he has said that he has a plan and it is for good. Not to harm.

Summers Past and Present

2007- May


2008- 4th of July


2009- July 3rd

Garden Update July 5th

Here are a few updated photos from our garden. I am thrilled with the growth and have already enjoyed our lettuce greens many times! If you don't plant lettuce...you should! It replenishes over and over and is very easy to grow. Plus you can pretty much layer the plants really tight together and they still thrive. I don't think that I will grow cucumbers next year. There is somthing eating the leaves and it is rather frustrating...and the dill that I was hoping would grow...like a weed has also been eaten. Grrrrrrrr.... oh well. I can't complain b/c there are so many wonderful things growing!

My very first snap pea of the season...I am hoping for MANY more!




Beets, Salad greens, and the vine is a pumpkin plant


Our herbs have grown!




Zuchinni, and the pumpkins are running over the side and into the yard.



The tomatoes have taken over this area!

What's done is done! Happy July 1st!

Our Uppercase Living "year" is officially over! I earned cruise which is the companies highest honor and don't know yet if I am within the top 5 who get the upgrade yet. We will see.

Today starts a new year! I am SO excited to have a new catalog coming out in a few short weeks and can't wait to start getting my display items purchased so I can change out my "box".

I am also SO excited to go to Anaheim in a few weeks. Sean and I will be heading out the last week in July so that I can go to UL convention and he can hit the beaches! I get the opportunity to go to a leadership dinner inside Disney and bring Sean to the awards evening. There is training, projects, and awards to be had and I am SO excited!

So...I will be starting a new ticker for this year. I don't even know where the cruise will be in 2011 but I will be earning it!!!! The challenge is to earn it PRIOR to my earn date this year of May 27th. That will be tricky but...not un-manageable!