Looking forward

It's almost that time of year again (No not talking about Autumn...tho I am anxiously awaiting its arrival as well) Vacation time!

Every August-well at least in the last 6 years-we go to Priest Lake as a family! The first year I went mg took me and proposed to me. And every year we return with our family in tow and meet mg's family there.

It was their family tradition long before it was ours. Mg's mom grew up going to Priest Lake in the summers Her parents had a place there...and then she raised her kids going there every summer as well. So we are just keeping the tradition alive.

We stay on the lake in a sweet little cabin and play all day in the water and the sand. We hike sometimes and we take the canoe out. Owen lives for paddle boating and throwing things in the water for us to fetch. We eat meals together and basically just relax and play with our kids for an entire week. It's pretty great.

I'm looking forward to it.

Though my house is in a wreck and I haven't started a list of what to pack...I know I need to go shopping and do laundry. I am just getting over a cold so I'm kind of week and exhausted. I feel a little disheartened by all that lies between me and that lake... Uhg. I guess I better start moving forward instead of just looking.





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Zucchini Bread

We have made 6 loves of gluten free dairy free zucchini bread this week.

I am going to freeze the loaves we made today. They are chocolate with chocolate chips.



We all really love this recipe...
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-bread.html?m=1

Even our lodger Mr. Brown likes it.

Oh yes, you heard me right. We have taken a lodger. He lives in our basement cell and pays us rent in baby sitting. It's a sweet gig for everyone. Mr Brown's name is Michael... so naturally we don't call him that...(it would be too confusing...because that's mg's name too...and I call mg Michael to his face).

So Mr Brown may just stay a little while or he may be here a bit longer than that...who knows? We like him...and he likes our kids and our zucchini bread.


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Grateful hearts

My sister and I started this blog a while back called grateful hearts(I think you can find it in the profile section on this blog under "my blogs") Anyway we started it because we always ask each other around the dinner table "what are three things you are grateful for?" (I think mg started that tradition in our house) but Lindy(seester) and I thought it would be amazing to do it more often. So we started the blog and we did it for a while then we both fizzled out. It's hard to keep it up. Some days I felt like I was scraping the inside of my skull for anything to be than full for knowing full well I live a very privileged life. It was a gross feeling. Knowing I was an ingrate.



I just recently read the book "One thousand gifts" by Ann Vosskamp. It changed me. As I started reading it I started blogging at grateful hearts again. I have a renewed spirit...the way she said that she listed things she loved completely blew it opened for me! I knew all of a sudden i could find gifts from God too...my whole heart changed because of giving thanks...naming Gods gifts to me... Finding joy in bringing Him glory.



It's been a rough month. Migraines have been abounding. One of my children's teeth almost got knocked out and the other one almost drowned at swim camp. My grandfather died and I traveled across the country and back alone.

It has also been one of the most interesting months... I've seen a new depth to Gods mercy...I have been lavished with grace.
I have learned to trust in new ways. I have been surprised by Gods abundant love and compassion for me... I have learned how extravagantly I am loved. It's crazy.

My heart is grateful. I am different. And I'm glad.




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Home

I'm home. Today wasn't the sweetest easiest day ever...Henry fell off the changing table and Owen and I danced to find our rhythm with obedience and grace again. But it was a joyous day indeed.

I cleaned my house. Wiped counter tops and faces. Picked up toys and bought diapers. I drove the car with the back ground noise of my children singing and laughing... It was basically amazing.



I missed my boys so much while I was gone. I missed this sweet life I live.



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On the east side

I made it to my family in Pennsylvania. I had an interesting week filled with new experiences and old family.



I stayed with my cousin Mike and his wonderful wife Lindsay.



That's Lindsay with my Dad.

Mike and Linds live In a beautiful 1930's farm house in the country


We've been through a lot together this week. But we have enjoyed bonding and reminiscing and laughing while we grieve for the loss of our amazing grandfather.



I will be sad to say good bye to them tomorrow... But I'm so excited to return home to my loving family!

It's been a long week away from my sweet house full of boys!


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I'm almost there!

I'm sitting at port authority in the heart and soul of NYC and its a pretty amazing bus terminal...the shops and restaurants are nice!

Right now I'm just so Amazed right now that I have made it through this entire journey on my own!



It started at PDX and I then flew to Phoenix. Then I got on yet another flight to JFK...then I scrambled to find my luggage and the shuttle...(which were not easy tasks but by the grace of God they were fast tasks.)the shuttle drove me into the city and here I looked high and low through two buildings for my bus...

Now I'm sitting here after finding the right bus connection out of hundreds... Now I just ride this bus and I will be there. With family and not responsible for my own travel again for 5 days! Yay!

The Lord is good to me.
Here's a running list,


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Is toilet water really that dirty?

I am sitting at the portland international airport...and I am afraid. I am really struggling to get a grip. I've been scared ever since Sunday when my grandpa Frenchko died and I knew I would journey out to Pennsylvania alone to attend his funeral services.

I have always been mind numbingly afraid of being seperated from my family... It doesn't happen very often so I don't recognize it for what it is very often either...bondage.

I'm in bondage to my fear. I have been up the last two nights too nervous to sleep and too sick to eat the last two days... It's definitely bondage.

What does Beth Moore say? "anything that is keeping you from experiencing the abundant life God has planned for you is bondage"!

Well I'm sad to admit what I fear...but I will because I think keeping it a secret is part of the enemies plan for keeping me terrified. I fear with ever fiber of my being that I will die while I'm gone and never see my family again...never see their sweet faces. Again.





Or that...even worse...they all will die and I will have to live with out them. Crap. It's stupid. I mean it would be sad for either part to loose either party but for me to worry when Jesus clearly tells me not too-not going to site the exact verse but it's something about not doing it and lilies-sheesh.

Mg made me a folder full of essential info for my trip among the flight schedules and what not are two heavy packets of bible verses. One titled for when your afraid. And the other, for when you think about death.

Be still my heart I love that man!!!

I basically have realized that I can and WILL trust in my good God because he has not ever let me down. And that even if he takes me home right this moment...I bet that his face...will be even sweeter than this one. I can breath again thinking about that.


Oh and the toilet water! As I was crying in a bathroom stall after the boys dropped me off (because I already missed them SO much)I finished using the bathroom flushed and then the sweater I brought-the only one i brought because it's hot and muggy like a big bowl of chili back east-the sleeve of it dropped right it to that toilet(I may have said a bad word...loud...maybe). I am just going to wear it in the cold plane anyway. I can shower later.

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