Ocean City, NJ

Can you have a Summer without at least ONE trip to the beach.....I think not! I was brave/stupid/crazy/desperate enough to drive to Ocean City, NJ this past July for the day....

THE.

DAY.

If I had to do it again, I would at least spend the night and have another day there. Our Pastors daughters came along so the ratio for caregiver to child was 1:1 ~ this was good.

I love these girls....and so do my boys!

Their Grandparents LIVE at the beach so we had a "home base" ~ this was also good. We headed out bright and early and after 3 1/2 hours on the road, (mesmerized by the faithful heaven sent portable DVD player) we arrived safely.....we went right to the beach with all our gear. Their Grandpa helped carry all our stuff and I nicknamed him our "Cabana Boy!" We spent the day playing in the waves, lying in the sand, eating watermelon with two forks and red Italian Sand...um, I mean Ice and getting some sun on our backs. Luke took a nap on the beach blanket, bless his heart...while Tyler played and played! Paisley sat in her seat and got sand in her cracks....leg and arm cracks that is!

After our day on the beach we went back to our "home base." We took naps and enjoyed the air conditioning and love of the quintessential Grandpa and Grandma! I want to be like that when I grow up....welcoming strangers into my home and feeding them!! Here's Tyler totally doing a little impromptu model pose...he thought he looked so handsome. "Let me look in the mirror and see how handsome I am!" HA!!!!

Can a picture get sweeter? Precious girl in the forefront and Kohr's ice cream in the background!

and then the rides....such DELIGHT!

some poses in polos on the dunes...gotta have some of them.

Tyler age 4
Luke age 2

Luke is cracking me up! I love his "cheese" smile!

Do I look tired or what? I was exahusted and thinking about the 3 1/2 hours ahead of me.
It took me a few days to recover from my "day trip", but I would do it all over again.
I can always capture my sleep, but not the Summer of '09.

"Let's get up early now,
dive clear into the day.
Let's get out of the car with open arms..."
~Innocence Mission~

favorite sunglasses

Jake thinks he looks like Urkel, remember him?....

I think he looks like Kanye West.

Luke likes them,
so they stay....

Paisley eats

My little girl is 5 months old! FIVE! Right about now is when I start giving my babies some rice cereal, to "hold them over" through the night and get them use to new idea of "food". She, like my boys, is already eating like a pro! The days/weeks/ months are just going by so quickly. I talked with my cousin today who has 5 children, all grown. I asked her if it feels like just yesterday that she was in my shoes, with little ones at her legs. She said it doesn't seem like yesterday to her, it seems like a long, long time ago. "So much happens from the time they are born until they are adults." Such a simple statement, but it stuck to my brain....my heart. I don't know what the days ahead hold for my children and that can be scary if I let it get to me. I have to realize that "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow."

I was reading this blog earlier today, she's my age with 7 children! This particular quote stood out to me:

"God isn't interested in how good and christian I can act or look -- lots of big smiles and sweet talk. He's interested -- no MORE than interested -- He actually came to save me from that type of deceptive living and birth me into new life! Which is what I pray for my children - a salvation from outward form, salvation from outward behavior that covers up the running in the other direction in their hearts. I cannot forsake prayer.

I desire my children to behave - to say please and thank you and respect authority and all that. We require this. But seriously, what good is this outward form, this outward behavior, if their hearts are not changed, if their inward lives are not transformed by God's power? Ultimately, it could even be a deterrent, a hindrance in knowing God, because they may think they are good, when they are not.

I don't want to raise little hypocrites. . . who grow up to be big ones. Who will rely on their good deeds, and be blinded to their deceptive sinful hearts that need a Savior. Oh, I pray no.

I have asked the Lord to show me
how to cry out to their hearts and not just to their heads
about why we do what we do."

my hero drives a toyota

"It doesn't matter who my father was,
it matters who I remember my father was."
Anne Sexton

Paisley in Polo

she has the cutest little thing she does with her tongue.

sticks it out like a lizard.

cutest little lizard ever....

The Pinnacle

A few weeks ago, we spent our Sunday afternoon here:

A lovely little place South of here called the Pinnacle....

we hiked the trails and let the boys run wild.....a necessity for all of us! I love this picture, Tyler's feet aren't even hitting the ground....he's LEAPING through life!! That's my boy.....

and here's my other boy....grounded. controlled.inquisitive.

Man, I love these boys.....

and this one too....

we watched the sunset and i held my breath as the boys climbed out onto a ledge/huge cliff with their Daddy...they threw rocks into the river 100 feet down....no pictures of that....i just clung to Paisley and prayed!

then we came home and my girl feel asleep before her dinner.

she. is. so. sweet.

and kissable.

and snugglable.

and huggable.

and growing too fast.

and i think she's going to keep her blue eyes

oh, and she can cry LOUD!

you should really watch the sunset sometime soon....i had forgotten how majestic it is.

Life is too short to forget how the sunsets look.....

Barn Sale

Hello Friends, I'm busy preparing for our annual fall Barn sale, (between taking care of my 5 month old precious girly and 2,3,4 year old boys and loving the fun of it all, (my nephew is here for the day)....actually, it's my Mom who will have most of the stuff this time! She's cleaning out her home filled with all sorts of delightful dishes, books, antiques and the likes. It will be a huge sale with something for everyone, priced well and organized, (two VERY important aspects to having a successful garage sale)! Come on by if you'd like:

FRIDAY 09.25 4pm-7pm
SATURDAY 09.26 7am-2pm

hope you have a GREAT weekend!!!!

Labor Day Musings

This is where I spent Labor Day....lying on my favorite blanket next to my favorite daughter and her most kissable lips....watching my favorite husband play with my favorite sons....
enjoying my favorite husband unwrapping a piece of gum for me.....
chewing my favorite gum and watching my favorite boys do their most favorite thing right now: WRESTLE!

and chase each other around.....

and then we came home and Tyler found a chip the size of his face....
what a way to end a favorite day.

i can't wait to go back and do it all again.....

Hope your labor day was filled with favorites too......

now I'm off to do one of my favorite things....SLEEP!

"You only live once,
but if you work it right,
once is enough"
~unknown author~