Happy Birthday to the man of my dreams!

Think Dutch got a Tattoo for his birthday?!



Dutch and the love of his life!




Nothing like it!  Holding Ally.



Wrapping Baby Presents

This is a fun way to gift wrap for a baby shower.   Print out pages of your favorite photos as wrapping paper.  You will need to do a bit of cutting and taping.  Top it off with favorite ribbon.  It will be a hit!



Precious!



Beautiful girl!

There!  All ready for Baby Faith's Shower.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday

and Lent begins.    40 days of  devotions from a book written by Trica McCary Rhodes, "Contemplating the Cross" is one of the best lenton devotionals I have experienced.  You can find all 40 days by clicking here http://www.soulatrest.com/

The Best Kind of Day is a Girlfriends Day!

I had lunch with Debbie and Elsie twice last week!! And then they returned home to Sacramento and Seattle.  Loved the time with them.  Elsie is Debbie's mom.  And she has been praying for Tuesday Night Women's Bible Study from the beginning.    That would be for about 6 years now!  So for those of you who are, or ever have been,  part of this group....Elsie has been your prayer warrior!  Love that lady.  (and her daughter's not so bad either!)

A Day in the Life of Ally

Ally is feeling so much better!  Thank you for praying!  Shanni just sent this video of her playing today. 

Pray for Ally to get well soon



Ally went to the ER last night because she has RSV.  She had a breathing treatment and it seemed to help a lot.  She's home and doing better today.  Through it all, Shannon says she continues to be a happy baby.  (Only fussing when hungry!)  (And sleeps through the night!)   I want to just squeeze those rosy, chubby cheeks!  and that chubby little body, oh my!  she is so adorable.  There goes my heart again!  It's all I can do to keep from jumping in my car, skipping out on work , and driving straight to Utah to hold her! It's called AWOL so I guess I'd  better get ahold of my impetuous self and stay right here.  Darn anyway!
Thanking God today for His goodness.  She is so much better!  But don't stop the praying! 

 



Hoodie Giveaway!

Transform Your Mind!  This is the cutest hoodie and Wild Olive Tees is giving away five (yes!  5!)!  Easy to enter.  Check it out be clicking on link below.
http://www.wildolivetees.com/hoodie-giveaway/  Contests ends at 9:00 p.m. (PST) on March 1st. All FIVE winners announced on Wednesday, March 2nd.

shannon and her daughter

David swimming - a long, long time ago!

A long, long time ago...pictures of Ally's Grandma

Jayme - 3 years old



Jayme and her mommy




When I looked at these pictures, I thought it was Shannon as a little girl.  Looks just like her.  But these are pictues of Shannon's mom.... Jayme!




The cutest little girl you ever did see.





Jayme loved a day at the beach.  She was an east coast girl back then.

 


Smile big!



Baby Great Grand Daughter of Mine!

You're melting my heart sweet baby!

 One look at her and I am so tempted to jump in my car and drive the 800 or so miles, without stopping,  until I reach this beloved, great-grand-daughter of mine!  Can't wait to squeeze and rock and hold this baby girl!   As the Dutchman likes to say, "if God made anything more precious than little girls, He saved it for Himself." 



A little whistling, a little singing and always ready to tell a good story.

 


And this captures her disposition......such a happy baby girl!
Oh my heart!



Baby Faith has arrived!



 


 

It's official!  They are a family! 
Check out Kristen's blog by clicking on the site below

http://lifeasaleadinglady.blogspot.com/ 

This precious, perfect, tiny baby girl arrived earlier than expected.  And isn't that just like our children?  Life is never as planned when we are parents.  So right off the bat, Faith is exerting her independence by throwing off the timetable anticipated by her mommy and daddy.  Do they mind?  Not one bit!  The thrill of holding their daughter is beyond words.  The journey has come to an end. rather, the journey is just beginning!   This is a very exciting and happy time for this young family. 

 
My daughter, Jayme,  meets Faith.  Actually, she meets Kristen for the first time.  She met Faith at the hospital shortly after birth.  There's a story behind this!  And it's beautiful.  What God can do in our lives when we listen for His voice and then obey!  Pretty cool!

 

More pics of THE MAN

Strong-Rugged-Good.looking-among, oh so many other things!



Adorable!  (Yes he is...)







Dutchman in his element when he's with kids



The Dutchman and his musician friend



Dave and Dutch...the best of friends





Dave, Deb and Dutch...still the best of friends (and Deb puts up with the two of them!)



My Valentine

This man of mine......he is like no other!  Blessed!  I am so blessed! 

A few more pics from Char's Birthday. Celebrating with Daniel.

Charlene Rogde has a Birthday!

Celebrating Char's birthday at our favorite restaurant...her brother Daniel, her children Brett and Heather, Charlene and her sister Beth.  (Photographer Dutchman is behind the scenes) 

Happy Birthday to my sister!  If I were to describe her , I would  have to include words such as amazing, authentic,  beautiful, comme il faut, compassionate, couragous, educated, faithful (faith full), God lover, generous, gracious, genteel, honest, lovely, loyal, loved, persevering, profound....well you get the picture.  She never changes. The world is a better place with Char in it!

As the Dutchman would say, "A rose between two thorns!"

Happiness is having a birthday.

Happiness is being surrounded by family on your birhday!

A peek at why I call my sister "persevering"!  Among other things, she puts up with the likes of these characters!

Ally likes her popsicle!

Ally has been sick and this is a "cool" way for her to get the fluid and electrolytes she needs so she won't dehydrate.  Feeding her Pedialyte Freezer Pops.    It's the next best thing to having her great grandma there to hold her, rock her and feed her!

quoting from Daily With The King

 

"Lord, I have often been guilty of "fussiness" in my relationship to You. I have not been "like a weaned child (who) rests against his mother" (Psalm 131:2) with You. I have fretted because I didn't have my daily devotional instead of being content with being devoted. I have worried because I have not prayed enough instead of making my life itself a prayer. Too often my deep inward relationship to You is disturbed because I feel I must constantly prove myself to You. . . .


Lord, if I am fussy with You, how fussy I will be toward others! My holiness will become prickliness, and others will avoid me like a plague. If my spirituality offends others, it is a sign that I am too self-conscious of it. I should be the last person in the world to know that I am a blessing to others. I must be as Moses, who "did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with (God)" (Exodus 34:29). Give me that holy indifference to the effects of godliness, which is in itself godliness.


Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me" (Psalm 131:2)"


Daily with the King, W. Glyn Evans

He Is

"Do I love Him because He makes much over me?  Or do I love Him because He enables me to make much over Him?" 

Little Miss Flowerhead



Ally you are too cute!  I love every little fold and wrinkle on you.
Ally's flowerhead came from www.bittybloominbowtique.etsy.com