happy first day of fall!

fall? already? what?!

we had what felt like the eternal summer this year

(actually, it's still going strong - yesterday was HOT and sunny!  ...and I'm loving every second of it)

but somehow, i'm still shocked that we're not still in March

this year has really, truly been a blur

but blurry or not, we've made it to the first day of fall

and of course, i had my first pumpkin-y meal for breakfast:  pumpkin pie "n'oatmeal"!

i'm not quite ready to share it with you

(just have to try one more tweak then you'll be the first to know - promise!)

until then, i wanted to share this little gem from my devotional this morning

(from today's morning reading in Morning and Evening by Charles Haddon Suprgeon)

Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. 

That He is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. 

That He is mighty, should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness. 

That he is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass. 

That He is unchanging, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour. 

That He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant He has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory-all this should tend to make us glad in Him.

...So let God's people now rehearse the deeds of the Lord! Let them tell of His mighty acts, and "sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously." Nor let them ever cease to sing, for as new mercies flow to them day by day, so should their gladness in the Lord's loving acts in providence and in grace show itself in continued thanksgiving. Be glad ye children of Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God.

(full devotional here)

so thankful that in my foolishness, my weakness, my finitude, my unsteadyness

i can and i should be glad in Him!

parallels

6 years ago...

...i woke up exhausted, but ready to face the day

...i held gorgeous flowers in my arms

...i put on a dress that i spent months picking out

...i spent hours getting ready

...at the end of the day, i drifted off next to the man of my dreams and my best friend

today...

...i woke up exhausted, but ready to face the day

...i held gorgeous babies in my arms

...i put on clothes that i picked out of a pile on my bedroom floor, and hoped they were clean {enough}

...getting ready?  what's that?  

...at the end of the day, i'll drift off next to the man of my dreams and my best friend

so...there may have been a few changes, but i wouldn't trade them for the world

today, we celebrate 6 years of being us

and i am thankful for everything the Lord has done in our lives

for the man that he has given me

for the children that he blessed us with

for the trials we've worked through

for the joys we've shared

God is good

happy anniversary, love!

*photos by the amazingly talented (and hilarious!) James Moes*

thankful round up

(source)

so, thanksgiving came late this year
and even later, is this thanksgiving related post
it's been a long week - deadlines, sick kiddos, Christmas shopping, personal struggles, etc
but despite all the delay, i wanted to share one last thanksgiving post
before moving on to more Christmas-y things
deal?

alright, so the first thing i wanted to share was our thanksgiving meal
this year, i made everything but the turkey (thanks mom!),
as well as some dirty rice and a couple pumpkin pies (thanks to my brother and sister in law)

given all the gluten-free / non-inflammatory food research i've done recently,
my portion of the meal was made a little differently this year
so this is what our final menu looked like:

i tried to choose menu items that were gluten / grain free and nutrient dense,
but not sacrifice on taste for my guinea pigs' --i mean, guests' sake
...aaaand most of the recipes were ones i'd never made before
needless to say, i was a bit nervous about how everything would turn out
but you know what?
the dishes worked out so well, and i was super proud to serve the meal to my family!


here are links to some of my favorites + any tweaks i made / comments:
roasted carrot mash
(roasted the carrots in avocado oil instead and subbed out the butter/ghee at the end for coconut oil)
gaps friendly gravy
(i NEVER caramelize anything [too much effort - hah] but this recipe, was worth it...and may have changed my mind on caramelizing!)
coconut "cornbread" muffins
(i totally over baked these + greased instead of lined the muffin tin, and undergreased at that so they came out dark and stuck-on...and they were still gobbled up!)
mulled apple cider
(k, to be honest, i originally made this just to make the house smell amazing, and it totally worked...with the added bonus of being super delicious!  
i cut the recipe in half, replaced the cinnamon sticks with 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and used 1 tsp cloves + 1 tsp allspice for my mulling spices)


alrightee, now that you've gotten a run-down of our meal,
how about a wrap up of my #novemberthanks?

1. for my man, who, despite the cold and fog, skipped out on watching his football to take me and the girls to the beach + a coffee shop breakfast date, complete with bird chasing.

2. to live in a country where i can enjoy the great outdoors and take photos in it, thanks in part to our veterans and their families who have given up so much to keep it that way.

3. for pretty packaging...and the chocolate that it holds

4. for homemade granola + the clear pictures that i can now get on my phone thanks to my hubs fixing it (along with all kinds of other things) for me, and with a smile on his face too!

5. for getting to live out dreams, like my sister and i having kids that would grow up together and be the best of friends - i'd say we're off to a great start

6. for the warmth and shelter of our home and vehicles, especially when the elements aren't so pretty

7. for nourishing food, and how it can help heal our bodies

8. for sunshine, and simple pleasures like trying out new coffeeshops

9. for skillet suppers...'nuf said

10. for mercies that are new every morning

11. for the beautiful seascape we have here on the pacific northwest

12. for coconut "cornbread" muffins, which are evidence of grace in a grain-free life!

13. for found baby dolls and favorite toys

14. for turkey, obviously the kiddos in my life, good food, the anticipation of a big family dinner and Jesus, the source of our joy, who makes all these things possible

and so, with hearts FULL of thanks, we move on to the Christmas season!

#novemberthanks

one of my favorite blogs

(one of the few that i regularly "follow")

is Sheena's blog

it's full of funny little stories, amazing recipes, gorgeous photography...you get the picture

i stumbled upon it one day 5 or 6 years ago

and just kept coming back day after day

in fact, if you've followed my blog for some time, 

you might have noticed a few links back to her blog from time to time

now, you may be wondering why on earth i'm randomly talking about another blog

and what on earth that has to do with my bizarre hashtag title

...allow me me string it all together for you:

one of the things i love about Sheena is how conversational and interactive she is on her blog

and one way she does that is by inviting her readers to "play along" when she's up to something

last year (at least i think it was last year), 

she came up with the idea to share something you are thankful for everyday of november on instagram

and use the hashtag #novemberthanks

then, if you wanted, you could see what everyone else was thankful for too

i thought it was a fun idea so i played along

and it turned out to be so much more encouraging than i ever expected

i think when we are intentional about being thankful, 

we begin to realize just how blessed we are

...at least i did!

and when november came to an end, 

i actually felt a little sad having to wait till this november to use the hashtag again, for reals!

these have been my #novemberthanks so far

(please excuse the crappy quality...my phone camera is on it's last leg!)

November 1st:  my girlies watching Alice in Wonderland for the first time...this was my favorite movie as a kid, and i am super thankful to have the opportunity to spend my days at home with them, sharing little moments like this one

November 2nd:  i'm thankful that although our saturdays go by in a total blur, that blur includes these two and their daddy

November 3rd:  this was a legit conversation we had in church...so thankful to get to do life with Daniel; he makes me laugh, even when he's not trying to, and you can never have too much laughter in your life, right?

November 4th:  my old, beat-up espresso machine - i got this thing for $2 at an estate sale when we were still in university.  we didn't even know if it worked, but we figured we'd take the chance and it definitely paid off.  the only reason we even pulled over was because they were giving out free hotdogs and when you're in school, free = awesome...actually, that's the case most of the time, but it's especially true when you're a student!  

and now, every time i use this thing, i can't help but smile and think back to garage sale-ing on a sunny afternoon and giggling with Daniel as we perused all they had out, munching on our hot dogs as we went... :)

now it's your turn - what are you thankful for?

feel free to use the hashtag on instagram 

or write up a blog post and share the link in the comments - i'd love to see it!  :)

i'll try and share my #novemberthanks on here as well as my instagram, 

but if you want to follow me there as well, have at 'er!

my week + a thanksgiving leftovers makeover

happy thursday, guys!

so much has happened this week that i've been wanting to share

we've had my sister and nephew staying with us 

which has been fun, but super crazy

three toddlers under one roof, ahhhhh!

plus the girlies have been up to all kinds of shenanigans

but that's a full blog post all on it's own

i've been so distracted, that i even made myself a green tea latte one morning

...only to realize i'd already poured myself a cup of coffee! 

we also celebrated canadian thanksgiving not once, but twice!

on sunday, my mom made her famous turkey plus all the fixings

for friends who don't have immediate family around to celebrate

then on monday, we celebrated with our family:

my brother-in-law and his wife came over

(and brought some super yummy dishes to round out our meal!)

my sister made a killer butternut squash soup

my dad's cousin brought fancy wine complete with a pretty label 

(i'm often see interesting wine labels and wish i could justify buying a bottle of something i can't drink...

does that make me weird? am i the only one?)

and daniel was in charge of cooking a huge ham

that turned out so well 

(i'm convinced it's because we splurged on the most unprocessed of a ham we could get our hands on)

as if all that wasn't enough, i made a garlic rosemary cheese bread, roasted balsamic veggies 

and a chocolate + coffee self saucing cake for dessert

needless to say, there was no shortage of food

and now we've got leftovers coming out of our ears

which isn't entirely a bad thing - i love leftovers

but sometimes, we get a bit sick of the same meal over and over and over again

so i threw a bunch of our leftovers together

and made a turkey pot pie

i usually skip the bread-y topping and replace it with herbed scones or drop biscuits 

but the recipe i used for that part was a total flop this time around

(...we jokingly called them soap scones, for reals)

but the rest of the pot pie turned out pretty good, 

so i thought i'd share the recipe with you

(sans soap scone topping - let me know if you try it with a different topping and find a keeper!)

turkey pot pie {filling}

(aka thanksgiving leftovers reincarnated)

ingredients:

 3-4 tablespoons butter (i used grassfed)

2 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced small

2 cups carrots, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup flour (i used white whole wheat)

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (preferably homemade!)

2 cups frozen peas

sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

4 cups shredded leftover turkey** 

1/3 cup dried oregano (TJ's has a great organic one!)

- preheat oven to 350*

- in a large saucepan melt butter over medium high then add onions and carrots and cook until onions are translucent (i used leftover steamed carrots, so i added them in after the onions softened)

- add garlic and cook for about a minute or so (you'll start to smell all that garlicly goodness)

- add flour and stir so that your veggies are evenly coated

- start adding your broth gradually, stirring the entire time in order to avoid clumps

- bring your mixture to a boil then turn your heat down and simmer until it's thickened up a bit, usually 5-10 minutes

 - add the peas, s + p, chicken and oregano (in that order)

- pour mixture into a 3 quart baking dish (mine was 9.5 x 13.5 and 2 inches deep)

- pop in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes.  if i'm going to make a biscuit or scone topping, i'll pull it out at some point in those 45 minutes and plop the dough right on top of the filling (since scones/drop biscuits generally take less than 45 minutes to bake...if you are having a hard time envisioning what this part should look like, just do an image search for "drop biscuit pot pie") otherwise, just enjoy without topping - which is what we did, and it was delicious...or you could serve it over some rice! 

**i've also made this recipe with leftover chicken in the past, with great results...on that note, i've also used veggies like broccoli, celery, mushrooms etc to replace / top up the carrots and peas - use whatever you've got on had, this is a great recipe for that!

enjoy!

gimme five!

high fives for five years of marriage!

that's right, today is Daniel and my five year wedding anniversary

we kicked off the celebration a little bit early
by welcoming Daniel to the cult of mac yesterday
and getting matching iPhones (!!!)
i was so excited, i almost did a happy dance right then and there in the store

those of you who know us personally
know that as long as we have been together
(almost 10 years)
he has proudly toted a flip phone around
and it has served us well
(until earlier this week, when it kicked the bucket, hence getting a new phone)

 anyway, we headed home, put the girlies to bed
and got his phone all set up
while watching one of our tv favorite shows together

i know it sounds lame,
but it was a nice night to kick off our pre-anniversary

today probably won't be too fancy of a celebration, either
because it's a weeknight
and we have kids
so we'll probably head out to dairy queen
since it's miracle treat day
and have a mini celebration over blizzards

then maybe tomorrow or saturday
we'll leave the kids with family
and go out for an official anniversary date

anyway, that was a lot of rambling

when all i really want to say
is how incredibly thankful i am
that the Lord orchestrated our lives
and brought together our two unlikely paths
that He has used us to encourage and build each other up
that He has changed us into who we are today
and that He continues to change us into who He wants us to be tomorrow

guys, it's not always rainbows and sunshine
but i get to do life holding my best friend's hand and being his helper
we get to hang out, serve each other and learn from each other along the way

come what may, i know two things:
1) it's in the Lord's hands
2) the love of my life is by my side, making life that much sweeter

now that's worth a happy dance - thank you, Jesus!


*wedding photos by James Moes*

happy birthday...

...to me!

yep, today i turn 28 

this past year has been unlike any other

(i suppose that's technically true for all years, but you know what i mean...)

it was nothing like what i had imagined or expected,

but it was still good

i've gotten older, 

and hopefully a bit wiser

i've learned a lot about myself

and the people closest to me

i've watched our babies grow and change so much
i've watched myself change as i mother two little people
who i love so much, but who still drive me so crazy sometimes

i've started a business

i've been over-the-moon happy, 

unbelievably frustrated and angry, 

deeply hurt and saddened

i've faced things i didn't want to face

i've learned that i'm braver than i thought

i've realized that i don't need to be as strong as i would like

that i can and should lean more on the Lord and those who He's placed in my life

i've built new habits,

i've fallen off some bandwagons
i've surprised myself

...a lot can happen over a year!

all of these things are pretty typical to experience over such a span of time

(i think...or maybe it's just me?)

but i've realized something, 

being a stay at home mom (of twins, at that!)
has caused me to reflect and process this kind stuff much more

because i'm more often than not "stuck" at home

instead of out and about, distracting myself with business

and it's a good thing, I think

it helps me to be thankful for my experiences, even the not so good ones

so today, i am thankful for this past year

and i look forward to the experiences my next year will hold

i pray that i not only continue to reflect on my life and experiences, 

but that i would live them intentionally

that i would savor the important things

let go of the not-so-important things

allow every moment i'm given to be redeemed

and hold "my plan" loosely

so that i can embrace and enjoy whatever unfolds

as things continue to turn out completely different than what i expected

as a perfectionist and an idealist, these are some difficult resolutions to make

but i think they'll be good for me

29, bring it on!

(p.s. this was my "recap" for my 26th birthday - what i didn't mention was that i took a pregnancy test when we got home from our date on my actual birthday and it came back positive.  i still call that the best birthday gift i've ever gotten, and i can't help but relive it in my head every birthday since - so much happy packed into this day!)

growing...

hey folks!

we've been on a house / dog sitting adventure for the past week

which means less time on the computer 

and more time getting settled into the space we've been calling home

it's a lot quieter here

and i've been keeping busier

with the dogs and the dishes (no dishwasher here!)

and meal-prepping without my usual staples kicking around

with staring out at the ocean from the kitchen table / living room 

(i sometimes catch myself looking out, lost in thought and wonder how long i've been standing there)

and with trying to keep all the beautiful plants in this place alive, despite my black thumb

it seems that every windowsill has something growing or blooming on it

i just couldn't help but take a couple of pictures to share my view with you

you know what else has been growing around here?  

these two...growing into big girls in SO many ways

every day we see more of their personalities coming out
they've gotten way more interactive in this past week alone
and while mustering up the patience to keep up with them can be sometimes be a challenge
i've been reminded lately just how blessed we are to have them in our lives

thank you, Jesus

for ocean views

and pretty flowers

and growing girlies!

how is it already friday / thank heavens it's friday!

have you ever hand one of those weeks (or days, or months...)

that both flew by and dragged on at the same time?

well, this was one of those weeks

nothing particularly bad happened

just the girlies and i are sick again

which makes for sad babies / long nights / a tired mama / no downtime

...and three girls who are extremely thankful for friday, 

when daddy comes home early(ish) 

and can take care of us / snuggle with us

...hooray! 

you know what else i'm thankful for today? 

leftovers that recycle beautifully into a quick and healthy breakfast

to get me started on the right foot for the {potentially} long day ahead!

it all started when we had tacos for dinner the other night

but since i'm not a huge fan of ground beef, 

i cooked up some red quinoa to substitute for most of the beef on my plate  

(side note: it's pronounced keen-wa, if anyone's wondering...i know i did for a while!), 

then added a tiny bit of beef to get that taco flavor and vwalla - all the yumminess + protein, 

with barely any ground beef!

(yes, i admittedly feel very clever about my solution)

anyway, all that to say, I had some leftover quinoa in the fridge that needed using up

so this morning, i made "quinoa porridge" with it, and it actually turned out really good!

...not to mention, it may just be the easiest breakfast you'll ever make *double bonus*

if you're strapped for time, or have some cooked quinoa that needs recycling / reinventing, 

(or even if you have the time to make quinoa especially for this)

you should definitely give it a try

keep in mind, these measurements are guesstimates and can easily be adjusted to your tastes!

leftover quinoa porridge

1 cup cooked quinoa 

milk 

(i used a splash of 2% mixed with some organic unsweetened brown rice milk - use just enough to cover the quinoa)

a handful of dried fruit 

(i used craisins infused with pomegranate juice, but whatever you've got on hand works - raisins, currants, blueberries, apricots, anything really!) 

a swirl of honey

a dash or two of cinnamon  

- put quinoa in a microwave safe bowl and add milk until it is just level with the quinoa then zap for 30 seconds or until it is warm enough for your liking 

(if you cooked quinoa up especially for this breakfast, skip the zapping and just stir the milk in once the quinoa's cooked)

- top with remaining ingredients

- enjoy your delicious, healthy and super easy breakfast!

can it get any easier?  didn't think so.

jack johnson says it best...

do you remember when we first met

i sure do

it was sometime in early September.

you were lazy about it

you made wait around

i was so crazy about you, i didn't mind...

...i was crazy about you then 

and now the craziest thing of all, 

[almost] ten years have gone by

and you're still mine,

we're locked in time, 

let's rewind...

...well, all these times they come and go

and alone don't seem so long

[almost] ten years have gone by

we can't rewind

we're locked in time

and you're still mine

do you remember?

these were the lyrics that rang through the kitchen this morning

as i cooked up some pancakes and Daniel fed the girlies

the song always sends me down memory lane

we too, met in september (of 2003 - man, i felt old even typing that!)

then i made him wait, and wait...and wait some more

until nine years ago, today

when we went out for our first date

it was my first time at the olive garden

and we've gone every march 31st since 

(except for our 2nd anniversary - but that's another story for another day!)

this year, we decided to swap out our our usual dinner for a lunch date instead

since we're having a big dinner tonight to celebrate Easter 

which is something much bigger and better to celebrate

today we celebrate our Lord Jesus dying on the cross

to pay the debt we've incurred by our sin

then rising from death three days later

having conquered sin and death

and now, because of this, we have access to salvation and redemption

and eternal life in heaven with Him

and a transformed life for the time that we're on earth

not because of anything that we have done

but because of His grace and what He has done on our behalf

guys, this is a big deal!

there is no other way to salvation, but through Him

and we are so very grateful for His transforming work on the cross and in our lives

and the hope that it has given us

thank you, thank you, thank you Jesus!
 

image source

Happy Easter, everybody!

ONE

today, we have two little one year olds

which means we survived the first year of twins

from what we've been told, we're past the toughest part

there were moments when i didn't think we'd see it through

but, by grace (and a ton of prayers, i'm sure!),

He sustained us, like He promised he would

thank you, Jesus, for everything

january 15, 2012

january 15, 2013

dear beautiful baby girls,

today is your birthday.  we have had so many firsts over this past year, starting with the first time we laid eyes on each other and now, your first birthday.  i really can't believe we're actually here, one year later - wow!  you've grown up so much in just these past couple months - it's hard to believe how fast it all happens.  

you're very much into feeding yourselves now, reaching out sticky, food covered fingers to grab my legs when i walk by, or smacking your tray when i don't notice you've emptied it.  and you make the cutest little eating noises - it actually kind of sounds like you're muttering "nom, nom, nom" under your breath!  it's always a challenge to come up with food ideas for those tiny little fingers of yours; recently, bojangles chicken and deer sausage seem to be a big hit - your daddy couldn't be more proud.  

you've also changed a lot in how you play.  i love how you love playing peek-a-boo.  Aria, you especially like scaring people, then giggle up a storm when they jump back.  Ives, you're more into being scared - all we have to do is say "boo" and you flash those pearly whites (all seven of them!).  you also laugh along with us when we're having funny conversations - it really is too cute.  sometimes, we catch the two of you caught up in conversation and cracking each other up - listening to you babble and giggle back and forth just melts my heart.  you know what else melts my heart? the way you've started laying your little heads on our shoulders when you're tired or just need an extra cuddle - a surefire way to turn this mama (and daddy) into one giant puddle.  nevermind the way you're just starting to wave (with both hands at once) and blow kisses - i know i'm biased, but your cuteness factor is through the roof!

but seriously, girls, you light up our lives in a way i never anticipated - you are so full of energy and joy, and when one of those those contagious smiles spreads across your faces, your whole face lights up right along with it!  you've brightened our days in more ways than i can count, but what i am most thankful for is how you have taught us to look to the Lord more and more.  you've made us aware of just how much we are blessed, how good our Lord is to us and the beauty and value found in the grace He offers.  

it's only fitting, really, since your shared middle name is grace (Naima means Grace in Arabic).
we are continually amazed by and immensely grateful for the gift of grace - and it is our prayer that you girlies (and our whole family, for that matter) live lives marked by grace, that we may glorify Him and do the good works which He has prepared for us to do; because when it's all said and done, it's all about Him.  i truly hope you come to understand that truth as you grow up, girlies - it sometimes feels tough, but i promise you, it is the best way to live.  and when the going gets tough, lean on Him:  His grace is sufficient and is made perfect in our weakness - can it get any better? 

anyway, i picked these verses out for you when you were still brand new; they have served as a theme over our family in your first year of life - i hope they continue to ring true as we move forward into year two:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:4-10 

happy birthday girlies, mama and daddy love you to the moon and back!

love, 
your mom

Thanksgiving at Christmastime

sometimes i lack the words for thanksgiving

because i feel like my heart is about to burst with joy over what He has given me

and i sound like a bit of a bumbling fool as i trip over my words and sentiments

other times, i lack the words for thanksgiving

because i can't see through the fog of my grumbling 

and recognize the evidence of grace in my life

sadly, i've spent more of this past year  in the latter scenario than i'd like to admit

but there have been glimpses sunshine poking through the clouds of my sin

and those moments were sheer grace, where the Lord reached through despite my attitude

and carried me, gently and patiently teaching me about who He is and who I am in Him

this morning was one of extreme thankfulness

for my baby girls, who can be such a challenge, but who are SUCH a joy and a blessing 

for my family and friends, who have gotten me through this tough year

for Jesus and His goodness and His grace and His provision His work in my heart and life

for truth and the gospel - literally, the good news

for forgiveness, 

for GRACE

there have been a few themes that the Lord has been hammering into my heart this year

grace is undoubtedly one of them

i thought i understood grace, and have always been thankful for it

but now, more than ever, i am learning just how amazing it is

i can't even put it into words

this excerpt from a sermon I was listening to over breakfast with the girlies this morning

puts into words a bit of what my heart and mind have been digesting over this past year

"here's the truth...God's grace does forgive you when you fail, but most of the time it's God's grace empowering you to be who you cannot be, to do what you cannot do, by a power you do not possess...the grace of God empowers you to be a new person. yes, God's grace is there to forgive you when you fail, but it's there BEFORE you fail - to change your heart, to change your mind, to change your desires, to reorient your course of life, to make you a different person, to give you meaning and value and purpose and pleasure:  that Jesus is with you, that Jesus is in you, that Jesus is for you that if you do fail, Jesus will forgive you. 

but because Jesus is with you, you don't have to say yes to sin, you can say yes to Jesus. you don't have to say yes to condemnation and guilt and shame and waking up and thinking, "is there any hope for me?" yes there is! and the hope is FOR you, it's not IN you, it's FOR you, IN CHRIST AND THE GRACE OF GOD....

so the Christian life is not something you live for God, it's something that God lives for you in Christ; it's something that Christ lives in you, it's something that Christ lives THROUGH you. and this leads to an explosive, passionate, joy-filled life - this is the best life of all: there's no shame or guilt or condemnation in it and there's eternity at the end of it."

is that not so awesome?!

notice, though, that the grace of God does not promise that life will be a walk in the park

because trust me, it won't be.  

in fact, the Bible warns us that we will face trials

but the Lord uses those trials to shape us and teach us and change us

for our good and for His glory

this is nothing new to me,

but apparently i needed a refresher course

or maybe there's a deeper truth that He's revealing to me through this

i don't know 

what i do know is that i can trust Him

and that i will fail

and that's ok

because even when i am faithless, He remains faithful

and He will sustain me.

and so i am thankful

choosing to be thankful is one of the ways i have gotten through some really dark and discouraging moments

i was once told to look for evidence of grace in life

because if you don't get into the practice of looking for it

you take it for granted and begin to grumble

so i try to be intentional about recognizing the goodness and grace that has been poured into my life

so that i can rejoice in all circumstances

and glorify Him in through doing so

four year old words

to my Godly, amazing, sweet, supportive, funny, kind, strong etc etc etc husband:

You are my favorite!

I still mean every word of those vows (and then some)

you have been such a blessing to me over these past four years

you have taught me more than i thought was possible

I am so thankful for every second we've had together, 

for the tough times and the great times

for the work the Lord has done in me, in you, in us

for our beautiful family

there is so much to be thankful for!

I love you so very very much and can't wait to see what else the Lord has in store for us as we move forward with life together.  

*photo credit:  james moes*

Crickets

...that's been the only sound on this blog for a couple of months now.  rest assured, though, we are alive and well.  things got a little crazy after my last post - lots of sleepless nights, tears, struggles, fears, highs, lows, etc etc etc later and now we've come out on the other end.

i want to tell you all about it, but truth be told, i don't know if i can remember it all - it feels like a dream.  

i can't believe my girlies are four and a half months old already, but at the same time there were minutes in that time span that felt like decades, hours that felt like centuries and so on.  

i know that i am more fortunate than most people around the world, but my ginormous sleep debt, hormones and postpartum emotions were a dangerous mixture that lead me down a very negative road.

thankfully, the Lord is faithful and He used my situation to lovingly teach me

 to walk closer with Him

to trust Him more

to lean on His strength and not my own

to find my joy in Him and not in my situation, whatever it may be

to be grateful

to work towards humility

to remember in the darkness what i know to be true in the light

to grow in appreciation of my loving family and friends

to reach out to others

to cast my cares upon Him

i could keep adding to the list, but i think you get the idea.  i've written this post in my head countless times, and each time, i am overwhelmed with what the Lord has done.  

things are still crazy with the girls, but they've definitely become more manageable (mostly due to a shift in perspective than a change in situation).  hopefully that means i get to spend more time updating you all (if anyone out there still reads this after such a long absence on my part!).  

naptime is almost over, so i'll wrap this up with something a friend of mine said a long time ago - it certainly rings true in my life, now more than ever it seems.

"Whether you’re on the Egypt side of the sea, or finding the faith to step under the dry land with the sea all around, or on the other side of the sea in its safety and security, we are being redeemed.

It’s a journey and its a process. God, in His unfailing love, leads us. In His strength he guides us to a place that’s holy and beautiful. There’s a point in the journey where we find ourselves in that place, and I think we need to stop and realize that God is at work. From a place of thankfulness and praise say that He is glorious, and He is saving us.

It’s a journey of thankfulness in every place.

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” Exodus 15:13

i know the Lord isn't through with me yet - i know this because He has taught me this lesson before, and i am sure He will teach it to me again.  each time i learn more about His character and am more in awe.  

He is so good and i am so grateful for who Jesus is, His work on the cross and His work in my life.

oh and one more thing - i know many of you would love to see how big the girlies are now so here's a little peek into my world: