Sprout

It occurred to me that I still have not written anything about something else that is sprouting around here. That would be me and the newest member of our family, "Sprout", due to arrive in early August.

We delayed in making the news known until we could make sure that our children, well Bronwen, was ready to handle this knowledge. (Until recently she was still checking into the possibility of sending Annabelle back from whence she came.)

Happily, Bronwen was very excited and actually wants a brother!

And that is why I've added the new ticker at the top of this page.

Spring birthdays

This year my girls will celebrate their birthdays with one party. 

The little pixies are in for a treat!

edit: Saturday morning, Bronwen had a friend over for a pixie tea party. These fairy tutus were very simple to make and each girl wore one. The girls collected treasures from the back yard in a little pouch and then came in for a little manicure. They were allowed to take their tea in the front room where food is usually verboten. 

Saturday evening the family came over to celebrate both girls, Annabelle turned two last week and Bronwen will be four in two weeks.

The kids enjoyed another treasure hunt in the back yard before coming in for dinner.

It was a really sweet day. Thank you my dear family for making my girls feel so special.

(I borrowed these pictures from Christine because I still cannot download my own pictures.)

Two

Dear little Annabelle turned two today. 

It's difficult for me to believe that two years have passed since you joined our little family darling girl.

You are such a joy to love and I'm so glad that God sent you to us!

Ahh, Spring!

Because of the new front porch being poured last summer, I was unsure if any of my bulbs survived. The men were digging and tramping all over my spring flower beds. 

But wonder of wonders, I have many survivors and the tulips actually beat the daffodils and the crocus in pushing their tips through the soil. Refusing to be bested, the crocus gave an extra push and bloomed first and in the back a daffodil had the last laugh, blooming before the hyacinths.

What joy Spring!

Renewal and Remembrance

Spring is here and with that great expectation of renewed life, my thoughts turn toward an inner renewal of my heart and mind. I've enjoyed reading from and talking with others about what they are doing to prepare themselves for this season of remembering our Savior's sacrifice. 

As this year begins we've made some additions to our spiritual growth. We are observing the Sabbath and Celebrating the Feasts. It is something I hope will become a permanent part of our worship and our spiritual journey while waiting for our eternal home. Our Sabbath is still on Sunday for now but will begin Saturday night with Shabbat meal. I know that purposefully observing a day of rest will be a blessing for my family.

It was to celebrate the Feast of Passover that Jesus entered Jerusalem, on the back of a borrowed donkey, praised as the King of the Jews. He willingly did this knowing that by the end of the week these same people would hand him over to be crucified as their worst criminal. But this was the very reason He came!

He was the sacrifice for us so that we might spend eternity with Him. He had to die to rise again, conquering death, to give us eternity.

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"  I Corinthians 15:55

His Passover Seder (the last supper) was a beautiful and literal taste of his prophesied death.

For the last few years we have attended a Passover Seder as part of our observance of Easter. And so this year I am looking forward to celebrating Passover more fully as it takes the place of Easter and we celebrate The Lamb.

Following a new plan

There is such peace and sweetness in the center of His will. Even when well made plans change on the last minute. To anyone on the outside looking in, this might be a good reason for anger, great frustration or fear.  But to one who has also experienced His leading, and obeyed, we share a mutual understanding of the peace that envelopes. 

With just two weeks before ground breaking, our plans to build a new home crumbled. Throughout the whole process, we had been broken before the Lord and had asked that he stop our plans if this is not what He wanted for us.  So when the news came it did not bring the stress and upset. We were very grateful that we were stopped from making a mistake.

So now we look for a new home and He has opened so many doors! In the last week we have seen over a dozen houses of the forty our realtor found for us. This weekend we have at least seven more to visit. It has been a whirl of business as we are also showing our home to prospective tenants who will need to occupy by June.  

Suddenly the slow movements of before have picked up the pace and there is a little more urgency. But we continue to rely on His leading and we will follow.