Berry Pickin'

Yesterday David and I went berry picking on some trails in Lynchburg.  We found tons of wild raspberries and even a few blackberries!  After 5 miles of walking, sweating, itching, and getting all scratched up by the thorns we managed to get back with a feeling of accomplishment and having enjoyed a full afternoon together. We ended up freezing 5 Ziploc bags of the berries for future desserts. :) Yum! I love the simple things about marriage- the friend part. Having my husband as my best friend is one of the most enjoyable things on earth. 

Here are some other pictures from around the house- I've been learning to play the piano (slowly), and David and I have been learning a few songs to play and sing together for the fun of it.

I've still been working on setting up the house, and finally got my little office area to look decent. I also hung up the giant fish David caught when he was only 11.  It's mounted on a board that says "Playing Hookie" on it. He missed school that day to go fishing with his Pop... guess that was a good idea that day! 

After talking about wanting to own a grill for months, David learned of a special going on at Walmart: $50 gift card to Walmart with the purchase of any grill.  The cheapest grill was $90, so we only ended up paying $40 for this little gas sucker!  32 Burger Capacity!!! Ha ha just ask David! We were both pretty excited (especially now that we have pounds upon pounds of beef in our freezer in the basement from the cow we bought with his family).

We also planted a garden together this spring!  I planted some gladiolus bulbs in the front yard and they ended up blooming beautifully!  In the back we planted yellow squash, zucchini squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, shallots, beans, turnips, hot peppers, basil, and garlic. It's our first time, so we'll see how much fruit we get out of all the labor! David seems to have much more of a green thumb than I do.

Well, that's it for now, folks! Tomorrow we will be driving back down to the great state of Georgia where David will lead a worship camp for kids who want to learn to lead worship.  We're going the Atlanta Aquarium, so I can't wait to post pictures of that! 

Have a great Monday afternoon friends and family!

Songs Around a Campfire

Two nights ago we went camping with a few friends. I had the best time out there in the woods. We built our fire and chopped up dead wood to keep it going. We cooked hot dogs and s'mores just like any seasoned campers would do.  I'll admit, I forgot utensils like a spatula and plates for the breakfast foods, but aluminum foil and plastic spoons did the trick. I only melted one spoon in the whole process. :)

We made up camp songs- mostly about the bugs we found (a significantly friendly and large millipede befriended us, and though we never gave him a name we did offer him a special log on which to reside and admired his smart looking mustache as well as his millions of tiny legs that seemed to do the wave when he walked).

Enjoy the pictures of our fun times!

Ebbs and Flows

I find that my life ebbs and flows on a continual basis and that my emotions follow the same pattern. I think maturity is being able to look past the feelings and circumstances; beholding the Great Truth regardless of how bumpy your day was or how miserably clumsy and unloving you feel- that's a mature saint.

Very often I look at myself and start to dissect. Here is something wrong, and there another. Why am I not this way yet? Look at this shortcoming. These things are most likely true, but generally I am looking at my life from the wrong perspective. This becomes the worst pitfall of all. Even beautiful flowering plants have dirty roots. I am a saint, beloved of the Most High. I am made perfect by His blood. He is working in and through me. Even when I cannot see this happening, He is working. There is not one wasted breath. I may trip and fall, but He does not expect me to be able to walk without Him.

In fact, I cling to Him because I know that I am nothing without Him. I cause death in my own power, but in Him is life, and life abundant. I am thankful for His consistency. I lean my weary frame on His steadfast one and find quiet rest. He is my first love, and Him I will not forsake.

The Last Beach Day

Here are some pictures from our last day at the beach!  David found an enormous crab that the kids enjoyed poking at and carrying around as their trophy in a net.

Though not documented by pictures, I feel the need to declare our (David and I) victory in Bocce in which we dominated two other teams.  The first game was a shut-out (chyess!!!), but the second was a lot closer.  We beat the Bocce Ball Champion Team of the family (Pop and Andy), so I guess that must make us the champs now?  I whole heartedly embraced this idea and sang the Queen song "We Are the Champions" for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately later that day we were literally destroyed in a game of Rook by Robbie and Melanie, but we don't need to dwell on that.

Alright, enough chatter, here are the pictures!

Chocolicious

This, people, is what happens when a few adults decide to make their kid's life 100x more enjoyable:

Bits and Pieces

The next few posts will be the last few pieces of our first summer vacation together!  It was such an amazing time and I will never forget it.

One thing Pop said on the way home stuck with me though.  He mentioned that we never really had a focus on the Lord the whole week.  It is hard to remain focused when your schedule is completely revised (or doesn't even exist), and 5 different family lives are put together.  I spent most of the week digressing into a pattern of selfishness, and when David and I had a long talk about it, he called us both right out into the light, confessing that he had been falling into the same pattern.  We spoke to the Lord together, confessing our lack, and asking Him to be our center again. I am so thankful that when we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from ALL unrighteousness. I am so thankful for his love. I took a short walk on the beach one night, and after I got back I wrote this song.  It still needs a ton of work, but here is the very rough draft:

I looked at the ocean, the pale moonlight

Reflecting against foam and waves

In vast open spaces, lay great mysteries

From times long before I became

You listened as I talked and chattered aloud

Not another soul there made a sound

I asked you to help me somehow make you proud

Your breeze swayed gently still

I told you my secrets, I told you my shame

Then my words ended.

Your chorus silenced me.

"I love you as big as the ocean.

I love you bigger still

I love you much more than the number of stars

I love you further still.

My love goes further still"

Babysitting

I'm sitting here in the middle of a screaming 1 year old baby and a little 4 year old boy attempting to play super mario on his Wii game system.  It's confirmed for sure... I am definitely NOT ready for kids.  David and I drove from Myrtle Beach to his parents Friday night and then left Atlanta yesterday and got home after midnight. Fast-forward to this morning, and I'm in somebody else's house trying to do a good job watching their little kids.  This is just a little break from it all, and it will last about 5 minutes.

To all my mom friends (and I have a lot), I respect you, I appreciate you, and I hope I don't join you for just a little bit more time.

What?  Silence?  Maybe the sound of my clicking keys has proved to be an antidote to the madness.  Let's hope so.  Nothing else has worked so far.  Not food, not juice, not the Doodlebops... not anything.

Alright, time to clean up the mess and help with the Wii.

I miss the beach.

Bocce at the Beach!

Here are the Bocce Ball pictures as promised.  I started out on a hot streak, but as you can see by my facial expression in the following pictures, things did not turn out as nicely as they started.

Photo Shoot!

David and I set off on a little walk before dinner the other night before dinner for a photo shoot by the pier of the restaurant we were planning to eat at.  I wore a long flowing dress and got all wet for the shoot, but it ended up being worth it!  David got some great shots!  Below are some of my favorites. 

We're on the second to last day of vacation and I'm still enjoying every minute of it. After dreaming that I was a superhero with a stick and a staple gun for my weapons (not to mention my kick awesome karate skills), I woke to a few of my nieces and nephews knocking on our bedroom door and trying to get in with no success. It's been interesting to spend a week with seven little kids.

"Rebekah, how many books have you read so far?"

"Eight."

"Micah, what does Buzz Lightyear say?"

"To affinity, and beyong!!!"

"McKinney is outside pulling his pants down!"

"McKinney, why did you pull your pants down when we told you not to?"

"Braxton told me to!"

"Has anyone seen the nipple to this bottle?"

"Aunt Rachel, do you have a ponytail I can use?"

"Amberleigh, you are officially on Koltyn restriction for the rest of the day! Get out of his face!"

"Amelia takes her playing seriously! She came and bit my bottom pretending to be a Tiger!"

"Can we go pway at the beach?"

It's been a hustle and bustle of events at the beach house for sure. Not to even mention the adults in the whole picture! They are just as hilarious as the children. Last night we played a rousing game of dominos (when I say rousing, I really mean brutally competitive and intense). This was after a long day at the beach where we rode HUGE waves and played a few rounds of Bocce Ball. We started the week playing Rook, but after it was established that Erin is "quite possibly the greatest Rook player ever," I suppose we decided there was no need to continue trying to win that reputation.

Gaga (a.k.a. Lady Gaga as we've been calling her), David's mom has been saying some pretty funny one liners this week. I think my favorite so far was "I don't have a bra on, but I have this belt to hold 'em up!" We literally hit the floor laughing.

Last night I made up my own chowder recipe with my leftovers from the seafood platter I ordered a couple of nights ago. It turned out amazing! I'll probably never be able to make it again. I'll post some pictures in my next blog. I also have some good Bocce Ball pictures to post.

Well, time to run again! I'm going to the beach!

Family Time

I think my favorite part about this vacation is being in a big house with everyone and spending time with the family. I never once felt like I was on the outside of this family. The moment I became a part of it I was welcomed with open arms. I love that David feels the same way about my side. We are so abundantly blessed with good families.

Sunday morning before church David got out his guitar and played a few worship songs. Amberleigh (the cutie below next to McKinney) loves the song "Marvelous Light" and sang all of the words with him. I wonder if she even realizes the powerful words she was singing. "I once was fatherless, a stranger with no hope..." Amberleigh lost her dad a few years ago in a tragic fourwheeling accident. She is in the process of being adopted by her new daddy, Andy who is one of the most amazing men I have ever met. What a great picture of God's mercy and provision. I love my family.

Speaking of my amazing husband, I believe I promised a picture of his awesome new bathing suit. Clearly by the sight of this picture, one can conclude that he thinks it's a wild success. I would have to agree with him.