let's get this party started...

I love these hooligans.
Will - 18
Ethan - 16
Melanie - 14
Levi - 10
Molly - 5
who currently has impetigo on her face...thankfully, iPhoto has a retouch feature.
yah!

blurry

awesome!

Lemme just publicly thank the Lord for another day to be in the presence of these 5 beautiful children.
I know you have all heard of the school shooting in CT, which happened around 9:30 this morning...so far, 20 little elementary aged kids DIED at their school this morning....

I know this world is not my home and that whatever happens to us down here will just propel us to our home in glory with the Lord Jesus Christ. While it will be hard for those left behind, I know they will rejoice that we are in His presence. The bummer with Jack leaving was that we never got to "have" him here at all...all that anticipation and preparation, wonder and excitement was met with utter horror and grief...I still cannot think on it for too long without weeping, feeling sick or just getting mad.

So how must those people feel this evening....getting home to cereal bowls left in sinks, pj's by the washer of those little kids that WILL NOT BE HOME tonight. I know the feeling...it's just plain ol' stinky....I am just sore from sadness for them. (I am in way comparing our loss to this horrific loss. but grief is grief is grief.....)

And I hope that anger at God is absent. I hope that it causes these people to fall at the foot of the cross and find their purpose and comfort there.

We are not promised tomorrow after all.

Cherish today.
Cherish your kids...no matter how obnoxious they have been (and believe me, Molly and Levi have been extremely obnox today!! but I have plans to snuggle, read, craft with them tonight...because we can)
Cherish your spouse, your family, your friends.

Know that the God of creation knows this pain...

JOY comes in the morning.