remembering.

i hope and pray 

that you all had a chance to stop yesterday.

just stop and consider the sacrifices 

that the men and women of this country 

have made for you and for me. 

Even though I walk 

   through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil, 

   for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, 

   they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

1156. flags blowing in the wind

1157. sun peeking through the American flag

1158. kids that begged me to take them to see the flags

1159. no traffic

1160. the chance to get organized

beach shoot.

i so enjoy my little hobby of photography

(as i am sure you can tell)

and i am slowly learning how to shoot in manual.

this past weekend,

i got the privilege to take some photos of some sweet friends.

their first son was born at 27 weeks so

his momma has been such a huge source of wisdom for me.

they are in the process fostering-to-adopt their second son

(which is why i can't post any photos of his cute face).

she has an avid lover of photography as well,

so the pressure was on

(not from her, but from me).

here are just a few that they haven't even seen yet!

and i am beyond humbled

to be this week's featured blog 

on faith blogs.

1151. God moving

1152. being in the sunshine

1153. soooo much family time

1154. taking photos without my munchkins around

1155. a super short drive to the beach

i like it here.

i am absolutely

honored and humbled

to be guest posting for Kay

over at Heart and Soul Pursuits today

for her project,

Inspire Me.

i've read it plenty of times.

i even have it underlined in my Bible.

but not too long ago, this verse hit me.

and i mean really, really hit me.

Everyone who falls on that stone (Christ) 

will be broken to pieces,

but he on whom it falls will be crushed.

Luke 20:18

i am so broken.

and i am so grateful.

oh, so grateful for that brokenness.

or that need for a Savior.

for that need for Christ.

to know Him.

personally.

i am grateful to have fallen on Him.

to be broken to pieces.

rather than being crushed.

without Christ, my life would be 

plain and simple:

awful.

just awful.

i am in such a vulnerable spot.

i have been learning over the past two years

that nothing is up to me.

nothing.

and my little L 

(click here for more info on him + us)

reminds me of that day after day after day.
we give him so much love and 
work with him constantly
and yet his progress is not at all up to us.

He is the one who strings it all together.

Moses said to the LORD, 

“Pardon your servant, Lord. 

I have never been eloquent, 

neither in the past 

nor since you have spoken to your servant. 

I am slow of speech and tongue.”

The LORD said to him, 

“Who gave human beings their mouths? 

Who makes them deaf or mute? 

Who gives them sight or makes them blind? 

Is it not I, the LORD? 

Now go; I will help you speak and 

will teach you what to say.”

Exodus 4:10-12

and you know what?

i like it here.

i like that i can't do anything on my own. 

i like that i can't go on at this 

breakneck pace all by my lonesome. 

going on without Him carrying me. 

there is so much more than this.

than this life.

it's a good thing, too

because i wouldn't want to.

i wouldn't want to do all of this 

if it weren't for something bigger.

something bigger than this life.

if it weren't for Him orchestrating 

this moment and the next and the next one after that. 

and for Him being glorified in all the moments in between. 

We are hard pressed on every side, 

but not crushed; 

perplexed, but not in despair; 

persecuted, but not abandoned; 

struck down, but not destroyed. 

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, 

so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

1146. time to reflect

1147. fingerprints on the fridge

1148. knowing our mailman

1149. twinkling lights

1150. just ten toes

it was a circus.

it's {embrace} the camera day!

on our way to a new park a few weekends ago, 

our neighbor stopped us

to make sure that we knew 

that all of the firehouses in our area 

were having open houses.

what a good neighbor we have.

the bigs got to climb in the trucks, 

and fireman willingly slid down the pole

(at our request).

everyone seemed enthralled. 

everyone except for L.

poor little guy was crying before we made it into the station.

at the mere sight of the truck's lights on,

he freaked out.

so onward we ventured 

to our 

new 

little 

favorite park.

as you can see, it's nestled amongst some big buildings.

it reminded me of being in new york.

but we were the only ones there.

matching 

awkward 

food-in-our-mouths 

smiles for the camera.

that boy is mine.

we had so much fun

cartwheeling,

racing

and performing our many circus acts

all over the grass.

i usually can't pull off such a crazy outfit 

but i was taking K's wardrobe lead for the day. 

it undoubtedly worked for her.

it felt a bit as though we were performing in a circus.

although there was no audience.

okay, it felt a bit as though we were practicing to perform in a circus.

okay, he was our audience.

and he loved it.

1136. new parks

1137. the joy that comes from 

deliberately sticking to my to do list.

1138. the moments when the kids entertain themselves

1139. what D thinks of making when he does art

1140. not going through the mail for days

picture me {im}perfectly.for them

even though

i strive to and

i desire to 

be fully devoted and 

the very best wife and mom 

that i can be to my family,

i sometimes fail.

oh, you can't relate?

well, sorry.

it's the truth in my life.

sometimes i get so easily distracted,

focusing on all the wrong things

that i 

think 

my family needs and wants.

and then i get busy and

frazzled and frustrated

and then i am reminded that all they want is me.

not all that other stuff.

just me.

with a little twinkle in my eyes.

just for them.

and i am far too blessed to let this slip by.

to let these moments 

blow away with the wind.

oh, how i long to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

Her children arise and call her blessed; 

her husband also, and he praises her: 

“Many women do noble things, 

but you surpass them all.” 

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; 

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 

Proverbs 31:28-30

i am blessed indeed.

head on over to jen's blog

where she shares how

God is working in her {im}perfect life.

picture me {im}perfectly

is a weekly project to reveal that we don't have it all together.

i will post a 

picture me {im}perfectly

blog post every wednesday 

where you will be able to link up to your blog

revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,

your kids are not picture perfect,

your house is not picture perfect,

your crafts are not always picture perfect,

let's 

encourage, 

inspire and 

remind 

other women 

that none of us have it all together.  

<a border="0" href="http://capturingmotherhood.blogspot.com/search/label/picture%20me%20%7Bim%7Dperfectly" target="_blank"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TTTZOgmZkqI/AAAAAAAAHAw/NH8EssqyeZc/s144/pictureme8.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />

add my button to your blog post

and link up to your direct posting

and feel encouraged. 

1131. cornbread crumbs. everywhere.

1132. date night.

1133. a new haircut

1134. a half cleaned out closet

1135. the joy that mr. potato head brings

music and ring pops.

L's foot appointment went great yesterday.

other than the fact that 

once they removed the bandages on the left foot, 

he was so happy that 

he kicked and 

he kicked and 

he kicked 

until the end of his toe was bleeding. 

ick.

he now has a sweet little bandaid on his piggies.

and i got brave and took some good looks at the foot.

and i actually saw the foot (and not all of the stitches).

it looked better than what i had imagined. 

and don't worry. 

i will not be posting any photos of his wounds.

B recently brought his guitar in the house. 

and little L has

loved

seeing it, 

hearing it and 

playing it.

i think i'm going to get him into some music therapy.

and this was a long-awaited ring pop indulgence.

we got them over the weekend and

the bigs couldn't wait until they could be enjoyed. 

My purpose is that they may be 

encouraged in heart and united in love, 

so that they may have the full riches 

of complete understanding, 

in order that they may know 

the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

in whom are hidden 

all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:3-4

1126. not having to rush

(something very new for me)

1127. the joy that stickers bring

1128. a break in a day

where i shouldn't have gotten a break

1129. the kids seeing God's blessings

1130. a promised bath 

(rather than sponge-bath) for L

not lonesome.

do you ever wonder what it's like to be alone?

yeah, me too.

i was talking to a friend yesterday 

who lamented that her only alone time 

was in the bathroom.

i wish i could say the same. 

i feel like the only time my children aren't yakking my ears off

or hanging off of my every limb

is when it's dinnertime.

then i can't seem to get them to come to the table.

i hope that doesn't have anything to do with my cooking. 

for just last night, i served tacos

(with fresh cilantro from our garden!)

and D would not eat his meat and sour cream filled tortilla.

that was, until he was allowed to dip it in ketchup.

gross.

he may never complain about my cooking again.

i am not a fan of ketchup at all 

(sorry if that offends you)

but i do remember while growing up 

that my cousins would put ketchup on everything.

and i mean everything.

that's probably why i can't even stand the smell of it.

i think my children are laughing at me in this photo.

laughing at my dream that i might someday get a photo 

with all three of my children

smiling and

looking at the camera.

don't you think?

who am i kidding.

that is not going to happen anytime soon.

but he'll smile for me.

if i beg him.

even though being in front of the camera 

makes him uncomfortable.

and this little man,

he loves it when i take his picture.

actually, it's sometimes difficult to get a shot of him

when he is not smiling and looking at the camera.

unless, he is with his siblings.

then he never looks and smiles.

not when they do anyway.

i think they've formed some sort of pact.

in other news,

L has his first post-op later today.

i am interested in hearing what L 

has to say to the doc 

because he has fully investigated his own wounds. 

yuck.

the past two mornings, 

we have found L without a sock on his right foot 

and he has also now decided to remove the bandage on that foot.

again, i say yuck.

i'm looking forward

and not looking forward 

to the big reveal of his left foot today.

i accidentally saw some of it without a bandage 

when we were in the hospital and 

i think i will be forever scarred by that sighting. 

i don't remember seeing much foot at all 

but lots and lots of stitches and blood.

i don't think that L will be phased by any of this 

but i sure have been.

i'll be sure to keep you posted.

you can count on that. 

fyi, these photos were taken before the operation.

1121. fluid thoughts

1122. a spontaneous visit 

from out of town friends

1123. a fun-packed

full to the brim weekend

(more on that soon)

1124. delicious food 

(even though D doesn't think so)

1125. soul-stirring photos