my little Buddy...

It's good to have friends!
Especially soft and fluffy ones.
Ones that love you whenever, wherever, and however you want.
He's pretty easy to love.
I'm sure you can see why!
It's the whiskers I'm sure of it!
(It's gonna be hard to keep this friend an outdoor cat. He seems to like to cuddle in bed! :)- oh heck what's one more?)

what's been happening...

Last week, I made a big mistake... I posted that I thought all the craziness was on the decline. Boy was I wrong! While we were getting Bella ready to go to her very first day of first grade the phone rang. It was my best friends husband. It was only 7:45 in the morning, my first thought... why is he calling me so early? My next thought, oh my gosh........... "IS SHE IN LABOR!" Yes, they were in the hospital, and I was to get moving in that direction. The adrenaline definitely started to bubble! We got Bella off to school, made arrangements for Meritt, and off I went up to Salem to the hospital, to be there for Kelli as she had her first baby.

It was no run of the mill labor and delivery. That's for sure. She ended up being rushed in for an emergency c-section. Shortly after the baby (Anibelle Jean - 7lbs 1oz - 17 3/4") was taken to the NICU, and Kelli to the Cardiology unit after complications with her heart. It was scary, it was horrible, there is nothing worse than the helpless feelings that you feel when someone you love is in danger in this way. Luckily they both recovered well, and are now at home working on getting to know each other and learn to nurse. I am so happy for them. She is a doll!!!

Hopefully soon, I will post some pictures of baby Anibelle, Bella's first day of the first grade, and some of the other things we've been up to! It will just be a little later than I thought! Life is just crazy sometimes isn't it?!

good friends...

now that's love.

click on the photo to see up close and personal :)

looking for the right words...

Last night we got together with some of our really good friends. We went out to a nice Valentine's dinner, played board games, sat and visited by the fire... talked until almost two in the morning. Somehow we got on the subject of God. My friend's husband told me in the conversation that he believes there is no God. He proceeded to give me all kinds of analytical reasoning, scientific theory, and things all way too logical for me. As I sat and tried to hear him, so I could find the right words to express to him the greatness of God... How there is no logic involved in faith... I somehow still feel perplexed the morning after.

How do you witness to someone who can't hear you because they have built concrete walls around themselves? What would be the words that you would say to express the greatness of God? I have never understood how a person could not believe in God. To me it seems so simple. How do you sit and look out at the ocean, or under a starry sky, watch a baby be born and still not think that God is our creator? Please pray for my friend. Please pray for me that God will give me the right words to share with him the awesomeness of God, the power that believing and having faith gives your life. Even in writing this, I somehow feel I am unable to find the words.

There is a book we have that we read to the girls that it explains this all pretty well, it's called
"How Big is God?" (by... Lisa Tawn Bergren)
It starts out... "Mom, where does God live?" "Why, he lives in your heart!"... "If God is in my heart, he must be very, very tiny."......... "He can be as small as a single drop of rain or as deep as the deepest ocean." ... "Is he invisible?" "At times. but God's everywhere around us, if we train our eyes to see.".... "Can he reach the moon?" "The moon, the stars. everything. He can HOLD the whole universe in his hands!".... The boy sighed, tired after their long day together. "I'm glad that such a big God can still fit in my heart, Mom." ..." Me too. Out of all the places God is, that's his favorite place to be!"

Cheers, to the newlyweds!

Saturday, we toasted to one of our dearest and oldest friends,

as she said "I Do" to her prince charming. As long as I have known this girl she has dreamed of this day,

& I could not be more happy for her!

She has met and fallen in love with the sweetest guy... she did good!

A Beauty!

Pictures of the bridal party...

Getting Ready, amazing how long it takes for girls to get beautified!

So, excited her day has finally come!

The Girls.... So lucky to have such good friends!

Congratulations K & A, we love you, couldn't be more happy for you!

I am so glad you finally get your happily ever after!