VACATION!

Our Good Friends, the Williams', took us on vacation this year. It was the first trip we took with our kids...our first family vacation...and they were the perfect family to help break us in to the "this is no lounging-by-the-pool-with-a-book-and-cocktail-in-hand type of vacation."

No, seriously, we had a blast. Ricky and Cara are the most laid-back people we know with the most precious children we know. They make everything easier and more fun. It was so wonderful to create memories with our babies while they are so little. It was so awesome for Gwen to play with her best friend, Clair...and for Augustine to follow little Ricky around to see what big one-and-half-year olds know how to do.

I loved spending some girl time with Cara...talking about silly and serious things and getting to stay involved in each others real lives. And, of course, Bic and Ricky are NEVER at a loss of things to connect them together and make them laugh.

The Little Dudes

That's our Girl! How did she get so BIG?

Rascals!

BFFs! They have been since the beginning.

These girls know that there are some people you just "click" with.

They are, however, not so great at the picture-taking.

There he is. All tired out after he destroyed the couch with his banana.
Don't work too hard there, buddy.

We Love the Williams'! Thank you for your friendship!

New "Wise Guy" Blog

I wanted to pass along the news about a new Blog that is sure to engage and challenge! The blogger is a man who loves the Lord, loves his wife, and loves his beautiful little triplets.

Dave is the husband of my friend Kyra. And, if Kyra is any reflection of Dave's character (and I believe she is) than I would have to say that Dave is a pretty freakin' awesome dude.

Enjoy the new "Wise Guy" Blog!

Wanna Hear something REALLY COOL...

Okay, so after I wrote my last POST, I left the house and went to Walmart (yes, I AM a Walmart shopper). When I got home I had received an email confirming an order for one beautiful new MOBY WRAP, on its way to my house!!!!

My wonderful friend and (lucky me) sister-in-law, Jenná, wanted to buy it for me. So, she did!

I am totally shocked and completely ecstatic! And, I have realized a few VERY important things...

1. Jenná is VERY interested in the "favorite Aunt" position.
2. Rather than trying to find things USED, a much better way to get stuff is to have people BUY THEM FOR YOU!!!

So, any following posts will start like this..."Who wants to buy me (fill in the blank)..."

Kyra

(Kyra and her Beautiful Family)

My friend, Kyra, is such an inspiration to me. When I get the chance to see her living out life, I am always put into a place where I just want to know and enjoy the Lord more.

Just the other day, I was enjoying a book study of Susan Hunt's The True Woman, with some of the wonderful women in my life. In this book, Hunt references J.I. Packer defining Doxology as "the passion to turn everything into worship and so to glorify God by all one's words and deeds."

I, immediately, thought of Kyra Goffeney. She does this, and I want to be JUST LIKE HER!

I loved her blog post about contentedness and focus on Jesus. It's always so interesting to me to hear her talk about her life as "chaotic". I don't know why...I mean OF COURSE it's chaotic! She has 2 and a half-year-old (almost) triplets, for Pete's Sake!!! And yet, every time I'm with her, I feel at rest.

Friends

It's good to have friends! A couple of weeks ago, our friends, the Kelleys, had to come to Tucson for the funeral of a dear cousin. We enjoyed spending time with them, though, and feel so blessed that we got to have them at our home, even in such sad circumstances.

The Williams Family, also our wonderful friends, were able to join us for dinner and a fun night of conversation about homemade bread, where to find vegetables without pesticides, and how none of it really matters unless we are enjoying our families and glorifying the Lord in our caring for them! Well, that's what the mommies talked about...I have No idea what the guys were discussing...but it couldn't have been as interesting as that!!

Jean and Aaron have a beautiful baby girl named Therese (Reese)! It's really Jean
who got all the good pictures while they were here...but here are a couple of mine.

Clair Williams was HILARIOUS and she and Gwen really have a special friendship (I just think they genuinely LIKE each other). Little Therese just slept the whole time!

It's really Jean who got all the good pictures while they were here...but here are a couple of mine.

Kelley Family

Cara and Clair (baby #2 on the way!)

Clair amused us with her cookie-eating

The girls played together the whole time

Gwendolyn was shocked by the dinner conversation

Thank you for coming to our home!

Thank you, Aunt Jenn!!

Thank you Aunt Jenn Lamb (and Abbie and Uncle Kevin!) for the beautiful shirt you sent me for my birthday!!! We all miss you guys so much!

It's so fun to get a package in the mail!

Yeah! Clothes!

I'm so pretty!

Enough Pictures, Mom!

We Love the Lambs and we thank the Lord for them!

Pretty Little Madelyn!

I am so happy for our Dear friends, Jenni and Josh Thye! Look at this little cute thing!!!! She is so awesome and I look forward to watching her grow. We praise the Lord for your little girl and we love you, Thye Family!

"The Greatest of These Is LOVE"

1 Corinthians 13

[The Apostle, Paul's, letter addressed to the Church (a body, or group, of Followers of Christ) in the city of Corinth. Apparently, most of the Christians there were having difficulty separating themselves from their "old" self - the one once enslaved by sin. This letter was written to correct them.]


1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. it does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong-doing, but rejoices with the truth. love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends...

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Yeah, Aunt Amy!

Gwendolyn and I took a day trip to Phoenix to visit Aunt Amy. Gwendolyn loved being with her, as did her Mom. Amy is a beautiful musician with a voice like an angel. She loves others with Christ's love and she's one of those people who just make you feel good about yourself. Plus, she's a ton of FUN and really HOT!

• Looking Back...

• My college roommates (below: at my baby shower) are my dear friends. God has used them in my life to show me how to really love, how to walk a life of repentance and honesty and how to PARTY! I love them!

Jenni, Jenná, Amy, Jen