Sunny Moments and other things...

Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord...
I realized that a lot of the "anxiety" I've been feeling lately is actually grief. I think these two emotions have so often been mixed in my life that I can easily mistake the one for the other. With a death in the family and a dear friend's family touched by cancer it's been an exhausting week. I don't always know how to let grief and the perspective of God's vastness and Love reside in the same heart and mind.

New Years--Girl Time...

Heavy

Heavy with sorrow

grief an aching weight on my chest

death is awkward and unwieldy for us

humans who were created to live forever

Friendship, past, but not forgotten

stronger still, blood-ties

wishing you were near so I could come

to you and hold you tight

Your life, brimming with newness

sparkling with hope and strength

dealt a death blow

a shock to shake anyone to the ground

I declare for you this night

the darkness that comes

will be only that darkness of grief

temporary and healing

No killing darkness will touch you

no blight will mar

the effervescence that belongs to you

I declare Life abundant

I think of you with your little ones

gathered around you

and my heart aches for you

dear cousin, I hold you as I can--

in my heart...

Boys On The Beach

After a long, fun day--What's better than ice cream before bed? :)

What Do YOUR Kids Do When You Send Them Outside?

New Year's Drum Circle

So, when I heard folks trying to pound holes through the ceiling (thus ending my "nap") I figured it must be near midnight. I wandered upstairs and found it was only 11 pm...

Caylee and Don (Caylee, Joy, and Andrew are siblings. Don is their uncle)
Bear (who belongs to Lorna)

Mom and David (David belongs to Sue)

David and Janis

Philip

Nate on the didgeridoo

Andrew and Zach

Joy(dancing) and Sue(videoing--is that a word?)

Joy

Rowdy (who belongs to Janis) and Renee

Renee

Sue and Lorna (mom to Elijah, Zach and Cameron)

Dad:)

Mom

Janis and Mom

Don and Danita (they belong together and their kids are Alisa, Elizabeth, and Lydia)

Mom and Janis (don't they look like they are having fun?)

After we counted down midnight we went out on the deck for a few minutes and made crazy noise out there (the neighbors called the police!). Then we came inside and had communion.

A little more worship first...of a quieter sort

Then communion together, in the quiet, dim room, in the best of company...

Thank you Father so much for showing us Your love in so many wonderful ways. Thank you for friends who are like family. Thank you for the Gift of Your Son to us. I love You!

New Years Get-Away--More Pictures

Still Friday :)

Dancing to worship music while cooking dinner

Oh, wait, you're taking our picture?!?!?!?! Aaauuugh!!! At least let us POSE!

Downstairs movie watchers...

A really, really cool lamp

Happy
Do you think these ladies are excited to be together? :)

I just love watching the big boys play with the little ones:)

The really cool lamp compels you to Touch it...

Philip, who's pictured here came back and wrote on facebook about the wonderful weekend with friends, worshiping God and fellowshipping, and how God's been teaching him about family this year...and I just happened to have this great photo...

While on the deck taking pictures of the beautiful beach I turned around and was struck by the warmth and friendship visible through the windows...

Not terribly well composed, but I thought they were fun anyway:)

More dinner making

Elijah--dancing and clapping and singing and running from room to room saying hi to everybody. Soooo sweet and cute, I loves him:)

The drummer girls and Nate (Janis got her drum for her birthday and Mom got hers for Christmas and they are excited for any excuse to use them together:)

More to come:D Next, pictures of our midnight drum circle/worship session. The boys slept through it even though our bedroom was downstairs and it sounded like they were literally pounding holes through the ceiling!!! Woke me up. I didn't actually want to be asleep and miss the New Year's celebration anyway, I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. So, I was Glad to be woken up. I was really excited my kids stayed asleep though ;-)