Wordless Wednesday...Oh How I Love Them...

One thing...

One thing that absolutely makes me love my man is the fun that we have any time we are together. We aren't just husband and wife, we are best friends. We laugh together. We cry together. We sit in silence together. We have fun together. We LOVE to be together.

Kyle was in great need of a day off so through some gentle convincing on my part, he took a vacation day today and spent the day with us girls just "hanging out"! We ate his yummy homemade waffles while chatting around the breakfast table and then got alot of little things done that had been put on the "back burner" for quite some time. We've done a great deal of visiting, laughing and having fun as a family.

Visited Dr. Mallary...

Worked on Christmas Lists...

Broke a wish bone...

Worked on our budget...
(Notice the chocolate to ease the pain...)

Ate Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup...

Completed a Science experiment...


Along with:
A road trip to the post office...
Picking stick-tites off of Kyle's hunting clothes...
Enjoying a visit from Bri and Jordan...
Preparing the yard/patio for winter...

It's been a great day and I am so thankful for the time that we've been able to share together. One thing that I love about my man is the simple but wonderful ways in which he loves his girls...
me included! :o)

I love my man!

Faces That I Love... Thoughts From MaKayla...

I love the people to whom these faces belong so very, very much!!!

Me and My Gorgeous Momma...

Fun summer memories... We're close "homies"... :0)

Grandpa G's 65th Birthday...

Never a dull moment with Bri...

Mal, and the two men in her life...

Sharing a special supper with best bud Becca...

Crazy Uncle Troy...

Inseparable...

Mr. TJ...

Soul Sisters from the beginning...

Oh how I love my Grandpa B...

Note: Danielle's belly has definitely grown since this picture... and I am SO glad...

The "Three Amigos"...

My Handsome "Mr. Darcy"...

My Uncle Mark...

We're not real sure that we are sane...

My AMAZING Momma and Daddy...


"I Praise you God, for these faces that make my life so very, very special! I pray that I never have to live without them!"

Strong Hands...

Through many difficult seasons and growing pains during nearly 20 years of marriage, this particular song has become one of Kyle and my favorites in recent days. It is a true testimony not only to where we have been but to where the Lord is currently leading us...in our marriage and in our family. On a day-to-day- basis this past year has been one of transformation and remolding for Kyle as he has worked through some difficult, painful and mountain-moving realities in life and as a result MaKayla, Mallary and I have been and continue to be the richly blessed recipients...for that I give the Lord praise and glory!!! I have watched ashes turn into beauty... I have witnessed gladness in the place of mourning... I have experienced the daily manifestation of praise in the place of what was once despair! God is good! My man is amazing!

I am so thankful for the STRONG HANDS that Kyle is to myself!
I am so thankful for the STRONG HANDS that Kyle is to MaKayla!
I am so thankful for the STRONG HANDS that Kyle is to Mallary!
I am so thankful for his determination!
I am so thankful for his dedication!
I am so thankful for his faithfulness!
I am so thankful for his passion for Jesus!
I am so thankful for his love for his Saviour!

Thank you Kyle for your STRONG HANDS!
You are my life...
You are my breath...
You are my Jesus-in-the-flesh...
I love you deeply!

(You will need to pause the music on the side once you click to play the video.)

That Time of Year...

You know it's that time of year when...

House slippers go on...

Propane bills get left...

Vegetable Soup is on the menu...

Life...

Life... I often catch myself wondering what life is supposed to look like...what its supposed to consist of...what our days are to be filled with...where our time is to be spent...what we are to give our attention to... Lately Kyle and I both have been doing some evaluating on our "roles" as husband/wife, parents, teachers to our children... It's been a painful time of reflection yet we are learning much. As we sat with some of our closest friends last Friday night visiting over these things, we came to the conclusion that our society and our world in general has lost the true meaning and purpose of who God created us to be...as husbands, as wives, as parents... We've steered so far away from the roles He designed us to fulfill in life. Needless-to-say, we're looking deep into the Blueprint and diligently seeking the counsel of our Creator. There's alot of reversal of roles taking place in our lives and in our home. Life is beginning to look a whole lot different for a husband, a wife, a daddy, a momma and two amazingly wonderful girls. As revelation comes, the weight lightens and the burden is lifted. We're seeing life in a whole new light.

Just Mal & Me...

Today has been quite a different day for me...a different day, but a very GOOD day!

I used to take days like these to catch-up, regroup, clean house, do "my thing", but today, today was different...

MaKayla is out-and-about on a "girly" day with Bri (my niece, her cousin) so it's just Mal and Me here at home. Since Mal and I don't get many days like today, it's been her day...a day where she gets to choose.

I got up with Kyle as usual this morning but then as soon as he called on his way to work, I woke Mal up from her restful slumber and asked her if she would like to join me in Daddy and Momma's bed to snuggle (something she and I used to do ALL the time when she was a little thing). She quickly jumped up and made her way to our room and without thought chose Daddy's side of the bed to nestle in to. We snuggled and drifted in-and-out of sleep with the bright warm sunshine streaming in on our faces until after 9:00 a.m. That NEVER happens so it was a treat for both of us.

When I asked Mal what she wanted for breakfast, she listed all the options she could think of: cereal, toast, pancakes, french toast, scrambled eggs...,"Let's see how about pancakes. Chocolate-chip pancakes!" Pancakes it was...with lots of chocolate chips. It was fun listening to her chatter about how Daddy makes the best waffles and MaKayla detests chocolate-chip pancakes because they're too rich and they make her stomach feel yucky. :o) She measured all the ingredients, thought the sour milk looked disgusting, warmed the syrup and waited...


*During breakfast she watched a McGee & Me movie...
*Then got a perfect score on her spelling test...
*Did her final writing assignment for the week...

We agreed that doing school together on the couch sounded like much more fun than books at the school table so I got on-line, found some neat work pages on the animals that live in the Grand Canyon, she ran down to the printer to snatch them up and then we settled on the couch to learn... It was a great time and she commented more than once how nice it was to do school "together"! :o)

Believe me, when Mal first found out that MaKayla was going to be "missing" yesterday afternoon, last night and today, the prospect was a little taunting...she relies a whole lot on MaKayla...always has!?! I informed her that we all need "our time" and this was MaKayla's time and in time, her time will come...

I heard of yet another adolescent in our area who I am presuming committed suicide this past week and my heart was saddened. I wondered what was so hopeless that this young man felt as though life weren't worth living. My heart broke imagining what went through his mind prior to the determined action that carried out his drastic decision and what should have been different that would have made him feel loved, valuable, special. It made me think of the "Mal and Me" time we have had today and how these times cement in her heart and mind how much she is loved, adored and valued. These hours of independent, affirmation are precious and necessary investments...moments that neither she nor I will ever forget. It seems as MaKayla grows older and our interests fall in line with one another, we have lots of alone time together that "just happens". As well, the four-of-us spend loads of time as a family, but this time, one-on-one time, is rare but wonderful! Much like the time she and Kyle spent in the yard last night kicking the soccer ball around, playing catch with the softball and talking about her day.

Op, pizza's on the menu for lunch and my girl is hungry... (Pizza's on the menu for supper tonight as well...homemade, not Totino's...but hey, who needs rules on days like today!?! We can eat the same meal twice...)

Need to get back to our Mal & Me time...

Kindred Spirits... Thoughts from MaKayla...

This past couple of weeks Mal and I, along with Mom and Dad have been watching the "Anne of Green Gables" series of an evening after supper is over. These movies are some of my very favorite and through the years we have acquired all six, making a complete set. If you have ever seen these treasures you would know that one of Anne's favorite things is finding "kindred spirits"... those people that you have a connection with that just can't be explained. It got me to thinking about the kindred spirits in my life...

My Daddy,"Mr. Darcy" :-), My Authority, My Hero,
My Mentor, My Friend ...

My Momma, My Example, My Teacher, My Mentor,
My Strongest Encourager/Listener, My Friend...

Mal, Best Friend, Sister, and Constant Companion...

Bri, My "Twin", My Soul Sister...

Julie, "Adopted Big Sis" #1...

Megan, "Adopted Big Sis" #2...

Becca, My Best Bud...

My Grandpa Billy, My Side Kick, My Amigo,
My Favorite Person to Annoy :-) ...

"Thank you Father, for the kindred spirits in my life! Thank you for their friendship, their support, their love, their encouragement, and for the blessing that they are to me on a day-to-day basis! I love them so very much!"