True Love.

I'm convinced - there is nothing like a father's love for his daughter.  I cannot get enough of the way Tim loves Stella.  He is such an amazing father to our little girl.  

Uh-Oh!

Look who learned how to take her diaper off...

Needless to say, she will be wearing shorts (even when it's hot) from now on!

Matches Made in Heaven.

A few weeks ago we went to the wedding of Rick and Casey Knight...aren't they a gorgeous couple?

The reception was held at a beautiful country club in Barrington, R.I.  Tim and I kept commenting on how the only thing that ruined the view that evening was the obstructive power lines...what a first world problem!

Here are some funny shots of my honey and me mixed in with some great pictures...in case you can't tell, we're total goofballs!

I look like a mental patient in this one and Tim's hand makes me laugh out loud.

Chase.

Mischief.

We must have been playing right after lunch...

Love the joy spread across her face!

Popularity.

Here at camp I'm frequently zapped back to high school - the remembrances aren't always pleasant.  

Tim and I have been talking frequently about how popularity is like a drug to high school students.  I wish someone had shared that analogy with me when I was 15.  I wish I had spent more time thinking about how God thought of me than how others thought of me.  I am thankful to have a chance to mentor a few girls from the youth group and to challenge them to think about how they view themselves and others.

There is one girl here who really amazes me.  Her heart for others is overwhelming at times.  There are a few kids who are, to be honest, really difficult to love, but this particular girl is able to see past any of the annoying behaviors and love them with the love of Christ.  I want to shake some of the kids who claim to follow God but who consistently ignore the least of these...and then I remember myself in high school and all the times I did the same in my striving to be something different than the person God created me to be.

 

God, please help me to love the way you love.  Please help me to see myself the way you see me.  Please help me to see others the way you see them and to love them. 

Pushing It.

This stretch in the life of my little family has been a crazy one.  Tim has been working harder than ever before, he was gone for a week in New Orleans and then we were both away for a wedding celebration in RI.  We are now in NY at youth group camp and Stella is showing the signs of all this transition.  I'm tired and just hoping that God is using this time in powerful ways that I cannot really see right now.  I know that life needs to settle or we're all going to start to suffer the consequences of too much time away and not enough time as a family.

Speaking of family, a dear friend reminded me today that just being together, here, as a family is a witness of God's love.  I realize that there are just under 60 kids on this trip from our church...and hundreds more from other churches around the U.S...and many, if not most of these kids have never seen a loving marriage and family before in their lives.  I hope that us being here is a witness of God's love and that it will be worth it in the end, because right now I know I'm pushing it.  I look forward to some down time soon.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th from our patriotic girl!