Bits and Pieces

some bits and pieces to share from our past few days.... 

girls sleepover at Helene's house on Saturday night 

Taylor and Jack (who spent the night at our house on Sunday night) 

Jenna, Jodi and Em (a fun visit Sunday afternoon to see them while Jodi was in town visiting her sister who moved north of Seattle in November) 

Heather  Kwok and her new baby Leah (with Anna H., Anna K and Taylor) 

teeny tiny- 6 lbs 11 oz... 

sweet Leah 

unicycling on the Ave to run an errand after school on Monday 

fun neighborhood dinner with the Hartsocks on Monday night before Scouts :) 

Taylor's super cool Pinewood Derby car that they turned in last night for the big race on Saturday!! 

2 out of the 3 designers (Abba was not pictured here though he deserves MOST of the credit!) 

He thought about lots of designs- and then the IPad was sitting next to him 

and he thought the Apple logo would look cool! 

cool indeed... 

hoping for a blue ribbon!! 

Love is in the air....

Often we speak about love as if it is a feeling.  

But if we wait for a feeling of love before loving, we may never learn to love well.  

The feeling of love is beautiful and life-giving, but our loving cannot be based in that feeling.  To love is to think, speak, and act according to the spiritual knowledge that we are infinitely loved by God and called to make that love visible in this world. 

Mostly we know what the loving thing to do is.  

When we "do" love, even if others are not able to respond with love, 

we will discover that our feelings catch up with our acts.

-Henri Nouwen Bread for the Journey

Taylor's Valentine Box made with Janie a few years back

Anna's Valentine Box made in kindergarten 

I love these stairs to welcome the seasons 

a bowl of love... 

Hope Trees

I was on a long run yesterday morning with Catherine, and I had to stop to take this picture when I spotted this cherry blossom starting to bloom. Tracey and I have always called these "hope trees".  Giving thanks for this splash of color on a gray winter day here in the NW. 

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.

Lamentations 3: 21-24

   

You'll Find Your Way

giving thanks for a sweet time snowshoeing up on Snoqualamie today 

and the gift of holding Taylor's hand at the end of our trek... 

it reminded me of this song....

You'll Find Your Way by Andrew Peterson

When I look at you, boy
I can see the road that lies ahead
I can see the love and the sorrow

Bright fields of joy
Dark nights awake in a stormy bed
I want to go with you, but I can’t follow

So keep to the old roads
Keep to the old roads
And you’ll find your way

Your first kiss, your first crush
The first time you know you’re not enough
The first time there’s no one there to hold you

The first time you pack it all up
And drive alone across America
Please remember the words that I told you

Keep to the old roads
Keep to the old roads
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way

If love is what you’re looking for
The old roads lead to an open door
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way
Back home

And I know you'll be scared when you take up that cross
And I know it'll hurt, 'cause I know what it costs
And I love you so much and it's so hard to watch
But you're gonna grow up and you're gonna get lost
Just go back, go back

Go back, go back to the ancient paths
Lash your heart to the ancient mast
And hold on, boy, whatever you do
To the hope that's taken hold of you

And you'll find your way
You'll find your way
If love is what you’re looking for
The old roads lead to an open door
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way
Back home 

a sweet 70th celebration...

Today was  Bette's 70th birthday and we had such fun celebrating this milestone--

 tea at Queen Mary's Tea Room, dinner at our house... so thankful for this family time! 

queen for the day... 

tea at Queen Mary's Tea Room 

playing dress up 

holding a fun mug: 

"celebrating 70 years of me..." 

gotta love Facetime so that Tracey could join us for tea... 

birthday dinner 

buddies 

emergency chocolate for Nana to take to Guatamala for her first aid kit 

reading birthday letters to Nana from family and friends

CELEBRATE!! 

This letter is from Hildy Johnson, one of Bette's best friends,

 and it captures her spirit so beautifully: 

"Elizabeth Ann Huff is deceiving.   She appears to be a petite, twinkly-eyed, kind-hearted, warm, welcoming, accepting, supportive, faithful, encouraging friend of mine and lover of the Lord.  Inside however she is a woman of steel with amazing strength, resolve and perseverance.  By her example she has taught me much about true friendship, being a Christian wife and mom, working with young children in school, and generally hanging in and hanging on.   She does not gossip or speak foolishly.  She lives prayerfully.  I hold her in the highest regard.  My life has been BLESSED by her life for 34 years!!!!" 

HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY TO BETTE!!! 

Eeeny Meeny Mighty-O

Since the kids were out of school today, I rallied a few friends to join us for a field trip to the Mighty-O Donut shop today.  They gave us a tour and told us about the equipment, their organic products, and the donut making process. They made some amazing mini cinnamon sugar donuts for us too as part of the tour- yum, yum. extra yum.... 

http://www.mightyo.com/