Summer Time (through a phone lens)

With school starting today for Addy, I decided that it would be a good time to recap this summer through phone pics. Forgive the horrible quality!

Date Night with Addy

This goat loved Jack

Horrible picture, but I wanted to show off Joe's intellectual side.

Swimming in the river with Reaux

Bike Riding in the rain

Face Painting

Captain America

Took Addy to Camp Victory Diabetes Camp

Left Addy at Camp

Carnival at Camp

I don't know what this picture is from, but I love it!

Lots of indoor games

Fancy Tea party for Fairytale Frocks

Cool Cat Jack

Rock Wall climbing

Up close and Personal with the tigers

Friend Time

Jack's 1st sleepover

4th of July

Who knows!

Joe's usual attire

And its over. Too quick.

T-ball and Coach's Pitch

Addy and Jack are playing "baseball" this spring. And it is already a blast. They had their first game on Saturday and were just so incredibly cute. If you've never watched a bunch of 4 year old's running around in uniform playing t-ball, than you are missing out my friend.

I just can't get over how old and beautiful she looks in this picture.

...and that stride! She was really running fast!

Those pants slay me!

This picture melts my heart.

And this one makes me laugh out loud every time I see it! I have to explain to my kids a lot that I am not laughing at them, but am laughing from the pure joy of being their mom and getting to see all the amazing things they say and do.

I can already tell it's going to be a great season!

Life with Boys (shots from my phone)

Year 3

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Today marks the 3 year anniversary of Addy being diagnosed with diabetes. Normally I would tell her story, but you can click here (or go under January of 2010 if the link doesn't work) if you want to read that.

Psalm 139:13,14 is a mark of incredible hope and peace for our family. A reminder that God did not make a mistake with our little Addy. Far from it. The verse reads that God formed her inward parts. That He knit her together. That she is wonderfully made. Usually I stop at those verses, but today I was reading the first part of Psalm 139 and was struck at the beauty of those verses as well:

O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (vs 1-16)

He not only took care of the physical end of Addy, He showed me how fully and completely he has her heart covered as well. He knows there are going to be days she is discouraged with having diabetes. Days where she will see it has a hindrance and not a blessing. Days where she will cry out in frustration and anger. And the Lord will tell her, "I know little one. I know how tough it is and that your body is tired. I know that you would like to be free from diabetes and live a "normal" life. But trust me. You are perfect and beautiful, and you are mine." Or something along those lines. In times where she feels like there is darkness, the Lord will remind her that there is only light. The diagnosis of diabetes may be too great for us to understand, but God says we don't have to. We only have to know and trust in Him. It's beautiful.

I have learned so much from watching Addy be strong and courageous. And in doing things that most 7 year old's would complain about. She finds joy in the trials and laughs when the going is rough. She is amazing. And we praise him for January 21st.