ring in spring ... in november.

once upon a time...
spring happened. 

it exploded actually.

in color and emotion.

in  pain and clarity. 

at the time, my eyes were shut tight to the beauty.
somehow my camera still made it into my bag.
somehow she saw in color what i would have sworn was black and white. 

we grabbed gas station coffee, 

flung ourselves into the peace of nature and tried to feel the quiet.

grayson's dramatic interpretation of the heaviness of our spring...

no. 

grayson simply being grayson.. in ari's sweater.. covering himself with rocks just to feel the weight.  

children who are the same... throwing stones and leading adventures.

they remind me.. 

it doesn't matter what words have been hurled at us  like rocks in the lake..

they remind me of truth.

life is bigger than the rocks that are thrown at us.

His plans can hold my pain.

when life feels low...  

serve.

especially in beard-nets. :)

we packed food and colored boxes to be sent overseas.
sent to families bearing heavier burdens than our own.

oh these boys.

they said this was their 'boys club'.
"at 'boys club' we call each other names, mom... like stinky bottoms and poopoo face and then laugh about it.."
:) everyone needs friends like that. 

lucienne turned two...

birthday muffins.

 birthday tears.

birthday parties.

i bought  a key lime pie out of the target freezer case, threw up some streamers and called that sucker good.
there are days for elaborate and there are days for survival.
and there are days that a jar of bubbles cover a multitude of lame... and i'm okay with that.

 

oh.. sweet louie. you are the best part of spring.
your silly faces and mumbo jumbo talking tumble me into love with you every single day.

we were 'egged'.

which means (post-high school) that sweet friends hide eggs with candy in your yard, 

ring your doorbell and run away.

you know what's the best? 

when the road by your house is under construction 

and the city puts a port-a -potty 50 feet from your front door. 

yeah that happens. 

and you know what's awkward?
easter egg hunts and happy family photos while your church is imploding and people are yelling.
that happens too.
and it still breaks my heart.

easter is about new life.

a new life in Christ.

a new life with truth.

these things don't change.

i have spent easter  in the hospital hoping that my little girl would live.

i have spent easter  laboring another baby into this world.

i have spent easter in fear, joy and tears.

this easter was so very hard.. and yet so very good.

it reminded me of how badly we need an easter. we need a hope. 

we need a savior.

my kids made their daddy and mommy easter baskets just because they loved us and said we should get some too. 
melts my heart.

they love a good easter basket... 

and a carrot full of cheddar bunnies. :)

i love these people.   
the fact that they are MY people can humble me to tears of thankfulness.

again with the port- a- potty. 

lovely.

 

easter wrapped up and ushered in spring with a warm afternoon, 

shedding shirts and sidewalk chalk. 

all spring and into summer we worked on finding freedom from training wheels ...

while i worked on growing a baby.

as much as was different, it was always the same.

spring became summer.

as it always has.

and people need the gospel

like we always will.

for that .. i have never been more sure.