What I drove in today...

Well....we have hoped we would have a snow storm while we were here and today was the day. The snow started about 8:30 and school was let out at 10:15. After I dropped off the kids at home I ran out to my parents and that is where this picture was taken. We are enjoying the day being snowed in although it prevented Mark from flying in as his flight was cancelled....he re-scheduled for tomorrow.

BTW.....Hudson was eating a smoothie in the picture below...notice the flax seed on his lip....He LOVES them!

Wordless Wednesday

While I Was In The Shower.....

......Hudson came to me jabbering with excitement and telling me to "c'mere".....He had gotten my camera and "staged" his cars to take pictures. He ended up using all the memory (which wasn't much) but was SO proud of his pictures. I had to laugh but be assured when I am soon the proud owner of my NEW Nikon I won't be leaving it out where he can get to it!!!

Prayer Request

I know you are faithful to pray. As you know we are in MN for the 2nd semester. Yesterday we heard Madi's homeroom teacher's family was involved in a terrible accident. She lost her husband to a sudden heart attack 2 1/2 years ago. Saturday her parents and sister were on their way here to celebrate her 5oth birthday with her and all three were killed in a head on collision. I can't imagine the pain of losing four family members EVER but especially in such a a small frame of time. I don't the details of her sister's family but I am sure she has children still at home.

If the Lord should bring this across your mind this week please lift up Diane Hoffman and her family. Thank you!!

Thankful Thursday!!!

Last night we celebrated my mom and dad's 48th wedding anniversary. We also celebrated the GOOD news we received Tuesday from my mom's oncologist. Her tumors have shrunk considerably and her tumor marker has also gone down considerably since November. Her oncologist was visibly excited and we know that the prayers of many family and friends contributed to this great news!!! It was a fun night and we wish Mark and my brothers could have been here to celebrate with us! We are truly thankful!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home......

Last Friday night my nephew Jackson (8) came over after school to spend the night. He had been begging to do this since we moved in so a plan was made. The afternoon and evening went well and after coming home from a bb game at around 9:00 he announced....."I want to go home"....Well, this didn't suprise me at all as he quite the homebody but I wasn't about to get out again in the cold weather to drive him home.

What is it about home that draws us continually back to it?

I started thinking about this after I went to bed last Friday and pondered it many times over the last week. What is it about home? This is what I know. It is what is comforting and familiar. It is where we feel the safest. It is where we can just "be", not all prettied up for the world outside and probably the place we are the most authentic. Loved purely by those we live with although they surely see the real "ugly" we are good at hiding from the rest of the world...and.....THEY desire to come home. Wow......

It also got me thinking about what home really is. Living 20plus years away from where I grew up has brought many homesick moments.. Now I am here and miss home in TX (Mark being a big part of that). Hudson calls this house "new house", he refers to our house in TX as "home" and then there is "Grandpa's house". He seems equally excited and happy being in any one of those places....so, as often happens with children around, I have learned through Hudson's eyes, home is where "your people" are and although that sounds cliche...."home is where the heart is"...it is so true. Sure, I miss my house, my things, my closet (as we are going on week 6 of living out of suitcases which will spread into six months....) but those pale in comparison to being among those who know us the best and love us inspite of ourselves..........

And isn't that the heart of God? He loves us inspite of ourselves, in Him we are the safest we can be, where we can be totally authentic and trusting in His love for us. Where He desires us to come free of all the things we use to pretty ourselves up for the outside world and where He longs to just "be" with us. And isn't that what we should desire? To BE in Him?

"Lord, may my deepest desire be You.....my dwelling place, my fortress, my firm foundation,.........my home".

(BTW....just so you don't think I am the mean Aunt Sharon, I knew Abby, Jack's sister, was coming by to drop Jordan off so she took him home)

Happy Birthday Landry!!

There are those rare times in life when you meet someone and instantly connect. That is the way my friendship with Jennifer started and today is her beautiful daughter's fourth birthday. Jenn and her husband had moved back to our area after living in CA. They had visited our church and we heard they had a little girl from China. We hadn't met them yet but decided to have them over for dinner as we were waiting for our referral and were anxious to gain any knowledge we could about China and adoption. They graciously accepted our invitation, having never met us. Well, the rest is history. Jennifer has become one of my very best friends and our kids adore Landry. She and Jay are an amazing couple who love the Lord and have a heart for the things Mark and I do. We look forward to many years of doing life together and watching Miss Landry grow! We miss you guys!!!

Happy Birthday Sweet girl!! We wish we were there to celebrate with you!!!

Miss you friend!!!!