A long day. A veery long day.

But a good day. It's life, ya know? The good, the bad and the ugly... it's all life, it's all good, and it's all from God. Praise God that every second of every day of every year of every decade (and so on) is planned... and going according to plan... and it's all for our good... because (as my Dad likes to say): God cares more about our character than our comfort. And praise the Lord. Can you imagine what we would be like if life went according to our plans? We'd be a much more unsanctified people. I'm so glad the Lord cares about me that much. And even crazier, He rewards us in Heaven for the work He does in our hearts. Again, praise God.
If only we could be as patient with each other as God is with us. Waaay too often we focus on the bad in each other... and criticism unbalanced with understanding, humility and love leads to pride. And pride leads to dissension like nothing else. We become so used to pointing out others' faults that we start to ignore our own... and begin to think more highly of ourselves... then pretty soon, people don't wanna be around us because we just can't help but compliment ourselves throughout our conversation ("But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth" 2 Corinthians 10:17,18). We need to have love for one another... and that entails the actions in 1 Corinthians 13. Not just having a good feeling for someone, or having a good time with soemone... but acting it out. We need to have an understanding heart... and have compassion rather than criticism waiting to jump on people ("Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep" Romans 12:15). AND... we also need to learn to appreciate one another. Not just put up with one another... but really, trully appreciate them and be thankful for them... and admire them for their strengths and pray lovingly and humbly for their weaknesses ("Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each eseteem other better than themselves" Philippians 2:3)... and love them because God loves them... and He loves us. Our hearts should be so overflowing with gratitude rather than pride! "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" 2 Corinthians 9:15.

"They came to see that family need not be defined merely as those with whom they share blood, but those for whom they would give their blood."
-Mr. Crummles, Nicholas Nickleby

Mama and the girlies.

Addie.... trying to smile?

Flowers make her happy. ;)

The five hundred million faces of Emmy. The girl is quite... expressive.

And then there's Addie. And you just knoow she's plotting something inside that little head. :>

Oh, beautiful child. :D

The stubborn "can't make me smile" face. =>

I don't know what to call this, but she sure is a cutie-pie. :D

=D

Ooh dear. lol, she really is the strangest girl. But endearingly so, of course.

Fair Emmy.

Scary Emmy.

She amuses herself deeply. hehe. Can't say that I blame her. She IS hilarious.

And then... there's Walnut. *sigh* This baby is truly... edible.

Walter getting tired, but trying not to freak out.

"Auntie? Have mercy? Please? Get me out of this contraption!"

Okay, everybody: "Aaaaaw!"

Ang and Rach. <3

Manda couldn't be in any of these pictures (they were Mother's day pics) cuz she was being a Mom... a pregnant Mom at that... and feeling quite sick. Poor thing.

*heart*

Um... Em? Half of the time I don't know what the girl is trying to do. lol. I love her.

Oh, my beautiful girls. Er.. my nieces. I can't help but be possessive. I just love them. =D

Shweethearts.

Mum-mum love.

See? Mine. My girls. ;)

Oooh, he's gettin the look. The Jenni look.

Oh, that's lovely, Greg. Sucha boy. ;)

Let's hear it again: "Aaaaaw."

The best love song...

I have no inspiration...

to write. I don't know why. My brain is just a little... dead. So I'll just say what I've been up to.
Typing (Precious Truth... by John Anderson), cleaning other people's houses, cleaning my house, cooking, trying to keep up with Greek (it's not like there's much homework.... it's just there's so little time. I love Greek though. it's fun. and awesome.), trying to read from a pregnancy book I have (I want to eventually be a midwife... but as I have no money saved up to take courses, I'm just starting with the basics), calligraphy, crocheting/knitting (I'm stuck on a crochet project cuz I can't figure out the pattern!! pattern's are evil, I tell you), reading Christ the Way the Truth and the Life by John Brown of Wamphray, and Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris, spending a lot of time at Jen's and banging on my piano while I'm there =D, having birthday parties (Josh's and Ang's most recently), mother's day breakfast, thanksgiving-for-God's-bountifully-blessing-us-with-work party!, testing different Sam Adams beers =D, babysitting chillens, aaaaaaaaaand procrastinating about blogging. I think the reason I have issues with posting is cuz I don't have enough time to get a full post out.... at one time. Ya know, without interruptions. I guess I'm just spoiled, used to having more time on my hands. So therefore I give a ginormous round of applause to those women with children who STILL find time to post... more often than I do. hah. That's what I call time management. Rock on, ladies.
Well! It's 8:something... almost 9. Time for family worship, then bed! Hopefully a bit of reading before. I find reading so very encouraging, comforting, enlightening, and just plain old good.
Have a good evening, everyone! =)
(I don't have time for captions, so you're on your own as to the meaning or significance of the pictures)