i love nick

i love nick-15 because he is different than every other 15yo boy i know.
he's never liked bugs.
he loves to read.
he's into any and every sport (well, except synchronized swimming).
i love nick's metabolism.
truly. the boy's hunger is never-satisfied.
he has a keen sense of justice.
yet he is sensitive (he read the book sounder as an 8yo, and started old yeller but could see what was coming and decided then and there that he would not read another book about a dog).


he loves his little brothers and they adore him.
he is not always patient with them.
but that will help them later in life when others are not so kind.


he's very competitive.
he may be cautious in new situations, but he is not afraid of them.
he has a strong sense of who he is, and doesn't bend easily.


he's fun to play games with.
he's game to try new things (i can't wait to see him on a snowboard).
he makes friends easily (even though he says it's harder than it is for girls because girls make friends by commenting on each other's nail polish).

although he's got serious skills as a drummer on rock band, he knows his limits and never tries vocals.
i don't think he'll be a rock star as a grown up, but i can't wait to see how God uses him.
he told his family/consumer science teacher (that would be home-ec to the over 35 crowd) that the best decision he ever made was accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior (to which his teacher said, "amen"). robin and i pray daily for his walk with the Lord, and that he would continue to serve Him.

we love you, nick.

i love happy mail

it doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it brings a smile to my face.

(bottom to top: new shoe inserts for my morton's neuroma and one new night splint after the dogs ate one, videos to keep little boys out of trouble entertain little boys, sandpaper letters to help teach pete since he's interested and my hand made ones are in florida, and a book for me from used amazon-so cheap!)

we interrupt our month of love to be reminded

you've got to watch this.
and listen to the music.
because sometimes we all need to be reminded of where we've been and where we are.

(originally found on randy alcorn's blog)

i love red

i love olivia

olivia-12, our fourth child and third and last girl, is all girl.
she is a perpetual ballerina.
even though she hasn't taken lessons in 2 years.


she loves to sing.
she was in the chorus at her school in florida.
she is taking chorus here, but she has to wait until the 4th quarter.
she is patient.
she doesn't complain much.
she has 2 volumes. quiet, or really girly loud.
we love the videos of her as a 2 yr old "talking" without saying anything.
we would ask her a question, and she would move her mouth like she was talking, only nothing would come out.
once she did start talking for real, though, she spoke in complete sentences.
as the youngest of 3 girls, she has her share of things about which she could complain.
repeat hand me downs.
last to do everything.
only blonde/blue-gray eyes.
only one who is not a teenager (that will change in 4 months!).
she usually gets to pick last. she's usually outvoted.
but she knows how to have a good time.

we often say she would be an excellent only child.
she is self-entertaining and quiet. she was the only one that i didn't have to worry about her getting into trouble if she was quiet as a baby.
now she likes solitude (like her mother) and reading and knitting (like her mother) and socializing (like her father).
but only if she really likes the people.
she'd never socialize just to say she had tons of friends.
no, she's more of a kindred-spirit seeker.
little girls love olivia. and she can entertain them for hours--in forts (like the day this picture was taken with the neighbor), or building things, or playing dolls, or school, or restaurant, or dress-up, or creating outfits for american girl dolls...the list could go on and on.

she never runs out of creative ideas.
she enjoys teaching others things.
she taught peter to do angels in snow.
she taught jack how to tie his shoes.
she and jack have been best friends for probably 9 years.
they love to do stuff together.
like legos
and she knows how to be a good friend (here with tally friend martha-elizabeth).
she's waiting patiently for a pennsylvania friend.
she's already been over to a friend from school's house.
she's already been invited to help a 9yo girl make doll clothes.
we love you olivia. for who you are now, and for what God has planned for you in the future.

i love God's Word

"Thy Word have I hidden in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee" - Psalm 119:11

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

"And the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8

we love ikea

we just went to scope it out--check prices on sofas and dishes, since we have none of either when we actually do have a home again.


the girls discussed cabinet colors for a kitchen... (look how shiny they are--you can see their face in the green one!)

i loved these lamps...not sure where i'd put them

we had a great lunch....after finding karis' phone at lost and found (she forgot it in the bathroom, remembered as soon as we got up to the cafe, but when she returned it was gone. i called the number and got the lady at lost and found. that quickly some nice person had turned it in). so glad we found it! that would've been one. expensive. trip to ikea.can't eat at ikea without getting swedish meatballs...
karis loved this pot. the lid on it makes it so cute (see the one in the background)


all in all, a lovely day with 2 lovely companions.....

i love my mom!

(photo credits to karis for all pictures in today's post. my mom won't be thrilled with this picture, but it was taken in our favorite pizza place, mack n manco's)

i love that my mom is such a godly woman, and is so full of life and fun.
i love that she's the grandmother who likes to give experiences rather than battery operated toys.
i love that she knows what to pray for me before i even think to ask.
i love that she supports me whether i'm having babies, homeschooling or moving yet again.
i love that we share a middle name.
i love that, as a fellow middle child, she gets me. and i love the fact that she's bringing us all together for her 70th birthday next year.

i love her husband (my step-father, jerry) who loves all of us as his own.
i love that they are less than 3 hours away now, and don't mind when we come to visit

and i love the little, dry, beach town/island that they live near and where i spent my high school years. i love that they take us to ride bikes on the boardwalk and give the gift of rides/water park to my kids.
i love that they are such a big, loving part of our lives.

and i love winter at the beach/boardwalk

we love.....2 hour delays

the big kids have decided they don't like snow days. it's fun until 4 o'clock and then it sinks in how much school work is being missed and that this day will be made up at the end of the school year, delaying summer.

we all love 2 hour delays because we can sleep in, have an unhurried breakfast and catch up on espn sportscenter (ok, maybe that's just nick) before heading off to school in daylight, rather than at breaking dawn.

i love music

i didn't realize how much i listened to music until i moved and the rhythm of my life was disrupted. i don't have easy access to listening now like i used to (while cooking and folding laundry especially) but that's okay, it gives me another thing to look forward to once we have our own place once again.

music is also a great teaching tool. we have several cds going right now (one in the car, one in the boys room at night) that are Bible verses set to music. the funny thing is, the big kids grew up listening to steve green's "hide 'em in your heart" series, so if the same verse is used with a different tune, it totally throws them off.

we are currently going through one song a week from this book in preparation for Easter (did you know it's only 9 weeks away?)

love bobbie wolgemuth (her blog is awesome) and joni tada

i was especially touched by a song i heard on the radio in the car yesterday. you may recognize it from this movie. there are so many people (including us) who are waiting for big things in their life: for a job, for their house to sell, for healing from serious health problems, for news about a job, for their fertility treatments to work, for direction for their future (and we're praying for you every. day!) that this song is a good reminder for those of us who have trouble just "being still and knowing" that even while we wait, we can still serve God and worship Him. and what a privilege that is. email if i can add your prayer request to my list.

be blessed today--

While I'm Waiting (sung by John Waller):
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

i love haley

my second born.. so full of life, and love

(with neighbor ava-7, and sister olivia-12)

she is so good with kids. they are drawn to her. she is learning to be a good big sister. sometimes it is harder than other times. but she is looked up to by every younger girl she meets.

she knows how to have fun. she can beat anyone at knockout. just this past weekend she impressed a boy at church with her arm. he'd never seen a girl throw like that.

i took her to the doctor today. she has the highest pain tolerance of all our kids (and the scars to prove it--dental surgery, stitches in her head). but her ear has been bothering her for more than a week. we don't have insurance yet, but we visited the doctor that robin's parents see. he was so kind and gentle. no big infection. give her medicine for a week and she'll be fine. you have your grandmother's eyes, he said. and so, you're in luck. just today i'm running a special for 16 yo girls with hurting ears. there will be no charge today. (i literally couldn't speak at that point. anyone who's seen a bill for a new patient with an extended visit knows that bill would've been over $150) thank you, Lord for showing your goodness to my haley whom i love so much.

thank you, haley, for bringing so much joy to our lives. and for keeping me on my knees in prayer.
you are loved!

we love....christmas

not sure why blogger wouldn't let me finish posting pictures last night, but i'll at least put on what i can for our memories. it was a subdued christmas for us in tally this year, being that we were also packing up the house and getting ready to move 1000 miles away.

rock band and wii were the big gift this year and a big hit. which was more fun, playing the game or listening to dad sing the vocals?

we love.... our family saturday night games

remember the little boy a year older than karis-17 who gave her her first bruise by biting her finger when she was 4 months old in the nursery at church? yup--it's zach. here they are engaged in settler warfare. (click on settler to find out more info) she forgave him.

and here's cody--the younger (but taller) brother. he rivals cousin nate at the game. except he's known for saying, "i need half a boat!" which makes us laugh and annoyed with him at the same time.

after only being invited over 4 times in the past 5 years to others' homes, we are thankful that our long time (20+ years!) friends, the snyders, have warmly accepted all 9 of us into theirs for the past 4 weeks straight. and the fact that they like to play games (darrell and robin typically are in the basement playing ping pong or nodding off in matching recliners while watching sports), eat, laugh and watch sports just makes the memories that much more fun.

and the youngest, 4 months different in age than olivia-12, keri are SO alike it's downright scary seeing as this is the first time they've lived in the same state their whole lives. it was extremely difficult to get these two to be still long enough to get a picture, let alone a
good one.

let the good times roll, girls, let the good times roll....

my dear mr. ruhl

w i l l y o u b e m y v a l e n t i n e?

a month of love....

you are loved with an everlasting love.....

and underneath are the everlasting arms....

jeremiah 31:3