our gardener

my dad is our resident gardener.  i've mentioned him here before.  i won't say a lot, except that the fruits (and mostly vegetables) of his labour are so enjoyed by all of us!!  We are blessed that he enjoys this hobby as much as he does.  the steady stream of spinach, lettuce, onions, potatoes, corn, beans, zucchini, carrots and tomatoes has been a fresh dose of summer's best.  and watermelon is still coming! 

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oh, and did i mention his stunning sunflowers??  

so grateful.  for him mostly, and the garden too.  

 

26

this guy....he is my person, my human rock, my safe place to crash, my daily joy, my humour through thick and thin.  he is an absolute gift.  he brings to our partnership many things, but i especially appreciate the sharp focus on God's promises and truth.  this helps keep me grounded. it encourages me and keeps my focus upward.  he's unwavering in a world of certain "flip-flopping".  not this guy...

somehow we've been stuck on each other for thirty whole years.  married for 26.  a blur of the best kind.  trusting him with my heart way back when was the very best decision.  Jeffrey, you are my love.  congratulations to us...here's to however many more we are given!  i still adore you! 

C2

 not a lot to say, not alot to share.  just that sweet baby C, or C2, (as there are two "C" names in our home currently) has brought with his wee frame a large dose of joy and love.  our lives have intersected in a forever way.  we have fallen hard and are definitely getting too attached, exactly as we should.  this is a temporary stay for him, a soft place to land where many hands reach out to snuggle and feed and care for him in a beautiful way, but our connection to this sweet babe and his dear family will be forever, at the very least in our hearts.  

 

i ache that there is heart wrenching pain like this all around.  i want to fix these broken pieces.  my brokenness might not look the same, but on many levels it isn't so drastically different.  we all have cracks~ fragile parts of our hearts, our journeys, our stories.  sometimes raw, sensitive, vulnerable...i'm so thankful the love of Jesus seeped in to my worn out places.  i'm so grateful for the mercy and grace of my Father that He'd love me enough, more than enough...just as i am.  nothing more.  goodness, i'm not deserving of this lavish extravagant gift.  

(all of the big kids invest.  it's sweet...)

so, how ever many days and nights we spend with this adorable bundle, and the bigger C too as the months continue to hold uncertainty for him~ we pray their future paths hold immeasurable amounts of joy and love and warmth and security.  for now, we are smitten.  babies are sure good for the soul. 

❤❤❤

summer break

i took a few weeks break~ you might have noticed.  i usually do this in the summer and often when Jeff is on vacation.  blogging simply drops on the "priority" list.  July has come and gone.  there have been highs and lows.  stressors of all sorts actually.  thankfully they've been paired with many moments of lighthearted laughter.  not to mention ice cream stops and bridge swims and bike rides and beach waves and even the occasional patio date with dear friends.  we are plugging along.  thankful for summer, for small returns to things that resemble life "pre-Covid", for the little things.  no grand vacations, no elaborate changes, no real monumental accomplishments~ simply the little things. 

 had to post AJ's first task of the morning~ a failed rescue attempt.  the mouse was saved from the spinning in the skimmer basket, but not soon enough unfortunately...

anyone who knows Jeff even a little knows what he's doing below.  

there are blessings, there is movement, there is God's divine and undeniable presence.  grateful for this in this surreal time we find ourselves in.  thankful too for sunsets and garden plenty (thanks Dad) and less structure and routine, thankful for barbecued tenderloin and outside visits with family.  thankful for healthy kids (did i mention brave?? yikes...see above~ Hudson flying over the railing at the bridge!!) and steady paycheques and student jobs and birthdays.  thankful for online services and worship and sweet baby snuggles (more on C2 soon).  thankful for summer ripe peaches and open windows and unexpected blessings...ignoring the fact that this bottom paragraph refuses to align like the rest of the above. odd...

                                              God is good.  we press on.  and for now, i'm back!  more soon!  

                                                             be well and cherish the little things...