Let the craziness begin...

Max moved up to the minor league in baseball this year - that means serious business, people;) Ok - for me, it's still just little boys playing baseball. But many of the parents and coaches take it extremely serious and get all kinds of wound up about it. I think I will just sit in my little chair, share snacks with Callie, and we will cheer our hearts out for "Bubby!" Saturday was opening day - so we started out with a parade in Odon (where Gabe drove the team in his big orange truck), had opening ceremonies, and then played one game. It was freezing and kinda miserable for the fans - but Max had lots of fun!! He seems to enjoy all sports and just loves being around his buddies. I think Callie was crying before the first pitch, and kept saying she wanted to go home:) It's gonna be a LONG season for her!

 Nate is in the Pee-Wee league, so we also got to watch him play. He was cracking me up completely - he was the catcher and had a mask on, but kept pulling the gum out of his mouth and thru the front of the mask - playing with it:) I thought it was funny...Cole- not so much:)!

That afternoon I got to take pictures of my sweetie, Cassie Janae - getting ready to go to her senior prom!! I just can't believe it...she is growing up too fast:( She looked gorgeous (as always) and it sounds like she ended up having a great time! Yay for Nae-Nae!!

 Gabe has still been working hard on his carving business...he has branched out into making flower beds out of the logs - people have been planting flowers in them and putting them in their landscaping. Speaking of landscaping - he has also worked like a wild man to start landscaping around our house. The first 2 years at our new home we have just kept things plain and simple...but Gabe has started doing some major work and has lots of stuff planted, mulch down, and is even starting a waterfall. He is so funny - outdoors all the time for this guy!!!!

Well, tonight is Max's 1st official game (besides opening day) and Callie and I will feel much better sitting out in this 82 degree weather:) Hope everyone has an amazing day!

Long week...

Whewwww...its been a long week and I'm so glad I can take a big sigh of relief and head into the weekend. Nothing huge or major that directly affected us -
just one of those weeks where millions of little things add up and you have a splitting headache and something else pops up just when you think you are in the clear and then bombings and explosions are splashed across the news and you are just DONE.
ha ha...Did that sound like a never ending sentence that went on forever with no breaths between words? Good - now you know what my week has felt like;)

I'm going to take this weekend to relax, recharge and snuggle my two kiddos. Time is going so fast and each morning when I wake them from sleeping I could just swear they have grown from the day before. Goodness, what would I do without these two?

Easter 2013

Better late then never, right? I haven't posted any photos of our Easter celebrations and thought I better do it before another holiday comes along:)! We had a pretty laid back Easter this year...just enjoying our church service, then having two family celebrations on that Sunday, and two celebrations the next weekend. We were able to go to all four sides of our families and see some people we haven't seen in awhile. Even when everyone lives close, sometimes we all get so caught up in our own lives that time passes quickly and we lose touch to those we call family. 
Max is an old pro at the whole Easter egg hunting thing by now! Callie was interested this year, which made things interesting! Once she opened one egg and realized they were filled with her favorite treat, "choc," she didn't stop until she had all the eggs opened and as much chocolate stuffed in her mouth as humanly possible. This kid definitely takes after her mother with a major sweet tooth!

Callie helping her Great Grandma Lena cook Easter dinner...

Cutie-pututie...Nate

Callie and her sweet cousin, AunaRay!

And the race for the eggs is on...(Nate, Max, & Nate)

Daddy helping collect eggs...

Sweet cousins...Gracie, Dailee, and Callie

Getting a little push...

My little man is growing up!

Hope Renewed...

I don't think I've ever shared the whole basis behind my blog title.
When I started this blog - it was the darkest moment of my life. And although I was in the midst of a huge mess, I had this feeling of profound HOPE. Here is the verse that comforted me during those dark times, and lead me to creating a blog entitled "Rise to find the sun..."

“Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.
The Lord is all I have,
and so in him I put my hope.”
Lamentations 3:21-24

The Power of Words...

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24


The Lord wants our words to be pleasant…but sometimes words can be so incredibly hurtful.

I was hurt by something that someone said to me yesterday and I can’t stop thinking about it. Women by nature are critical of our own bodies…so my goodness, why would others feel the need to point out what someone is already self-conscious about. Let me just put it out there:

NO, my body is not what it used to be. It isn’t as flawless as I would like it to be. This is something I struggle with…something I worry about. I don’t need to hear it from you.
Words are a tool for communication…and I try to be really careful about the words I choose to use with the people around me, especially my friends and family. I never want someone to feel hurt, embarrassed, or broken-hearted because of something I said. Of course I know that in life sometimes we say things we don’t mean. I have done that many times and end up regretting how my words made someone feel. But honestly, I try to always be mindful of what I am saying.
But there are people who don’t necessarily feel that way. And whether they are trying to be funny, take the attention off of themselves, or just don’t think before they speak – there are plenty of people who are going to hurt me during my life.

Ephesians 4:29 says “Do not let any unwholesome talk come of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” That is what I want to focus on – building others up:)!

Luckily, I don’t have to worry about what others say about me. I am only worried about what God thinks of me.
Yes, I have imperfections – He knows each and every one and loves me in spite of it.

Yes, my feelings get hurt and I cry in frustration – He comforts me and dries my tears.

Yes, I think of what I can say back to get “revenge,” – but He calms my thoughts and guides my heart to love.

Yes, I begin to hold a grudge – until He leads me to scripture and heals my heart. Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth , and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

Yes, I will face many heartaches in this world – but He has prepared a place for me in heaven, where there is no hurt or pain.

I’m so amazed at how God sends messages in different ways when we are hurting. Today I read this on a blog I follow:

“I’m a friend of mine, loving my body not because it’s the sexiest, the most capable, the strongest, the healthiest; but because it was formed by a Creator who does no wrong. –Shannan Martin from Flower Patch Farm Girl

Then as I was browsing thru Pinterest – one of my friends had pinned a quote from Adele, which made me laugh and put a funny twist to my situation:

“I have insecurities, of course, but I don’t hang out with anyone who points them out to me.”