Mimi and Poppy

Trav's parents came into town at the end of February for a visit and we had a great time with them.  This was his dad's first trip out since we moved here so we tried to hit a few high points, but we mostly just enjoyed being all together.

The morning after they got here we headed out to an old mining town called 

Goldfield.

It was the quintessential "wild wild west" back in its day.

I felt like I just stepped back in time...or right into the movie Tombstone.

Train ride through the old mining town.

SG not a big fan of the unannounced train horn that blew
off and on throughout the ride!

Can you tell which feet belong to those who have spent most of

their lives in snowy Boston??

(we need to get the girls some cowboy boots I guess!)

We're not in Kansas anymore...

a far cry from Boston,

but the desert has become our home,

cacti and all!

Panning for gold!

Thankful for Poppy's help...this was tricky!

I'm convinced we would have been rich if Trav had been a 

gold miner...

We also had Ellie's last soccer game of the season.
We are so proud of her.
She did great in practice from the very beginning but was a little apprehensive in games.
She got more and more brave every game.
And she absolutely loved it...counted down the days til every game.

She had just been diagnosed with her first ear infection the day before this
game so she really wasn't feeling like herself but she still played hard!

The tunnel the parents make at the end of the game.

Fun that Mimi and Poppy got to be a part of it since they were here!

We also went to the zoo, played Farkle, had birthday dinner for Randy on the back porch, tried to capture a bird with a box and a string, played Farkle...
it was a really sweet time.

The girls love spending time with their Poppy and Mimi.
And Travis and I love having them here.

Thanks so much for the visit!

A Day in the Life...

When we were praying about whether or not to send Ellie on to preschool this year and I was feeling the leaning towards waiting another year, I was talking it through with a friend and mentor that reminded me again,

just take them with you everywhere you go, be with them...and disciple them along the way.

So we have done just that this year.

There are some days that I'm on my third or fourth errand and 

loading them into or out of their car seats for the third or fourth time

and I have to tell myself in that moment,

just take them with you everywhere you go, be with them...and disciple them along the way.

And I can say that I have not regretted it for a minute.

Our lives are very full...there's always a lot going on,

but I love that they are always in the mix.

And in the down times, they are with me.

Just me and them.

And I love it.

It won't be this way forever so I'm soaking it in,

even the hard days.

Some days are more scheduled than others,

and often the scheduled ones don't go as we planned...

but we just go with it!

So here's the joy of our life...

the mundane and the ordinary,

but I'm believing it's where their little lives are being forever shaped 

for the glory of God.

(sorry for the repeat pics if you're on instagram!)

the grocery

Target

Trader Joe's!

to the park

outreach at ASU

the zoo

"projects"...

if you'll notice the letter we're on, we don't get to this very often,

but she loves whatever we are able to do!

rest time

(I caught her reading to Kiki the Monkey)

nap time

(my little lover of books!)

dance class

a discipleship meeting while Ellie's in dance...

the little ones are quite creative with the things in my purse.

lifegroup worship

riding in the backyard

dr's office

children's museum

morning time...
pancakes!

"Jesus time"
(this is a rare moment where Emmy joined them)

fun times with Lauren

a little chick-fil-a

just hangin at home

life is sweet.

Restoration

He truly restores what is stolen from us.

Materially, emotionally...

whatever is taken, he will somehow in his glorious way,

restore.

And with us, he has done it again.

Almost three weeks since our car was stolen,

all has been restored,

and then some.

Ellie had a word from the Lord that it would be returned on "Thursday".
My mom had a picture from the Lord that the car was in Phoenix.
(not Mexico or the Indian Reservation like so many people were telling us)

Less than a week after it was stolen, our car was recovered.
On a Thursday in Phoenix.

But it was empty.

No bike.

No church equipment.

No catalytic converter.

(whatever that is)

Today, our car sits in our driveway restored to even better than it was when it was stolen.

Travis has a replacement bike sitting in the garage.

And the church equipment that was in the trunk has been replaced.

Over the past two weeks God has stirred family and friends to give and to bless us.
We received checks in the mail and phone calls of people wanting to help out
and before we knew it...all was completely restored. 

We are blown away at the goodness of God.

We are reminded again that material possessions don't really matter.

We have worshiped Him...all of us (even found Ellie on top of her Jeep worshiping!)
 because He's good 

and because there's no circumstance that will ever change that.

And in His goodness, 

He has lavished love back on us.

And all that was lost has been restored.

So as we enter into March,

we are trusting Him again.

For our family...

Our lease is up on our house on the 31st (of March!)

It's for sale and we've put an offer in but it wasn't accepted.

We'll have to move unless God opens a door for us to stay.

For our church...

We've outgrown our space.

So, again, we'll need to move.

Guess March could be an interesting month around here.

We're going to move forward in faith,

contend for all God has for our church and our family,

and try and just enjoy the ride!