Root Growth

 

But time has gradually inscribed on my heart that winter, with all its surface bleakness,  

is for the vegetative world a time of intense creativity.   

While barren to the human eye,

trees in winter experience their greatest root growth. 

Their life force reached out, plunged deep

roots into the sustaining soil.

So it is with us as well.

~Wendy Wright

 

Something assures me that God is being intensely creative with our family too. 

 Calling us to look deeply and love well.  

 

With our faith plunging deep, teaching us to be sustained even in our weakness.

 

Showing us what fragility looks like and how much its presence changes us.

 

What journeying together really requires.  

Each learning to hold the hand of another, giving up the desire to follow our own plans.

 

Pushing us to keep walking on an ever unknown, ever winding path. 

 Gradually  releasing the pull of the comfortable life.  

More awake, magnifying the power of a single moment 



and calling us to linger within it together.

Seeing the beauty of His plan unfolded, and how to be intentional with the gifts given us.

 

Feeling the cold and hard, but also released by the beauty emerging from it.

Hard things have their many hidden rewards.  

So, we release our family again and again,



drinking deeply from this wild and precious life. 

SnowJam 2014

The weather forecast called for snow, but we didn't pay too much attention.  But then, Mrs. O left a surprise in our mailbox.  We read about Sadie and the snowman that she built, looked at the snowman building supplies given to us and wondered with great hope. 

 Daddy was expected to fly in that afternoon, and we had just left a doctor's appointment near Sophia's school, so we  treated ourselves with drive through hot chocolate and picked up Sophia early from school. ( Thank God!)  Then, ever so gently, white flakes started to fall as we made our way home. 

By the time we pulled into the driveway, every little face held a smile.  Leaving the news off, we celebrated the gift of snow with snow angels and a mini snowman. 

The big girls and Eli played until ther toes turned purple, then  headed in for more mugs of hot chocolate.  Expecting Mark home in a few hours, we baked up some chocolate chip goodness and filled the crockpot with chili ingredients.    We had big plans for a fun snowy family night. 

By the time we tuned into the rest of world, the stories of people stuck in their cars had rolled on in.  Mark's flight arrived around 4, and he headed onto the interstate. Our bigs continued to play outside ALL day, oblivious to the traffic nightmares happening all around us.  Two inches of snow had fallen, and the roads....all roads....were gridlocked with wrecks everywhere.  Mark debated stopping at a hotel, but figured most would be full near the airport.  As he crept toward home, he debated puling off on an exit, but every exit was icy and filled with wrecked cars.  He debated about stopping to sleep, but saw stopped cars surrounded by tractor trailers and abandoned cars.  He made the decision to keep moving, and arrived home at 7AM the NEXT day! Two inches of snow had resulted in a scary all night drive, with us at home praying and feeling quite sorry for daddy!

 

After a big sleep and a Texas sized breakfast, we were finally together as a family, ready to enjoy the wonder of the "snowstorm". 

 

 

So very grateful for the snowy surprise, Jennifer! 

Chinese New Year!

 

 

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Party, party, party!   If you are going  to finally start leaving the house, you gotta do it big! Chinese New Year brought us out of hiding as a whole family.   Eli and Evie were a little shell shocked by the festivities at first, but ended up having a big time!   (Now that we are all out of the house, our next project is a family picture.)

 

 

We got invited to a super fun party in honor of the Year of Horse!  We got to meet lots of new families, meet some online only buds in person and see some friends that we need to see much more often.   The organizers did such a an awesome job of decorating and planning.  This party really kicked up our celebrating about six notches!

 We dined on some Chinese-American eats with some cute, little Chinese-Americans.

 There was a group picture that could never quite come together!

 Be still my-still new to having four-heart.  Look at them holding hands!! 

 Just before we left, they made my China momma, lantern loving dreams come true with a lantern release. 

 We lit ours, then squealed with delight as it lifted into the air, joining the others in the beautiful, glowing sky. 

 To end the night, they set off fireworks, Eli cried his eyes out in fear, and we packed up and headed home!  Such a fun, fun way to celebrate the culture that is so dear to our hearts!

Chinese New Year: Small Group Style

Secrets out.  We hit the small group lottery!  The families in our group have blessed us in a huge way.  They pray for us, stand with us, and inspire us.  Doing life with them is a gift.  Our group of kids is not so small!  This crazy rock pic is missing, Lucy, Zoe, Finn, Henry, Rachel, Ellie and Annie. 

This past Sunday, we got together for some Chinese New Yearing at Jay and Angela's.  We gathered together for a Chinese feast and lots of laughs. 



 

 

 

 

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.  ~Unknown

There is a First Time for Everything

Less than 24 hours prior to SnowJam 2014,  the little littles had their first playground play date!

It is a total joy to see them soaking up new things. 

 

First you watch the bigs show you how its done. 

 

Then, you take a swing at it. 

 Hoofing around on mulch is a new adventure of its own. 

 

 Swinging seats on chains? 

Fun, yet somehow frightening. 

 Momma can push ever so slightly, but pals should only watch and smile. 

 

Sometimes its best to sit quite still in the swingy seats.

All these firsts make momma smile. (How's that one for a less than perfect, but posting it anyway photo?)

 

 

As always, it is most appropriate to end the fun with a little crazy.