Devastating yet encouraging.

A friend of mine that I took a missions trip with (operation barnabas) has been blogging for quite awhile. Her most recent posts have been amazing to read. She is so transparent and real about some VERY bad decisions she's made with her life and marriage. She talks candidly about an emotional affair which lead to a physical adultery. She was very fearful in sharing, but her story has proved to be encouraging to so many who are either caught up IN an affair or who have gone through one with a spouse.

Go to: www.sarahmarkley.com to read her amazing story of sin and redemption.

zip line

Keller trying out the zipline at Ventura Beach.. he did good belly flop

Cousin Jordan

My cousin Jordan just moved out here to LA and is staying with us for a little while. I'll post more pics, but for now, I'm posting this for her mom to see:) We took her to Ventura Beach (she wanted to see "water"). The kids had a blast and I think Jordan enjoyed seeing the beach.

Please saylor

Hahaha... Keller cracks me up.. realized I was filming him and asked "please saylor stop" instead of usual yelling.

just hangin' out

Explanation of the "mohawk"

I know I've been bad at blogging lately. I'm not sure anyone reads this (or cares...lol) so I figured why spend the time... but then I realized HOW FAR BEHIND I am in updating the twins baby books, so this is a good timeline of events for me to go back and look at then record... so this is for me...

Everyone keeps asking about Slade's poor hair. He was born with such a great head of dark hair and slowly it's been disappearing. I thought maybe it's falling out, but then one day I walked in and saw Ramsey latched on to the side of his head with her mouth covered in hair and the sheet covered in Slade's beautiful hair. They were both laughing and he had his first "hicky" on his head. I then realized the 2nd crib was needed... SOON. I tried to separate them at night, but she managed to gnaw away on his giant man head! Now they both sleep soundly in their own cribs (unless I fail to do laundry and have no clean sheet.. .then they bunk together). So now the question is what to do with the few hairs Slade has left??? I don't want to give him his first haircut under 6 months old (though we can kind of thank Ramsey for that)... and if I do nothing he looks like he's got the "comb over". So we spike it. I think it's good for him to embrace his heritage of the wyandott tribe from my side of the family (he is 1/64th native american)...

I usually let the twins play together in the morning before we go down and start the day... and lately Slade (who RARELY cries) has been getting upset. I'll peak in the room and he seems fine, then I leave and I hear him cry again. I just assumed he wanted to be held. TODAY though... I quietly watched to see what was REALLY going on...

Here is what I saw...........

Amazing thoughts

I may be too sentimental... but I just find it amazing that my brother in law is building, yes, LITERALLY, building a new house for his bride and daughter on the wayr. I am fascinated with construction and how things are done: dry wall, tile, flooring, tile, framing etc... SO it was especially fun for me to go and see what he has built with his OWN hands. I can't imagine how amazing it will be to be sitting watching TV, eating dinner, sleeping in a house built by your father, husband. To know that his hands have touched and nailed essentially every piece to hold it in place. It's very similar to our lives... being built and structured by God. We may see the "end result" of a person... but it's God that has grown and "built" a person to be who they are. We don't see the "behind the scenes" work or trials a person goes through to become who they are... just as we see a finished house.. and rarely think of the details of how it got there. I'm so thankful I got to see the house where they will share so many wonderful memories. And I was lucky enough to put ONE SINGLE nail in, just to say "I helped build the house".... lol. I'm so proud of my brother-in-law and how hard he is working to provide for his new family.

The picture of Kingsley and I is taken from what will be their master bedroom. It has an incredible view. My little sister is in her laundry room... a place she will often be with a little one:)

my jolly little man