Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!

It's been 15 wonderful years. 
Thank you for all your love.
Thank you for all your support.
Thank you for always believing the best in me.
Thank you for this wonderful family.
Thank you for being you and loving me.

A Beautiful Post from A Friend

My sweet friend wrote a lovely post about today, the National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.  She is wonderful and has blessed my life throughout the twenty years (!) we have known one another.  Love you, E!

Do I Thirst?

I know you through and through. I know everything about you. The very hairs of your head I have numbered. Nothing in your life is unimportant to Me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you – even in your wanderings.

I know every one of your problems.

I know your needs and your worries.

And yes, I know all your sins.

But I tell you again that I love you –

not for what you have or haven’t done –

I love you for you,

for the beauty and dignity My Father gave you

by creating you in His own image.

It is a dignity you have often forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished by sin. But I love you as you are, and I have shed My Blood to win you back. If you only ask Me with faith, My grace will touch all that needs changing in your life, and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and all its destructive power.

I know what is in your heart – I know your loneliness and all your hurts – the rejections, the judgments, the humiliations, I carried it all before you. And I carried it all for you, so you might share My strength and victory. I know especially your need for love – how you are thirsting to be loved and cherished. But how often have you thirsted in vain, by seeking that love selfishly, striving to fill the emptiness inside you with passing pleasures – with the even greater emptiness of sin. Do you thirst for love? "Come to Me all you who thirst…" (Jn. 7: 37). I will satisfy you and fill you. Do you thirst to be cherished? I cherish you more than you can imagine – to the point of dying on a cross for you.

I Thirst for You. Yes, that is the only way to even begin to describe My love for you. I THIRST FOR YOU. I thirst to love you and to be loved by you – that is how precious you are to Me. I THIRST FOR YOU. Come to Me, and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will make you a new creation, and give you peace, even in all your trials I THIRST FOR YOU. You must never doubt My mercy, My acceptance of you, My desire to forgive, My longing to bless you and live My life in you. I THIRST FOR YOU.

If you feel unimportant in the eyes of the world, that matters not at all. For Me, there is no one any more important in the entire world than you. I THIRST FOR YOU. Open to Me, come to Me, thirst for Me, give me your life – and I will prove to you how important you are to My Heart.

No matter how far you may wander, no matter how often you forget Me, no matter how many crosses you may bear in this life; there is one thing I want you to always remember, one thing that will never change. I THIRST FOR YOU – just as you are. You don’t need to change to believe in My love, for it will be your belief in My love that will change you. You forget Me, and yet I am seeking you every moment of the day – standing at the door of your heart and knocking.

Do you find this hard to believe? Then look at the cross, look at My Heart that was pierced for you. Have you not understood My cross? Then listen again to the words I spoke there – for they tell you clearly why I endured all this for you: "I THIRST…"(Jn 19: 28). Yes, I thirst for you – as the rest of the psalm – verse I was praying says of Me: "I looked for love, and I found none…" (Ps. 69: 20).

All your life I have been looking for your love – I have never stopped seeking to love you and be loved by you. You have tried many other things in your search for happiness; why not try opening your heart to Me, right now, more than you ever have before.

Whenever you do open the door of your heart, whenever you come close enough, you will hear Me say to you again and again, not in mere human words but in spirit. "No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake.

Come to Me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and with all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock. Open to Me, for I THIRST FOR YOU…"

~Mother Teresa

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This is one of the readings from the devotional I've been going through, Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter. It's been the one reading I can't stop rereading. And so I wanted to share it with you. I full the strong pull of His love in these words. Do you? I find myself reading it again and again and praying that I would thirst for HIM as He thirsts for me.

To my friends reading this that do not believe, I pray these words will draw you to Him, Jesus Christ, who loves you so much. May my actions and words not get in the way of His love. Happy Easter.

~Kimberly

"So, are you over it?"

Let's add this one to the list of things not to ask a woman after a miscarriage. This question came courtesy of my next door neighbor. I simply replied, "No." And, by the grace of God alone didn't mouth off.

She stuttered along for a moment. When she finished, I said, "I think there are just some things in life you don't ever get over. Life goes on though."

*Sigh.* It wasn't a toothache.

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So, I gave up on potty training. It was a long week without much accomplishment. I do not think Pumpkin has figured out physically when he needs to "go". We'll just revisit the whole thing in a few months. Winnie-the-Pooh did great though.

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Life's moving quietly along--except the boys, who are only quiet when sleeping. I had the most wonderful weekend, courtesy of Janna. I was so excited to be invited to her Fall Fest. It was such a delightful day of relaxing and visiting with the sweetest ladies and delicious food. I even got my haircut! (I've trimmed my hair for the last year and a half, so I was way past due for one.)

It was so wonderful. Really. I wish we could do it again this weekend. I'm looking forward to making her Chicken Curry Recipe for my Bunco group next month. Everything was so nice.

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I've been doing a little decorating for Autumn here. I bought a lovely garland of leaves and berries. I promptly cut it up and tucked bits all around the house with streamers of an exquisite ribbon. I don't do a lot of things as we already have so many treasures out, but I do like adding special touches here and there and changing out the tea set on the tea cart. It's just a bit of fun.

Speaking of treasures, this silver set was a gift from Sweetheart for our tenth anniversary this summer. The traditional gift is tin he said, but he thought I'd prefer silver. I do.

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Well, it's time to get back to prepping out all the meat and vegetables from grocery shopping today. And to figure out where all the water in the refrigerator came from...

Hope you have a wonderful day, wherever you are.

Love and Life

For Valentines Day I surprised Sweetheart by arranging for us to renew our vows. The church we used to go to when we first moved to Denver was having a special ceremony on Valentines Day for anyone who wanted to participate, so I signed us up.

The church itself is enormous. They held the service in their smaller chapel. Its walls are filled with beautiful stained glass designs. It really is a lovely, more intimate space.

When we arrived we joined about twenty five other couples; couples whose marriages ranged from two years to forty one years. (This summer will be our tenth anniversary.) They led the men down stairs and we ladies waited in the foyer with our beautiful long-stem red roses. Each couple was also given a beautiful certificate and a book on marriage. A photographer also took pictures of each couple which will be sent our way soon.

They played the music and each of us joined up with our spouses at the top of the aisle to walk down together. The pastor who used to teach our Sunday School class spoke on love and marriage and a few songs were played. All of the couples then gathered back at the front to exchange vows.

It was wonderful. Truly. After the ceremony there was a reception with cake and punch. We didn't stay long as I had made reservations for us for dinner at a nearby restaurant Sweetheart loves. It would have been neat to have stayed longer as we enjoyed each of the couples we had talked to.

Later, Sweetheart commented what a great time all the guys had downstairs laughing and visiting before the ceremony began. He said it was so nice to be around men who loved their wives and seemed to truly enjoy being married.

Each of the couples we talked to together were delightful. It was a special time. I am so glad that we were able to join in the celebration of marriage.

(I'm also glad I was actually able to surprise Sweetheart--not an easy task!)

Sweet Day

Today is Sweetheart's Birthday. What a blessing he is to me, and the boys. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. I love you.

We went for a drive this morning to the mountains and stopped at a lake we had visited on our Honeymoon. Pumpkin enjoyed watching the skaters. Maybe next winter, we can join them.

Note to Aunt Carey--That's the hat I made for Pumpkin. I'll post a better picture of it tomorrow.

Pictures

Here we are the night the baby was born.

Breakfast

Here was my breakfast tray Sweetheart brought me the other morning while I was taking care of the baby. Isn't he wonderful?

We then had some fun with the rose and the camera.

Roses and Toeses

Toes

We're doing well here. We've been busy juggling the needs of both little boys this week with hardly an extra moment. Sweetheart has been so wonderful. He's been taking care of Pumpkin while I take care of the baby, as well as doing work for his job at night. So much for vacation time! Tonight he's doing laundry and taking care of stuff around the house.

My Dad and Stepmom just got in town and will be by tomorrow to meet the baby. Here's the baby in the cradle my Dad made.

My Mom has been so helpful as well taking care of Sweetheart and running errands for us all.

We went to the pediatrician's today for the baby's one week check. He passed with flying colors! Dr. B. said he looked perfect and seemed really healthy. He's been gaining weight from the beginning and we can see him plumping up already.

I am a serious boy.

Abner says hell0 in his own special way.

Pumpkin LOVES his little brother! He is constantly giving him hugs and kisses completely on his own. In the van today on the way to the doctor he kept resting his hand on the baby and patting him as they sat next to each other. It was so sweet! He brings him toys as well. It's really cute. We pray that they will grow in love for one another throughout their lives.

The boys meet for the first time.

Just some answers to questions people have left---The boys are 21 months apart. The baby does NOT have red hair. It's currently brown, like his Daddy, but has a lot of blonde underneath, like me. It's hard to tell who he will look like. He bears a strong resemblance to Pumpkin's early pictures, sans red hair, but his features are not as striking similiar to other family members as Pumpkin was. Now, he needs a blog name. Apple Dumpling, or Dumpling has been suggested. Sweetheart would call him Wookie, but that's his multi-purpose nickname for everything, including the dog, so...I'd rather not. I'm open for ideas! Feel free to comment!

Just so you don't think everything is always peaceful around here...

Nine Years Ago Today

This woman,

and this man,


were joined in Holy Matrimony


surrounded by family and friends.


I love you, Sweetheart, more with each day and passing year.
Happy Anniversary.


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"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine."
Song of Solomon 6:3
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