3 Years

This week marked three years of us being together as a family. Three years seems like a long time. But looking at these pictures tonight, the time has flown by.

His chubby baby cheeks.





So Sweet. SOOOOO Tiny.





How did I ever become lucky enough to have these two in my home every day?





The laughs.




The antics.




The love. My goodness the love.
Happy Three years babies. It's all gone by too fast.


- Hugs n Love,

Lindsey

When You Can't Pray

Last Monday afternoon, I got the call that every child dreads. My dad was admitted to the hospital and was in intensive care. Every thing in my life disappeared. I no longer became the Type-A, time scheduled oriented person I've developed into over the last thirty-four years. I left the office with enough work to keep my mind busy, called The Hero and headed to the hospital. Most of last week is a complete blur. Between the hospital, the office and home, our lives have taken some what of a slower pace.
Dad is stable but still in the hospital with a blood clot. But I've discovered something about myself when approached with tragedy; I find it very hard to pray. I don't make grand promises to God, argue my case with Him or bemoan the current circumstances. I try to approach the throne and nothing comes out.

This at first was very alarming. I wondered if I was missing something in my theology. Until yesterday morning. My legal assistant walked in my office before I headed to the hospital and closed the door.
She asked me if I had any idea how many people were praying for my family. And as we approached the throne room together, she prayed over me while I sobbed through her requests on my behalf.
And then it all became quite clear to me. While these past days have felt extremely lonely, we have in fact been surrounded. The texts, phone calls, hugs, sincere emails and encouraging thoughts have engulfed my family with reminders that I don't need to be concerned with my inability to pray these days; so many of you are doing it for us. It is such an example of the Church at her best and I am honored to be a part of it.

From the bottom of my heart, from the entirety of my family, THANK YOU for loving us through this period of our lives.


- Hugs n Love,

Lindsey

My Rules

I think The Hero has acclimated nicely to being married to a justice junkie, spontaneously thinking crazy woman such as myself. He has very few rules that I must follow when developing a project, a plan or an idea. And while the rules are few, I still have a hard time following them from time to time. It's not because I am intending to break the rules, but most often it is because I forget.

Here are the rules:

1.) I cannot be led solely from emotion.
Allegedly, the rule doesn't allow for a reactionary response based upon my ability to be moved at a moment's notice. Like when I asked if we could become home base for all the animals and children displaced from Hurricane Katrina. He simply smiled and said "Rule #1".

2.) The decision I make cannot force us to move more than 50 miles outside our current location without prior notice. This rule was developed upon our first trip from Ethiopia wherein I announced on the airplane we were selling our home, cashing in his retirement plan with the fire department and opening an orphanage in Ethiopia for needy children.

3.) If The Hero is expected to be exert money, time or energy on one of my projects, I have to successfully implement and maintain such enthusiasm for a defined length of time. This defined length of time is also determined by The Hero, not me. This rule developed after reading Jen Hatmaker's 7 last year and advising The Hero I had hired a bulldozer to demolish our back yard and till up a garden plot that if successful would mean our kids' swing set must be demolished to make way for potatoes.

As I previously indicated in my last post, I love this time of year. As dominated the kitchen table a few weeks ago with growth charts, almanacs, seed catalogs and soil tests, The Hero tried to slink into his Lazyboy undetected. No dice.
"Hey did you rent the tiller for the garden space this year?" I batted my eyes his direction for effect.

"Uh...you're doing that again this year?" He was already looking for an escape route from the living room.

I stared out the kitchen window and daydreamed. "I grew tomatoes, herbs, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cucumbers, leafy greens and peppers last year. This year I think we need to move the kids swing set to make room for a cut flower garden, garlic, strawberries, okra, black-eyed peas, onions and carrots. What do you think?"

I turned around to discover he was headed out of the living room mumbling something about Rule #3.


- Hugs n Love,

Lindsey

This Time of Year

Oklahoma this time of year is one of my favorites of all. The weather is temperamental no matter the season, but from end of January until middle of March, every day is a total surprise. Three weeks ago, my family spent the most amazing Sunday outdoors enjoying a 70 degree day.

Less than seven days ago, we were under a blizzard watch. Living on the plains always keeps us guessing.

But my favorite thing about this season is the anticipation. The seed and gardening catalogs start arriving the first part of January and I devour the contents like an addict needing a fix. Peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, flowers, seedlings, berry bushes and the like can keep me curled on the couch for an entire Saturday.

I make our list. Chart out rows and check my gardening notes from the season before. I double check the online almanac and place our first seed order.




And then I start daydreaming...

onions.



carrots.




Gardening even became a family affair last year. The kids and I would hit the door from school and work, drop everything and head to the back yard. They would search for new growth and water, while I pulled weeds and marveled at how amazing is God's handiwork.

Jen Hatmaker posted on facebook last week that she learned more about God from an hour gardening than from most Bible studies. I couldn't agree more. So many metaphors about growing, life, depth, pruning and removing what's dead are found in a garden.

So as the wind howls outside today, I checked our pepper and tomato seedlings tucked away in the windowsill and am preparing for a summer of what might be.


- Hugs n Love,

Lindsey