More on Winter

Winter.

Fall is Soon Over

1-3 inches of snow in the forecast this evening.

happy winter!

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Ean

Eight months old tomorrow!! He is a blessing to my soul, every day!

Thank you, Lord!

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To Brighten Your Day

A Nicatarian* Bug

By far, the ugliest bug i have EVER seen!!

*name credit for this ugly bug goes to Jeremiah... yeah, it might also be known as a praying mantis...

Sushi Night

I LOVE making sushi rolls!... and eating them too.. i guess ^_^

The Utah Røises

Kennecott Mine

The largest open pit mine in the world...

(also where i dropped my camera in a toilet at the visitor center... fail...)

Gifts...

.. from cousin Simonne. Enough said.

My Sad "Cutecumber"

Cousins

American Fork Canyon

Curried Rice with Shrimp

My baby loves being sung to!

He brings me so much joy!

My First Layer Cake

Chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, caramel, reese's and snickers. Can you spell d-e-c-a-d-e-n-t?!

Forest World

The world is not respectable;
it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever;
but it is shot through with beauty, with love,
with glints of courage and laughter;
and in these, the spirit blooms timidly,
and struggles to the light amid the thorns.
~Unknown

not art.

but one of my first works in acrylic. thought you ought to know.

September

A Few Good Thoughts

•"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."
- Helen Keller

•"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."
— Anaïs Nin

•"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it."
— Mother Teresa

•"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."
— C.S. Lewis

•"The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits."
— Albert Einstein

•"I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."
— Friedrich Nietzsche

•"I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much."
— Mother Teresa

•"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."
— Donna Roberts

•"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."
— C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves)

•"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."
— Henri J.M. Nouwen

• ‎"No legacy is so rich as honesty." -William Shakespeare

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Minnesota

California

Arizona

Welcome to the World

Ean Michael Kramer joined our family on March 12th at 12:34 pm. Weighing 6 pounds 15 ounces and measuring in at 20 1/4 inches... and the sweetest little bundle of baby you could imagine.

We kinda like him! *grin*

peace.

Michael, Abi and Ean

Order out of Chaos

• Slept in late. Love every other Saturday that my man doesn't have to work.

• Hubby made the bed... and beautifully.

• The porch got swept and cleaned. New folding chairs live there and are ready for any and all spring visitors.

• Pictures hang over baby K's crib.

• No piles.

• Dishes/Kitchen... all clean. Team effort. *heart my man*

• Sunbathing happens.

• Got to test the air conditioner in the car we took to Sam's Club (to obtain aforementioned chairs). Texas is warm.

• Michael gives daily pep talks to baby K. now... encouraging/urging him to come and meet us.

• Laughter and Love walk hand in hand.

Currently Reading, Listening and Watching

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller • I haven't finished yet, but I really cannot say anything about this book. You must read it yourself.


Lay Em Down by Need to Breathe • I first heard this song sung by a young(ish) man in our Bible study group after our Wednesday night discussion/meeting... and rather liked it. Need to Breathe does a very nice job and all, but there is always a part of me that longs for that simple hand clapping rhythm and the single baritone voice of that Wednesday night.


Random Harvest • This movie is unexpected. In many ways. And I would say... worth watching for that very reason!

Joys at Week 38

• The fact that it is week 38 ^_^

• On the odd chance I should catch sight of my feet I ignore my enormous ankles and admire my hubby's pedicurist skills... oh yes... he's amazing!

• A kick and a punch (though small can be slightly painful at times) let me know my little man is doing well.

• An enormous box of wildly colorful and delightful flowers from my mum!

• Packages full of goodies from all over the country... (I AM getting totally spoiled by the way ^_~)

• Sitting down/resting any time at all and not feeling a bit guilty.

• Little (and big) reminders of two lives soon changed by another i.e. a crib, a carseat (in MY car, peoples!!), an [already] orphan sock that fits nicely on Michael's big toe, those kicks and punches i mentioned earlier (imagine them aimed at YOUR bladder, ribs, or already bruised/loved tummy... *little sniffle of self pity*), a full set of drawers all his own (also such a reminder of how blessed we are, since we have bought very little and been given much!!), my own closet of lovely clothes has been narrowed down to a small drawers worth of things I can actually wear... etc, etc..

• My sister (the first of our March visitors) arrives in exactly a week! (color me ecstatic!!)

• The fact that our little man has a first name!... I'm sure you'd like to know and I'd like to tell you, but take comfort... you'll know it after he does! *grin*

• In my already narrowed closet, the clothes i can wear are narrowed even more because of the fact that although I have aprons and love to wear them, pregnancy makes them slip my mind and [almost] all my maternity shirts have stains at exactly counter/belly button level. Pretty classy folks... let me tell ya! (This counts as a joy, because I laugh about it!)

• The fact that my man puts my shoes on for me. (God gives grace.. I like to be so self sufficient, that absolutely not being able to do these things is very humbling and gives me more chances to appreciate and praise my wonderful wonderful husband who is so willing to serve!)

• My Michael. Who spells joy (and love, and blessing, and encouragement and everything) to me every day.

• Lotion! (Enough said.)

• The fact that although my body is a little more sluggish (I actually remind myself rather a lot of a beached whale... Michael doesn't like this comparison, but I think it fits!), my mind is as crazy as ever and I revel in it's pregnant absurdity through dreams, thoughts, doodles, plans, etc, etc..


Thought: etcetera comes in handy *grin*

Drink: water

Sound: rain pouring from the eaves outside my window

Feeling: pressure in an interesting area of my insides... and a growing pain in my lower back the longer i sit here... hair as it twirls between my fingers... hungry

A banana covered in peanut butter to the rescue!

Good Morning, World!

Abi

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