True Love

Good Morning Everyone!

I realize I have not been around here much lately.  Part of that has to do with summer, and the business summer time brings to our family.  Part of it has to do with different summer schedules, and things not being the regular routine that they are during the school year.

For those of you who know our family personally, you have probably heard already that my mom is currently in the hospital.  One of those routine in and out in one day proceedures that did not turn out exactly as planned.  One thing led to another, which led to another. . . as of this moment, she is still in the hospital, though we are starting to see some improvements which we are VERY thankful for.  I do appreciate everyone lifting her up in prayer!  Current "new" problem is problems with her heart, and the doctors are trying to determine the best medication for her to be put on to help with that.

Watching all of this unfold over the past several days has made me think of several things.  Mainly, I have been thinking of true love--what true love really is.  I think every little girl loves those fairy tales where they "lived happily ever after."  The handsome prince comes riding in and swoops the princess (or soon-to-be princess if she isn't already one) off her feet and they ride off into the sunset together.  Can't you just see it?  The birds are singing, the bunnies stop their hopping around to watch the two lovers riding off together.  Can't you hear the music in the back ground as well?

Well, I used to think this was true love.  But as I have gotten older (I said older, NOT old!) I have changed my mind about what true love is.  Instead, I now think that true love is seeing my dad reach out and hold my mom's hand when she is in the hospital bed getting ready for surgery.  True love is him waiting at the hospital--even when he is not allowed to be with her--just waiting for those times when he will be allowed to be with her.

True love is not always pretty.  It is not always music playing and birds singing.  Sometimes it is helping to hold someone when they are throwing up.  Sometimes the specific circumstances surrounding you are ugly--but the true love itself is beautiful.

Sometimes true love is nailed to a cross.  But the beautiful thing about true love is that it never dies a forever death.  Because true love is from the Father, and He is greater than death.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son  into the world to condem the world, but to save the world through him."  John 3:16,17

That--is what true love really is.

~Susan

Some Bunny Loves You!

Hi Everyone!

It is definitely SPRING in our yard, and one thing that Spring brings to us is always BUNNIES!  I love all the bunnies that hop around in our yard, even though they DO eat my garden.  One day earlier this week our daughter was out in the back yard riding her bike on the grass.  This was not WHERE she wanted to ride, but since "I" was tuckered out and had already taken her bike riding on our street, it was back yard or nothing.  Our yellow lab Holly was happily romping and chasing Alison around the yard as she rode, when all of a sudden Alison comes dragging Holly back into the house, saying one word:  "BUNNY!"

 This was the little fellow Holly had discovered.  Isn't he cute????  I mean, who could be mad at a face like this, even if they ate your garden?????

 Holly had discovered Mr. Bunny, and scared him over into one corner of our yard.  So of COURSE a carrot sympathy offering had to be made.  I think the carrot was larger than the bunny. . .

 We knew where the bunny nest was, as my hubby had discovered the nest while mowing.  So we went and looked to see if there were other bunnies still in the nest--there were!  This photo above is a different bunny--little sister bunny, I believe, still tucked away in the nest.

 Alison decided to go back to Mr. Bunny and see if he was eating the monster carrot yet.  He wasn't.  So she thought she would move it closer and encourage him to eat his vegetables.  See?  If the bunnies aren't eating enough of your garden all on their own, you can always bring your garden produce straight to the bunny.  Fortunately, this particular carrot was not from my garden but rather the grocery store, so I didn't mind too much.  :)

Since we were not 100% sure if Mr. Bunny had left the nest on his own, or had been flushed out by Holly, we decided to pick him up and move him carefully back to the nest.  It was a good idea, and Mr. Bunny rode very nicely back across the yard.  However, when we gently placed him back in the nest with Little Sister Bunny, he said it was too crowded in there and hopped quickly across the yard again.  Not to be left out, Little Sister Bunny decided to hop in the opposite direction of Mr. Bunny.  Well, I guess they are ready to leave the nest!  Now we just need to keep Holly on leash for a while, to give the bunnies a chance to grow bigger and faster.  And keep an eye out for hawks.  And maybe we should take turns keeping watch in case there is anything else out there that might hurt those bunnies.  I wonder if I could just invite them in each night. . . 

It's amazing how much our family would all love to protect those bunnies and keep them safe.  And they have absolutely no idea!  How much more God loves us--His creation--and desires to keep US safe.  

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"  Matthew 7:11

Have a beautiful Spring!

~Susan

The Easter Gift

Easter time again--hard to believe!  We spent the day participating in a walk-though SonRise service, complete with the Jerusalem market place, the Last Supper, the Garden, the Trial, the Crucifiction, and finally the Resurrection.  Our family, and around 10,000 other people, that is.  Even though I have participated many times before, every year it still touches my heart to see acted out just a small part of what Jesus did, who He was, how He died for me. How He died for you.  It leaves me speechless.  Words are not enough to describe the beautiful Gift He gave.

~Susan

Family

Well, here we are. Can't live with them, can't live without them--that's family!

Actually, we usually get along pretty well. And last month our Women's Ministries was doing a fund raiser at church and had a professional photographer come in to take pictures. Women's Ministries benefited from the number of people who came, and we got some nice photos of us!

And one of the nicest things of all, was my parents went in with me to purchase the copyrights of the pictures the photographer took of us, so now these photos belong to my parents and us--and I can therefore post them here. :)

So, since I CAN, I thought I WOULD. At least, here are the pictures I like the very best.

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend with YOUR family. Happy Sabbath everyone!




Here is our engine and caboose. Eleven years between the two of them, but Alison is getting older as fast as she can to try and catch up with big brother!

















This is probably my favorite shot the photographer took. My little princess--but lest you think she always sits around the house looking calm and quiet, you usually can hardly find her staying still for one second!
















My absolute favorite teen-ager in the whole world. Yup. If you are going to have a teen, this is definately the one to have!
















And my sweetie! Guess the kids haven't worn us out too badly yet. But I still think a nap sounds good zzzzzzzzz....!




















Ah......so sweet and innocent! They would NEVER dream up any trouble for their mother, right????? But I wouldn't trade them for anything! (Not even a nap!)