The 4 Ousdahls

Baby # 3

2012-01-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

GIRL!!!!!!!!!

After 2 ultrasounds, our sweet # 3 decided to cooperate and let us find out the gender! We are thrilled to be able to raise another Daughter!!! We can't wait to meet our sweet Girl!

I am at 25 weeks and doing great! Now only if we can decide on a a name for her!!!

Matt and I found out the gender together at the 2nd ultrasound and had family over to reveal the gender with either a Pink or blue cake! Given that it was Christmas Vacation Week, I was unable to find a bakery open....so, we kept it simple and made our own cake! Michaela and Madelin couldn't wait for 7:00 pm for us to cut the cake together and reveal the news to them! They were Over the Moon about having another Girl for our family!!

Sunflower Painting

2012-01-30T14:03:00.002-05:00

Michaela painted this picture today at school during art time. Her class is studying an American Artist each week and after they learn about the artist, they then have to paint a picture in the style of that week's artist. This week the painter was Georgia O'Keefe! I love Michaela's scale, colors, and concept of her Sunflower picture!

Rollerskating on Christmas Day!

2012-01-28T15:22:00.000-05:00

Mom and Dad got the girls rollerskates for Christmas! They tried them out right away and loved them!!

Christmas at Mommom and Pappy's!!!!!

2012-01-28T15:16:00.000-05:00

We had a lovely time at Mom and Dad's for Christmas. We were blessed to be with family and spend it together!

Celebrating Jesus' Birth Christmas Morning

2012-01-25T19:44:00.000-05:00

A few pictures from our time Christmas morning celebrating the Birth of Jesus! We had a lovely and JOY filled Christmas together! Praise God for His redeeming gift of His Son, Jesus!!!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve PJ's!

2012-01-25T14:06:00.000-05:00

Every Christmas Eve, we head up to Aunt Donna and Uncle Brian's house in Jersey for a family Christmas Eve celebration! Mom and Dad always give the girls a present to open there, and it is there new Christmas PJ's!! The girls ADORED their PJ's!!!

We had a lovely time with our family on Christmas Eve!

Here the girls are wearing the super soft robes from their Great Aunt Donna and Uncle Brian!!

Gingerbread Cookies

2012-01-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

Every December, the four of us have a great time, making, rolling, baking, decorating, and eating these Gingerbread Cookies!!

Fun with our Christmas Decorations

2012-01-25T13:55:00.000-05:00

The girls and I by the tree!

Playing with Daddy's childhood train set is a LOT of FUN for the girls! They look forward to this every Christmas. The manger scene made great passengers!!

We had fun acting out a few of our Advent Bible readings together!!

I just gave up!!!!!!! The girls won. All 4 sets of my manger scene sets ended up as 1 LARGE manger scene. The girls also liked to move the manger characters all around the living room!!

All in all, December was filled with warm, family moments as we prepared our hearts for celebrating the Birth of our Saviour!!

The Nutcracker!

2011-12-18T18:36:00.000-05:00

Every year, my Mom buys the girls and I tickets to go see The Nutcracker together!! It is a LOVELY time for just the girls around the Holidays! All 4 of us LOVE going and look forward to it all year. It has become one of my favorite traditions that we do!!

This year, we went to The Grand Opera House on Market Street in Wilmington, DE. This theater is AMAZING and gorgeous!!! As usual, the ballet was MAGICAL and wonderful!! I don't think MJ took her eyes off the stage for a a second!! Madelin fell asleep for the last 15 minutes or so...but she LOVED it too!! Mom bought the girls each a Nutcracker to display in our home! The girls already found a place for them in our living room!!

Mom, we LOVE you!! Thanks for the Magic, Memories, Traditions and LOVE!

Our Advent Jesse Tree

2011-12-18T18:26:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of our family's Advent Jess Tree countdown to Christmas!! It was a family effort to make this!! All hands needed and helped!!! Michaela drew and colored all of the daily pictures last year. The pictures all coincide with that day's Bible story. We use the Advent devotional written by one of my FAVORITE authors, Ann Voskamp. Click here to get a copy of her FREE Advent devotional. We have used it for 2 years now and LOVE it!

I wasn't happy with our ornament tree holder that I made last year, so this year, we decided to make a new one and I LOVE it! Matt, thanks for your help babe! We use the clothes pins the clip up the picture for the day. The only thing we still have to do is add the numbers to the clothes pins....the girls can do that tomorrow!

Gingerbread House

2011-12-18T18:17:00.000-05:00

Here is our 2011 Gingerbread House!! I think they did a GREAT job!! The girls look forward to this activity that they do with Mommom and Pappy!! Mom and Dad, thanks for creating such fun times and wonderful traditions for our girls!! They LOVE them!

We love the Library!

2011-12-18T18:09:00.000-05:00

Many Saturday afternoons, you can find the four of us at our local Library!! We love to go there together! The girls and I go there often, but it is an EXTRA special treat on Saturdays when Daddy can join us! We all venture off and find some exciting new book to look at and sit in the children's area to read and read!

This picture was taken when we got back from the library this Saturday! The 3 of them were reading a new library book that Michaela could not put down!

Thumb Print Ornaments

2011-12-13T11:34:00.000-05:00

I found this adorable project on a friend's site, Infarrantly Creative! You should check her site out. She always has cute projects and such. For this exact craft project's directions and such, click here. Yesterday, we went over to a friend's house and made these ornaments together! It was my first time using Oven Baked Clay. The kids had a blast choosing their cookie cutter, and colors for their finger prints! I am thrilled with how they turned out and love seeing them hang on our tree!! A keepsake for MANY years to come!!

Michaela made the bird and used her thumbprints as the bird's feathers. Madelin chose a flower shape cut out and made a snowman with 3 thumbprints!

December Fun

2011-12-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

These 2 girls sure know how to have a good time!! They were getting dressed up for a Birthday party for one of their dolls or animals! They are so creative!!

Classical Conversations' School Christmas Program

2011-12-10T17:23:00.000-05:00

We all had a lovely time this morning at Michaela's school Christmas program. While I am homeschooling her, we are apart of a school group called Classical Conversations. Michaela goes to CC every Monday from 9-1:30. CC meets at a local church which is only 5 minutes from us! We love Classical Conversations! Michaela has learned SO MUCH and we truly appreciate the classical approach to education! Throughout the rest of the week, we do our A Beka curriculum and review the extra CC stuff. CC is like an extra academic boost for us to incorporate! CC also allows MJ to interact with other kids and make friendships! We have met some AWESOME friends at CC! Madelin is too young for this program, but will start in the Fall!

In the first picture, the kids are singing John 1:1-7. They worked on memorizing this passage of Scripture and can sing it and say it. In the weeks to come, the kids will translate this into Latin and memorize it in Latin. Latin is incorporated into the classical approach and they learn Latin words every week.

Along with Latin, History is a major element in CC. The kids memorize a History statement every week. CC is doing American History this year, so the first statement was on Columbus in 1492. So far, we are up to Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox in 1865. In the picture above, Emma, Michaela, Latitia, and Emma are reciting a History statement about the Declaration of Independence. Michaela also recited one on George Washington being our 1st President in 1789 and another one on Henry Clay and the Missouri Compromise in 1820. Michaela did a great job and has an easy time memorizing!

Music is another big element in CC. The kids learned how to read music and MANY, many musical terms. They also learned how to play the Tin Whistle. Michaela picked this up with a BREEZE and we can't wait to start Piano lessons for her! She played "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and the Christmas song, "We Three Kings" at the program!

Around the room, some of the kids work was displayed for parents and family to see. This year at CC, the Science element is Anatomy. The kids colored, cut out, and glued on the life size models, the organs and many body parts!

Back in the beginning of the year, in Art they were exploring the five basic shapes/lines to used to draw anything...O.i.L.S (standing for a circle, straight line, a dot, an angle, and a curved line.) They then chose a picture to draw to master simply drawing animals and such. Michaela loved doing this.

And lastly, here is a picture of Mommom and Pappy with Michaela and Madelin at the end of the program! Mom and Dad, thanks for coming out! We all are so thankful for how you both are proud and loving grandparents!!

We had a lovely time and were SO PROUD of Michaela! She truly is a smart and sharp little girl!!!

Madelin's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-12-10T09:10:00.001-05:00

These are ALL shots from Madelin's 3rd Birthday Party! We had the party at our house...it was a Growing Garden party!! Madelin, as usual, was all smiles with her friends and family around!!

The kids had some time to play in the playroom upstairs for a bit! Our 2 girls LOVED showing off their toys and such!

Cousin Corey and Madelin!

At the party, the kids planted GRASS seed to take home and watch grow! We used Egg shells as the "pot." These would grow grass in time for all the kids to have Easter grass growing from their Egg! It was the perfect project for our party and the kids really enjoyed making them!!

This white butterfly somehow flew inside and landed on Mom!

Daddy helping Madelin with her candles!! Madelin LOVED LOVED LOVED this cake! She thought it was SO beautiful and felt so special that our friend, Karrie, made it for her!!!

Thanks, Matt for making this sign for Madelin! You are an awesome Daddy!!

Madelin was so thankful for all the gifts she was given!! I love seeing her LIGHT up! She really puts a lot of passion in her emotions!!

Aunt Donna and Michaela looking at Madelin's new Ballerina Book!

Our SWEET, SWEET 3 year old Madelin!! You are truly a treasure to our family! Your caring and sensitive spirit is so apparent and contagious to all around you! You are FULL of Passion and wake up every morning with a smile and ready to go!! We love you so much and can't believe you are 3 already!!!

2 Beautiful Cakes for 2 Beautiful Girls!!

2011-11-17T17:08:00.000-05:00

A sneak peak on the LONG OVERDUE Birthday posts I still need to blog about!!

These cakes were AWESOME and the girls LOVED them!! Our good friend, Karrie made them for us! She is VERY talented and makes awesome looking and tasting cakes!!

Field Trip to the Theater

2011-11-15T12:41:00.000-05:00

Our Homeschool Group, Classical Conversations, took a field trip to the DuPont Theater one afternoon in October to see an Eric Carle play. The play consisted of 3 of his books that my girls LOVE! These pictures are from the question and answer time after the play!

This was Madelin's first Field Trip and first play at the DuPont Theater! She was all smiles the entire time!!!

Emma, Michaela, and Madelin after the play! The girls have made several awesome friends from our Homeschool group. We go to Classical Conversations every Monday from 9-1:30!

Our 9th Anniversary!

2011-11-15T11:00:00.001-05:00

Me and My Guy from our 9th Wedding Anniversary from back in July!! He is such a blessing to me as a husband! I really do love him more with each passing year together!!

Oh, and a picture of my hair ; )

More of my Angels

2011-10-31T22:55:00.000-04:00

A few Sundays ago, Mom and I took the girls to Jersey to meet Dad at a Car show! This was a Car show for all!! They have a wonderful Chinese Auction (where Mom won 2 awesome baskets filled with LOVELY things!!!), a fun park, and a Halloween Costume Parade and Competition!! We had a lovely day together!

Pappy and the girls!! All came home with a trophy!! The girls each got Most Adorable in their age bracket and Dad won a trophy....can't remember what for, but for having one totally awesome car ; )

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:33:00.001-04:00

Our 2 Little Angels here had a wonderful time Trick or Treating!!

Our New Dance Year Begins!!

2011-10-31T22:29:00.001-04:00

Our Dance studio moved to a Brand New location! Construction took longer than expected, so classes did not begin until last Tuesday, Oct. 25th!! While the girls really wanted classes to start and had a hard time waiting, I was secretly happy given how sick and little energy I had with the pregnancy! The timing worked out perfectly....I was feeling much better by the time I had to start taking the girls to dance!!

Both girls were THRILLED to be back with their dance friends, and dance teachers!! We really do love Dance Delaware!! (check out their website ; ) ) Michaela will be taking Ballet, Tap, and Jazz (this is new for her this year!), and will be competing on the Competition Team!! Madelin is taking Ballet and Tap and can't wait to be old enough to do more classes!! They are adorable to watch and both truly LOVE to DANCE!

My Reason for the Lack of Posts.....

2011-10-25T15:35:00.000-04:00

And this adorable Baby # 3 sitting comfy while sucking his/her fingers is my reason for the lack of posts!!! Yes, that is right!! We are expecting and so THRILLED! Today is the first day in 11.5 weeks (how far along I am as of today) that I have not been swamped with fatigue and nausea! It has been tough doing all that needs to be done while dealing with that, but we seem to have gotten through it and are SO excited to be blessed with BABY # 3!!!!!!!

Matt and I melted when we saw this ultrasound!! What JOY it is to see your tiny, tiny, fully formed miracle inside you!! The baby was moving all around, stretching his/her legs, and sucking his/her fingers!!! We were awe struck by God's Creation! I am due the beginning of May...May 11th to be exact.

I hope to catch up on the Blog...but for now this is a GREAT catch up...to let all know that we are so excited to announce Baby # 3!!! Life is good, and it is filled with love, fun, and blessings! We are so THANKFUL for all God gives!!

Polly...Our Very Hungry Caterpillar!!!

2011-09-10T13:19:00.001-04:00

Sorry, for the lack of posts recently....we have been busy with the end of summer and all that a new school year brings! (more on that later!) For now, here is what the four of us have been SUPER excited about! POLLY!!! Polly is a Black Swallow Tail Butterfly Caterpillar that we found in our veggie garden on our carrot leaves!

We were SO LUCKY to find Polly at the time we did! After observing him on our Kitchen table for a bit and doing some quick internet research, we were thrilled to find out that he was in his Final stage as a caterpillar which meant, it wouldn't be long until he formed a chrysalis. So, we made him a safe home in a glass jar!

And thankfully, we had PLENTY of carrot leaves from our garden to feed him fresh food every day! (this is one of their main foods and why we found him! He was attracted to our carrots!!) And just like the book by Eric Carle says, he indeed was a VERY HUNGRY caterpillar!! He ate and ate and ate until all the leaves were GONE!!

The pictures above and below show Polly nibbling bit by bit at a leaf!! He is absolutely GORGEOUS!! MJ named him Polly based on his full scientific name!

Here are the yummy carrots that brought Polly to us! He enjoyed the leaves, we enjoyed the carrots! You bet I will plant them again next year!!! I am happy to say that Polly has formed his Chrysalis and we have about 12 days left until he emerges as a butterfly!! More pictures to come!!!

Happy Weekend !

2011-08-27T11:14:00.000-04:00

Psalm 91:1-2

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' "

3 Things Madelin LOVES!!

2011-08-16T21:08:00.000-04:00

Madelin LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to help me in the Kitchen!! Here, she is wearing one of my aprons, and holding a plate of Peanut Butter Cookies that we made together!

Madelin also LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to pick our ripe Veggies from the garden!! She is right there with me every time I go out to pick some!! Then, as soon as we get inside, she loves to take them all out of the basket and count them!

Madelin also LOVES, LOVES, LOVES her Gymboree class! This picture is from last week...it was her FIRST DROP OFF class!! She was so excited and had a BLAST! They were discussing Gardens that class, which was perfect because Madelin brought her teacher a bag of fresh picked by Madelin that morning cherry tomatoes! They painted with Broccoli and Cauliflower and had a super time. Madelin can't wait for her next class this Thursday!!

Homemade Salsa

2011-08-15T10:14:00.000-04:00

We used some of our tomatoes to make a batch of homemade salsa!! It was delicious!

Happy Weekend !

2011-08-13T13:34:00.000-04:00

May you find yourself FULLY present in the moments you are given this weekend!!

Birds, Shoes, Backyard Fun, Flowers, & a Carrot on a family Summer evening!

2011-08-12T14:14:00.000-04:00

This adorable Mocking Bird has been hanging around our back yard!!

Matt surprised MJ one evening with these new SPARKLY shoes!! She loves them and was thrilled that Daddy (all by himself as she said) bought them for her without Mommy! She was on cloud 9!!!

The girls climb up and down this playhouse...up and down, up and down.....Thankfully, Madelin has mastered the ladder...I still get a bit nervous though ; )

These 2 girls, BLOW me AWAY!! I LOVE them to pieces and am honored to be their MOM!!! How did I get to be so blessed??!!!??

A shot of the sky on our lovely evening!

Looks like this guy is my last Tiger Lilly this year, so I wanted to get a picture of him!! So glad they come back every year!!

And our FIRST Carrot from our garden!! We were so excited to dig this guy up and eat him!! Yes, we all shared him...Mom too!! She was over the night we picked him!! The carrot taste was SO fresh and SO strong!! I can't wait to get some more!!

Swimming

2011-08-11T09:46:00.001-04:00

MJ sitting with her Swim Class friends!! She LOVED Swim lessons!!!

MJ and her Swim Teacher, Miss Amanda!!

Madelin sitting in the Baby Pool....a place we did NOT spend a lot of time in because my "babies" are too big!!!! CRAZY!!! Madelin would rather be in the BIG pool and has NO fear....a good and bad thing!!

Michaela jumping off the HIGH DIVE for the FIRST TIME EVER!!!!!!!!!!! She was so brave!! And guess what???????? Madelin did it right after her!! I put the camera down for Madelin's turn because I was too nervous!!!! But they both LOVED it!!

Singing, dancing, and strumming...

2011-08-08T17:59:00.000-04:00

Cute video of Madelin singing, dancing, and strumming the guitar! Seems someone got Mommy's voice...

Happy Weekend !

2011-08-06T16:23:00.002-04:00

"The Greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to Love and be Loved in return."

Celebrate the love you have to give others and the love you are given by others! Both are a gift!

I enjoyed celebrating LOVE this Saturday at my very best friend's Bridal Shower!! (The flowers were our lovely centerpieces! And the quote is Mandi's favorite and was framed at the cake table!)

My 30th Birthday Party!!

2011-08-04T10:20:00.001-04:00

Matt threw me an AMAZING 30th Birthday Party!! He worked so hard to make every detail just right for me!! I LOVED every minute of the celebration and was so thankful to celebrate turning 30 with SO MANY of my family and friends!!

We had the party at my favorite restaurant, Washington Street Ale House. They have a banquet room upstairs that we used! There were about 40 of us there to hang out, play games, dance, eat the delicious food, and have fun!!

There was an adorable Candy Bar for our guests to create their own take home goody bags!! Blue, Brown, and Green were the colors! Matt did not miss a beat and everything looked GREAT!!

My good friend, Karrie, made the cupcakes for us!! They were beautiful and tasted even BETTER!!! There were 3 different flavor combinations to choose from! I usually always like chocolate the best....but the cupcake with GREEN icing was a lemon cupcake and it.was.DELICIOUS!! Hands down, my favorite!! Karrie always does an amazing job on her cakes and such!!

The centerpieces were beautiful potted flowers that winners of the games could take home and plant. They plant will come back every year!!! The tag shows the design Matt used on the invite and such. The tag says, "Melissa's 30th." Babe, thanks for all you did to make this celebration WONDERFUL!!

I know this is a silly shot of us....but I like how it shows that Matt and I can kick off our shoes and have a good time!!!!!! If there is music and a dance floor around, the two of us will be on it, having a blast together!! I hope 30 years from now, when I am 60, we are still getting down together on the dance floor!!!

Friends saying cheese!! (See the flower centerpiece in this picture!!! They were LOVELY!)

God has blessed us with SO MANY GREAT friends!! We are thankful for them ALL....near and far, old and new, ones we see alot and ones we see a few ; ) !!!!!!!!!!!!

I love how my parents know how to have a GOOD TIME!!!!!!! Mom and Dad, we LOVE you!!!!

Family!!! A wonderful blessing!!!

The whole crew...minus a few who had to leave early!!!!!!!!!!! A lovely night had by all, filled with LOVE and FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a way to celebrate a NEW DECADE!!!!!!!!!

Here is the link to my invitation! Matt made me a website invitation!! Click here to see it!! Once you click on it, scroll down for the link to page 2 of the invite!

Celebrating 9 Fabulous Years of Marriage

2011-08-01T15:03:00.002-04:00

Happy Weekend !

2011-07-30T18:47:00.002-04:00

I hope you all have a lovely Summer weekend!

(this entire post was done from my iPod!! The first time I posted like this. Oh, and the picture was taken with my iPod and is of our bountiful cherry tomatoes!!)

Pittsburgh

2011-07-27T16:59:00.000-04:00

We took a quick trip to Pittsburgh to visit Matt's Grandfather, who flew there from Vegas for surgery from the countries top surgeon for this particular procedure to remove his Esophagus Cancer. Whew....a lot of info in one sentence ; ) We were thrilled to be able to visit him since he was only 5 hours away!! He is doing very well from the 9 hour surgery!

Anyway, the trip was quick, simple, and filled with minimal activities so we could spend more time with Randy!

As you can see, the girls didn't mind the lack of activities at ALL! They LOVED the hotel and the luggage cart was the BEST activity ever!!!

Our time with Randy was wonderful! I can't believe he is 79!! So active and sharp!

The hotel had an indoor pool, which we managed to enjoy! The girls were their new suits from Mom and Dad and MJ had a blast showing off her new swimming skills!!

Just because they don't stay little long....Post 2

2011-07-26T22:46:00.000-04:00

Madelin with her dance friends!!

Ready to dance!

Our Brown-eyed Little Girl!!

She LOVES to put her hands on her hips while talking! She is VERY animated and expressive!

For some reason, putting her hands around her neck, is a "cute" pose

that Madelin came up with and does often!!

I gotta have my "Mommy and daughter, backstage, self-portrait" shot!!!

One with each of my daughters!!!

Madelin with Ms. Ashley, her ballet and tap teacher!! We love Ms. Ashley!!

Lauren and Michaela!! They have been dancing together since day 1! Both started dancing at the same exact time and have always been in class together!!! These 2 will both be on the competition team together starting in the fall!! Looking forward to all the fun that will bring!!

Our 2 Sweet Dancers!!! We love you!!

Just because they don't stay little long....

2011-07-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

All Photos are from Dress Rehearsal Night, as I double-dutied as photographer and Backstage Mommy!

I get the BEST seat in the house!

Hiding behind the curtain, watching my girls dance!

Moments that I will cherish forever!!

(Madelin's tap Dance)

MJ with her dance friends waiting back stage to perform!!

Wouldn't miss this for the world!! MJ is front and center!

Hanging out backstage!

Happy Weekend!

2011-07-22T19:39:00.000-04:00

"Love is Patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

I Corinthians 13:4

Love:Patience:Gratitude

Below are some thoughts that I have been absorbing this week...

"Patient people dare to gratefully accept people where they are. Grateful for who they are now, appreciative of works of art not yet finished, but still deeply loved.

Patient people dare to receive the present always as a present – grace.

Patient people dare to live only in the present. Because they know that is where God is.
Lack gratitude — then lack patience — then, ultimately, lack love. To be love-full, I’ll first need to be grateful."

Gratitude:Patience:Love

(Maybe this is the natural flow!)
(Excerpt Quote from A Holy Experience...read her entire post here.)

Lovely Flowers from my Lovelier Husband

2011-07-22T19:08:00.000-04:00

Enjoying the beautiful flowers my husband brought home for me today!

Matt, I love you more than any words could truly define!

The Day I turned 30!! My Happy Birthday!

2011-07-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

My sweet Mom took my girls to a pottery place for them to hand paint me these beautiful snack plates as my Birthday present from them! I will ALWAYS remember how PROUD each girl was to have me see their work of art when I opened it! Mom said MJ did her plate all by herself, even planning out the design and colors!! Madelin did hers all by herself too....despite Mom's plans to assist her ; ) I LOVE these plates and will enjoy them for years and years! Thank you girls! I love you both!! And thank you Mom, for being so thoughtful to take them to paint these!

Zucchini

2011-07-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of the FIRST ZUCCHINI we harvested, back in June, right before my birthday!! Our vegetable garden is doing GREAT and we are loving it! All 4 of us love to eat Zucchini, which is a GOOD thing considering our 2 plants have yielded (so far) a total of 31 zucchini's!!

Happy Weekend !

2011-07-16T11:57:00.001-04:00

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

Below is an excerpt from the book I am reading, ("Prayer: Does it Make any Difference?" by Philip Yancey):

"More than anything else in life, I want to know God. The psychiatrist Gerald C. May observed, 'After twenty years of listening to the yearnings of people's hearts, I am convinced that human beings have an inborn desire for God. Whether we are consciously religious or not, this desire is our deepest longing and most precious treasure.' Surely, if we are made in God's own image, God will find a way to fulfill that deepest longing. Prayer is that way."

(Note:the flowers were a lovely gift to me from my awesome husband!)

Homemade Icecream on the 4th of July

2011-07-16T00:03:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely 4th of July hanging at my parents' house. We enjoyed delicious food and the best part was my Dad's Homemade Icecream!!! It was delicious!!! I have so many memories of him making homemade icecream from when I was younger!!

He's Back!

2011-07-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

We haven't seen him in a while! Glad he's back!!!!!!

Happy Weekend !

2011-07-08T16:08:00.000-04:00

"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
   whose hope is in the LORD his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
   the sea, and everything in them—
   the LORD, who remains faithful forever."

Psalm 146:5-6

Photos from Father's Day

2011-07-05T22:02:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely family day celebrating both my Dad and Matt! These two men are awesome and we love them both so much! We took it easy, enjoyed a car show together and had a quiet evening at home!! We were all tired from the night before...my big 3-0 birthday party: pictures to come soon!

Happy Weekend !

2011-07-01T16:28:00.000-04:00

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Compassion

and the God of all comfort."

2 Corinthians 1:3

What a treat to find this Robin's nest in our backyard!

The "After-Party" Celebration

2011-06-30T18:38:00.000-04:00

After the recital, Mom, Dad, Aunt Judy, Aunt Donna, Uncle Matthew, and Daddy were all waiting for the girls with smiles and "Job well done" gifts!

Such PROUD Grandparents!!!!

As per our tradition, Michaela received another Giraffe for her recital gift! She was really looking forward to this gift...and couldn't wait to meet her new friend, Spotty! As you can see from the above picture, she was THRILLED!!

Michaela was curious to find out what Madelin's animal would be....after a lot of thinking, Matt and I decided that an Elephant was PERFECT for Madelin! (Elephant's are Daddy's favorite animal, and my Mommom's favorite animal!)

Madelin was in love with her 1st recital Elephant, named Peanut!!!

Daddy is so PROUD of his 2 girls!!

Madelin, Miss Val, and Michaela! Miss Val is the owner and Michaela's teacher! She is AMAZING and we just love her!

When we got home, the girls were so excited to display their flowers from Mommom and Pappy!

Our First Cucumber!

2011-06-30T15:49:00.000-04:00

Last week, our cucumber plant had a perfect size cucumber all ready for us to pick! The four of us were so happy! We sliced it up and enjoyed it with dinner that night! What a TREAT! It really was SO DELICIOUS!

I will definitely plant cucumbers again next year! The plant grows BEAUTIFUL yellow flowers and looks great as it climbs up the lattice! Plus, all 4 of us LOVE fresh cucumbers!

Our 2 Beautiful Ballerinas!!!

2011-06-27T21:09:00.000-04:00

Madelin's Ballet dance started with their feet in first position...she was so careful to make sure her feet were just perfect!

Doing an a-chape. (that is my spelling ; ) )

A Pirouette!

Michaela's ballet dance was full of a lot of movement and changes in formations!

MJ is the 5th one from the front!

Ending Pose!!! I love how precise MJ is with all her movements!

MJ LOVED her ballet costume! She wore it EVERY day for about a week after the recital was over! Madelin and her would take turn doing their dances in our house with their costumes on!

I love her adorable pose in this picture!!

Madelin and Samantha, an older dancer at the studio! These 2 really connected. Samantha's youngest sister, Holly, was in MJ's classes, so Sam and Madie were able to hang out in the waiting room while their sisters had class together. Sam was GREAT with Madelin!

I love how Madelin is trying to do the same pose as her Big Sister!! You girls did a GREAT job on stage!!

Madelin was THRILLED to receive her very first Recital medal!!

Our 2 Tappers!!

2011-06-27T00:22:00.001-04:00

June, for our family, is always filled with FUN and MOST of that Fun is due to RECITAL WEEK!! This year was DOUBLE FUN for us, because BOTH our girls were dancing! Michaela and Madelin were adorable backstage together....they were so happy for each other and you could tell they were very proud to be sisters, which made my heart just smile!!

Both of the girls' tap costumes were red and white! And they both enjoyed every minute of the work and fun that a recital brings! (Oh, and so did Mommy...as I was backstage Mom for all 5 nights of rehearsals and the 1 show night!!...)

A few shots from Madelin's tap number! For being SO young, she did AMAZING! She had absolutely NO fear going up on stage! She was the line leader and did a great job marching out to her spot! She is the youngest dancer Miss Val has ever taught! (the other girls in her class were mostly 5, but it was their first year of dance, so this was the beginners class!)

I love how Madelin even made sure to have her arms in the right place!!

Madelin tapped to the song, "Sweet Pea, apple of my eye,..." It was very cute!

Michaela has Dancing Feet!! Her tap routine was FAST and she kept up! The main formation for the routine was a V shape and MJ was the point, front and center!! She did AMAZING! We are so proud of her and excited because she made the competition team for Miss Val next year!!

You could tell that Michaela has excelled as a dancer because her arms were always correct, she was smiling, and even able to look forward at the audience and not look at the teacher behind the curtain!!

I just love my girls!!!

Michaela, Madelin and Amanda (MJ's classmate!) All the dancers ADORED Madelin and wanted to give her MANY hugs and kept saying how adorable she was because she was SO little! That was great, because it gave Madelin extra confidence on this new recital venture and I was so proud of MJ's reaction to all of that...rather than get jealous, MJ just BEAMED with pride and said to her friends and others, "Yep, that is MY little sister!!" I couldn't have been prouder of both girls' loving attitude!

Brooklyn, Lilly, and Madelin!

Madie's tap bow was HUGE! I was leery about it, but it did look GREAT on stage!!

Happy Weekend !

2011-06-24T18:08:00.000-04:00

"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10

Happy Weekend !

2011-06-17T15:49:00.001-04:00

May Your weekend be filled with LOVE!

(Note: a piece of God's creative nature we brought home from a morning family walk! I adore the steel blue color! Also, the vase is from my cousin's wedding! I always think of her when I use it! And the LOVE is from my Dear Aunt and Uncle in Vermont, given to us on our Wedding Day!)

MJ's Last Day of Pre-school!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-14T22:18:00.001-04:00

Pre-school is finished! Michaela had a GREAT year! She was BLESSED to have 2 WONDERFUL teachers, that we ALL adored! Michaela LOVES to learn and we are SO proud of how much she has grown this year, academically, socially, and physically!!

The last day of school was a FUN FIELD Day! It.was.H-O-T!!!!!!!!!!!!! The kids in her class had a BLAST playing the games. They did the potato sack race, (above), a do-nut game (below), and a bean bag toss!

Mrs. Barlow giving Michaela her end of the year gift!

Michaela June posing with her Pre-school folder. The teachers kept a folder for each student and collected samples of their work from the beginning of the year to the end! We had a blast looking through it and seeing how.much.Michaela has excelled!!

One last picture with Mrs. Barlow!

(MJ wore this SAME dress last year on the last day of school!! How weird is that! I thought so, but wasn't sure until I just looked back on the blog! MJ picked out this dress for her last day this year and said it was perfect! I agree...it is a PERFECT last day of school dress!! You can click here to see last year's last day of school ; ) )

End of the School Year Program

2011-06-14T21:53:00.000-04:00

Michaela, Bernice, Ava, and Kiera waiting for the program to begin! Michaela really blossomed socially this year and had a lovely time making friends with the girls in her class!

Walking up to stage to sing for all the parents, grandparents, and such!!

Even though this picture is a little blurry, I just LOVE MJ's smile here and her natural curls in her pony tail!!

Singing on stage! They sang "Sally the Camel," "I Shall not be Moved," and recited Philippians 2:14!

Sitting up front watching the photo slide show that the Pre-school put together for all of us to enjoy!

The Finale! The kids were singing "Today is the Day!" or "Oh,Oh,Oh-o," as Madelin calls it! This song is AWESOME and my girls sing it ALL the time!

MJ and Mommom after the program!!

Static!!

2011-06-05T19:08:00.000-04:00

Madelin's out of control hair after jumping on our trampoline!

Painting

2011-06-05T19:03:00.000-04:00

The First Sign of our Harvest!

2011-06-05T18:00:00.001-04:00

This is the first vegetable that we have seen in our garden!! We are very excited and go out every day to observe the plants and water them! We saw this baby Zucchini on Friday evening!!!

Daddy and his Girls!

2011-06-05T17:59:00.001-04:00

Matt joined in the Water Painting fun with the girls!

Happy Weekend !

2011-06-03T15:58:00.001-04:00

"Cultivate what you have. Your garden plot is the same as it always was, so plow deeper. Envying the garden that others have cultivated plows nothing, and brings forth a harvest of nothing. Strive for deep conviction more than superficial originality, and deep originality will come. Your tomatoes will take the ribbon at the fair, provided you learned how to grow them in your own dirt."

Quote taken from Douglas Wilson...his entire post can be found here.

Picture taken today of our tomato plants!

Our Memorial Day

2011-05-31T00:00:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful day! Mandi came over this morning, so we could talk in person about her getting ENGAGED yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO VERY Happy for her and Joey!! Then, the family made a few errands...one of which was to go visit Daddy's office and see the new window decals 2 Fish added to their office front! It looks GREAT! Then, we came back home....this is where my pictures fit in ; ) MJ really enjoyed reading and writing at her NEW (to us) school desk that we found at Goodwill this weekend! We all LOVE it! It looks adorable in our family room!

Madelin crashed for a late nap, which worked out great since we were going to Mommom and Pappy's house for a dinner picnic at 6:00pm!

The girls and I picked out a few more flowers to add to our Front living room flower garden. The flowers above and below are first time flowers for us! I LOVE the Orange this year and the spike shape above kept drawing my eye at the store, so they had to come home with me!!! Plus, they like HOT heat and with it being 98 today, it was meant to be! Our flower gardens may not EVER be on the cover of a Home and Garden magazine, but one thing is for sure....we LOVE picking out our flowers, (which we all get to pick some out! and which can make for a crazy combo!) and we LOVE watering our flowers EVERY day and to us it is perfect and we just enjoy it!!!

Our pea pods started from seeds!!! They are doing great!

A family favorite...broccoli started from seeds too!! We have REALLY enjoyed watching this plant grow and change! It still needs to change a lot to look like the broccoli we are used to seeing!

Our Zucchini!! These leaves are MASSIVE!

Tomatoes on one side and carrots (too tiny to see here), broccoli, and peas!!

And here is Daddy...enjoying the garden too! He was thrilled today to buy this new hose attachment, which gives us several water flow options....on a day like today with the intense heat...the MIST feature was awesome to keep the leaves happy!

After this, we headed over to Moms' for a wonderful family picnic! I had all intentions of taking pictures there, but got into super chill mode and forgot!

Reading to Max

2011-05-30T00:00:00.003-04:00

This past Thursday night, Mom and I took the girls to our local library for Michaela to participate in their "Read to Max" program! Michaela signed up for this program a few weeks ago and has been SO excited to do read a book to Max, a therapy dog! Michaela did a GREAT job reading a ballet book to Max, who just sat their and looked at her as she read each word! After hearing MJ read, the librarian was shocked to find out that she was only in per-k! Way to go, MJ!! For reading to Max, Michaela received a pin with Max's picture and a brand new book to take home!!! This is such a great program and we are looking forward to signing up again!

Happy Birthday, Mandi!

2011-05-29T00:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Weekend !

2011-05-27T21:03:00.002-04:00

"God being who and what He is, and we being who and what we are, the only thinkable relation between us is one of full Lordship on His part and complete submission on ours. We owe Him every honor that is in our power to give Him. Our everlasting grief lies in giving Him anything less."

A. W. Tozer's "The Pursuit of God" (found on page 102...I recently finished this book...simply Wonderful! A book that I will come back to again and again!!)

Our first bloomed Day Lilly this year!!

A Weekend Can't get any Better than this:

2011-05-22T21:40:00.000-04:00

Filled with Laughter, Friends, Sisters, and Fun!!

Happy Weekend !

2011-05-21T17:51:00.001-04:00

May you find what you are searching for this weekend ; )

Field Trip to the DuPont Theater!

2011-05-18T20:21:00.000-04:00

Michaela and I had a WONDERFUL time on her field trip to the DuPont Theater to see the play, "Duck For President." I enjoyed being with my eldest daughter...and while we were doing that, Daddy and Madelin enjoyed a special outing at Storytime and Gymboree!!

Birds make me Happy!

2011-05-17T16:21:00.000-04:00

Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal

2011-05-15T22:25:00.000-04:00

I was thrilled to observe this interaction between our Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal! They met, fed each other, whispered, fed some more, and whispered again! They are a lovely couple ; )

Happy Weekend !

2011-05-13T16:12:00.000-04:00

Simply wishing you all a Sweet weekend filled with warm, heart-felt moments!

A picture of our new favorite dessert:: Hot Milk Sponge Cake! Simple, Easy, and Delicious!

Little Ballerina Madelin!!

2011-05-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

A few shots of Madelin in her leotard and hair in a bun as we leave to go to her Ballet and Tap Class! She LOVES dance and I can't wait to see her in her first recital this June!!!

It is such a treat how BOTH girls love dance...an activity that they can share together at home!

Mother's Day Brunch at Michaela's Pre School

2011-05-09T14:32:00.000-04:00

On Friday morning, Michaela's preschool had a lovely Brunch for Mother's Day! Each class sang an adorable song. Michaela's class also shared one thing they love about their Mom and Michaela said, "Mommy and I baking together!"

After the songs, the kids came and sat with their Moms at the table so we could enjoy our brunch together! Michaela made this adorable Tea card for me that held a packet of tea for me to enjoy later!

Our lovely place cards and frame that MJ painted and glued buttons on for me!! (I love being called, "Michaela's Mom!")

Mommy and Michaela! (I was thankful that Aunt Judy could sit with Madelin at home while I attended this! Aunt Mary Ann, Madelin told me all about chatting with you on the phone as soon as we got back home!!)

The inside of my card!!

They had a slide show during the eating time...first they showed the Mom as a little girl, and then the child! It was fun trying to guess! These were our pictures!

Making a Garden for Mom!

2011-05-09T14:10:00.000-04:00

Matt and the girls gave me the most thoughtful gift....2 new raised garden boxes for me to have a Vegetable Garden!! As you can see, all 3 of them worked really hard to finish the project on time!! The girls went shopping with me, for us to pick out our vegetables and I was able to plant them in my new garden on Mother's Day!! (pictures to come of the garden with plants!)

I am so excited about this new project/hobby that the girls and I can enjoy together!! Thanks, Matt for all your hard work to make this happen! I love you!

A Sunny Mother's Day!

2011-05-09T14:02:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely Mother's Day together! The weather was gorgeous and we were able to spend a lot of time outside...but, the downside was the picture ; ) This was the best one we took...oh well...

Happy Weekend!

2011-05-06T22:52:00.000-04:00

"To be a mother, this is the rarest gift in the world.

Forbid, that we just have children and that is all — when everyday offers

the unwrapping of wondrous, holy grace."

Ann Voskamp

To My Dancing Partner,

2011-05-02T16:24:00.001-04:00

"And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you"

(MJ took this picture of us on Easter!) (These are words from a song we love!)

Happy Weekend !

2011-04-29T22:35:00.003-04:00

"Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless
till they find rest in Thee."
-St. Augustine

(An Easter flower given to Madelin from her Sunday School teachers!)
(Today, I read this quote in the book, "The Pursuit of God," by A.W. Tozer)

My Michaela June...

2011-04-28T22:52:00.002-04:00

I love you!!

Easter

2011-04-25T09:42:00.004-04:00

The Easter service at church was WONDERFUL! And of course, after the service, we needed to stop and take a picture on the couch!!

We stopped at a local park on the way home, to snap a few shots of the girls. This was a challenge given the BRIGHT sun and our sensitive eyes, the heat (that felt like summer), and the mud from ALL the rain the day before. The girls were troopers though!!

The two shots of the girls holding hands and walking in a circle, was them playing "Ring Around the Stinky Feet!" (their silly-sister version)

Happy Weekend::HE IS RISEN !!

2011-04-23T20:56:00.005-04:00

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you."
I Peter 1:3-4

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

Sydney, Michaela, and Madelin having a BLAST hanging out with each other!
Michaela's preschool hosted an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday!! We met our friends, Cristen and Sydney, and Mom and Dad there for a fun time of Easter Celebrations!!

All of us had a great time. With the rain, the Egg Hunt was moved indoors, but the kids didn't seem to mind!

Happy Weekend!

2011-04-14T21:33:00.002-04:00

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:23-24

(A centerpiece from Megan's wedding sitting lovely on my Kitchen table all week!)

A Beautiful Wedding! But what is Missing??

2011-04-14T20:43:00.007-04:00

I was thrilled to get away from the kids, spend quality time with lifelong friends and be apart of Megan and Nick's wedding! The wedding looked a little like this...

3 of the Bridesmaids!!

2 Wonderful Couples!!

1 Adorable Family!
(Nyla was the flower girl and she was too cute!!)

Beautiful Flowers and a lovely handbag! (Thanks, Megan!! I love it!)

Best Friends!

And a happily married couple!!

Looks like a lovely wedding day. What? Where is the Bride??
Oh, well since you asked, scroll down to the next post to see her and only her...the Star of the day!!! ; )

Here Comes the Bride...

2011-04-14T20:00:00.000-04:00

Megan looked amazing!
From the flower in her hair, to her AWESOME lip color (I so want it...I think it was called Captivating!), to her sweet yellow shoes, and lace dress...it all flowed so nicely to convey the inner and outer beauty that Megan possesses!!

Megan dancing with her Mom! Mrs. Dempsey was beautiful!

I wish I had more pictures...but with being in the wedding party, myself,....I was limited as to when I could take some shots ; )

The wedding was GREAT! A godly ceremony, fun reception, and a wonderful way for Megan and Nick to start out their life long marriage together! They are BOTH great people and it was our honor to witness their vows to each other and God!!

Nashville Wedding Rehearsal

2011-04-12T14:18:00.004-04:00

Mandi, Megan, and Me...at Megan's Rehearsal dinner!

Joey and Mandi waiting for the Rehearsal to start! You can't tell from this shot, but we had some Tear falling, stomach hurting laughs over taking this picture ; )

Shane and Matt after eating some Tennessee Bar-bq!

Matt and Me enjoying a great weekend with friends!!!

Happy Weekend !

2011-04-08T17:38:00.003-04:00

May your weekend be filled with all the LOVE, COMFORT, and FUN that Good FRIENDS bring!

Spring Flowers

2011-04-03T21:13:00.002-04:00

Spring Flowers Blooming in our Front Yard!

Happy Weekend !

2011-04-01T22:44:00.004-04:00

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
Psalm 119:105

Thoughts from a 3 Year Old

2011-03-27T23:07:00.004-04:00

Well, before I head up to bed, I wanted to sit down a type out a few things that Madelin said today on her 3rd Birthday for me to remember and tell her later!

- She woke up today and we told her "Happy Birthday!" She said, "It's my birthday! I am 3!" I said, "I know, yesterday, you were 2 and now you are 3!!" She looked at me with a pondering face and then said this:

"Mommy, I know what happened. 3 took 2 to the bath tub and washed it away!"
How precious is that!!!

- Then, tonight when we got back home from dinner and cake at my parent's she said the following: (note: we opened a few presents)

"Thanks for telling my people, I love presents!"
I said, "You are welcome!"

What a sweet girl! 3 is going to be full of fun...Madelin, I can't wait to watch you as a 3 year old! I love you!!!!!

Madelin's Birthday Minute Picture at 11:05 am!

2011-03-27T11:53:00.003-04:00

Madelin is 3 !

Happy Weekend!

2011-03-26T03:00:00.003-04:00

"My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Psalm 121:2

(a delicate House Finch, often mistaken for a Purple Finch)

Our Art

2011-03-25T12:56:00.003-04:00

"My Sister & Me"
by Michaela
Winter 2011

"Our House"
by Michaela
Winter 2011

I love this picture that Michaela drew!
Our house that she drew is perfect! On the bottom level, she drew our chair, couch and tv. Then up the stairs, you have our kitchen table and 2 windows where we see our birds. Then, up the stairs, you have the bedrooms, then in the attic, you have all of Mommy's numbered gray storage bins!

Besides, our family members, Michaela loves to draw, color, or paint Rainbows!!

"Madelin's Masterpiece!"
by Madelin
Winter 2011

Madelin LOVES ALL colors! Whether on her clothes or in her art, the more colors, the BETTER!

"Daffodils, Lilacs, and Tulips"
by Melissa ; )
March 2011
I love to join in on their fun as well!

"Rainbows in Rainbows"
by Michaela
March 2011

"The Ousdahls"
by Michaela
Fall 2010

This is one of my all time favorites! It hangs in our Family room!

Around the house

2011-03-24T15:50:00.003-04:00

One afternoon last week, I quietly went around and snapped a few pictures of the girls just being girls on a typical day! I love how they usually flow very nicely and organically between playing together and playing alone!

Reading a book with her Gymboree name tag still on from that morning (it must have been a Wednesday!) and her bare legs...she takes all socks, shoes, pants, and tights off as soon as we get back home!

I love this picture of Michaela! I usually open the front door to let in the sun in the afternoon...and notice, I move one of my plants to get some sun. Well, Michaela thought it would be great to take a rest in the warm sun! Oh, how I love days like this...simple and just enjoying our home and each other!

Nothing Like some Girl Time!

2011-03-24T11:04:00.001-04:00

My two always love to hang out with these two sisters! The four of them are so cute together!

The Adorables!

2011-03-22T20:41:00.004-04:00

These are two shots from "The Adorables," the name given to the 2-5 year old kids choir at church! When they sang at Christmas, we were sitting on the 2nd row and as Sam, our Music Pastor was introducing them, he stumbled over what to call them, he said to the congregation, "What do we call this group?" and Matt answered "ADORABLE!" and it stuck! This time when they came out, Sam introduced them as "The Adorables!"

They sang 3 songs and did a great job!! It is so fun watching them and helping out! Mom, Dad, and I teach the 5 year old Sunday School class, every other month!

Michaela and her class were on the top row, and Madelin's class was on the bottom row!

More of My Robin!

2011-03-22T15:49:00.005-04:00

Ever wonder what a bird looks like after doing something like this?

Poor thing...this hole stayed there for a bit! Talk about a bad Hair day!

Mommom & Pappy

2011-03-22T10:12:00.003-04:00

Mommom and Pappy went for a walk on the First Day of Spring! We were so happy that they stopped by our house ; ) While Murphy, (their dog) rested up and drank some water, these 4 read a book together! What a lovely first day of Spring! (P.S. they were reading a new library favorite of ours called "Unlovable," a very cute book about a pug!)

Spring is Here!!

2011-03-22T09:44:00.001-04:00

Our girls on the first day of Spring!

Happy Weekend

2011-03-18T18:46:00.005-04:00

"You will keep in perfect Peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

Isaiah 26: 3-4

(this most gorgeous Robin sat in my tree 2 days ago for about 20 minutes, allowing me to snap away...I can't wait to share more photos of him soon!!)