Papa, Mama & Baby

(Photos by Tawanda from Jadah's wedding)

Tomorrow Jake and I will celebrate 2 wonderful years of marriage.

It's gone fast and slow all at the same time.

I know I love him more than I did at the start.

A more real kind of love.

The love that weathers the storm.

Less about how he makes me feel and a lot more about who he is.

Today Israel is 8 months old.

What a lovable guy.

Here's what he's up to these days:

he isn't crawling but he'll roll all across the room

he likes to squint his eyes really hard when he's in a silly mood

he discovered how to shake his head and does it frequently

he's extra long and below average in weight

he has 4 sharp teeth and likes to chomp down on things as hard as possible and then rip them out real fast

he grunts when you feed him too slow

he gets more and more cute every day

I have two wonderful men in my life

I am a blessed lady

Tid Bits

1. i feel like i'm constantly feeding this growing boy

2. jake & jeff were babysitting heroes during the wedding madness (photo by Emily Stephenson again)

3. a lovely spool of trim

4. taking photos for my mentors guest house website. if anyone wants to visit amish country, their house is the place to stay :)

5. i can never have too many flowers. never.

6. drinking izze with my izzy

Mama & Baby

you can tell when he stands like this he feels so proud of himself
he's big stuff now, and he knows it
all the milestones are his to conquer
at his own pace and with his own style and personality

Autumn Arrival

Have you heard?!

It's the first day of fall!

Today is a day to listen to the crinkly crunchy sound of dried corn in the wind, and feel the crisp, but not too cool, breeze on your face. I love it!

It's time to start experimenting with all the flavors that autumn brings. 

How about some brie and ginger snaps (from Jadah's wedding. we also had these at our wedding)

or try pairing different foods with figs!

This season also makes me want to try my hand at some dried floral arrangements and wreaths (these are ones my mentor did) I'm amazed when flowers can look so stunning even when the life has left them.

So, go out and purchase a gourd, make yourself something warm to drink, and scheme about all of the tasty soups and treats you can make this season. 

Be prepared for the many more "Celebrate October" posts to come.

(by the way, that's our house in the bottom corner photo at the top. for some reason it looked extra quaint with the sun shining on it)

Mama & Baby

izzy's favorite things:

measuring cups

drinking from mom and dad's glass

mirrors

his stuffed octopus

the outdoors

rolling

tickle time

food

attention

deep thought

his daddy & mama :)

(pictures by Emily Stephenson)

Floral Fun

This past weekend held the much anticipated wedding of Jadah + Yasser.

I was very excited for my lovely friend to be wed, and I was also thrilled that some of my dearest friends would venture out to PA to join in the celebration. 

I was on flower duty and was slightly nervous to venture into the world of wedding flowers without my mentor's guidance and professional touch, but it was an awesome and satisfying challenge for me. 

Plus, I had the help of 3 beautiful friends that oddly enough, make the perfect team for me even though we are so VERY different.

Here are some photos of our floral journey taken by the talented Emily Stephenson

 A few succulents, affectionately named Fern & Jehoshaphat (not sure why the third one didn't get a name), waiting to be made into something beautiful!

 Putting together some babies breath boutonnieres. Simple and yet so elegant!

 We did babies breath bouquets for the bridesmaids as well. Probably one of the prettiest and most cost effective ways to do wedding flowers.

 I have been dreaming of making a floral crown some day and decided this was my chance! I made this little beauty for Jadah's bachelorette party with a few extra flowers.

 I had to try it on :)

 The rightful owner looked amazing in it!

 And here is the bride's bouquet. 

Jadah only had a few requirements, thus giving me a lot of liberty to play around. She wanted a unique and not-your-typical-wedding bouquet as well as have a massive succulent. I think those both were accomplished and I was so satisfied with how it turned out. 

This was such a good challenge for me. 

I love working with flowers and it was exciting to see that I'm learning and growing in this art. 

You Made a Way

"God, make a way where there seems to be none!"

This is a prayer I've often prayed for a variety of scenarios.

Sometimes situations can seem impossible and our small small faith can be tested. 

There are many times in the Psalms (and other scriptures of course) where God calls Israel to remember His faithfulness. More specifically, He reminds them of when He parted the Red Sea.

Their faith in the God who, in a dramatic way, caused Pharaoh to set them free, was put to the test.

This body of water was more than just an obstacle, it was a death sentence.
It's said that all throughout ancient history one of the most feared things in every culture was large bodies of water. This was a terrifying moment for them.

I wonder if any of them imagined what happened next.

In an obvious display of His desire and steadfast love for Israel, He tore apart the waters and made a path in the sea.
He made a way where there seemed to be none!

(source)
Just as Israel is called to remember this victorious moment in history, we as followers of Jesus are urged to remember the Cross!
Not only did Christ atone for our sins so that we could be made Holy and share in eternal life, but He also made a way into the presence of God that did not exist before.
Let's think about this. Being a Gentile woman, I am completely out of the running for entering into God's presence. Only the high priest from the clan of Levi could enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year! Not to mention all the things he had to do to make himself right and pure so that he was not struck dead as soon as his pinky toe went beyond the veil.
No unclean thing could enter His presence.
And there is and was no one righteous.
Not one.
But Jesus through His death and resurrection became the pleasing sacrifice and became our righteousness.
He tore apart the veil that separated us from the presence of the Holy one.
I am amazed that a (supposedly) 4 inch thick massive curtain was torn by the finger of God, but I am more amazed that this wretched soul can come before the throne of God with boldness and be found pleasing.
He made a way where there seemed to be none!

(source)

The Rock

"On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand."

I've sung these words plenty of times without revelation of what I was actually saying.

Jesus is my only firm foundation.

He is the only sure thing.

Immovable. Unshakeable.

Everything else is shifting, unsteady, and ever changing. 

His word and His truth are my only stable and sure footing.

Man's tradition and the hollow philosophies of this world (Col. 2) cannot hold my building, (my life) up. 

When life's storms come; the winds of change and loss, and the rains of trials and loneliness, I need that firm foundation in order to stand.

The gospel of Christ crucified will stand firm in testing.

His salvation and finished victory will not be shaken.

I cannot put my faith and trust in another.

I must have my hope anchored in eternity.

Isaiah 26:4- "Trust in The LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the rock eternal."