walking...almost

YES!  She has been flirting with it.  She has

taken a step..or two.  She has stood without support.

And last weekend she took a few steps to me.

But now she is not motivated to a person, and

I just see her trying it out.  On Tuesday,

she took a couple of steps!

Of course, I am not in any hurry to see this girl

walking.  But we celebrate!

praying life

My alone time reading

I have read this book at least 3 times. it has really ministered

to my heart.  It invites freedom in Christ.  It invites an

intimate relationship with a Father who lights up when

he sees us.  It is not about duty or guilt or coming to

him pretending.  We come with ourselves, like with

friends around the dinner table  Then we find true communion

 and our voice begins to be His.

 

I finally felt released to have a woman's study

once again in our home.  So this summer, I take

the plunge and walk in faith to be "useful" as

a recent sermon challenged me.  Not to be comfortable

or only "want to do what we want when we want it",

but to step out in faith and see what happens. 

My now inviting others in reading.

 

An excerpt:

"It took me seventeen years to realize I couldn't parent in my own.  If I didn't

pray deliberately and reflectively for members of my family by name every

morning, they'd kill one another.  I was incapable of getting inside their

hearts.  I couldn't change my self-confident heart.  That's why I needed

grace even to pray.  It didn't take me long to realize I did my best

parenting by prayer.  I began to speak led to the kids and more to God. 

It was actually quite relaxing.  If we think we can do life on our

own, we will not take prayer seriously. "

 

"Time in prayer makes you even more dependent on God because you don't

have as much time to get things done."

 

You don't create intimacy; you make room for it."

 

-Paul Miller-

 

There are no shortcuts.  Just as there aren't any for our relationships

with out kiddos or our mates or friends.  It isn't about getting

the right system to pray, it is about God and relationship.

Getting on task

bath time with brother!

Cambria got out just in time!  :)

So one day before we headed off to perform

for music camp I asked the kids to help me out

in picking up.  Dev is usually pretty good about

getting on task. Bobo often requires a little

(sometimes a lot) more prodding.  I am learning

this speaks in some to personality and it

also speaks to being obedience.  Well Bobo

would not let me come in the room.  When I came

in our bedroom, he had picked up.  He had my

computer open in the desk (he knows I have

been working on it) and he had this set up

for Cambria.  I said, "Wait" so I could run and

get my camera.

Then Dev picked out three outfits with a matching toy for

the evening performance.  Love these two!

On the move

First time on a play structure!

I will never tire of her smile.

First big slide!

 

There she goes...first time alone on a

play structure.

I had flashbacks from taking Bobo to this

park when he was little and him climbing

through this tube.

It was so funny on this day, Bobo was quickly wheeling

her around and around.  I know she thinks Bobo

is pretty fun!

Fathers Day

Our dada

I love how each of our kiddos have a unique and special

relationship with Drew. 

Cambria is smitten with her dada.  At times, she prefers

him just as much as me!

Never in a million years would he have thought he

would have three children around him that would call

him dad!  I am so thankful he plunged in and

received such good gifts

He is a better man because of them. 

Wake up dada...one of the kiddos must have

taken these pics...

(His LSU mosaic plate he made)

He steers our ship.  I so often look to Andrew for guidance,

direction, and wisdom.  I may run the boat but he sets

our course.

Bobo had an interactive card..they played Tic-tac-toe.

The kids had their performance and during the

drums and singing, she was out! 

The way to dada's heart is ministry.  Deveraux

and Bobo created a wonderful "spa" for him.

They brought me in to show Cambria enjoying

the spa.

Checking in

She did taste the water...oops!

 

Deveraux got us all up on that spa bed.

A little practice

Drew is a great dad.  He is patient, kind, attentive to their

hearts, adventurous, thoughtful, silly, he engages, and he

is open to them and to himself in ways he needs to grow.

He is our dada!  And I am just so very very thankful!

Basketball camp tomorrow.  I think Drew is pretty excited and

proud to have his two following in some of those footsteps.

A great way to end Father's Day.  He had a great day!

We talked about how differently we celebrated our Mother's and Father's

Days.  It shows our preferences.  I wanted to get away

for the day and he wanted to stay home...watch the

championship NBA game and just play ball in the evening.

But we talked about how we are still really compatible in the

day to day of choosing activities because we still like doing

what the other suggests and we can be easy going.  It's fun

to notice differences and good that those differences

don't get in the way.