Oh, No! Is it Bigfoot? Is it Godzilla? NO! It's Baby Sister! Aaaahh! Sept.19, 2006. 

Look, Uncle Mike! The plane you sent stands up to the worst of Little Sister tests! The dreaded teething test! Sept. 19, 2006. 

OH! What a Look! LOL! We had been outside picking up potatoes that had been laid out on the lawn to get cleaned off by the rain (muddy potatoes) before the frost Tuesday night, and while we were all out there, Emmy was busy EATING DIRT! Apparently she was perfectly happy in her dirtiness, because this is the look I got when I brought her in to clean her up! Sept. 19, 2006. 

My what a big girl I am! Sept. 20, 2006. 

I went upstairs to put some clothes away on Wednesday and this is what I found when I came downstairs! I guess we'll have to be sure to keep the door closed now, huh? Before she was done (and while I was right there beside her ready to catch her) she went up another two steps! At which point I couldn't handle it anymore and had to rescue her! Boy, does she think she's a big girl now! Sept. 20, 2006. 

Hey! I'm still hungry here! See these teeth?! They need something to chomp on before I blow away!!! Sept. 20, 2006. 

Just look at those teeth! I think she got another one on the bottom this week. She really doesn't want my fingers in her mouth so it's hard to tell for sure, but I see something peeking out next to one of her other bottom teeth! Sept. 20, 2006.  

This would be Joshua's first attempt to eat a hotdog IN the bun! As you can see, it's easier said than done!! Sept. 20, 2006. 

Emmy's new hobby - sticking out her tongue! Oh, and she learned how to pull herself up to a stand! Mostly she just does that in her crib, where I think she feels more secure and gets a good grip on the side. Emmy Leigh - 10 months old, Sept. 13, 2006. 

My adorable little model! This is a Janie and Jack dress that I'm selling in my store, but my doesn't it look cute on Emmy Leigh! Sept. 6, 2006. 

What a little cutie! Sept. 6, 2006. 

To everything there is a Season,
A Time for every purpose under Heaven

A Time to be Born,
and a Time to Die;
A Time to Plant,
and a Time to Pluck what is planted;
A Time to Kill,
and a Time to Heal;
A Time to Break Down,
and a Time to Build Up;
A Time to Weep,
and a Time to Laugh;
A Time to Mourn,
and a Time to Dance;
A Time to Cast Away stones,
and a Time to Gather stones;
A Time to Embrace,
and a Time to Refrain from embracing;
A Time to Gain,
and a Time to Lose;
A Time to Keep,
and a Time to Throw Away;
A Time to Tear,
and a Time to Sew;
A Time to Keep Silence,
and a Time to Speak;
A Time to Love,
and a Time to Hate;
A Time of War,
and a Time of Peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Everything in life runs in cycles, and endless ebb and flow of times, duties, joys, pains, love, and numbness. How often do we despise the season that we are in, rather than be thankful for the winter which will make the summer more enjoyable? How often do we throw away what's left of this season to jump into tomorrow's? As little girls we are eager to throw out our ribbons and bows for heels and makeup. As young men we let the bikes rust in the rain while we work on our first car in the garage long before we have our license. As youth we throw away our innocence for the thrill of a night, despising the season of simple purity for the new emotional bonds and responsiblities on the other side that God only intended us to be ready for when we were ready and willing to make the committment of marriage. Even as adults we constantly do this. As young parents we become exasperated with the season of constant care of babies, the diapers, the nursing, the loss of freedoms, forgetting how fleeting these precious moments are.

Our personal relationships run on the a constant cycle of seasons as well. Marriage, too, is full of changing seasons and the shifting sands of time. Everything changes, then changes again. Circumstances change, responsibilities change, priorities change, bodies change. So often we let the cold of a winter season unbond the glue that holds us together even though we are declared by God to be One Flesh. We must believe with everything in us that after the winter comes the spring, bringing with it its gentle rains and warming sun, thawing earth's lifeless form. The laws of God are immutable, and how much happier we would be if we would just listen and wait to hear them, then submit, not just to His authority, but His ultimate wisdom!

If only we could just obey God like the children that obey the Father who whistles his certain special whistle that means, "COME. CHILDREN. NOW!", and run as fast as their spindly legs can go straight to his side, dropping the toys, leaving the fort, forgetting the elusive frog. Perhaps the whistle meant that there was some danger and every child needed to be accounted for as soon as possible. Sometimes it was just a drill, to test our willingness to obey. Whatever the reason, we never once questioned it, we just ran. Would it have been better if we had questioned first, then obeyed if the reason seemed just to us? We all know how foolish it is for a child to be wise in his own eyes. Yet we fail to see how we are children of God, young and immature compared to Him. We feel justified in asking Why? before obeying, still relying on our own sense of good and bad before submitting or defying.

Well, I suppose I will get off my soap box now and get to my point. I just want to say that at times I am completely exasperated with the season I am in right now, but I am also thankful for it, and right now the best thing I can do for myself and my family is to embrace it. And so, I am embracing it fully!

Just wanted to point out my newest addition to the happy little blog! The nice banner under the title that says, "A Closet Full of Treasures" is not just cute, but functional! If you mouse over it, you'll find out it's a button! Not just any button, but one that leads directly to my Ebay store! I have to admit, finding the right html codes for this wasn't easy, but I had a little help.
So go check it out! The pickings are a little slim lately, I've been doing more shipping than listing these past few weeks. But keep checking back; there's always new stuff being added every week!
Lisa

We had a nice big camp fire on Saturday night and we backed up a couple of trucks near it and sat out there watching it for quite a while. It was a little too big to roast hot dogs on, though! Aug. 26, 2006. 

Colby and Josh removed the Japanese Maple out by the garage. It was hindering the Black Walnuts from growing into strong, well-rounded trees, and no one ever really knew who decided that was a good spot for another tree! So Colby pushed it over with the backhoe, breaking it off, then... 

They chained it to the bucket of the backhoe and hauled it away to the burnpile! Aug. 27, 2006.