More Birthdays!!!

 This past week we had the blessing of celebrating TWO birthdays!

 MaKenzie and Lena's birthdays are on consecutive days, so it makes sense to celebrate them together.  So they shared a cake.  This year is was our friend, Janie's, recipe for ice cream cake that we used!  And it was a hit!

 MaKenzie and Lena both have stories (and if you know MaKenzie, she loves to tell a good story).  Stories whose beginnings didn't forecast a promising ending.  Like Jared's story, both of their stories began with physical hardships that had physicians saying things like,

"not sure if she will make it,

severe brain damage,

lack of oxygen for extended periods,

heart stopped,

seizures,

disability,

attachment disorder." 

Those were just words, though. 

 And while those words and events surely impacted the lives of my girls, ultimately God wrote their stories using His own words. Words like,

"healing,

redemption,

love,

miracle,

recovery,

ability,

attachment,

and happiness."

Can't you see those stories on their faces--in their eyes?  I do...every day.

School at Our House...

As we settled into our school year this year and found curriculum that fits each of us best, it has been such a pleasure to have the space for the kids to spread out and find their own nook or cranny where learning feels best. 

Sometimes it starts early in the morning at the dining room table as she's still eating breakfast. 

 Sometimes the recliner fits the bill.

 The hammock on the porch is an oft-negotiated-over choice.  And of course Matthew enjoys getting to sit with whomever is reading at the moment.

Sometimes it's snuggled under a mound of blankets on the couch.

 Or at the computer where math and other research (and even sometimes games) takes place.

 Jared likes to sit at his own Cars desk to watch his videos. And Matthew thinks the best spot is anywhere that he can roll up like a little bug and get cozy.  The best part of having the extra space is that not only can our bodies and belongings spread out, but so can our minds.  There is room to THINK--and I love it!