Words

Words. They can be a balm to the soul, or they can be a dagger that cuts to the heart. In the last 24 hours, I've been on the receiving end of both. And truth be told - I'm pretty sure I've been the giver of both as well. Studying Moses, I realize just how dependent he was on the Lord to give him the right words. And how faithful God was to provide. I pray that my words would be the kind that bring God glory - that whatever my opinions would be, I would only share them if they are God's thoughts first and foremost. I pray that He would guide the words that come from my lips, or out of my fingers. I pray that my words would be measured - that I would share only what is necessary and refrain from empty, useless conversation. I was reminded of the passage in James the other day that talks about the tongue being a restless evil, and oh how true that is.

So my prayer is:

"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Psalm 19:14

Little Moments

Life is full of little moments. I'm not sure where they seem to slip, but it seems in the dailiness of life that they are so easy to miss.

Somewhere between the schedules, the groceries, the housework, the commitments, the doctor's appointments and simply trying to maintain our sanity - the little moments are lost.

Why is it so easy to be distracted by the "necessities" of life, that I forget to stop and giggle with my girls? Or snuggle up and read a book? Those bedtime conversations that go by the wayside as I am doing whatever it is that I'm doing. (In all honesty, it's probably not very important.)

Today was a gift - I'm not sure where those distractions went, but I found myself snuggling with a little girl who wouldn't nap; helping another with her homework; creating a gourmet pizza; finishing a girlie movie; and enjoying a bedtime that wasn't rushed and secret thoughts were shared.

God, help me to see the little moments - and to remember that they are much bigger than any of us realize.

A Sharp Race

It hasn't been a great summer for running, but Dayna and I decided to give it a whirl again. We didn't train as well as we should have, but we were still able to complete a 5K under our goal time. At this point, we're doing running/walking intervals together - but the best part is that we're doing it together.

Finally Finished!

I'm so excited to have conquered my goal and knit my first pair of socks. I'm not sure where I went wrong when I tried five years ago, but I found that this was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I'm forcing myself to finish a few other projects before I start a new pair, but I confess - I've been checking out patterns for a couple of weeks now!

Pumpkin Patch Time

Mid September brings much craziness to the Wilson household - Dan is gone (although not quite as much this year) with his second "job." (I put that in quotes, because I really don't believe it's work to him - he lives for these six weeks every year.) And in exchange for his time, the rest of us get unlimited entry to the local pumpkin patch. We've only been once so far, but I have a feeling that more trips will be following.

Dayna's Turn

Dayna has also had her share of one-on-one time with her grandparents. Apparently, she enjoys skunking my dad at a good game of UNO Attack.

Getting to Know You

It's been so much fun watching Annie as she's getting to know her Papa and Nana. It was their hope to be "real" to her - beyond a picture, a voice, or a Skype conversation. I think it's working, because even when they aren't here, Annie is remembering to thank God for Papa and Nana whenever she prays.

They've been taking Annie once a week and spending some fun time with her.

Grandparents Day

It's not often that my parents get to join in on Grandparent's Day festivities at Dayna's school. It was a nice treat that they could be here and see Dayna take on the (appropriate) role of Laura Ingalls in her class play, "Sir Bookworm."

Labor Day

It's been about 14 years since Dan & I have gone to Valentine and canoed the Niobrara River. We made the trek with our two girls this time. It was Annie's first time on a canoe, and both of their first experience on a river. An added bonus was meeting up with my parents, who came to visit for an extended time this fall.

Storms rolling in

Rainbow before the storms

Completely tuckered out

She was excited to find goldenrod after studying Nebraska state symbols

Smith Falls

Never Turn Your Back

I absolutely love this kid - and you'd think I would have learned to not turn my back on her. Ever.

I just discovered a memory card filled with selfies.