Beach Time Fun

We went to the beach a few weeks ago with Honey, Poppa, Uncle Tyler, Aunt Kayla, and Lilly. A perfect way to end the summer!

the family


Honey, Poppa, and the grandbabies


our crew


our crew again--can't get a good shot of everyone at the same time


we did a lot of this


the first two days the water was so calm!


Nora was so over pictures


cousin Lilly--such a cutie!


Annie-girl loves the beach




the only boy


sweet Sophie


the beach diva


Mama and Peanut


Annie making a sand angel


Jacob can't get enough sand


And waves


Sophie and Daddy


Sandcastles with Sophie


Concentrating!


Nora enjoyed sitting in the sand, playing with it, trying to eat a little of it










Daddy and Nora Mae, so happy together!




Poppa's annual beach appearance


Happy birthday, Honey!


Mama can build sandcastles, too!


There are more pictures of her because she doesn't move--much--yet. And she's so adorable, look at that happy grin!


Popsicles by the pool--yum!


Jacob

One Thousand Gifts, 501-525

501. A good night's sleep.
502. Our first home football game.
503. Nora's first game!
504. Sophie learning praise songs from her big brother and sister.
505. Hearing a recap of Annie and Jacob's comedy routine from their Sunday school teacher.
506. Finishing our first week of school.
507. The sweet curriculum we are using this year.
508. Watching Annie's mind grasp new concepts.
509. Observing Jacob's growth in so many ways since he came to be part of our family.
510. Field trip to the farm.
511. Baby turkeys. Who knew they were so cute?
512. Making new acquaintances as we begin our homeschool journey.
513. Fall weather.
514. Wearing jeans without getting hot.
515. Story time at the library.
516. Finally getting caught up on some of my big projects.
517. Favorite coffee mug.
518. Chatting with Mrs. Ella in the church nursery.
519. Nora going to the nursery pretty successfully now.
520. Being able to listen to the sermon uninterrupted.
521. The gift of prayer.
522. And intercession.
523. That God still speaks to us through his Word.
524. Tailgating with family and friends.
525. A manageable family schedule.

Recent Reads

Recent reads I have really enjoyed, along with a few of my favorite passages:

Heaven, by Randy Alcorn
We have such a skewed view of heaven. This book conveys glimpses of the beauty of heaven and what it may be like when all things are truly made new!








Women of the Word, by Jen Wilkin
A quick read but a great outline for how to study God's Word. I loved the reminder that the Bible is a book about God, not about us.








Kisses from Katie, by Katie Davis
Such an encouraging story about a young woman who was faithful to the work God called her to, and is now being richly blessed for her obedience.


Counter Culture, by David Platt
Thought-provoking and timely. Reminders that Christians can't pick and choose on the issues--we are called to represent God in popular topics like human trafficking, and unpopular ones like abortion.




Gilead (and Lila), by Marilynne Robinson
I really enjoyed both of these novels. Robinson's style is slow and thoughtful and the stories are well-told and grasp at the spectrum of human emotion and thoughts about a life of faith.

One Thousand Gifts, 476-500

476. A clean house.
477. A long weekend.
478. Extra family time.
479. Mango lemon icebox pie.
480. Finishing another novel (Lila).
481. Starting school with Annie and Jacob.
482. Annie's enthusiasm for school.
483. Listening to Annie tell stories.
484. Cuddling with Nora.
485. Watching Nora sleep.
486. Hearing Annie and Jacob sing new songs they are learning at church.
487. Hearing Sophie sing the same songs, because she has learned them from her older siblings.
488. Nora finally sleeping straight through from 10pm-6am, at least sometimes.
489. Football beginning!
490. Winning our first game.
491. Giving away things we no longer need or use.
492. Empty storage spaces in the house.
493. Sweet pictures of my munchkins.
494. A re-stocked fridge and pantry.
495. Finally making progress on my long to-do list.
496. Fresh starts.
497. The last of the summer flowers.
498. My puppies/rascals/imps/scalawags/cuddlebugs.
499. Honey helping out with babysitting!
500. God's grace on display through His Word and our lives.

Nora: Seven Months

Baby Nora is growing up so fast! I guess she is trying to keep up with her older siblings. This month she has mastered sitting and babbling (mostly bababa but I've heard a couple of mamama and dadada, too) and has learned to pick up her food and feed herself. She loves everything I've given her. I imagine this will last until about 18 months and then she will turn up her nose at everything, a la Annie, Jacob, and Sophie. Nora is still nursing seven times a day and is not sleeping all the way through the night yet--I feed her about 10pm and she wakes around 5am to nurse again. We've been packing in the last of the summer fun--the zoo, the children's museum, the pool, and our favorite park. We went to the beach and she played in the sand. Nora is happy to be along for the ride. She is becoming interested in books and playing with all kinds of baby toys and other things we find to keep her entertained (party hats, maracas, etc). Nora loves to laugh and smile and her brother and sisters love to bring those out in her. So cute together! (When they aren't making another mess that Mama will end up cleaning up...)