I Heart Saturday AND.....gifts from Norway

The gift of sacrifical love...thank you birth mom!






The gift of beautiful surroundings







This photo may soon replace my current blog header photo (which Brian took at Andrew Jackson's house)... he was thinking of me when he saw this Norwegian doorway and old cobblestone walkway- I love it!


The gift of new family that bestow on us art, cookies and candles



We loved it!

On Location Friday

Name the movie...The Bennet's house from 2005 Pride and Predjudice

women discipling women 09

What timing God has.

Highlights of the weekend:

* I was so washed...showered...drench in the gospel by dear Elyse Fitzpatrick. I felt like a dried out pot and her speaking the gospel to me, filled me up with cold and needed water.

* We are elected, regenerated, justified, adopted, sanctified and glorified for no other reason than that we were chosen "in Him" - Cannot hear that often enough.

* I got to see Molly! My dearest friend from college, my kindred spirit, my bosom friend.

Molly and I went to Europe together and she remains one of the most beautiful, well-read, godly woman I know. I learn so much from her. The weekend was too quick, I could have kept soaking her up like a sponge...that is probably a weird way to say it!

* Molly's daughter Hannah served with the Women Discipling Women Crew. Lord willing, Hannah will be in the Biblical Counseling Program in the near future - she is an amazing young lady.

* Friday Night chocolate chip calzones at Claim Jumper. Oh My mmmm... we shouldn't have, but we did :)

* Hannah's new Converse shoes - love them

* This was a conference about, among other things, biblical counseling. Really, about equipping women to minister using God's word. A fav quote from the weekend:

"The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father...I know no other which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead."

Charles Spurgeon

I Heart Saturday AND......donna young

donna young

Her site has home organization forms, school aids to help with writing, math, art and lots of other good tips for notebook organizing, etc.

I routinely use her shopping and menu forms.

I love all the fun new looks of organizers, binders and notebooks! Pretty and practical.

On Location Friday

from what movie...answer: The Holiday

I can only imagine

My husband left for Norway this morning.

He is going to meet his birth mom for the first time.

Three short months ago he was found by his younger brother. In an e-mail which said,

"there are four of us here... please call"

After months of long phone calls, tears, chills, laughter, amazement, facebook messages, e-mailing of pictures ----- the day has come.

He will be in this little town, meeting some very special people.

A small miracle in our little life. God's sovereignty in seeing the big picture of our lives.

Where we are placed, to whom we are given...that alone is too big to be unwrapped. I am rejoicing today in God's purpose.

Thank you chatting at the sky for posting and sharing little miracles.

mission accomplished

Nate and I were on assignment today.

First, the Federal Building. A certain someone in our family who is traveling across the world (like, tomorrow) needed that important little blue book before he can get on the plane.

and since we were sooo close, we had go here,

and see this building, 'cause someone is starting to dream

then it was off to this lovely building off I-10 to obtain some needed meds for that person that is departing the country - tomorrow...

and then to this fish taco joint because.....well because I was with my teenager .

I Heart Saturday AND....audio books

Long drives, even errand days, are made sweeter with audio books. The library is our source for all the great classics. We just finished listening to ...

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"

On Location Friday

New feature for Fridays - hopes fulfilled is on location.

I love movies! One of the things I love about them is where they take me. More than the characters, it is the travel, the setting, the home, the time period.

I have some old favorites that I watch just see the place again - even if the plot or characters of the movie were not my favorite.

Name the movie.... answer: Somewhere in Time - The Grand Hotel, Lake Michigan

one of the things..

there are many...but one of the things I love about summer is that Nate is home to empty the dishwasher and do dishes throughout the day.

I would rather do ANY chore around the house than empty the dishwasher. It is so easy to just run out the door to the post office and say "hey, Nate empty the dishwasher and clean the kitchen while I am gone" and he says "ok".

Really, he does. Partly, because we have so little to be done around this house unless it is our once a week cleaning day and partly because he knows that making mom happy is well worth it and does not go unnoticed.

I love the dishwasher placement in the picture below. Is her husband putting her coat on or off? Are they going out for after dinner drinks or just coming home and about to realize "oops, we forgot to close the door to the dishwasher and run it while we were out!".

OR

Is he saying to her "have a great time at the Ladies Summer Night study, don't worry, I will turn on the dishwasher and tuck in the kids, you have done enough already today."

Not like I am holding a unhappy feeling that I missed my first summer night study or anything.

Easy Frost

DSC04091, originally uploaded by paularennick.

I got the Vanilla creme cheese flavor and it was so good! We have never had so much fun frosting a cake!

fourth of july 2009

I Heart Saturday AND....home town USA parade

Happy 4th of July!

I Heart Saturday AND.....tony in town

He is my uncle and much more like a brother. He loves movies, the Lakers, music, a good cigar, wine, his family and most of all the GOSPEL. He lives and breathes it. He teaches it and shares it. He has had a huge impact on my spiritual life.

He is a senior pastor of a church in Illinois - visiting for the week and meeting with church leaders and talking about a possible move back to CA!!!

We are praying.....I miss these girls!

what I liked about idaho

While Nate was away at camp and the kids were enjoying Vacation Bible School actvities, I snuck over to Idaho for quick work related trip to inspect a hotel. I was gone for less than 48 hours, but it made for a little adventure. A change in scenery, even though not a true "vacation" can bring about needed times of reflection.

Traveling alone gave me time to be thankful for blue skies. I took this photo while singing a worship song outloud in my little rental car...just me and the Lord...




reflect on safe crossings...what a crazy year for our little family...



admire how other people live....

(In cool looking black painted houses with sheep in their front yard!)




and pray for pretty valley's...the valley times bring the needed changes and growth. I will try to picture them more like this and less like dark pits.

(If I lived in this valley, I would be tempted to make my little home look like a little hobbit house)



for more reflections and thoughts of everyday people unwrapping their day...visit Chatting at the Sky

Matt and how he "breaks in" new clothes

Matt got a new shirt today. You know how it has that "new" smell and a little stiff...so I told him I will wash it first before he wears it.

He said, "No, Mom, this is what I do, I do this (crumples it up) and then this (twists it on the ground and rolls over it) and then I stuff it into my drawer for at least two days. Then it is ready to wear."

Got it. Silly me.

I Heart Saturday AND......FBC youth going to camp

Praying for an awesome week! We will sure be missing our teenager!

what makes her happy

dance class



really, I can guarantee I will see an especially amazing smile every Tuesday between 5 and 6



What I love is that it is not only because she really loves to dance, but....

* I see her working so hard to get it right

* she puts her ALL into it

* I see her confidence during her evaluations that require her to perform the dance all alone

* I see her want her friends that are stuggling with parts of the dance to get it and

* today during the peer evaluation, I heard her point out wonderfully positive attribute about each team member

what makes me happy... I just watched it again this week

what would make me happy...the C9

cappuccino, mocha or latté at the touch of a button - mine today for only $1,799

I Heart Saturday AND......this graduate

I totally heart her mom too!

puritan picks

We do Netflix and we really love it. I saw this on Tim Challies' twitter and went to check it out.

Puritan Picks - HOW GREAT IS THIS! Christian DVD's (not just "Christian" movies like Fireproof, etc., but cool stuff like "meaty" conferences and lectures by theologians too) available, by mail, like Netflix, for $4.99 per month.

I just signed up to give it a try. Poor family. As if my history documentaries and George Grant DVD's did not bore them enough already. Now I can bring full on theology packed conferences to my home!