Meredith's 3rd Birthday

Birthdays are bittersweet for this mama. I look so forward to celebrating, and am thankful for the blessing of another year, but I'm a little sad too. My kids are growing up so fast. Meredith turned three last weekend, and we had a great time celebrating. My brother and his family came for the weekend. It's always a good time with them. We started the morning with donuts. Since Meredith is always the first one out of bed in the morning, we went to Dillons to pick out her special birthday donuts before everyone else was up and around.




She helped make her princess cupcakes.



We spent the morning hiking trails and looking for wildlife at the Great Plains Nature center, then had a picnic near the center.



A delicious birthday dinner at Grammy and Pa's house.



Then, a tractor ride compliments of Pa.



I love this little girl. She brings joy and eccentricity to our family. She keeps us on our toes...in a good way. Happy Birthday, Meredith!

Swingin'

Proverbs 27:17

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

I have been blessed, challenged, and sharpened lately by some amazing friends. I love this verse, because it is so true. This world has so many distractions and how easily my heart strays from my maker. A few friends have been like a compass pointing me back to God. Honestly, I have been struggling through a time of feeling discontent. It's not founded on truth. I have been striving for things that don't mean much eternally. It has put me on the sidelines lately. Just trying to find my way back into the game. It's time for a perspective shift. God in his graciousness is helping redirect my heart. I'm thankful for an all-knowing God and for honest and loving friends. Glad God created us to live in community, and that I don't have to go it alone.

Love

Update

I have been a negligent blogger lately. Alex has been traveling a lot, and I am pretty tired in the evenings (usually when I think about blogging). We've gotten more snow this season than I can remember in a long time. Beautiful and fun to play in...and cause for a bit of cabin fever.


Playing in the snow


In the afternoon when Meredith is supposed to be "napping," she is usually putting together some kind of a unique outfit. Sometimes those rainbow striped leg warmers end up on her arms.


The three amigos


Each child seems to grow up quicker than the last. Lydia is almost 7 months. She's sitting up and playing. Her personality is really coming out, and she's quick to smile. She wants to be in the middle of the action. She's always moving, and she managed to escape her Bumbo seat the other day. Yikes!

something in common

Notice all three kids have blankies. Glad they are different colors or we'd never keep them straight!

Denver Reunion

Last weekend, three of my best friends from college and I met in Denver for a girl's weekend. The four of us haven't been together for way too long, but like it always is with good friends, it was like we were never apart. Tera, Hollie, and I flew in Friday night and spent the weekend at Karmen's place (thanks for letting us invade for the weekend, Karm). We ate delicious food, laughed, talked, prayed, shopped, and relaxed. Notice sleeping in wasn't on that list...cause I brought Lydia:) Actually, she was a joy to have with us, just an early riser.

I became friends with these three girls my sophomore year of college. Theirs are the kind of friendships that changed my life for the better then, and continue to now. Love you girls!





Some things never change.