Moving on up

My baby-loving girl has been developing new interests as of late... She used to play with her babies all day every day.  I'm sad to say that she picks up her dolls about once a week now.  It kinda breaks my heart.  But Claire has moved on to the wonderful world of ART!  This girl gets out her art supplies before even eating breakfast some days!  She's pumping out at least 20 new pieces of art a day, people!  And she loves writing.. even though she can only spell a handful of words, she is constantly practicing her letters and 'writing songs.'

It just dawned on me today that we're in a new stage with her... and I just never want to forget these stages some day!  Think stacks upon stacks of paper on the counter every night.. it's hard to keep up with!  But I love seeing her develop new interests!  Maybe she'll be an artist like her Daddy.

Daddy's Day!

So this is a super late post and includes a super awkward picture (smile much, kiddos??), but that doesn't reflect our love and appreciation of our main man!  I absolutely LOVE living life with Justin... he keeps things funny, is super easy going, and loves his family.  We had fun celebrating him on Father's Day this year!  These girls are absolutely crazy about their Daddy and I am SOO thankful these girls are loved so well by him!  What a precious gift.

Happy Father's Day!!  xoxo

G & B

My parents were just in town for two weeks and all I have to show for it is these two pictures..







I definitely failed in the photo department!  Oops!  Despite my lack of photo evidence, we had a great time.  They rented a cute little house in the historic downtown area of our town for the first part of the trip.. we saw them everyday, got some date nights, and loved pretending we had local grandparents!  They got to do lots of fun stuff and discovered all kinds of cool history and restaurants in our town.  They stayed with us for the second half of their trip... but one day into that, my dad went for a run on our wooded trail and sprained his ankle!!  What a bummer!  So he was on crutches for the rest of the trip.

The girls love Grammy and Babu and we are so thankful that we get to see them fairly often on their visits to the south!

You're Welcome

Can you tell we've been very into Cinderella lately??

Note to my Future Self

Dear Self,

When you are old and your children are all grown, please please pleeeease don't forget what it's like to be in the middle of a crowded grocery store check out line with a tantruming toddler.  Whatever you do, do NOT give dirty looks to the mother or pass one bit of judgement on her. And seriously.. don't lecture her or her children for crying out loud!  Do not demand that her two year old look at you while you explain to said two year old that 'you need to use your words to make it in this world, kid.'  Remember the days when YOU were that mother... hands full, exhausted, trying to make it through the morning.  Instead of spreading judgement, disgust, or annoyance, spread love.  Pat that mama on the back and remind her that we've all been there.  Give her a smile. Tell her she's a good mama and she's doing a good job.  Pay for her groceries.  Walk with her to her car and help her unload.  Do something to ease her stress just a little bit.  Your reaction to her situation will either make or break her day.  

Sincerely,

Your old self, who is in the throes of toddlers and tantrums and grocery store nightmares

Friendship

Recently, a friend who is super involved with refugee resettlement in our area introduced us to a sweet, Iraqi refugee family that lives near us.  They have a three-year-old daughter, have only been in the states for three months, and were eager to make some American friends.  We were excited to connect with them and have been really enjoying the experiences we've had with them already.

I mean, can you imagine?  Being forced to leave your country and homeland because your life and the lives of your entire extended family were in danger... then living in a refugee camp in Lebanon for two years, awaiting the news that you can finally join some other extended family that has already left in the States... then coming to a completely unknown place...  Mazin, the husband, speaks great English and his sweet wife Emelya is learning, along with their daughter Maryam.  We have already learned SO MUCH from them... their hospitality is out of this world, their generosity is unmatched, and their willingness to spend time together is amazing.

 The girls having fun playing at the park!  I love how a language barrier isn't enough to keep kids from playing together!



Me and Emelya... it's been fun learning to communicate with each other when we can't speak the same language!

After spending a few hours together at a park one Saturday morning, they invited us over and spoiled us all afternoon.  They fed us, served chai, served coffee, and then insisted on cooking us dinner as well.


Emelya was so fun to watch in the kitchen... no recipes whatsoever! She couldn't understand why I can't cook without my cookbook.  She said, "Why you need that?  Just look at food, smell, think, and make!" :)



                            Prepping the meat... on swords!


The meat ready to be grilled.  Justin was already salivating at this point!



                         Tabbouleh.. this was sooo good!



This wasn't even all the food... but a lot of it ready for us to feast on!  We ate dinner at 10:00 at night.. quite foreign to us but that's how they roll!  It was so good for us overly-scheduled, stressed-out Americans to just go with the flow all day and not worry about timing.  Although the girls didn't get to bed until 11 pm and were super cranksters the next day, it was totally worth it to spend this sweet time with our friends.

Tomorrow night we are going out for Arabic food with them.. they are anxious for us to try it!  :)  Seriously, having friendships outside of our normal context has been so sweet.  Thanking God for this opportunity and hoping for many more to come!

Agape

In church this past Sunday, the pastor was preaching on loving our 'enemies' the way we would love our friends.  He began to talk about not just kind of loving them, but really loving them.. agape kind of love.  Unconditional.  Self-sacrificing.  Divine.  As soon as he mentioned the word agape, with tears in my eyes my mind instantly went to my Grandpa Lower.  Grandpa Lower taught me what agape love was.  I mean, he really explained it to me- what it meant, what it looked like.. and then he loved me that way.  He went home to be with Jesus in February and I have been wanting to write about him ever since.

I was blessed with four INCREDIBLE grandparents.  Seriously.  I lost my first grandparent when I was 26 so I was so fortunate to be able to know my grandparents into my adult years... such a treasure.  They all loved so well.  They loved each other.  They loved their families.  They loved me.  Each one of them is just so special to me..  I have so many incredible memories of them all.  For some reason, Grandpa Lower is the one I can look back on and say, "I learned so much from him."  Maybe it was because we lived only fifteen minutes from them growing up.  Maybe it was because he had such a BIG personality.  Maybe it was because of his boldness.  Whatever the reason, Grandpa taught me so much.

 

Grandpa had an impressive resume and career... he pastored churches, was a principal of a school, held masters and doctorate degrees, was a dean of students at Moody Bible Institute, and was a professor at Wheaton College.  He was so passionate about the Lord and about scripture.  He had a verse for every occasion, committed a crazy amount of scripture to memory, and told everyone he came across about Jesus..




My grandparents had five children, the middle one being my mom.  I always thought it was so neat that they had such a big family... it makes family gatherings and reunions so much fun!  There are so many people with so many interests and talents.. never a dull moment!

As a child, I often felt embarrassed that in the middle of Cub Foods, he would tell EVERYONE we crossed paths with that I was grandchild #8 and I was spending the night and whatever else we were doing... but looking back, it always made me feel so special.  I knew that he was so proud of me that he wanted to tell everyone we met about me... and what better way to boost a young child's self esteem but to BRAG about them in front of everyone?  Grandpa never met a stranger!



Yes, that's right ladies and gents... the girl with the little neon number?  That would be me! ;)

When each grandchild turned ten, Grandpa and Grandma stopped giving us birthday presents, but instead would take us on a birthday experience.  One year they took me to see the play 'Annie', another year we went to Disney on Ice... I just love that they would think of something we could actually do together and celebrate our life in that way.

When I was a freshman in college, my grandparents heard about an experience they wanted me to have.  Someone from their church shared about a ministry called Little Lambs, which took short term missions trips to orphanages in Ukraine.  Knowing about my love for children, they thought this was a perfect experience for me.  They called me to tell me about it, sent me a brochure, and offered to pay for me to go on the trip.  Because of their prompting, I went on the trip.  I didn't know anyone going and was terrified, but that month I spent in Ukraine that summer was one of the most life-shaping events I've experienced yet...just because they knew me and encouraged me to go.  I still have the email he sent to me before I left for my month long adventure:

   Dearest Annie,

    Here is a Verse or two to take with you -- as you go to Serve -- as
unto Jesus (Ala Mother Theresa)....Just read them recently: "O Sovereign
Lord, I am your Servant.  You have only begun to show me your Greatness and
Power.  Is there any god in Heaven or earth who can perform such Great Deeds
as  Yours?"  (Deut. 3:24 LBT)  "The Eternal God is your refuge, and His
everlasting arms are under you.  He thrusts out the enemy before you; it is
He who cries, 'Destroy them'!"  (Deut. 33:27 :LBT)
     Our prayers, thoughts, and Love go with you.  We are Trusting in God's
Care for you and His working through you.  We hopefully await your return --
and to hear some of the Great things He (our God) has revealed to you.
            Grace, Mercy, and Peace -- from the Source (Jas. 1:17)      And
MUCH Love, G..&G. Lower

I can't read that without crying...so filled with truth and love.  And he held true to his word - I remember they accompanied my parents in picking me up from the airport after my month away.  

Another sweet note I saved from him...

DEAR Annie,

        Praise the Lord!  We have a 'Sunshiny' day!  I am (1) Looking for
the coming of Spring, and (2) the Coming Again of Jesus -- Whichever one
comes first!  Both are Wonderful thoughts; pregnant with promises of
Enjoyable times.  I (we) are hoping that, you too, are Rejoicing in these
and other Hilarious Hopes.
       My personal word of encouragement to you -- via loads of
Grand-paternal love and concern -- To be on Guard against ANY idea of an
'Anthropomorphic' View of God (i.e. -- Creating God in the Image of Man;
conceiving of God in 'Terms' of Human' nature -- as though God thinks and
acts like unto a man.)  This has been a part of Humanistic philosophy for
some time; and is, even now entering by traces of inference into Evangelical
theology. And is Not a part of Reformed Theology.
         Whereas, the Bible plainly teaches that God is 'ONE' (i.e. Totally
'Unique' -- 'Holy' (apart, separate, intrinsically different).  Totally
different from Man.!  His Way and Thoughts are Not Our thoughts!  (Isaiah
55:11 & following).
        A verse of Scripture I have recently found worthy of memorizing is
Numbers 23:19.  "God is Not a 'Man', that He should lie.  He is not a 'Human
being', that He should change His mind.  Has He ever Spoken and failed to
act?  Has he ever Promised, and not carried it through?  (New Living
Translation)

        We Think often of you and Look forward to seeing you.  We pray God's
Best to be upon you.

Love ('Agape', even!), G&G Lower

See, he even signed his emails with agape love!  ;)

My brother had the privilege of holding Grandpa's hand and being by his side at the hospital when he left this earth.  Before he was gone, Jason had the great idea of using FaceTime to allow us to see Grandpa one last time and say goodbye for now.  I was so overcome with emotion that all I could say over and over was, "I love you so much, Grandpa."  As much as I miss his presence here and in my life, he is finally home.  He's with his Savior who he loves so much and reunited with Grandma Millie.  

So so thankful for my sweet, stylish (did I mention he had the sharpest sense of style??) Grandpa who loved so well.  Love you, Grandpa!

One of those Days...

My sweet two-year-old has turned into quite the little pistol lately.  She's so spunky and has so much personality and can be oh-so-fun.  But she can also be oh-so-naughty!  Last week I had 'one of those days' with her...

Our friends invited us to swim in their neighborhood pool.  It was the first swim of the summer and the girls were super excited.  I got them in their swimsuits and we headed towards the pool.  As soon as Emma saw the pool, she took off.  No floaty on yet.  No restrain.  Just ran full speed towards the pool and JUMPED in!  Well, Emma doesn't know how to swim so I had to jump in after her and rescue her.  We had a long discussion about never going in the pool without a floaty on after that... goodness, the girl almost gave me a heart attack!

After I recovered from that, we ended up having a fun couple hours of swimming.  When we were done, we went to our friends' house to change back into our clothes before heading home.  As soon as I started taking Emma's swimsuit off, chunks of nasty poop started falling out everywhere.  I realized she had pooped in her swimsuit and she was covered.  It was DISGUSTING.  I had to throw her in my friend's tub and clean up... yuck!

Once we were finally heading home, I decided to make a stop at McDonalds for a treat.  I remembered that their blueberry pomegranate smoothies were just $1 each that day and since I rarely treat them to things like that, I decided to do something special.  I went through the drive thru and got three smoothies.  Claire was thrilled with the treat, recognizing how rare and special it was.  After giving Claire hers, I handed Emma her smoothie.  She instantly CHUCKED it across the van.  Her FULL, PURPLE smoothie was now covering my van.  EMMMMMAA!!!!

Needless to say, by the time Justin got home I was DONE!  And Emma was in bed by about 6:15 that night.  It was one of those days!