My Brother and Abi Are Having a Baby Girl...

Abi, me, and my sister Amy at the baby shower.

The view from the back porch during brunch.

Loved the pink straws in the old-fashioned milk bottles.

Best french toast I've ever eaten in my life (from Kneaders).

Loved this embroidered alphabet.

The candy shop...no money required. Loved the doll house.

The blanket Amy made for Abi from vintage baby fabrics.

So cute.

Abi's best friend Page, who is also having a baby girl.

Abi with her cute mom.

My brother and his wife are having the first girl baby in the family. We are all so excited. (After five boys it's about time!) The irony is that Ryan HATED being the only boy in our family growing up. And he wanted a boy baby so badly. But I guess the stars are stacked against him. We all know he'll love her though. He'll be a great dad. Baby is due to arrive end of November.

Today was Abi's baby shower. It was the most elegant baby shower I've ever been to. Abi has a friend that should be a professional party planner. I've attached some photos. I totally love Abi. She is so fun and nice. She is perfect for my brother. And, it's great to have another sister in the family. We all enjoyed a night out together, just mom and sisters. I'm so happy for her and Ryan.

My sister Amy made Abi a REALLY cute blanket out of vintage baby sheets. Check it out. I gave her a bath tub, bunny towel, and soap. Not nearly as cool, but practical at least. My mom and Jill missed it because they're in California. These pictures are for you Mom!

Oregon Coast Vacation

We had a great 10 day vacation in Florence, Oregon. It was so nice to see old friends and family. My boys loved the endless water adventures, including ocean, lakes, and waterfalls. I loved the hiking and peace of the forests. Definitely worth the sixteen hour drive! We send a special thank you to family--Ann, Deena--and my friend Amber who let us stay with them and provided meals for us. It made our vacation. Love to all!

William Tyndale

A few years ago I read a biography about William Tyndale called "Fire in the Bones: William Tyndale--Martyr, Father of the English Bible" by S. Michael Wilcox. It was very interesting and really opened my eyes to the history of Bible translation and how much people (like William Tyndale) sacrificed to get the Bible into the hands of common people. It caused me to treasure the Holy Bible even more than I already did.

While on a recent vacation to Oregon, I borrowed a Bible of a dear friend. I noticed that inside the front cover was a letter from his mother. The Bible had been given to him when he was fourteen years old. His mother, who had since passed away, had left him some precious words of wisdom, her favorite scriptures, and her testimony that the Bible contained the words of Christ. It brought tears to my eyes. What kind of letter would I write to my sons? What kind of legacy would I leave them?

Scripture to me is evidence of the love of God for His children. I read scripture regularly (almost daily) and more than anything else this practice has strengthened my faith in God. And it's not just because of the words on the page. It's simply the act of reading them that helps me connect to God and receive answers to questions and prayers. When you really need it, God can speak to you through those pages.

I read the scriptures to my children every morning at breakfast because I want them to remember who they are--children of a loving Father in Heaven--and act accordingly. I hope they learn to treasure scripture as I do. And I am proud to belong to a church that encourages daily scripture study. When I happened upon this YouTube video about William Tyndale it was stirring. I wanted to share it with my friends and family. Love to all.

P.S. I noticed that my blog cuts off the right hand side of the video. If you prefer, link to the same video here to see the full picture.