
H-Bear with Dear K. (B's sister) 
Precious C. ( B's youngest sister)
Thanks!
Renee
"The Lord is the one who goes before you. He will never fail you, nor forsake you!" Deuteronomy 31:8

H-Bear with Dear K. (B's sister) 
Precious C. ( B's youngest sister)
Thanks!
Renee
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7:08 PM
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12:13 AM
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Proud of our first glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets!
Waiting for the twilight show!
With Mom
A cool treat for a hot day!
At the parade
The Breakfast Table
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9:39 PM
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We decided at the last minute to go to the lake the other day! We grabbed fishing gear and headed out into the sunshine! It quickly turned overcast, but we still had a great time!
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9:40 AM
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What is it? Stay tuned and you just might find out!

Just a few of our colorful displays at ATH. Stay tuned for more! And if you want to see other peoples beauty - then go here http://kariandkijsa.blogspot.com/2008/07/join-us-for-fabulous-flag-flying-fourth.html - to see gorgeous ideas and displays of patriotism!
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11:11 AM
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9:00 PM
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9:56 AM
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12:05 PM
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8:37 PM
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3:14 PM
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I wish that I could describe to you what this evening was like - but... perhaps the above will give you a hint as to what PRAISE BALLET at its finest looks like! H- Bear was too young to participate in this dance - but in a few years she will be doing this too - I am pretty sure that this is a small glimpse of heaven right here!
Too all my directional family (Ahem!) ~ I wish that we could bring this dance with us this summer!
H- Bear and A-Cake with their sweet friend K!
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7:38 PM
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While our precious friends the M's were celebrating their son (C's) DOCTORATE degree, we were celebrating our own little ATH milestone. I know it isn't quite the same as M.D., PhD., or PharmD, but it is part of what the school does - so therefore........
WE CELEBRATE H-BEAR's SUCCESS!
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4:48 PM
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1:09 PM
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The Blessings participated in their first dance recital recently. They had a blast and have danced every dance since - wanting to relive the moment. We have promised that there will be other recitals in the future!
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9:21 PM
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1:26 PM
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The Emerson in its new ATH home!
Future Musical Prodigy #1
I relish in the old historical greatness that looms around the piano. I cherish the antiqufied odor which greets my family at the door when we return home to ATH. I adore all the intricate wood carving work that aren't characteristic of pianos today! I love that middle C is crisp, clear, and recognizable even after all these years. I savor the excitement I see in the blessings eyes. I love that BELOVED - who by his own definition doesn't get excited about pianos - plays all those NON-Piano songs that kids who don't take piano learn to play. I hold dear the ability to sit down to embrace, reminisce, and create new melodic memories with my ATH family. Do I wish it was a Yamaha or a Steinway - not today - and probably not ever. I love my antique 1885 Emerson. And so, my friends that is the story of our found treasure - which is not a lemon - but a true piece of history - right in our own little ATH home!
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7:45 PM
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Ever since I wrote the post on my tea cup collection, I have been wanting to post a few pictures of some of my favorites. Unfortunately, many of these pictures turned out a little blurry, as the camera settings were a little off on the day I took these - but at least you will get the idea. I am not about quantity when it comes to my collection - but rather quality. I saw a beautiful royal blue toile courting couple cup recently but I wasn't prepared to pay the price it sold for - so I will keep looking and collecting a little at a time!
The above picture as well as this one show my absolute favorite tea cup - my hydrangea tea cup. In a post about a year ago, I spoke of this cup. It reminds me of some of the flowers from my wedding. This cup wasn't expensive, I bought this cup in a tea shop in a tourist town in Colorado and I don't believe it is bone china, but I love it all the same!
I acquired this cup recently - it is a pale mint green - with hot pink roses on it!
As a big Anne of Green Gables fan - this cup is extra special to me! Yes, perhaps it might appear to some as a cheesey gift shop find - but it is actually bone china - and I just couldn't resist! 

Our Wedding china - interestingly - all the pictures I took of this cup are for some reason blurry - this china has a beautiful ring with leaves around the edges. Beloved found it and we both fell in love with it!
Our wedding china - a little blury!
Also a little blury, so I will post another one too - but this is our wedding china - it is special... well... for obvious reasons!
I picked this cup up at a resale shop. Even though it probably isn't worth much and despite the fact that I haven't celebrated my 25th anniversary yet, I love the cup! This is the only cup in my collection that has a chip, but that's okay! I still love it!
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7:53 PM
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I was intrigued by this book when I saw that someone was reading it for Callapidder Days Spring Reading Thing
. I wanted to read it, because I understood it to be about a missionary having an impact on the Muslim world. While this book was not exactly what I supposed it to be - it was an interesting read. Greg Mortenson is the son of Lutheran missionaries. He grew up in Tanzania. He became a mountain climber and after a family tragedy - he decided to climb the K2 mountain range. Without revealing the entire book - it was this trip (up the K2) that prompted him to have a heart for the people of Pakistan and eventually Afganistan. The book was well written and it opened my eyes to many things of which I was completely unaware. There were moments when I couldn't put it down and there were other times when I wanted to put it down -out of fear, frustration, or anxiety for Mortenson and his work. Sometimes I was in awe - of the ingenuity of the people of Pakistan and other times I was honestly disgusted to the point of thinking I would have never been able to endure something like that without getting ill! While Mortenson isn't really to be considered a missionary he is definitely a humanitarian with a heart for people! That he also sacrificed a lot in order to really make an impact in Pakistan and Afganistan is an understatment. That he has had an inpact in Pakistan and Afganistan - is a fact! That he has sacrficed so much for the sake of his goal is admirable! Do I wish that he would open that door a little more for the sake of spreading God's truth - you bet! At the same time he is meeting their critical needs and it is my belief that most people won't give a listening ear when they are hungry, hurting, cold, or distraught. Would God have done it differently - probably! But Mortenson is there impacting tons of lives in a way nobody else has - and God can use Mortenson's work towards educating women and children in ways you and I might never imagine. So I pray that the result of all Mortenson's humanitarian work is for some yet to be determined outcome. I pray that the rest of the story has yet to be told!
As a mom of three small blessings, I did wonder (a little) - about the sacrifice his ( Mortenson's)family