to live is Christ....

so the point of even starting this blog was to help me remember some things i didn't ever want to forget... and the fact that i'm sharing with everyone is part of the motivation of keeping it going, i guess. it's a way to keep friends and family updated on events in our lives - because we're sometimes just too busy to keep as good of contact with everyone as much as we'd like to. but after how heavy our hearts have been this last week for the Stanley family, updates to this blog seem kinda..... vain.

so i could give you day-by-day pictures of our trip, but that's not what's been important at our house lately..... maybe i'll post about it soon, because we did have a good time, but this is what we've more-or-less meditated on for the last couple of days.

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:20-21

i don't know if there's really any other explanation. i want to do whatever it takes to get to this mind set though.. we're driven because of the loss of one of heath's really good friends. the life expectancy in our country is 78... but God's shown that He takes us when He's ready for us, so we want to be ready, too.

pre-harvest jitters

i think we're all getting anxious for harvest with cotton opening up and fall being in the air. we're gearing up for a trip to the coast first though, and i'm really ready to go... it's been a challenge getting heath to keep his checkbook closed up with all the down time he's had outside of checking water. he likes to shop when he gets bored - if only it were just for clothes and shoes! :)

luke has gotten used to heath being around more and throws even bigger fits now when he leaves. he keeps us entertained, for sure, though. when luke wants to leave, he straps the diaper bag over his shoulder and starts blowing kisses.

he hardly uses a pacifier, and when he puts one in, it's upside down every time.

we took him to the legacy play village this morning - he had a blast. he liked walking through, and picking up handfuls of, the wood chips.

he loved this swing, too! when we'd push him, he'd say "beeeeee" (weeeeee).