Rare Delight

Though I by far prefer it casual than formal, this man can wear a suit if you know what I mean.

Ella's First Dip

Lovin' the water like any true Florida girl should.

Me and blogger are having issues with these sideways pictures... I have no idea...
but even sideways, I'm loving this one.

Little momma loving her baby.

I love the way Ella starts kicking and whole face grinning when Dan walks in the door from work. I think these two are what we call kindred spirits.

Easter

It is late & I have no idea why I can't get this picture positioned correctly...

One of my favorite pictures...

Us. Very ordinary, very amazing.

My Spring chick

A now very seasoned & serious water gun shooter

They have taken these Super Soakers out on our walks every day since Easter.

Students, bugs, trees, & even buildings... nothing is safe!

Ella's Dedication

As with Ali's dedication, over four years ago, we decided to have Ella dedicated in one of Dr. Hackett's Pastoral Theology classes. We are very close to our SEU family here on campus and the meaning as well as memory suited us.

It was a classroom full of students along with many who came to join in our prayer & efforts in committing to raise Ella with an earnest heart toward God.

Dr. Hackett has played a special role in our lives as a family in that we worked under him while we were in college, he was our premarital counselor, and now Dan works with him professionally... not to mention all of the support and mentoring he has provided as we've lived life here at SEU.

As teaching is the nature at an University, our friend Chris Jindra (re)dedicated Benjamin in effort to support the classes knowledge of 'how to' dedicate a slightly older child.

We were honored to be 'examples' and humbled as it indirectly reminds us of our role... to be examples for children.... to show a way worth taking.

We are grateful to all who came with us to for this special day. Your support was welcomed & appreciated.

Gator Creek Reserve & 'Plan B'

That black spot on Ella's forehead... that's where I slapped a mosquito... they were fierce today on our nature walk. A lot of water around from the couple days of rain made good mud holes for Ben, but too many bites! We will go back armed with our homemade repellent. It was a very peaceful place.

We strapped on our CamelBak which is THE BEST... especially if you have children in tow. A highly recommended and used product in our outdoor activities. We can do about anything with our wagon & CamelBak.

Our lunch break before heading to plan 'B' which was swarm free.

A local park with water spouts. Perfect for a hot spring day after a long hike.

I have pictures of Ali & Ben, each as infants, sitting curled up with this alligator. Sigh.

Just Thinking

"Solitude is impractical, and society fatal. We must keep our head in the one and our hands in the other. The conditions are met if we keep our independence, yet do not lose our sympathy."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

JED CLAMPETT: Pearl, what d'ya think? Think I oughta move?

COUSIN PEARL: Jed, how can ya even ask? Look around ya. Yer eight miles from yer nearest neighbor. Yor overrun with skunks, possums, coyotes, bobcats. Ya use kerosene lamps fer light and ya cook on a wood stove summer and winter. Yer drinkin' homemade moonshine and washin' with homemade lye soap. And yor bathroom is fifty feet from the house and you ask "Should I move?"

JED: I reckon yor right. A man'd be a dang fool to leave all this!

-THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES

"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know, until he has tried."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance

(emphasis mine)