Five Minute Friday ~ She's FOURTEEN, she's DAUNTLESS, & she's a DEAR!

2014 had been a big year for our Anna-lu!

She's started wearing glasses... at least SOME of the time!

We saw her creative side really emerge - particularly during Calvary's Spirit week!

(She won with this last costume... and made most of it all by herself with stuff she found around the house...and yard!) 

First day of high school... "Hello NINTH grade!"

Sunset on the tip of the Leelanau Penninsula

Hartwick Pines, and the whole gang was there!

ALS Bucket Challenge

"Yes, my crazy sister kisses parrots!"

Watching the waves

Her volleyball team

They've been buddies since 4th grade year furlough - and both girls push Anna to grow and try new things. We are so thankful for them.

A volleyball champtionship

Walking a wintery beach

But this was my favorite photo - flung - by a backhoe - into a pond!

If she had to choose a faction in the Divergent series... she'd be Dauntless!

Five Minute Friday ~ Ready ~

"On your mark... 

     Get set... 

             Go!"

Sometimes, some days, (okay - if I'm honest, most days) parenting feels like a race... and I'm always a few steps behind!

Chasing them out of bed in the morning... chasing them to the breakfast table... chasing them out of the little parent bathroom upstairs to the nice, big kid bathroom downstairs... chasing them out of my bedroom so I can use the mirror to fix my hair... chasing them out the door to school and then later out the door to home... chasing them back up the stairs to pick up their backpacks and school paraphernalia...

Always racing, always chasing...

Today, I want to stop, though... freeze this moment in time... for just a moments... 

to soak it in deep before time continues racing along and they all continue growing up. Not that I want them to stop growing up... I really wouldn't want it any other way, actually. Does that make me a strange mama? I love watching them living life, partnering with their daddy as we disciple this gang just thrills and delights - at least most days. Seeing Jesus grow them in grace and in the knowledge of Him? That just bowls my heart right over.

  

She's eight.

Today.

And boy, oh boy! Is she ever ready to...

GET. OUT. OF. HER. BOOSTER. SEAT!

 Yes, for my Elsie Mae, this eighth birthday is a momentous one.

Just because of that!

 

She's ready, alright.

I really did allow her to go traipsing around Niagra Falls dressed in a sundress and snowboots.

Happy birthday, sweetest birthday girl!

The "Anniversary Stealer's" birthday! Can't believe he's NINE! (Tori, per his request, helped him make his own birthday cake this year.)

Gampy's Birthday!

Funnel cakes for breakfast

(I offered to make doughnuts, but when I said funnel cakes were also on the table...

you can see Gampy's choice!)

Then there was banana pudding instead of a cake

to go along with dogs and burgers grilled and just about every kind of chip you could imagine.

Tim and Jonathan discovered what happens when you try and steal food before Gammie says everything is good to go...

But the best part of the weekend was just getting to hang out with Gammie and Gampy...

Even though we've been back in the States since June... it feels like we've not really done that since they were out in Niger for Bren's graduation.

YAY for birthdays!

Entering the "tween" twilight zone for a 4th time... TODAY!!

And we celebrated with 

a haircut, 

a drama, 

barbecued pork (in the crock pot... Gammie would be proud!) 

and pineapple upside down cake... 

all per her request!

Her new do... Ain't she cute!