Here is what came flying through the living room the other day. . . Christian had set up a blanket over two chairs - the goal being to run down the hall way and then soar, landing on the pillows and blankets on the other side. This was my view from where I was reading books to the girls on the couch.

A little later Bub came flying through. . .

And then later Bub again, flying through, soaring blind folded by a pillow case. Christian and Bub did this over and over that afternoon. They begged me to take pictures of their flights and then would run over and view their picture on the camera and laugh and laugh.

 One evening at the river the clouds were so pretty reflecting in the shallow water . . .

We found little rapids. The children snorkeled them, discovering lots of fish enjoying the rapids from the underneath.

Nothing like a gentle massage after a hot day of work.

Live treasures brought to me that day:

Bub exploring on a warm evening.

The little girls with great imagination. 

Just Relaxin' - love this picture. . . makes me feel how she might have been feeling.

Lake was copying Brighton as usual ~ I love how she had her hands behind her head like this:

Lake being Lake - attempting a flip in the shallow water:

This has got to be one of my fav shots of this summer. . . Lake lying down on her back in the water:

Yes, the Olympics inspire. . . stretching, "on your mark get set go" and Itty doing her backbend in the water. . .

Happy Summer Day! School days are fast approaching.

Some thoughts/things heard/things read from this past week that I wrote down on scraps of paper around the house:)

"It's ok to not be ok. It's ok to not have it all together. It's not ok to lie. It's not ok to keep things hidden. It's not ok to pretend things are what they are not."

Be willing to not be ok. Jesus came for the not ok - that's who He reaches out to and touches. But we must first realize we are not ok, acknowledge it before God and others and want something much deeper than ok.

~

My worth does not need to come from what others think of me. It is in what God thinks of me. . . and do I understand what He thinks of me? Do I know His heart towards me? Do I know my worth to Him? If I do, I will not reach and pull and pursue trying to find my sense of worth in other things or people. My worth is not in what my husband thinks of me, or what my children think of me, or what my family thinks of me, or what friends think of me, or enemies or anyone! 

We will either think less of ourselves then we ought or think more highly of ourselves then we ought. That is where our sin nature will lead us - always. Learn to see yourself as God sees you. My worth is found in Christ alone.

~

"The terror of the law without the gospel is bad news." - When giving the "law" to the children, don't give it without the gospel - for the law in and of itself kills, but the gospel delivers, redeems, sets free, and give power to the weak. Jesus saves.

~

Discouragement and depression is often rooted in self-absorption and self worship. Worship to God leads to true inward energy that radiates itself in how we love others selflessly.

A. Ann