There was a Tiny Turtle

We spent our Memorial Day at our favorite home away from home aka my brother's beautiful house on Lake Lotawana. The kids fished and swam off the dock thee.entire.day while I split my time between supervising them, visiting with my SIL and nephew, and lounging. Gabrielle caught her biggest fish to date but unfortunately when I sent my phone with Dawson for Travis to take a picture in my absence, he took a 2 second video instead. Oops! 

I love that my kids enjoy fishing and are making these memories!

Gabrielle found this stinkin' teeny tiny turtle while swimming near the buoy and immediately snatched her up. She proclaimed she saved it from nearly getting hit by a boat :) It was love at 1st sight! She had been asking for a pet of her very own for months ... specifically a fish, but a turtle undoubtedly trumped a fish! She named her Shelby (Sheldon for a boy perhaps) and created a make shift home in a large SOLO cup to bring her home. Without giving too many details much, much time, research and visits to the local pet stores took place over the course of the next several days. It was agonizing gathering all the details and weighing a decision to make quite a costly investment to make this little creature a permanent member of our family or to choose to return her back into her natural habitat. 

We learned Shelby is a hatchling red-eared slider. They can live 20 - 30 years but their life expectancy is shortened when in captivity. They require both aquatic life as well as sun basking to thrive and grow at a rather rapid rate. 

This picture perfectly portrays Gabi's affection toward her new tiny friend and her angst (shown in her tear) about making the wisest decision to set her free. I also adore the picture because it shows her newly acquired tooth gap which we awaited and highly anticipated for all too long! 

I took Gabrielle to a nearby large pond to return Shelby to her natural habitat. She was emotional in pondering the what ifs of Shelby adjusting to her new surroundings and questioning her survival. I assured her she/we had made the best decision and Shelby would be all the happier. 

As we pulled away toward home it began to rain.  We looked off to the east and there was a beautiful rainbow. It lightened the mood and turned sadness into joy. 

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." 

Genesis 9:13

Easter 2014

 - Easter - 

It was an incredibly relaxing weekend. We had our DuBay family Easter at my brother's home Friday evening on Lake Lotawana. The weather was crisp but just right for fishing off the dock, a long pontoon ride snuggled up in blankets as the sunset and s'more assembly fireside in the evening. It was a wonderful day spent with family and we look forward to more days spent doing very much the same in the coming months. 

{Grainy goodness right here ^^^^} 

Saturday we boiled, dyed and decorated eggs after Dawson's noon soccer game.

It was an eventful hour. There may or may not have been a tantrum and gnashing of teeth because a middle child wasn't happy with his Sharpie drawing on his egg {see far right blue egg in front} and I let out a big gasp of air upon realizing that the Kool-Aid seeped under the wax paper dyeing my table top as well. Magic Eraser did its magic but also removed the sheen finish from our island :(

Sunday we attended an AMAZING worship service at our church then returned home for brunch with Travis's mom who was in town visiting and my parents.  

The kids were less than thrilled when I forced convinced them to take pictures.

This was as good as it got. 

Kids squinting; one child or another running off; tempers raising ... all in the name of a picture! 

I hope your Easter was a blessed one remembering the sacrifice of our risen King! 

Embrace the Camera: June 17, 2014

 I both give and receive worship through song. 

The song that has currently been speaking to my heart is "Let Them See You by JJ Weeks". 

Let them see You in me

Let them hear You when I speak

Let them feel You when I sing

Let them see You 

Just let them see You in me

Who am I without Your grace?

Another smile, another face

Another breath, a grain of sand

Passing quickly through Your hand

I give my life, an offering

Take it all, take everything

Let them see You in me

Let them hear You when I speak

Let them feel You when I sing

Let them see You

Just let them see You in me

This is my prayer.

I am imperfect. 

He is perfect.

His grace is sufficient for me; His power is made perfect in my weakness. 

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. 

2 Corinthians 12:9

Let them {my husband, my children, my neighbors and friends ... all those I encounter} see Him in me.

Gabs, Boo and Little Miss,

Mommy has many shortcomings. I'm impatient. I'm quick to raise my voice. I often rush bedtime skipping stories and prayers. I say "no" a lot. Although I am all these things and I'm sure you could/would add more I thank God that he has entrusted you to me. You are each amazing and bright and beautiful beyond words! I know I have done something right in parenting you while on this earth because you know and love the Lord. My heart's desire is that you learn to know Him more through me - through my actions, words, expressions of love to you and those around us.  I am imperfect, but I am a work in progress seeking His hand in parenting you for you are His. A gift to us. The best gifts!

I love you to the moon and back, to the highest mountain, to the deepest and widest ocean, to infinity. 

{Dawson says this each time he says his goodbyes}

Dance for the Lord

This song has really been ministering to me

"I Want to Know You"

Jesus Culture

(YouTube video found here)

I stand before You, awed by Your majesty
Covered by Your mercy, Your blood has made me free
Draw me to You and set my heart on fire
I want to know You, You're my one desire

I give You my worship
All of my passion
I give You my whole heart
All my devotion

Grace never ending, Your hands they carry me
Body that was broken, for all the world to see
My heart is held by love so unconditional
You captivate me, You're the lover of my soul

I give You my worship
All of my passion
I give You my whole heart
All my devotion

Here I will bow down
And say that I need You
Here I will worship
And say that I love You

Oh how I love you
Oh how I love you

I want to know You
Let Your spirit overwhelm me
Let Your presence overtake my heart

McKenna Jane worshipping the Lord with dancing 

Psalms 149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

Romans 12

Gabrielle has been working the past several weeks to memorize Romans 12. The prompting came from her Kids Connect teacher, Amber Bailey. Gabi was blessed to have her dear teen friend, Alexis Manes, come alongside her and partner with her in the memorization process. It was treasured time and a sweet relationship blossomed from their time together. 

Amber treated a total of 11 kids, 1 teen (Alexis) and 2 additional adult chaperones to Worlds Of Fun on Wednesday, June 5th. The weather was not kind with lots of thunder and rain showers in the morning hours but soon cleared allowing the group to have a blast!

Gabrielle's favorite ride was The Detonator. She is a fearless one for sure!

(Please remember to mute the music on the sidebar of the blog before watching video) 
We are proud of her determination to memorize Romans 12 {the girl had her eye on the prize!} but more importantly we are overjoyed at her dedication to hide God's word in her heart! 

Awana Awards Night

The kids completed their 2nd year in the AWANA - Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed (taken from 2 Timothy 2:15) - through Life Church. This was Gabrielle's last year as a Sparkie and Dawson's last year as a Cubbie. Their awards program was held on Wednesday, May 1st. We are so proud of them for their dedication to scripture memorization and hiding God's word in their hearts.

Dawson had his second (ever) soccer practice the same night so we were a split family on the occasion. Travis took D to soccer and I took Gabi to the awards ceremony.

The event called for a few quick snapshots. 

She is beautiful! 

I'm a bit sad to think this little red vest will soon be packed away in a keepsake box. It represents lots of hard work, memorizing the books of the Bible and dozens & dozens of scripture verses. 

The two of us being silly in the parking lot before heading out into the crazy Kansas wind. 

Standing proud about to accept her awards. 

The highlight of the night was winning a full tuition for one child for the 2013 - 2014 year in the raffle drawing. Woot!!

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

It's the Little Things

Gabrielle is a doodler, a drawer and aspiring author so it was fitting that she received a new little journal and fun pen in her stocking from Papa & Mema. She brought it on our recent trip to Springfield to keep her busy during the drive. I found these little gems as I was cleaning out the van.

It's truly the little things like this that can rekindle a love for my kids when all chaos is ensuing with the break from school, schedules and regular sleep patterns.