with a thankful heart. welcome advent...

I love family!


That's why I love Thanksgiving...
because it's followed so closely by Christmas...
which means lots and lots of family time
in the span of a couple of months!!


We had a house full last week
and it was AWESOME!
Here are some highlights...


Hudson discovering the joys of Fruit Loops...
it only took one serving for him to know
in which cabinet he could find a second serving.


Sweet Husband and Hudson
interacting with "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on the ipad,
particularly loved Hudson's bobble-head dance
to the Peanuts theme song...


Cooking with Bethany and Loren,
Antiquing with Bethany, Loren and my mom,
Coffee with Bethany, Loren and my mom
enjoying lots of laughter and wise counsel (from Momma)...


Looking around the table on Thanksgiving Day
and being keenly aware of God's mercy, grace and kindness
as I saw Bethany, Peter and Hudson,
Jake and Loren, Drew, my parents,
Mike's mom, step-dad and sister...


God-exalting, humbling sharing from Jake and Peter,
words of honor and encouragement
from Sweet Husband to his step-dad and my dad...


Sweet conversation with my precious Bethany
who never ceases to amaze me 
with her desire to love God, her husband and children... 


Saying good-bye knowing that in a few short weeks
we'll be together again...
that time including Josh, Meggie and Gray!!


So...it is with a heart full of thanks
that I now turn my gaze to the manger of Bethlehem
where Jesus took on human flesh
to live the life I cannot not live
to pay the debt I cannot pay
to conquer the death I cannot conquer...


We sang "Joy Has Dawned" this morning
and I was drawn to worship my Savior anew...


Joy has dawned upon the world
promised from creation
God's salvation now unfurled
hope for ev'ry nation


Not with fanfares from above
not with scenes of glory
But a humble gift of love
Jesus born of Mary


Sounds of wonder fill the sky
with the songs of angels
As the mighty Prince of life
shelters in a stable


Hands that set each star in place
shaped the earth in darkness
Cling now to a mother's breast
vulnerable and helpless


Shepherds bow before the lamb
gazing at the glory
Gifts from men of distant lands
prophesy the story


Gold, a King is born today
incense, God is with us
Myrrh, His death will make a way
and by His blood He will win us


Son of Adam, Son of heaven
given as a ransom
Reconciling God and man
Christ, our mighty champion


What a Savior, what a Friend
what a glorious mystery
Once a babe in Bethlehem
now the Lord of history
(songwriters Keith Getty and Stuart Townend)


Welcome advent...
with a thankful heart I greet you once again.

babes in brooklyn. gracious it was good...

I know. I know.  It's been like...forever.

But, good things have been happening

and when you see the photos, you will agree...

it was worth the wait!

So, last week Sweet Husband and I 

ventured to Brooklyn, NY 

where we spent several days with

our oldest son, Josh,

our daughter-in-law, Meggie,

and our almost five month old grandson, Gray.

FIVE MONTHS!!  Are you kidding?!

Nope.

He's getting ready to start chowing

on some solid food...rumor has it.

He's a growin' boy

and he's ready to get down to some business...

some creamed potatoes and bananas business.

I think he heard the solid food rumor, too...can you tell?

There's nothin' but sheer delight on that face!

So...our days were filled with lots of suger-stealing, snuggles, smiles

and general silliness...you know what I'm talking about...

don't try to act all sophisticated...

you know you act like a goob when you're around a baby...

I rest my case.

Even Dexter, our grand-dog, enjoys our visits...

he gets to do things he's not normally allowed to do.

Hey...it's the grandparent zone...

it's all about the spoiling!

Father and son...

there's a lot of love goin' on here!

Three of my favorite men in the world!

Love...Love...LOVE!!

By Friday evening it had turned quite chilly.

Gray was chillin' in his fuzzy suit...

snuggled next to his sweet momma...

the only way to brave the elements with a smile!

This one warms my heart.

Gray tried on his Halloween costume for us.

What a precious little lamb!

...definitely future wedding reception slide-show material.

I started knitting a blanket for Gray before he was born.

While we were there I finished it and gave it to him...

I think he liked it!

Snuggle it till it's thread bare, little man!!

It was a lovely fall day when we arrived in NYC.

The day before we left...three days later...

it was an October blizzard!

UNBELIEVABLE!

...and maybe a little bit fun.

So...our time came to a close with these babes in Brooklyn.

We talked...we laughed...we cooed...

we ate yummy food

from The Meat Hook, Fleischers, Carmine's Pizzeria...

and I cried when it was time to leave.

Not surprising to those who know me well.

But, hey...

look at those faces!

Can you really blame me?!?

Thank you, Josh, Meggie and Gray

for a wonderful visit!

WE LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!!

checkin' in. more later...

Pardon my absence of late.

Things have been a little crazy...
crazier than usual...
both in the arena of my mind and heart
and in the unusually busy days of this summer.

But...today I am entertaining only happy thoughts
because we are preparing for guests!
Master Grayson Michael Simmons and
his beautiful mommy, Meggie, are on their way!

This will be Gray's introductory visit to the southland
so we want to make a grand impression!
After all...we do want him to be excited
about bringing his mommy and daddy for return visits!

He's very excited about the trip...obviously!

So...I'll focus my thoughts on enjoying

snuggles, smiles and coos from this little one.

All that other stuff can just wait

to be muddled through another day, another time.

Hurry to Tennessee, my sweet!

We cannot wait to love on you and your mommy!

he's 23 now. what?!?...

So...after a wonderful time
with new grandson, Grayson Michael Simmons,
as well as Josh and Meggie
(sorry guys...little man takes top billing now)
I'm back home with Sweet Husband...
exactly where I love to be.


I took lots and lots of pictures
which I will share in due time.


But, today...


I wanted to send a special birthday shout out
to our youngest son...


Andrew Josiah Simmons


Drewbie...as we have affectionately called him
since he was knee-high to a grasshopper...
is 23 years old today.


That makes me...hmmmm...
let me see...oops!...ran out of fingers and toes a long time ago...
maybe a calculator will help...hmmmm...


Yep...here we go...


That makes me...OLD!!!  


Drewbie went with me to see baby Gray
and even though I about drove him crazy in the car...
I'm a beyond-terribly-annoying passenger,
and he had to drive us through Manhattan at rush hour,
which he did like a champ!!...
I will remember the past nine days with him
with a smile, a full heart and a little knot in my throat...
the kind that tightens and makes my eyes get moist.


But...it's not been just the past nine days.
It's been the past 23 years.


They've been full...
of Curious George and Clifford the Big Red Dog,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers,
Harry Potter (all of them...books and movies),
soccer, baseball, basketball games, and many rounds of golf,
choir concerts and one play with a particularly cute skunk,
the MCHS "Golden Angels" (I think that's what they were called),
Saran-wrapping cars, road kill passed between friends,
"man nights" with Sweet Husband, Josh, Jake and now Peter, too,
learning to home-brew and shoot guns,
twelve years of public school, four years of university,
and, as of July 5th, gainful employment in the "real world."


There have been smiles, tears, joy, pain, triumph and defeat...
all contributing to who Drewbie is on this his 23rd birthday.


Yet, the greatest moment in all of Drew's 23 years
was when God opened the eyes of his heart to his need for a Savior
and filled him with faith to believe that
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life...
replacing Drewbie's heart of stone with a heart of flesh,
removing his sin as far as the east is from the west,
clothing him with garments of salvation and robes of righteousness,
sealing him with the promised Holy Spirit.


So...today we rejoice with exceedingly great joy
because though it's hard to believe Drewbie is celebrating 23 years,
the real celebration will go on and on
even when we've been there 10,000 years!


Happy Birthday, my precious son...

gray simmons. joy unspeakable...

Ahhhh...and who might this be
rocking my world
and invading my heart
provoking tidal waves of emotion
washing through me with each thought
and crashing over me with each gaze...
although only digitally grasped
instead of cuddled cheek to cheek?

'Tis the firstborn of my firstborn,
Grayson Michael Simmons,
and the second baby born to my babies
effectually marking the passage of time
by throwing open wider still the storehouses of blessing
and faithfulness of our eternal Father
from generation to generation to generation.

...and, once again, I am consumed with joy unspeakable!

       Grayson Michael Simmons

       June 6, 2011

"For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations."

Psalm 100:5

kisses and a wet nose. a call to worship...

How often do you thank God for "small" things?

Saturday morning when I woke up I was greeted
with a long, pink, wet tongue on my face
and a cold, wet nose burrowed in my neck.

No...not Sweet Husband...
it was Jonah, our 70 pound Lab
(he's put on a few since getting the snip-snip).


Jonah was ready to get up and visit the outdoors.
So...I reluctantly pushed off the covers and
acquiesced to his persistence.


When we came back inside
we ventured into the living room 
where I spend time with God each morning
and Jonah gets a little more shut-eye beside me on the couch.


As I began to pray
I became aware of how rarely
I thank God for the "small" things...
like how sweet it is to have a precious pet.


Sweet Husband and I love Jonah 
and he brings lots of pleasure to our lives
even though he's...just a dog.


So...I proceeded to thank God
for creating animals, Jonah in particular...
and for the abilities to enjoy other simple pleasures
like knitting, playing the piano, tasting food,
and for all the senses he created me with...
with which I enjoy his creation.


But, I couldn't stop there...
because although God, in his kindness,
gives me simple pleasures to enjoy,
they are rooted and born from the
true pleasure of treasuring him!


Everything...all gifts and pleasures
are given to direct my heart, mind and soul
to praise God,
to thank God,
to delight in God...
and because of Christ's redeeming work on the cross
I am free to worship him with complete abandon!


Here is a quote I read in God is the Gospel by John Piper...

he says it better than I ever could.

"They (the gifts of God, the rewards of God, the miracles

of God) have come for one great reason:

that you might behold forever the glory of God in Christ,

and by beholding become the kind of person who

delights in God above all things,

and by delighting display his supreme beauty and worth

with ever-increasing brightness and bliss forever."

"For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be glory forever.  Amen."   Romans 11:36

As my time of worship came to a close Saturday morning
the Holy Spirit brought this song to mind.
Give it a listen and as you do
thank God for all his gifts to you...
and be drawn to worship their Creator
for he alone is worthy!

he's practically grown. almost walking...

The little man is quickly becoming not so little!


He and his parents were away last week
so we didn't see him for awhile
and when we saw him a few days ago
he looked like he was ready to start college!


Well...maybe middle school...or pre-school.


Okay...he looked like he'd gone up at least one diaper size!!


His uncle and aunt had just returned from a week in Ireland.
They brought the little man a special gift...


I think it's quite obvious how much he liked it!!

It was love at first touch!

...or hug

...or kiss

...and Lambie is a great playmate at the train table!

Me: What, precious boy...whatever you want...

(Oh, be still my beating heart!)

                     Little Man: Yep...stick a fork in her boys...she's done.

I've got her right where I want her!

(...and he's abso-tootin'-lutely right!!)