How exciting! :) It snowed for the first time here since 2002!! Raymond's first time in N.C. snow! :) We had a real ball running around in it but got cold pretty fast since we don't have any winter boots / clothes! :)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
The South End & Parents
"Our Spot" at Wrightsville beach is on the south end. It's where Brandon & I always went (and still) for our anniversaries while we were dating... where he proposed.... where we take Lennox to run.... where we take our family & friends that come visit.... where we had the Wolfe annual vacation family pictures in 2006 when Raymond was just 2 weeks old.... so so many memories here. It isn't where we go during the day to the beach.... but it's the spot where we go walking at night and where we go during the winter months.
I took MomMom & Papa there today - as it was over 70 degrees today! and we had a great time. We got some good pictures on MomMom's good camera I'll post later.... but here's the one we took with my camera phone.
There is something about water & beaches that I really connect with. Nature very much captivates & touches me....or I should say - God uses nature to captivate & touch me.... but the beach especially.
I still feel so so so so thankful to live on the coast of NC. I love it here and I really try hard not to take advantage of how blessed we are to be surrounded by such beauty.
We have had the best time with Mom & Dad. It will be so hard to see them leave on Friday --- but it won't be near as hard as any other goodbye because their house will be waiting for them whenever they want to come!!!
As I get older, it is amazing to me how much closer we are getting and how much the depth of my love for them is growing. I always thought I was closer to my parents than anybody I knew.... but we are getting even closer.
I think of all the things God has blessed me with - people are always the things I am most thankful for. Mom & Dad are so different in personality, parenting style but they were a perfect complementary pair for us children.
I never realized until I flew out of my fairy tale nest what deep & wonderful & unconditional love they gave us. It wasn't until I saw other families who only exhibit & possess conditional & superficial love rather than sacrificial & unconditional love..... that my thankfulness grew to a whole other level.
I am so un-deserving of them. I can only give thanks to God for providing that home & foundation for me. I pray for parents all around our world today to realize just how important their role is. To please open their hearts to God so that He could change us and allow us to be able to love unconditionally, radically, passionately. He truly is the only One that enables us to focus on others and not ourselves.... which is where true, sacrificial, unconditional love begins. Imagine if every child could have a foundation of parents who love God passionately and have allowed Him to show them how to love their children. This world would be a different place..... Many more would know our God because of their parent's love, the first representation of God we have in our lives.
but despite all I've said --- I also have to thank God for His mercy to be able to undo any mistakes parents do make. Thank God for being able to use anybody in our lives to bring us back to Him. No matter our family life or parent's positive or negative influence..... He has the power to redeem, save & change! :)
I took MomMom & Papa there today - as it was over 70 degrees today! and we had a great time. We got some good pictures on MomMom's good camera I'll post later.... but here's the one we took with my camera phone.
There is something about water & beaches that I really connect with. Nature very much captivates & touches me....or I should say - God uses nature to captivate & touch me.... but the beach especially.
I still feel so so so so thankful to live on the coast of NC. I love it here and I really try hard not to take advantage of how blessed we are to be surrounded by such beauty.
We have had the best time with Mom & Dad. It will be so hard to see them leave on Friday --- but it won't be near as hard as any other goodbye because their house will be waiting for them whenever they want to come!!!
As I get older, it is amazing to me how much closer we are getting and how much the depth of my love for them is growing. I always thought I was closer to my parents than anybody I knew.... but we are getting even closer.
I think of all the things God has blessed me with - people are always the things I am most thankful for. Mom & Dad are so different in personality, parenting style but they were a perfect complementary pair for us children.
I never realized until I flew out of my fairy tale nest what deep & wonderful & unconditional love they gave us. It wasn't until I saw other families who only exhibit & possess conditional & superficial love rather than sacrificial & unconditional love..... that my thankfulness grew to a whole other level.
I am so un-deserving of them. I can only give thanks to God for providing that home & foundation for me. I pray for parents all around our world today to realize just how important their role is. To please open their hearts to God so that He could change us and allow us to be able to love unconditionally, radically, passionately. He truly is the only One that enables us to focus on others and not ourselves.... which is where true, sacrificial, unconditional love begins. Imagine if every child could have a foundation of parents who love God passionately and have allowed Him to show them how to love their children. This world would be a different place..... Many more would know our God because of their parent's love, the first representation of God we have in our lives.
but despite all I've said --- I also have to thank God for His mercy to be able to undo any mistakes parents do make. Thank God for being able to use anybody in our lives to bring us back to Him. No matter our family life or parent's positive or negative influence..... He has the power to redeem, save & change! :)
Favorite Christmas Scenes - N.C.
My previous post was my favorite scenes from New Jersey Christmas.... here are my fave scenes from North Carolina Christmas! We exchanged gifts between the 3 of us on Christmas Eve and then flew out that afternoon for Jersey!!
The family (minus Lennox- we couldn't fit him in haha):
My boys gave me a very special ornament:
Opening presents together
curious Raymond look:
His "big" present from the 2 of us:
He scores!:
and again:
and again:
Hess truck from Pop & Granny. This is a fun one:
Playing with his new trains on new train mat:
happy, silly Raymond
packing to head to MomMom & Papa's NJ house!! Merry Christmas!!!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Favorite Christmas Scenes - N.J.
Here are some of my fave Christmas scenes from New Jersey. I'll do some fave scenes from North Carolina Christmas next :) The only ones missing from pics are Papa (dang - no good ones of him. Katie (ryan's girlfirend) & "Mo" her mom)
These are totally out of order but I don't feel like putting them chronologically so here they are:
Christmas Eve Raymond meets cousin Irelyn for the first time!!!:
Raymond's first touch (and throw) of snow!!!
I always try to sit across from Hunter - he & I are silly together! :) Here he is looking at me. I love this pic of him watching me.
and here I am in a silly moment looking back at him. I love nephew Hunter so much.
Our Ghana family Saturday after Christmas:
Mom has 2 trees. One little tree sits on top of the piano and it's all pictures of us. This portion of the tree is awesome. The flying pig & us North Carolina babies. Dad said he'd buy a house when pigs flew --- so watch out in the sky! Pigs fly! :)
Snow & ice on the lake!!!
Raymond's first jump in the snow!
MomMom's famous "laundry room" after a long fun day! :)
Raymond, the blur, on Christmas morning at Roxie's:
MomMom's famous Christmas boots:
Raymond & Christian... playing nice. WOW:
Christmas day:
Christmas Eve:
Uncle Ry Ry & Raymond:
Raymond playing in a big box with MomMom:
My happy boy:
Christmas Eve greeting each other:
Raymond, MomMom, Christian, Elmo:
MomMom & Raymond:
Christmas Eve:
Sisters & baby girl:
Raymond's first feety pajamas:
A classic moment. The 3 siblings. Raymond throwing a tantrum scaring Christian. Hunter being a good boy. Irelyn still sleeping. All of us cracking up trying to control 4 little ones.
3 boys:
These are totally out of order but I don't feel like putting them chronologically so here they are:
Christmas Eve Raymond meets cousin Irelyn for the first time!!!:
Raymond's first touch (and throw) of snow!!!
I always try to sit across from Hunter - he & I are silly together! :) Here he is looking at me. I love this pic of him watching me.
and here I am in a silly moment looking back at him. I love nephew Hunter so much.
Our Ghana family Saturday after Christmas:
Mom has 2 trees. One little tree sits on top of the piano and it's all pictures of us. This portion of the tree is awesome. The flying pig & us North Carolina babies. Dad said he'd buy a house when pigs flew --- so watch out in the sky! Pigs fly! :)
Snow & ice on the lake!!!
Raymond's first jump in the snow!
MomMom's famous "laundry room" after a long fun day! :)
Raymond, the blur, on Christmas morning at Roxie's:
MomMom's famous Christmas boots:
Raymond & Christian... playing nice. WOW:
Christmas day:
Christmas Eve:
Uncle Ry Ry & Raymond:
Raymond playing in a big box with MomMom:
My happy boy:
Christmas Eve greeting each other:
Raymond, MomMom, Christian, Elmo:
MomMom & Raymond:
Christmas Eve:
Sisters & baby girl:
Raymond's first feety pajamas:
A classic moment. The 3 siblings. Raymond throwing a tantrum scaring Christian. Hunter being a good boy. Irelyn still sleeping. All of us cracking up trying to control 4 little ones.
3 boys:
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year! :)
I have had such a great holiday season! I haven't been blogging at all and won't be until at least the 10th when my parents leave. We are having the best time! Thank you God so so much for time with them!
I am looking forward to another year. I can't believe it is 2009 tomorrow. I remember thinking back in the 80's and 90's how crazy it would be to be in the 2000's...... now we're 9 years into the 2000's and it IS still crazy feeling!
Time goes faster every year --- my grandma taught me that mathematically makes sense - since each year that you are older - one year is less of a percentage of your life. (For example when I was five a year was 1/5th of my life. Now that I'm 25 a year is only 1/25th of my life!)...
so each year DOES seem faster because it's a smaller percentage of my life. They really do just fly by. I sound like such an old lady saying that. For some reason - after you have a child the time passes that much quicker. I think because they just change SO much and the days go by so fast when there's so much fun to be had! :)
2008 has been a great year. I have no words to describe all I have been blessed with this year. I am so undeserving of all of it - thank you God for everything.
I pray for health and joy and hope for me & my family and all my friends. May people's hearts to be open to you God. May the message of eternal peace & joy that only the One and Only Savior could bring be spread more this year than ever before. May the Spirit comfort all of us as none of us is without struggles. May we praise you in our storms and in our victories. May we honor you with our time and not take one day for granted.
I am looking forward to another year. I can't believe it is 2009 tomorrow. I remember thinking back in the 80's and 90's how crazy it would be to be in the 2000's...... now we're 9 years into the 2000's and it IS still crazy feeling!
Time goes faster every year --- my grandma taught me that mathematically makes sense - since each year that you are older - one year is less of a percentage of your life. (For example when I was five a year was 1/5th of my life. Now that I'm 25 a year is only 1/25th of my life!)...
so each year DOES seem faster because it's a smaller percentage of my life. They really do just fly by. I sound like such an old lady saying that. For some reason - after you have a child the time passes that much quicker. I think because they just change SO much and the days go by so fast when there's so much fun to be had! :)
2008 has been a great year. I have no words to describe all I have been blessed with this year. I am so undeserving of all of it - thank you God for everything.
I pray for health and joy and hope for me & my family and all my friends. May people's hearts to be open to you God. May the message of eternal peace & joy that only the One and Only Savior could bring be spread more this year than ever before. May the Spirit comfort all of us as none of us is without struggles. May we praise you in our storms and in our victories. May we honor you with our time and not take one day for granted.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Advent Devotional
Received the below advent devotional last night and wanted to put it on here.
Christmas really means more to me each year. Jesus' birth really does deserve an incredible celebration. The feelings we get around Christmas sometimes are just superficial feelings that come and go and that's okay - enjoying those feelings is great....
but the best thing is not the feelings but the deeper understanding that all the joy and peace and excitement we have now is representative of what's to come. These gifts that the Savior can bring into anybody's life who accepts Him and believes in Him -- are worth celebrating over. Joy, peace, faith, hope, love.
If God gave us nothing else in this world but our Savior who allowed us through His suffering, crucifixion and resurrection -- to have eternal life and reconciliation with God --- then we would be beyond comprehension blessed.... but look at how much more He does for us and gives to us than eternal life and relationship with God. It's amazing!
I love being able to reflect back on each year at Christmas time and look at how much God has blessed us with over the past year. What an incredible, crazy, radical love He has for us!
What an incredible Savior!!! :)
"Who Is Coming To Town?"
December 22, 2008
The end of this Advent season is just two days away. And with the end of Advent comes Christmas. It's so close now you can almost feel it. For most of us Christmas brings a sense of joy and excitement, if not this Christmas then certainly the memory of Christmases past which were filled with anticipation and excitement. But what is coming and what should we really be excited about? For most kids that's an easy question to answer, "Santa Claus is coming to town." And soon there will be all kinds of new, shiny, exciting packages in their stockings and under the Christmas tree.
But if that's the only joy this Christmas brings, it will be gone almost as quickly as it gets here. When the last present has been opened, when the last decoration has been taken down and put carefully away, when the last cookie is eaten, will there be any lasting joy from this season?
The Bible gives us a clearer view of what is coming. Advent and Christmas are times of both tradition and anticipation.
As the Scriptures remind us, someone greater than Santa Claus came to town that first Christmas. God "so loved the world" He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to become flesh and live among us. His title, "Immanuel"-God with us, tells us He came to stay, not just ride through one starry night and then fly back to where He came. We remember His promise, too: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).
The gifts under our tree remind us of the Wise Men who brought their gifts to celebrate the coming of that great King and the promise of salvation He brought. Of course, we know the greatest gift was the Savior Himself. He came clothed in righteousness-the righteousness He gave to us as He bore the thorny crown of our shame. It was our salvation He won on a cross and empty tomb. When Jesus came He brought a gift that is for us and our children. He gives it freely without cost, and it does not wear out or become obsolete over time. This true giver of gifts that the world despises is our only hope-the one who has come and will come again!
Written by Pastor Brandt Hoffman
Raymond reading Frosty
Raymond eating Christmas clementines
under the tree - dang I want to fix that skirt - didn't realize it was pushed up like that hahaha
Christmas cards on the piano --- we have had a record number this year - everybody was in the writing mood I guess! :) I have LOVED getting them and reading them!!! :) I think we've gotten about 40 cards. way more than any other year. I'm so thankful for them! xoxo
Christmas really means more to me each year. Jesus' birth really does deserve an incredible celebration. The feelings we get around Christmas sometimes are just superficial feelings that come and go and that's okay - enjoying those feelings is great....
but the best thing is not the feelings but the deeper understanding that all the joy and peace and excitement we have now is representative of what's to come. These gifts that the Savior can bring into anybody's life who accepts Him and believes in Him -- are worth celebrating over. Joy, peace, faith, hope, love.
If God gave us nothing else in this world but our Savior who allowed us through His suffering, crucifixion and resurrection -- to have eternal life and reconciliation with God --- then we would be beyond comprehension blessed.... but look at how much more He does for us and gives to us than eternal life and relationship with God. It's amazing!
I love being able to reflect back on each year at Christmas time and look at how much God has blessed us with over the past year. What an incredible, crazy, radical love He has for us!
What an incredible Savior!!! :)
"Who Is Coming To Town?"
December 22, 2008
The end of this Advent season is just two days away. And with the end of Advent comes Christmas. It's so close now you can almost feel it. For most of us Christmas brings a sense of joy and excitement, if not this Christmas then certainly the memory of Christmases past which were filled with anticipation and excitement. But what is coming and what should we really be excited about? For most kids that's an easy question to answer, "Santa Claus is coming to town." And soon there will be all kinds of new, shiny, exciting packages in their stockings and under the Christmas tree.
But if that's the only joy this Christmas brings, it will be gone almost as quickly as it gets here. When the last present has been opened, when the last decoration has been taken down and put carefully away, when the last cookie is eaten, will there be any lasting joy from this season?
The Bible gives us a clearer view of what is coming. Advent and Christmas are times of both tradition and anticipation.
As the Scriptures remind us, someone greater than Santa Claus came to town that first Christmas. God "so loved the world" He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to become flesh and live among us. His title, "Immanuel"-God with us, tells us He came to stay, not just ride through one starry night and then fly back to where He came. We remember His promise, too: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).
The gifts under our tree remind us of the Wise Men who brought their gifts to celebrate the coming of that great King and the promise of salvation He brought. Of course, we know the greatest gift was the Savior Himself. He came clothed in righteousness-the righteousness He gave to us as He bore the thorny crown of our shame. It was our salvation He won on a cross and empty tomb. When Jesus came He brought a gift that is for us and our children. He gives it freely without cost, and it does not wear out or become obsolete over time. This true giver of gifts that the world despises is our only hope-the one who has come and will come again!
Written by Pastor Brandt Hoffman
Raymond reading Frosty
Raymond eating Christmas clementines
under the tree - dang I want to fix that skirt - didn't realize it was pushed up like that hahaha
Christmas cards on the piano --- we have had a record number this year - everybody was in the writing mood I guess! :) I have LOVED getting them and reading them!!! :) I think we've gotten about 40 cards. way more than any other year. I'm so thankful for them! xoxo
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