Year. Two. (May 2013)

It has been two years since our family has officially consisted of the 10 of us.
Here's a little bit about how this last year shaped up.

I took my SIX daughters to a Mother's Day Tea.  SIX!  Wow, God is funny:)

 We had five kids "graduate".

Sarah Grace graduated from 8th grade.  She had the support of many family friends and she even wrote  speech which she gave at her graduation!

Izzy graduted from 5th grade and moved into the big, scary world of Middle School!  Yikes!

She is doing great.

Matthew graduated from Kindergarten.

Gretch graduated from preschool.

And so did Kristina!

Ray and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary and finally decided to go on our 10 year anniversary cruise;)

You know, us plus our eight crazy kids!

This is a picture from Father's Day.  Enough said.

Jessica turned 18 years old!!!!  And was gifted a phone (reluctantly).

A few simple tricks continue to make life easier.  Color-coding children's belongings, for example.

Our "babies" started Kindergarten.  Still hard to believe they are only 4 months apart in age.

Now everyone is in school!

Gretchen's first day.

Kristina's first day.

Most significant this year was that after waiting 5 months and moving three times, the offer we put in on a short sale home was accepted.  

We bought a jungle...

And have spent quite a bit of time taming it.

Everyone pitched in.

Once again our friends showed up in force.
God knew what He was doing when He put us in this community we have.

While we were fixing up our new house, with the help of all our amazing friends, we were 52 days without a kitchen.

FIFTY.  TWO.  DAYS.

So we had a LOT of bonfires.  Hot dogs and s'mores were common dinner items for far too long.
But the kids loved it!

Other notable things about this past year-

Sarah and Jessica both got their driver's licenses!  And each got her first job.  What incredible progress these girls have made- and how quickly time is flying.

We started our first garden this past March and are excited by the possibility of us growing a lot of what our family needs.

After realizing that this is the 5th house that the 10 of us have lived in during the past two years, we are mostly thankful to be settling down and enjoying our new home with the people we love most.  

If you are reading this, you are probably one of those people--- thank you for loving our family:)

Jesus Knows Me, This I Love

A few years ago I was at a conference and one of the speakers said, "Jesus knows me, this I love."  That stuck with me.

Not too long after that I was having a conversation with a friend and he said, "I think what we all want is just to be known."

Recently I read the following blog article and this longing to be known resonated again. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/the-questions-that-will-save-your-relationships_b_4618254.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

I have noticed that God works thematically in my life.  One day I will realize that I have heard the same general theme coming from multiple sources and it's like He is saying, "Pay attention!  I am trying to tell you something here."  So this is my current theme.  To be known.  To be in authentic community.  To know God.  And others.

One of the critical mistakes I believe we can make, is to equate our relationship with others as equal to, or indicative of, our relationship with God.  For example, if who I believe God is, is wrapped up in how I feel about my pastor, or my small group leader, I will eventually be disappointed… no matter how great my pastor or small group leader is.  Why?  Because they aren't God.  Christian community was never intended to be a substitute for a personal relationship with God.  And how does this relate to being known?  Because this morning I realized, for maybe the first time, that I am perfectly comfortable with my relationship with God.  There is no struggle for authenticity there.  He knows me.  Intimately.  And I am getting to know Him too.  Little by little He is revealing more of Himself to me.  Where fear sets in- where I struggle to be real- is with God's people.  It is within the context of community where I feel I have to have it all together (and the tension that is created there because I know that I don't).  I know God loves me unconditionally.  But will they?  I know God sees me.  But do they?  And I know that He forgives.  But will they?

And for me, that is probably why conflict and stress always have been good motivators to draw me closer to God.  Because when I am disappointed by others, I remember I have a Friend who will never disappoint me.  I never have to question His motives or worry that I am bothering Him with my petty problems.  He's never too busy.  Or too tired.  Or too stressed.

I love the community that God has placed me in.  I cannot imagine a better system of support or encouragement.  My reality is that I can be very authentic in my present context.  But I am thankful for the reminder today that no person was ever meant to take the place of my relationship with God.  And He knows me… THIS I love.