Congratulations, Joshua and Anna!

Congratulations to my brother, Joshua, and to his bride Anna! It was exciting to see the culmanation of all the phone conversations and chaperoning. :)  

Joshy, it seems like yesterday when we were coming up with crazy ideas and fun. Those times when we'd  sing at the top of our lungs, gardening on a "deserted island" [in the front yard], or randomly decide to ride a neighbor's (untrained) horse. I wouldn't trade having you as a brother or our adventures for anything. I'm excited to watch you and Anna's adventure now, as y'all spend your lives together.

Anna, I haven't know you nearly as long, but have enjoyed your friendship for the time that I have. I know everyone has told Joshua what a gift he's getting, and I'm sure you know that goes both ways. ;) Not only are you getting one of the best guys in the world, you're now married to my best friend. Take good care of him! :)

May God richly bless your marriage!

{a brother memory}

He's dirty and muddy and has ripped shorts and mismatched shoes, the crocs too large and words too old for seven years…and it has rained puddles into the ground. 

And I have lists that won't wait and goal deadlines penned to Time and self-imposed perfectionism and mud-free clothes...

And he's puddle hopping, and wants me to too.

 Sweet smiles with shoes squelching mud and imprinting memories on Time's face. It doesn't matter that the the rain lull is brief and lists must wait and he can't clear some puddles and water will splash, because mud-wet clothes will wash and lists will lengthen and more rains always come.

So we hop puddles. And I shorten my strides and he stretches his, because we're holding hands and soon he'll be all grown up, and baby brother hands will be man-hands that help me.  And we step footprints in the mud, and engrave memories into Time forever, because though the days drag the years fly and memories are treasures. 

And so together we hop puddles…

{during a conversation about amounts of sleep}

Me: "I wonder how much sleep is really necessary to have human maximum function ability."

Rachel: "I'm not sure... It would be really nice if people could sleep like they drink espresso. Just a little bit is needed, but it goes a long way..."

11 Lessons from 2011

Top 11 Lessons of 2011

11. When talking to someone on the phone, it is never safe to assume that you hear correctly. Ask them to spell their location so that it is correct before writing it down for someone else who will know what it was supposed to be. 

10.  Sleep, however inconvenient, is actually still necessary to life.

9. A GPS thinks it is smarter than it actually is: it tells you to exit a perfectly good road that will take you the right direction. As soon as you get on a major road that has signs pointing to the next location, you should turn the GPS off until the next time you get lost. 

8. People are generally not capable of making good decisions after 11pm. 

7. Planning is wonderful…as long as you're willing to adapt to whatever comes your way. A typhoon, for example.

6. Good planners make life simpler, not more complicated.

5. Other people will come and go through life. Family is forever, and siblings really can be best friends.

4. Life is not about the situations that challenge you, it's about how you respond to those challenges - and how you change.

3. There's the pain of healing, the pain of staying the same and the pain of getting worse. You pick your pain.

2. God really does work miracles, and he works the most often when you least expect it.

1. There is no need to ever be dismayed; God will strengthen, help, and uphold me with His righteous right hand. (Is. 41:10)

{attention pacifists}

I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. 

And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it.

-Jack Handey

*The air soft bullet proof vests, as well as the leather handgun holsters, magazine cases, and belts were made by Allen Penney. I highly recommend his work, and if anyone is interested in purchasing contact me and I will refer you on to him.

{the solution to incompetence}

All of man's misfortune comes from one thing, 

which is not knowing how to sit quietly in a room.

-Blaise Pascal

After 15 months...

...last Friday, my big brother got engaged. :) 

He sang her a song, asked her a question, and she said...YES! :)

O give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders.

-1 Chronicles 16:8-9