September 22, 2012

farewell to the pine


A little glimpse of what's happening at our place right now.



See that huge tree? Years ago, a tiny pine tree was given to my great-grandmother, a thank-you from her co-workers from the hospital where she was employed as a nurse. She planted it in the yard lovingly, and over the years it grew. And grew, and grew, until it reached behemoth proportions.

Recently, our neighbors requested that the tree be removed for various reasons. Well, my grandpa and parents decided yes. A tough decision, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do sometimes. And it is pretty cool to see how such a, er, shall we say large tree gets cut down...everything is a learning experience, riiiiiight? YES! ( Even more so if you're a homeschooling bunch like we are!

Love you in Christ,
Emily

Post script: I'm taking a two week 'blog vacation'. See you soon!



September 21, 2012

Welcome Sakura

This beautiful baby




is my newborn cousin

Sakura

Sakura means cherry blossom in Japanese.You might think she was named after these...














But she's really named after these...





















...Sakura markers!
My uncle is an artist so her name is an homage to his favorite markers. Pretty special I think.
It's just a sign she will make a big mark on the world.








Look at that cherry blossom! Oh, my heart is a puddle right now.

















Dad took this one.



 




















My mama with her first niece! Love.
 
The little cousins hands.
 
We are just so grateful to God for this precious, healthy baby! The birth went well, and Ally and Mike are in bliss.  It's just great.
 
 I always forget how amazing it is to hold a newborn-the sweet smell, the soft breathing, the stretches and yawns...it's just so beautiful.
 
We are just in love with this little baby. 
Can you tell?
 
xoxo
Emily