Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween

Oh man I love Halloween. All these people dressing up...I love all the creativity. I wish I were one of those cool moms who dress up. Maybe next year...

We have taken the kiddos to the Troutdale Outlet Mall the last 2 years and although the rest of the fam did it again this year, we opted to go home after church, have lunch, get the boys good naps and Bryan and I cleaned up the house.

This is my favorite picture:
The others...

Trick or Treating...Random and funny Gabey Halloween quotes:
  • After trick or treating at a house he let out a gleeful laugh and said "I LOVE HALLLLOWEEEEN!!!"
  • A boy was dressed up as Darth Vader and at the same house we were. Gabe looked up at him and said "YOU'RE Darth Vader" shook his hand and said "It's nice to meet you"
  • Told a boy dressed up as Jason from Friday the 13th the he loved him

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Jaden's Day

Captain Jaden Hofman
It was a special day for our whole family, and I am grateful to be a part of his life.


All the Pirate family's
Uncle Min came as Davy Jones (When Gabe saw him coming out of the house he got this worried look on his face and watched him carefully. It totally scared him :)
As usual mom went all out. I swear she needs to start her own business. She is AMAZING at party planning and decorating!

Happy 4th Birthday JadenMan!
We LOVE you!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Punkin Patch

We are getting excited for Halloween and all the festivities. You almost feel like it's over if you go into the stores, Halloween stuff is on clearance. The Christmas stuff is showing up everywhere. It's like they want us to forget about Thanksgiving. Don't we need to be grateful first before we start making lists of presents we want? :)
Last Saturday we met the Duffy's at Lee Farms for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. What a perfect day...the sun was out and it was actually darn right warm. The pumpkin patch makes me feel like Fall is actually here and the leaves are changing...I love, love, love this time of year.


Next up:
JadenMan's 4th Birthday party (Mom's going all out! She loves throwing AWESOME parties)
I want to make some cookies with Gabe AND
Trick or Treating of course

Friday, October 15, 2010

Jayce (3 months)

Jayce got his 3 month pictures done today (thanks Mama). He did excellent. He was so cute and had some hilarious faces in some of them. This was one of moms and my favorites.

Gabe 3 months
Do they look alike?


Friday, October 08, 2010

Sometimes He Calms The Storm

Well it looks like we're in the middle of a STORM again and I was reminded of a song that I love. I only had it on cassette tape so I had to dig it out of storage and have to play it in our truck since that is the only cassette player we have left. lol

Sometimes He Calms The Storm
by Scott Krippayne

All who sail the sea of faith
Find out before too long
How quickly blue skies can grow dark
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing
That our Lord is in control

Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered peace be still
He can settle any sea
But it doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child

He has a reason for each trial
That we pass through in life
And though we're shaken
We cannot be pulled apart from Christ
No matter how the driving rain beats down
On those who hold to faith
A heart of trust will always
Be a quiet peaceful place

Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered peace be still
He can settle any sea
But it doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child

I was laid off back in February 2009 and my dream of becoming a stay at home mom unexpectedly became reality. I don't think that I would have ever quit my job on my own due to what we thought we needed at the time for our finances. In fact only about 2 weeks after I was laid off, I was approached by an old co-worker working for a different Architecture firm that they were looking for an Administrative Assistant. I applied and got an interview immediately. We thought for sure I was going to have a job again, but that is not what God had in mind.
Months went by and we began to notice how well me staying home suited us. We did have unemployment helping us with our finances, but we cut way down on our spending and I started trying to find new ways, frugal ways to live by.
Over a year has gone by and we've come to the end of unemployment, but we still believe that God is calling me to stay home. We have prayed about this everyday. So, now we have problem we don't have enough income to cover our finances. This is seriously a scary time for us. We are in the midst of trying to do a modification on our mortgage and we just so far don't see what the solution is going to be. I am praying that God seriously surprises and amazes us!

Matthew 11:28 "Come unto Me and I will give you rest."

In biblical times, if a lamb wandered away from the flock, the shepherd searched for that lamb until he found it. The shepherd sometimes broke one of the lamb's legs and then carried the wounded lamb on his shoulders until the leg was healed. The lamb developed such a close relationship with the shepherd, that when its leg was healed, the lamb would never again wander away from the one who had rescued it and cared for it so tenderly.

I am terrified, but
the only way I can find hope is to claim the promise of the peace and rest promised by the Savior.

He is really the only one who can sooth my anxiousness. There may not be much understanding on my part, but there is a longing to draw so close to the Savior that I will totally rely on His love and His promises. He has never failed me.

The Scripture, "Come unto me and I will give you rest," has kept me going so many times when my emotions wanted to just give in completely to despair and depression. I try to visualize myself being carried in the arms of Jesus. He is always there, urging me on, whispering in my ear to never give up, pulling me as close to Him as I am willing to come, all the time saying, "Come closer, my child; depend on Me completely, and I will see you through this, no matter what happens."

My job is to seek out and walk in the steps He has planned for me - even when those steps are filled with pain and confusion.

Uncertainty certainly gets our attention, but in all the emotional chaos of wondering what will happen also comes the sure knowledge that I am being carried in strong loving arms that will never let me go. I asked God "why" many times and while I know He understands my frailty as a servant, He keeps giving me the same answer, "Hang on, I am with you. We can do this together."

When life comes at us like a hurricane, we know we have the hope of Jesus Christ. We know why we are here on this earth - to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him - so that we can spend eternity with Him in Heaven. I need to cling to the hope that can only be found in knowing God.

I'll Praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
You are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will Praise You in this storm

Thursday, October 07, 2010

BROTHERS