the beginning

asher is an excellent big brother. he is attentive, affectionate, helpful, and even doting towards his little sister. of course he has his moments (and tends to roar at lucy like a lion when she is crying), but the transition from only child to older sibling has gone remarkably well. we had some rough patches in there with his behavior and response towards us, but from day one, lucy has been a part of the gang.

so, imagine my delight last night as we drove (around in the camper van of course, but this post is not about our delight in it, although you know we do) to dinner when i heard a little giggle from lucy. asher was fake laughing, i believe, and it just set lucy off. i melted. to hear asher interacting with lucy, trying to make her laugh, and then to hear her respond, took me down a path they will travel through childhood. brother and sister, sharing stories and giggles and toys (all without any bickering or nagging, of course). i am so glad asher is obliging and continued his fake laugh because we got to hear her giggle several more times. i know i desire for them to be close as they grow up. playmates and confidants and counsel for the other. who knows what the Lord has in store for their relationship as they grow and change and choose their lifes' paths. but i do know one thing. this mama will delight in each shared moment she is privileged to witness. here is to the beginning of those moments.

the dream

i don't know what it is about us, but something in casey and i just longs to be hippies. perhaps it is the draw towards simplicity or our lack of ambition to spend money on deodorant. perhaps it is how spontaneous and free life seems as a hippie. or, perhaps it is just my great love for the smell of patchouli. but, when we made the decision to purchase this:

we both felt like we got one step closer. we both said "let's just live the dream. and, if it turns out to be impractical or terrible, or lame to go 20 mph up a mountain pass, we can sell it. at least we'll know." you could compare this 1984, loud, no a/c, slightly gas-y smelling van to someone else's brand new mercedes, we love it so much. we love the way it sways a little as you take a turn; we love the way it sounds when you turn it on and it rumbles a little. and, most of all, we love that you can sleep in it.

but to be a little more contemplative, more than the actual van itself, i love that this van symbolizes God's faithfulness and intimacy once again. it's been a hard journey these last few months. perhaps it is how full life has been with a newborn and lack of sleep, trying to sell our house, and attending to the not-so-shiny parts of casey and i's marriage. perhaps it is just a season we need to walk through. but with the arrival of this van, fun has entered our spirits. i feel like the lord has given us fresh air to breath in. even just space to breath period. casey cannot stop smiling, asher cannot spend enough time in the "camper bus," and i cannot get enough of the giant steering wheel and how i smile when i get to take the van for a drive. we are suddenly focusing on road trips and camping excursions, and that is fun. maybe i am being hormonal or oversimplifying. but i am thankful the lord knows us intimately, and that his intimacy showed up as a vanagon.

sugar

by default, lucy has come to be known as our "sugar lump." not only is she sweet, but she's round. so, here's to four months of sugar.

one week old. thanks for the quilt, nannie.

one month old.

2 months old.

three months old and loving that she has figured out how to smile.

4 months old. from day one she has held her hands like that. love it!

"G is for goo goo glasses"

that's what he said when he came into the room. no encouragement, just the thought he had in his head. does it get any more awesome than that?!

happy one month birthday, lucy mae!

already we can't imagine life without you.
we love you, lucille,
lucy,
lucy goosey,
luc magoose,
lucy mae!

i am thankful for....

- a kind, and extremely generous, husband who gave me the morning "off" to go to my favorite tea shop and sit and write notes and be free.
- large pots of vanilla rooibos tea with cream. i think it has somehow made it's way from my stomach to my soul it is just that good.
- kind store employees that share their personal vanilla rooibos tea when the store is all out.
- even from the windows of "my" tea shop, the constant drizzle is uplifting somehow. cleansing, offering to us all the opportunity to slow down and savor.

good good things.

for daddy

this is for daddy, when he needs a little asher fix. we miss you, casey!