Abiding in Him

Jesus said, "Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing." The vineyards of Mary's uncle are a beautiful place to visit in the Fall...

Yup, there's much fruit here because the branches are 'abiding in the vine'... Concord grapes are the type you must first sqeeze and discard of the skin, and then swallow the whole inside, pit and all. Here's Selah learning how...

Down on Uncle Andy's 'Farm'...

Andy & Sonya have 2 cows, 2 goats, 1 dog, lots of chickens, and lots of precious children...
Here's 'Starbright', almost ready for a good steak...

Selah finally got brave enough to feed Brownie...

Andrea caught a chicken for Selah to pet up close...

I have sooo many cousins!

One little girl looooooooooves spending time with 'all my cousins'. Here's a tea party with Cassie & Charlie...

A game of minature golf with more cousins...

Minature golfer for minature golf...

Swinging with Aunt Liz was a special treat...

Cheeks? Whose got cheeks?

Noah opening his early birthday present from us...

Playgrounds, playgrounds, and more playgrounds...

Grandma would often take these 3 on a golf cart ride to explore new playgrounds in the campground.

Behind bars...

More fun times with Grandma...

'Helping' Grandma cut apples for applesauce...

The Beach in September!

Since the weather was beautiful we swam in the lake at Grandpa & Grandma's campground. Cousin Samuel spent the 3 days with us, and there were lots of giggles between the two 3-year-olds...

One little boy has no fear of water...

Covering up for the windy ride back to the condo...

More shots from today...

Snuggling up with Carolyn and brand-new Marianne...

Great-Grandma holding sweet Carolyn...

My Cup Runneth Over...

My heart doth overflow... Why is God so good to us? At times (I pray it may be more often) grace can so completely overwhelm a person... He's given so much, and it is all undeserved. I can only stutter His praise. Freely ye have received, freely give- that's His command, but He has given so much, how can we even begin to give like He does?! Dear friend, you may not be rejoicing right now- perhaps life's circumstances are not leading you to joy at the moment...but please rejoice with me today for what He has done in our family's life. I need to shout upon the housetops...

We are on vacation spending time with family, and God's blessings are overwhelming us today. Above all, I am thankful for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our salvation and the grace He has poured upon our family. Below are some shots for you to enjoy...

...Isaiah meeting Kito (I'm thankful for this precious little boy)...
...some of Grandma's beautiful delhias (my favorite pictured below- I'm thankful for the beauty God created in flowers)...

...look, Mom, no feet! (I'm thankful for this handsome fellow and his sweet ways)...

...holding brand-new Marianne, born last Wednesday to my oldest brother and his wife, Andy & Sonya (I'm thankful for so many answered prayers that this little one would be healthy)...

...Selah loving every second of time with her cousins (I'm thankful for Selah's joy)...

...Brian and Lanae with the babies (I'm thankful for this woman God has brought into Brian's life and that she said yes to sharing his life ministry)...

...Daddy opening his birthday presents (and I'm thankful for this dearest of men who inspires me to be more like our Savior, serving all around us).

In love with Lady Liberty...

On Thursday we visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty with Uncle Brian and his girlfriend Lanae...
First boat trip for all three, with lots of questions and excitement...

Lovely couple posing in front of the Big Apple...

One little girl was in love with Lady Liberty, trying to copy her pose and filled with many questions (questions are the norm these days since Selah is officially in the 'why?' stage).

Pictures taken in front of the statue...

This couple left us at Liberty Island and went on to tour the big city, making their way to Central Park with a very romantic proposal! (she said 'yes'!)