He's home!

We've been texting, and talking, and stalking Instagram for hours, just waiting and waiting for this moment... After eight months, Ethan's finally home!!

 [Thanks to Stef and Tammy Rodgers for the Instagram pics!]

Painting progress!

Little by little these last couple of weeks we've been painting [and repainting] some of our doors and ceilings...you know, trying to bid Winter adieu and welcome Spring by freshening up some of the rooms in our house. :) While I was away at work one morning this last week, Spencer decided that he wanted to try his hand at painting in the entry-room too and here was the result... [I'm not sure why there aren't any pictures of the baby, he was quickly relegated to the bathtub and his clothes were thrown away. He was pretty much covered!] Surprisingly, it cleaned up so well that, minus an empty paint can, you can't even tell any paint had been spilled on the floor at all! :)

We thought these pictures were ever so much more interesting than any real painting progress pictures we could have posted. :)

Love of every love the best!

"O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!"
|| S. Trevor Francis

 

A small glimpse of Valentine's day at the Nelsons...filled with family, and special food, and playing in the snow, and bright colors, and fun crafts, and candy [of course!], and sweet gestures of love. Because that's what this day is all about...celebrating love, with the things we love. :) Especially the love of Jesus...the greatest of all!

"How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure!

That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure..."

|| S. Townsend

Happy birthday Josh!

In the last seven years we've added twelve birthdays to our yearly family celebrations, bringing it to a total of twenty birthdays in a year... No matter the age, it's a tradition to light the candles on the birthday cake, turn off the lights, sing "happy birthday," make a wish, and blow the candles out. :)

Yesterday we celebrated Josh's birthday...Josh has been a tremendous example to our family over the years of servant leadership, humility, determination, sincerity, and amazing creativity! The first thing I remember ever noticing about Josh was that he was incredibly witty. :) He's also the hardest worker that I know of, and being a farmer all of his life, I've yet to see anyone beat him at arm wrestling! ;) We're so grateful to have him be a part of our family!

Our many crafts | knotted headband

This isn't meant to be a complete tutorial by any means, but here's a project that mom came up with and crafted this afternoon...a knotted, crocheted headband! It took only a couple of hours to make ten headbands [we have a lot of girls in the family... :) ], and while mom crocheted, I sewed the ribbon on! So simple. :)

Selecting which colors of yarn to use...

Crocheting the looooong chains...and trimming the ribbon to size.

The crocheted chains are carefully knotted...then the ends are sewn together and trimmed.

The ribbons are sewn on to the ends of the headband....and viola! Ready to wear!

Here's a similar, much more detailed tutorial, with the use of a hot glue gun instead of a sewing machine...

Make us like the loving Jesus...

"Spirit of Love, make me like the loving Jesus...

that I may shine before men to thy glory.

Let me see thy love everywhere,

not only in the cross,

but in the fellowship of believers

and in the world around me...

Unsought, thou hast given me

the greatest gift, the person of the Son,

and in him thou wilt give me all I need.

Grant me grace...to rest in thee

who art all love." || The Valley of Vision

Yesterday we celebrated at the wedding of a dear friend...Josh's younger sister Kate. Our family played many roles in the wedding, from decorating and styling hair to doing farm chores and second-shooting the wedding! It was a crazy day for us. :) But we love weddings, especially ones that are pure, Christ-glorifying, and involve so many of our dear friends! There's nothing more beautiful to us than to witness a new covenant of marriage that is a clear testimony of the love of Jesus for His bride...

[We'll post a few pictures of Kate and Jeff when Skyler finishes editing the 1400+ photos. :) ]

And look, a family picture! ;)

Eva Charis, you are so very pretty...and growing so quickly!

Josh and Suzi and family!

"Today they come to unite their hearts as one in Jesus’ name

They’ll give their hearts, their lives, their love; a ring to seal the same

What once was two shall become one that the world might see again

A testimony of the love of Christ between a woman and a man

Now they’re rejoicing in His love as it flows from God above

The one for whom they’ve prayed and dreamed is here for them to love

They know now who God’s given to them that they might understand

The love of Christ for His own bride, they’re rejoicing in God’s plan."

Norm Wakefield || Rejoicing in His Love

Silas | black & white and pretty sunsets...

Oh, Silas. You make funny faces... and you're just too cute with your front teeth missing. :)