Weeds

No one told me that when I was born to my mother that an inclination to gardening was craftily placed in the strains of my DNA. My mom is a gardener, her mother's a gardener and I'm pretty sure her mother's mother was a gardener as well. Our home's landscaping is a work in progress. We moved in around the beginning of October - not really a great time to overhaul the flowerbeds - especially when we had NO money.

So, today I set out determined to conquer the unruly crepe myrtles and prickly dandelions. Did you know that you're really not supposed to hack the tops off crepe myrtles like all the landscapers do in the fancy schmancy subdivisions? Hmm. They need to read their monthly Southern Living. Guess who did?

Bingo :)

Gardening is a great time for musings. While patiently burrowing my gloved fingers around each weed and triumphantly pulling roots and all out, I was reminded of a beautiful word spoken into my life.

There was a man who desired to plant a magnificent flower garden in the middle of a weed-ridden field. It just so happened that he chose a parcel of land currently owned by you. He makes an irresistible offer to buy the land.

You accept.

Then you realize there's nothing that has ever grown on that land but weeds.

You panic.

The buyer is seeking to grow something utterly impossible in the land's present state. You've got to do something. You try a few methods. You first try to simply mow over the weeds. But, alas, they return with a good rain. Then you try to cover them. You purchase several bags of the finest topsoil to dress it up. Still, the weeds push through, tainting the elegant topsoil. Finally, you get down on your hands and knees and pull the weeds until your fingertips are rough with dirt, your knuckles white with work, your skin cracked and dry. You wipe your brow with the back of your tired hand. Your heart is downcast.

There are just so many weeds. How will they ever be removed? I'm not strong enough to do this on my own.

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you for My power is perfected in weakness.'"


"And the harder I try
The more clearly can I
See the depths of our fall
And the weight of it all
But this might could be
The most impossible thing
Your grandness in me
Making me clean
Glory, glory
Hallelujah..."

Like Grass

It's amazing how quickly each year passes. Before I know it, I'll blink and my children will be all grown up. For now, I'm trying to enjoy one day at a time - even if that day is filled with poopy diapers and sassy 'tudes. Here are some pictures from roughly a year ago.


Yes, that's Reid. BB. Before Blond.


Audrey - ever the entertainer


More recently.

Great Sermon

While my husband is, I believe, one of the greatest preachers ever :) There are some that I listen to occasionally that aren't so bad (ha!). John Piper is one of them. This is a great sermon on seeing worship through song as spiritual warfare....something that I am passionate about!

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1985/474_Ambushing_Satan_with_Song/

For some reason (it might be because of Safari) I can't do that cool link connected to the word like saying THIS article and clicking on this and it takes you straight there and you don't have to endure the ugliness of http....../////..... *sigh* I'm new to this, alright!

Enjoy!

Onions, Plums and Patience

Ah...the days when I could leisurely peruse the produce-laden aisles of the neighborhood market. Oh, to gingerly finger the bags of pasta, spending minute upon minute contemplating whole wheat or regular. To shiver as I stroll through the towers of freezers that flirtatiously offer a peek of the sweets and creamy desserts behind its doors.

But not this time.

THIS time, I am the picture of frazzled momma. No more leisurely perusing, only frantically fumbling through each aisle trying to keep Audrey and Reid from taking a bite out of the onions and plums perfectly piled in a produce pyramid! Thankfully, by the end of our jaunt, almost every plum and onion was safely tucked into its home. And yes, I said ALMOST. One breakdown and an incident with an exploding bottle of body wash later, we were all buckled into our seats headed home.

Scripture says that God's "invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. (Rom. 1:20)" Thus, I can be sure that since I have been made, my children have been made and every single piece of produce in the neighborhood market has been made, today I have seen God's invisible attributes in an excursion to the grocery store. I have seen that though my patience is ever thinning and often bursting in my face, His is continuous and reliable. When I'm running around the store in my heart, crashing into displays of His provision and goodness, He coerces me back to the cart to walk alongside Him. Sometimes, He even lets me get hurt. He lets me get lost. He lets me chase after the dream that darts around each corner just inches out of reach. For it is then that I see that with Him I am healed, with Him I am found and with Him my dreams are His.

A Walk in the Park

Today was a gorgeous day. A true gem in the midst of a usually gloomy February. So what did the Chandler clan do? We (at least three of us and Aunt Heather & Katie) took a walk in the park. Whoever coined that phrase suggesting a walk in the park is a simple thing to do, obviously didn't walk in it with children under the age of 4! Though we had a fabulous time, it was not a simple thing to keep Reid from eating the pebbles on the playground, nor to keep Audrey from swimming with the ducks! The delicious joys of being a child...


Our perfect picnic spot!


So sweet :)


Audrey on the slide.


Katie on the slide.


Reid taking a breather.




Katie


Audrey, Katie and the ducks (in the distance).

Dah...dahdah...Dah.........

AUDREY IS OFFICIALLY FOUR YEARS OLD!!!!

At 1:17 p.m. on February 6, 2003, Audrey Chandler entered the world with wide-eyed wonder. She has since kept that magical mindset for the past four years. She is ever graceful, ever thoughtful, ever kind and ever giving her parents something to smile about. She is clothed with her dad's good looks and his uncanny sense of humor and quick wit. Her imagination and palate for all things girl are from mom. She is an absolute joy and evidence of God's grace towards us. We love you, Audrey!

Yesterday evening we celebrated (again) the day of Audrey's birth with her 3 - 5 year old friends. They had a blast. Here's a peek into the fun...


Her sweet friends


The glorious Barbie cake

Audrey's Family Birthday Party

Tonight we celebrated Audrey's fourth birthday with our family (and extended family, i.e. the Bleeckers & Pattersons). Nana, PawPaw, Aunt Heather, Uncle Rich, Katie, Reid, Mommy and Daddy...we missed having Mimi and Papi (due to a stomach bug that we were glad they kept at home..but we love you!!), Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Tiffany (they live in New Braunfels) and Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Sherman, Brian, Lizzie, Ethan and Adam (they live in Rice).

Here are a few shots of the very festive night...


Thanks for the cute suit, Faith, Michael and Evan!!


Two cuties!! Audrey and cousin Katie (so glad you're home for a while!)


Birthday girl, Mom and our unfinished fireplace...


Sweet Miss Lily Pat


Make a wish!

The Reidster

I just realized that I have a disproportionate number of "Audrey posts" versus "Reid posts." So I've sought to remedy that today...instead of cleaning and straightening up the house for the guests I'm having over for Audrey's family birthday party at 6 tonight...*sigh*

Reid Walker Chandler, whom we affectionately call Reider Rooter (have no idea how that started), has been an absolute joy and an absolute foil to Audrey. He is all boy, she, all girl. Reid loves:

trucks (and making a "vroom" sound as he violently races them on any flat surface)
loud noises (my dad is an incredible handyman and remodeler; he used the saw in front of Reid and it was love at first sight)
banging objects together
destroying everything in sight (including Audrey's Ariel Banity...see previous post).
throwing his food off the high chair (it's amazing the distance hot dog slices can get...chicken nuggets?? even further)
hamming it up for the camera
pulling cords out of the sockets
opening drawers and cabinets
removing his socks at lightening speed

I love that he's all boy. It makes me appreciate the Lord's creativity...to make each of us uniquely in His image.





Playing with his truck - thanks Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Tiffany!! I love you!