Category Archives: 2 Mi Familia

All things family-related. My husband and me, the children we made, the grandbebes that thrill us now. Our whole great big, loud, messy family. Love! *sigh…

Happy Birthday, DP!

June 17, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 6 Looking Back // Memories!, Stuff I Actually ThinkJeanie

Dave Powers turns 28!

Happy Birthday (yesterday), Dave (we sometimes refer to him as DP since he has the same name as my husband…well, actually lots of people do, sooo maybe that wasn’t the reason. I do know it goes like this: DP + TP = HP Figure it out!)!

I do not take lightly the “coincidence” of Dave’s birth happening (though I wouldn’t meet him until 21 years later) on one of the happiest days of my life. Without a doubt, the day my husband asked me to be his wife and across the country and Dave was being born into the Powers family was one of significance. I tell Tara that she and I were both getting our Prince Charmings on the same day. We just didn’t know.

Fast forward to 2002. It was May. I went to a Worship Together conference with Mike Pilavachi, Tim Hughes, Chris Tomlin (?), Rita Springer and others. The worship was awesome. I’d had a long day at work and the night was so refreshing. Afterwards as I purchased some music books and CDs, I was talking to Rocky. The room was jam-packed with people. It was loud. I leaned in to tell Rocky how bowled over I was by Rita when suddenly, this guy manning the tables says something like, “Wasn’t she awesome?” It was kind of like in the movies. You’re being jostled by hundreds of people, the noise level was so high you can barely hear yourself think and then some guy talks to you and it is as if there is no noise. I could hear him perfectly, even across the merch table, and I heard nothing else. Think Twilight Zone music here. It was Dave.

Rocky already knew Dave and loved him. He introduced us. Is it OK to admit that I immediately hoped he would meet, fall madly in love with, and marry my daughter, Tara? Because that is what I was thinking! If you have ever met Dave you know this, but the guy is a connector. You don’t just meet Dave, you enter relationship with him. When he asks, “How are you?,” he is really asking you to tell him the details because he actually cares about how you are doing. Later in the summer he started hanging around us and we fell head over heels in love with him! I couldn’t believe that I could like another person my kids’ ages like I liked him. He just jumped into our lives and pried open our jaded, closed up hearts. Dave was the start of lots of good things in our family’s life, and we’d had a crap-load of not good stuff. So we regard him very highly!

It was months before DP and Tara met, but the cool thing? He didn’t even know she was part of our family when it happened. So, I did not corral him in…he fell in! *smile…

Dave, I love you for being such an honoring and loving son. I applaud you for hanging in there with us. I praise God for placing you in our path. I hope in the end it will be true that we will have been as much of a blessing to you as you have been to us. We are honored to walk through this life as family with you. Your parents did so well in raising you. And you have done so well in receiving the guidance and direction of the Lord in your life.

There is so much I love about you. Can I tell you a few things?

Twenty-eight things I love about DP on the occasion of his 28th Birthday

Well, Thank-You, Jesus (!) for how much this boy loves my daughter! You turned the light on in her, Dave. You bring out good things, but even more of a blessing is just that you recognize, respect and pull out the residing goodness and gifting in her. Thank-you for the way you treat Tara, both publicly and privately. Thank-you for helping save her. Whew! I am so blessed that my daughter married so well.
You are a great father to Hunter. A true daddy…
You have one of the greatest voices I have ever heard! I love to hear you sing and by the way, I am not hearing nearly enough of that these days with your travel schedule…so let’s get that CD done!
The way you travel and go and do ministry with no financial requirement, but just to be a blessing. Your trust in the Father for provision is exemplary. Your laid-back travel habits also such a good-example for my choleric, perfectionistic tendencies!
Your worship. Your ministry to the Lord felt so immediately comfortable and familiar to me when you came along. It is so easy to enter in to the Presence the minute you begin to sing.
The way you can cast vision. I could listen to you tell the miraculous stories of God’s provision and move all day long (and nearly have at times…*smile). You are a Holy Spirit-gifted communicator, for sure. When I read about the Old Testament guys who were able to get the entire nation of Israel to follow God through hard times, I truly believe you could do that with God’s people now, and I mean an entire nation. It could happen…
I love that you let me work with you. It has changed my life. These are my best days.
You’re a good brother. The baby of your family, you had to step up to being a big brother when you married in to this one and you have done it well. You are watchful and protective, loving and honest, prayerful and supportive.
You’re a good son. You are so honoring to your parents. You can be sure you’ll live long on the earth and it will go well with you. It already is!
Your humor. It is twisted. But you make me laugh.
Your work ethic – very good. Just be careful here. You have nothing to prove. You work hard, so remember to “Sabbath hard”, too!
Your generosity – it’s amazing. I realize what a tightwad I am every time I am around you.
Your patience with difficult people (including, but not limited to your mother-in-law…and btw-thanks for never calling me that, but always calling me “mom”) is, well, a good thing.
Your ability to receive mentoring and advice from people further along in their life and faith will serve you well all your days.
But not just your ability to receive – the fact that you actively seek counsel and look for people to pour into you – and then you actually heed their words – this is wisdom. You are walking in wisdom.
Your commitment to seeing the call of God in people, really seeing them – oh, what a blessing. Do you know?
Your commitment to hearing the voice of God. Thank-you for the days you sanctify to go up the mountain and seek Him. We all benefit from the radiance on your face.
You live to forgive. Thanks for refusing to harbor offense.
You are a door opener. Lots of people are walking in their sweet spot because you took the time to open the door for them (DP, the Apostle).
Your strength-inner, physical and especially spiritual. You are a strong man.
I love that you and Tara got to talk to Martin Smith (Delirious) at Ichthus! He gave you good advice, kiddo! You are so cool!
Your prayer. You know how to pray. I am thankful to benefit from that.
I love that you, who has the ear of important people and have been given meetings with great men, stay so humble. Humility is the protection around your heart. I keep seeing you press in to go low and watching the Lord place you in cool places. You are a humble man.
O my goodness! You can play the guitar, kid. Yowzers!
You have such an adventurous spirit. Are you as fear-free as you seem? May it ever, ever, ever be so.
Your zeal for Chipotle burritos and sushi convert everybody. I especially am glad to go to Chipotle with you as I always get a burrito twice the normal size when I am with the Chipotle-Ambassador himself! Good times!!
I love, love, love getting to know you, work with you, be in the same family with you, do ministry with you, and just in general be around you. I feel so lucky, so blessed!
And Dave? I love your heart. No matter what, I will always believe in your heart. And trust it.

I love you, kiddo. I celebrate the day God placed you on this earth and all your days!…mom

pictured: TOP ROW~DP with his little counterpart, Hunter; SECOND ROW~DP with dad and Tris at bowling a few weeks ago, DP making a strike; THIRD ROW~DP and Tara at Ichthus last week; FOURTH ROW~DP front and center on the bottom row at the recent HF leadership meeting (Dave is the founder and president of Worship and the Word Movement, the ministry tnhat puts HF on)…do you see me? I am the oldest one in the picture!!…

Happy Birthday, Tredessa

June 15, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, Stuff I Actually Thinkbirthday, ichtus, tredessa's birthdayJeanie

Tredessa turned 26!

We were in Wilmore, Kentucky for the Ichthus Festival on Saturday, on Dessa’s birthday, gathering information and learning from people who have managed to keep a festival going for 40 years now. I got to watch watch Tredessa in action interviewing people much older and I was so impressed at her ease and ability to draw the most important information from them. She is soft-spoken and gentle, easy to talk to (and talk, they did), but she has the ability to harness millions of bits of data, opinion, strategy (both good and bad, both successful and disastrous) and infuse it into a leadership team of nearly 100 people who will make Heaven Fest all God has ordained it to be.

I stood back and watched. I listened. I thought, “Wow! She is good.”

Then I remembered. She’s my girl. She’s my beautiful baby. She’s my little Dessy-Pooh-Pie. She is 26. And I know her to be a caring person, a life-giving, true friend/sister/daughter to her family and influential auntie to the grand-bebes, a true comrade-of-the-heart to those who take the time to know her, and a young woman wholly devoted to the Lord.

Tre was a gift to us.

Tredessa was born on a beautiful day in Kokomo, Indiana. The timing of her arrival was planned only by God and how good He was to give us this amazing daughter. She was born exactly 1 year and 3 weeks after her sister, Stephanie, making her the 3rd girl in a row. I remember getting into the car to go to the hospital and the smell of lilacs (it seems it would have been late for that, but I recall it, nonetheless). I remember a hot sun and a cool breeze, the shrubs all fluttering lightly and knowing I’d soon have another baby. Somehow the day seemed blessed. Somehow it seemed the birds were singing in celebration and God had particularly delighted in creating a wondrous day.

I took her home in a yellow outfit and sunbonnet and few days later, symbolizing the dazzling brightness and joy of her arrival. And the summer of Tredessa (1983) was a blessed one. It was daddy and mommy and our three adorable little girls, Tara, Stephanie and Tredessa and life was just so, so, so good: lots of hair and barrettes and blow-up swimming pools and bbq–ing and church life and friends and Martha Miniature dresses and hot and humid Indiana. She was sweet and easy. I recall sweet and easy days of love.

26 wishes for Tredessa on the occasion of her 26th birthday

Tredessa, I love you and bless and wish so many good things for you. Can I tell you a few?

I wish for all of your days to have the sense of blessing on them in your life that the day of your birth and all the days I have known you since have had.
I wish for God to show you the next step…just the one, so you’ll know without a doubt you are dwelling directly in the place He has prepared.
I am wishing thousands of hugs and kisses for you from the children you’ll have someday (with the most amazing man you’ll marry someday), the fruit of all the seeds of love you have planted in your nieces and nephews.
As a matter of fact, I pray your siblings will be as great at loving and watching over your kids as you have been with theirs. You have an unusual and very intentional connection to all those little boogers.
I pray that one day you will hear the reports and know the impact you made on the Venezuelan orphans in spite of the government overtake. Those kids will grow up. They will look for their (spiritual) Mama Tredessa.
I pray that you will cause thousands of people to know God’s love and understand His work in their lives they way you do. The way you go after God makes people hungry to know Him that way.
I wish for your joy to be full, full, full.
I am praying peace for you in these days of transition.
All your dreams can come true, it can happen for you, if you’re young at heart…and it doesn’t hurt that you are, in fact, actually young!
I hope you wear lots of dresses this year because you are so cute in them.
Like Elinor Dashwood of Sense and Sensibility, you are practical, circumspect and discreet. You are tremendously sensible and use your head in every situation, but there is that deeply emotional side. There is that part of you that sometimes scares you and very few people know it exists. I pray a whole bunch of people will take the initiative to find that side and drag your vulnerability out of you. *smile…be brave…
I wish you “rest for your soul.” Because that is what Jesus wants for you, too. (Remember telling me that??)
I am wishing with all my might you will hear the secrets of the Lord as you fear Him and give Him your reverent awe.
Do you know you garner trust from people young and old? May it always be so.
I hope you’ll always know how you bless me. A few years ago, after you’d had a consultation with some one who thought they were dealing with a novice, as she searched for ways to express what a “surprise” you’d been, how efficient and advanced for your years you were, she said to me, “Well, Tredessa is an extraordinary young woman. She told me she is gifted just like you.” And, wow, I was taken aback and swelled with pride. I was honored that you’d tell some one something like that. Honey? You’re waaaaaay more amazing!
I pray for the Lord to be your strong tower. You have a strength, an inner resolve, but babycake, you will never be so strong you don’t have to lean on Jesus! I know you know that, but this is a reminder.
I am praying for clear guidance and direction from the One who said He’d lead you and guide you. He will.
I hope you’ll let the doors that must close, close. And look back with gratefulness and humility.
Be brave as you walk through new doors.
Fall in love, if you have time.
Flirt a lot first. Come on-you can do it.
I wish for you to accept the fact that you are a spiritual brickhouse! Seriously! Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power and don’t worry about it! Never apologize for that!
I wish a great summer for you.
I am praying Heaven Fest will bless you back!
I wish thousands more songs for you. Sing your soul out, Tre Tre. Play your funky music! (Have mercy on me, sometimes, though).
And baby? Live with abandon! Really, really live with abandon! It’s your time! It is!

Happy Birthday a smidgen late, my beloved daughter…mom

pictured: TOP ROW~Tre with the man she “found” on her birthday at Ichthus…on the Techno stage; SECOND ROW~The “Dessa’s ladies” collage from her b-day celebration; THIRD ROW~Tre with Tara and Hunter and me at Ichthus this past week; FOURTH ROW~Tredessa with her sometimes archnemesis/sometimes best buddy, Luke; Tre with niece Averi-the-little-lady.

Not in Minnesota anymore…

June 9, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Thinkbirthday party, family celebrations, the bierers, travelling, tredessa, tredessa's birthday, vacationJeanie

Tredessa took a vacation.

We were all surprised and happy because, to put it mildly-she is a bit of an over-worker-super-achiever at times. But she is choosing to let God do a new thing in her life and it is good.

IKEA virgin no more.

So- a week in Minnesota with good, lifelong friends (The Bierers – people we adore!!) included lounging by the pool and shopping (she has heretofore been a somewhat militant non-shopper) at The Mall of America. She is no longer an IKEA virgin! Quite the vacation for Tre-Tre!

Tredessa comes back in spite of a tornado.

7 days later it was time to come home. Her plane was due to land at DIA at the exact same time a tornado was barreling through. They put them in a holding pattern for so long their fuel got low. They ended up landing at Colorado Springs to re-fuel and wait in line to be able to get back to DIA.

She finally got back – just in the nick-of-time for a family dinner to celebrate her life (as she will be out of town again on her actual birthday this weekend).

We got together. There were hugs and kisses and flowers and presents. There was laughter and a few tears of love. There were 5 energetic grandkids (who played dress-up all night) and grilled chicken. We ate corn on the cob and strawberry cheesecake. Edward was invited to be adored. A hot competitve Twilight game was played way into the night. It was the fam and a few friends.

Stef and Wrex, who had been out of town, rushed back to “crash the party” for Tredessa. They wore orange so well. That is one of the reasons we love them so. We did a mini-birthday-celebration for Wrex, too.

Tredessa in Transition

Besides her birthday, Tredessa is in transition in her life right now. There are lots of things changing and things she just doesn’t know some details of her future right now. But I hope she knows, at the very least, how much we all cherish her (especially becuase of that awesome poem I wrote for her)!

Welcome home, TreTre. Love ya!…mom

Early Bird

June 6, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Thinkbusy day, gardening, tredessaJeanie

You know it is going to be an exquisite day, a day of sunshine and fruitfulness when the birds wake you up at half past four in the morning, already in full song, trumpeting God’s greatness.

I have finished planting the straw bales (3 are dedicated to zucchini and summer squash; one has a paste tomato and a tomatillo; one is the holder of the watermelon seeds – getting a late start, but they are on the south side of the house, so hopefully the bale and the sun will help me out. And the final two hold 4 unique and beautiful tomatoe plants. I sunk them in on Monday and I have never seen such happy tomatoes. Truly. They are just plum delighted.) Even the seeds I plopped in 6 days ago are sprouting very happily.
Dave is filling the pool.
I have completed almost all of my potted plants (still have a few things to buy).
I have planted more radishes and lettuce and peppers and beets (beets because of Dwight on The Office – more of a joke…hopefully we’ll actually find something good to do with them).
I painted numbers 1-5 in white on the little black grand-bebe breakfast bar stools. So cute.
I painted my cherry end table black (which I have wanted to do forever!).
I had lunch in the cool breezy shade with my amazing husband (who is tanning up nicely).
I sewed four new cushion covers for the patio chairs.
I got sidetracked a lot. And watched part of a crime show.
I helped Dave a little with the swingset/play thing he is building the grand-bebes.
Now I am off to birthday and celebration meal shop for Tredessa, who arrives home from vacation tomorrow.

Oh, that all days were as abundant…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Hang the “Our Father” prints, sew more cushion covers – tonight…??

Pretty good day so far…Jeanie

Rhoades2 “The Rockvans”

June 4, 20092 Mi Familia, Stuff I Actually Thinkaveri, ellie pickett, family pjotos, jovan, kaela green, rockyJeanie

I am not sure if there is a baby in the world who has ever been photographed as much as Averi (except maybe Jon and Kate’s 8)? Those cherub-cheeks just beg to be captured and her mommy loves to take pictures. Apparently everyone does.

Platte Valley Medical Center knows a good looking family when they see it.

When Averi was born, the hospital staff arranged for a photo shoot of her with her mommy and daddy. They have poster-sized black and whites of them in the hallways near and in the birthing wing there to this day. They have also used the photos in the hospital’s community magazine, mailed to every household around. This made Dave-the-Grandpa somewhat famous when he taught a computer class at the hospital a couple of weeks ago. Everyone said, “Wow! Those were your kids? Your son looks just like you!”

Kaela Green.

When Averi turned one, Kaela Green offered to do a photo shoot at their home and got some cute shots of Rocky, Jovan and Averi. Kaela, say my sources, is a mommy to young sons and a budding photographer. She has a very tectural style (that is not technical terminology – I don’t actually talk in photog, but I just noticed the very interesting color and tactile-ness of the pics). Very rich. There was a slideshow of the whole thing on Flickr which looks like it isn’t there anymore, but I just learned Kaela has a website, so maybe you can see Averi and the parents there, too. http://kaelagreenphotography.blogspot.com/. By Kaela:

kg33 kg15

kg91 kg281

Ellie Pickett.

Then just the other day, Ellie Pickett, who was having them over for dinner, asked if they’d come a half hour early so she could “practice” taking some pictures. Jovan was worried because she’d been garage-saling all day, but she still looks fabulous.

Ellie is a designer, musician, and artiste in almost every sense of the word. I think these photographs are aewsome! Ellie is running the art gallery for Heaven Fest. She has her card/announcement design biz (http://thephotocardchef.com/) and, I just found out, a photography site (http://lilacphotography.com/).

House of Photos.

When Rocky and Jovan buy a house, they are going to need some major sky-high walls to hold all the photos of themselves – just the really super fantastic ones, I mean. And there are a lot of them!

I think they are beautiful – the whole little family.

I am the momma/nonna, what can I say?…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: How to choose the best of the prints for the hallway gallery?…Determine – soon.

Happy 6th Birthday, Gavin!

June 2, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Thinkgardeing, gavin, grandparenting, grandsonJeanie

Today is Gavin’s birthday ~ what a day to celebrate!

Six years? How is that possible? That is when I first became a grandparent. Time flies and the days get richer!

Gavin-the-Gardener

Gavin wanted garden plants for his birthday. His mom specified that they should come in a pot that he could tend to himself (as I did not raise a gardener in Steph…yet). Well, how could I refuse that? Gav is my garden helper. He plants and waters and listens to everything I tell him about growing things. Flowers are OK to him, but veggies (especially tomatoes!) are better: truly a man after my own heart.

So, last week on a beautiful, sunny day, we took Gavin to my favorite garden center just outside town (Horiuchi Brothers Nursery – great stuff and generous-they always give me free stuff!). Gavin was so excited as we were turning into their drive. He told us, “My mom and dad never take me to the garden center. I always want to go here, but they say, “No – let’s just go to church.'” Hahhahahhha!

I hope he is not somehow equating a passionate indulgence in gardening as a sin or some opposition to good church-going folk??

Anyhow-he’d have turned his entire backyard into the garden of Eden if I hadn’t made him choose just a few favorites!I ended up with a bunch of specialty pepper plants in my own 4 x 4 because he just had to grow them!

Oh the miles of smiles you’ve brought me, Gavin! You are my heart’s joy and delight! You opened the door that turned me into a Nonna! You are exuberance and curiosity. You are a good-finder and glee. Your love and zeal for all things family and gardening and learning at school and Wii and Xbox and cartoons (especially Spongebob) and your sisters and cousins and building and running and jumping and playing? Inspires me! I want to enjoy life like you do!

You’re 6 now, Gavin! Happy Birthday!…Love, Nonna

pictured: Gavin with his 2 birthday pots; a pot of flowers for the front porch (marigolds, purple petunias, purple salvia and white wave petunias which will soon cascade down the side of the black Malaysian pot; a grape tomato plant for the patio with a couple of marigolds to keep it company.

May Days

May 26, 20091 Christ is All, 2 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually ThinkJeanie

Celebrate good times, come on!

Warning: loooooooong post :} But it’s only the second half of the month-I promise!

Family Dinner on a Monday night~

For Steph’s birthday we just sorta decided to “take over” this itty-bitty family-owned hole-in-the-wall spot in Brighton: Marisco’s Mazatlan. Steph simply adores their chicken fajitas so we warned them and we showed up…bunches and bunches of us, using about 89% of their total table space.

It was THE hottest day of the year so far and their air conditioning, combined with a zillion skillets of steaming fajitas, plates of chimis and enchiladas and mounds of steamy beans and rice couldn’t quite keep up with all of us.

Then it was back to the house for strawberry shortcake and presents and stories and letters about and to Stephanie. The predominant theme seemd to be tied to the meaning of her name: a crown or garland, a festooning. So we celebrated the woman she is and we festooned her with praises (Yes, we had just had strawberry shortcake for Tara’s birthday, but once is never enough!)

Celebrating Stephanie was such an honor. She really is, without at all being a soccer-mom-typical-suburbia-type-woman, a virtuous woman/wife/mommy in the Proverbs 31 sense. She is anything but cliche, but she is a woman to be praised. I love and admire her with all my heart. She is the family festooning! Good times.

Zoo Day and Farewell to Kindergarten~

Gavin and his whole class got to ride the big yellow school bus to the zoo for an end-of-the-school-year celebration. Riding a big yellow bus was one of the main reasons Gavin wanted to go to school in the first place. Imagine his surprise at the bait-and-switch when we loaded him up with school supplies and then – he had to ride in the car. Bummer.

zoo4 zoo5

But for his patience, he was rewarded when they went to the Denver Zoo. He was assigned a group with his 3 best friends and their mommies chaperoned. The mommies beamed, I hear, when told they had the “rowdy bunch.” I am so glad they can appreciate youthful joy and delight – even if it does get a little loud and crazy, at times. Steph said the boys shared their lunches and watched out for each other, holding hands when the crowd was thick.

zoo6 zoo7

Who knew you could have such true friends in Kindergarten?? Gavin will be attending a school closer to his house than mine next year, but I hope he will always remember the great friends and the running and jumping playtime they have enjoyed together. Good times.

Estes Park for writers

Dave and I got to go spend some time in Estes Park where Christian writers annually gather for inspiration and opportunity. I just go for the scenery and the food. Even though we’re only an hour from home, being in the mountains is an important hour!

It is refreshing and simple and lovely. I get to meet all sorts of interesting people and be with Dave, besides all that (he is pictured here with critters and with Robert Liparulo). Lots of walking (all uphill), holding hands and talking dreams like you can only do when you’re “away.” Good times.

Hang-out Time with Hunter

This is an amazing kid. When his mommy and daddy travel for ministry, they try to take him along. He is a globetrottter! But sometimes he has to stay – like the days DP and Tara went in to Mexico to do ministry this month. And I cherish the moments I get to be with him. Hunter told Stormie “I love school with Nonna because it’s all about letters and grass. And I love those things.” These are good times.

Memorial Day and a red-headed boy and a red-headed girl on another Monday~

Gemma turned 2 on May 23rd. Gavin will be 6 on June 2. With traveling schedules and all that summer brings, we decided to celebrate them on Memorial Day Monday, early in the day.

I wanted to do a 7-tier Fancy-Nancy cake full of boas and streamers and bejeweled to the hilt for Gemma, but her mommy said, “Let’s go simple…maybe do a ‘Gemma-face’.” So for her I just did an oreo-cookie, strawberry and real whipped cream ice cream cake. I tried to replicate Gemma’s very zealous full-face-and-eyes-all-squinchy smile, as that is the one she flashes at any hint of fun. I don’t think her exuberance can actually be captured in ice cream, but there it was, nonetheless. My attempt.

Gavin has asked for a Batman cake pretty much once a week ever since his Transformer party last year. I think he may have been thinking that I’d do some full-fledged, standing-upright-cape-blowing-in-the-breeze Batman like the Optimus Prime from last year (read more about that scary experience here). But with 2 cakes on one day, again with the simple. I just cut a man with bat ears out of a chocolate half sheet and covered it in fondant. Black fondant. A great icing for the grandsons. They relished baring their black teeth and tongue after the eating. Good times.

Friends and family far and wide

May is one of those months. Anniversaries and weddings, graduations and school year’s ending. Everytime I turn around, there seems something to celebrate, to rejoice in, to recount the faithfulness of God and His favor on lives. So happy dancing-and-joy to all celebrants! Congratulations and best wishes for you! Despite the economy and bad news we get bombarded with, these are, indeed, good times.

“You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.” Psalm 65.11 NKJV

God is great, God is good…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Develop a much, much, much more grateful heart and awareness of the abiding love of God in my life. My times are His hands…

Happy Birthday, Gemma May!

May 23, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, Stuff I Actually Thinkbirthday, gemmaJeanie

Gem Gem is two. She is veeeeery good at it!

I have a glimpse of who Gemma is becoming everytime I see a Fancy Nancy book or outfit: naturally curly red hair, sparkly and feathery and delightful! She ornery and sweet, sneaky and a little lamb. She holds her own, takes dominion over Sandy-the-dog and tells us, when she wants to be held, “I scared.” She is the baby of her family in all the glory that place brings.

My favorite of our current conversations:

Me: I love you, Gemma

Gemma: I love you Nonna

Me: I love you more

Gemma: I love you more

Which she will keep up as long as I do. Very affirming! She is two and I cannot remember life before Gemma!

Happy Birthday, Gem-Gem-jor-eeee! Nonna loves you!

pictured: Gemma in April at Stormie’s Twilight party – eating the apple prop; Gemma with her Aunt Tara last week at Mazatlan. Gemma on Mother’s Day, seated on her/my new black breakfast bar stool.

Happy Birthday, Stephanie

May 21, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, Stuff I Actually Thinkbirthday wishes, easter, gavin, gemma, guini, stephanie kelley, stephanie's birthday, the kelley familyJeanie

Happy 27th Birthday, Stephanie May – as in May-Day-baskets-of-lilacs-and-tulips-and-dancing-around-with-streamers-in-celebration-and-rejoicing!

(picture taken by Tredessa at church on Easter Sunday…Guini-almost 4, Gavin almost-6, Gemma-almost 2, parents-still twenty-somethings)

A full 5-weeks early in your arrival, who could have known, as they pronounced a mere 30% chance of survival on you and your severely underdeveloped lungs – that you’d be home in 12 days? That you’d defy the odds and in answer to our heart’s cries and the mercy of the Lord, you’d breathe in and out until you were whole?

We named you for one of my Biblical heroes (Stephen – a man of wisdom and grace, full of the Holy Spirit) and because three of our favorite TV actresses back in the day had the name (Stepfanie Kramer aka Detective Sgt. Dee Dee McCall in “Hunter”; Stefanie Powers aka Jennifer Hart on “Hart to Hart”; Stephanie Zimbalist aka Laura Holt in “Remington Steele”). I am sure I read in the baby name book at the time that your name meant “crown, or garland, festooning” yet I couldn’t have comprehended then how true that would be about you. We added “May” in the middle in celebration of the beautiful spring month in which you were born. You were our tiniest baby with a big, long name.

Then you grew. And you were funny and a singer and had a helpful heart. And you developed a very unique sense of style and you played basketball and now guitar and you worship and you married Tristan and produced these 3 adorable kids. And you amaze me constantly. I did not know what an incredible wife and mommy you’d be. I didn’t know how much I’d learn from you about following Christ and serving my family. You are the Proverbs 31 woman, Stephanie! In every way – you are!

“Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all…The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!” Proverbs 31, The Message

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Twenty-seven wishes for Stephanie on her 27th Birthday~

I wish for you to be rewarded for the wonderful and wife and mommy you are – to receive the fruit of the seeds you have planted into your family’s lives.
I want you to get the needed time to develop your May-Dae biz with Stormie.
May the creativity flow in full force for all you put your hand to as you remain o-so-close to the Creative One.
I wish and pray for the smile of the Lord to be on your life.
I am asking the Lord to make you aware of how He sings and delights and dances over you, crowning you with His goodness.
I pray those 3 children will receive everything you have to place in their hearts as their mommy.
I pray Tristan will always be blessed by you, always ravished by your beauty, both inside and out. And may the wild romance blossom profusely and continuously.
May the song of the Lord pour from your heart and mouth and please Him.
May the Holy Spirit instruct you in the song of the Lord (1 Chronicles 25.7) and may you become a highly skillful musician for His glory!
I wish for this next year to be full of the joy of the Lord (your strength) and for it to start with the best summer you have ever enjoyed – fun times with the people you love.
I wish for you to discover new abilities and skills as you Exec. Direct a whole “Pod’s” worth of people! What an impact you are having!
For all the times the Lord has miraculously healed you in both body and mind, I pray that you will lay hands on the sick and that they will recover and that your fervent and effective prayers will produce wonderful results and many healings!
I wish for you to have peace on all sides, to have favor with both God and man.
I wish friendships for you that were long-ago planned by God, to enrich you and bring encouragement.
The new “old” house of your dreams – I am wishing that for you! And all the antique-and-funky stuff to fill it you could ever desire (including the music studio!!).
Songs – the ones you write…when do we get to hear some?
I want your lilac bushes to bloom profusely! Because they so remind me of you – all purple and deliciously-scented. So they should..profusely…bloom!
I wish for you to know your value in our family – that you are a crown to us.
I pray that you will understand what a blessed representation of our love you were to us, that to guard your life and cherish it was a symbol of all that was to come.
I want you to know how much I love you and admire you and how proud I am of you, not only for the woman you have become, for the person you have always been.
I am praying you can receive the praises and festooning we are bestowing upon you on the occasion of the celebration of your birth because you deserve them, you do.
Be courageous. Don’t be afraid.
Be bold. Don’t hold things in.
Be you. That is a gift to us all.
I wish you laughter daily and tears when you need a good cry.
I wish for all your dreams (the ones we know and especially the ones we don’t) to come true.
And I pray you will take your place – the one God had in mind for you before you were even one day old (Psalm 139), take the place, the ministry, the arena, the position – God has called you to and don’t ever let self-doubt or man’s opinion stop you. You are the crown. You are the garland that celebrates and decorates the Head.

I festoon you with my love. I festoon you with my praises. Twenty-seven years ago today, I got to touch a miracle – and you remind me of God’s faithfulness everyday of your love-filled life.

Happy Birthday, Stephanie… Mom

NOTE TO SELF: Am I blessed or what? This girl is one of the most interesting, multi-faceted and surprising human beings on earth, the spice of my life.

So Much of a Good Thing

May 14, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, Stuff I Actually Thinkfamily, making stuff, mother's day, presents, tara's birthdayJeanie

Family is awesome (and sometimes scary) .

Sometimes I look at Dave across the room and wonder if he is feeling as overwhelmed with awe and wonder as I am. There is noise and mess and laughter and teasing and general uproariousness – and we did this – on purpose. Dave and I created this crazy, wonderful mess. This is the fruit of hot passion and true love. This is the grace of God.

(pictured above, l to r: Stormie’s thoughtfully-wrapped gift for Tara; Averi pretending to be drawing on the chalkboard so she can get a taste of the chalk; deep fried pickles! Yes. Deep-fried pickles…and some homemade onion rings)

Bowling for Tara.

Saturday: Tara is not a birthday-cake-and-ice-cream-and-let’s-open-presents kind of birthday girl. No, no. She wants activity. Physical activity. And if there can be competition in there, all the better. Her birthday dreams are made of beach-ball volleyball tournaments or tetherball challenges or something with tennis racquets.

Because the forecast said “rain,” (which, btw – God, seeing on His calendar “Tara’s birthday,” sent a brilliantly dazzling and sunny day – the rain came after dark very beautifully), we opted to bowl for Tara’s birthday. We gathered for an early lunch. We bowled a couple of games. I found out Gemma (almost 2) is a better bowler than me and Hunter-the-informative (4), gave me tips to bowling better, along with a demonstration of how I was turning my wrist all wrong.

We came back to the house for strawberry shortcake and presents and blessings. Dave and I read our love letters to Tara out loud and we cried. That is hard to do, but it is good for your children to hear your love straight from your own mouth. It will keep them long after we are gone.

It was hours and hours of love and celebration. In the evening, DP pulled out the romance ticket and whisked Tara off to the Melting Pot where he had flowers delivered to the same booth they sat in 6 years ago on her birthday as they were madly falling in love. One of the gifts he is giving her is time in a recording studio to do some of their songs. Then, while we hung out with Hunter, they went to the new Star Trek movie (a must-see in our family!).

A couple of months ago I was worried about Tara turning 30 because she seemed so alarmed by it. But she ended up actually enjoying it. She felt honored and loved. She is THE most gorgeous (inside and out) 30-year old I know!

5 kids + their 3 loves + 5 grandkids (throw in a niece and nephew) = a blessed Mother’s Day!

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Sunday evening: I had these 2 bamboo/cane stools for the breakfast bar we bought at Gordman’s when we moved in almost 7 years ago. The grand-bebes love sitting there during big family meals. But we have 5 of bebes now. We have been using an extra stool we have had for years, but still-it has become a scramble to see who will get to sit where. A few weeks ago I spotted some sturdy wooden stools at a very-very nice reduced price* at Target. I tossed the idea out to Dave and Stormie: Hmmm…maybe we should get these and just paint them black? They were very nonchalent and less-than-enthusiastic about the response. “Oh, yeah. Maybe.”

After the kids had fixed a great big BLT (the lettuce is welcome to come along, but the stars are the bacon and the Tomatoes…swine flu be darned!), fruit and veggies-with-dip meal for me, I was asked to leave the room momentarily. I came back in to my 5 little grand-bebes seated, with big, colorful bows atop their heads, on 5 matching (recently painted black) breakfast-bar stools. Oh yes! Less work for me! More space for my joys. I LOVE it!

I have now been informed that there is plenty of room for one more stool there should I get a 2010 grand-bebe, but after that I will have to move to have a bigger breakfast bar.

There was some very crazy card-playing (Pitch) where Rocky aggressively won by bull-crapping his entire way through. How we have not broken the Rocky code all these years, I do not know. He keeps us laughing!

SIDE NOTE: I stopped by youtube to re-watch my Mother’s Day present from last year (my kids singing my favorite Patridge Family song) and it seems the public wants more. There are comments saying they should sing and post some more and one person even suggested getting in on a family singing contest on an early morning news show where David Cassidy himself is one of the judges! Haha! Just in case you missed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpDzazacUEw

Weekend over. Heart Full.

Stormie painted me a representation of the original 5 who made me a mom (and wow-three of those have brought me amazing “new” kids!). It is hard to see in the photo, but all of their names are on there with 3-d lettering. Stephanie bought me a gorgeous “little black dress” and the house, thanks to all the kiddos (including niece-Elise), looks like a flower shop – for all the flowers they brought me and each other to celebrate mommyhood. Loving the fragrant lilacs!

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We are real people. We do NOT do everything right. We’re not even always that nice. In fact, we struggle, and fail and do it wrong at times, crying out to God for mercy, just like any other family…But we are a zealous bunch. We are loud. We are committed. And there is love. And you can’t get too much of that.

Until next time…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: I am so glad Dave chose me to be the mother of his children and that he is the father of mine. It is working for us.

*$15.89 each…told you it was a nice price!