Well, I am going to do What I'm LOVING early this week. . . for tomorrow I will be gone all the day long. . . taking Tirzah out to be with her grandparents in Colorado!

Block Leave, about 3 and a half weeks without work, begins officially on Friday!  We are so thankful and so excited for this time together.  We haven't planned a huge trip, but rather we decided to have some time together here at home, a "stay-cation" if you will.  So, I fly Tirzah out to her grandparents house early early tomorrow morning, and then fly back super late in the evening.  For 9 days she will be with them and I can't even say all the fun things they have planned for her!  She is so excited. . . we have been counting down since about day 16, so she is ready (I think Grandma and Grandpa are even more excited!).  For Daniel and I?  Enjoying one another and the slow days together.  We hope to get a few day trips in, since we really haven't explored too too much of Washington.  But nothing is on the calendar yet.  Definitely some trips out to eat: breakfast, coffee, and dinner.  Most assuredly mornings sleeping in and evenings spent staying up way to late.  And of course, food will be our theme!  (always is!)  Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for giving us this time!


So. . .

LOVING the thought of Block Leave!

LOVING the unity that Daniel and I have been having; especially after a long hard week last week of missing one another.

LOVING these chocolate chip cookies. . . we made this morn for someone special whom we will see tomorrow. . .

and loving it all over her smile

LOVING celebrating with Anna and James!  He arrived home today from his 9 month deployment!  Praise the Lord for all that he has done in their lives.  How we give thanks for their presence in our lives and how we have the opportunity to walk side by side in this military season of life.

Anna is on the right.  I LOVE this picture, it makes me cry every time I look at it.  What emotions !!

He's HOME!!

LOVING hearing the sound of laughter, trailing down the stairs.  Tirzah and her Daddy doing what they do best: wrestling!

LOVING funny remembrances of yesterday:

* I was cooking that Roasted Sweet potato with couscous recipe, and as I stood by the stove, stirring the couscous, Tirzah came and stood by me looking in the oven saying "fire.  I see fire."  But I couldn't quite understand what she was saying, and there wasn't anything in the oven.  But then I looked: and there indeed was a fire!  Ooopsies!  But all is well. . . just a little startling to have your toddler tell you of these things.

*One other: thank you so much for your prayers for Tirzah and her bowel movements.  We are doing SO much better in that area.  So much so, (and this will most definitely be too much information but I have to write it because it is the opposite of what we were bearing 2 weeks ago), she was not wearing a diaper and we heard a catastrophe upstairs. . . yes. . . a bowel movement on the floor and all over the socks of Daniel that she was wearing. . . yikes!  But so funny in light that 2 weeks ago we couldn't get her to go, but now, we can't get her to stop! (So sorry to have written this! )

LOVING, absolutely LOVING, that just now as we put Tirzah to bed, Tirzah let her Daddy hold her while we sang and prayed over her.  The first night in 2 months!  Well actually, in 11 months!  Since he left on deployment, Daniel has not held her for her bedtime routine and tonight was a breakthrough.  He simply asked her with the tenderest of hearts, and she said yes.