Emmett Craig

 We really like good stories in our house. We are quite picky about what is a good story, but good stories we like, all the same. One of the criteria for something being a good story is if we can see ourselves in a character. If we can look at a character's strengths and weaknesses and see that, yes, we struggle with some of that, and yes, we are brave like that, too. Or at least we relate enough to the character to be inspired to try. A current family favorite series is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

This is no surprise to you, my Emmett boy. You embody one character the most to me, and I want to explain why. 

Gimli, the dwarf, is you. You may get lucky enough to get hairy like him one day (that is your current desire, to grow a mustache that you can wax and twist around)...but his character qualities are what make he and you so similar. Throughout the story, Gimli is sure of trouble, sure of almost certain death, and he jumps in head first because it's the right thing to do. He is truth telling, justice seeking, expectantly hope filled, all the way to the victory. 

Emmett, you are our truth proclaiming, justice seeking, expectant hope-filled son, and those three traits are a force to be reckoned with. If it is a right that will lead to justice, you do not hesitate and you do not waiver. Backing down is not in your vocabulary. You jump in, head first, to life and all of its' adventures, expecting that others will follow (they usually do) and expecting that great things are waiting on the other side. That is such a noble way to conduct life, Emmett boy, when you are listening to Jesus and His good and perfect plan for you. 

On your 10th birthday, I want to tell you how wondrously proud I am of who you are and who you are becoming. I'm so proud that I will likely embarrass you with my tears as we celebrate you. Gimli said, "Faithless is he who says farewell when the road darkens." Emmett, I pray that you will hold fast to your faith and your wild hope when the road darkens, because you know that the One who is good and perfect loves you and will walk with you. I pray that you will be sure-footed on that dark road, because you know that the light will overcome the dark. And I pray that you will remember that even when you stumble, Jesus sees you, loves you, and will help you rise again. 

Happy birthday, my kind and wild and generous son. I love you so.

Here We Go Again (I Hope)

I sit here tonight, on the 27th of December, broadly reflecting on 2019, cautiously peeking over to 2020.

Life is changing. The kids are changing. I blinked and they moved from the simple-busy of toddler routines to a new, growing up phase of thinking and relating. We are still in some sort of in-between state of being, it seems. I seem to have been caught so off guard that I am still chasing the train that has left the station without me. Sometimes I think this may be the phase I will be in for the rest of my life.

As it's been 2 years now since I last wrote anything on this blog, here is a brief summary.

John is working as a firefighter for the City of Portland. Aubrey is in 7th grade, quickly approaching the teenage years. She goes to the public middle school here and generally seems to be content there. Bryant and Emmett are in 5th and 1st grade at Good Shepherd School. Both of them are thriving there, although we have thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas break. Stuart is in 3rd grade and I am homeschooling him in the cutest little school house that Nana and Papa had built for him and Levi. Annie and I are co-teaching this year, 3 days a week.

I also work at the school and will soon be starting a new part time job at PDX Eastside, the baseball/softball training facility Drew, Annie, and Blake have opened up.

One of my goals for 2020 is to get back to this blog. I miss it. I miss the stories that it helps me remember. So, here we go. Again. I hope.

Stuart Graham

 Stu-Bear, it's your 7th birthday today! I love looking back through pictures because they show me how very much you have changed, and how very much you have always been just who you are.

You were such a sweet, cuddly baby...

 who eased into this sweet, cuddly, curious crawler...

 ...who eased into this introspective, curious, wonderful toddler...

 ...who eased into this curious, funny, wonderful little boy...

 ...who is easing into a funny, introspective, sweet, tender, growing up little man.

Stuart, God has given you a soft heart. Soft hearts are the very strongest there are, son, because soft hearts are moldable to Jesus. Soft hearts go into hard places and make them better with their quiet strength. Soft hearts look at the sad and hurting and strive to help them heal.

Oh, that you will grow to understand what strength there is in having a soft heart! That you will grow to understand what a gift Jesus has given you. That you will grow to understand that following Jesus with your whole life will allow you to reach into the hardest places and help the most hurting. That is what we pray for you, our tender protector.

Happy birthday to our growing up Bear. We love you so.

Emmett Boy

Emmett boy, what happened?! You will tell us, "I am FIBE now," and I am not sure I can quite accept it yet.

These 5 years have been a bit of a blur and through the blur has been our affectionate, take charge, content, wonder-filled little boy to brighten our lives.

 I cannot bring myself to say that I don't want you to grow up. I do...I want you to continue growing and learning and becoming a more complete picture of who God made you to be. But I don't want these days to go by too fast.

 You still love Star Wars and the light sabers. You also LUB stuffed animals and penguins in particular. You love your friends and can name every single one and what their preferences are. People matter the most to you and we love that quality in you, Buds.

God has wired you to need to be around people. We pray that you will continue to be moldable by Jesus, that your heart would be completely captured by Him, because then your affectionate spirit will overflow and affect the world in a powerful way.

We love you so, our Emmett boy. You fill our hearts with joy and laughter. Happy birthday, wonderful son.

Surprise Trip!

Nana & Papa gifted the kids and I a trip down to California this summer. It was so fun to get to do something out of the ordinary while John is busy studying and training to be a firefighter.


At the airport! All super excited!

 This is Sis. She is always, always prepared for all sorts of things. One time we were on a hike as a family and one of the boys fell and scraped their knee. As they were crying and asking for a bandaid, I said, "Sorry, bud, I didn't bring any," to which Aubrey quickly said, "Oh, I did! Just in case! And I also brought Mickey Mouse, because I thought he might make things better!" And she pulls a bandaid and a stuffed Mickey Mouse out of her little backpack.

So, she brought her sleeping mask. Because with 3 brothers on an airplane, a girl needs a way to block out noise and sights. 

 Me and my Emmett boy. I love him and I think he likes me, too.

 Stu-Bear. So excited!

 And this one. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?

 Downtown Disney, Lego store! 

 She fits in so nicely. :)

 We got to visit some fun beaches while we were there. This is San Clemente, where Papa used to come to surf.

 I can't remember the name of this beach but it was SO FUN. Wave after wave, so warm.

 And, surprise! We stopped at Disneyland!

 Stuart and Bryant got to do Avengers training. Black Widow and Hawkeye were there!

 After defeating the bad robot, the newly appointed Avengers posed for a picture for their moms.

 The raft ride was a favorite of all 4.

 Especially when we get wet!!

 Oh, you know, just strolling along and Princess Tiana shows up. No biggie.

 Summer shenanigans. They are always up to something.

July 4th

We woke up on the 4th and decided to make a quick trip over to the beach for July 4th. John had the day off of work so he grabbed his study stuff and we made the trek over.

 It just so happened that Uncle Geoff, Aunt Michelle, Noah, Elise, Grandpa, & Grammy were there, too, so we got to spend the day with them.

 Uncle Geoff buried Stu Bear in the sand, which he loved.

 These are all of the Anderson boy cousins...quite the crew.

 On the way home we went through Astoria. We drove by our old house in Warrenton and the Steadfast happened to be in port! The kids got to see the cutter that Daddy was stationed on 13 years ago!

It was a great trip. The day ended with the kids and I at Sandy High School, watching fireworks while Daddy studied for his exam. I sure love my crew. So very much.