Jesus Loves the Little Ones

It was a special day for little Piper Jayne on Sunday when we celebrated her baptism at St. Luke's United Methodist Church. She was all smiles, in a dress that was her mama's, before heading to church.

Once she arrived at church with her mom, dad, and big brother, Noah, she got changed into the dress, washed and pressed by Nana, that was worn by her great-grandpa Jim (Boomie), her granny Susan, her mama Jennifer, and her big brother Noah (along with great-uncles, uncles, and two cousins) at their baptisms. That's a special dress!

She wore sweet new shoes given to her by our friend Becky. So precious.

Uncle Justin was the photographer for the day, and he captured some beautiful moments with Piper and her family.

Big brother, Noah and Daddy, Bryan.

Piper and her mama, Jennifer.

It was special that Piper was baptized by our friends Jamalyn and David Williamson, pastors at St. Luke's. When Piper was born, and Jamalyn heard her name, she suggested making a slight change from Piper Jayne to Piper Jaynalyn. She shared that thought during the service, but when the moment came to ask what name be given this child, Jennifer and Bryan stuck with 'Jayne.' :)

"…in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Piper and brother Noah both did well during the service, and we were able to take some photos after it was over. Bryan, Jennifer, Noah, and Piper, with David and Jamalyn.

Sweet family.

Piper is blessed to be surrounded by a family who loves her, some of whom were able to be there for her baptism. Great-grandparents Jim and Jere', Uncle Andrew and Aunt Darci, Ella and Haleigh, Granny and Grandpa Susan and Jim, Grandma and Grandpa Annette and Gerald, Aunt Adrienne, Lauren and Bryce, and Uncle Justin, Aunt Lynette, and Addison (the last 2 were out of the sanctuary during the photo). So blessed.

Later in the afternoon, Jennifer took this sweet photo of sleeping Piper with her hands folded. May God bless her all her days, and may she know His unwavering love and amazing grace. Amen.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 

may have power, together with all the Lord's people, 

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- 

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  

~Ephesians 3:17b-19

Saturday Snippets

This post started out to be 'Friday Fragments', but since I didn't get it posted yesterday, we'll call it 'Saturday Snippets.' Lol. It has been a busy, fun-filled week, and I'll share a little about a lot, with a few words and a few more photos.

Last Saturday was the wedding of Grant and Becca. Grant is the son of Daryl (Jim's cousin) and Ruthann. The wedding took place at the beautiful Irwin Gardens in Columbus, Indiana. The rehearsal was, of course, the Friday evening prior. I was set to help Ruthann by scattering a few dozen helium-filled balloons in the garden and taking some photos of the festivities. While everyone was gathering, a little patch of a strong thunderstorm settled right over the venue and altered a few of their best-laid plans.

With an eye on the radar and umbrellas in hand, the wedding party took advantage of a break in the clouds and bravely proceeded to rehearse in the rain. These two, the adorable ring bearer and flower girl, were ready to do their jobs come rain or shine.

They also took a little break for a game of hide and seek in the garden. (Or maybe Abby was attempting to get Liam back into position to practice their walk.)

He was excited to be the 'ring bear', and even did one run-through with a bear mask.

Becca and her dad paused at the top of the 'aisle.'

So beautiful, even in the rain.

They're ready! Nice thing was, they got the rain all over with during the rehearsal leaving Saturday soaked in sunshine.

Although the dinner had already been moved inside, the skies cleared enough for us to put a few balloons in the garden, which the little ones enjoyed.

Saturday was beautiful and warm, and absolutely perfect for a garden wedding. These photos were taken by Jennifer, our favorite LinneaLiz associate photographer. :) Aren't they stunning?

The new Mr. and Mrs. Smith. May God bless their marriage!

I did not take any photos at the wedding or reception, so the ones I have posted were stolen used with permission borrowed from friends and family. :) Saturday was also the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. Post time was just after the conclusion of the ceremony, and below is a photo of my dad and Adam watching on Adam's phone as American Pharoah won the race and the Triple Crown. A day to remember!

Stewmama with my girls...

and with my boys.

I love this photo, taken by Brad's fiancee, Katie, of Ruthann, Stew and Brad watching Grant and Becca's first dance. Ruthann looked so beautiful, and what a blessing it was for her to be able to participate fully in the wedding celebration just 24 days post surgery.

She laughed, she danced, she welcomed guests, and she enjoyed every minute of a blessed and beautiful day. Praise God! Please remember Ruthann in your prayers as she continues her battle with leiomyosarcoma.

Blessed to be surrounded by some of my besties, including the beautiful mother of the groom.

On Sunday, we had lunch together after church at Carriage on the Square to celebrate Jonathan's birthday. He was headed to a golf game, his idea of a perfect birthday. :)

On Monday, we had dinner with Jennifer, Bryan, Noah and Piper for a late celebration of Bryan's birthday. We had a little time before dinner to enjoy the park.

Tuesday evening included some tree planting at Bryan and Jennifer's,

including a Jane Magnolia for Piper Jayne.

On Thursday evening, I got to see my cousin, Rick, who I have not seen in over 30 years. He was in Indy on business, and we met at my brother's house. Below is a photo of my brother, Ted, my dad, and Rick.

Later Thursday, I watched Jamalyn's daughter, Margaret, in a performance of 'The Jungle Book.' She did a great job! There she is, front and center.

Darci, Andrew, and the kids came as well, and they posed with Margaret after the show.

Margaret and me.

Becca and Grant spent a few days at the lake house after the wedding, and sent me these pictures. Aren't they cute? They even match!

And my view on this beautiful Saturday morning….ahhhhh….

Happy Birthday Big Jon!

Happy Birthday to our son, Jonathan!

He was born on a Sunday much like today,

our 9 pound, 7 ounce 4th baby.

He's a great uncle...

an avid golfer…
(fooling around during 100 Holes for Haiti)

an exceptional dancer...

(the big guy's got moves)

and an all around good guy! 

(Fun loving eligible bachelor, 

sports lover, gainfully employed, 

new homeowner. Ladies? Lol.)

Happy Birthday, Jonathan!

Your mama loves you.

Strawberry Hodgepodge Forever

Good Wednesday morning, and welcome to the Hodgepodge. This party is hosted each week by Joyce, who asks thought provoking questions and invites us to answer on our own blogs, and link back to hers. It's lots of fun, so come along for the ride! Click on the button below to participate (or just to say "hi" to Joyce and the others).

Now it's time for her questions and my answers:

1. What's something you're looking forward to in the month of June?

A wedding, some birthdays, and weekends spent here:

Ahhhh...


2. In what way have you come full circle?

I have mentioned it before, but living in the house that Jim's grandparents built, and where he grew up, raising our family, and now welcoming grandchildren here, feels like full circle to me.


3. Lonely Planet lists 10 spots in America you should see in 2015 and the reasons why. How many on the list have you seen? Which one on the list would you most like to see? 

Queens NY, Western South Dakota, New Orleans, Colorado River Region, North Conway NH, Indianapolis IN, Greenville SC, Oakland CA, Duluth MN, and the Mount Shasta Region CA.

I have been to New Orleans (love it! Who Dat!), Indianapolis (know it well, since it's just an hour north of my home), and North Conway, NH. 

There is a story about my visit to North Conway (isn't there always a story?). It was mid 80s, and Jim and I, along with my brother and his wife, and my parents, took a trip to Vermont. We stayed in lovely bed and breakfast inns along the way, and ended up at the lake cottage my grandparents had owned, which we remembered from our childhood. Well, we actually ended up at the nice new inn just up the road, which included comfortable beds and room service, but that's another story. :) In the course of our visit to Lake Willoughby, while the guys played golf one day, I decided we should drive over to North Conway. There was 'outlet shopping' there (a new thing) and one of the stores was a favorite children's catalog of mine, The Wooden Soldier, based in North Conway. (I was surprised to learn that it is still in existence. A good thing for this Granny to know!) With no iPhones and no internet, I looked at my paper map and decided it was 'about an hour' away. Trouble was that the route crossed the White Mountain National Forest which included, well, mountains. Beautiful, but slow going. Google maps says 101 miles. Now you tell me. By the time we arrived in North Conway, it was almost time to turn around a go back. (No cell phones to advise the guys that we would be late for dinner.) My mom was not a happy camper. At all. It is a lovely little town, though, and I wish we had had time to stay (and shop) longer.

Here is a photo of my brother, Ted, from that trip, looking down at Lake Willoughby from our hike up Mount Pisgah. Are we having fun yet?

I almost forgot this part: I would most like to see Greenville, South Carolina, a southern town in the mountains, because, well, it's a southern town in the mountains. :)

4. A song that describes your mood right now?

It's a quiet morning here, and I'm praying for a couple of family members. His Eye is on the Sparrow reminds us that we are children of the living Lord. Loved.  Important. Valued. Every last hair on our heads.

I like the Selah version. Enjoy.

5. Strawberry ice cream, strawberry short cake, strawberry pie, or strawberries right off the vine...your favorite?

My dad grew strawberries after we moved to the 'country' when I was in high school, so my favorite is definitely right off the vine. I remember taking a flash light to the patch after dark to pick enough berries to put on my ice cream for a late night snack. I can still smell them. Mmmmm...

6. Aesop's birthday is celebrated on June 4th, although there is some disagreement as to whether or not that's accurate, or if he was even a real person. Regardless, the name Aesop is associated to this day with many well known fables. Which of the following best applies to something in your life right now? The Tortoise and the Hare (Slow and Steady wins the race), The Ant and the Grasshopper (Be prepared), The Fox and the Goat (Look before you leap) or The Crow and the Pitcher (Necessity is the mother of invention)?

The Ant and the Grasshopper, since I've been doing some preparing for weekends at the lake. Can't run out of toilet paper with a houseful of family and friends!


7. The answer is yes...what's the question?
Will the sun come up tomorrow?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We had a busy weekend at the lake with our third (I think?) annual Miller-Stewart Weekend. Tyler and David became friends and fraternity brothers their freshman year at Purdue. Andrew joined the friendship when he got to Purdue, and Tyler was a true friend to both David and Andrew through thick and thin during college. We met Tyler's parents at 'parent events' during the college years and connected through our boys. Tyler was in both David's and Andrew's wedding, and they were both in his. Meanwhile, Shylah worked at Outback with Amy, who dated (and married!) Tyler's brother Bret. A little bit full circle.

We have spent time together celebrating weddings, graduations, and tailgates, and a few years ago decided we needed to schedule a lake weekend. It's crazy crowded and lots of fun, and, as is true many weekends, the arrival/meal time chaos is a bit like the opening scene from Home Alone.

I learned a few months ago, that Tyler's mom, Kelli, had never tasted sugar cream pie. I decided we needed to remedy that situation!

I took very few photos, but I did 'borrow' a few. :) Darci took this one from the upstairs window, of Kelli and me with Haleigh and Ella enjoying morning on the deck.

The weather forecast for the weekend wasn't too good, but Saturday turned out to be just about perfect. Kelli posted these photos, saying she liked how Sweetwater does 'thunderstorms.' :)

The younger set enjoyed our neighbors' new 'beach', and we (almost) all got in the water on Saturday afternoon for floating, fun, and refreshment. Baby Piper was too little for the beach, and by next summer, there will be three more little ones added to the group. We're gonna need a bigger house!!

Ella found a new best friend, Tyler's youngest brother, Kyle.

We played Linkee, Heads Up, and Bananagrams, and the boys managed to fit in a round of golf on Saturday morning. It was great to catch up, relax together, and spend the weekend with special friends.

In other news, happy birthday today to son-in-law, Bryan, who took the day off to celebrate. He sent me this photo this morning, saying it was "way better than being at work." Way better indeed.