From porch

We said goodbye to our dear little house yesterday, a place that holds countless precious memories from our boys' first years of life. What a gift it was.

Deepening Friendships (Upon Leaving My Friends)

It's late at night and I've just returned from a visit to an Urgent Care center with my son who was showing some troubling symptoms. On my way there, one of my close friends got wind of what was happening and within moments of sitting down in the waiting room, my phone started beeping repeatedly with new text messages....

If you'd like, come read more at MomHeart!

Sweet Faces

Our very talented Nicole Hager had the boys model with her new beautiful wooden background. 

I'm always more than happy to help her out.

And I ran across these on facebook from a few years ago. They make me laugh!

Last Days

It's a week till moving day. While Kristian studies hard for his final law school exam, the boys and I are taking advantage of the time by visiting all our favorite places and seeing all our favorite people. 

May 1st is a Special Day

{Below is a repost from 2009. There are also birthday tributes to the Wonderful Anne from 2011, 2012 and a few other years as well. Love my sister.}

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"There's a special kind of freedom sisters enjoy. Freedom to share innermost thoughts, to ask a favor, to show their true feelings. The freedom to simply be themselves."

"What's the good news if you haven't a sister to share it with?"

Today, on Anne's birthday, I'm thinking about how much I love having sisters.

In honor of Sister (as we all call each other), here are 10 things about her... some random, but all wonderful!

1. She's incredibly selfless. She does not clamor for attention or crave the limelight. She considers other's needs over her own. I think that's why everyone who knows her loves her so.

(She's always been this way. She used to check under my bed for me when we were little- yes, for me, her older sister, she sacrificed her life to whatever boogieman may have been lurking. Anytime I'd ask her- which was every night- she would get out of her bed, come over to my side of the room, pull up my dust ruffle, and peer under. Now if that's not selflessness...)

2. She's so smart. She reads at lightning speed. In college I always had her edit my papers.

3. She's a very gifted baker. Check out her most recent delicacies!! We love baking together (and do a good bit of it when she comes to visit). Everyday I receive some amazing new recipe or food website that she's found. I love her love for creating!

4. She and our other sister, Julie, thoroughly enjoy taking pictures of themselves together whenever possible (which may seem contrary to #1, but it's not). I can't even tell you how many pictures there are. Here's a little sampling.

5. She loves coziness... coffee, chocolate, quiet, music, sweatshirts... maybe that's why people feel comfortable around her.6. She's quite the crafty one! We occasionally trade images back and forth to use as our computer backgrounds. Here are a couple of hers:


7. She has an awesome laugh.

8. She cares deeply for her friends and nurtures relationships very well. It seems she always has time for you.9. She loves food... in a good way. We actually share a great delight in anything tasty to the point where we call each other just to tell about the delicious meal or treat we're eating and wishing the other one could be eating it too.

10. Her love for Jesus comes first. She is devoted to serving Him with her life, no matter where that takes her. She makes her decisions through the lens of His will.
You can read more about what she's currently doing to serve Jesus in this season of her life here.
Here's what last year's team did...


Annie, we love you so much and wish we could be with you today. But I have no doubt you'll have a beautiful Hawaiian birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Sister!

Ladies and Gentlemen, My Sister...

My wonderful sister, Julie, was punked a few months ago in L.A. I laugh and cry at the horror of this situation. Love her humility, though. Way to go, sis.

The Current State of Things

Found these little gems after someone absconded with my phone. 

I'd call them an adequate representation of my current mental and emotional state.

Less than two weeks till moving day. Hoping to update more soon!

Treasured Family Keepsake

Rose Family from Nicole Hager Photography on Vimeo.

I feel like I should write all sorts of disclaimers and reasons I feel awkward posting a video featuring... myself (though also three others who I find pretty fantastic), but I'll spare you that and instead express the deepest gratitude to Nicole Hager who used our family as her guinea pigs for her newest photography venture -- video sessions. What a priceless keepsake this will be. Thank you, Nicole!

She just started offering these sessions today and the first 5 people who book get $100 off the session price! Check her out! NicoleHagerPhotography.com

At the 77th St. Subway Stop

I saw something very touching last night.

Or maybe heartbreaking is a better word.

As I was going down into the chilly subway station to wait for the train, a man was standing on the platform close to the wall.

From my quick peripheral observation, which I sadly have mastered since living here, I could tell he was homeless or very poor.

The assumption was confirmed when I heard him mumbling something to people as they passed by him.

To each person he mumbled the same phrase. I couldn't tell what he was saying, which I thought probably meant he was drunk or crazy.

I gathered all this in about 2 seconds time as I watched the person a few steps ahead of me pass him by, not even glancing his way.

Then, I passed by, not even glancing his way.

I felt a pang of guilt (or conviction).

I heard a man's voice behind me say kindly,

"What is it you need, Sir?"

I turned around and saw the whole scene unfold.

The man who didn't pass by was clean cut and well-dressed in business clothes.

Again, the homeless man mumbled his line.

The man who didn't pass by asked him to repeat it because he couldn't understand.

Finally he heard, and I heard, what the man what saying.

"Would you mind doing me a small favor?"

"Sure, what can I do for you?"

(He was just as uncomfortable as the rest of us would have been in the same situation. He was painfully aware of everyone else on the platform staring at the scene, and aware of the potential hazards in stopping, but he stayed.)

"Sir, would you mind zipping up my jacket? I'm crippled and can't do it on my own."

Immediately his handicap became obvious... a shriveled hand and forearm stuck up against his chest.

The man who didn't pass by proceeded to move in close, as close as you would have to be to zip someone's jacket zipper. That's a pretty intimate process, way beyond the boundaries of personal space. It's something parents do for their small children.

He fumbled for a few seconds with the zipper on the man's dirty maroon jacket, and proceeded to zip it up. There they stood, face to face.

The crippled man was obviously touched, saying, "Thank you so much, Sir, thank you so much."

The train pulled up.

I stepped in the same car as the man who didn't pass by and I could hear the crippled man yell again with emotion in his voice, "Thank you so much, Sir!"

As we pulled away from the station, the crippled man remained there on the platform, quickly becoming smaller in the distance. 

I looked over and saw (what looked like) tears in the eyes of the man who didn't pass by.

I said to him, "That was really amazing what you just did."

He looked down sadly, shook his head, and sincerely said,"No, it really wasn't. I could have done so much more."

Yes, I guess he could have.

But he did so much more than any of the rest of us were willing to do.

And in his small gesture he gave something invaluable back to this man... his humanity.

He said to him, "Yes, I hear you speaking, and I care enough to stop... and to be patient and listen to what you have to say, even when it is so uncomfortable, and to put my fears aside in order to meet a need you have... in order to LOVE you. And I do this because it is what Jesus has done for me, and what He has done for you."

This beautiful, heartbreaking picture reminded me of what Jesus said about loving.

I praise the Lord today for people like this man- my husband - and pray that I would understand the love of Jesus in such a way that passing by would not be an option.

The above is a re-post from 2009 that I had on my mind so thought I'd pull it out of the old files.