Sammy's Cabin, a giveaway FAIL, and stuff

*sammy's cabin in process! inaugural campers*

So much I want to tell ya'll about. Post-it notes cover my computer. ^ look! The cabin! My dad raised the money for it and in doing so was the impetus for 2 other cabins to be built as well. I get to write a plaque that will be posted on the wall and choose some pictures to be placed in the cabin as well. I shared a bit about Sammy with those boys. Guess what word they used to describe the cabin? Seriously - guess. If you guess the correct answer I will send you one of our Team Sammy t-shirts that are currently being designed...and that's my first blog giveaway :-) <----Giveaway FAIL, little dude said the cabin provided "peace". All the praying and crying I did for Sammy's birth/death was not in vain! It made my heart smile to know God answered that prayer for me and was continuing to answer it unbeknownst to me.

*a chunk of a 10 month old boy just sat down across from me in the coffee shop and won't stop staring*i can hardly concentrate*

I haven't mentioned Lulu's mama yet! Last Friday I got to meet one of my online friends in real life. It was so perfect and so God. We only had an hour but it was exactly what we both needed. Lulu was born on October 4th, her mama sent me the "love is" necklace, it was very special to get to spend some time with her.

I'm feeling so good about *life* that I've started a plan for how to get a grief support group thingy going in the fall. Faces of Loss, Faces of Hope has just the laid back approach that I want to take (ie: whatever works). It's gonna be real grassroots so I went on a mommy website and started a profile. It was the first time I got to list my child and his birthdate. *smile* I was proud, even if the note had to say "born still".

We get to register as "Team Sammy" for the 5k/3k. With a donation of $250 and at least 4 people we get to have a spot set aside for us, with a banner, and our team name announced as it starts. *smile* Did I mention our cute t-shirts? *smile* Official Team Sammy walkers at this time are his mama, Nana Shelly, Auntie Linda, and Isabel.

Don't forget to check the Parker Family 5k tab at the top of the page for more information. Also feel free to donate using the button under CHEEKS!

"Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth

does not become tired or weary

...those who wait upon the Lord

shall renew their strength..."

Isaiah 40:28, 31

the waiting

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction;

the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest

if we do not give up."

Galations 6:7-9

For since the beginning of world men have not heard,

nor perceived by the ear,

neither hath the eye seen,

O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared

for him that waiteth for him."

Isaiah 64:4

Claimin' it. And waitin'.

I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14

look out world...

...here comes a rush of overly edited, tryin' to be artsy fartsy photo's since Melissa found out about Instagram.

Mom's idea to make a couple candles out of the leftover wax from John and Lisa's rehearsal dinner scraps. I want that housey lookin' utensil holder. I'm sorry about all the wax everywhere in the kitchen.

1. embroidered flour sack towel

2. homemade rhubarb jam in that jar

3. flowers from the garden

4. the wonderful smell of the "ditch rose"

5. the colors and prints of the fabrics

Reasons I want to be my mom when I grow up or things that make me happy in this photo.

Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity:

it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.

~William Faulkner

ps - it's summer break for me. that ='s time to craft and blog. :-)

pps - don't forget to check out the tab for the Parker family 5k at the top of the page

feelings...oh boy...

So many stories of so much love to go with this simple picture. I remember one of the first times I wanted to throw something because of the simple truth of what my Pastor was saying...I don't know why anger or excitement makes me want to throw stuff (I have not, to my recollection, ever thrown anything in such instances, just wanted to).

It's Sammy green. I didn't notice that until today.

I love/hate talking about feelings these days. I have found freedom and peace in acknowledging the truth of what I'm feeling. It's still hard sometimes, to admit or get past the reasons why.

I love gifts and this was a gift from one of my brother's best friend's mom. Follow? Mary is a sweetie who spent some time last Thursday evening listening to me rant about how important feelings are and showed up the next day with this. So perfect.

And I really am excited. So excited, maybe because I'm sitting in Panera, tummy full from the Sierra Turkey sandwich with my pink whale cup full of Diet Pepsi...or maybe because God is using His Word and His people to show me the simplicity and complexity of His love.

On the back of this notepad it says it's for children ages 5-9. If acknowledging feelings is childish, count me in.

"But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me;

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Matthew 19:14

pics and such

She's gorgeous. She looks like her mama :-)

Yesterday was Isabel's first Twins game and her dad's first Twins game at the new outdoor field. The weather was perfect and Isabel was too :-) Check out the new "page" tab at the top of the blog for more info on the Parker Family 5k/3k Run/Walk (this fits in this paragraph because Linda suggested the 5k in the first place).

My cousin Deshi asked awhile back what colors I would like in a special project that she was going to do for me...and this was it! So gorgeous! She took all the photo's for the "Samuel" - LOVE. And threw in the "Sammy" behind it - the verse.

love bears all things

love believes all things

love hopes all things

love endures all things

love never fails

Jesus - show me Your love that can do all these things...my love seems more often to fail...

this week - brain dump

Iz

I'm getting to spend some amazing time with my family and my sweetest niece ever. She was hypnotized by the beautiful baby on the computer screen...that same baby she sees in the mirror every time we check it out.

It's easier for me to not think about "what if"s when there are no babies around. Actually, I think the preplanning for having Iz and Sammy grow up together is what makes me think about what if. I didn't think about all the other babies in my life interacting with Sammy. Other babies don't *bother* me, well, as long as they don't have red hair...hmmm, ok, weird tangent over. Within moments of playing with Isabel and squeezing her chunky punky self I wondered how big Sammy would look next to her and how'd they would be interacting...what 2 infants at John and Lisa's wedding would have been like...please notice that my locket fell open at some point when we were taking pictures...right behind Isabel's shoulder you can see Sammy's hat and cheek :-)

The wedding was GORGEOUS. So beautiful. Lisa had my favorite wedding hair to-date (better than mine for sure) and it went with her dress style...so pretty. Their vows were perfectly them as was most of the wedding. So happy to have another SIL. I wish I had remembered my camera, then I could have some pictures to show...Thursday night I got to meet up with an Internet friend, Lulu's mama K, who I have been emailing with since the week of Sammy and her births. (that sentence hurts my feelings but I'm too tired to fix it). I missed out on meeting Stevie's mama K, but hope to catch up with her while I'm in MN this week.

Started reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan today, loving it. It confirms lots of my thoughts lately so I am encouraged and compelled. I got to hang with some of my cousins today that I haven't had a chance to spend much time with in the last 5 years. I really do love my family.

Oh - and don't forget the donate button ------> over there. I've decided to start jogging (Monday - ha ha) and see how far I can jog this year, with the goal of making it the whole 5k next year. I've received 4 donations! So exciting. String of Pearls is a great organization..I'll add a tab soon with all the info in one place...