A Month Later

My sister sent me a capitalized email a few days ago - demanding a blog update. I felt a little sheepish as I realized how long it had been. I know some of you check often! (Emily, Amy, Melissa... sorry, guys!) For some reason, I have had had a hard time keeping up with chores and daily tasks lately, much less the weeding and reading and letter-writing, and, yes, blogging. Elisa's naps have been fewer lately, and it is hard to keep her "down" during prescribed rest times. Sometimes it takes two hours to get her to sleep, and then the day is gone! :) Any other mommys of almost-four-year-olds out there who can identify with this glitch in their daily quiet time? :)

We have been so blessed to have Michelle return for a month... working at my dad's orthopedic office here in town. It is fun to have my sweet sister occupying our guest room. The girls adore her, and I think that most of the time she adores them, too. :) We will miss her when she leaves in a week and a half.

I have been working a few weekend shifts a month on the OB unit at the local hospital... to maintain nursing skills and keep my license current. It has been fun and challenging... Erik has had some fun Saturdays with the girls!

Working a bit has also somewhat cramped our summer style, so that there has been less hiking, camping, canoeing and adventuring this year. We have squeezed in a few wonderful, warm days together. In mid-July, we camped by the Gros Ventre River with friends from church. John and Erik decided a four-wheeling exploration was in order, so we piled into our big-wheeled man-cars and took to some barely navigatable dirt trails. We forded rivers, crossed a rickety wooden bridge, and scaled steep, narrow, moutain paths. I think that if either of the couples had been alone, the adventure would not have happened, but there was an element of, "If Heather will let John do this, then I can let Erik...." :) Heather and John have four children. Their youngest is about six months older than Elisa. They are a fun, godly couple, and it was fun to share a campfire with them. We took Erik's two-man tent instead of our big family one, and it worked so much better. The girls were warm, squished and unable to move. They slept like two little rocks. I even slept better than usual because the sleeping pads were crammed so close together that no pebbles or hard earth poked my hips during the night. We are looking forward to another camping trip at the end of August -- this time in Steamboat Springs, CO while we attend a friend's wedding.



Around the campfire

Sharing cocoa

Crossing the river (John and Heather's Suburban)


Colder weather and a falling snowline seem to be heralding the end of summer. Erik and I both love fall above any other season, so we are excited for cool air, changing leaves, simmering soup, sweaters and school books. However, we would love a few more warm summer days, too.

God Loves A Cheerful Giver

Tonight we served dinner at the local mission with our small group. As I was packing trays of enchiladas into coolers to take with us, Elisa asked why I had made so much food. I explained that God had blessed us with an abundance, and that tonight, we were going to share with others who don't have enough food to eat. She thought for a moment, and then said, "Mommy, I would like to share, too." So she grabbed another cooler, and wandered around the kitchen filling it with her favorite foods: a package of mac and cheese, a handful of fruit leathers, Ziploc bags stuffed with crackers. Then she said, "We should share a soda. Grown-ups like soda." So in went one of Uncle Forrest's Mountain Dews. "Do you think that's enough, Mom?" She surveyed the bounty and added, "I'm learning to think of other people, Mommy. That makes God happy."

Yes, sweetheart, it does. I love seeing the tender side of my little fiery girl. She makes Jesus grin, don't you think?

Pictures of July

We have been blessed to host most of our extended Norris family here over the last few weeks... a wedding celebration for Bailey and Alfred, and lots of summer fun as we explored Jackson with family. Here are a few snapshots. I will update more later!

Book Reviews!

During the past month, I have been blessed beyond measure by studying the book of Ruth through a Precepts Bible Study. I have learned so much about the Word of God and how beautifully individual books are woven together in perfect, God-inspired unity. The Bible is an amazing book, and my excitement to study it has grown exponentially in recent weeks.

I have also been thankful to read some rich Christian books and wanted to share my "book reviews" with you. I am learning to seek truth from the true source first, but I am grateful for the insights of Bible-focused Christ-followers who are wiser than I, and much further along in their journeys of faith! I have found myself veering somewhat off of my initial book list as I have grown excited about particular topics.

Because He Loves Me, by Elyse Fitzgerald. This is a wonderful book about how the truth of the Gospel should transform our daily lives. I have been reading and discussing it with my neighbor, Sera, and while we are not quite finished, I have been deeply impacted by her insights on how the Gospel is central to each moment of our lives, and how the way we think about our position as saints can transform our motives, our heart and the practicalities of our day-to-day existence. Christ wants to transform us; His sacrifice is meant not only to save us from eternal death, it is meant to give us new spiritual life!

Practicing Hospitality, by Lisa Tatlock and Pat Ennis. A very practical read about incorporating Biblical hospitality into our lives. This was a challenging and inspiring book for me. We are so blessed to live in a large and welcoming home -- I want us to glorify God in how we use it. Want to come over for dinner? :)

Heaven in the Home, by Ginger Plowman. This was a reread, and it is also wonderful! A balanced book about how to create a Christ-honoring home-life - a haven for our families with the outward focus of serving and ministering to others. She has sections on conflict managment, discipline, creating a daily schedule, keeping your home organized - you name it!

The Love Dare. I finally finished this one! It took me a while to wade through the forty days. I enjoyed reading it, and thought it was a very Christ-honoring book on loving your spouse unconditionally. It made me appreciate the beautiful romance I share with my husband. We have such a blessed marriage, and I love him more each day. I want to love him better, serve him more selflessly, and enjoy him more completely. I don't think Erik reads my blog, but honey, if you read this one, you are my Mr. Marvelous and I am grateful to pour my love into your life. :)

Set-Apart Femininity, by Leslie Ludy. This book was my favorite read in recent years. Leslie portrays a beautiful picture of Godly womanhood -- not an inward-beauty brought about by allowing "self to flash off frame and face," but a Godly beauty brought about by laying down self and allowing Christ to live through you. It is Christ that makes a woman radiant. Leslie's book challenged me and gave me a clear picture of valiant femininity. I long for God to transform my heart and love the lost through me.

The Bravehearted Gospel, by Eric Ludy. I was so inspired by Leslie's book that I decided to read her husband's recent book, as well. This is a book about the "manly stuff" of the Gospel, although he is clear that the truths presented are for men and women alike. It is the "grit" of Godliness - a return to truth and brave-hearted loyalty to Christ. We live in a society and even a church culture that is "emerging" and becoming tolerant to the point of becoming mushy - where truth is personal and "springy," where holiness is a bad word, and where the feminine aspects of allure and tenderness are more valued than the sword of truth that battles for the Kingdom of God. Eric calls for a return to bravehearted Gospel that fights for truth and sets the captives free. Amen!

Holiness, the Heart God Purifies, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. A challenging book about turning from sin and honoring God in every area of our lives. I enjoyed it so much that I invited a group of women from our church to do a book-club meeting studying it at the end of July. Anyone interested?

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes, by Robin Jones Gunn. I confess. My frivolous read in the last few months, my favorite fiction author. And I loved it.

Ask me if you want to borrow any of these great books!

After the Storm

This afternoon, Erik and the girls hunkered beneath the eaves of our house and watched a spring storm douse the yard. Then, they went out to play in the aftermath. Here are some photos of the fun.

From Yellowstone to West Virginia

The last two weeks have been filled with coast-to-coast adventures. On the the 16th, Erik and I loaded two sleepy girls into the car at 4 a.m., and drove north to Yellowstone. We greeted the slow-rising day by stopping at Artist's Point to view the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with all its morning glorious yellows and pinks. We stopped often to view wildlife as we trekked to the Lamar Valley. We saw two wolves lying in wait for a female elk; they had forced her out to a shallow patch in the lake, and she stood still there for hours, knowing they had her cornered. We saw black and grizzly bears, big horn sheep, bison, sand-hill cranes, swans, great blue herons... We stopped to tour geyser basins and hot springs, and picnicked while viewing a grizzly on the hill. We spent the night in the historic Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, and the girls and I spent a quiet morning while Erik drove away in the dark in search of more wildlife. When he returned, we headed towards Old Faithful, stopping to fry pancakes and bacon at a lookout along the way. Elisa slept through the eruption of Old Faithful, but she loved the shimmering golds and blues of the many other geysers and bubbling springs. And she LOVED waking up to a happy cup of pink sherbet. :) It was fun to see familiar sights with the girls and to try to explain some of God's miracles in kid-friendly terms. And I was thrilled to see grizzlies and wolves - that was a first for me.

Bison crossing the road behind us

Elisa, leaning over the boiling, sparkling colors

My three favorite people in the world

We spent two nights at home, then the girls and I left on Tuesday afternoon to drive to Salt Lake and board a midnight plane to Ohio. We traveled blearily through the night, and arrived Wednesday morning. Amy, Nana and baby "Buddy" (as Sadie now calls him) were there to pick us up. Ryan's track meet began on Thursday. I am so proud of that crazy tough kid! He has class, determination, and talent and I think he's pretty great (I am not biased). He gritted out an 11th place finish in the decathlon, battling nagging injuries, a whopper of a cold, and sunstroke! He had to have an IV put in on Friday afternoon between events. The girls and Ephraim loved cheering and clapping for Uncle Ryan. He had season's best performances in the 100, the long jump, and the 400(I think), and personal bests (ever) in the pole vault and shot put. I was so proud of him running the 1500 at the end... you could tell he was so tired, but on the last lap he went deep and pushed hard. We are so thankful we had the opportunity to be there to cheer for Ryan and his awesome teammates.

We were able to stay in a beautiful brick hotel across the river in West Virginia. The 500 square foot room offered plenty of space for three babies to toddle, and all three slept well. We felt pampered by the services they offered, and were sad to leave! Seriously, I don't think any of us realized the history and beauty this corner of the country offered. We were in Amish country, and it was green and beautiful and full of age-old stories. We wished we had arranged to stay another day or two.

On Monday, Ryan's sweet girlfriend and a handful of other teammates passed through Jackson. (They had driven to Ohio (over 35 hours) to cheer for their friends.) We were able to serve them a simple meal, offer them beds, floor space, and showers, and send them back on their way. We wished they could have stayed to see some of Jackson's beauty, but they had to hurry home. We felt honored Emily, Casey, Garrett, Adam, and Cindy stopped to see us. Thanks, guys!

At home, our lettuce is ready to harvest, and the cucumbers finally sprouted. Yeah! My tomato plants are in the ground and the sun is shining! Hurray!


Sadie playing at the pole vault.

Elisa climbing the stadium ramps

Ephraim - toppling over the netting

Up and over! He cleared 14' 7 ".

Welcome to West Virginia!

Contentment

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RYAN! My awesome brother turns 23 today! And, by the way, he is also a college graduate (as of last Saturday!) We love you, bro!

~

"Godliness with contentment is great gain!"

During these last weeks, the Lord has been showing me the joy He brings into our hearts when we make Him the center of our lives. Here are few moments of simple, God-given joy.

Contentment through Godliness is...

- a four person game of Duck, Duck, Goose in your living room... with your one-year-old shirtless, running around saying "Doose, Doose, wun!" and country music blaring over the squeals of your three-year-old.

- preparing a frilly tea party for your little girl, and having her say "Mother dahling, would you care for some tea?" in a hilarious British accent.

-hearing your children awake at 6:15, then listening to them giggle and chatter in their room until 7:20 while you enjoy leisurely morning tea with the King of Kings.

-sharing a Plowman's lunch with your girls on a blanket in the yard while a Spring drizzle patters down on you.

- watching your husband grow as a spiritual leader, wise papa, and disciplined man of God.


and

- sitting beside your friend who just lost her husband, and listening to her share verse after verse about God's tender faithfulness, and share about her trust in His love and provision for her family... even though her heart is absolutely broken and she misses Jeff so much. That is the supernatural peace of Christ restoring her heart as she seeks only Him.