Wordless Wednesday . . . Teddi Style

~ These were taken the day of Teddi's school rodeo --as we were leaving I asked her if she would please lean on the bike rack, for a picture. What you see was all her own doing. Totally Teddi. Have I mentioned how much I love this silly little girl?

Oops, that's not wordless is it? I have such a hard time with that. Wordless just isn't me. :)

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

Memorial Box Monday ~ 112 W. Park

For a full scoop on MBM, see this post.

You can also visit Linny, creator of MBM,

@ A Place called Simplicity, here.

Memorial Box Monday ~ 112 W. Park

In July 0f 2002, our family returned to the U.S. after a three year tour in Okinawa, Japan. Our next assignment would be taking us to San Antonio, Texas. Before heading for Texas we took leave in Michigan, to spend time with our families. It was a wonderful time of catching up with loved ones after having lived so very far away. After two weeks or so of vacation, Bryan headed to San Antonio to "house hunt" and to begin his new job. The kids and I stayed behind in Michigan to soak up a little more summer, and to give Bryan time to preview houses.

Each evening Bry would call to check in. We didn't have the convenience of cell phones yet, so there were no hourly updates, no text messaging, and no "play by play" as Bry looked at house . . .after house . . . after house with the realtor.

We had been praying all along that the Lord would lead us where He wanted us. Yet, each day, Bry's house hunting report was the same-- too much money for the size . . . too crammed together with the neighboring houses . . . good price-- but needs too much work . . . not a good neighborhood . . . not a good drive to work . . . school system less than desirable. So it went for several tiring days, with each day being a little more frustrating than the day before.

At the end of the week, at the end of yet another phone update, there were still no houses on the maybe list. I prayed with Bry, "Lord, we KNOW that You have a neighborhood for us, we know that You have a house, will you please show us where it's at?"

Bry replied, "I need a sign. I need a really big sign."

I added to our prayer, "Lord, would you please give us a really big sign?"

The next day, Bry called again. "How would you feel about living in a small town, about 30 miles south of San Antonio?" (He went on to say that it was about the size of the Michigan town we had both grown up in-- pop. 4,000)

My immediate reponse was, "What is the name of the town?" Looking back, this question seems a little odd, since I really didn't know any small Texas towns. Nevertheless, that is the first thing that came out of my mouth.

Bry's answer?

"Devine"

"Divine?" (insert silent gulp)

Yes, with an "e".

"Uh, Bry, I think that might be our sign. Our really big sign."

And so it was that 112 West Park, in Devine, Texas, became our home for the next three years. You can't tell by the picture, but it was a sprawling house, with a very large addition that went off the back of the 70 year old original home. It had four bedrooms, two baths, a huge living room/dining room, and a game room that by itself was nearly the size of other homes we have lived in--no kidding.

It also had an overgrown back yard (that had been used as a horse pasture, yes-- in town), red shag carpet in the master bedroom, 70's wallpaper in the kitchen (and it was not vintage cute, I assure you), a sinking floor in the game room, a slowly falling ceiling in the living room --and other interesting quirks. Along with the horse outside, there had been several pets living inside, including cats--which means when we did our final walk through, my eyes swelled nearly shut. Nice.

Every small Texas town has a Dairy* Queen. Really they do. Just ask anyone from Texas. Of course this was where we went to celebrate our new home. Let's just say, at that point, I was finding the whole scenario less than divine. I went in the bathroom of Dairy* Queen, and. I. cried. Oh, yes I did.

It got better. Much better.

I prayed that the Lord would put anything, anything under that red-shag-allergy-laden-carpet, in the master bedroom. It was going to have to come out immediately. I walked in the house, our house now, pulled back a corner of the carpet . . . and shouted for JOY! Gorgeous hard wood floors. Divine!

My dad and step-mom came to visit from Michigan. They had the awful wallpaper down in no time! Cheery yellow paint nicely covered the old walls, and many other small jobs were taken care of too-- by my carpenter daddy! My in-laws came to visit and my mother-in-law made it her task to spend countless hours on a tall ladder removing a very girlie wallpaper boarder (again--horses) from Brady's room. My father-in-law completed many of the "honey-do" jobs, and beautifully rebuilt the backyard fence, as a surprise. Divine. The Lord provided someone from our new church to redo the falling ceiling, for a very good price!

The house that I had cried over, quickly became our comfortable home, and Devine became a place where precious memories would be made. There was my first driver-- Bryce, along with his first car. Small town homecomings, and proms. A big promotion for Bryan was celebrated at this address . . .

Our special delivery, Brogan, came home to Devine.

Bryce graduated high school in Devine.

and in the same graduating class with Bryce,

was a Devine native,

known as Frankie . . .

and now known as my son-in-law!

We now have forever ties, to that little Texas town.

Into our Memorial Box, will go a picture of the sign that you see when you drive into town. I need to have the Newly's take a pic, the next time they go. For now I will leave you with the words from the town website-- they read the same as the sign . . .

As we go through this life, things happen, times change, decisions have to be made . . .

Thank you Lord, that when we come to these crossroads of life, and we ask for You to give us a sign of direction, a really big sign, You answer!

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

~ After three years in Devine, we were transferred to a base in Florida (and sold our Devine house--another God story). Two years later, Bryan received a new assignment back to Texas, this time at a different base, on the northeast corner of San Antonio. For now, we are happily living in base housing-- there is no red shag carpeting, but there are hard wood floors. For that I am grateful!

Wordless Wednesday . . .

Blessings from my silly nest~

Tina

Giveaway Winners . . .

Three Hearts of Hope for Haiti . . .

Six friends in the running --

some old, and some newly "delurked" . . .

one helpful husband . . .

and . . .

two little "revealers"

(one sporting a very big change to his grin,

and one wanting to show off her freshly painted project) . . .

and the winners are . . . Addie . . . and Sarah . . .

and Karin!

My heartfelt thanks to those of you who continue to love on and pray for Haiti, to those of you who have shown (and received) some crazy love, and for those of you who delurked--I'm so blessed to know that you are visiting my nest!

Congrats to Addie, Karin and Sarah! Will you girls please email me (from my sidebar) with your addresses? Thank you!

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

(For my dear friend Alycia--who also left a giveaway comment, I didn't include you in the drawing as I already had a little heart for your precious waiting Adahlyn! It'll be on its way soon!)

Wordless Wednesday & Last Call for Giveaway

* * * * * * *

If you missed my lil' Giveaway, post-- click here! If you've given away some Crazy Love, let me know quick! I'm going to wrap it up on Friday!

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

New Life!

I ran across this picture last night -- taken a couple of summers ago in my sister's backyard. I love butterflies, I think they are truly one of God's masterpieces, but more so I love what they represent. Beauty. Transformation. New life.

Do you notice the way the butterfly is resting on the flower? Without concern, it seems, for the bee that is also there? What a picture of the resurrected Christ --

New life!

The grave was conquered.

Jesus removed the sting of death.

For us.

That we might live forever.

With Him.

Sin, where are your shackles?

Death, where is your sting?

Hell; has been defeated.

The grave could not hold the King.

(From "Arise My Love" by Newsong)

Tonight as this Easter Day comes to a close, I rejoice that the grave could not hold the King!

My King. Where would I be without you Jesus? My heart is overwhelmed at Your goodness towards me. Thank you for giving your very life, that I might be washed as white as snow. Thank you for your grace, which allows me to fail, but cheers me to rise again. Oh where would I be without you?

Tonight I also rejoice, as I remember another sweet Easter memory . . .

Ten years ago, on a chilly Easter Sunday, in Okinawa, Japan . . . my three bigs were baptized in the East China Sea. I don't have the pictures from that day scanned, but the one above was taken around the same time--and at the very place of their baptisms. A beautiful coral cove, handcrafted by our heavenly Father. Life is so sweet.

I love to ponder the thought that five years later my Teddi girl was born -- on China's southern coast, in Zhuhai. Her city is about six hundred miles south of Okinawa if you were to travel in this very same body of water-- the water that my first babies were baptized in.

Eight years after Bryce, Taylor and Brady were baptized, we stood once again, looking out over this beautiful (South) China Sea , as we said goodbye to Teddi's homeland.

This time, another transformation took place --

as a tiny girl took the hand of her daddy,

and became a daughter forever, an orphan no more.

New life.

Transformation!

Today, our girl celebrated the resurrection with her family. She now understands that Jesus died on the cross for us. For her.

She knows that she is forgiven.

She knows that He loves her, and that He thinks she's beautiful.

New life. Transformation.

Thank you Jesus for the way You have blessed us, and for the way you have woven our family's story together over the seas. Thank you for the new life we have in You. Thank you that we are Yours.

Thank you Jesus, for the cross.

The grave could not hold the King!

Blessings from my Easter nest ~

Tina

Happy Birthday Frankie!

Last year on May 23rd, when the Newlys said their "I do's", my nest gained a fine bird! Frankie has been a part of us for a long time, he and Taylor started dating in 2003, nearly seven years ago-- before Grinner was even around! But today was special to me because it was Frankie's first birthday as my son-in-law!

My birds were born in January, February, March and May. We were only missing April for a perfect winter to spring run . . . Frankie fills the gap nicely!

Frankie is creative (an Art Institute of Houston grad), he is kind, he is generous, he is a great son-in-law, a super fun brother-in-law . . .

he is a wonderful husband to my girl . . . and he loves the Lord! I couldn't ask for more!

An added bonus that our family received with Frankie, is his family and extended family! Our own families are scattered from Michigan to Florida-- a long way away from us. Frankie is a Texas boy, with a big Texas family, and they have welcomed us with open arms on many occasions. What a sweet blessing!

Francisco Z. ~ You color our world!

You add a splash to our family that makes us richer!

We are blessed to call you our son-in-love!

Happy 24th birthday from all of us!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, on your birthday and always.

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina