My Beautiful Blessings: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

My favorites...

My two all time favorite littles...

Ya sure do make me smile!

Friday, July 29, 2011

One week ago today I was in Cape Cod celebrating with family at the wedding of Bryan and Cara. It was a blazing hot day but that didn't keep us from having a great time!! The bride was simply gorgeous in every way possible...

and the groom's best accessory was the enormous grin that he sported
all! day! long!!

We couldn't be happier to have welcomed Cara into our family. She is the sweetest. She mentioned more than once how happy she was to have us all there... let me assure you it was our pleasure!

Our cousins Bryan and Sara have always lived miles away from us. We don't get to see each other at every holiday or celebrate every birthday together but we love them every bit as much as if they lived just down the street. When we do get together it is as if time hasn't passed and we all pick up right where we left off.

Have I mentioned our family rocks?

Speaking of family...

Father and mother of the groom.

Aunt Jan does not miss a holiday or birthday, she is seriously as amazing as they come, totally lurve her!!

Sister of the groom, Sara and her friend

My bro and fave sister in love...

The lovely David and Holly

Look at these crazy cats, they speak for themselves don't cha think? :)

And for all of those not pictured it is certainly not because you are not loved to pieces, but it may have been because you were too sweaty for a photo op? Seriously when I said blazing I meant blazing!! We are pretty sure it is because Cara and Bryan are such a HOT couple, agreed?!

Cara and Bryan,

I speak for our whole family when I say we couldn't be happier for you. We wish you nothing but happiness as you begin your forever together. We pray that the love you feel today will only grow stronger as each year passes. Love hard, forgive easily, remember that the little things do matter and take the time to enjoy them together!! Be blessed lovelies!!

PS we are all a little bummed that you decided not to honeymoon in Michigan with your rockin family but have decided to overlook it if you promise to come and visit soon, just sayin...

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Cousins meet

Yesterday I took the kids to meet their new cousin Makenzie Kate. What a doll baby!! We are all in love with this sugar!! Can hardly wait until she is old enough to cause ~~trouble~~ excitement with our Madsy girl, her BFF!! :)

Madelyn felt like such a big girl when she got to hold baby Mak!

Collin declined to hold her as he wasn't sure "if boys were supposed to like babies" haha but it didn't stop him from giving her a little tickle!!

A gentle touch...

A sweet kiss...

And a happy smile to let you know just how much we love you!!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Happy Anniversary babe!!

9 years...

2 beautiful blessings...

and a happily ever after!!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Goodbye for just awhile

This is the face of a very special man. A man who is fiercely loved. A man who changed the world one heart at a time. A man who was adored everywhere he went. A man who loved Jesus more than anything this world had to offer. A man whose faith became sight when he met his beloved savior face to face today.

Yes this is the face of a very special man.

This man has a name...Mr. Charles Unseld.

Uncle Charlie wasn't a blood relative of mine, but he most certainly was a family member...my dad's very best friend. It would never be possible for me to string enough words together in a blog post to accurately describe just how wonderful he was. If you knew him, you loved him. In fact, you didn't even have to know him, if your path ever crossed his then you were blessed by him, no doubt. He had this gift of making you feel like you were the most special, the most talented, the most interesting, the most loved. Life never seemed to get him down. In fact, he would always say, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it". He lived a full and rich life for Jesus. I am sure that when he reached the gates of heaven God stretched out his arms and said "well done my good and faithful servant", welcome home...

I spent most of the day just weeping. In fact, at one point Collin came to me and asked "mommy why do you have such sad eyes?" Bless his sweet heart.

At 8:01 I received this message...

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Uncle Charlie has entered into his presence..."

I immediately fell to pieces. And yet this warm blanket of joy and peace washed over me in that moment as I thought about sweet Uncle Charlie coming face to face with Jesus Christ. I immediately began to pray, thanking God for the blessed assurance that this is not the end...

I sat down to write this as a tribute to a man that our family so deeply loved. A man who had an immense impact on each of our lives. He would be touched I'm sure, but what he would really want is for me to say something to shift your eyes towards the cross. So let me end by asking you...Do you know Jesus? It is because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross that we can rejoice in the midst of our earthly sorrow. We rejoice because a saint has been called home to his eternal dwelling to live for eternity with his precious saviour that he so deeply loved. Christ gave his life so that we would be saved, saved from the sorrow and pain that this world has to offer...

Jesus died on a cross.

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

It was my sin that held Him there.

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed."
Isaih 53:4-5

...they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
Matthew 27:28-31

His wounds have paid my ransom.

"He said, it is finished and He bowed his head and gave up the ghost"

John 19:30

"By his wounds we are healed"
Isiah 53:5

The story doesn't end at the grave...
my King rose from the dead and reigns in heaven!
Praise be to our almighty Father!

"They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did

not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words. When they

came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others"

Luke 24:2-9

He overcame the grave and Christ has risen!

Will you rise when HE calls your name?