more summer fun

We've had a great past week full of all kinds of adventures. Mercy helped Andy put together her new toddler bed, Andy went backpacking with a friend to Crater Lake, and Mercy got to visit our good friend Brady at his beautiful garden here in Boulder.

In on every bit of the action with Daddy.

Andy checks out the amazing view at Crater Lake.

Taking a break from working in the garden to strike a pose with Brady, though Mercy does seem to be a bit more concerned about her purse than anything else.

Helping Brady pull some clover.

more from the video archives

Here are three videos we made last spring of Mercy's adventures. The first two are general fun times with a lot of editorial experimenting. The third is the official "first crawl" footage set to a Chariots of Fire/Gettin' Jiggy Wit It soundtrack. Definitely a family favorite.


Video #1 - Spring 2006: Hangin' out at home


Video #2 -Spring 2006: She almost crawls.



Video #3 - Spring 2006: She crawls!

from the archives

These are two videos from the last year that are too fun not to share. I'll post more from the archives in the near future!


Video #1 - February 2007: Mercy and I visited Carrie and Dan in L.A. Amy came to visit, too. Fantastic sister/bro-in-law/niece bonding.


Video #2 - August 2006: Mercy walks for the first time!

good times with good friends

I got to spend time with my friends Meggan and Janet today. It was wonderful to enjoy meaningful conversation with both of them. Grateful for the gift of friendship today...and the gift of children (Mercy and John are quite the buddies).

Meggan, John, Mercy, and me

Mercy lovin' on John

Janet and me

family video time

We've been having lots of fun editing family videos since Mercy was born. Now that I've figured out how to post them on our blog, I thought I'd share the latest one. It covers March through early July 2007.

oh so refreshing

We took a stroll down to Boulder Creek today because it's incredibly hot here. Mercy is really starting to get the routine down. She loves splashing around, standing and sitting on rocks, playing with tiny rocks on the shore, and being swung by Andy, of course. We had a great time and are so thankful that the creek is just a block from our house!

morning hike

We took a few hikes this week in the mornings before Andy went to work. He took these shots of Mercy on one of them. I love these photos and feel like they say so much about Mercy. And then there's the pregnant Betsy shot. Oh my.

Lovin' the holiday

Mercy thoroughly enjoyed herself on the 4th.

We saw a parade in the morning, went to two cookouts during the day, and whooped it up at the University of Colorado's stadium for the fireworks in the evening. Mercy wasn't a big fan of the loud fire trucks or fireworks she saw yesterday, but she did seem to be best friends with the kiddy pools she played in. She was completely drenched and had a blast.

Overall, it was a great day with friends and we were so grateful that Andy had the entire day off to relax.

Today Mercy kept the party going by raiding my shoe collection and throwing a little fashion show while blowing her whistle. Excellent morning fun.

ready for the 4th!

yesterday, mercy and i had a bit of a dance party after breakfast. hilarious fun! she was very serious about her dancing, but also offered some lovely smiles. here are the results.

baby girl #2 has been having her own little dance party lately. she's had hiccups a lot, too, which is especially fun for andy. it's really starting to hit us that our new baby will be joining the family in about 7 weeks. wow!

we're loving summer in boulder. we had a great date the other night, thanks to our friend shauna. and we're looking forward to soaking up some holiday fun next week with loved ones. happy 4th!

fun with smokey the bear

mercy just returned from the ranger station with andy. we're planning a camping trip and she was thrilled to be included in the fun. she's sporting her smokey the bear pin and creating a masterpiece on her smokey coloring page. the final shot is from a dress-up session earlier this week.

just eight weeks now until baby #2's due date!

pretty blue dress

mercy had a wonderful time at our friends andy & tara's wedding last weekend. here are a few shots of her during the outdoor reception. she's wearing the lovely dress aunt amy made her.

ponytails and potties

mercy's hair is long enough to pull back in a little ponytail now. what a big girl! we've also started the process of potty training. she's had some early success. we'll see if it lasts...

here are some photos from the past few weeks, including andy and me (and my continually growing belly) after andy photographed a wedding.


fun with mom's shoes

hi cute girl.

after a run-in with a snickers bar

multi-tasking with dad

happy us

season of the slide

Mercy is 20 months old now...just three months away from welcoming her new baby sister into the world! We've hits lots of parks so far this spring and Mercy always gravitates toward the slides. She's basically fearless and loves the thrill of flying down any kind of slide. Here's a photo of her in action during our recent visit to Michigan.

p.s.

mercy's much bigger now at 14 months. she's an excellent reminder of how crazy fast life is.

brilliance

God is stirring up change in this life.

Comparing this photo Andy took last fall to the snow-covered cars outside my window tonight, I am reminded that God is constantly at work. He moves around me, in me, and through me. When I actually quiet myself to see and hear Him, I am weighed down by the thought of all the movement I've missed over the years.

But my eyes are lifted up knowing He's invited me to know more of Him right now.
And to be changed by what I know.
And to live believing what He says about who I am in light of who He is.

God is using His word to stir up change in me since I started studying Romans in September. It's uncomfortable and thrilling. It's like breathing Him in for the first time.

And I want more of it more than anything.