June misc.

Charlie loves holding his baby brother

Charlie and Daddy doing swim lessons



R.I.P bouncy seat





I love this picture!

Birthday Party

Aunt Nancy's cake creation

Baptism

This weekend, in addition to celebrating Charlie's 2nd birthday, we also celebrated my baptism. It's something I've thought about doing for a few years, but I finally knew the time was right. We have found an awesome church community that God has used to make a lot of things finally "click" for me. Before being baptized, I had to share my testimony with the church. I figure, what's the point of sharing it with 750 people whom I'm barely know, if I don't also share it with my friends and family. So here it is:

Growing up, I always knew about God and Jesus, but Jesus was just someone who was a really good person whom we should all try to emulate, and God was a judge who doled out reward or punishment based on our actions, and if we tried hard enough we would go to heaven. In high school I began to realize it was a little more than that; God desired a relationship with me through his son Jesus. I feel like God was calling me as one of His own during these high school years, and at an FCA retreat I made a prayer of commitment to Him.

It’s been a long 15 years since then, and I feel like I’m actually just now understanding what that means. Even though I understood in my head that Jesus paid the only price for my salvation, and I desired a personal relationship with Him, I still tried to earn it on my good behavior. I’ve always been a “good” person by the world’s standards so I don’t think I truly realized my need for the cross. I still tried to impress God by being good. As if I can impress Him! And all the while, He was waiting for me to stop looking at what I had done, and instead look at what He had done.

I think I did things kind of backwards. I accepted God’s saving grace before I really knew what I needed saving from. But throughout the last year, through a move, the birth of our second child and getting connected here at The Village, God led me to a place that exposed my sin. He exposed my pride. My failure to show grace to His people. My putting faith in things other than Him: my husband, my kids, my success. He exposed my arrogance in thinking that I could make it through this life and on to the next because I was better than everyone else.

So that brings me to today, where I am on my knees asking again for God’s forgiveness and for Him to sanctify me. Not because I deserve it, but because I don’t.

Happy Birthday Charlie!

My little boy turned 2 today! Here's a trip down memory lane:

June 28, 2007

June 28, 2008

June 28, 2009

Alaska Trip

Here are a few photos from my trip to Denali State Park and Kenai Peninsula in Alaska.

Humpback whale



Holgate Glacier



My friend Bill caught a 257 lb. halibut. He entered a contest to see who could catch the biggest halibut in June. First prize is $10,000 and so far no one has beaten him.









Mount McKinley

The Family with LT

I was doing a video shoot with LaDainian Tomlinson and got him to take a picture with Gretchen and the boys. Charlie wasn't quite sure what to think about it but he will appreciate it when he's older.

Nate's first time in the exersaucer

Charlie's first time in the exersaucer, Nov. 2007