Tidepools!

So here we are at Salt Creek Recreation Area, west of Port Angeles, WA. Steve's mom and sister, Ruth and Heidi, are here to visit. Yay for family, and yay for tidepools! We were totally blessed with great weather-no rain! Today Seattle, tomorrow the world!

Christmas Eve at the Zoo

So we went to the Point Defiance Zoo today and we had SO much fun. Here are a few of the many pictures we took. (we also took some video of the polar bear, and the otters-they were so stinkin' cute!) So here's Jules with two Sumatran tigresses, some reindeer, polar bear close-up, a beluga whale with harbor seals, and the polar bear again. The polar bear was totally playing like our puppy would play in the water. I was amazed. It was a blessing to see so much of God's creation today.

Merry Christmas!

Buddy Now

Dog a la snow

The key to a perfectly round snowman is to start with a good core.

Buddy as a puppy (last summer)

Be a Carpenter as I am a Carpenter?

So, with Jules due in January, I've been working on building a changing table. It's not turning out to be the money-saving course of action that I was anticipating, but I am learning a lot, and I'm also having fun. The goal will be fulfilled also, which is having a functional, good-looking, and sturdy changing table.

Jules had bought me "The Complete Book of Woodworking" for my birthday. It has lots about different kinds of wood, joints, and woodworking techniques, as well as some project plans.
link to the book at Barnes and Noble.com

So I'm having much fun. I confess that at times it is frustrating, especially since I'm taking a plan from the book, and making it longer and taller. Also, I've realized (a couple of times after the fact) that I'd overlooked a couple things. So now, it's actually going have three drawers and a cabinet, with a matching piece of auxiliary furniture- a tall skinny set of four drawers.

As you can see from the photo, Buddy our black lab sometimes helps me with the project :)
steve

Here I am

So the Navy's thinkin about sending us to VA- Portsmouth/VA Beach area. Being great fans of where we are, the other day I begged God to keep us here- for we are with dear community that we love so much, and we had so looked forward to raising our kids together over the next few years.

My mom told me she'd prayed when they'd left CA, home for 12 years, that God had to change her heart for it to FEEL okay, and that God was faithful to provide everything- including the fullness of heart to move on. Wisdom from walking with God thru challenges rocks.

So 3 in the morning the next morning (after begging God to stay) I was woken up and spent about two hours journaling, surrendering my heart about the move to God because, in all actuality, I do only want what God wants for us. We could hold on to what WE want and totally miss out on such amazing blessings that He has for us elsewhere.

Around 5 am, I went back to bed, but couldn't sleep, so I got up again and did the first day of my bible study homework for Beth Moore's The Patriarchs. Do you know what section of Genesis that last week started with? Genesis 46:1-4.

Jacob is moving the whole family to Egypt, a land that'd been forbidden for his father to go to, to be under Joseph's care in the midst of a famine. Verse 2 starts out, "And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, 'Jacob! Jacob!'

'Here I am,' he replied.

'I am God, the God of your father,' he said. 'Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.' "

I couldn't believe God's confirmation of His purpose and mission for us out there- continually throughout the day I was blown away by little reflections of His affirming, "I will go with you & I will bring you back." Whatever that means specifically, it was so wonderful to hear my Lord say, "I know you girl- no matter what, I've got you covered. You are mine."

Praise the Lord for his glorious strength throughout all our lives' journeys. jules<><

Freep

So Jules' bro Steve is taking a break from Photography school in Ventura and is working for the Detroit Free Press (the Freep) as a multimedia intern, with the potential to get hired on as staff. Here is the link to a photo montage/audio story about the people affected by the shrinking auto industry there. It's 4 minutes, and totally worth checking out. It's really well put together, and draws the viewer in with a very well-told story.
http://www.freep.com/assets/slideshows/publish_AUTO_120905/index.html
Go Steve! We love you!
sjc<><

It's snowing!

Here are some Washington images from our Olympic Peninsula & right around our home- islands, peninsulas, water all around. The Olympic Mountain range (in the biggest photo backdropping Bremerton) got snow back in October, but Bremerton, where we live, is getting its first snow of the season right now- it's beautiful! The funniest thing is to see our black lab covered in little snowflakes- yeahoo!j

Daddy luv

I love my dad. He rocks. He works hard, and works with all his heart at the things in his life that matter most. He would always be behind mom while she took pics of us four kids, jumpin around and making crazy noises (which my bros have all inherited;) just to make us laugh. He is strong and he is kind, and I cherish him in my life. j