One Year

Happy Birthday, Rebekah Grace An hour old, March 10, 2008

2 weeks old

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

1 year

We love you, sweet girl.

A Blessing

I am very blessed to have a mother that offers to do really great wonderful things for me so I don't over stress and have to internally combust. One of the really wonderful things she has done is have a first birthday party for Rebekah in Jackson for our Jackson family and friends so I didn't have too....completely wonderful.

Without further delay, here are the birthday pictures and video.

Happy 1st Birthday, Rebekah!

...just a few days early

The Carter Clan
The king and princess

Beks and her Mamie

The birthday Creep and the little Creeps

aka Beks, Bryant, and Mary Clare

Miles telling Bekah all about the Easter Egg

"A chick! Mom, I got a chick!"A down moment with her Daddy

A little song. I think someone needs a voice lesson or two.

I'm pretty sure that someone is me. Ouch! Mamie and Beks blow out the candle on her cake from Grandmother.

"Let's see if I can get some of that green stuff"

Refined Sugar...a first.

"Mamie! You have to try this stuff!"A first bite of ice cream....

and it looks like she did get the icecream gene from her Momma.

I foresee lots of important talks over icecream in our future. YES!!!

Hanging out with Momma's other favorite while Mom finds some icing free clothes.

And the winners of the Proudest Great Grandparents Award goes to...the Bakers.Miles and Beks

We've been seeing this excited face A LOT lately. She loves her giraffe from the Creeps.

Baby Creep loves Creep. On a sugar high.Laughing in the yard.
She loves the chick. We had a whirlwind trip for a fabulous birthday party with people we love who happen to love our babe. It was great.

Next party, next weekend, more pictures then.

Our Weekend Guests

We really enjoyed our visit with this talented blog writer...see blog here. Rebekah enjoyed "playing" with her. McKayla was kind enough to let her Mom tag along on the visit. This Momma enjoyed that Momma. I hadn't seen her in 4 years.December 18, 2004December 31, 2004

THEN.

NOW.

A few things have changed; BIG TIME.

The girls playing with Beks's "Happy Birthday" balloon from KaaKaa.McKayla is a skilled jumper. She showed Rebekah how it is supposed to be done.We also made a quick trip to Kamper park so the wee ones could swing.

Beks on the slide like a big girl. Rebecca and McKayla on another slide.

All in all, I found our visit spectacular!

I haven't written publicly on this in quite some time. Some things changed Tuesday.

(If the video isn't working, here's the link.)

My very human nature has had a taste of "justice" in this life.

This is scary and intimidating stuff to me.

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. -Romans 12:9

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. -Ecc. 12:14

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: -Luke 6:37

It is a wee bit difficult not to judge when I'm hurt.

It is hard not to be too joyful and prideful at this man's sentencing.

It is hard to pray for this man's soul and his eternity (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27, Luke 6:35).

It is hard to forgive when a person doesn't seem to be repentant

(Matthew 6:12, Mark 11:26, Luke 23:34).

And at times like these, I'm so glad I'm not in charge of the world.

I find rest in the truth that my God carries me and gives me a peace that passes all understanding.

I'm so thankful that in His grace alone He chose me, forgave me, and saved me from myself.

Here's a song that has been speaking to my broken and bent heart lately...

(to listen, page down and turn off the other music then page back up and click play)

Love them!

Love It

What a week!

This week most of us have had some kind of sickness. J.R. on Sunday. KA on Wednesday and Thursday. NO. FUN.

Aside from the sickness, we rode bikes and walked. And some of us shopped (Thanks, J.R.) And one of us painted.

Rebekah has been pretty perfect. She thinks she is a grown up. And she has grown so much.

It is hard to believe her birthday is literally around the corner. She is really laughing at us, lately. This week she has enjoyed giving us a toy, just to take it away.

This weekend, J.R. worked in the yard A LOT. He also bought a tractor. He has some lofty plans for our piece of land.

Our calendar is pleasantly blank for the majority of this week but I will be super busy painting.

I have several things I would like to finish before Friday and must finish before Spring Break.

Our every March weekend is booked and busy with birthday parties and baby showers and weddings.

And this weekend, we are really looking forward to a visit from the super cute author of Life in the Eyes of a Child. Rebekah can't wait for her to get here so they can trade hair secrets.