Hazel 9 months

It's hard to get past the title. Our Hazel turned 9 months old on the 20th of March. The following pictures were taken the day before her 9th month of life. She is a darling to us. We all enjoy Hazel very much. She is a beautiful little baby. Her hair is growing faster now and it's started to lay down without an oil treatment. Her eyes are still as blue as deep sea waters and her smile melts our hearts. As her pink shirt suggests.. she is "always faithful." We know what time she'll wake up; 5:30a.m., we know when she goes to bed; 7:30 p.m., we know what she eats; yoghurt with rice cereal, we know what toy she enjoys; her mexican rattle, we know her favorite blankies; they're both pink. 

Waiting for another bite of yogurt cereal.

Sporting her black polka dotted birthmark.

Waiting in the window for me to come and pick her up.

Standing on her own.

Helping me fold the clothes.

Trying to figure out her poppa.. 

There you have her, Hazel at 9 months old.

Are You Hungry?

We all have experienced hunger pangs. Have you ever gone to bed hungry? Maybe you were a kid and you were sent to bed without dinner. Maybe you were recovering from a virus and went to bed out of fear of what might happen if you did eat. Sure, we've all felt that pang of want but only to a small extent. None of us has gone to bed night after night after night hungry. None of us has ever watched a loved one die of hunger.

Here are some hunger facts:

Fact: A child dies from hunger-related causes every 8 to 12 seconds.*

That’s as many as 11,000 children younger than 5 — killed every day. Some actually starve. The immune systems of others are powered down by malnutrition, leaving the door wide open for deadly diseases.

And hunger is only one threat facing kids. In all, more than 22,000 die every day — almost all of them from simple causes with existing cures: diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia, hunger, and more. That’s the real injustice — that the vast majority of these deaths are 100% preventable.

Fact: Globally, 925 million people are hungry.

That’s roughly 3 times the population of the U.S. going to bed hungry every night.

Why so hungry? Many families depend entirely on what they can grow, so they’re never more than one natural or manmade disaster away from hunger. Others work day and night, but still can barely afford enough food for their children.

This weekend, Colby, Jackie, and Jake are participating in what's called a 30 Hour Famine. For 30 hours they will not eat. Instead they will devote themselves to fasting and while fasting they'll pray for the hungry. They'll study about impoverished countries who see people die every day of hunger. They'll also do some community work for the homeless and the helpless as well as volunteer to clean and serve at a rest home. 

My purpose in writing this is to stir your heart. Please pray for my family during this time. Please pray especially for my kiddos who live in such a way that they have no wants. Please pray that God would use this time to awaken a desire to serve and see others blessed ahead of themselves.

If you feel led and are able would you consider making a contribution to World Vision? All moneys collected go to the impoverished and hungry. I realize it's short notice. If you are able to give send me an email at christie.reynolds@me.com with your donation amount. Jake and I can write a check to World Vision for any pledges we receive.

Thanks for your time and most importantly your prayers!

Sweet Jackie is 13!

Sometimes, I think back to when my young man and my now young woman were littles. My days were filled with changing diapers, teaching colors, walks to the park, endlessly pushing swings, sitting in the front yard exploring under rocks in search of critters, vacuuming and sweeping at least once a day (there was time to do that then), going to the weekly "play date" and having a quiet house at exactly 7:30 pm every night. Those times make me smile.. sometimes relieved and sometimes for the pleasure of the simplicity of it all. There are days that those times seem like only yesterday and there are other days when those times seem like a decade or more! Monday was one of those times. I woke up to a daughter who was so little just a few moments ago and is now a young woman! I can hardly believe how quickly the time has flown by. I still remember the night she was born. I think everyone in our family does. Grandparents abounded nearby and all of us anxiously awaited her arrival. Jackie, we didn't expect you to be born in the car behind a gas station next to a McDonald's. But, that's where God made you come. That's where our lives suddenly changed with the entrance of a baby girl into our midst. My darling we are so blessed to have you in our family. We are so thankful to God for your precious life. You are a godly example to us all. We love you! May you continue to grow in deep, rich inner beauty. May you continue to grow in outward beauty as well.

Monday evening we celebrated in full excitement. Jake came home from work as early as he could manage. With the rolling of his vehicle up the driveway the front door swung open and Jackie raced down the hill to greet him. It reminded me of something out of a magical far off place and I had to pinch myself and thank God that it was real.  Jackie wore her Mexican dress for the occasion. She received a special package in the mail from her dear friend Katherine in California. She wore the flower that was in that package and the hat that was there too. 

Here she is all dressed up for her celebration.

Jake put on the oldies and the two of them danced around the kitchen. Louisa and Libby danced around them in circles. It was pretty sweet.

Jackie reading a card. 

She received a promise and a very special ring.

As per the usual course, Jackie requested a Red Velvet Cake and her request was granted.

I am so thankful for you, Jackie. What a blessed woman I am.

Benjamin is 11

Our third born, our first blond haired blue eyed child, our only lefty (as far as we know), turned 11 yesterday. We are so blessed. Benjamin is a such a child of passion. He is so beautiful in that whatever he takes interest in he charges it with full Gusto! He doesn't back down and is an intrepid little boy. He loves baseball. He loves and is very attentive to his little sister Louisa. He plays outside for hours on end. He builds a campfire like the pros. He isn't afraid of spiders nor dogs that stray into our yard. If you remember last years March birthdays you'll remember that he was bit on the heel by a stray dog... So, yes, he is Benjamin the Bold.

We celebrated him in typical Reynolds fashion. There was a huge pot of homemade spaghetti sauce with a "double portion of sausage." There was homemade dinner rolls that melt in your mouth. We enjoyed Luscious Slush Punch throughout the afternoon as well. After dinner he opened presents and while he enjoyed his new treasures we scrubbed down the kitchen. Louisa organized a birthday game for us. It was a version of Sardines except that we were split into boy girl teams. Girls hid first and the boys found us. Salt went bananas.. what else is knew? While I was hiding behind the surfboard in the corner of the basement I could hear Silas saying, "Oh no daddy, I forgot my sword and shield!" and then Samuel kept repeating, "HIDE, HIDE." It was so sweet. It's hard to hide silently and laugh.

Okay on with the pictures. If you have some place to go now's a good time... Lots o' pics ahead!

Here's an old one for posterity's sake.  January 2003 Okuma, Okinawa, Japan.

Hazel during the midst of the afternoon punch fest.

Ben is super pleased his dad's home (you can see the Red Iron pulling up the driveway in the background)

Sweet Moment.

Libby labored a long time over her card for her big brother.

Oh yeah! Root Beer and Pringles from big brother.

Salt's very offended by all the trash on the floor.

Things started to get a little crazy.

A little crazier. (You're hurting my eyes, Lou.)

This house is split when it comes to baseball!

A moment of beauty and peace.

Ben, open your mouth bigger please.

There was full success after that breath.

Samuel signs, "EAT."

Benjamin, may you grow to have passions for the Lord that are far greater than any temporary worldy pleasure. May you continue to grow strong and beautiful. May you never withhold and always charge forward. We thank God that you get to be in our family. We love you son and Happy Birthday!

Refreshing my Mind

Psalm 39:4-6

4 "O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5  Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!
6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

These verses out of Psalms minister to me greatly. Surely my days are fleeting and my end will be soon, but a breath, but a mist, but a shadow and they are gone. The days that God has given I want to live so that they are a pleasing aroma before the Lord. If I could just keep from wasting any of this precious time with my children and my dear husband. Only through the wisdom of the Lord will I ever learn to count my days and count the moments. Storing them and treasuring each of them.

11 .. 33 ..

I was tagged to play a blog game by my friend Christy Steel.
I have to say 11 things about myself and answer 11 questions and then make up 11 questions. Now that I've added that up I'm going to have to change the title of this blog from 11 to 33. There it is... ok. 33 not 11.


The Rules

1. You must post the rules. 
2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post. 
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged. 
4. Tag eleven people and link them on your post. 
5. Let them know you've been tagged!

Alright, 11 things about me you probably wish you didn't know.


1. When I am driving and I come upon a gate that's closed I have an extremely strong urge to drive at full speed and bust through it. Really, every. single. time. I see one I relive one of those action sequences from the movies, except I'm the one behind the wheel.


2. I don't like to be kissed on the ear. It causes this screeching sound and it hurts.


3. My son says that I'm funny. I never knew I was funny.


4. As a young girl my mom would buy these chewable orange flavored vitamin C's. I thought they were the best thing ever and I'd sneak them, often.


5. I never thought I'd actually find a husband. I wasn't payed much attention to in school and honestly thought that something might be wrong with me. I am so thankful that God gave me Jacob.


6. I never knew we'd have more than 4 children. When I found out I was pregnant with Libby I cried.


7. Moving around so much is extremely difficult for me.


8. When I was a little girl my younger brother stoned me. Well, he actually threw a rock at me. I delighted in the fact that he'd be spanked for his incredulous action.... I know that was really bad of me to delight in his demise.


9. I have these strange little bumps on my arms that won't go away no matter how many times I scrub them. Isn't that weird?


10. I eat ice cream with an extremely small spoon so that it lasts a long time. As a matter of fact I eat all of my desserts this way. When I have chocolate it tends to remain for an uncommonly long time. I don't indulge and eat the whole bar, but rather eat a bit at a time over a period of a month. That's strange huh?


11. I don't like other people's feet to touch mine. It makes me feel extremely weird and angry.


Okay, to answer Christy's questions:

What is your earliest childhood memory? 
There was a storm in the dark of night and my father had to go outside and do something to make our lights come back on. My mom was sitting beside me near the door and there was a dog there.

What is your worst/most embarrassing childhood memory? 
Locking myself into a bathroom stall in middle school and needing help to get out.

Name one of your greatest strengths and one of your greatest weaknesses. 
Strength: Being married to a Marine and having to pack up our life every 1-4 years.

Weakness: Assuming I know what people are thinking about me.

10 years ago, where did you see yourself today? 

Doing the same thing I was doing then.. being a wife and mother.

How is real life like or different from your vision? 
I never really had a vision.. I was just living one day at a time. In college I took roller skating for a credit.. 

Duggars- love them or hate them? 
I'm humbled by them. So LOVE is the answer. 

What is one charity or cause that you are especially passionate about? 
Compassion International.

What is the hobby that you wish you had time/money to pursue, but don't? 
Time to pursue along with warmth of climate would be Surfing. But, only because Jake enjoys it so much.

Who is the person in your life who has had the greatest impact on who you are? 
I don't know if I can answer this question. God has used many more people than one. 

If you met President Obama and had the opportunity to ask him one question, what would it be?

Your mother gave birth to you, gave you a name, and raised you... Why do you sanction the murder of innocent children in the womb?

What book, besides the Bible, has influenced you the most? 
It was a devotional book for couples that Jake and I read by James Dobson. It upset our marriage in a very good way and helped to turn us around for good!

If I gave you $100 right now, with no strings attached except that you had to spend it, what would you do with it? 
Buy a pretty dress or some fabric.

11 Questions from me:

1. Worst Habit?

2. Where did you meet your spouse? I want details.

3. If you could sit down and eat dinner with one person who would it be? They can be living or dead.

4. What's your favorite side dish at Thanksgiving?

5. What's your dream vacation?

6. What book has influenced you most?

7. Why don't you like brussel sprouts? If you do like them, how do you prepare them?

8. What do you wish you would have spent more time doing 5 years ago?
9. If you live to be 90 years old what will have been most important to you?
10. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?
11. What's the last thing you do before you shut off the lights?


I'm tagging:
1. Colby
2. Jackie
3. Jake
4. Aunt Claire
5. Mrs. Jackson
6. Mrs. Rogers
7. Mrs. Kremer
8. Mrs. Thomas
9. Mrs. Schloss
10. Cousin Jen       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  11. Mom--You can do it on facebook or something. :)

38

I can not believe that today is Jake's 38th birthday. It amazes me. I've known this dear man for such a long time. We have lived a lot of life together and I'm humbled that he is mine. I never thought I'd be married to such a devoted, wise, amazing man. 

Tomorrow we will celebrate his day with cake, punch, and lasagna. Jake has grown from a young man who thought mostly of baseball and how to pass an accounting class to a humble man of the Lord, father of 8, husband to an utterly crazy Texas girl, and a stunning Officer of the Marine Corps.. did I mention how handsome he is???

Jake, we are so proud of you and thank the Lord for your work in taking excellent care of this family and pleasing the Lord in your doing so. You are a treasure to us all and the crown of your children. 

XOXO

Update 2/25/12 We celebrated and I snapped some pictures of the sweetness:

Normal and Sweet

Crazy and Still Sweet

Who Needs a Fire Extinguisher?