Summertime!

It's hard to believe that the school year is already over!  It was a wonderful year, and I thank the Lord for my sweet kiddos-an EXCELLENT group for a pregnant teacher. It's funny to think that I was pregnant for almost the entire school year! 

Baby Showers!

At the end of May, my Aunt Krys and cousin Lyndsay threw me an incredible, fresh out of Martha Stewart, baby shower bruncheon!  Everything was color coordinated and absolutely adorable! 

Mmmm... delicious cup cakes from the cupcakery! Love the polka-dots and swirls! 
Lyndsay, pregnant with baby #2 Ellie Grace, (due in early Sept) greeted the guests (my relatives on my mom and dad's side) with a fresh strawberry smoothie. Yum!
Look closely at the cake-it's made of diapers! Isn't that so cool?! 
The outside table- with a gorgeous view of the Missouri River.

The fun place settings- complete with my favorite sugar cookie from Clayton Bakery! (We had them as favors at our wedding!) They are tied with a ribbon and verse that says, "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him." Ps. 127:3

The Drissell gang- L to R- Aunt Tracy, Aunt Debbie, with daughter Sammi, Grandmommy, Aunt Diane D. with daughter Kayla, my momma, and Becky, my sister-in-law. 
Gift time! I got lots of sweet baby necessities- including some of my Bum Genius cloth diapers, Moby Wrap sling, high chair, baby book, diaper changing pad, and bath time gear! 

Everyone gave baby Baca their favorite story book with a nice note inside. Aunt Lynda, my mom's sister and a pre-school teacher, shared her cute story called MA!, written from a baby's perspective in-utero.  Several of the books received were Are You My Mother?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Gorilla and I Love You Forever.  

One of the games we played was to guess the author/ illustrator from quote given from a children's book. Becky, the English major who reads constantly to Bella and Natalee Joy, won. The prizes were items that Amanda loves- like sugar cookie cutters, colorful pens, or a journal. 

The Grandmas and Great-Grandmas!  Susan, David's mom, is to my left and my  mom is to my right.  Grandma Clara Lee, my mom's mom, is behind her, and Grandmommy Ruth, my dad's mom, is behind Susan.  Not pictured: Susan's mom, Viola. 

The Beasley cousins!  (And one lone Drissell.) Starting from left to right: Kayla, Lauryn, Meredith, me, Lyndsay, Camille, Becky, and little Claire (Camille's girl). 

My thoughtful room mom's gave me a shower at the end of the school year.  The kids had a blast playing all sorts of baby-themed games.  Above is the dress the baby relay race. It was quite hilarious watching the boys dress the baby dolls-  the girls were a bit quicker. The guess the baby food flavor game was also a bit hit.

This is Mrs. Baca 'practicing' changing a messy diaper.  They had me quite prepared with gloves, a trash bag apron, and shower cap!  The dirty diaper smelled surprisingly nice though- kinda like a butterfinger??

Money was collected and a mom went shopping for Baby Baca.  It was such a blessing to get 'showered' with some nice baby items- including our baby monitor and portable high chair! 

The Twin Oaks staff also generously gave Jessica Lucht and me a baby shower too (yea for Babies R Us gift cards!).  Jess, now the former Spanish teacher, has a baby boy due in October.  We're looking forward to our babies joining us, out of utero,  on our walks together!  

Spring, Glorious Spring!

What a beautiful time of year!  The warm sunshine and vibrant, colorful, new life emerging all around brings me such joy.  What a glorious Creator we worship!  I love being so close to the Botanical Gardens and Tower Grove Park, where we are surrounded by a majestic display of our Father’s handiwork.  Here are some shots that David and I have taken from the past several weeks…  

“For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.”  Folliot Pierpoint, 1864

The bizarre Niki de Saint Phalle mosiac art... there's 40 large, rainbow-colored sculptures on display throughout the gardens. Can you guess who took this one?

How Deep the Father's Love for Us!

How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory

 

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers

 

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

 

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

 

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

by Stuart Townend

Another Snow Day!

I love snow days. As I teacher, it’s just as exciting as when I was a kid. There’s nothing like groggily waking up to a phone call and hearing, “School’s cancelled!” Now that I’m grown, sledding, building snow forts, and drinking hot cocoa has been replaced with doing laundry, washing dishes and making dinner on my holiday, but I don’t mind. (I do find some time for leisurely activities too...)

My first two years in Rolla teaching, we had no snow days. And of course, in Uganda we didn’t have any either. So this is my first year to experience them- and today is now the 4^th one this winter! It’s hard to believe that it was 78 degrees on Sunday, and now it’s pouring beautiful, white fluffy flakes- but I don’t mind! It’s lovely and I'm so thankful for the nice, relaxing day off!

The snow declares the beauty of our creator

He is glorious in splendor- Holy is His name!

He has washed me new like the freshly fallen white-

Clean, pure, and Redeemed by Christ

May all people be refreshed by His creation

Turn them to your face, O Lord

Open their hearts to see your glory

That all people may declare You as the Creator

and Your works majestic!

I love the Psalms, and as I was reading this morning I realized that the Psalmist did not live in a climate where they experienced much snowfall- otherwise I'm sure they would have written about it! So I decided to write my own Psalm about snow. The beauty of it draws me to worship our majestic Creator.

I took these pictures several snows ago. It was too snowy to go out and take pictures today- and I have yet to purchase a pair of snow boots! The first two pics are in Tower Grove Park (within walking distance from our house) and the last is our backyard.