Whitney

Steph and Whitney in 2006






Whitney in 2006



Whitney in 2007, right before she left for Albania



Whitney in 2007

Some of you may know of my niece, Whitney, and the accident she had with her right eye about 2 weeks ago. Whitney is 9 and lives in Albania with my sister, brother-in-law and their other 3 girls. Please pray for her. Although she returned from the hospital in Turkey with a somewhat-recovered eye, the eye has worsened. My sister and bro-in-law are working now (Tuesday, Sept. 16) to get her to a hospital, preferably in London or Houston. We are confident that God is not only NOT surprised by this news, but this has been His plan all along. We are also steadfast in our faith that the God who created Whitney's eye can heal it by a word from His mouth, if He deems it best. So, we are not despairing or wavering in our commitment to God's goodness or sovereignty. We have another opportunity to trust Him, plead with Him for little Whitney, and be at rest that He will direct our steps.



Whitney in 2004



Whitney in San Diego in 2004



In Houston in 2006



Whitney in 2004



Whitney in Montgomery, TX in 2004







Whitney at home in TX in 2006







Ready for school in 2006

In mid-August, my dad and his wife took our family and Amanda's two sons (including a friend) to a friend's house in Carmel. We were overwhelmed by the beauty of the house as well as the coast. We all enjoyed 6 days together, playing games and having devotionals. What memories!
This photo was taken several years ago but gives you an accurate perception of the house's happy situation, not to mention its grandeur.



This is the view of the front porch from the front entry of the house. It was lush with plants and beautiful hydrangeas.



You can see the house from the back deck, here.



It was hard not to just sit and try to take in the vast beauty and reckless coastline of the ocean. We enjoyed mild weather and glorious sunsets.



You can see Amanda's older son, Sean, on one of the top decks, and Ryan, Amanda's younger son, in the foreground. Every room had it's own balcony that overlooked the ocean.

Celebrating Kate

Kate's Mom, Sheri, put on the most delightful birthday for Kate and her friends. It was a "breakfast tea in your pajamas" with the cake being a stack of Belgian waffles. There was watercolor painting and frozen yogurt popsicles, too. Madeline just loves her best friend, Kate.

How Many Candles Do You Count?

We celebrated our dear friend's birthday, belatedly, at the end of July. (Belatedly would be the key characteristic of my blog.) She looks more beautiful every year! And we're blessed to be a part of her life, to be called her friends.

Reality Check

You know those moments when you realize something monumental is happening in your life? Yesterday was one of those moments for me. Madeline started preschool. Our little girl is growing up! As for the preschool, it's a co-op program where I will attend school with her (and actually be her teacher for Lesson time) at a local church. We're really looking forward to our special school time with each other. And I guess we'll be growing up together, too.

P.S. I know I haven't posted any pictures from our summer. I hope to do that before the end of the year!