joy!

merry christmas from the campbell kids!


"For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

brothers

watching the baby sleep

Never gets old does it?

and he's pretty fun to watch when he's awake too…

let it snow!

Back in Florida we had quite a time scrounging up enough winter gear for our family of six, but between the attic and the local thrift shop we managed to pull it together. (Also I had to buy everyone socks since winter in Pensacola usually just means trading flip-flops for Toms.)

And it's a good thing we came prepared because today the kids prayers for snow have been answered! It's coming down fast and we're heading up to the mountains for the weekend with coffee and sleds and excited kids. I'm blogging from my phone (so pardon any strange formatting and spelling errors) but will be happily unplugging for the next few days. Happy weekend and Merry Christmas to you!

advent images

We are leaving town soon for a long overdue trip to Spokane, Washington, where we get to spend a cold but cozy Christmas with my sister's family. We did not get a tree and the Christmas decorations will remain tucked away in the attic this year, so we have been doing our best to add touches of festive to our days wherever we can. There have been cookies, crafts, movies, games, special tea times, and of course stacks upon stacks of Christmas story reading. All this, of course, in between bouts of nearly losing my mind as I try to accomplish laundry, cleaning, packing, and gift shopping with four mini-tornadoes in tow. So while these photos seem rather warm and peaceful, look closer and imagine baking chaos, screeching tin whistles, and card games ending in cries of, "not fair!" There is no quiet here. But there is Joy.

{Remember, you can see more of these images of advent at Christie's page. I hope you have been following her incredibly beautiful advent series!}

december eve

I went for a walk behind the girls on their bikes tonight (Kenna is fast and my camera never caught up.) I noticed bare tree branches and flowers gone to seed -sure signs of coming winter even though my daughter refuses to put away the summer sundress.
Transitions are difficult.

Tomorrow is December. It is Advent. This season snuck up on me so quietly and now threatens to rage past in a whirlwind of activities and shiny new things that won't be shiny anymore come January.

But I want something different. For me, for my family -different.

What is it?

I'm not entirely sure right now, I just know it doesn't fit in a box under a tree. I know it's real and lasting.
It might even be difficult.

Sometimes my sister writes words that speak all the things I don't know how to say. I'm really glad. For instance, "...I was living in a wilderness. I was so desperate for light and newness I decided to post something – a reflection, a prayer, a poem, a scrap of song – every day of Advent.  I knew my own efforts couldn’t make the light dawn any sooner, but I wanted to be ready when it did. I wanted to be there, waiting, with eyes wide open for those first streaks of gold in the eastern sky."

My efforts can't make the light dawn…this strikes deep in my heart for so many reasons. Words fail me.   All I can say right now is that I am waiting and watching. "For with you is light, in your light we see light." (Ps 36:9) I'll be following along with my camera, getting in as close as I can, and I hope you'll join me as Christie is posting every day for Advent.

abundance

"If we complained less and were more thankful, we would be happier, and God would be more glorified. Every day thank God for ordinary mercies- we refer to them as ordinary, and yet they are so priceless that without them we are ready to perish. Let us thank God for our eyes with which we see the sun, for the health and strength to walk around, for the bread we eat, for the clothes we wear.

Let us thank Him that we are not among the hopeless or confined among the guilty; let us thank Him for liberty, for friends, for family associations and comforts. Let us praise Him, in fact, for everything that we receive from His generous hand, for although we deserve little, He provides an abundance."

-Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

autumn light

I went looking for Autumn and found it in my growing babies, in a cotton field, and in the Psalms…

"O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." Psalm 144:3-4 (ESV)

Oh, but there's more. In the slanting light and shadows of Autumn we see the world dying, and in the dying, we find hope.  I would love it if you would click over to Pick Your Portion to see more images and the hopeful words found in Hebrews.

Happy Birthday, Marines

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” 
― Ronald Reagan

more from the fall garden

My zucchini may have died out too early in the summer, along with the tomatoes. And the squash. And almost everything else. But the zinnias? They have never failed me. Ever. And that is why I love them.

this is october

A slip 'n slide has taken up permanent residence on a still-green, still-growing lawn.

Next to it is a knee-deep mud hole just big enough for two silly girls.

Pumpkin pie? Oh no, but we have southern mud pie, decorated with green leaves and flower buds.

It is Autumn and the light is changing but the temperature has only dropped to "bearably hot".

These two are becoming the best of friends and it is beautiful to watch.

This is October in Florida.

here is the sea, great and wide

I've been given the huge blessing of being able share some photography with you in a new place, among new friends. I would love it if you would click over to Pick Your Portion and see the incredible color and beauty of Psalm 104 coming to life on this Florida coast. Take a walk on the beach with me, and know that our God is great.

"...Oh Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great..."
Psalm 104

two months

Donovan, you are two months old already?! Here's what we know about you, little man. You are 11.2 pounds and 23 inches. You like to be held and talked to. You do not like to be left alone. You sleep best in your swing during the day but you are starting to sleep like a champ in your bed all night. You are a really noisy eater. You don't cry unless you really mean it. You have an adorable smile. You have two sisters and one brother who are completely enamored by you. You create a lot of laundry. We're pretty sure those big eyes are going to stay blue. You are sweet and easygoing.
And we love watching you grow.

on a saturday afternoon

We take a drive to Fort Pickens National Seashore. It's cool enough to roll the windows down.

It's a gorgeous day on the shore, far away from laundry piles and unfinished schoolwork and sleepless nights.

We take in the view from the end of the island before finding a spot to play. It's Donovan's first day in the sand.

We run into friends from church, their daring girls catching jellyfish, carrying them around in buckets and bare hands.

Playing by these waters, we're all in a happy place. Life calms down.

Katie smiles in her vest, Tristan digs that hole, and fearless Kenna lets the waves pound her tiny frame.

I complain too much about Florida (the humidity, the bugs, the mold...) when really, this place is Good.

There is beauty here -smiles, friends to bump into on the beach, healthy kids splashing clear water.

The Creator of this great wide ocean reminds me that his grace brought me here.

We play till the sun sets in an expanse of oil painted sky and then we take our thankful little selves home.

"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love..." Psalm 107:29-31

just this

One photo. Four kids. Four smiles.
That is all.

autumn in a florida garden

my tiny boy

some goings on

These four (four?!) are keeping my hands full. (And I just love how people feel the need to point that out to me as if I hadn't noticed. "Wow, you've got your hands full there!" they say as they squeeze past my three ring circus in the cereal aisle. Um, yep, I sure do. You wanna buy my groceries for me?)

Donovan was one month old this week. It sure doesn't feel like almost ten years ago that Tristan was that big, but it was. Almost ten years between these boys. They grow up so fast is the biggest understatement ever. I am soaking up every second of this one month old baby cuddling bliss.

Shawn had a birthday last week too! He turned 468 months old. We got to celebrate with Pappy and Grams in town. The kids decorated a cake and we went down to the beach to eat shrimp.

Mostly these days we just sit around holding the baby and staring at the baby and watching the baby. Except for the big kids who snag all the baby-watcher's electronic devices to play games and watch movies on. Typical evening in our house when grandparents are visiting...

We had some sad kiddos on our hands at 6am when we all got up to see them off. Tristan immediately began calculating exactly how many days it will be till we will see them again while Kenna cried and Kate, well, let's just say we'd all love to spend a few hours in Kate's world every day.

So that's the latest from the Campbell house. What's up with you?