Need a shot of joy?

Ever feel like you'd pay just about anything to be able to pull up at a drive thru, make your order and pay your bill and drive away with a fresh top-off of joy?  Like a shot of espresso, but better... a shot of joy?  Or sometimes I feel like I'd even take a needle to the arm if I could get something better than B12 in me.

Well, here you go.

I dare you to try to watch these... just try to sing along...  watch their goofy silliness and listen to the sermons of truth in these happy tunes and try to miss the joy.

Bet you can't do it.  And I know... you don't want to.  I sure want to reap the full harvest of beauty and soul joy and dancing with my kiddos over all this....

I hope you can fill up your souls on the supreme joy, this bold evidence of the grace of God right here.

The Damsel and the Villain

Oh so good....  The Damsel and the Villain .  Hope you can take seven minutes to enjoy a bit of cool jazz and this modern poetry retelling of the True and unbeatable Story.

Worth It All

behind the still shots

These two videos give a great glimpse of Vivi's personality.  It makes me so grateful to think of how much a girl can be known from just a few cute shots of her smiling.... and yet it makes me sad that she so much of her zaniness is left unknown, since she's never met (except for Skype) most all of her family and her whole, loud, silly personality just doesn't show through in every pic.  And so...some video!

Introducing the 15 month old littlest K.... who will be touching down on American soil for the first time in her life in less than three more months:  the very silly, very fun, immensely loved Vivi Hope.

A little more info...  bummer that I can't figure out why the top video loaded at such a poor quality, but the bath one is clearer  I think :)  And the stroller isn't ours (I think that's what made it especially fun to push!) and Vivi didn't tip over.... though she did get too close two times!

Ephesians 2

We've been super blessed to have two cool photographer, expert kid-play, fun guys visiting us for the past week (more about our fun times with them soon).  What a blessing that Jake was able to capture this sweet moment at the table Monday night.   


Oh may the True and Living Word be written deep in their hearts... 

The Lord's Prayer

And since I have that clip of John to post (above),  I dug up a video from last summer of Marian praying the Lord's Prayer.  She was nearing 3 years old at the time and she's Grown.So.Much since then!  The video is super dark (it was bedtime) but the audio is pretty clear til the end.  

Ahh... and East Africa still lays over my whole heart.  May your kingdom come quickly there Lord Jesus!  Send Relief, send rescue in your name!

Meeting Baby...

We have been really looking forward to this moment... not knowing how the timing or details would work out, but really hoping that we could all meet our baby together.  Grace upon grace, our baby was born smooth and healthy and we woke the kids up (at 4:15 am) for a groggy introduction to their new sibling.  It might take some time to load the video- so maybe let it load before you try to watch?

a few quick notes...


Yep, those are the biggest smiles that could ever stretch across Matt's face or mine...


Matt whispers one part:  "Do we have a new baby brother or a sister?"


For Marian's counting, she includes Mom and Dad for the total number of boys and girls in our family.  


Since this middle of the night meeting, the kids have each showered kisses on Vivi.  It hadn't quite arrived on the spot, but the love is definitely there now in all the big siblings for our sweetest little darling.


We praise the Lord for this baby GIRL!!!

how did we miss this?

The kids and I were looking through old pictures recently and we found this video that I really don't remember at all.  I'm quite sure if I had seen it, I would remember having to squeeze tight to keep things together while I watched my son dance like this....


I know this won't strike everyone as funny as it does me, but there are some of you who I think just might laugh like I have.  Ladies, you know who you are, prepare your bladders....

John was in my belly there....  April 2009:  Isaiah was 3yo, Marian 1.5.

walking boy

Here's our sweet John boy on the eve of his 13 month mark. Please excuse the over-the-top commentary from the videographer...