The pattern that has developed among our family is to head to the Farm for long weekends. And it's a good pattern. I cannot think of anything more relaxing than going down there, not having to worry about cooking (although I do love to cook), finishing up knitting projects (almost every project I begin ends with a long weekend at the Farm), hanging out with my brothers and sisters in law, watching the kids be kids, zooming about on 4wheelers, slapping at mosquitos, playing badminton and just generally savoring life.

It's officially summer when Mother's Day Out is closed for summer. Brooklyn had such a wonderful time with her class and her teacher, Mrs. Melody. August also had a blast, but I forgot my camera when I picked him up the final day! I'm kicking myself because I love love love his teachers, Mrs. Heidi and Mrs. Jennifer. Finer women you will be hard pressed to find.

This rose was a gift from a very dear friend of mine.

Every time I pass by this rose - which is often since I planted it near the entrance of my house...

I think of Lynn and thank the Lord for her.

Not only did Sunday contain a baby shower, it was also the arrival date for our Rwandan student! After the baby shower was cleaned up and Kyle came back with the kids (they went swimming), the kids and I crashed hard.

Several hours later, fully rebooted, we all three awoke completely excited about heading to the airport to meet our Rene! Kyle made a sign with RENE boldly printed and Brooklyn had big plans to carry it in the airport and wave it high!

The mother-in-law and mother of the Mom-to-be...what a mouthful!

Two very very sweet ladies.

The Baby Corner!

This is what happens when you fall asleep literally mid-sentence.

This is after Mommy has pity on you and repositions you.

It isn't often I get to babysit my nieces and nephew, so I always enjoy it when I do. Although my enjoyment is NOTHING compared to how excited Brooklyn and August get. Right now, August is enamored of babies and loves to pat their heads, their faces, and jabber to them very seriously. Avery and he hit it off extremely well.

A dinner with the family!

A simple salad served in some vintage apple dishes I found at a flea market! Wasn't sure what to do with them, so I have used them for all kinds of different things. Salad, fruit, nuts...

Chicken a la Tunisienne (from the French Women Don't Get Fat cookbook).

I have the book checked out from the library and am currently working my way through it. Good thing it isn't a 14 day book. I'd be in trouble.

Are coming! Just found out that they're getting here Sunday night. Late, actually. Almost past my bedtime...but how super exciting! Brooklyn and August are already pumped about their new buddy! I am washing sheets today, prepping his bedroom. I even used good-smelling fabric softener! And I have the requisite "hygiene" goody basket! Yea!

As my CBS Bible study has ended for the summer, I picked up a devotional that my mom gave me for Christmas one year: a Beth Moore 90 devotional on the life of John. I'm only a few days into it, but already God has stirred my heart with new things to think about.

Today's lesson in particular rang true with me. If you don't know the story of John, it began like this: He and his brother James were working in their fishing boat along side their dad, Zebedee. Out of the blue, up walks Jesus who speaks to them and says, "Come with me and I will make you become fishers of men." And they drop what they're doing. Leaving their dad and his hired servants behind in the boat, they wade ashore and leave their current life to follow Jesus and become his disciples.

This kind of behavior is quite common for Jesus. It seems his modus operandi is to stop by and ask us to follow Him on some path we'd previously not planned to take. And taking the path He offers means completely abandoning something we previous really enjoyed. And might have been good at. But John and his brother James went.

The recount of this incident in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John doesn't give us a breakdown of any emotions felt by James, John or their father, Zebedee, but it doesn't take much imagination to figure out what they must have felt. For starters, as Beth Moore points out in her devotional, it had to have been a blow for Zeb to see his two sons, the "& Sons" of his life's work, just hop the boat and take to solid ground with this Jesus fellow. What would happen to the business? Where would he find the same kind of help now that his two sons were gone? Here he had raised and groomed his sons to take over the family business and now without a backward glance, they were hitting the road with a stranger. How Zeb must have struggled with that!

And think about what James and John must have felt. No doubt they both believed deep down that to follow Jesus was exactly what they were supposed to do, without knowing why or how or the logistics of it all. They so deeply felt the call and had no choice but to respond. It was respond or die inside from ignoring that call. But it had to have registered with them that they were leaving their father, their boss, the man they loved and respected and who'd taught them his trade. They knew the expectations their father had for them and they, up to this point, had probably been A-ok with fulfilling those expectations.

But this Jesus guy....just changed everything.

This story is also mine. For 7 happy years, I worked as an employee of my Dad's company, DD&F Consulting Group. My dad was my boss, my friend, my confidante, my counselor, my role model. I loved working with him, learning from him, watching him wheel and deal, concentrate over the details of a potential deal, I loved being able to be his daughter in the workplace. I loved the challenge of working harder than everyone else to rise above the family thing. I loved learning what it was that he did and loving it too. I loved going to work every day. I loved the sense of ownership I had for the company...that someday it might be my "F" in the initials...and then one day...

This little thing called a daughter happened into my world and shortly thereafter came this voice that said, "Ashley, I want you to follow me down a different road. Stay home and be a mommy to this little child." And MAN, that call went deep and hit hard. It ate at me. My plan had always been to work. To stay where I was and, Lord willing, excel there! And I wasn't in a position to immediately abandon my job, but the call buzzed in my ears and ate at my heart daily. And then, one ordinary afternoon, God provided a miracle in the form of an enormous raise for my husband which so perfectly filled the financial gap my salary would have left. And at THAT point, there was no denying, no ignoring that call. It was time for me to jump ship and follow a new course.

But I did feel deeply what I was leaving. Not only the change of identity - I was now suddenly something other than a bank consultant proudly employed by my father! I was now also a stay-at-home mom who did NOT get a nice little paycheck every 2 weeks. But I was most definitely, MOST definitely, on the path Jesus had asked me to follow. No doubt about that.

While I rejoiced to be at home every day with my growing baby girl, seeing all her "firsts", I grieved because I was no longer daily spending time with my dad, working side by side with him. I worried about him, who would do what I did? Who could he trust like he trusted me? Who loved the company as much as he and I did? I had no illusions or delusions about being truly indispensable. None of us are, as much as we'd like to be. But I knew that it had to have been hard for my dad to see God ask this of me, knowing that it was the right thing, but also knowing that it meant a loss to him personally. Hopefully not just of a valued employee, but also the unique relationship we'd crafted over the years together.

God works in interesting ways. I have no idea why He puts people on paths that He obviously puts them on only to suddenly throw the switch mid-track and send you off in a different direction. I just know that He does. And that since His perspective is not as linear as mine, He can see the whole thing - front to back, beginning to end and all the criss-cross-y trails in the middle. And He just asks us to obey. To respond to His call.

I can say, looking back now over the past 3 years that my path has been good to me. God has blessed us with another child, continued to bless us financially and in so many other ways. And I know I'm where God has me - a fisher of men in my own way. And as to my Dad, well, God has enormously blessed his company. As the world of finance and banking has been hit with blow after blow, my dad and his company have been uniquely, supernaturally positioned to act immediately to help so many banks respond to this crisis. DD&F has been blessed over and over and continues to be, and I know that in part, it's because my Dad is faithful to God's call to him. He may not have understood why God asked me to leave, but He didn't put up a fight. And God has brought in the workers and the work, tenfold.

Praise be to the Lord for the ways He calls us. Praise be to Him for his timing, his methods and his provision. We know (I know) that all things work together for good to those who love Him and are CALLED according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)

This summer, our little family is stepping outside our comfort zone. A few weeks ago at church, a tiny little blurb in the bulletin jumped out at me and Kyle. I can't remember the words, but I remember my eye zeroing in on the word Rwanda.

While it's not officially summer, it feels that way around this house because we are mostly free from our normal obligations. I am consumed by that feeling you probably remember from childhood - the anticipation of a day unplanned, a week unscheduled. The endless possibilities and the delight that affords you!

The sheer luxury of an open schedule is almost as delicious as the thick mug of hot chocolate I just made myself.

5 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups of milk

pinch of coarse sea salt

Melt the chocolate with the milk and salt in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil for a minute or two and let it thicken.

Pour and savor with a dollop of whipped cream.

These two tiny hydrangea plants I put in a few years ago have reached full size and are exploding from their little bed - filling me with utter joy!

And a very promising spot by a sunlit window awaits me in just a few moments.

Sigh...Life is good.