Grace || Birthday Pictures

Y’all, it’s what you have been waiting for for over a week. ;) :) Since my sister Grace requested a rain-check on her birthday pictures due to a busy work schedule and little sleep[or at least that is the excuse she gave ;], I gave her ample time to catch up on her beauty sleep and then demanded tonight be the night! :) Irresistibly cute smile, style that is classy, and those moccasins!! Pretty picture perfect if you ask me! So, without further ado, Grace’s birthday pictures[1 week late]. Because a birthday should be celebrated for at least a week, Happy 20th Birthday week Grace!  :]

“Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God”
Psalms 146:5

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“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.”
Jeremiah 17:7

The servant is not greater than his Lord || random thought :)

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.”
John 13:16

Last Sunday my Dad read from John 13 where Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. Beautiful portion of scripture, isn’t it?! I instantly thought of Philippians 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” The LORD Jesus Christ humbled himself, became obedient unto death, coming to earth, washing the feet of His disciples, laying down His life for the sinner and we are called to imitate Him[Eph 5:1-2]. For we are not greater than our Lord and if He came in humility to serve and lay down His life, we are called to do the same! So whether your act of service for today happens to be cleaning peanut butter & jelly finger prints off the wall ;] or literally giving your life to save another, remember “whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord“[Col 2:23-24]. :) With God there are no “greater” or “best” ranks among His chosen people, we are all bond servants[Rom 6:15-23] of the King. There is truly no greater or more beautiful a title! :] A random thought from my very random mind. ;)

“But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:25-28

 

Shiloh Photography Sunset“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
Ephesians 5:1-2

 

Barn Love ♥

Oh me, oh my! Barns, I absolutely love them. :) Something about seeing an old barn that just makes me happy! Wouldn’t it be grand to live in one?!! [:  About this time of year I start day-dreaming of road trips just to tour old barns. An east-coast road trip during autumn, driving through the farm land, taking in the fall foliage & the crisp air that accompanies it, and hunting down old barns is on my “one-day some-day SOON!!” To-do list. ;] But until then, I will just admire barns from my computer screen. So, how about a little bit of barn happiness tonight?!! ;) Happy Saturday, y’all!

“Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
Proverbs 3:9-12

 

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Don’t forget to smile :)

“Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever”
Psalms 146:5-6

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“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”
Psalms 118:24

Y’all, it’s official!!

Y’all, it’s official!!!!!  No longer a teenager and officially past all the stereotypes that come along with that title, Grace turns 20 today!!!! :D Of course, Grace was born ready to conquer the world and never did fit into the “teenager” stereotype anyway. She was dubbed the “world’s most intelligent baby!” at birth, at 2 she had conquered coloring in the lines, when she was 6 she was sculpting the cutest clay miniatures, by 10 she took it upon herself to pick up our mom’s point-and-shoot and outgrown clothing items to sell on ebay[which went over famously!], and then traded in the ebay business for a bootie[<-baby shoes] factory at 14. ;) God has definitely gifted her with hyper artistic entrepreneurialism . ;) But don’t let her résumé fool you, she’s extremely domestic too! Let’s just say her luscious homemade chocolate bunt cake[from scratch!!!!] will leave you wondering if there is anything she can’t do….! ;) Besides bootie designing and bunt making, Grace can be found enjoying long walks[barefoot mind you, ’cause shes all about earthing ;], keeping up with business social networking & marketing, and documenting our life via her iphone. ;) Let’s just say there has been quite a life wrapped up into these 20 years AND, Lord willing, she has much more to live!! I am so thankful the Lord has given us Grace and super excited to see what the future holds as He directs her steps. AND TODAY is her BIRTHDAY[Que virtual confetti and applause]!!!! Happy birthday to my most beautiful(and hardest working) 20 year old sister!! May the years to come be fuller than those which have passed and may all your bunt cakes be delightfully scrumptious! ;)

“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.”
Psalm 20:4

So, y’all are most likely wondering why in the world I chose office[excuse mess, work in progress! ;] photos for her birthday post!?!! Well, you see, we have had quite an extreme[which might be putting it lightly ;] load of work this past week and Grace kindly requested we postpone birthday photos until she is able to get a solid 8 hours of sleep in and curl her hair! So, she will have 2 posts, one with glamorized photos at a later date! Until then, leave a “Happy Birthday” comment below and make her day! :) :)

Grace Shiloh photography Grace Shiloh photography 1

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”
Proverbs 31:30-31

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope…

During this strenuously busy week[or month ;], when my strength seems nonexistent(and really, apart from Christ it is nonexistent!) and patience at times is tried,  I rejoice in those beautiful verses found in Lamentations 3. So, I leave y’all with the verses God put on my heart as I took 10 minutes to breath and soak up the glorious God-given sunset tonight. God’s creation at its finest- an iphone sunset straight from the heart of Texas! ;) Hope in the Lord, His promises are true and grace sufficient no matter what may come your way! (:

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“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:21-26

Happy Little Gardener :)

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“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:10-12


‘*Candles*’

“Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”
Psalm 31:19

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“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9

Happy Happy Happy…..

Happy Happy Happy BIRTHDAY DAD!

That’s right y’all! It’s the greatest day of the entire year…. :D It’s my Dad’s birthday! Though I am pretty sure I could write a sonnet about my Dad, words really aren’t adequate to describe him, or how thankful we are for the years the Lord has given him, or how much he daily sacrifices for his family! And though I could post a single picture, I think a dozen or so would be more fitting! ;] I will leave you with the top 10 facts about my dad & picture to prove it! Druuuummmm roll pleeeeaaaassssssee…..

  1. Today, officially twice my age!!! From what I hear, it’s all down hill[in a good way!] from here!! :)
  2. professional second generation seamster[in case y’all didn’t know, that’s the male version of a seamstress. ;) ]
  3. Maintainer of household sanity!!
  4. World’s greatest grill master! Seriously, nobody does it better! [4.5. He also makes fudge beyond describing. DELICIOUS!]
  5. Expert “Big family problem” solver… not going to go into detail but if you’re part of a big family, you know EXACTLY what I mean! ;D
  6. He has the most spectacular sense of humor and a fantastic way of keeping things extremely lively & us on our toes!
  7. He gets more and more handsome as the years go on. SERIOUSLY! Hard to believe but its TRUE!! It must be all us kids keeping him looking so young!?!! ;)
  8. Professional mover. Truth! He has moved more times than I can count and about 15 times in the last 25 years. Pretty sure his ancestors were gypsies! ;)
  9. He’s a Texan at heart and will always be!
  10. Builds the most fantastic chicken coops[it’s like a penthouse… for a chicken ;]!
  11. World’s greatest DAD EVER!!!!!!! [okay, so 11 facts. Not 10 ;)!]

Happy happy Birthday Dad! We are all so blessed by you and thankful for the life the Lord has given you and the daily sacrifice you make. Can’t wait to see what the next 50 hold! :D

“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

Story time with dad

fishing with dad

Yep, gotta love cotton candy!

Family pictures are always a little more jovial with dad! :D

Girls breakfast with dad

’cause boxes are fun! :)

Super sweet!! Surprise gift from Dad to Bekah.

dad has mastered the “selfie” ;)

:) :)

Making his famous fudge

Chicken coop, a project he did with the boys! :)

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“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish….”
Psalm 1

 

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Joel!!!

Dear Joel,

Seeing today is your BIRTHDAY I am making it my goal NOT to embarrass you in this post. :D  And seeing I am thoughtful like that, I definitely won’t bring up your ability to make an exquisite cup of coffee/latte & these outrageously delicious triple chocolate cookies! I will refrain from telling how you just happen to be an extreme outdoors man & pretty experienced in the fishing/hunting realm[camo is definitely your color!;)] I will leave out the fact you have so valiantly protected me from the ravenous squirrels that conspire to do me harm during my morning walk[let’s just say he has a few recipes for squirrel soup he would be willing to share if y’all are interested ;]! ;D I would love to mention how you eat ghost pepper salsa without breaking a sweat, your always ready and willing to lend a hand where its needed, and  that your constantly thinking about the needs of those around you before yourself, showing yourself chivalrous beyond measure… but I will refrain! ;) Plus, on top of all that, you are a budding[would you call a guy “a budding”?? ] photographer and make a fantastic second-shooter at weddings! :D And I will leave out that part about taking applications for future-sister-in-laws… though I always welcome applications and do request a small donation be made upon applying. ;]  So, since I am trying my hardest not to cause you to turn 15 shades of red from embarrassment , I will just wish my sweetest, handsomest, hardest working 15 year-old brother a tremendously HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! :) Blessed constantly by you. So thankful your my brother and IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY. May the Lord richly bless you today and all the days of your life! ♥ :)

Much love,
Rachel
P.S. watch out, insanity is contagious! ;)

May you have hunter’s luck
to shoot a mighty eight point buck
when luck like this is in the bag
You’ll have reason then to brag ;)

“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26

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“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper….”
Psalm 1

The glory of man as the flower….

Flowers ShilohPhotography 7.18

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
1 Peter 1:23-25

Life Abundant || Birthday Recap :)

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10

Well, not only have I been blessed with that abundant life given through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God has also so graciously blessed me with family and friends who go out of their way to constantly bless & encourage me. And just when I think I couldn’t be any more humbled by the kindness of those God has put in my life, my birthday comes and I am showered with birthday blessings. I am so extremely humbled by the goodness of God. Thank you all for each blog comment, email, & card that made my birthday all the more beautifully fantastic! To my family who poured tons of energy into making my birthday extra-special, it truly was the best yet! God is so good and I am soooo thankful for each and every one of you. :) And here I am, 25 years-old[or 25-years-young depending on your age! ;] The Lord has tremendously blessed me and I am thankful for this abundant life He has given me through salvation. His grace is sufficient and mercy is unending! Though I know not what the future holds I do know WHO holds my future. Whether storms or sunshine are ahead, trials, tribulation, or ease, THE LORD REIGNS[Ps 97:1] and HE is faithful[Lam 3:23]! My prayer for myself this next year comes from my favorite hymn, “let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in Thine” and that my life would sing His praise constantly. For the young ladies who may stumble across my little spot on the web, I want to encourage you all to continue seeking the Lord diligently[Heb 11:6] and trusting HIM with ALL your heart[Prov 3:5-6]. Keep your gaze upon the Lord and His Word and don’t take it off[Heb 12:2]! (:  I look forward what the Lord has in store in the days to come and sharing bits and pieces of it with y’all via my blog, Lord willing! :)

“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
Psalm 16:8

Well, how about a birthday recap plus randomness from my week in pictures? :) And it really can’t be called a birthday  as I’m just now finish left-over birthday cupcakes and still very much enjoying all the blessings from the day. So I like to refer to it as my :birthday-week:! ;) I enjoyed a delicious frappe and thrift-store shopping in the morning and then my sisters and mom made dinner for me. Afterward a walk was enjoyed then presents & cupcakes were consumed. Besides that, the little people continually presented me with “early” birthday surprises all week long. Abel drew me a picture of me and my “future husband”[thanks Abel ;], Bekah made me the cutest card, and Ruth presented me with a lovely lovely drawing!! Micah remembered my weakness for fresh fruit and bought me an entire bag of oranges and peaches! :-D Lots of delicious food & fun. So, how about randomness from my week via the camera and iphone? :) Hover from descriptions and enjoy!

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Birthday bouquet from Grace & Lydia! SO gorgeous! <3

My birthday cake was actually a Cappuccino Cupcake! So delicious :) :)

So surprised by a sweet package from my Kansas Friend! We all LOVED the pancake mix :D Thank you <3

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Bekah’s card

:)

 

My very own bag of oranges from Micah :D and a super sweet drawing from Ruth!! <3

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An outrageously cute package from my iowa friend! :)

:) :)

Abel’s drawing. He says it’s of my “future husband” and me… in our hunting garb. ;b

Bow ties and smiles!! The handsomest guys at my birthday party. ;)

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Birthday Coffee by Lydia! Too good!

& Company[coupon clipping :]

My lovely sisters making me a DELICIOUS birthday dinner! :)

From last week, my lovely sisters! :)

Because 1 straw just ins’t enough! ;)

Micah’s Steak Egg & cheese bagels…. from scratch!!!!

After dinner walk with Bekah!

Birthday peach! <3

Frappes! :]

Photoshoot time!

Gone fishin’! :)

River fun! <3

Emmi & me :)

“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:23-24

*;-_* Cue Confetti *;-_*| 25th

*Ahem* *clears throat* *tap-tap* is this thing on? Oh, yes, it is……. Well, hello everyone!  I don’t know if you are as excited about this day as I am!!!  In case you don’t know, July 16th is the one day of the year that I (Grace!) am allowed to hack Rachel’s blog and write whatever I want. *sinister glance to the right and left*  But there’s something else about this day that’s really special… can’t — quite —- put my finger on it —- …..oh! that’s right!!!!! … it’s also…

RACHEL’S BIRTHDAY!!!!!

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Rachel.  Where does one begin?  The facts about Rachel could trail into a list of infinity-long, but I’ll share a few of my favorites:

  • She can whip out a dinner for 13 in under an hour – and does so pretty much every night.
  • She invents recipes – one of my personal favorites is her Eggnog Cupcake recipe… let’s just say these cupcakes are so moist and delicious that sometimes — just maybe — I have dreams about them — or at least day dreams — because only people with problems dream about food in their sleep — *ahem* moving on!
  • She does the aforementioned with patience enough to let her 2 and 5 year old sisters bake alongside her and learn the tricks of her trade.
  • She is a mind reader.  I’m not kidding.  It’s a little scary sometimes.
  • She is small, but really, really strong.  When we moved to Texas two years ago, she was in charge of driving one of the 40 foot UHAUL trucks that accompanied our caravan.  She made it all 1,100 miles without any fender benders, traffic citations, injuries, or even road kill! (I think God’s grace had a lot everything to do with it.)
  • She can’t sew.  Which is why she made her baby sister this really adorable kitty apron.
  • Craft stores give her a headache.  Which is why she has a trunk full of fabric for special projects.
  • {As indicated by the two aforementioned} Sometimes she doesn’t tell the truth.
  • She’s happy, and makes other people really happy (re: Eggnog Cupcakes).
  • She shoots raw… and makes it look easy.  I personally prefer the mountain, or tulip setting.
  • She’s honest – ask her for her opinion when your ready for the truth, and you’ll get it ;).
  • She is really cute.
  • She is 25 today.
  • I could go on, but I’m done for now.

Rachel, I really hope your day – and the rest of your life – is wonderful; and because of the Lord I know it WILL be.  I pray that He will continue to give you the grace to praise HIS name – regardless of feelings, failures, or circumstance.  Happy, HaPpY, HAPPY Birthday!!!!!!

rachel2

“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”

Zechariah 13:8-9