The five year old has discovered the joy of duct tape. i believe a new chapter is upon us. He's also discovered the friendship of his baby brother. They have become best friends this summer, and it's been a highlight for me to have have witnessed it. Among drawing hilarious pictures, smothering his sister, leading his brother ("don't cry like a sissy-baby"), riding his bicycle through puddles, and eating (finally) like a growing boy. I'm seeing growth and faith, and I'm so excited for the upcoming year with him. Seriously, this child makes our lives so rich.
The two year old is currently on a diet of cereal and crackers, basil leaves, and an occasional peach. He continues to show his love for his family members by declaring, "i love [you] soooo much." He enjoys coloring, being polite, pretending to know his ABCs, being near Colson, and telling His baby sister what she can not have. He also thinks he's superman, or buzz lightyear, or a pirate...and he really likes to play ball.
The baby is super baby - crawling everywhere, squealing with delight, standing up on everything, having stinkier and stinkier diapers daily, and is just altogether delightful and precious. She loves watching her brothers and being close to her mama. We all dote on and adore her all day. Thank you God for a girl.
The man of the house is busy studying and sharing God's Word. In fact, if you visit our church website, he's started to blog. Here's a link: http://christthekingkirk.org/ He's the real superman of the family and we all adore him more and more. I think the boys pretty much could have him all to themselves full time. He teaches me everyday what it means to be a disciple of Christ and the way he loves on me makes me feel more and more beautiful as time goes on.
and me? i'm chasing after all the said members. I don't understand it, but I have been given a great task to care for the hearts of these members. They are truly precious and oh so beautiful. What a humbling job to train, discipline, love, and disciple. I have been thinking a lot about what I want to give to my children as their mother. I've concluded that the one thing that I want them to see in me, the one thing that I know today and tomorrow and forever that I have and that I want them to have is faith and love for God. I am not a perfect person. It's freeing to not pretend to be in front of my children. It's freeing to confess my sins to them and receive forgiveness and strength. It's freeing to know that "a mother's love" is not enough for my children. They need more than this mother's love. I can get impatient. I can get annoyed. I can get selfish. I can get angry. More than ever, however, I have been receiving strength and an encouraged heart as I seek out Jesus to equip me and enable me to embrace and love the task ahead of me. And I am seeing fruit and a feeling a fierce love and devotion building towards these little Rumrey members. Praise God, if anything good comes from me, may it be to and for His glory - from Him and for Him.
One reason I love photography is because it allows me to see the handiwork of God in a moment of stillness. In a snapshot of something ordinary and mundane, there is glory and beauty and magic. This seems, to me, to be especially true about portraiture. I don't know what it is, exactly, but a photograph helps me to see the image of God in another. I can see them and value them as image bearers, God's people, not mine, fellow creatures, made to know the Creator.
Because of this, I plan to continue to document our lives via photography and am learning more and more to appreciate the art of the photographer. I recently got a steal on an old film slr off of craigslist, and I was so thrilled to get back my first set of prints! The anticipation was so fantastic, and the limited number of exposures made my think and re-think composition and focus in a way that I haven't had to before. This nerdiness is just what I need to be more loving person/mother/wife...so i'll keep it around, if God so wills.
Some of the following pictures are from the new camera, all unedited. I don't think it's hard to tell which ones are and which ones aren't....
