a california nephew

so jins & i were talking last night (exclaiming over the picture linda sent of little jude) - and we were amazed at how much a baby can look so much like one side of the family and so much like the other at the same time. (serously see so much kimmel in jude - and so much whitacre!) you don't really see it until you're looking at a baby & you know both sides of the family really well... what do you think?




(i think he's adorable.) i can't believe that he's finally here. i've heard so many stories throughout this process (thanks to linda & mom) but really miss being there and being a part of this with them. couldn't be more proud of jill & tim for how they have grace for one another & deal with life as a team. missing lil jude SO MUCH already. praying for his life....

sigh.......

well it's just awesome to be an aunt - love that i am also an "a.j." - just like my aunt joyce.


counting the days till thanksgiving!!!!

goodbye to james

last night I walked in to a warm kitchen full of amazing smells (dinner by laura & jina), and to the sight of james...white and quiet at the bottom of his bowl. it was good to have my friends there. i thanked him for being such a good fish - remembered the highlights of his life & how much i enjoyed him. then we poured him into a cup and sang;


this is my Father's world,

and to my listening ears

all nature sings, and round me rings

the music of the spheres.

this is my Father's world:

i rest me in the thought

of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

his hand the wonders wrought.

appropriate to remember that God loves his creation and that it is all his. james was over 3 years old. that's a decent lifespan for a fish. thankful that he's not suffering anymore and remembering the good ol' days when he was bright and feisty and friendly and when he'd recognize me (my hair, i think) and come swim over to my edge of the bowl to just watch me & hang out. we were good friends, and i'll miss him.

i don't know if animals go to heaven or not, but if they do - this might be what our reunion looks like (but james is MUCH prettier, and i'm not a boy). i think this fish was so excited to see his old friend that he just bowled him over, and is giving him a great big ol' hello....

old stone fort and young bruised up women...

lots of scrapings and scratches & bruises - but minor. trifling little annoyances in comparison to the amazing experience of waterfalls and blue heron & cliff-jumping & red capped mushrooms on a perfect fall-ish day with a few amazing incredible women by my side.




like proper hobbits, we had TWO scumpcious lunches (3.5 points each - thanks jins). andrea has the best memento; a killer bruise on one knee (seriously worth showing off today andrea - i'd wear shorts!). cliff jumping with kp was a highlight; knot-in-the-stomach scary but so exhilarating once over the edge! into clear deep blue/green water with waterfalls to your right. it was so beautiful.



















just just now i'm reminded of a cliff jump at big sur 6 or 7 years ago; from a higher height - the water a deeper blue - sunlight dusting out hundreds of brilliant winking diamonds across the surface of the water. that one was a hard one to jump, but i was given a picture and a promise just before threw myself over the edge; the deep dark clear water was the symbol of my fear - and jesus was saying; "you can jump right into the center of your fear - i'm already there and i'm going in with you; i will NEVER leave you or forsake you." i had already been sitting there for what seemed like 5 minutes already...trying to calm the freaking-out child within. after that promise i was still scared, but i immediately jumped in with abandon & JOY. it was awesome. he has kept that promise that he whispered to me in a deeper way than i ever dreamed. and i think this is still only the surface.























so the weekend is not even done yet, and i am full of good memories already. i have not even touched on the night before old stone fort - music round the campfire, a man who sings like a girl, the cheese tent (so-bad!), sweet potato pancakes (thanks to sweet tori) & peaches, the maple syrup shortage, the general losted-ness that added many minutes to the trip & much mayhem....

sigh...sometimes it's too much to fit in a blog. suffice to say, it was a wonderful weekend.

remind me to tell you about jazz music and the walking bridge proposal. clumpie's ice cream too...

one last shout-out to the women below (sans jina who is taking the shot);
it was so awesome to hang out with ya'll! remember that skipping rocks does not have to be a competitive sport, although it is much more hilARious when it is. You are all rock-skipping, knee-scraping, cliff-jumping jewels in my book. thanks for sharing your weekend with me.