Proof of Spring

Freshly cut grass not only smells sweet, it is also the most fun to run and play in.

On a side note. My sweet Audrey turned 2 yesterday. Happy birthday baby girl!!!!!!! I love you more than you will ever know, and praise Jesus for you every single day. May you grow to love Him and live for Him! Pics of her 2nd birthday party to follow later this week.

Spring Is Finally Here

This morning was beautiful. The sun was shining, a cool breeze was blowing (quite strongly actually, it was wonderful), and it was about 75 degrees. We simply HAD to get out of the house - the park was calling!! We all went, even the doggies, and had a really fun time.

Audrey LOVES spending time with Daddy. She giggles incessantly when he is chasing her ("I'm gonna get you! I'm gonna get you!"), which is really hilarious to watch.

This kid loves the slides:

Eric helped her across this "bridge", after which she kept asking for him to help her again, over and over!

Don't worry. She was lathered with sunblock.

The pups would live in the fields if they could, chasing their frisbee all day, every day. Gabby especially.

Audrey loves our dogs, and enjoys playing with them. She calls them "Gobby" and "Satha" and has no problem telling them "No, doggies!" or "Come!" or "Sit!".

Anticipation. It's a horrible thing.

Sasha

The weather has cooled down considerably with the coming of an afternoon storm. Even so, all of the windows in the house are open and the wind is blowing through. I adore it. I love the wind and wish it would come around more often.

Audrey and I have enjoyed some wonderful play time with some good friends this past week. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera for each of the two outings we had! Ugh. Thankfully, my friend Lesley (who takes beautiful pictures!) brought hers along, and you can see her pictures HERE and HERE.

Happy Easter everyone! Have a beautiful weekend, filled with the blessings and love of the Lord. Praise Jesus for dying for us on the cross and rising again, conquering death and sin and making it possible for us to become clean and forgiven!!!

Snippets

A snippet list of things we do around our house almost on a daily basis:

1. Wear buckets on our heads.

2. Laugh and laugh because we are cotton headed ninny muggins'.
(Just kidding, that is just too much fun to say. We do indeed giggle though. A lot.)

3. Sit in boxes.

4. Eat oatmeal. Sometimes with cinnamon and apples, or honey, syrup, bananas, or jam. It is oh so good. We also watch tv, which is why she wouldn't look at the camera. Oh well. :)

Life in the Rice household would simply not be as fun without these things!

Oh Spring, How We Love You!

I know it's not TECHNICALLY Spring for a few more weeks, but we do love the changing of season from winter to spring and being outdoors once again. It has been such a long winter. Not that it's particularly balmy as of yet, but it's getting there! We have SO enjoyed the sunshine and warmer weather this past week. On the first warmer day of this year, we decided to celebrate by going to Hoover Reservoir and feeding the ducks. It turned out to be a bit colder than we had anticipated but still, a great time! The geese appreciated our presence there, if nothing else. Unfortunately, the water was still frozen and the snow around there hadn't melted there yet, as it had everywhere else. Figures.

Audrey loved it.

Alas, a terrible picture of me. Oh well.

The geese took their time coming up to investigate the bread we threw out to them. When they finally did get up close, my camera ran out of battery so I can't post the proof. Ha.

We also spent a wonderful morning at the zoo recently, celebrating our friend Sadie's 1st birthday. It was great fun and the weather cooperated beautifully! We also saw Jack Hannah, pictured in the middle here, which was neato. (Audrey and I are on the far left)

Other than that, Audrey and I have been enjoying our long walks outdoors once again. It is so fun to walk with her, both with her in the stroller and on foot. She has a comment for everything and is very curious about each tiny detail along the way. Today and yesterday have been rainy, so we've been confined, once again, to the house. However, we love the warmer weather and can't wait for the beautiful days to come!

I will try to post more often. I know I say that every time. Like I said - my time and creativity are being used elsewhere for now, so bear with me! :) Meanwhile - enjoy my new banner and spring colors. I had fun taking a break from other things to create the banner and mess with some fun html! Woohoo!

Catching Up - Or Trying!

It has been awhile, hasn't it? I don't think I ever posted my pictures from California, *sigh*. We have certainly been busy. My free time has been tied up with some projects of my own, so I haven't had a lot of time for blogging, which is quite time consuming, believe it or not!

Audrey is growing, talking, and developing like crazy. She's such a sweet, cheerful little girl and my heart positively explodes with love for her on a daily basis. We have a lot of fun together! I must admit that we've had a bad case of cabin fever lately with the snow that keeps piling up in central Ohio. We can't wait for SPRING! Oh to take walks every day and play at the playground!


I will try to post more. I have a lot of creative ideas and would love to funnel them into this blog, but they are being funneled elsewhere for the time being. :) Meanwhile, please enjoy some pictures.

Highlights from California:

We LOVED being at the beach.

A BEAUTIFUL victorian castle turret in a hidden cove at Laguna. Thanks Noel for the tip - what a fun time we had there!

Playing at the playground:

Whale watching:

We didn't see whales, but we saw dolphins - they were so cool!!!

Audrey loved the boat ride for the first half hour, although the remaining 2 hours was... interesting.

My wonderful, beautiful parents:

Photos that my talented father took during a little photo shoot we did with Audrey:

This is a real face. This photo didn't happen by accident.

This is one of my faves. She isn't really crying, only using her wiles to get her way. So typical, so funny, so cute!

Grandma and Grandpa and one happy little monkey!

We had a GREAT time. I always love being there, spending precious time with my family and enjoying the weather. We went to the beach quite a few times and I enjoyed every second. I miss living in So Cal so very much. There are disadvantages to every location, but since I don't live there anymore I they don't bother me! :) I grew up there so perhaps nostalgia helps. Anyway. Thanks Mom, Dad, Kim, and Liz for sharing your home for two weeks with a crazy, loud, nosy little monkey. Can't wait to see you again!

I Don't Think So, Dr. Oz

I don't know if you watched it, but Oprah's show a few days ago was all about diabetes ("The Silent Killer" *sigh*). I caught the last couple minutes but didn't watch much of it. Apparently, Dr. Oz needs to go back to school, hire an endrocrinologist, and just stop talking about it altogether. Almost all of what he said about diabetes on the show was completely off track. On facebook, a few of my diabetic friends have linked a blog that was posted about it, written by a type 1 diabetic of 35 years. The link to that blog post is below. As most or all of you know, I've been a type 1 diabetic since I was 5. It frustrated me to hear that someone who is a "doctor" and therefore someone with an opinion to be "trusted" was spreading falsehoods on national TV about the auto-immune disease that I and so many others live with. If you watched the show and are curious about diabetes, read the blog and do your own research on diabetes (The American Diabetes Association is a good place to start.), or reply to this post and ask me questions. I don't mind. If you're not curious and don't feel like reading this random guy's blog post, no worries. Just know that Dr. Oz doesn't know what he is talking about.

Pay No Attention To That Man On Oprah

An Excerpt From My Devotions

Just something that blessed me today. From Streams in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman.

"This is my doing." 1 Kings 12:24

The disappointments of life are simply the hidden appointments of love.
~ C.A. Fox

My child, I have a message for you today. Let me whisper it in your ear so any storm clouds that may arise will shine with glory, and the rough places you may have to walk will be made smooth. It is only four words, but let them sink into your inner being, and use them as a pillow to rest your weary head. "This is my doing."
Have you ever realized that whatever concerns you concerns Me too? "For whoever touches you touches the apple of [my] eye" (Zech. 2:8). "You are precious and honored in my sight" (Isa. 43:4). Therefore it is My special delight to teach you.
I want you to learn when temptations attack you, and the enemy comes in "like a pent-up flood" (Isa. 59:19), that "this is my doing" and that your weakness needs My strength, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.
Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, never ask your opinion, and always push you aside? "This is my doing." I am the God of circumstances. You did not come to this place by accident - you are exactly where I meant for you to be.
Have you not asked Me to make you humble? Then see that I have placed you in the perfect school where this lesson is taught. Your circumstances and the people around you are only being used to accomplish My will.
Are you having problems with money, finding it hard to make ends meet? "This is my doing," for I am the One who keeps your finances, and I want you to learn to depend upon Me. My supply is limitless and I "will meet your needs" (Phil 4:19). I want you to prove My promises so no one may say, "you did not trust in the Lord your God" (Deut. 1:32).
Are you experiencing a time of sorrow? "This is my doing." I am a "man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering" (Isa. 53:3). I have allowed your earthly comforters to fail you, so that by turning to Me you may receive "eternal encouragment and good hope" (2 Thess. 2:16). Have you longed to do some great work for Me but instead have been set aside on a bed of sickness and pain? "This is my doing." You were so busy I could not get your attention, and I wanted to teach you some of My deepest truths. "They also serve who only stand and wait." In fact, some of My greatest workers are those physically unable to serve, but who have learned to wield the powerful weapon of prayer.
Today I play a cup of holy oil in your hands. Use it freely, My child. Anoint with it every new circumstance, every word that hurts you, every interruption that makes you impatient, and every weakness you have. The pain will leave as you learn to see Me in all things.

~ Laura A. Barter Snow