Reagan turned twooooooo!

This is a little late, but! Reagan turned the lovely age of two on February 24th! My parents were able to come down for the weekend and we had seriously, one of the most cherished birthday parties ever. I've come to realize that I'm just not a themed, birthday blow out type of mum. I used to really beat myself up over my lack of birthday cake making abilities, the total lack of streamers and matched gift bags etc...but I'm just not that girl. I love a sort of rustic cake, I love earthy, organic little decor, but mostly...mostly, I love just having everyone who I love all coming together and eating good food and having sweet fellowship. And thats what we did, I made a big pot of the best ever pork carnitas (seriously, I just do it in the crock pot and they have never failed me) Add another crock pot of homemade beans, and some flour tortillas and we were golden. Oh! did I mention our very own Lupe made Spanish rice and the most amazing pico de gallo I have ever had, like ever?! yeah, she did.
We ate and it was loud and busy and so warm and just...I don't know, perfect. Then we finished with a homemade tres leches (once again, this recipe is a bit time consuming but absolutely to die for)
I will post pics of the amazing birthday present John made for her as soon as it gets a bit sunnier here. It will knock your socks off...I was pretty darn impressed.
I threw in a few more tribute videos for the little Reaganizer as I so fondly call her. The first is a video we sent John while he was at work, she was being so sweet...I love when she sings "As the deer"....she says "you alone are me hearts..." my little worshipping pirate.
the next one was taken this morning at breakfast. Reagan is obsessed with Annie. As in the musical. She saw it at church in nursery and now sings the Sandy song (dumb dog! why are you so alone dog!) etc, but the best part? when she mimicks a scene where the evil Mrs. Hannigan is putting the moves on a police officer and a little orphan girl mocks her with " kissy kissy kissy" inciting Mrs. Hannigan to scream shut up!
Reagan does it verbatim. And although its not ideal to have a two year old yell shut up...its pretty stinking hilarious.
Here you have it!

O Beautiful for spacious skies....

Happy fourth to you and yours! I love this holiday, its lazy and not full of bustle and expectation, although I would be lying if I said Christmas wasn't my absolute favorite holiday. But the fourth is so reminiscent of barbecue's and river going, sparklers and watermelon...sunshine and a warm breeze...it just so embodies the lazy days of summer.
Here's some little patriotic darlings for you...

Do you remember this picture from last summer?

A year later we have....

And although I love all the picture's of John and Rea-Rea, here is my favorite by far...

Happy Birthday Grammy Zhanette!!!!

Today is a special day...today is my mother in laws birthday.
Its been a tough week, grampy (janet's father) passed away on sunday of last week.The funeral was last friday, John spoke at it, pastor Mitchell did the service and John's father spoke at the graveside service.
I wish I could tell you all about Grampy, and I will in another post, because he was a remarkable man...but his story of salvation really began when a fourteen year old hippie gave her life to Jesus and sparked a fire that changed her father's life.
Happy Birthday Janet. I love you so much. You've been such a dear, wonderful friend. I always wondered what the dynamic of our relationship would be, and I can say so well, you are my friend...one of the best that I have. I love talking with you on the phone and ruminating on weird artsy ideas, contemplating humanity and pastoring, I love how much you overdo everything in your desire to make it perfect (and it ALWAYS is). I love how you raised your children and especially the one who became my husband. I love your heart and your spirit. I love who you are to my children, I love the youthfulness of your spirit, the zeal and tenacity you've never let falter. I love how much you love God and how your relationship with him is so evident in everything you do...truly, you are a child of the living God...it flows from your conversation, is heavy on all you do...and I love you so much for that...
Here's some pictures I took of the girl's in the amazing outfits you got them..seriously, how did you pick such amazing shirts?!?! I definitely screamed when I saw the shirts, Its bad, but I did...I love them so much...Here's to you..(your gift should arrive this evening)...love you dear mother in law o' mine.

p.s. Yes Reagan is chewing on a wisp..they are her current favorite thing, which totally kills me. My toddler is wisping..ha ha ha...

Whoops! Forgot the fathers day photos!!!!

I'm officially losing my brain. ha. thats sounds weird. much weirder than losing one's mind. hmm. ANYWAYS! I forgot to add pics to my fathers day post! wake up soph! so here they are a week and two days late! but still so stinkin' cute :) I LOVE YOU JOHN!

Mr. John M Foley...father of 3.

Can you believe John has three little girls? Can you remember him with his bowl cut and those dark mocking eyes? I can. I remember him when I was five, when I was ten, when I was fifteen and so in love but so mean to this boy that I was head over heels crazy for, and now...now, I'm 24, and we've begun to raise these three darling little lives together. He is such a wonderful father. So tender and in love, so proud and delighted. This journey, this fearful raising up of three lives, well, I wouldn't want to share it with anyone else. And I absolutely cannot wait to look back on it all, and see HIM reflected in the lives, decisions, characters, of our little girls three, and the children still to be had.
Happy Father's day Mister John M. I love you.

If there were no words...

Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away. ~Dinah Craik

Oh that quote made my heart absolutely ache. Its an odd ache, its an emotion thats both sweet and chagrined. I have been married for 5 years today, April 17th. Can you hardly stand it?! He loved me another year...I loved him back with all my might.
During conference, my father in law preached about how if you would've asked him,where he thought he would be in 5 years, when he first got saved; he’d never have guessed the enormity of what actually happened.
5 years ago, if you would've asked me where I saw us in 5 years? I would've said," maybe we'd have a baby, we'd probably be getting into ministry..." and I would've been so wrong! In five years we have become the parents to three little wonders, we're pioneering our own church...I NEVER in all my life, would have been able to correctly see where those vows would’ve taken me.
I married the person who makes my life make sense. The longer I know John, the more sure I am, that I was born, I EXIST, because of my purpose alongside him. This life deals some excruciating blows, and its hard to really feel safe in the travails of living...even salvation can be murky..not that Jesus is clouded or his love confused, but it’s a thing of fear and trembling and sometimes it requires a healthy amount of reverent awe and chastisement...but my marriage… this deep deep friendship; it’s the safest place on earth for me. It’s like my big chair and fireplace, where I can hunker down and hide from everything that scares me...and sometimes I'm very scared. but I've never, ever wondered if it was safe to let the chaff and grain which is my crazy personality, fall into the heart of John...I have always known, that he will indeed gently dismiss the chaff and see the few grains that are there and love every single thing I have to give....
oh my heart aches.
I love you John.
happy anniversary to me. to us. to you.