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18 July, 2012

Project cafe racer: complete

It's a 1978 Honda CB550. And it was driven here in one piece. Barely.



And then stripped down to this:


. . .and then this:





Engine cleaned and re-built, entirely new frame. Peter wet-sanded and primed, wet-sanded and primed, every little part.

We talked and planned just exactly how it should look. The goal was to keep as many original parts as possible while still making it everything he wanted it to be. Without breaking the bank. 


New lights, re-vamped fenders. New tires, transformed rims. New speedo, polished tachometer. 

Before
After



With filler and more filler, he completely restored the tank. Not a ding, dent, or air bubble. My guy's that good.




We decided the tank and fender were missing something. Peter thought an oval, my dad suggested numbers. 

Middle-ground was found, the perfect touch. 
He couldn't order stencils off-line, no way. Peter created his own template with a pencil and razor blade.

You'd never, ever guess:
What did I tell you? The man's efficient.



He was into up-cycling (no pun intended) for this project. With a vintage leather jacket and high-density foam, he made the seat all on his own. The guy had a better sense of direction in JoAnn Fabrics than I did.

What did I say? He's way efficient.





And his diligence has paid off. Big time. 












13 July, 2012

My spinning head.

A lot of things are up in the air right now. It's a sobering place to be. Times like this, it's hard to fight stress, to not fall into faithlessness.

We've got a lot of decisions to make-- a lot of big things to do-- in the next couple weeks, which means we don't do a whole lot besides feed babies and pray. It brings me that much closer to my husband, and I'm thankful for these trials we face. Endless as they seem.

And times like these my mind tends to wander every which direction. It usually doesn't make sense. But my husband holds me and listens, my head tight against his chest.

I've just spent 7 nights away from him. 7 nights, no husband to snuggle. No husband to laugh at my pregnant-lady dreams. We're together again at last, and his face fits just perfectly, right between my hands.

I think of the souls of these three. Entrusted to us, such a heavy responsibility. And 3 John 1:4 comes to mind over and over again, as I wake each morning, throughout my day, as they eat, wake, sleep. We're devoted, every single bedtime since birth, to praying with them. Our prayer has consistently, fervently, been that He make our children a godly man and woman. All throughout the day, I ask them over and over, "What does Mama want you to be?" Their little faces light up and I know they know they answer. A godly man. A godly woman.


"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." No greater joy.

And perhaps once a day, in the middle of each bustling 24-hour period, my spinning mind comes back to these heavy words, and I slow myself down to refocus.

"It is very grievous to see how some professedly Christian parents are satisfied so long as their children display cleverness in learning, or sharpness in business, although they show no signs of a renewed nature. If they pass their examinations with credit and promise to be well fitted for the world's battle, their parents forget that there is a superior conflict, involving a higher crown, for which the child will need to be fitted by divine grace and armed with the whole armor of God. Alas, if our children lose the crown of life, it will be but a small consolation that they have won the laurels of literature or art." 
-C.H. Spurgeon

I've been pondering how different our life would be without these little ones. How our twins' first birthday is nearing, and how if things had gone our way, September 28 would be nothing to us.

How if things had gone according to our plan, Sebastian and Katharina would not be. How these three are such gifts, surprises, but bring total joy, meaning, to our life.


Not my will, but Yours.


How the only children we "planned" for are the twins we don't have here with us.

That humbles me, takes me to my knees, and my heart is grateful. Grateful for all He's given, even all He's taken away. Grateful that the God we serve is a sovereign One, caring for the sparrows, adorning the lilies of the field, numbering the hairs of my very head. That He's infinity, eternity. Unchangeable.

His glorious, glorious plans.

11 July, 2012

Little No. 3

On Peter's birthday, we also learned the gender of our sweet baby at our 20  23 week ultrasound.

After Sebastian and Katharina, Peter was set on finding out this baby's gender, too. And I really couldn't refuse. I like my bag packed properly-- pink or blue. None of the yellow-and-green funny business for me. A surprise now, or later? I'll take now, please.

Though I didn't really think we needed to go at all, other than to see that all was healthy-- 4 heart chambers, kidneys and liver, stomach, bladder, brain. Normal lips, 10 fingers and toes. I was certain we'd be having a boy. 110% sure.

I'm really tickled to say how very wrong I was. Plain and clear to see, the doctor actually asked me to determine.

 I'm no doctor, but it wasn't hard. Not at all.

"What do you have?" 
"Well, it doesn't look at all like my son did. . .but it's supposed to be a boy, I was sure. . ."


Doctor, with a smile, "I'm thinking pink, guys!"

And we're really, really excited.

 See?


Peter even did a little happy dance in the room, right there for the doctor to see. He'd been praying for another daughter.  And I'm happily wrong.

When we told Katharina the news:
she can't wait to share her dolls and dresses with a little sister.

And Sebastian, he's even more thankful for his Papa.

but he's really excited too.

Petey Baby turns 25!

25 candles, family breakfast tradition, his favorites-- picnic with stinky cheese, crusty bread, roast beef. A rest under trees, canoeing. Birthday cake by request, mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Loving him is just so easy.

picnicking is something we used to do over and over and
over again when we were dating, engaged, and newlyweds
(aren't we still?). It was fun to repeat that date.
really, seriously, madly in love.

this cake: 17 eggs, 1.5 pounds of butter, 28 ounces of
chocolate. I am picky about cakes, and this made
the cut, for sure.


10 July, 2012