They Grow Up So Fast **sniff**

This blog turns one year old today. I figured...what better thing to give it for it's first birthday than a birthday post.
I had started this blog a year ago after meeting several Christian homeschooling families who also kept family blogs. After reading several of them....blogging seemed like a neat way to keep a family diary, so-to-speak, and I figured that I'd follow suit. Leading up to that, The Lord was revealing so many truths to Chrissy and I through Scripture...about Biblicaly modeled and mandated familial roles, about the need for growth and maturity in certain areas of our lives, about creating a more Christ-centered culture within our home, about training up our children and keeping their hearts pointed towards Him.....
A year later, it's cool to be able to look back and see the growth that has happened in our family, and also areas where we still (and will always) need His Direction and Wisdom. I love John chapter 15...Jesus is talking about vines and branches...and about pruning....how even branches that bear fruit are pruned...cut back...in order that they may produce more fruit. We will never "arrive" as Christians....we ought to always be growing, and our lives will always need pruning, So that as our families grow....more and more of our time, focus, words, and activity is spent glorifying Him.
I've been reading back through some of the older posts from last year. I have enjoyed rereading where we were at as a family a year ago and thinking about what this next year has in store.
Reading posts about the kids...even from 5 or 6 months ago...and seeing how much they've grown physically and in maturity has been shocking...comforting but shocking. Specifically, Ivy turning from a crawling baby to a full-on little girl.
Looking back on last years gardening posts...seeing the bounty that we were able to reap...and looking forward to this year with 3x as much room to plant and well over a dozen new crops to tend.
Watching the School Room go from gutted corpse of a basement to a beautiful classroom and praying for God's Will in potentially getting an informal co-op going.
Ivy's broken arm
Our cat, Jack, passing away
our 12 foot tall Christmas tree that had to fit in an 8 foot tall room
My new job

I'm getting cheesy, aren't I.
**insert "No Woman, No Cry" softly in the background**
or worse....
that Green Day song that was used for every video montage, graduation song, and prom song from 1997-2003. gag.

In all seriousness, though, looking back, this was a nice little year for the Leo family. We continue to delight in the little things....the "small things" that we are told, in Scripture, not to despise. The learning, the pruning, the growing, His Mercy, His Wisdom....

I can't wait until I read this post a year from now and see where He brings us from here.

Of course...I can't end without posting about something that we discovered in the yard so....without further adieu:


The Cutest Little Turtle That You Ever Did See!!

We spotted this little guy swimming around near our dock during a fishing session last week and netted him up (we let him go a few hours later). I handed Gavin the quarter to use as a size reference....which I think he pocketed afterwards.

God Bless.