The Flowers of Twenty-Thirteen

Ellie is our flower girl.  She dreams of flower gardens, reads the 15 lb. flower encyclopedia like it's a thriller, spouts latin flower names, wanders our property in search of fresh blooms, and brightens our home with her findings.  This past year, she has kept me in near-constant supply of flowers.  My desk and table almost always have a bouquet (or three!).  

Flowers are Ellie's way of saying "I love you," so they are especially nice to have around :)

Ellie's floral gifts have been a constant source of photography inspiration for me, so here you find the flowers that have adorned my room for the last seven months.  

Drink them in, as Anne of Green Gables would say :)

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."  

Isaiah 40:8

-E

The Business of Play

One afternoon last month, Libby and I had the immense pleasure and important duty of sharing in the playtime of two young friends.  John and Timmy briefed us in the art of war...and fishing :)

This was John's handcrafted version of "Axis and Allies," only he called it "Eks and Allies."

The Eks, you must understand, are a fiercely ruthless and barbaric people whose one goal in their short and bloody lifetimes is to conquer the world.  Notice John's creativity in coming up with new lands--my favorite being Zeklink and New Zeklink--and incorporating them with the globe as we know it.

Whether studying how to mobilize your forces and defend your land, or how to jab your fishing rod into a rapidly passing fish's mouth before your opponent can slosh him into HIS bucket, you are constantly kept on your toes when around active youngsters.  Libby and I learn so much whenever we have opportunities like this, and love to enter wholeheartedly into their games.

Happy Independence Day to you all!

xoxo,

Elise