UK or bust...

...so the cats out of the bag...

Kevin and I booked our tickets to the UK a few weeks ago!

i'm ecstatic!

one of the things I adore about my hubs is that he is so adventurous and spontaneous. he loves clicking "purchase" buttons on airfare websites, and so do I, so naturally we fit. I think this trip will take us up to our 35th country, or something like that!

our trip will take us to Ireland, Scotland and England, for 3 weeks baby! we wasted no time in ordering the master's guide...Rick Steve's UK and Ireland! and we've been sneaking in travel plans here and there (ie: on car rides, picnics, and embarrassingly enough, we spent dinner a few nights ago glued to a Rick Steve's Hulu show on Ireland. yes, you can say it, we are nerds!)

we are fleshing out plans, but let me give you some of my initial thoughts on things we want to see:

Keizy and Fam:

this whole trip was born out of the fact that my roommate from college (the lovely Keiz) now lives with her hubby and sweet pea in the North of England. She's only over there a few years, and Kevin and I were NOT going to miss the chance to visit them. So yes, she's my excuse to validate our reason to go:) And i'm SO excited to see her and the town she calls home:) and excited to laugh....I don't know what it is about this girl, but we get strange when we get together. so yes, let the giggles begin.

Highclere Castle in England:

if you've seen Downton Abbey, then you will recognize this castle as the Grantham's humble (errr not so humble) abode! OMG! When I figured out it was a 50 min train ride from London, I knew there was NO way we were going to miss it! I'm going to walk around like Lady Mary, and of course Kevin will have to assume the role of Matthew..ohhh it will b sooooo romantic:) And if you haven't seen Downton Abbey then you are missing out on the best show EVER. you should believe me too (even though I don't watch any tv.... or own one!)

Anything Jane Austin:

I have been a Jane Austin addict since I first picked up the dusty Pride and Prejudice from the library in high school. I'm THAT girl that adores the 5 hour P&P (to my husband and probably the world's chagrin), the 2005 P&P, Gwenie in Emma, and pretty much anything that has to do with Miss Austin herself! My BFF who lives in England just sent me a JA postcard, telling me there is a JA museum in the town close to where she lives. score!!! We are SO going. I'm also thinking we'll go to Bath too...maybe reenact some Persuasion? My goal before we leave for the UK is for Kevin to sit all 5 hours as we watch Elizabeth and Darcy fall in love...really, is there any better love story? Wish me luck and no fast forwarding!

Cliffs of Ireland!!:

let's be honest, that movie Leap Year was a tad (or MORE) ridiculous. But...I would watch that movie again just to see the scenery. Um...so fantastic it was by FAR my favorite character in that movie. when what's his name was proposing to what's her name, all I could focus on (obvi) is the cliffs over the ocean and the sun illuminating the green hillside. Gahh...maybe i'll make Kevin recreate that scene with me. Hmmm...another movie i'm going to have to coerce him into watching with me! (hmmm....i'm sensing a trend with recreating movie scenes. don't worry, it's probably more fun to imagine recreating it than actually recreating it and feeling really embarrassed when other tourists are embarrassed for you, and awkward laughter ensues...)

Irish Music

i'm not kidding, one of my fantasies has always been irish clogging. no joke. i used to watch Lord of the Dance for fun totally crushing on Michael Flatlley and wishing i get down with those crazy shoes. and this was like last year. my goal is to find a good irish pub, cement my rear to the seat, and tap my feat to some good ol' fashion irish jigs and live my dream. it will happen. and if you see my name featured on a lord of the dance youtube, don't be surprised. and don't watch it. please.

Freedom's family:

our good friend Tony and Dayna are some of the coolest people we know. they love Jesus and live in a super diverse part of London where they just LOVE their neighbors well. and they have a daughter named Freedom, and she is pretty much the epitome of her name. we are staying with them, hoping to soak up London and learn and touch and feel and sense what Abba is doing in that city. so pumped for fellowship with them. did I mention they are like the coolest ever?

Scotland:

seriously, I know nothing about this country that's technically not a country but is a country. confusing right? i mean, i know all the neccessary info like that Prince William went to college there at St Andrews, and Nessie is roaming in a loch, and that William Wilbeforce did something in a kilt, and that scotch made it's debut there. the essentials, right? so yeah, I guess I still have EVERYTHING to learn about this mystical country.

thankfully our buddy Rick can fill in a few gaps. yes, yes we are SO excited to go. and thankful that sweet Jesus has provided so much for this trip already for us!

looking forward to adventure and sweet JOY with those that I love!!

and ps- travel tips are welcome!!

love katie

rooted and established in love

This past week, as I studied the holy scriptures on that dusty and painful walk to the cross, I was struck raw at this:

Jesus. Perfect, loving, tender, holy Jesus, was hated. I watched as he stood alone in the courtyard of the chief of priests, standing solo. I imagine his slender frame, standing eyes wide at his beloveds, hatred and accusations hurled against him.

But the Bible speaks not of a terrified Savior in the face of the crowd. No words scrawled of the Messiah fighting back, arguing, trying desperately to convince them of his Kingship, throwing down a miracle to convince the rabid mass. No.

"But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor." (Matt 27:14)

Why? Feebly I wonder how my Savior could stand it? The hurt, the pain, the hatred, the accusations. How? Didn't he want to PROVE himself? Or cry? For surely, I would have wanted to snap fingers and create a miracle that had them wishing they were rooting for me and not Barabas. Or more likely I would just break down in tears.

katie, said the great potter, here is the beauty of this passage...

King Jesus was fully rooted and established in the Father's love. Confident in the Father's love. Rooted from a place of approval of God, not approval of man. Life flowing from a place of freedom, not sown in soil of man's opinion.

And that is when the rawness began to bleed. How often am I dictated by the approval or opinions of man around me? Lord, rip the seams of this dysfunction, and bring me back to live out of a place of you and your love.

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

But blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out is roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Jeremiah 17:5-8

So I say no, I do not want to live cursed under the approval of man.

I want to live blessed, keeping confidence in ONLY Him.

Jesus.

Sweet Jesus.

Thank you for walking this road for us.

If you want to walk the rest of these 2 weeks till Easter with us, email me and i'll send you the Lent devotions!!!

much love rooted in HIM,

Katie

our day with the sweet boys

kevin and I have fallen in love.

the objects of our affection are 7 year old KC and 5 year old JT.

they live across the way from us, and today as we got home, they came rushing out of their house, screaming our names, and showing us with sweet hugs.

i love that as we keep our lives open for surprises, God does just that, he surprises us with treasures. these boys are our treasures, no doubt about it.

so today we set aside our plans, and spent the whole afternoon with these two cuties. i'm glad we did. we tasted the kingdom of God.

we decided to make pizza. the boys LOVE cooking with us. they are my sidekicks when i cook or bake. and let's be honest..have you ever seen a sidekick as cute as THIS? look at that smile...gahhh, so precious!

while i was doing the dishes, Kevin read to the boys, "taught" some guitar, and pointed out on the map where our sponsored children live. can i just say that i fell in love with my husband a little bit more today? handsome AND fatherly inclined! win win.

i'm dying laughing from this picture. JT was plugging his nose when I put the pesto on the pizza.....evidently pesto is not universally loved.

KC: Where's the cheese?

Me: I'm allergic to cheese!

KC: You're afraid of CHEESE? why? it's not scary.

and evidently olives look like humpty dumpty's hat. i'm not sure where that one came from, but they were insistent that i put his hat on our pizza.

Before the boys leave, they always give kev a handshake and me a hug. it's like our little ritual. mmmm, i LOVE these boys!

thanking sweet Jesus for reminding me that life is about the journey, not about my to-do list. because had I put laundry or cleaning in front, i would have missed out on the laughter and joy of being in community with abba's most precious ones.

matthew 19:14

Jesus said "let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these"

enjoy today sweet friends, and delight in the unexpected and surprises of our loving God...

love Katie