A Post Not Regarding St. Patrick

My sincerest apologies for not posting yesterday! Absent-minded it is, I simply forgot it was Wednesday. =}
All-light, to catch you all up on ... Valentine's and The Cousins' Visit! =)

Ah, Andrew was a chum and let me use his cam-er-a to take some festive photos on Valentine's.
{disclaimer: they are by *no* means good - point of fact, I can immediately see at least three things wrong with the photo below - but, I was merely enjoying the use of a camera that focuses and has nice quality. *shing*}

Enjoying The Camera
(unlike me, Andrew does not take to naming his electronics ;)

{ ^ where's Waldo? Er, rather, Andrew? =}

I just love it when It does that! =]

Aren't they fun! Given and inspired by Meghan R. M - thanks awfully, Meg. =)

~Awkward Valentine~

Do you see Heidi-girl's height?! Nearly as tall as me. =O But, I am okay with that now. =]

February 17th has been much anticipated, and it did not disappoint! =D
Praise God!

Our leetle Elfy came for a visit!

Evin super looks like Erik did when he was a wee child. =)

The very muchly fun and awesome relatives came for a weekend visit!

Heidi, Olive, Gabby, and Kayla!

{Would you believe it! Gabby - next to Oly - is 14, and Kayla is 12! And it seems that they grow at least an inch in between every time I see them! =O}

Cousin visits are intended for many things ...
listed among them:

Bringing Hamlet and Ophelia to life!

Going Virtually Bowling

(ok, so we were going to bowl; howevah, upon arriving, we were informed that Tivoli's was rented out the entire day ... and that, citizen, is what is known as, Virtually Bowling =)

Playing RISK by Candle-light

It was good to have the Anthony-child in our van again =)
The first thing I said when I saw him was, "Anthony! You're home!"
(for those of you who don't remember or didn't know, he stayed with us for two months last Summer =)

Yeh, we're pretty close. =] And oi, do we miss them!

There are other things that we did together; regrettably, and not regrettably, they were not captured on digital cameras (but believe you me! I shall not soon forget jumping streams and accidentally stepping through the ice with the dear children ;P).

The weather has been particularly obliging this week (apparently the groundhog did not see his shadow ;), and it has been grand to be in the out-of-doors!

I received an email from a friend this week, and in it she gave me a verse:
II Samuel 22:20
"He brought me forth also into a large place: He delivered me, because He delighted in me."
Is that not just the craziest thing?!
He delights in us.
{thanks M =)}
What really gets me, is to think that before the foundation of the world was made, He knew me (along with the other 7 billion some individuals alive today!) and wanted me to be born.
I simply cannot fathom that.
He knew all the times that I'd fail Him; but, He still chose to create me.

How great is our God!

"Don't let anyone else take your job description...do what God created you for!"

Pip-pip,
Phia

Post Script

Thanks very muchly to those of you who submitted a comment on the last post! Liv was super blessed. =)

St. Valentine Goes Bowling ...

It would be enormously difficult to find a past February to compare with this year's!

God is so good - it is beyond my mortal capacities to fathom His love. <3

There are so many happy memories already made, within the past two weeks, that when I think I've found a place to start sharing about, I am immediately struck with a smile from a memory that came just before the one I was going to begin with ... *sigh* I suppose I shall simply have a go at summing up my month thus far (for, already there is planned more happiness for this weekend!).

First weekend: I went to FL! For the happy wedding of David W. & Priscilla K. (now W. ;) ...

[I am going to dedicate a separate post to that weekend =]

Weekend the 2nd: My very sweet and darling banana-friend, Ans, came for a visit!! <3 And it was a most grandly memorable weekend with you, dear girl. +D

[Again, there will be another post on the happenings we had together =]

The same very happy weekend, Heidel and I attended a delightful Valentine's tea party

{Kaitlyn and Sarah =}

My little Kaitlyn-friend gave me this cookie. =] I enjoyed looking at it; but, I bequeathed the taste-enjoying part to someone else. =)

This was, indeed, a triple-ly happy weekend on account of ... my darlingest sister, brother-in-law, and nephew came to visit! =D

{this photo does not portray it justly; however, the most adorable elf-y hat is courtesy of the gifted Polly B. =}

We went bowling, doncha-know - and what merrification was had all 'round! =)

{heh heh I just read the top sign now ... does stopping to take a picture qualify as loitering? I hope not ... =P)

Tim and the sleeping boy =)

Dad used to play on a league - it was an enjoyment to watch him play his game. =)

It was jolly to have the entire crew go bowling!

{Andrew, Dad, and Tim soundly beat the rest of us ... =}

Look at our wee Ga-nomie (gnome)! He can get around on his own now ... *happy/sad sigh*

In between the weekend and V-day, the gang went snowboarding!

[separate, individual post for that later =]

Ah, here we are - St.Valentine's Day <3

Mum and Dad attended their couples Valentine dinner; thus, the five single siblings had their own Valentine dinner at home. ;)

{Thanks to MRM for the grand valentines and idears! =}

[surprise! ;) there will be more regarding V-day in a later post =]

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him ... Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." ~ 1 John 4:9,11

God's Love ... it truly overwhelms me. <3

(Since you probably heard it a lot yesterday, I decided to save it for today ...)

Happy Valentine's Day, belated! =D

{I love the flower, Polly! =}

Pip-pip,

Phia