Austin's Bug

I've gotten to hang out with almost all of the Lessmanns lately (more on why later)... I could say things like these people are so warm and awesome, but that wouldn't do them justice. The big brother of the littlest Lessmanns, Austin, is an absolute crack up. He loves talking about mowing the lawn and pretends to shave his legs with a crayon. Big imagination! We found a praying manitis on Wednesday night which quickly became Austin's pet. When asked what he wanted to name his bug, Austin responded, "Tigger!". We eventually let Tigger go into the wild (I mean the backyard), so this picture is for Austin to remember his new pet for an evening.

99 Balloons

I want to be able to live my life where no matter what happens, I'll be able to say:

GOD GIVES. GOD TAKES.
GOD'S NAME EVER BE BLESSED.
Job 1:21

What made me think of this? Below I've posted a video about a little guy whose life showed God's love in the simplest ways. He lived for 99 days. It's a sad video, but it honors the Lord and little Eliot well...

"An underdeveloped lung, a heart with a hole in it, and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell of your body could not stop God from revealing himself through a child who never uttered a word... God found great pleasure to take a lowly thing in the eyes of the world and show truth."

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

fulfilled.

I've been playing keys at church this weekend. Being part of the worship team is truly an honor... and so stinkin' fun!

God has blown me away with the mystery of His love. There's one song in particular that we've been playing that speaks to my core. It's called Your Love...

What is this love that ran to meet me in my brokenness
That sought to cover all my shamefullness
Love that brought me home

What is this love that overwhelmed me with extravagance
That clothed me in your righteousness
Love that brought me home

It's your love that draws me to my knees
And even when I'm far from you it reaches out to me
It's your love that brings me back to life
That brings me running to your side
It's your love

Your love outruns my wayward heart
And now I'm alive, now I'm alive
Your boundless grace outweighs my sin
And now I'm alive, now I'm alive

It's this love that causes me to love Him back. I can't love on my own. I have no idea how.

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:9-10)

My sin has disconnected me from God. My desires to serve myself. My ideas that I know what's best. When I choose anything other than what God had in mind. All those things make it impossible for me to be connected to God. But Christ came to reconnect me back to God. So that I can experience this life that God has laid out for me. So that I can know God, his love, and his Son. So that I can love others well.

That's love.

I'm keeping myself busy...

...by crocheting a blanket. Although, it's already becoming a tedious project, so it may be a scarf. I'll try a blanket later... I'm planning on sending it out to Afghanistan. My church's next trip isn't until November, so I have a while to finish it... whatever it becomes...


...by catching up with my best friend, Jill... I love this gal! Yesterday she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids in her October 3rd wedding. My response? "Jill... I'd be honored to be in your wedding!"


...by reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch... a great book about a man's childhood dreams and enabling others' dreams. Dr. Pausch gave his 'last lecture' at Carnegie Mellon University months before he died of pancreatic cancer. It's a really powerful lecture... watch it if you have the time!


...but I'm out of ideas and still have a week and a half off of work...

I cannot believe how big he is!

The last time I posted something about Bjorn, he was just barely a year old. Now he's topping out a whoppin' 16 months. He walks! He talks! He draws! He climbs on stuff! All with a little bit of his quirky, Bjorn style.

We are constantly blown away with how much he's talking -- or at least trying to. These are some of the many words:

• "Ana" or "Nun" -- that's me
• "Mama work" and "Dada work"
• "Dado" -- Colorado, of course
• "Bawk" -- park
• "Poo" -- pool
• "Einstein" -- he's addicted to the Baby Einstein videos
• "Papa" -- pasta
• "Hot" -- paired with a goofy hand wave
• "Bapa" -- this started off as Grandpa, but now he calls any older man "Bapa"

Our weeks have evolved into quite the routine. Mondays are storytime at Borders Bookstore in Boulder. Tuesdays we go for a long walk and to the dinosaurs at the mall. Wednesdays we go to the pool. Thursdays are "Tiny Tumblers" (baby gymnastics) at the rec center. Of course, with all of his fun developments (especially walking/running/climbing) come bumps and bruises, but he's holding his own really well. Now that I think about it, the kid really doesn't ever quit moving... except during nap time... which I'm always thankful for!

Bjorn constantly wants to listen to music. But we can't listen to Annette's music. We have to listen to Sesame Street. We have to listen to track 9. We have to listen to Grover singing "Wompa wompa woo woo woo". Bjorn asks for it by saying "Wa woo woo woo??" At least he says please.

He's quite the character. And quite the stinker. But we all are so thankful for that little boy! He really does radiate the joy that only a fun little guy can.

Wow, it's been FOREVER!

The last time I posted a blog was on April 6... It's JULY... How pathetic is that?

Last night I drove in the craziest rain storm I've ever seen. I was at the grocery store, innocently buying some granola, yogurt, and fruit. When I walked out, it was dumping rain on Boulder. The drive home took twice as long because we were going twice as slow! So, apparently the storm was threatening to become a tornado and I was right in the middle of it... comforting...

I'm completely enjoying summertime in Colorado. Sure, it's hot (although, today is a whoppin' 58 degrees). But goodness, it's so beautiful! I've been blown away by God's goodness -- and that He does things like this for us:


If I look at the summer so far (sigh... is it really half over??), the most precious times have been surrounded by great friends. I've been reminded of the richness of good, authentic community. Really, I wouldn't have it any other way.

In May, I was able to spend time with my best friend, Jill. She's in Michigan for a dietetics internship. It was so sweet to see her... I'm really excited for her to move back to Colorado for good in a few weeks!


Also in May, my good friend Laura gave birth to little Avery Joy. Avery was a long awaited baby and is a huge blessing!


In June, I visited my brother, sister in law, and nieces in California. I spent a long weekend running around with Roma and Quincy. Roma and I took a short trip to San Diego to visit some friends of mine who were doing ministry with Campus Crusade down there...


July has been a month of being with friends in Colorado....

On the 4th of July, my friends Bryon, Kristin and Jared and I went climbing up near Estes Park. We stayed in town for dinner at my favorite Estes restaurant and the great fireworks show.


My friend, Marissa, spent this past year in East Asia. She got home in early July, so a bunch of college friends got together to welcome her home! ...And to get free Slurpees, as it was July 11...


The girls in my Bible study all went out on Friday night for our first -- but definitely not last -- Girls Night. It was great to connect with them outside of Bible study...


On Sunday night after church, a bunch of friends went to dinner at Chili's... One of my most favorite things in life is sitting with good people and laughing, telling stories, and catching up. So we did that. I was truly content!


So that's that... I'm about to get a two-week vacation (Bjorn and his parents are headed to Sweden to visit his grandparents) and I'm so ready to sleep in, lay by the pool, visit more friends, and enjoy down time. I hope you're enjoying your summer, too!

So much to say...

I feel like it's been forever since I've actually spent time to write down some thoughts. A lot has happened in the past few weeks...

I was baptized on Saturday night...
My church does about 4 baptism services each year. They have a class for people to go to and learn what baptism is/isn't. I guess about 30 people went to that class this time around. While I was sitting in the service listening to what the Lord can do and has done in my heart, I had an overwhelming sense that I wanted to get baptized. So I did! (I was baptized as a baby, and I totally appreciate my parents for doing that, but I needed to do it for me -- as my decision, my declaration.) Our pastor, Jim, put it well -- I was "ambushed by God". What amazed me about this weekend was that over 200 people were baptized, and only 30 were planning on it. You do that math -- God ambushed a bunch of hearts this weekend! I went to church again on Sunday with Shawn and watched as fathers and sons, best friends, mothers and children, old people, young children, and people who were clearly not planning on hopping into an inflatable hot tub gathered together in the Lord's name to state "yes, we believe!"

April Fool's Day was fun...
One of my dearest friends, Elise, hates dogs. So I loved what I did to her on April 1st. I placed an ad on Craigslist that went a little like this...

I have 5 adorable puppies who are all ready to leave their mom as
soon as you can pick them up!  They're a mix between a yellow lab and a golden
retriever.  Beautiful parents.  3 females, 2 males. 
I'm only asking $50 for each and I can work out a deal if you want. 
Call now, they'll go quickly!  303-818-4254

Throughout the course of the day, Elise got over 15 phone calls for puppies and she had no clue why. She even got a phone call from a producer looking for puppies for a sitcom he was working on. Really?!

I take full credit for that amazing April Fool's joke. You can use it next year if you'd like... but remember, it was my idea ;)

I'll post California pictures, soon.