The Redelsperger Family

Another year has flown by and it's already time for our yearly Christmas update, but first a story about our Christmas card! This year for Thanksgiving , we did something a bit unconventional...we left town and went to stay the night at a hotel near the Calavaras Big Trees.  I thought there might be snow on the ground so I packed the kids snow gear "just in case".  When we arrived at the big trees there was over 12"!!!  This picture was taken on the "dancing stump" (called that because it's as big as a stage) done on the timer amidst two melt downs by the younger two kids.  I'm amazed everyone is looking at the camera and not crying!  What a fun memory, and it made for a perfect Christmas card picture...  and now for the "update"! Aaron has been very busy this year handling the responsibilities of youth ministry, small groups ministry, taking graduate classes, and preaching a 12 week sermon series this fall. (You can listen to them...

Every year. Every child. Every year is different. Every child is different. Every child is different every year! This is why we have decided to make our decisions about school based on those two things. We (like any other parent) want what's best for our children. What's best can sometimes change based on the circumstances. This year we felt it was best to keep Grace home for school. I am so very excited about it! We've had two days of school thus far and I'm loving it already. I know that not every day will be as smooth as these two have been, and that's okay with me. I know that there will be times that I am longing to "have a break", and days that I question my sanity. But above all that the foundational truth of the matter is this: IT'S NOT ABOUT ME! It's about her...

It's summer time! It's HOT... and that means it's time for lazy days outside watching the kids play in the pool or the sprinklers. I realize it's a sacrifice for me to give up valuable time to sit in my lawn chair with a good book and tanning lotion, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make! So here's to ice water in princess water bottles, sun tea and sprinklers!

This is my daughter.

It's a melancholy day. The rain drizzles from the sky and the slight flecks of them falling on the wet patio give it a cool sheen. Puddles start to form in the low places of the uneven ground, and worms emerge from their earthen homes. The sidewalk chalk is smudged and kindergarten sight words are not so readable now. I love the rain. Even the sound of cars passing by, sounds fresher in the rain. The smell of precipitation makes me happy. Today my children asked me why it's raining. I told them that "The clouds have too much water in them. When they have too much water, it falls from the sky creating rain. The rain waters the ground which makes things grow. Isn't our God great for creating such a perfect balance for our weather?" The words come easily and it's a simple explanation that satisfies the five and three year old curiosity, but I know there is more behind it than that. Their chatter fades in the background as I, myself wonder at the days ...

I'm reading a book by Michael Perry. It's called " Coop ". The man is really incredible. The story is really just his daily life, but the way that he words things makes you want to move to a farm and start writing a book of your own. He uses words like harrowing, impecunious, anecdotal, trilling and pristine. Not that these words are so intellectual that they can't be used, it's simply the way he uses them that draw a picture so clearly you feel like you are there in the moment. His conversion to "the Truth", recollections of growing up on a dairy farm, the birth of his daughter at home, each scene played out in capturing detail as he ponders some of the deeper things of life. It makes me want to write. I think it's why I like blogging so much. Each person has a story to tell, every day has a message. Anyone can write, it's just a matter of honing your skills and telling your story in a way that people want to read it. Since this is o...

I've been so caught up in the "makeover" that my homemaker blog is getting that I have neglected the family blog! I promise I'll have some updates posted soon!

One of the things I love about this "blogging community" is coming across gems. Posts written by perfect strangers, passionate about their cause, their life, their God. If you have the time, please take it to read Katie's post on the Body of Christ . Let us be changed to be more in His image...