:. i could be an ad man .:

Printed on the bag of cotton balls I just picked up at Target:

100% cotton

all natural

Puffy fluffs

: i see God .:

Here is a simple fact: anything good and perfect begins with God.

Is there beauty on this earth? It had its genesis in the Holy One.

Is there truth? He is the Truth.

Love? Yes, God is love.

I see God in every newborn baby.

I see God in the eyes of a mommy tending to her children.

I see God in the love between a husband and wife. Between mother and daughter. Between friends.

I see God in the highest mountain and the tiniest raindrop.
I see God in the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.

The earth is His, and all that is in it.
He is present among the children of men.

Open your eyes.

:. welcome to the world! .:

Thought I'd share a few early pics of Tate. I didn't take many with my dinosaur of a camera; I leave the real photography to the mad skills of Uncle Chris and his professional equipment.
These are pretty sweet, though!


And of course, after all that love, there's nothing like a little snack in front of the tv.

The Hulling Brothers Three . . . . be still my heart.

:. my daddy is a wino (and other gavinisms) .:

No, Josh hasn't started carrying around a bottle of Boone's Farm Apple in a paper bag (not to my knowledge, anyway). This post is about something waaay better than that.

I have a wonderful children's book called Daddies, in which a little boy pretends that he and his daddy are different animals. The illustrations are quite colorful and the prose is a very sing-song rhyme. (It was also translated from Slovenian. Really.)

When Gavin 'reads' the book, my favorite page sounds like this:

"My daddy is a wino,

we wallow in the swamp.

We make the whole world tremble

when we stomp, stomp, stomp!"

It gets me every time.

And then there's this. Yesterday, during Gav's Special Day With Grandma, he climbed up on my bed and said:

"Once upon a time there was one little Me on grandma's big bed!"

And if you know that lately he prefers to be called 'Me' rather than Gavin, you realize that is hilarious, indeed.

The boy is going to be a story-teller.

Anyway, just killing time here, waiting for baby to arrive. He seems to be a laid-back fellow, keeping a leisurely pace. That's okay. Probably exactly what a third child needs to be.

:. my new best friend .:

So I was at the grocery store this morning, and as Georgia was bagging my groceries, she asked if I wanted to drive up for them. I told her I made a vow long ago to always push my groceries out myself. I said it's the only exercise I get.
The lovely Sudanese girl checking me out turned and said, "Really? You look like you work out everyday!"

Naturally, I didn't say anything for a few seconds, because:
A) I didn't think I heard her correctly, and
B) If I had heard correctly, I didn't think she could possibly be talking to me.

I finally laughed and said, "You're too kind."
To which she replied that she was very serious.

We're going out for coffee next week.

:. thought for the day .:

"God is God. If He is God, He is worthy of my worship and my service. I will find rest nowhere but in His will, and that will is infinitely, immeasurably, unspeakably beyond my largest notion of what He is up to."

~ Elisabeth Elliot ~

:. loves .:

I've heard this is good for the soul, so here goes:

My Current Loves

1. I love my little boys, no doubt about it!


2. I love the way Gavin likes to cuddle on my lap.


3. I love it when Gavin sings. He has perfect pitch . . . and a voice like an angel. You should hear him sing worship songs. OH.MY.HEART.


4. I love the way he sings 'Danke Schön' with Aunt Katie.


5. I love it when Liam sings like Bono. Hilarious.


6. I love everything that comes out of Liam's mouth.


7. I love his response when you say the words 'garden monkey' to him.


8. I love the way both boys say "fink" instead of "think". (I know, I know, that's one reason Gav goes to speech therapy twice a week. It's just DANG adorable!)


9. I love that both boys use the expression 'Oh my PEAS!!' So great.


10. I love it that every night when it's time to get jammies on, Liam has to do a few laps around the house NAKED.


11. I love all the moochies and hugs Gavin gives.


12. I LOVE my Special Time With Grandma days. LOVE them.


13. I love that Aunt Katie is teaching the boys the Gentlemen Do's and Don'ts.


14. I love that BROVER is coming any day!!


15. I love that my kids enjoy hanging out with Benny and me.


16. I love that my kids love each other.


17. I love that my kids love their Savior.


18. I love having a husband who walks with God.


19. I love having 33 years of marriage behind us. I think we've made it through all the hard stuff!


20. I love all the beautiful things Benny has made for me with his mad woodworking skills.


21. I love learning new things. Like where the country of Cabinda is located, or which country lays claim to Easter Island. (thanks, shower curtain map of the world!)


22. I love birds. No secret here. If you've ever held one in your hands, you know they are one of the softest creatures on earth. And most of them sing nicely.


23. I love history. I like hearing what has gone on before.


24. I love biography. I like hearing how people became who they are, and how decisions they made in the past took them to a particular future.


25. I love when the Spirit of God lights up your soul with truth.


26. I love that I don't have to be perfect to follow Christ.


27. I love knowing God pours out His grace on anyone who asks.

:. wow .:

What a beautiful day! 77 degrees, in the middle of the day, in the middle of July, in the middle of Iowa. Normally in July, I wouldn't leave the comfort of conditioned air unless absolutely necessary, but it's windows wide open today! So it seemed like a very good day to go for a stroll.

BRILLIANT blue sky, not a cloud in sight. The sun was bright, yes, but a COOOOOL breeze evened everything out.

For the first couple of blocks.

By 38th Street, I was starting to . . . 'glisten'.

I HATE to sweat. HATE.IT. I know some people who love it, but honestly? I get really crabby when I'm sweaty and hot. And no one likes to see that.

And since I'm being honest here, I might as well tell you that before I'd even walked one block, my legs started to hurt. I suppose that means I need to exercise a bit more.

Hmmm . . . . maybe when the thermometer is sitting at 50.

:. crowned .:

I had long been told that being a grandma is the greatest joy in life. I absolutely LOVED raising my girls, so I had no doubts that I would enjoy my grandchildren when the time came. Little did I realize that "enjoy them" would be the understatement of the century.

It's hard to explain, really. We've all heard grandparents say how fun grandkids are . . . and then add, "because you always send them back to their parents". (Implying, I guess, that they're only fun for awhile.)
While it's true that g.parents are usually free of the pressure of raising the g.kids 24/7, the joy they bring goes far beyond the fact that we aren't responsible for all the weighty aspects of their upbringing.

To me, the greatest joy comes from the humbling and awe-inspiring realization that these children are my heritage.

I was blessed with two very wonderful daughters. I am doubly blessed that my girls have grown into godly, amazing women (both of whom have married godly, amazing men. Quadruply blessed??) Knowing that my kids are living in obedience to their Savior is enough to let me die a happy woman.

And then along came the grandchildren.

How overwhelming the knowledge that our diligence in raising our own children has resulted in them raising their children 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord'.
How exciting to know that our grandchildren will likely serve their generation according to the will of God.
When you're in the middle of raising kids, you don't really stop to think of the impact your parenting will have on future generations. (You're usually more worried about simply having the energy and wisdom to make it through the day.) For me, it really didn't hit me until Gavin was born, the great import of the years spent raising kids.

As usual, God says it best:

"Children's children are a crown to the aged." (Proverbs 17:6)

And while I don't exactly feel 'aged' just yet, I do agree that my grandkids are the icing on the cake of a very blessed life.

I received a forward awhile back, quotes from kids giving their definitions of grandma. One little boy said,

"A grandma is someone who is always waiting at the door for you to come over . . . because she doesn't have anything else to do."

mmmmm . . . . I love that.

[Ed. note: speaking of grandkids, we are currently taking bets on when Hulling Brother #3 will arrive. Winner gets to name him!!]

:. vogue, january 1935 .:

I knew it! Canaries are always in style.

:. independent thinking .:

Here's a little exchange Gavin and I had today:

Gavin: "I like the Yankees."
Me: "You do!?? Daddy likes the Cardinals."
Gavin: "I don't."

End of story.

:. you learn something new every day .:

So, Benny and I found ourselves somewhere in the vicinity of Snookies last night. (You heard me.) We were stopped at a stoplight, and on the sidewalk next to us a woman was walking her pet. After doing a classic double-take, I rolled down my window and asked her what the animal's name was.
"This is Pippin . . . but I call her Pipsqueak." Pipsqueak looked something like this:Yes, Pippin was a horse. A miniature horse. I said, "So, it's okay to keep her in the city?"
To which she replied, "Yes. She's a service animal in-training."
Who knew?
Here's the official text from the Guide Horse Foundation:

The Guide Horse Foundation was founded in 1999 as an experimental program to access the abilities of miniature horses as assistance animals. There is a critical shortage of guide animals for the blind and guide horses are an appropriate assistance animal for thousands of visually impaired people in the USA.

In early experiments, Guide Horses have shown great promise as a mobility option, and people who have tried Guide Horses report that the Guide Horses perform exceptionally well at keeping their person safe. These friendly horses provide an experimental alternative mobility option for blind people. People who have tried Guide Horses report that the horses demonstrate excellent judgment and are not easily distracted by crowds and people.

Guide horses are not for everyone, but there is a strong demand for Guide Horses among blind horse lovers, those who are allergic to dogs, and those who want a guide animal with a longer lifespan.

Cool.