In the blogging “world” there are all types of communities.  You can fill your reader with blogs about finance, being a mommy, organizational leadership, crafting, or the world of mock-superheroes (at least that’s what I hear).

The Christian community has, of course, become part of the blogging movement and there are plenty of sites where you can get advice on parenting, input on your marriage, or daily exhortation to walk in a fashion worthy of the Savior. These sites are written by collaborating pastors, groups of couselors, or family members working together.

It seems there’s always a picture of the contributors where everyone looks pretty and approachable.  You see their faces and you find yourself wanting to be their friends and willing to trust their input into your life.  It’s especially good for women readers if the picture shows a mom and her daughters because it means they have achieved ultimate family success: family members who love the Lord, grown children who have started families of their own, and they all still like each other!

The picture at the top of this post is the picture I would use if the women of my family decided to start a blog.  Seriously – look at us and be honest. . . you want to trust us, don’t you? You are thinking, “That’s a cute group of gals.  I could be friends with them.  I bet their lives aren’t that different from mine.  I would trust what they have to say about walking with God daily.  Did they PLAN to wear the same two colors and create a pattern for the photo? I bet the one without lipstick is the in-law AND the most Godly.”  It’s the perfect blog photo because it draws you in (we look so approachable) but leaves mystery (you can’t really tell the extent of what we have to share).

Truth?  We are cute and would probably be your friends (or at least friendly).  The one without lipstick IS the in-law and pretty darn Godly.

We didn’t plan to match and, unless you live in Asia, have kids with special needs, have worked in ministry for 45 years, or have been divorced, remarried and have children 11 years apart, our lives are pretty different from yours.

Complete honesty? I got my hair colored two days before because I knew we were going to have tons of photos taken while we were together.  That sweatshirt my sister has on is 22 years old! I cropped the photo so no one’s thighs would show. My sister-in-law really IS that pretty without lipstick.

But if you just went by the photo there might be a blog, book deal, and speaking engagements in our future. I mean, it really IS a great blog photo, right?

Some of my favorite memories from childhood involve trips to my Grandma’s and playing in the attic with my cousins.  Usually it was the two Vargo boys, but every now and then Uncle Doug and Aunt Kathy would drive up and there would then be eight of us to play.  Cousins are special and I am so thankful for the time my kiddos get with theirs.

Going mining at the Birmingham Zoo.

Naomi's a rocker.

The Girls

Honey plays Nick Chase on the iPad, proving that technology can bring families together!

Fast Friends 2009

Faster Friends 2012

See how everyone is zeroed in on the TV except for my Little! Hilarious.

The morning of our first full day in Birmingham found us visiting the zoo.

Aunt Brooke, EJ, and KB all stand together to cover the elephant's foot print.

Now, I haven’t been to this zoo in 11+ years (Zoolights, 2000) and they have done some nice work to the place.  Still, we are from a city with an out-of-this-world zoo and so we made the conscious decision to leave comparisons at the door and just enjoy all that we saw.  Then we saw this:

Look at that peacock!!! The cousins were all mesmerized and we stood at this bridge for quite some time.  As the kiddos turned to walk away the bird lowered his feathers because he no longer felt threatened.  I stood there and the feathers stayed down.  Honey walked up and “bam” the feathers went back up.  Honey took a step away and the feathers started back down until Honey leaned back toward the bird and they were up again.  You KNOW Honey just loved that.  His presence made the bird feel threatened.  (insert male voice saying, “That’s right! You know what’s what!” etc.)  So fun.

There were kangaroos close enough to touch, five lion cubs playing roll and tumble, and birds.  Yep, birds.  (It made me think of Australia and this place we took everyone who came to visit.)

A couple of hours was all we needed and it was time to go to lunch (surprise! Chick-fil-a!).

The activities may have been simple but the memories are treasures and the people are 14 of my very favorite.  I am so very thankful.