Valley of Vision

I read this the other day and it refreshed me and encouraged me so I thought I would share it. This is a puritan prayer from the book Valley of Vision.

Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from
the deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the
brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.

Grace, Claire, and Hannah

I guess yesterday was a good day for pictures. Gracie usually doesn't pose for pictures but she was in the mood for it.

Kruis Girls

Sweet pictures

BB and Gracie at the stock show

playing together

Being silly

Yes, that is mustard all over Gracie's shirt

The Zoo

 Uncle John and Aunt Barb gave the girls a zoo day for their Christmas gift this year. We all headed to the zoo yesterday and the girls had a great time seeing the animals and being outside.

Hannie with the white tiger

The girls loved watching this tiger

Gracie watching the ducks

Claire on the turtle

The girls

Girls with their vitamin waters

Looking at the giraffes

more giraffes

Hannie and mommy

Gracie on the carousel

Daddy and Gracie

Claire LOVED the carousel 

Hannie and Beau

One of my good friends had her baby a month after me and I just had to post this picture. This is Hannie and her friend Beau chilling on the blanket.

so sweet

Claire wanted to pose with the babies

Claire, Hannah, Beau, and Andi
(Gracie was napping and didn't make it into the picture)

Stock Show

We took the girls to the Stock Show today and they had a great time. We watched a magic show, ate cotton candy and popcorn, saw lots of animals, and went to a petting zoo. Claire is such a big animal lover, she couldn't get enough of the goats, llamas, and rabbits at the petting zoo. Both girls enjoyed watching chicks hatching and looking at all the cows. It was such a Texas outing.

At the magic show with their friend Lily

Trying to hug this goat

She loved petting the goats

The goats loved her

Hannie safe in her stroller

Gracie looking at the roosters

Walking around with Grandma Zepeda and my dad

so sweet

Papi with a sleeping Gracie on his back

petting a chicken

Papi and Gracie

petting a goat

hugging yet another goat

Hannie is 2 months

Our little Hannie is already 2 months old and getting more alert each day. She is starting to smile and interact with her older sisters and is now sleeping 6-7 hours each night!