Adventures Big and Small

Love Day

2014-02-19T08:02:00.001-08:00

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

Another Valentines day has come and gone. This year we got a special gift; over a foot of snow! I am a true lover of snow. From the beauty of snow falling, to the way it throws a glistening blanket over the world, to the snowman building, snow fort wars and sledding; From the hearty snow food cookin, to the snuggling with hot chocolate; I. love. snow. But most of all, I love the way that the world slows down when it snows. We take time to play. My family feels just a little closer and warmer.

Snow is such a beautiful picture of God's mercy and grace. Snow is a sweet reminder that no matter how bad I've messed up, no matter how far I've fallen, God in his great love and mercy has paid my debt in full through His son, and He has truly washed me whiter than snow.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

Lucky for us, the snow did not stop the mailman from delivering! We got a heaping dose of love from across the country!

My husband has more faith in my green thumb than I do.....

My husbands very favorite cookies come from a box mix. Funfetti valentines edition.

Valentines morning

Girls are ready for the snow fort war!

Elliot says, "bring it on girls!"

Dad got a little out of control...

"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 4:10

Snow Day

2014-02-13T08:58:00.001-08:00

We wished for it, hoped for it and it finally came. Happy Snow Day!

Early morning egg collecting in the snow

Shoveling the driveway

Deep deep deep!

Hardworking snow removal team

Snow Princess cutie pie

Enjoy the snow friends!

My Testimony

2013-06-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

"There is more mercy in Christ, than sin in me."

If I look back on my life and all of the mess I was born into and made for myself, I am struck by one constant among the chaos; A loving God in constant pursuit of my heart. A motherless child, a rebellious youth, a teenage mother; and God wanted me? That will never cease to cause my heart wonder, take my breath away and make me stand in complete awe.

Despite a tumultuous childhood, I did grow up in and around church. My first memory of "asking Jesus into my heart" was at the Nazarene church my grandparents attended. My view of God as a small child was of an angry bearded glowing man, who lived on a cloud and would send me to Hell if I didn't ask him to forgive my sin each night before I went to sleep. Sadly, I'm not joking or exaggerating. Each night, I would pray and ask Jesus to forgive me for lying to my Dad, pulling my sisters hair and whatever naughtiness and mischief my day had included. Then every night I would again ask Jesus into my heart and pray that I had done enough and said the right words. This continued throughout most of my childhood.

When I became a teenager, I started attending a new church on my own. During this time my love for God and knowledge of his word began to grow. I learned that I could have a "relationship" with God and that he was not an angry, bearded glowing man sitting on a cloud. I faithfully attended church, was moved to tears at youth events and even began sharing the good news with others. So why was I still stuck in habitual sin? Why did I still desire the love of my friends and peers more than the love of Christ? Why did I constantly forget the God I promised my heart to? I was so unfaithful and lost. I turned to relationships in an attempt to feel secure and in the end found myself in the pit of despair; Broken, abused and a single mother. But still God never left my side. Every single time I hit rock bottom and fell to my knees, he was there tenderly loving me, healing my wounds and calling me back to him.

I wish this was the end of my unfaithfulness to God. But it wasn't. I continued to live a lukewarm life of watered down Christianity. I had one foot firmly planted in the world even as I sat in church, even as I was baptized, and actively participated in bible studies. I wanted to obey, but I was constantly failing. I wanted to be a light to my friends, but I was constantly pulled down into darkness. My life was divided. At church I sang praises with all of my heart and passionately worshiped him. But throughout my day to day living I was rejecting his will, living in the world, and choosing to please others over God. I was not the mother, wife or friend that God had called me to be. I was constantly failing, constantly falling and for me, this was the lowest time in my life. If you knew the details of my life story, this might surprise you. But, this was a darkness deeper than depression, more painful than abuse and it left me more broken than any abandonment. It was my rock bottom. And it broke me.

"Salvation is free but discipleship will cost you your life."

For the first time, I felt the full weight of my sin and saw the hopeless wretch I was apart from grace. And as I pondered over the sacrifice Christ made for my sin, I was for the first time in my life truly gripped by the gospel. The good news, is really good. The good news does not allow for lukewarm devotion. Christ's call is one that says, you must die to yourself. You must lose your life, in order to gain new life in Him. There is nothing half hearted about Christianity.

I sit here trying to find words to describe the new life He has given me. He has done so great a work in my heart and it has lead to so great a change in my life. I simply cannot say enough about all He has done. My love for God and others is uncontainable. My passions and desires are shifting. My praying is constant. The transforming power of the gospel is unmistakable. There is joy and life abundant. I will never get over his faithful pursuit of my heart. It is a beautiful mystery to me, that God saw fit to save such a sinner as me. And I will never stop praising and sharing this news that is truly truly good.

Looking back on my life, I cannot pinpoint the exact moment of my salvation. But, I know with certainty that I am not only saved by his grace, but I am truly a follower of Christ and I have given him my life, as an offering that will never come close to repaying the debt he paid for me. Today my friends, let the gospel grip your heart like never before. And let the good news lead you to life abundant. It is only in Christ. To God be the glory.

Mystery Baby Food Game!

2012-05-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Our good friends Joey and Elisabeth recently announced they are expecting their first child! They are one of the most fun, adventurous and wonderful couples I know. They are going to be rocking parents! :)

They hosted a Cinco de Mayo party over the weekend. The food spread was incredible. But, the conversation and laughter, truly made it a great night! Our awesome friend Lisa decided to congratulate the parents to be with a little game I like to call....

Mystery Baby Food Game!

Lisa had several different flavors of baby food for their tasting pleasure. They had to close their eyes, and guess what flavor they were being fed. It was side splitting fun!

Passing out the Bibs

Eyes closed, ready to start

First Bite

First Impression

Rich made sure Joey got a BIG spoonful

Kadence feeding Elisabeth

Deep in thought contemplating the flavor

This one brought tears to their eyes

Flavors included sweet potato, peaches, banana and green beans

Lisa crowning Elisabeth the winner!

Congratulations Joey and Elisabeth!

After School Activities

2012-05-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Every day after school, our house becomes a meet up place for all of the kids on our street to gather and play. They share snacks, adventures and an occasional disagreement. They play in the yard, make up games on the swing set and take over our basement playroom. And for the most part, this is completely fine with me. Most of the kids are fairly well behaved, listen when I talk to them and rarely use inappropriate language. The other day, Elliot came to me saying that one of the neighborhood kids had called him, "The B word". I was relieved to find out that the "B word", was butt and not something else. Once in awhile, someone feels left out, or gets their feelings hurt, or scrapes their knee on a stick and I need to intervene with conflict resolution, problem solving, or a first aid kit. But, I am happy to host these kids for two big reasons. First, I would rather have my kids playing at home, than somewhere else. Second, it keeps my kids busy and allows me to finish up laundry, cook dinner or play with the baby. Also, I am happy to see them running around outside, using their imaginations instead of parking themselves in front of the TV.

In our playroom, there are shelves of craft materials. From glue, scissors and paper, to pipe cleaners, puff balls and glitter, there is no end to the creativity that flows out of that room. And that makes my heart sing. However, cleaning up the scraps of paper and wiping down the sticky craft table, does not. There is an unsaid rule (or so I thought), that these supplies shall only be used on the craft table, and for craft purposes.

Well, one afternoon Kadence, Elliot and a few neighborhood kids were all playing downstairs while I was upstairs folding laundry and getting dinner started. I was feeling very good about the fact that the kids were all quiet and seemed to be getting along well. In fact they had been down in the playroom for a good hour, without so much as a peep. I thought this is nice, this is great! I was a fool.

As I crept down those steps and the scene unfolded around me, I simply starred in disbelief at what had happened. How do I describe what I found that day, in that playroom? Imagine an explosion of glue, play dough, glitter and paper covering all surfaces. It was smashed into the carpet. It was painted on the walls. It was everywhere. What does one do, in a moment of such terror?

After I sent the neighborhood kids home, Kadence, Elliot and I had a long talk about the events that had transpired that afternoon as we cleaned, scraped and scrubbed every last inch of that playroom. When I asked them, "Why?", they simply said that they got carried away by their artistic inclinations. Yeah, right. But whatever the reason, I learned a valuable lesson. Rules cannot be left unsaid. They must be clearly laid out and properly dispersed. I also learned to beware of children playing quietly. And most importantly I learned that walls, carpet and children are all washable.

Now, when the kids get out of school every day they have a list of chores they must complete before playing. They also have a clean up check list to finish before bed each night. And as a bonus, I have noticed that even the neighborhood kids have started to help clean up and put things away. Maybe, this will be the end of messy playrooms and wrappers left outside. Maybe this was the last disastrous afternoon I will have to survive. Maybe I can rest assured that these children will never misbehave, fight or destroy anything ever again!

Now, if you'll excuse me I have a house full of children and it's a little too quiet...........

Weekend Adventures

2012-04-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful weekend here in Luray. Saturday was sunny and warm, while Sunday was cool and rainy. We took advantage of both. We started the weekend with Elliot's first soccer game of the season. I love watching that sweet boy play soccer. This is the first year that the team is really learning to play the game. There are many great players on his team and they all have wonderful attitudes. As a bonus, one of my good friends and her husband are coaching the team. It was an exciting game, and the perfect start to our family weekend.

After soccer, Andrew's dad called and invited us to lunch at Dominicos, a local pizza restaurant. It turned out to be a family event, with my brother in law and his family joining us as well. We filled up with pizza, laughter and conversation. After lunch, we said our goodbyes, and Andrew and I packed up the kids and headed to the greenway for an Earth Day Celebration! This was definitely a highlight of our weekend! There was live music, tons of booths, face painting, kid's yoga and even a duck race! Kadence and Elliot swam in the creek while Andrew and I visited with friends and jammed out to the rocking bands! Even Amelia enjoyed the fun and danced around on the grass. It was an awesome event and I am so thankful to the all of the people who worked so hard to put it together! I love our little town.

Duck Race

Face Painting

Marcus Brown & the Sugartones

Sunday morning, we woke up to the sound of rain beating down on our roof. I love a good rainy day. We sat around for a while and sipped hot coffee before getting ready for church. I have never in my life looked forward to going to church, in the way I do now. I'm sure in part, it's due to my growing relationship with Christ and the love I have for being in his house with his people. But, also I look forward to the challenge, conviction and encouragement that our new pastor brings every single week. I feel God's presence in that sanctuary in a way I have never experienced. I love my church, and my church family.

The rest of the afternoon we spent inside our cozy home. We built a fort, played spies, made movies, put on puppet shows, read stories, and laughed until our sides were sore. These are the days, I feel my heart may explode with love and thankfulness. These are the moments that bind us and define us as a family. These are the memories we will share for a lifetime.

Pierced Ears!

2012-04-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, Kadence finally reached her long awaited, hard earned goal of 50 points! This meant she could choose to do something special. After sifting through many ideas, and brainstorming all the possible ways to spend her points, she finally made a decision. She wanted to get her ears pierced!

And boy was this girl excited about it! Lately, Kadence has been working hard on facing her fears and self empowerment, so I was especially proud of her for wanting to do something, that in the past she said she would, "never ever EVER EVER do".

We decided to make it a family night out. So we piled into the car and drove to the Mall. I was nervous. I got my ears pierced when I was 16 and I remember it hurting. And Kadence was SO fearless and brave, it was unnerving. Well, I had nothing to worry about. She picked out her cute little flower earrings.....held my hand.....and VOILA! Beautiful pierced ears. No tears. All smiles!

Before

After

Pierced Ears!

Toting her, "I just go my ears pierced" bag.

We went out to dinner and she ate two plates of shrimp (her favorite) to celebrate!

It was a wonderful day and a special memory for us to share as a family!

And now, my husband has one more girl to buy jewelry for. :)

Sick of Sickness

2012-04-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Every year it feels like there are more and more icky colds and nasty flues floating around, infecting and interrupting our happy home. In our house, we all manage sickness differently. My husband is the least likely to catch something (must be nice to have a superhuman immune system). But, when he does, it never seems to really bring him down. He will still go to work, take care of kids and go about his daily tasks without so much as a grumble. It is remarkable, really.

I on the other hand, in the face of illness am rendered completely and utterly useless. I am always in, "the worst possible pain anyone has ever been in", and I am, "not sure if I am going to make it". Dramatic, I know. But at least I own up to it. No amount of medicine, chicken noodle soup or back rubs, will ever be enough to pry me from death's grip, when I am sick.

When my oldest daughter is sick, she usually spikes a very high fever. In fact, she has probably taken more trips to the ER than anyone, because of alarming 104+ degree fevers. Over time, I have learned that it is just the way her body reacts to fight off the illness and she has a higher resting temp than average. But still, it always makes me nervous.

Any sickness our son has usually ends up in his respiratory system. He is the one who is prone to bronchitis and has even ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. He also has allergies and spends many nights coughing with no relief. The humidifier is his friend.

Last but not least, there is our baby girl, who I swear, has had a runny nose since the day she was born. And of course, when she gets sick, it becomes uncontrollable. She is a leaky faucet of ooey gooey unpleasantness. Also, because of her congestion and runny nose, she can't sleep, which means no one can sleep.

Our current sicky

So there you have it. More information than you ever wanted to know about my family's cold/flu issues. But, I have a feeling that we are not the only ones who succumb to illness in these ways. So what about you? How does your family handle cold/flu season?

Happy Hunting!

2012-03-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I LOVED Easter egg hunts. I am convinced that some of my earliest memories consist of searching for bright and shiny, candy filled eggs. I remember the anticipation before the hunt, the pep talk from my overly competitive father, and the wet grass blooming with pastel treasures! I remember the commercial hunts, surrounded by crowds of other children with eager grins on their merciless faces. Then there was the home hunt, in our yard of grass so high, it threatened to swallow me up in it's dewy blades. Easter morning, the hunt involved real eggs, and was always the most challenging of all, especially searching for the highly coveted golden egg. Although, you could always count on one egg, predictably hidden in Grandpa's old shoe. And finally the countless afternoon hunts with cousins and family spent hiding the eggs over and over until we could hunt no more.

And now, as a parent I get to relive the challenge and competition of Easter egg hunting with my own children. It is glorious. Today marked the first egg hunt of the season. The town hosts this wonderful event every year, and we never miss it! I'm sure that someday my children will look back at these memories fondly and remember the anticipation, the pep talks from their overly competitive mother, and the wet grass blooming with colorful treasures!

Ready.....set.....GO!

Amelia's first Easter Egg Hunt!

Yay!!! Eggs!!!

Mid-Hunt Tantrum....

Okay I'm better, now back to finding eggs!

Now It's time for the pros.....

Ready....set....GO!!

Chaos and glory!

My sweet uncompetitive son. Kadence with her overflowing bag!

Happy kids, happy mom, happy hunting friends!

Linens and Lace Tea party

2012-03-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

My dear sweet friend Lisa held a Tea party for our ladies small group. It was elegant, charming and delicious.

Here are the whimsical invitations we received.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with this magical display of sweet and savory treats:

My place setting:

Enjoying divine treats, pleasant conversation and a spot of tea.

The incredible purple bird hat!

Jerika and I with our over the top matching Jessica McClintock dresses:

The lovely Lisa and Kathy, our gracious hosts and I:

Thank you so much for your hospitality!

It was truly an enchanting and memorable tea.

Beyond Expectations!

2012-03-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Our Tuesday morning bible study group, just finished a six week study on the book of Jonah. The title and theme of the study was, "Navigating a Life Interrupted", and it was written by Priscilla Shirer. Most of us think of the book of Jonah as simply a cute children's bible story about a big whale, but it is so much more and so much deeper. It is truly all about a big God and his great, unfathomable love for us.

During the course of this study, we were challenged as a group to reach out to others in a practical way, that could really help and touch the lives and hearts of people in our community. We chose to focus our efforts on 2 organizations and 1 individual. We collected items each week and planned to make up gift baskets, and goodie bags to deliver. Well, when it came time to put together the gifts, we were truly amazed by what God had done. We ended up with a surplus of items and gifts, and we were able to give beyond our own expectations. God is so amazing.

Sorting and organizing:

Wrapping and packaging:

Putting the baskets and bags together:

Final touches:

Finished gift baskets and bags for women:

Finished gift bags for children:

After putting everything together, we all just took a step back and looked in awe at all that God had provided for this outreach project.

I love that when we follow God's leading, he will bless us beyond our own expectations!

If you are interested in the Jonah study, you can find it here:

http://www.lifeway.com/Product/jonah-navigating-a-life-interrupted-member-book-P005264295

St. Patrick's Day Fun

2012-03-19T05:58:00.001-07:00

This year, since my husband was working we spent St. Patrick's day with my best friend and her adorable kiddos. To make it even more of a party, we got to have three of our other friend's kids join in the fun while she had a much needed date night out with her hubby. So, if you're keeping track, that's my three kids, plus two kids, plus another three kids. That gave us a grand total of 8 kids, all under the age of 7, 4 of them still in diapers. Sheeewy. Are we crazy or what? But, with some awesome ideas from Pinterest and some great free printables I found online, I think the kids all had a fun time. And as for my bestie and I.....well, we survived. :)

Here is Felecia and I with our little ones. Just wait....there are more kids on the way.

I found these adorable bingo cards here: http://thecraftingchicks.com/2012/03/st-patricks-day-lucky-bingo-free-printables.html

They all ended up winning prizes!

I also printed off some coloring sheets from family fun's website and found a great word search here: http://preservingwonder.com/2012/03/st/

The big event of the night was a treasure hunt! I found the printable clues here:

http://jessekatedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/03/st-patricks-day-fun-day-6-treasure-hunt.html

I also used rolo candies to leave a trail of "gold nuggets".

Treasure!!!!

Finally, what's a party without cake?

This cake was fun to make and simple to decorate using only tinted green frosting, green sprinkles and green M&Ms

They all had a blast! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

And now for a behind the scenes look at what it felt like from the viewpoint of a mom, juggling babies, diapers, bottles, crying, candy and GREEN cake covered children.......

Hehehehehehe! Thanks for hosting us Felecia!

Love, Meelo

2012-03-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes an unexpected gift, can change your day.

Yesterday, Kadence received a package in the mail, from the most loving Auntie in the world: Auntie Meelo. Even though these two are separated by 3,000 miles, they share a special love and are bonded by sweetness, cuteness and silliness. Auntie Meelo sent the perfect gift, at the perfect time in her own perfect Meelo way.

Thanks for sending some love and changing her day.

Monday Devotion

2012-03-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

They say that when it rains, it pours. And, lately I have felt stuck in a torrential down pour. The past few months, our family has faced one crisis after another. We have been confronted with tragedy and circumstances beyond our control. And, I admit that there have been moments of despair and at times I have felt an overwhelming darkness threatening to swallow me whole. But looking over this season of rain I have begun to see something truly amazing. No matter how bad the circumstance or how impossible the situation, God has been faithful and has remained a constant working force in and around us. He has given us comfort when sadness threatened to engulf us. He has provided encouragement when things seemed hopeless. He has provided life saving moments of unexpected joy and laughter, amidst tragedy and tears. I simply cannot say enough about his goodness and love.

As I watch and wait to see how God will work all of these things out for good, I feel my anxiety fade into anticipation and my fears transform into excitement, because I know that God is faithful. He is the God of the impossible. And he is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above what we ask of him.

Baby Lately

2012-03-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Lately, I LOVE playing outside....

Swinging! Exploring!

Running!

Lately, I LOVE afternoons at the park......

Clapping!

Jumping!

Frolicking!

Lately, I LOVE making loud music for mommy!

Reading Hiding

And making adorable mischief!

Peek-A-Boo

2012-03-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Where'd Baby Go?

Peek.......

A-BOO!!

There she is! :)

Happy Friday Friends!

How will you be spending your weekend?

Pinterest Inspired Kitchen Wall Art

2012-03-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have a slight obsession with frames and wall art. There, I said it. But, can you really blame me? They are just such an easy, inexpensive and creative way to decorate. I may or may not have a box completely overflowing with an unnecessarily vast assortment of frames ranging from intricate vintage frames, to plain Jane dollar tree frames.

For this particular wall art, I used very plain and basic black frames. I saw the idea for this project on Pinterest. Here is the original post where you can find some of the printables I used. http://www.bigdandme.com/2011/09/the-kitchen-art-wall-reveal-finally/

I also used some other prints I found at various places online. I printed them all off on my printer at home. Here is the finished project.

Personal favorite: "Whip It Good"

My kid's favorite: "Lettuce Turnip The Beet"

I am hoping to add a few more prints in the future, as I find them. :)

Spring, Springing

2012-02-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

I for one, am very disappointed that we did not get any good snow this year. VERY disappointed. But, since the window of opportunity for snow has past, I am officially ready for spring. So bring on the flowers, bring on the rain. Bring on playtime at the park, bring on riding bikes on the greenway! I love the picture that spring paints of a sleeping world, coming alive again. Re-birth. New life. Second chances.

Yesterday was a beautiful preview of spring here in Luray. So we took full advantage.

Spring is definitely starting to.....um....spring! :)

So, what do you love about it?

I Love Valentines Day

2012-02-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

What's that? A holiday that combines crafting, flowers and chocolate?! Oh yes, sign me up for this.!

And here is how my Valentines day went down:

We crafted fun cards!

Kadence made butterfly valentines.

Elliot made super hero valentines.

Kadence got a fancy Valentines Day manicure from mommy.

We made Valentines Day Cookies for Daddy.

I got a surprise lunch date with my Valentine. Yep.....definitely LOVE Valentines day!

Amelia tagged along on our date. :)

I also got flowers from my sweet guy. Did I mention that I LOVE Valentines day?

We ended the day with grilled cheese heart sandwiches.

So do tell. How was your Valentines Day?

Three Things My Kids Fight About

2012-01-31T15:19:00.000-08:00

Most of the time, my kids get along wonderfully. Infact, I am pretty sure that in this stage of life, they are eachother's best friend. They play pretend, read stories, share adventures outside, and enjoy coloring and making crafts together. There is usually more laughter than tears. And there is usually more playing than fighting. When confict does arrise, it is always over the most silly and arbitrary matters. And there are certain things I can always count on to cause conflict.

So, here are three ridiculous battles that never seem to end.

Battle of the Toys. There must be some kind of rule that says, whatever toy the other person has, is the ONLY one that you could possibly want. The rule must also say that as soon as you get that toy, it is rendered completely useless and you no longer want it.

Battle of the Seats/Chairs. "I want to sit in the middle!" "I want to sit by Mom!" "It's myyyyyyyy turn!" "Nu uh, you got to laaaast time!" This lovely chorus permeates every sit down meal, and every car ride. I've tried many strategies when dealing with this issue. Assigned seating doesn't work, because no one will ever be happy with their assigned seat. I tried putting them on a rotating schedule. But, no one can ever agree on who's turn it actually is. My new plan of attack? I think I will just get rid of all seating and chairs in my life. They can eat on the floor, and ride on the roof. Because honestly, it seems more reasonable than starting World War III every time we need to sit down.

Battle of the Vitamins. Yes, that's right my kids fight about vitamins. To be more precise, they fight about who got "the best color" (it changes daily).....who got a better shape (they all look the same to me)....or who's animal can beat up the other one's animal. Why the vitamin makers had to get all creative and make such a variety of colors and shapes I will never know. If there is a kid's vitamin out there that are all one color, one shape and one flavor, please share this information with me. Immediately! Because if I have to hear someone crying about how, "My vitamin is worse than your vitamin", one more time......

So, tell me. What do your kids fight about?

Downtime Downtown

2012-01-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

This past year, my husband started a new job. In most ways, it has been an amazing thing for our family. The company is great, his job is secure and the benefits are wonderful. The only negative is that he is working 2nd shift and putting in a lot of overtime. This means, two things: Less sleep for him. And less family time. This has been a big adjustment for us. For me, it means juggling the perils of kids, homework, activities, dinner and bedtime alone. For him, it means missing those things which he loves and working himself into exhaustion. During this time, he also began the process of going back to school. And is currently enrolled and taking classes online.

Despite this crazy and seemingly impossible schedule, our family is thriving. I am so thankful for these new challenges and opportunities, because in the end, they are all positive and beneficial to our family and our future.

This past week, for the first time since starting this new job, Andrew was able to take a couple of days off, yielding him a four day weekend! It was a huge blessing to us all. And we were able to spend some refreshing quality time together. We were able to do a couple of very special things like going on a day date to Olive Garden while the kids were in school. And on Saturday we were able to take the big kids out for a day of fun and ice skating which is something they have been wanting to do for a long time. But the real joy and blessing came from the simple time we were able to spend laughing, snuggling, eating family dinners and playing board games together. Those are the things, I have always cherished the most. And it was so nice to just enjoy being together and feel the deep love and special connection we share. Priceless.

Here are some highlights of our four day weekend.

Olive Garden Date

(Is it still a date, if you bring your one year old?)

Amelia is usually hit or miss when it comes to outings. But she did good, as long as we kept food in her mouth. :)

Baby's first bread stick. :)

Apparently Olive Garden was just too much and baby girl slept the whole way home.

There is an awesome ice skating rink in Charlottesville. It is right on the downtown outdoor mall. It is the perfect place to spend the day. There are tons of fun shops, restaurants and even a children's museum on the strip. But we spent most of our time ice skating! They have buckets to stack up for kids so they can steady themselves on the ice. Brilliant.

Elliot was hardcore. Fearless. He would just race full force until he fell. It was awesome.

Kadence was cautious, but finally decided to try without her bucket, and did great.

We had so much fun!

Elliot did some heavy duty sweating. Look at his hair! :)

After ice skating, we went to dinner on the strip at a lovely little diner called, "The Nook". It was delicious! I am so thankful for this long weekend, the special things we got to do together and the sweet memories we are constantly building with our kids. We ended the weekend with a wonderful church service, a lazy afternoon at home and ice cream cones. :)

Faith Like A Child

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I was driving the kids home from a literacy night at their school. Kadence started asking me all kinds of questions from the back seat. "Mommy, what are stars made of? How far away are they? How were they created? How big is the Universe? How did God create The universe?". Heavy stuff. I tried to answer her questions, and as we discussed the intricate design of our planet, the solar system we are a part of and the complexity of space and time, she got very quiet. I looked back at her through my rear view mirror to see if I had bored her to sleep. But, she was just looking at me with a very serious expression. She said, "Mommy, I want you to tell me how to get to Heaven". At first, I was taken back and didn't know what to do. But, as I began to talk to her about God's love, our sinful human condition, and the saving grace of a God who sent his only son to save a dying world, I began to feel something. Something powerful. Something overwhelming. I was in the presence of God. And in that moment, my own doubts were obliterated. My divided heart was made whole. And I knew the words I was saying were absolute truth. Kadence asked Jesus into her heart that night. She knew all of the bible stories, and had been learning about all of these truths for years. God had been preparing her heart for the moment she decided to let him in. And it was a decision only she could make for herself. On that night, she acknowledged her sin and her desperate need for a savior. She asked for forgiveness of her sin, and invited the Lord into her life. And that's how simple and powerful the message of Jesus is. It took seeing it through the eyes of my 7 year old, for me to realize how incomplete my own faith had become. I have tried to reason my way to God, and scientifically explain his existence, but all along what I needed to find was simple. Faith like a child.

"He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." ~Mark 10:14,15

Kadence was baptised yesterday. In our church, a father has the option to baptize their child as the spiritual leader of their house. My heart was so full, watching as Kadence, in the arms of her Daddy made a public proclamation of her faith. She knows, that there is nothing magical about that water. She knows that the water has no power to heal or save you. She knows, that her salvation is in Jesus Christ. I know her faith will be challenged in the years to come and I know all too well, that the world will try to steal and divide her heart. But, my prayer for her is that she will always come back to the child like faith that saved her. And the powerful truth that God is love and Jesus saves.

Online Education

2012-01-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you can now complete your college education online? So now, instead of getting up, going to class, sitting through lecture upon lecture, and interacting with your peers, you just have to roll out of bed, get dressed (optional), and turn on your computer. It sounds great right? Well, that's what I thought too when my husband decided to take the plunge into technology, and dive into online learning. He is going back to school after taking an "undisclosed amount of time" off from it. And in that "undisclosed amount of time".....well, things have changed. Welcome to 2012.

The preliminary activity alone required to go back to school is enough to make you reconsider this decision. From financial aid, to transcripts, to application forms there seems to be no end to the paperwork that stands between you and your future. How do kids today do this? But, alas after many trips to the campus, and multiple meetings with advisers, counselors and fortune tellers (?), he was officially a student. Success!? The hard part is over!? Think again. Next comes the stress inducing, sleep depriving task of actually signing up for classes. This can be done online.....in a frantic midnight event that feels a lot like Black Friday shopping. If you are quick, and ruthless, you will go to bed that night with a class schedule.

So, now you are a real life student, with real life classes. Now you need some books. But, not just any books. These books are special. These books are magical, life giving treasures. And to prove it, they will cost you your soul. Or close to it at least. So now it's the first day of class. You roll out of bed, get dressed (what the heck, it's the first day after all), and you log into the account that you finally figured out how to access on the computer that you will never fully figure out how to use. At this point you attempt to access things like a "discussion board" and a "virtual blackboard", but really it just means downloading hundreds of programs and creating more usernames and passwords, all in a language called technology, that you don't speak.

Breath. You can do this. Anyone can do this. People in third world countries do this.

To his credit, my husband is starting to figure it all out. In fact, today he figured out how to use a tool called, "snipping" and it was very exciting. He also seems much less angry with his computer, which is good.

You see, slowly you will start to view your computer as a friend, not an enemy. Someday soon you will walk hand in hand with technology. You will master the art of online learning. Someday you will stop calling your computer names.

New Year, New Blog

2012-01-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

It has been quite some time since I made a New Year's Resolution. In fact, I'm pretty sure that my last resolution had something to do with swearing off boys, or getting better grades. That should tell you how long it has been. I'm not exactly sure when, but at some point, it felt less about introspection and more about half hearted cliches that never seemed to make it out of January. And at some point, New Years Resolutions seemed to be just one more product that some big corporation was boxing up and trying to sell me. And in true, young, tough, anti-consumerism fashion, I opted out.

Oh, to be young and idealistic.....

But this year, I am putting aside my indie alternative ways. I have decided to embrace this mainstream tradition. This year, I am resolving.

So...

Here. We. Go.

New Year's Resolutions

1. Spiritual Growth
There are so many ways that I want to grow in my spiritual life. But, I think what I desire most for this year is a steadfast faith and an undivided heart. The final verse in my favorite hymn is the prayer of my heart for this year.

"O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that grace now, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above"

2. Individual Investment

This year, I will make an effort to spend quality one on one time with each member of my household. I will invest my time, energy and affections in the people who matter to me. I will cherish the time my children are young and life is simple. Because some day soon, these days, will be the good old days. And we can never get them back.

3. Vegetables Exercise and Saving

Okay, okay, I know these are the ultimate in cliche, but in this case "they" are right. So I will say yes to green goodness, get my heart-a-pumping, and spend less/save more.

4. Chill out

Finally, to the laid back girl of my youth: Where did you go? What happened to you? Was it the growing up that got you? Or maybe the stress and responsibility of raising not one, but THREE children? Whatever it was, I know that somewhere deep inside, you can still let your hair down, throw back your head, and laugh with abandonment, live without reservations, and see the big picture. So, this year let's try to do that sometimes, okay?

So, what about you? What are your New Years Resolutions?