Call Me Blessed

insta-goodness

2013-05-24T08:32:00.001-07:00

it's the friday before a 3 day weekend! hallelujah!

here are a few peeks from my instagram this week. it was a good week.

this kid turned 5. which i was obviously thrilled about. i guess his excitement made up for my crying.

we had a fun filled but exhausting weekend. i could tell we all needed a free day to recharge. so we took one. everyone stayed home from school. we lounged on the couch, snacked and watched a lot of the justice league. it was a great day. i did make them clean their rooms later in the afternoon so we were complete slackers.

we made a little trip to the mall where they played with the super cool hand dryers. charlotte most definitely reminded me of an 80s music video. hair blowing, singing loud and proud.

will's cub scout honor court was this week. he joined cub scouts half way through the year and absolutely loves it. it's such a great time for hubby and him.

yesterday my 2 little ones were soooo quiet. and because i'm a mom, naturally that makes me nervous. but there was no mischief! just a lot of quiet play. miracles never cease.

i try to get up every morning before the kids have to be up. key word there is "try". but the quiet time makes all the difference in my day. please help me remember that next time i don't want to get my bootie out of bed.

have a great holiday weekend everyone!

go link ya'll, it's insta-friday.

why we are homeschooling. wha?

2013-05-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

writing this post is slightly scary.

not because i have any doubts about our decision.
because this is a very touchy subject and people have very strong opinions.

who knew?

my heart is simply to share how the Lord brought hubby and i to this decision. this is not a post trying to convince everyone to homeschool. it's not a post to bash public schools. it is only about our family's journey in a new direction.
i will try not to offend anyone. but let's face it, what are the chances of that.
education is a personal choice and whether your children go to public school, private school or you homeschool, i believe we all do what we think is best for our kids.

for the past 5 years {since my oldest started kindergarten} my kids have attended a private classical Christian school.
now before you start thinking to yourself, "oh how nice for those wealthy people. they get to send their kids to a private school" let me clarify a few things.
we are NOT wealthy. we made a decision that this particular school would be best for our kids so we sacrificed to have them there. we don't have a big fancy house or new cars. and we don't go on lavish vacations.
and we wouldn't change a thing. it was worth every dime. it's an amazing school with outstanding academics and a faculty and staff that love the Lord and strive for excellence for their students and themselves. we loved it. which makes our decision hard for some to understand.

every year as we filled out our paperwork to re-register for school i would pray. pray over the finances. but mostly i would ask that everything would work out for my kids to stay where they were. i never gave any other options much thought.

until this year.
as i was praying over our paperwork i knew the Lord was telling me something different.
i ignored it for awhile. am i the only one who does that?
i told hubby, "i think we are supposed to homeschool."
he was like "wha?!"
the truth is we had some very real concerns. this would mean a huge change in our lives.
after weeks of prayer, the nudging got stronger until i sat up in bed one night and there it was.
i would be homeschooling.

i feel like i could write 20 posts about this {at least}, but for now i'll stick to the "why".

the first reason is simple. i miss my kids. my 2 oldest are gone from 7:30-3 every day. by the time they get home and finish homework it's time for dinner and bed. and this is with very limited extra curricular activities {everyone is allowed 1 activity at a time}.
there was no room for family time.
and there certainly wasn't room for them to help around the house.
i knew we were all frustrated. but i didn't know how to change it.
when i say this people look at me like "so what if you miss them. kids go to school. that's what they do."
i don't want to bore everyone with history but things haven't always been that way. children haven't always spent the majority of their day away from their family.

second, i feel very strongly it is our responsibility as parents to disciple our children.

train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
proverbs 22:6

fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
ephesians 6:4

i'm not going to tell you these verses mean everyone should be homeschooling. but i believe they mean we can. i believe they say God has equipped us as parents to teach our children.
and a harsh thing for me to admit? i was handing the discipleship of my kids over to the school.
not completely, but more than i am comfortable with.
it's not hard to do when they are learning bible history, memorizing verses and being taught all other subjects from a biblical worldview.
so day after day when i laid in bed and realized we hadn't been in the Word, as a family? we hadn't worshipped, as a family? i told myself it was ok because they did all those things at school. and on sunday, when we were all together at church we would do those things.
but it's not ok. at least not for us.
this is not to say we are going to be reading the bible, meditating on the bible, and singing hymns 24 hours a day.
but we will be doing those things. and we will be doing them together.
those things will not be squeezed out by other, less important, commitments.
we won't be perfect at it. but we will be better. and i'm good with that.

we are taking this year by year. i've always said that but looking back i'm not sure i meant it.
i'm filled with excitement over what we will learn over the next year. i know there will be difficult days but i can't help but feel we are right where we need to be.

love for uganda winner & a thank you

2013-05-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

i have to start this post by saying a huge thank you!
the amount of love we have received through item donations, $ donations, and so many of you reposting this giveaway on instagram, twitter & facebook was overwhelming.
bill and i are truly grateful.

i'm so happy to be able to tell you we have met our fundraising goal!
i don't know why i continue to be amazed when God brings everything together.

we can't wait to share the trip when he comes home.
for all of you who entered i hope you know you have helped orphans in uganda in a very tangible way.
God bless each of you.

and now for the big winners!

drum roll please...

set #1
the winner is meredith!

set #2
the winner is kim haag!

Bonus set
the winner is jessica johnson!

congratulations ladies! i'll be sending your email to each giveaway contributor so they can start working on getting your prizes to you.

visiting hannah

2013-05-17T07:23:00.003-07:00

happy friday. i'm visiting over at sweet hannah's today talking about being a momma. stop by won't you?

and there's still time to enter the uganda giveaway. check it out here.

thankful: some small ways God shows up big

2013-05-16T12:10:00.001-07:00

i'm thankful for the small reminders of God's faithfulness and the reminders of encouragement that are sprinkled through my home. i need them daily.

i'm thankful for friends who know me well. my dream is to have a van like this someday. for now, i'm glad i have this to stare at.

i'm thankful hubby has a green thumb. for real. he does all the planting, gardening & maintenance. i try to help sometimes {emphasis on the "sometimes"} but honestly, i have no idea what i'm doing. but i know it's all pretty.

and we can eat some of it. thanks honey.

i know you are not going to feel bad for me about anything weather related since i live in southern cali. so i will just say i'm thankful for a little spring weather. time to spend all day outside.

you know, before it's 110 degrees and we have to lock ourselves in the house with the air conditioning on and the curtains closed.

and i'm a little thankful this one likes to be fancy and play in the dirt all at the same time.

linking up with my sweetie pie carina today. what are you thankful for?

don't forget, there's still time to enter the uganda giveaway. every $ helps.

the time JT reminded me of an important life lesson

2013-05-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

i think we can all agree JT's music is life changing. except that song called blue ocean or ocean floor or something. what in the world is that?

it drives me crazy.

this song however...

c'mon. it's spectacular.
so the other day while i was driving around i listened to this song no less than 62 times in a row.
i really like it. a lot.
and i thought at some point that i should let the next song on my playlist start but my music was on shuffle so i had no idea what song would come on next.
what if it was a ballad? that doesn't motivate me for running errands.
or what if one of the christmas songs that i can't seem to get off of this playlist comes on?
i'm driving, i can't change it.
that would be awful.
so JT played on and on.

then because i got distracted for a moment, "mirrors" ended and the next song began to play.
and you know it was another one of my favorites.

do you love this song as much as i do? i'm not sure why i love it so much. but i do.

if i had kept pressing repeat on JT, i would have missed listening to train. that would have been a bummer.

i think life is sometimes this way. things are going pretty well so we are afraid to change anything. to really look at anything.
but what might we be missing? i don't want to miss an experience God has for me because i'm so comfortable where i am. i want to be stretched. i want to grow.

forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
see, i am doing a new thing!
now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
isaiah 43:18-19

this verse has always been a comfort when thinking about past sins. the mistakes from years ago and the ones from minutes ago.
but isn't it also saying He wants to do a new work in us?
there are always new lessons to learn.
new ways He can use us.
to love others.
to show others the truth.
but here's the deal.
how can He do a new thing in me if i don't make myself available?
if i'm not fully open to be obedient?
if i'm not willing to do whatever He asks because i know His plans for me are good?

the thought of shutting the Lord out brings on a sadness i can't describe.
so i won't stay comfortable.
i will stay open and willing.
i will push forward.
even though i have no idea what may be around the corner.
and i don't know how He will equip me.
i know He loves me.
and the safest place to be is in His will.

thanks JT. i needed that reminder.

today is the day! the love for uganda giveaway

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU!

today is the day! the day you get to see all the goodies up for grabs.
aaaand, i'm nervous. there i said it. i feel better already.

if you read my post from last week you know that hubby is part of a mission team going to uganda this summer.

we are thrilled to be able to participate and can not wait to see what the Lord does.

the team will be traveling with children of the nations spending time teaching and loving on children in group homes. they will also be visiting refugee camps, building a laundry facility and planting fruit trees.

the children they will be spending time with have been displaced by AIDS and war.

just the thought of it is heartbreaking to me. so many children with no parents and without a home. i long to look into their little faces. to tell them Jesus loves them. to tell them i love them.

for the time being, however, i feel called to send my hubby off with as much support and prayer as possible.

will you pray for him and the entire team? pray that everyone they come in contact with will see and feel the love they have come to bring.

we are also in need of financial support. some wonderful friends have rallied behind me to make this fun giveaway possible. i am beyond grateful for and humbled by their support.

please give what you can. a little. a lot. every dollar is appreciated.

here are all the entry details:

*all of these items were donated by the shops and persons listed. this giveaway is open to US residents only. anyone of course, is free to give, however the gift sets will be shipped to US winners only. everyone can enter this giveaway once by leaving a comment with your name here and telling me that you shared this giveaway via twitter/facebook/instagram.

after that? $10 per comment/entry. click the "donate" button at the bottom of this post to donate through paypal. donate $20 leave 2 comments. donate $100 leave 10 comments. easy peasy right?

**please leave your email address with at least one of your donation comments so i can contact you if you win. the winners will be chosen using random.org and announced on monday, may 20th.

ok! let's get to the good good stuff.

there are 2 sets of prizes. so 2 winners! holla!

set #1

set #1 includes:
- color pop necklace, feather necklace & aqua vintage inspired earrings from happy days
- gray and white polka dot infinity scarf form lovelylittlewhimsy
- 1 necklace from heathers happys, winner's choice
- 2 prints from blossom&vine, winner's choice
- 10" teal wreath with fabric flowers from small town joy
- $20 target gift card

set #2

set #2 includes:

-2 necklaces & 1 needlepoint from hope homemade, winner's choice

- 1 print from blossom&vine, winner's choice

-1 7" twig & flower wreath from florero

-1 necklace from heathers happys, winner's choice

-1 print from katygirl designs, winner's choice
- key necklace from salvage517

-$20 target gift card

bonus set
ok, a little bonus for you. because we are so grateful for everyone's support there will also be a winner of these fabulous items!

-a custom designed blog header from danielle burkleo worth $35.

- a custom made clutch from jenni carlisle{@ragamuffinbeauties on instagram}

one more thing...

my dear friend carina has come up with another way you can support us.
for every arrow necklace purchased from her shop she will donate $10 to our uganda fund.
you can't really beat that.

well there you have it!

please visit all of these shops. these are some truly wonderful women.

and will you spread the word? tweet, facebook, instagram, blog about it? we would be super grateful.

thanks friends!

10 on 10: in black and white

2013-05-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

morning contemplation

fresh eggs

school projects

mother's day tea

new curriculum

nail salon

art

no more pictures

prepped for morning

bible watching

don't forget to come back monday for the big giveaway!

love for uganda

2013-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

well there is some exciting happenings over here.

a couple of days ago hubby and i made a decision not to let fear or excuses stop us from doing what God commands us to do.

Religion the God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27

two days later, hubby has joined a mission team going to uganda this summer.

it's crazy how the whole surrendering thing works right?

i am so excited for him and the rest of the team. i know it will be an incredible experience.

in the book of James, Jesus tells his disciples, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."

{James 14:15}

i think hubby and i both realized we were obeying, if it was easy. if it wasn't really inconvenient. that's hard to admit.

we are commanded to love out neighbor as ourselves and to make disciples of all nations. but we have been doing very little outside of our comfort zone to accomplish these commands.

here is where that ends.

this is when we commit to not just use our time, talents and treasure, but to use them sacrificially.

this is where our hearts sit as we prepare for this exciting journey.

i hope you will pray for him as he heads out to care for and teach the children in uganda.

i will be posting more details about what the team will be doing and the organization they will be working with on monday.

here is where i ask for your help. we are in a time crunch and need to raise $2800 very quickly.

but it's gotta be fun sooooo...

some of my favorite shops (and ladies) have teamed up to to offer you some amazingly beautiful stuff.

the shops participating include:

lovelylittlewhimsy

blossom & vine

happy days

hope homemade
florero creations

and probably some goodies thrown in by yours truly.

please come visit on monday {5/13} to get all the details and spread the word.

bloglovin

2013-05-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

apparently i should have done this a long time ago. who knew.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

what's been goin on here

2013-04-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

hey there. just popping in to give a little update on what we've been up to lately.

let's start with the most difficult and work our way down shall we?

we have started {and by "we", of course i mean me} potty training little miss here. it's not going horribly but it is my least favorite thing. i feel like possibly changing diapers forever might be easier. i'd prefer to just let her run around naked but these are the kind of looks she puts together so we go with it. and is there any other way to avoid accidents besides staring at her 24 hours a day? you'd think by child #4 i would have this figured out. good thing she's cute.

we started swim lessons. it's nathan's second year so he knew what was coming. not to worry though, this lasted about 30 seconds and then he loved it. soooo, i guess all's well that ends well?

charlotte was amazing the first day. day 2? not so much.

and now for the easy one. will now attends what we call 'big church" with hubby and i. as i type that i realize we need to come up with a new name for it. anyway, we are usually there for 2 services. we serve the first hour and then attend the second hour. while we serve he goes to sunday school because i know it's fun for him and he gets to see his friends. but let's face it, even my children should be at church to get the Word. not just hang out with their friends. i know, of course, they are getting bible stories in class but he is 10 now and most of these are repetitive for him. so it's time for the big leagues. i can't quite explain the emotion i have at having him sit next to us while we are taught from and refined by the Word of God. he asks questions, listens intently and i'm confident there are seeds of real biblical truths being planted in his heart. i am filled with gratitude over it.

10 on 10 {april}

2013-04-11T08:12:00.004-07:00

i remembered 10 on 10 again so obviously miracles still happen.

7:45am: someone woke up on the right side of the bed. always a good way to start the morning.

8:45am: my hair is a process but somehow it relaxes me. that's probably weird.
{hi dirty mirror}

9:45am: i got to feed the chickens today

10:45am: the whole reason we bought our little house is this yard. we can spend most of the day out here and never get bored.

11:45am: off to pre-school

12:45pm: a load of laundry a day. every day. it's a good rule. i live by it.

1:45pm: checked the mail and found these cuties from the one and only hannah. go get yourself some.

3:15pm: hannah also sent all my kids lolly pops. so she is clearly their hero right now.

5:00pm: i had on hour to myself while nathan had t-ball practice. so i walked, while listening to JT. it was awesome.

7:00pm: the perfect time to get everybody excited by wrestling right? no? someone please tell my family.

t-ball and some other stuff

2013-04-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

so t-ball started this weekend. it may be the cutest thing i've ever seen. the best part was he really loved it!

this was exciting for us because the older two kids...not so much.

and obviously he was #1.

he takes it very seriously.

my photography assistant. not that much help, but still cute.

at church this week the kids were learning about friendship and trust. will was chosen to be part of a game and had to choose someone else he really trusted to pair up with him. all of his friends were raising their hands but you know who he chose? his sister. happy momma moment right there. there was a lot of hair gel involved.

we had grandpa over for dinner while granny was out of town. he played catch with the kids. we ate chicken pot pie and jocelyn cried when he left. all in all a great day.

i'm going to start exercising again today. i'm not happy about it but it must be done.

the kids are back to school today. boooo. it's always so hard when the break is over and it's back to the routine. i make sure to have a good attitude about it in front of them but secretly i wish we were all home playing yahtzee.

on fear

2013-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

gripped by fear.

it's the worst feeling.

it nags at me.

fills my head with lies.

old wounds.

doubt.

new risks.

i know what scripture says about fear.

i read the verses often.

i'm sure you know them too.

he has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.

on him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.

2 Corinthians 1:10

so we say with confidence,

"the lord is my helper; i will not be afraid.

what can man do to me?"

Hebrews 13:6

for God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

but do i really believe them?

do i live like i believe them?

i would love to say yes.

i would love to say when fear creeps in i go straight to the Word and poof. it's gone.

the truth is i struggle with it.

i let my mind take me on a wild ride of ups and downs.

my emotions spiral through all the what ifs.

our minds are crazy that way right?

i can over think a situation like nobody's business.

here is what i DO know.

my hope is in the Lord only.

even when i worry about the future.

when i'm afraid of how i would cope with being let down i know He has planned better for me.

i was not made to fear.

He delights in seeing me have full confidence in what He has told me.

i stand firm in my belief of what it says in these scriptures.

He has not given me a spirit of fear, man cannot harm me when i am living in his love and mercy, and He will deliver me.

always.

without fail.

no matter the circumstances.

i pray you know he promises to do the same for you.

and if you're like me and sometimes need a little stronger language to get the message through?

this should handle it for you.

strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts,

"be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

he will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution he will come to save you."

Isaiah 35:3-4

bam.

now let's live like we know it.

it's been awhile. and a vacation.

2013-04-04T15:16:00.001-07:00

so it's been over a month since i blogged. oops.

no good reason really, just busy doing other things i guess.

a lot of reading and researching.

because, yah, we will be homeschooling next year.

what? i know!

never thought i'd be doing it and i couldn't be more excited...or terrified.

obviously more {much more} on this later but for now let's talk vacation.

the family and i just got back from 5 glorious days camping on jalama beach, north of santa barbara.
there has been some debate as to whether i can call what we did camping because we have a travel trailer. i say if i can't run the water continuously while i do the dishes or wash my hands, if i have to brush sand out of my bed before i get in and we may have to go dump our "holding tank"? it's camping.

i literally took 6 pictures the entire time so you are getting the best here. one of the things that made this trip so great was that we had NO cell service. that's right, i didn't pick up my phone once. amazing.
the kids played a million games of four square, rode their bikes, hiked on the beach and visited our camping neighbors often. they had the sweetest dog ever so i think it made them miss our dogs less.

when you can't wait for everybody to get ready for the beach you just start digging in the dirt.

apparently this is his new face for every picture so i won't bore you with the rest. i guess when you're cute you can make any face you want.

it was the perfect, wind in your hair, sand in your toes kind of vacation.

one night while we were playing board games hubby said "i feel like this is what heaven will be like."
i hope he's right, with the addition of bottomless pizza and perfect skin.
I'm so grateful for our time away together. no distractions. nothing that had to be accomplished. it's always a little hard to get back to reality. but at least i get to do reality with these people.

also, as usual, not one picture was taken of hubby and i. i think i need to get better at that.

this man

2013-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

i am thankful for this man.

it's been a difficult couple of weeks.

my grandpa passed away.

and the truth is, it has been harder than i expected.

in the midst of my heartache hubby has taken such great care of me.

he must be frustrated.

i've been laying on the couch, sleeping in more then i should, cooking less than i should,

and he's been picking up the slack.

but he hasn't said a word.

he isn't asking me questions, or making me talk about it.

he's just letting me be sad and loving me through it.
i'm thankful God has given me this man who reminds me everyday how much i am loved.
i know tomorrow is a fresh day and God's love and mercy will wash over me and i can begin again.

so today i am thankful for hubby's love, his patience and his ability to cook.

if your interested, i shared our love story over at Take Heart. go check it out.

10

2013-02-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

i'm not sure how it's possible i have a 10 year old.

but i do.

isn't he the cutest?

i might love him even more because he saw these little chocolate cakes at TJs and requested them for his birthday dessert. therefore rescuing me from doing any baking.

what can i say about my first born?

he is amazing. so compassionate. he feels things very deeply.

but he also cracks me up on a daily basis. do your kids tell you the latin root of words they see on billboards or sprinkle presidential facts into every day conversation?

no? that's weird.

his gifts included this fun old stamp book i found at Attic17, legos, candy, money for our trip to D.C. and that little wooden box is a calligraphy set. yes, a real calligraphy set. please pray i can keep the bottles of ink away from the little ones.

he must take after me a little because he really knows how to stretch out a birthday.
after celebrations at both grandparents' {is this the correct use of an apostsrophe? i hate that}we took a trip to disneyland.
thankfully we had help getting there or we might have had to take out a small loan.
have you been there lately??
CHA-CHING! shame on you disney.

will,
i am blessed to be your momma. you are smart, funny, loving and all around interesting.
God made you just right and i couldn't be more proud of the young man you are becoming.
i love you.

and because sometimes friends just say it better...

a new skill

2013-02-07T12:16:00.002-08:00

jocelyn's grandma gave her a sewing machine for her birthday last month.

it belonged to hubby's grandmother and it might be the sweetest thing ever.

it's totally old school and works like a charm.
and to make it even better she paid for a teacher to come to our house and teach us both how to sew!
i'm sure my mom tried to teach me when i was younger.
i'm also sure i said something like "moooom, no one sews anymore. i don't need to know how to do that."
sorry mom.

we had so much fun! we made matching pillowcases for her and her sister.
for you sewers out there, we did french seems.
i know, fancy.
next, we get to make pajama pants.
it's not yoga pants but i'm still pretty excited.

i'm not sure how old the machine is but look at the instruction manual.

i kind of want to frame it.

i think this is exactly what joc and i looked like during our sewing lessons.

i'm so grateful to have the opportunity to learn this skill. even for simple projects.
i'm even more grateful that i get to share it with her.

i loved watching joc work. trying different stitches.

she took it very seriously which is probably why she did much better than i did.

i'm not going to lie, i was totally intimidated by threading the needle.

there are a lot of hoops to jump through there.
i think i've got it down now and i can't wait to experiment {which is my way of saying i'll mess up 100 projects before i figure it out}.

anyone have recommendations for where i can find some simple sewing patters and techniques for her and i to work on???

little things

2013-01-31T19:43:00.001-08:00

some little things about this guy i don't want to forget...

he calls shorts "up pants" and pants "down pants".

not to be confused with his older brother who used to call sweat pants "soft pants".

he calls the morning "up time".

he calls the church on the hill we sometimes visit for bible study "up church" and peppered salami is "pepperoni salami".

he sprinkles the word "butt" into every sentence he possibly can.

the first words out of his mouth in the morning are "can i play the iPad?" {we're working on this obsession}

some days he cries if i just look at him wrong but everyday he is a hard worker and makes me laugh non stop.

nathan,

you are pure joy and i love you more every minute of every day.

cereal, lap tops & spelling bees

2013-01-28T13:08:00.001-08:00

hey it's monday!
time for some random stuff.

let's start with this...
have you tried it?

i'm fairly certain i have an unhealthy addiction to it.
it's super sweet and yummy. which means i might eat it for breakfast or i might eat it at midnight, laying in bed.
you know, as a dessert {help me}.
i have also convinced myself that because it says "granola" it's healthy and good for me.
isn't that a rule of the universe or something?
granola is good for you.
anyway, try it. you won't be sorry.

let's talk computers.
see this dinosaur? i literally have no idea how long i have had it.
but i know it's a long time.

so i went window shopping for a lap top.
i realize a lap top is a luxury and not a necessity but hear me out.
when i open a new window in my browser i can actually hear the computer revving its engine.
or hard drive? what's the big box thing under my desk? whatever it is, it's loud...and slow.
this situation prompted me to go into best buy with my 2 youngest kids to look around.
there was a very friendly, helpful young man explaining the differences in price and memory {as if i knew what any of that meant}. i'm sure he thought i was crazy because i had charlotte on my hip and every 10 seconds i was telling nathan to stay where I could see him. poor guy.
this is when he went it to close the sale hard.
"i am a traveling dj and i love this one. it holds everything i need. i would recommend you get that one."
bless his heart.
as i was wrangling my kids i thought, "really, that's what you thought would sell me? do i look like i'm going to be doing a lot of dj-ing?"
but he was sweet to put up with us, i have to give him credit.
so i'm dreaming of a macbook. we'll see what happens.

will represented his grade in the district spelling bee on friday.
doesn't he look thrilled?

i decided to send hubby to this event so i could stay with the other kids.
or it might have been because i was sick to my stomach just thinking about the pressure.
i knew he was nervous. he studied really hard.

and then got out on his first word.

of course it was a word he knew how to spell but he was so nervous he started it wrong and then corrected himself. apparently you aren't aloud to correct yourself. who knew?
hubby's feedback was "well, he didn't cry."
first. i'm obviously glad i was not the parent there because i might have cried.
do we ever get used to our kids being disappointed?
but more than that i am proud of him. he was nervous but he did it anyway.
he showed courage.
and sometimes our nerves just get the best of us.
he's got more guts than i ever had at his age.
you'll get em next time buddy.

thanks c.s.lewis

2013-01-24T07:53:00.001-08:00

this is what reading times usually ends up looking like. basically a wild animal show.

but surprisingly before this happens i can get at least one full chapter in.

right now we are reading the narnia series.

i've read some of the books before but it feels a bit different reading them to my kids.

this was especially true while reading the lion, the witch and the wardrobe.

it was somehow more emotional. i don't know why exactly.

maybe it was my hope that they were "getting it".

maybe it was the way it reminded me.

reminded me of what Christ did for me.

"then others-evil dwarfs and apes-rushed in to help them, and between them they rolled the huge lion over on his back and tied all his four paws together, shouting and cheering as if they had done something brave, though, had the lion chosen, one of those paws could have been the death of them all. but he made no noise, even when the enemies, straining and tugging, pulled the cords so tight that they cut into his flesh."

it probably goes without saying that i could hardly read this chapter through my tears. a sight my kids always find interesting. at first they may have thought it odd. but it opened up a discussion.

we talked about Christ's gift to us.

i was able to explain, again, how he suffered beyond anything them or i could imagine to save us.

how even though he had complete power over those who persecuted him, he paid our debt for us.

and even better than this?

"the rising of the sun had made everything look so different-all colors and shadows were changed-that for a moment they didn't see the important thing. then they did. the stone table was broken into two pieces by a great crack than ran down it from end to end;and there was no aslan."

"but what does it all mean? asked susan when they were somewhat calmer.

it means, said aslan, that though the witch knew the deep magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. but if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the table would crack and death itself would start working backward."

my kids and i talked about his triumph over death and what it means for us.

the gift of salvation. the gift of eternity.

i'm thankful for the work of c.s. lewis because he gave us one more way to share the gospel.

what i'm even more thankful for is that i know it isn't a fairy tale.

i'm sure many people read this book and think, "what a great story".

but it isn't just a story.

it is a gift, that can change your life if you understand it.

it changed mine.

a peek at our weekend

2013-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

here's a little peek at our weekend.
it's super exciting and glamorous.
or maybe not. but it was a good one.

we went to see le mis on friday and of course it was amazing.
within 5 minutes hubby leans over and says, "wait, is this whole movie singing?!"
i tried really hard to control my giggles and was very happy that in the end, he loved the movie too.
also, please notice he took it old school with the white adidas.

it was finally nice enough to spend some time outside.
i know...i live in so cal and people think the weather is always good. but it has been fuh-reezing.
i despise being cold so we've been inside next to the fire place for awhile.
the good news is the kids are no longer flowers in the attic and are out getting some much needed vitamin d.

let's talk about the eddie munster hair. it has to go.
but that would require me getting my behind to the barber. not a priority.

the remote control car N got for christmas is a big hit.
hours of fun. thanks grandma.

hubby is building a chicken coop. it's cute right?
i'll give details on this later but he has been working very hard and it's the best little coop i ever did see.
i think he's pretty cute too.

these are the days that make me love our back yard.

it's a good size so there's lots of room for the kids to run around and explore.

some days i want to lock the door behind them when they run out.

on this day i let them back in the house.

nothing really to say here except...

that face. love.

J spent time working on thank you notes from her birthday party.

she did a great job. we have more to do because she wanted to do "her best".

translation?
it will take her 45 minutes to complete 3 notes. and that's ok.

i want her to be better at this than i am.

taking the time to hand write a note or letter. to thank someone or just let them know she is thinking about them.

it's important.

we also had church and a dinner party. glamorous. i told you.
what did you do this weekend?

gold

2013-01-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

dance parties are pretty big around here.

lately this song has been on repeat and cranked up.

i know, it's not a deep hymn but i've always been a sucker for a catchy pop song.

it all started with the new kids on the block and debbie gibson. you can blame them.

have a happy weekend!
do a little dance in our honor.

out of the shadow

2013-01-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

so when carina said "hey, you wanna do the beth moore esther study?"

i was like "yah, i'm up for that."

well, i'm in the first week and i've already cried so i can only imagine what the next 9 weeks will bring.

preach it beth.

i read scenario #1 and thought, AMEN.
then i realized something.
something i'm extremely thankful for.
God has pulled me out of this shadow.

we all know what beth is talking about here. that woman at church, in your family, at work, or in your playgroup that has it all together. or at least she seems like she does.
and then we go home and compare ourselves to her.
compare our clothes, our talents, our children...i could make a list a mile long.
we feel overshadowed. small.
but feeling small, is a lie.

God's word says,

for in him you have been enriched in every way- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge- because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. therefore you do not lack any spiritual gifts as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. he will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
1 corinthians 1:5-9

this is the truth friends. and i believe it. not because i don't have insecurities. i have too many to list. not that i don't have days where i feel totally ill equipped to handle the job set before me. i believe it because i know God's word is truth. i know his purpose for me belongs to no one else.
he has freed me from comparison and discontentment.
i strive to do better, always.
but i do not strive to be someone or something other than the woman he made me.
flawed, but joyful.
scared, but determined.
determined to fulfill whatever he has for me. even the things that seem beyond my ability. even things i thought i could never do. because i believe he has equipped me. and what i fear more than falling short of that woman i would compare myself to, is missing his perfect will for ME.

not that i have obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but i press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. brothers, i do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. but one thing i do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, i press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
phillipians 3:12-14

so i will press on in obedience, faith and hope. not to where "she" is going, but to where God is calling me.

the woman with the amazing outfit that i know would look ridiculous on me? i tell her how amazing she looks, but i don't go out and buy her wardrobe.
the friend who makes out of this world jewelry or prints? i don't pout because my talent is not in that area, i wait for a sale and buy her stuff. a lot of her stuff.
the mom who has 6 kids, in 4 different activities and has them all there, on time, dressed to kill because she is super organized and thrives under that pressure? i don't try to keep up with her schedule. i realize that's not who i am...and maybe i ask her if she can take my kid with her. just sayin.

i will not feel overshadowed, because i was made to shine.

i have no doubt the next 9 weeks in his word will reveal something about where he is taking me.
this week? this week i will remain thankful for where he has brought me.

8

2013-01-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

she is 8.

how is it possible?

i know we all feel that way as our kids get older.

j is such a joy to us.

she always has a lot to say. i mean, A LOT. this is where hubby would pop in and say she has a lot of words like her mother and i would be rolling my eyes.

she is funny, out going and confident.

more importantly she is compassionate, always roots for the little guy and loves the lord.

she loves to spend time with her siblings and most of the time she is very patient with them.

she is always carrying around some sort of note book and a pen.

she loves paper and pens and markers and highlighters. in this way, she definitely takes after me.

she does sweet things for me often.

the other day a friend was telling me about a radio station she thought i would enjoy. j heard me say "i need to remember that". within a few seconds she was standing next to me with a piece of paper. she handed it to me with a big smile.

she had written down all the information.

this served as a good reminder that she is ALWAYS listening {note to self} but i admire the way she thinks of others and acts.

it's a quality i wish i practiced more often.

i am grateful to God for the 8 years he has allowed me to be your mother. i am constantly amazed at your willingness to try new things without fear. i am proud of the heart you are developing for serving others and showing love to those around you.

thank you for all the smiles, laughs, singing and creativity you bring to our home.

i'm looking forward with anticipation to what you will show me in the next 12 months and all the memories we will make.

i love you sweet girl.

mom

obviously i still don't know how to use my camera without the flash but try to enjoy this picture anyway. such a rookie.