teacher appreciating,

flagpole assisting,

African appareling,

speech perfecting,

shelf clearing,

catch-up lunching
(I missed him),

eyeglass repairing,

Mother’s Day gifting
(I have no idea what’s she’s talking about),

church key grabbing,

salad bar for dinner

kind of day.

I haven’t had the best luck with Pinterest lately.

But I will also say I haven’t been trying very much either.

A Pinterslump, if you will.

I made this watermelon drink for bible study on Tuesday night and I didn’t love it.

And I’m mostly going to blame the fruit.

It was bland to begin with.

Which didn’t help.

But the drink texture was strange, too.

It didn’t look like the picture.

A little thick?

Gritty, even?

Not very refreshing.

And not as sweet as I expected it to be.

Also, this is my first time trying coconut water.

And I’m just going to come out and say it.

It’s not my favorite.

So, sorry watermelon drink.

I won’t be repeating you.

How about you?

What have you and Pinterest been up to?

Grab a button in the sidebar and link up below!

Hope sent a team off to Sudan again today.

Dave and John Jefferson this time.

We raised over $25,000 last year and didn’t spend it all when the team went in September.

So basically they are going back to spend the rest.

Every last penny.

On food for people in and around the border region who are starving.

But also to bring them the Bread of Life.

To share Jesus.

Our only true Hope.

In a world that continues to fall short.

We’ve set up a 24-hour prayer chain and it brings great comfort to know that the trip will be prayed for around the clock.

If you’re part of this prayer chain or interested in praying, here are some initial requests:

* Health and Safety

* Endurance and Hydration (outside temps average 110 degrees)

* Wisdom and Favor over the Logistics of the food purchase and delivery

For more information, you can read the Hope 4 Sudan blog here.

You can also follow @Hope4Sudan on Instagram, @Hope4sudanblog on Twitter and/or “like” Hope, San Mateo on Facebook for updates and prayer requests throughout the trip.

I’m so thankful for a church family who loves people like Jesus does.

For a husband and pastor who loves people the way he tells other people to.

And for the body of Christ who loves our family as we stay behind.

6 looks like box cupcakes and plastic frosting.

Because my girls prefer fake over scratch.

My soul aches about it.

6 looks like a fun birthday hat.

And ignoring the lice notice sent out the next day.

And special attention during morning music.

And taking a leap on the birthday carpet mat.

5 was a BIG year.

6 is going to be bigger.

Just ask her.

6 looks like handmade birthday cards from classmates.

And a special Croods drawing from Teacher Ian.

She’s currently a big fan.

Of the movie.

And Ian.

6 looks like Teacher Joanie lighting candles.

While sweet friends look on.

6 looks like musical chairs.

With daddy as a special guest.

And a very happy birthday girl.

6 looks like dinner at her favorite establishment.

Mostly for the sundae.

6 looks like party time!

Blue was the theme.

It’s her favorite color.

6 looks like water balloons.

Especially when it’s 80 degrees in April.

Summer, I think you might be early this year.

And we’re not complaining.

6 looks like little friends.

In fancy blue party dresses.

6 looks like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

And Annie’s fruit snacks.

And Cheese-Its.

And fruit salad.

And more plastic cupcakes.

6 looks like face painting.

Not sparkly butterflies and rainbows.

But Eep, the cavewoman from Croods.

My soul kind of aches about that, too.

6 looks like a fancy pinata.

Held up by an orange extension cord.

Which made it a little less fancy.

But the candy collectors didn’t care.

Sorry, moms.

6 looks like special presents.

And patient onlookers.

6 looks like blue sprinkles.

And giant candles.

And an Eep face.

6 looks like sharing new toys with friends.

And an extra cupcake.

6 looks like blue balloons.

And running and jumping on the front lawn.

6 looks carefree and fabulous.

Happy Birthday, baby girl.

We love you.

Most of my days are like this one.

Uneventful.

Routine.

I rarely write about them.

But I know I want to remember them.

I will miss this routine one day.

Like morning music with my Kindergartner.

I want to remember the way sweet Vidal always saves her place marker under the piano.

And excitedly sets it down next to his when we walk in the room.

I want to remember Teacher Karen’s passion for teaching beautiful sounds to deaf children.

I want to remember the few minutes I take most mornings parked in the Starbucks parking lot.

Catching up on emails.

Reading blogs I love.

Texting and/or chatting with friends.

I want to remember Hope’s first Marrieds group.

And all the little, behind-the-scenes church details I know I’ll soon forget.

Or may no longer be responsible for.

I want to remember her minimum day, pick-up smile.

And her school stories.

Today a caterpillar escaped the class terrarium and tried to spin a cocoon in McKayla’s desk.

Ms. Schlecht saved the day, scooping it up with a Post-It note.

The piles and piles.

And piles of laundry.

Even those.

I want to remember.

I want to remember the fact that Ashlyn is insisting we name her little sister Taffeta.

And her scowl when I tell her no.

And that she takes her pants off when it gets hot outside.

I want to remember the joy I felt when we our very first baby gift arrived for our littlest baby girl.

By friends that know us well.

And love us better.

I want to remember tonight’s dinner out.

And playing Go Fish with sugar packets.

While another read her animal encyclopedia.

And the fact that Wreck-It Ralph joined us.

I want to remember the way she reads.

Slow, careful.

Her fingers tracing every word.

I know that soon this will change.

And she’ll read faster.

Life moves so quickly.

Even the slow days.

And I want to remember.

One of my favorite Sundays in Hope’s short history.

The weeks leading up to it were crazy.

Our little family is pretty tired.

But the best kind of tired.

So now we’re up at Bass Lake for spring break vacationing with friends.

Relaxing.

Swimming.

Fishing.

Semi-hiking.

Eating.

All the best things.

On Easter Sunday I made this sour cream almond pound cake that I had pinned a while back.

And you need to, too.

As soon as possible.

It’s quite delicious.

Add strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

And you will be a very happy camper.

What have you been up to?

Don’t forget there’s a really fun perk this month thanks to Julie.

Every single link up gets this cute printable from her amazing shop!

Ashlyn’s IEP (our annual meeting with the school district) was on Thursday and I’m still recovering.

They are quite stressful and not my favorite.

She’ll be mainstreamed into a first grade class at our local public school come September.

We are thrilled that she will stay on track and not be driving as a freshman.

And 5’9 in the fifth grade.

She’s a smart cookie.

And I’m so proud of how hard she works.

We know she will do great.

Even though she’ll probably have to lose the bunny ears.

We leave for a few days of camping tomorrow night.

Well, I’m lying.

It’s in a cabin.

With wi-fi.

In the woods though.

I like to pretend I’m a camper.

So right now.

Lots of loads of laundry.

And last-minute shopping.

And cooler and beach chair borrowing from neighbors.

And food and dessert prep.

Like this sour cream almond pound cake that is baking right this very second.

I’m making it for Hope’s Easter brunch tomorrow and Pintertesting it for Thursday.

The smell alone makes me want to give it rave reviews without even trying it.

Also, I’ve discovered that the Pintertest Kitchen linky party is way more fun when bribery is involved.

So Julie is giving away the cutest printable ever to one lucky linker.

Be sure to link up.

This Thursday.

One final note, if you don’t have a place to worship tomorrow, come to Hope!

10 am.  Sunnybrae Elementary.

It’s gonna be great.

What?  Sundays are full.

So I’ll just be honest.

This dish was not my favorite.

It’s ok.

Easy.

Slightly spicy.

My kids wouldn’t really look at it.

But they decided they are vegan now.

Well, vegans who eat chicken nuggets.

I don’t know that I will repeat it.

Dave didn’t love it.

I might have screwed it up by replacing the egg noodles with ziti.

And I served it in the same dish as my regular ziti.

Which is his favorite of all time.

So he described this as a ziti oasis.

Also, it was difficult to make look pretty.

Mine was less festive red like the picture and more brainy gray.

And I just don’t trust gray food.

Maybe I needed some parsley.

You win some, you lose some.

On a happier, more redemptive note, I made these a while back and they are delicious.

What have you been up to?

Grab a button in the sidebar and link up below!

And quite honestly, I want to avoid them.

But doing so would rob God of glory.

And I’d rather not do that.

So I share my little story.

And I will be honest.

I’m very nervous.

I feel unqualified.

Many women have struggled far longer, some forever.

I don’t feel fit to share.

I’m not trying to make this my platform.

I’m not claiming to be an expert.

But I keep being brought back to God’s glory.

And my thankfulness.

And joy.

In answered prayers.

In lessons learned.

Rewind to November of 2010.

We learned we’d be adding a third little one to this house of crazy.

Shortly thereafter, we lost that baby.

I was surprised and sad.

But convinced God would give us another baby.

Quickly.

Because all our other pregnancies had happened that way.

But that wasn’t the case.

Months of waiting became years of waiting.

And this past fall, I had given up hope.

Convinced that God’s plan for us was to be a family of four.

And I was learning to be content in that.

But, really I wasn’t.

I wasn’t waiting well.

I was impatient.

And bratty.

Self-absorbed.

Jealous of pregnant friends.

Ugly.

But even though I wasn’t reflecting Jesus well,

I have never been closer to Him.

I’ve never prayed more.

Leaned more.

Relied more.

We had lots of chats, Jesus and I.

And this past Christmas, we learned of a great blessing.

In early September of this year, Lord-willing, we’ll welcome a new little baby into our home.

I am thrilled.

Overjoyed.

Thankful.

So very thankful.

For this precious new life.

But also for what I have learned while waiting.

Lean on Him always.

Not just in the valleys.

Don’t be a brat.

It’s ugly.

Rejoice with your friends.

Even when it’s hard.

And you’d rather poke their pregnant eyes out.

Be gracious to other women around you.

Not many knew of my struggle because I felt weak sharing.

And so many have more painful stories.

Be careful with your words, pregnant ladies.

Be careful with your complaints.

Many women would give anything to feel morning sickness.

Women that have struggled with miscarriage and infertility,

SHARE YOUR STORIES.

Please.

They are so powerful and give such hope.

See them as a gift.

Yes.

This new little baby is a HUGE gift.

But the waiting was more of one.

I pray Jesus never lets me forget that.