"Treasures"

We had a pretty great end of the week.  Going into this week I will admit I was a little anxious knowing that Andy was only going to be home for 24 hours since he had travel the majority of the week.  In spite of my nervousness about this week, we really had a fun time. 

Andy and I went into this week fresh after having attended a marriage conference last weekend.  The teaching was really good!  We didn't have any earth shattering moments, but instead we felt like it was a time where solid, grounded in the Word truth was taught.  We had a lot of good talks this weekend as we prepared for being separated for most of this week.

At the conference, my friend Lexi was taking pictures and she grabbed us on our way out Saturday.  I'm so glad she did, so that we have these fun pictures to remember the weekend. :)

 



 

 

By the end of this week I was afraid I was going to be dragging, but instead, when Andy left again on Thursday I was feeling pretty good. :)

 

The littles had gymnastics that afternoon, which is always a good time.  It's so cute to watch Davis and Ellis.  I am so surprised at Ellis's ability to pick up on the skills.  I really signed her up just so she didn't feel left out, but she's been loving it!

 

Currently, my Thursday nights are spent with some ladies from my homeschool group as we are working through this Lysa Terkuerst book together.

 

 

I love these nights as the ladies come over and we share our hearts and struggles and encouragement with one another.

 

This week during our study there were several moments that stood out to me, but one of them I wanted to share was when we were talking about the responsibility we feel for our kids.  We can regularly fall into the trap of feeling like everything is up to us, and forget how God has his hand on each of our kids.  I can so often get the mind set (without even realizing it) that my kids' happiness, experiences, salvation, relationship with God all rest on my shoulders.  No wonder I feel exhausted! :)

 

So my friend shared how her daughter has a treasure box and was looking through it the other day.  What struck this mom is that only one of the objects she saw, she would have considered a "treasure".  In her opinion, all of the other items did not represent a great memory.  For example, she told us that one of the items was a hospital bracelet from when her sister's bunk bed fell on her head.  : )

 

We try so hard to create these wonderful moments for our children.  And we place such pressure on ourselves to create special memories for our kids, but we really have no idea what will stick out in their minds as a "treasure".

 

The Bible has much to say about "committing" our plans to Him.  How important it is for me to remember to "Commit to the Lord whatever I do..." (Prov. 16:3)  A big part of what I do is to parent, so I need to continually "commit" that to Him and trust that He will give them "treasures" to store in their hearts and minds.

 

I have a "treasure" memory story from Thursday night, that at first was NOT fun, but now I look back on it and smile for a few reasons.

 

When our bible study ended, two ladies stuck around and we hung out for awhile.  I walked them out when one of the moms needed to leave, but my other friend and I got to talking so we hung out on my porch for awhile, until we heard a noise.  It was all a blur, but the next thing I knew we had rushed inside and locked the door behind us.  So here we were trying to figure out what to do.  How were we supposed to get her to her car?  We verified with one another that we both heard what I thought sounded like footsteps and she described as rustling in the bushes.  Well, Andy's out of town and it was really late and we really didn't know what to do!  I even offered to let her spend the night, :) but she had groceries in her car in the cooler.  So we had to come up with a solution.  I thought of my neighbor across the street who gave me their phone numbers when we first moved in 9 years ago "in case of an emergency", so I tried to text them.   Apparently, after 9 years some people change their numbers, but I'm kind of glad because my message went something like this....

 

"Hey, it's your neighbor and I was wondering if you're still awake!"

 

As I was searching to see if I had another number for them, we watched their lights turn out.  Fail.  Then I offered to drive her to her car.  Which, by the way was out front, out of our line of sight, in front of some woods.  But, then my friend brought up the point that I would have to get back inside.  At this point we had verified about 5 times with each other that we heard a consistent noise and so no one wanted to step outside alone.  Then I said maybe I could put "911" in my phone and walk her out, which then brought up the idea of a cop.  Now, as I'm telling you all of this it seems pretty extreme, but it was very late and we were very scared!  So the idea of a police officer made me think of my friend whose brother is a cop.  So I texted him and asked him if he was on duty and he said he was! After I explained the situation, he said that would head on over.  Hallelujah!!  So he got there, and told me the first thing I should do is take my sign off of my door. : )

 

 

He walked my friend to the car and even took out his flashlight and looked around.   I was so thankful that he was able to come!

 

I feel like this story is a treasure because for one, I am still laughing about how I was "inviting the bad guy in".  Number two, I'm thankful for a friend who came as soon as we needed him.  I also laugh to myself as I think back to how my friend and I were trouble shooting and how neither of us seemed to have any idea what we were going to do.  We both just stood on either side of the door staring outside waiting for an idea to hit us.  : )  But, most importantly this night was a treasure because it helped me "feel" what one of my kids is struggling with.  He is terrified of storms and so we have been praying and reading verses on fear, but often times I just get impatient and tell him that there is nothing to be afraid of and he will be fine!  That night I felt fear and it made me have more compassion for what he feels when these storms come.

 

The next morning was a beautiful day, so we decided to pack up our books and drive out to our new neighborhood to do school at the community lake house. 

 

We brought some yummy donuts to enjoy!

 

 

 Here's Drew working on memory work with Ellis. :)

 

 

Knox was coloring in his science folder for class.

 

Knox working on his presentation for Monday.

 

Davis got tired, so Drew made him a bed and he rested for a little while.  He was up the night before coughing quite a bit, so he (and I) were both a little sleepy.

 

Ellis was helping Drew with his math.

 

Ellis began to pass out more napkins, because she thought if everyone had a napkin, that meant they were all getting another donut.  No such luck.  :)

 The kids spent a few minutes enjoying the lake before we had to pack up to head home.

 

 

The big boys decided they wanted to sketch the scenery.  They have never asked to do this before, and I thought it was neat to see how God's beautiful creation can evoke a desire to capture it.

 

As we packed up, I first put the littles in the car and went back to get all of our things, but Drew and Knox had taken it upon themselves to pack everything up and take it to the car.  Many times I think about how I try to train them to put others first, and I wonder if it's sinking in, and then, without being asked, they do something that they know will be a great help.  It makes my heart smile.  :)

 



 

The rest of our Friday included a trip to my favorite store, Target, and a trip to the mall where we ate dinner and played in the play area.

 

So my week goes back to my last post where I shared...

For me this verse was intended to remind me not to be anxious about all of the house decisions, but instead it's helped me to remember not to be anxious about Andy's travel and not to be anxious about being afraid (I kept repeating this verse as I went to bed Thursday night).

 

Once again I see that the Bible is ALIVE, and I can't place God and His Word in a box.  He will use His Word to encourage me in all areas of my life.

 

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend!

(Let's just not talk about college football) ;)

Be anxious for nothing....

I realized that I haven't updated much on the house, but that doesn't mean that it's taken a back seat in our lives right now.  If anything, it has pushed and shoved it's way to being a major part of our everyday lives. 

So many people had told us that building was going to be a lot of work and a huge undertaking.  Although I listened to what they were saying, I dismissed it by thinking about how Andy and I have similar aesthetics and how we both love looking at houses and have dreamed for a long time about what we wanted.  In fact, we had been working on our house plan with our builder for about 2 years.

But, reality has hit us smack dab in the face.  There are SOOOOO many decisions.  You get to the point sometimes where you want to say, "we don't care."  But, we know that's not true.  We do care, and we will care.  So, I'm trying to realize which items need more attention, and which thing I do need to let go of a little. 

In the first few weeks of the start of our build, I would notice things that weren't done correctly, or at least had just been miscommunicated.  Really, most of the issues were very minor.  But, I would stress about it all weekend (when we usually got out to our property), and worry until Monday when I could clarify things with our builder.  Which always has gone incredibly well by the way.  Every time we have brought a concern or issue to our builder, he has listened and worked with us to figure out a solution that works for all of us.  We have been very pleased with that aspect.

But, in the mean time, decisions continue needing to be made.  It's not just about figuring out what light fixture you want to put over your dining room table (which believe me I agonized over), but it's about choosing a fixture that's in budget, and if you go over budget there, where do you need to cut?  AHHHH!!!!  It can definitely be overwhelming trying to keep everything straight. 

As with everything else, I knew I needed time in the Word, and this afternoon the Lord spoke to me through a very well known verse.  So, I copied it and put it around the house.  I put one copy by my kitchen sink because I'm there all of the time. 

 

I put one next to my bathroom mirror.

 

 

And I put part of it above my laptop, where I get inundated with house e-mails.

 

 

I have known this verse for many years, but I need to be reminded of it in moments when I need to cling to it's truth.

 

There are many more house decisions to come, and I know that we will have to make some compromises, but I pray that in the mean time I will keep my eyes upon the Lord.  I believe God uses all of our situations to teach us, to grow us, to minister to us, and to remind us that He is with us.

 

I don't want to live my life just "getting through" things.  I want to embrace the moment.

 

Andy and I snuck away for a last minute date this weekend, and as we sat on a swing enjoying our time I told Andy that days at home with the kids can be long and hard.  (That part was not news to him)  But, what I want to change is waking up each day and considering "I wonder what part of today is going to be really fun?"  As I'm typing this, I can see how that might sound sarcastic based on my previous sentence, but I'm serious!!!  I want to find fun in each day!  Even if it's as simple as sneaking chocolate chips with the kids when we shouldn't, or having a dance party before we start school, or laughing at Davis when he's making his silly faces.  There is fun to be had in each day.  Some times we just have to look for it.

 

Here's some of our recent fun!  Enjoy! : )

 

Visiting the house...

 

 

Finally getting my green tea crème brulee.  YUM!

I forgot to take a picture before inhaling most of it.  Don't worry, I finished it.  : )

 

Date night

 

Davis loves to bring his "teacher" an apple each week at CC.

 

A friend sent us home with cupcakes and Davis spread it all over his face, so little sister had to copy him.

Loving dressing up and doing school like this.

 

 

 Even girls can be super heroes.  Especially if you have big brothers who like to dress you up.  : )

 

May you find the "fun" in your day, and if you can't find it, make it happen!  : )

 

And remember...

What a week! :)

Andy was only in town for one night this week, but we had a lot of fun activities planned, so to be honest the week flew by.  (In a good way!)

Monday morning we were at CC, and Ellis is becoming such a big girl.  During opening ceremonies, she was playing with a baby.  I can't believe she's not a baby anymore!  Although, I'm pretty sure she'll always be my baby.  :)

 That night Drew had a football game.  It was a beautiful night, and I actually got to watch Drew play quite a bit.  Although apparently I wasn't thinking of taking pictures of the game.  But, I did take pictures of the littles playing on the nearby baseball field, which is why I got to watch so much.

I discovered a recipe that I had tagged and never made, so that was a fun part of my week! : )  I love egg salad and never make it anymore because of the mayonnaise, but this recipe is mayonnaise free!  Confession: I ate it 3 times this week!  I may take a break for a few days, but I loved it.  It's from one of my favorite "clean eating" web-sites Detoxinista.  Click here for the recipe Mayo-free egg salad

These are all of the ingredients you need, and it was a VERY filling salad.  The original recipe calls for it to be wrapped in lettuce leaves, which I may try next time.

Here's my girl helping in the kitchen, which she loves to do. :)

 On Wednesday, we were working on school when UPS made a delivery.  I saw some boxes, so I left them on the porch for awhile, thinking they were lights that we had ordered for the house.  I would have gone running if I realized what they were!

 

It took until picking up my 3rd box, and seeing how light they were for everything to sink in.  Ellis and I had a boot delivery!  (also, my boots were in a big brown box in case you wonder why I couldn't figure that out based on this picture)

 

I'm so excited to have my first pair of Wellies!  Now I'm debating on which size to keep.  The 6's are almost too tight, but the 7's seems pretty loose.  After all of the house decisions lately, I can hardly make any other decisions anymore.  :)  I'm waiting on Andy to get home so that he can help!

Unless any of you own a pair and want to offer me your opinion. :)

 

 

 

That night we headed back to the field for Knox's game.  He did awesome!  Played good on defense pulling some flags and even made a touchdown!

Again, we had another great night of playing in the dirt, and Gigi and Papa were able to come.  Within a few second Ellis was getting all of Gigi's jewelry.  : )

 Lately, the big boys have been sleeping with me when Andy's out of town, but they are so loud when they sleep, that I needed a good night and talked them into sleeping in their own beds.  I must admit, it was a little lonely when I went to sleep, but I did feel more rested the next morning.  :)

Thursday morning we had a field trip to the Governor's Mansion.  I left the littles at home with a sitter (with my friends little who are the same age), and the big boys and I headed off to enjoy the morning.  It was a lot of fun!

 

Our tour guide was great!  She did a good job of engaging the kids and keeping it an appropriate length for the ages that she was speaking with.

 

When we stepped into the dining room I immediately focused on this beautiful chandelier, because this past week I spent so much time choosing lighting for our house.  : ) 

 

It was interesting listening to her share about this silver punch bowl, but my favorite part was when she showed pictures of Governor Scott's 2 grandbabies sitting in it, and 1 grandson standing behind it.  :)

In the library she showed this picture, from a Florida book, of 2 brothers who came to visit the current governor at that time to tell them about a little idea they had for an amusement park.  Their last name?  Disney :)

 

Here's a guest room, where three former presidents have slept.

 

This sunroom was gorgeous, and I couldn't get a good picture to show how bright and light it was.  But, I did get a good picture of the pillows, which I loved the color of.  :)

 

The outdoor space was gorgeous!

 

Mrs. Scott came out and took a picture with our group and was very accommodating to answer many questions.  She was so wonderful with the kids.  My favorite question one little girl asked was "where did you get your necklace?" :)

I enjoyed getting this special time with the big boys!

 

And then last night I had a wonderful time with the ladies who attended bible study!

 

Although it was a great week we can't wait to see daddy when he gets home tonight!

Happy weekend!!!!!