It could have been a really bad day.

Go to Jason’s blog and check out his afternoon surprise.

Other than that, we had a good day.

The girls have a few girls to play with on our street and they had a blast with them today.
I am still finishing up some projects around the house and beginning to focus on the details, like cleaning the windows and accessorizing!

I have been very aware of the flow of life these past weeks. Endings and beginnings, old and new, life and death, ups and downs. I am reminded and continue to focus on the fact that through it all, God does not change. Even when situations and circumstances around me do, He is not different. My emotions or my perspective of who He is may be fueling how I view Him, but that does not change Him. What comfort that provides me. People often ask the question why? I am learning to ask Why Not? I am but a mist, a fragrance a joint in the body of Christ. And it is all for His glory…..

Last Saturday, we took the kids to meet up with my parents for a little trip to the grandparents.

Jason and I stayed at the house, with no children for 4 days.

It was anything but a vacation, though!

We have been working to get the house ready to put on the market.

Here is a brief synopsis of all we did:

• Sanded and painted the porch railings
• Painted the baseboards, downstairs.
• Painted the wainscoating in the kitchen
• Recaulked some tile in the kitchen
• De cluttered all of the downstairs, kids rooms and the playroom. (all we have left is my desk and filing cabinet!)
• Touched up paint the kids rooms and the downstairs.
• Had the yard landscaped by professionals
• Took the shutters down and repainted them a different color (we are also painting the door)
• Took a few loads of boxes to our storage unit
• Cleaned out the pantry and the cabinets in the kitchen

I am sure I am leaving something out but clearly you can see we worked A LOT!

I have watched too much HGTV to not do all we can to make the house look its best. We even looked at a few houses yesterday and I was pleased with all we have done to get ours ready!
Still have not found the right house for us, but the search is on!!

The kids came home yesterday and they had a blast. They went to the train yard, to play putt putt, played outside and stayed up late. They were so tired yesterday, but it was worth it!
I had forgotten how much you can accomplish when you don’t have to stop every 5 minutes to get someone a drink or a snack or ties shoes, or give a bath. It was great, but I am glad to have the kiddos home.

Now, I just have to keep the house clean!!

We have completed our first year of Kindergarten and the last year of preschool for Emery this week.

We have been to two graduations in two days.

And remember my comment about not being that sentimental?

Let’s just say the Lord LAUGHED at me when I wrote that because I have learned that when you put pictures of my children on a screen with a song playing that is reminding me to pray for them, I can cry. UGLY CRY.

Don’t you love it when the Lord reminds you that you are not all that?

I have had a full and blessed week. I am planning on putting up some pictures to satisfy the grandparents, but we got a new camera and I have to wait for my techno savvy husband to show me how.

I have also been reminded about how precious life is and to not take a moment for granted with my family.

I, like many of you, am in the throes of all kinds of end of the school year craziness!! Our calendar is full, as is my heart.

In a week, I have a first grader and a Kindergartener.

Where did the time go?

This seems to be the question that we moms ask fairly often, for various reasons.

For instance, how is it that church started 5 minutes ago and I am still getting the kids dressed?

Or, when you are packing for a trip and it seems like 10 minutes later, you are packing to come home?

I am not an overly sentimental person. I don’t hold a baby and want another one. I throw any craft that comes home with glitter IN THE TRASH. I take pictures, but most of them are stored on my computer!

But, I feel like God is leading me to stop and just absorb my kids right now. Actually, the Holy Spirit is convicting me to relax and play with the kids. He is urging me to cook with them, do crafts with them, read books and devotionals, have somewhat of a schedule of activities for the summer and just breath. I want them to remember the summers, as a child, with amazing memories. To remember time spent as a family, having fun and being together. For so long, I have been in baby mode, nursing mode, pregnant mode and I am so thankful for this phase of our family. To be where we are, still with young kids, but not planning life around 2 naps!!

I want to do this because I don’t want to hear some cheesy, sappy country music song one day describing how time goes by and missing those young years with your kids and think to myself…that is me. I let time get away from me and there is nothing I can do to get it back.

My plan is to make a list of activities we can do this summer. It will range from picking out a recipe, shopping for it and making it, to going to the zoo. I am going to attempt to have some crafty things planned and some structured learning/reading time. I am also going to have some family guidelines and scripture memorization for each week. I am going to move out of my comfort zone of mommying to actually being more diligent in scheduling certain activities.

So, what are some ways you are going to enjoy your kids this summer.

Parker is doing well and home in her sporty pink cast.

The Orthopedist says she will be in about 5-6 weeks, instead of our hopeful 3 weeks.

So, we will be doing a lot of inside fun things at the beginning of the summer!

Also, she fell because she was climbing up a pole on the play structure at CFA. I’m pretty sure
that is a no, no, but we live and learn, right??

I know I learned my lesson!

We have reached a milestone as a family.

Our first cast.

Parker fell today at Chick-fil-A, about 5 feet and landed on her back and wrist.

We knew pretty quickly that it could be a break, so Jason took her to our Pediatrician’s office
and sure enough she fractured her wrist in 2 places. It is fairly mild but will still require a cast for 3 weeks.

It seems her soccer season will be cut short and we will be rescheduling swim lessons!

She is excited to get it signed, so at least she is having a great attitude about it!
We are so proud of how she practiced self control and managed her pain response. She was a trooper. I think some of it has to do with her Daddy taking her instead of me!

Please pray for a quick three weeks for her!

I am excited to share that our sweet friends, Melvin and April, have started a blog to journal their family, but also their church plant. They are in the beginning phases of planting a church outside of Knoxville and it has been awesome to see God lead them in this great adventure!

I can’t wait read more and more!!

First of all, I am so thankful for my mom. She has been a huge support for me through out my entire life. I love that I talk to her numerous times a day, share the mundane things of life, like how my kids slept the night before, what I am doing that day and my love of Sonic Diet Coke with Cherry added. I love that she likes my kids and laughs at the cute things they do and pays them money to fall asleep, so I can have some quiet time. Thank you, Mom, for all the small and big ways you support me and my family.

Second, I am thankful for my mother in law. She supports the decisions we make, does really cool things with the kids and generally thinks they can do no wrong and if they did, there is a good reason for it! I love that she likes me and doesn’t just tolerate me because I am married to her son and the mother of her grandchildren! I am truly blessed.

Third, as someone who struggled to become a mommy, my heart is still tender to all the women who are wondering if they will ever be one. The heartache of not knowing, of being poked, prodded and humiliated with all kinds of tests, having all sense of modesty stripped from you. I understand it is all consuming, frightening, and full of pain. I feel the pain of loss for the one I never held and remember. I still feel it every mother’s day.

Fourth, I think of the millions of children who do not have a mommy. They do not have someone to hold them, love them, encourage them, discipline and teach them about God. It hurts my heart. Today, I think of those sweet babies.

Lastly, I think of my children: Parker, Emery and Bradley. They are the gifts I never tire of seeing. I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be the one to hold them, to kiss them, to point them to Jesus and talk about their day. I am the one they want when things hurt or they are excited and I will never tire of being that person to them. Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to be a mommy. It is the joy of my life, the hardest thing I have ever done, yet it is wrapped in the biggest blessing I have ever had! I love you to pieces.

Never, Ever, Never schedule 2 well child check-ups at the same time.

With your 2 year old in tow.

After being solo mommy for 3 days.

And they need shots.

Because they do everything 2 times.

Like go, you know, in the cup.

Get two shots, separately.

While they are kicking, screaming at the top of their lungs, trying to pull away and causing all kinds of ruckus.

With a needle inches from their flesh.

Then,

Get 2 finger pricks.

And, try to discuss both kids, with a semblance of clear thinking.

Trust me on this one, people.

I learned this lesson.

It will not happen again.

We had a blast celebrating Emery’s birthday! She went to get Donuts with Dad on Friday morning and then after we picked Parker up from school, headed to the pizza place with a mouse! The great thing is our dear, dear friends, the Swaffords went with us!!
We had fun, although Jason and I kept asking, “Do you know where Bradley is??” Still adjusting to the rapid moving toddler.

Here are some fun pics:

( I am now having trouble uploading pics with blogger. Will try again later.)

That night, we went to see Annie at Parker’s school. We know Annie personally and she did a phenomenal job! I mean, amazing!! Her dad wrote about it here. Precious!

Saturday was jammed with soccer games, which I have yet to take pictures of them playing! Emery scored 2 goals and Parker “scored” one. (It was after the whistle, but she has no clue it didn’t count, so please do not burst her athletic stardom bubble!)

Sunday was the big birthday party at LibbyLu for Emery. She took her cousins and one friend to get all glammed up! Here are the pics:

The before shot

The price we pay for beauty I love this picture of her

Always ready to strike a pose!
The sassiest group of girls I know!

All in all, it was a great weekend, celebrating with our friends!