january observations.

here we are at january 19th already.
january is always a blur.
the hoopla of the holidays is behind us and i think we all crave the stillness and pause of january.
the kids are getting back into the swing of things and i've welcomed routine back into our home with open arms.
except for homework.
homework is never welcomed with open arms.
ever.
i digress.
i'm kinda in the mood for writing a list of all my january daily notes so here goes:

--all three kids brought home great report cards.  i'm so proud of them.

--anna has been having some emotional outbursts lately.  either she's jealous of the boys, or seeking attention, or both.  i have a feeling her hormones are going wild.  i don't know how mothers with lots of daughters handle it.  (i'm talking to you, danielle farley!)

--i would pay someone to trim ben's finger and toenails.  i have done it for almost seven years now and i've finally had enough.  i'm sourcing it out.  interested parties apply within.

--josh and john are twins.  it's terrifying at times.  and wonderful at other times.  but mostly terrifying.

--i'm freezing.  i'm counting down the days until spring rolls in.  winter is not my favorite.

--i was on pinterest the other day and i was loving every single thing on there.  i even said out loud "this is the best pinterest board ever!  i love it all!"  and then i realized i was on my own pinterest board.  i'm a dork.

--is blogging over?  i notice less and less blogs still going strong.  that makes me feel so sad.  but here are a few of my favorites lately, all new to me, very different and very, very beautiful:

the beetle shack
heart handmade
shine
me and alice
hello from the natos

--i have found myself in situation after situation, over the past year or so, where i just can't imagine getting through things without help from the Lord.  nothing in my own simple mind can make sense of things without Him.  i think about times in my life where i sinned, failed, made terrible choices, etc. and in each situation, i felt like i was in control.  so foolish.  now i feel like i am never in control, that nothing is ever possible without God.  and there is a peace that comes over me like i've never known.  and this peace is grace.  maybe i'm just now getting it, but man, I GET IT.  and it is such relief.

--i love lists.  they make me happy.

that is all for today.
c'mon spring.

our holiday home.

i know i haven't been very good about blogging lately. 

and i know that most of you guys have given up on my lazy bones, and moved on, you know, to other blogs where people actually BLOG. 

what a concept! 

anyways…i did it. 

i blogged. 

but not here. 

way too expected! haha. 

i blogged over at heather's amazing blog as a part of her holiday home made lovely series. 

i shared a little bit of our home all ready for christmas. 

if y'all are so inclined, hop on over and check it out. 

 here's a little sneaky peeky for those that need tempting!

(hey, look, i'm in the microwave!)

  

see ya there! 

kiss kiss!

july. marching on.

 

this is hard.
i want to keep on blogging but it feels forced and uncomfortable.
i wish things were different, that davis was home, that it all worked out and i could write to you all exclaiming the happy news and we could move on happily and easily.
and the writing would feel easy and sharing my thoughts would come freely and openly, like they used to.
but sometimes life isn't easy, is it?
and neither is writing.
but i'm not ready to give up just yet.

 time is certainly helping.
it is a healer of sorts, time is, helping me forget the painful details and move forward with the other things that need my focus.
time marches forward like a soldier, on to the next orders, the next demand, on to the next day, never looking back.
it is relentless.

 

i have no idea how it is nearing the end of july already.
wasn't it just may?
nevertheless, we are gearing up for the start of school and the return of a more structured schedule.
new backpacks showed up in my mailbox this week and football cleats are tops on the to-do list.
practices are starting, back to school emails floating, summer reading books started.
it'll be here before you know it.
before i know it.

we escaped to the gulf again last weekend.
we are madly in love with our home and our dock and all of it.
truth:  i have never felt relaxed on vacation before. 
sad, but true.
i am a homebody and maybe a clean freak, i don't know.
but having my own place, my own bed, my own sofa, my own silverware...it just helps calm me.
and i can enjoy the house and the beach like i haven't ever been able to before, surrounded by our own stuff.
it's very much an awesome thing.

at the beach house, i changed out a few plates, hung up a new piece of art and even made plans to revamp our outside shower. 
it's like the old me is still in there, slowly working her way back to the surface for a breath or two.

back at our regular ol' house, i am working on changing our bedroom.
we painted (my mother's day gift), i bought a few new pillow shams, a new (very old) painting, curtains, etc.
it's coming together and i think i like it.
furniture is soooo expensive.
pisses me off actually.
so i can only change the cheap stuff but it does make a big difference.

josh is becoming quite the fisherman.
he lives, eats, breathes, fishing.
it's awesome.
anna is into bracelet making and drawing and painting and front handsprings.
it's awesome too.
ben is into dancing and jumping and running and basketball and baseball and volley ball and swimming and...it's tiring.
but awesome.

we are good.
we are still here and all is well.
i've missed this place.
i've missed my blog friends.
it's nice to see you again.
:)

march, april and may. the recap.

march and april came and went.
ben turned SIX and we went to the beach.
it was chilly most of our time there but still, we were together doing practically nothing.
glorious.

josh turned ELEVEN and decided, for the first time, that he wanted one big gift instead of a birthday party. (the kids get to choose one or the other but not both)
he chose a paint ball gun.
heaven help me.



anna turned NINE and had a sleep over.
only one girl stayed until morning.
these girls and the drama.



josh gave up baseball and asked to play soccer instead.
he loves it and is learning more and more each practice.
it's amazing how much happier he is.

anna is still playing softball and doing gymnastics.
she hit her first home run a few weeks ago, and just this week, she hit a GRAND SLAM!
she also learned how to do a one-handed cartwheel and a front hand spring.
and had some art in the art show again.



ben has learned so much this year.
he's talking so much more and understands so much.
his favorite toys are a beach ball and a half of a pool noodle that he drags everywhere--our makeshift bat and ball for inside the house.
he can hit that ball like a champ!



he's learning to bump a volleyball and kick into a soccer goal too.
sitting still is not his specialty!



when we were at the beach in march, we found a house on the bay that we fell in love with.
we have spent years dreaming about owning a place at the gulf but everything was still too expensive and out of our reach.
when we found this little cottage, it felt like home in so many ways that it honestly surprised me.
and when we couldn't get it out of our minds, we decided to take a chance.
we are now proud owners of a little periwinkle cottage on mobile bay.





yesterday was davis' SIXth birthday.
even though the situation with russia is still unknown, he is still so much a part of our family.
what i wouldn't do to be there with him.
i pray he was celebrated and showered with love!
thank you all for remembering him in your prayers.

we are in the midst of end of the year school parties and awards ceremonies.
next week is the last week of school and then summer is officially here.
i can't wait for the slower pace and for all the activities to be over.
we are all craving some down time and a nice long break from all the crazy.
just one more week...

spring blossoms.

i've been overwhelmed by my emotions lately.
everywhere i look, there are signs of birth, of renewal, the beauty of an awakening.
spring has officially arrived here in the south.
and it's a down-right beautiful thing to witness.

i guess i've always been too preoccupied to notice before, but i am so acutely aware of it now.
and maybe i've even fallen in love with spring in a way i never had before.
fall is still my favorite but spring is very close second.
the cherry blossoms alone may have clinched the deal.

getting my spring on.

yesterday was warm and breezy.
the kids spent most of the day outside playing, and i spent most of the day inside decorating.

i opened the windows and the back door so the smell of spring could fill the house.
i was tired of the dusty books and candles of my winter decor and couldn't wait to lighten things up.
i think it's a good start.

p.s. i wanted to pull out my sea shell collection and put starfish everywhere but maybe it's a tad bit too early for that.  i'm just so dang excited for summer!

today...

today i watched a friend playing in the backyard with her sweet twin toddlers.
today i watched a man buy flowers in the grocery store for his wife.
today i listened to a girl talk about my oldest son and how funny he is.
i think she has a crush on him.

today i sat in the sun and watched the birds flit all over my yard.
today i watched a big fat bunny hop his way down the entire length of my fence.
i like to think he was meeting a friend for a cup of tea and some scones.

today i washed dishes and scrubbed my counter tops clean.
today i wore mint green, my favorite color of the moment.
today my new sandals from target came in the mail along with my new cuff bracelet from becky.



today ben and i watched america's funniest home videos and he said "UH OH!" the entire time.
today we had bagels with cream cheese and fresh strawberries for dinner.
today anna asked to sleep over my parents' house and they were happy she wanted to spend time with them.

today another IEP is in the books and we are grateful for ben's wonderful, caring teacher.
today boxes of sugar-free popsicles were $0.99 at the store.
ice cream sandwiches weren't on sale but i bought them anyway.
sunny fridays call for popsicles AND ice cream sandwiches.

today john and i spent some time together dreaming of our next big home improvement project.
plans will be sketched tonight and pinterest boards will be busy.
a little something like this perhaps...it is a dream after all.

source

life is busy and good.
the sun is shining and so am i.
happy weekend to you.