more goodness.

another quick list.

--i am loving american idol.
of course i am.
harry's owning it.
and harry is my favorite.
you know that.

--i forgot to mention the blog cranny and me the other day.
today, her post moved me beyond words.
it was just perfect.

"I'd like to banish the idea that ministry, or marriage, or life, has a honeymoon stage. If we are honest, we know, we absolutely know that life will have its difficulties. And if we believe in the sovereignty of God, we also know that those deserts, those difficult times, are for our good and the glory of God as much as the mountain-top experiences."

a million times yes.

--and good night! have you read this post shannan wrote yesterday??
just so on point for exactly, precisely, scarily where i am and what i'm feeling.
creepy really.

"That is where my pitiful humanity wrecks this gift of loneliness. Over and over, rather than fixing my eyes on the One who loves me best, I frantically scan the horizon-line for a jeans-and-sneaks person to save me. "..."It is our unequivocal duty to love the lonely. We should be linking arms with the outcast, remembering that sometimes the outcast wears $200 jeans and drives and Audi. Sometimes the lonely sits in a nursing home, but she also sits next to us on the bleachers at gymnastics practice."

--and lastly, this, this and this. (from here)

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.

a very merry christmas to you!

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!

halloween 2013.

i love halloween.
i especially love dark, stormy, windy, creepy halloweens.
and that's just what we got this year.

ben was a football player, anna was a ninja, and josh was phil from duck dynasty.
it was our most laid back and low key halloween ever--a blessing in itself but also a sign that my kiddos are getting older.
sniff sniff.

 

we hit the streets early, a little after five o'clock, ben running ahead of everyone and laughing the whole way.
he was truly happy, sincerely and utterly full of happiness, and his happiness had us all laughing.
the big kids were full of excitement, josh even asking, "why would ANYONE be too old to trick or treat?  it's free candy!"

i'm at home, watching the news, nibbling mini dark chocolate milky ways, and awaiting their return.
oh i know, when they all get home, wet costumes will be thrown about, candy dumped on the living room floor, and the kiddos chatting a million miles a minute.
i can't wait.

our life. today.

ben is obsessed with the gummi bear song on youtube.
and the show pocoyo, especially the camping episode.
and the scene in the movie 'cars' where mater and lightning mcqueen go tractor tippin--only that one scene.
he can now write his name pretty well and shocked us all by writing it on my shopping list.
he climbs in our bed every single night and sleeps best when he's next to us.
to be completely honest, i love this and i hate this, at the same time.
i miss sleeping through the night and i miss sleeping next to john.
hoping this is a phase and it will pass soon!

anna walks around the house singing the national anthem all the live long day.
"oooohh, say can you see...."
it's cute.
she's cute.
i love hearing her sing.
acting class is over so she's only taking gymnastics now.

she hates reading but loves when i read to her.
we just finished "little house in the big woods" and are starting "the indian in the cupboard".
i love "the indian in the cupboard".
i read it in 4th grade too, and it has stayed with me all this time.
same with the book "the yearling"--i remember thinking "the yearling" seemed like such a big book for me, but i loved it so much.
tell me you've read both of these!  so good.

josh has been sick off and on all week, maybe the stomach flu.
he comes in our room in the middle of the night and says "help me!"
scares me to death.
but usually he just needs some tylenol and a hug.
i am so sad that he's going to miss his last football game today.
he's been running a fever all night and feels horrible.
i see lots of couch time, naps and snuggles today...if he'll let me. ;)

i went to the thrift store yesterday and found some good buys.
i couldn't believe it, but i only bought clothes.
these dang kids have each grown a foot! from last year, not exaggerating, so they each need all new pants and shirts and coats.
ben is wearing almost all of josh's size 7 hand-me-downs.
anna and josh are both on the borderline where they could wear adult clothing in an extra small or a kids extra large.
my nine year old is wearing a girls 14-16.
what the what??

it seems like it's turned from summer to fall/winter overnight.
this morning there was frost everywhere and our back steps were slippery.
most of our plants bit the dust from the frost, and the grass is starting to turn yellow again.
we actually grew a few gourds in our "garden" and they are ready to cut and add to the pumpkins on the porch.

i have been thinking about Christmas all week long--what gifts to buy, how i want to decorate, cleaning up and clearing out.
simplify, simplify, simplify.
we are only two months away.
sounds crazy, but i'm excited.

hi you. it's hump day!

it's been one of those days when all i want to do is be outside.

right now i'm sitting on the patio, watching ben and anna play on the trampoline.

i can hear kiddos running all over the neighborhood, playing football (where josh is), riding bikes, playing in the cul-de-sac.

it's cool outside, but still warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt.

i'm just going through some recent pics on the laptop.

and i'm kinda thinking i should have brought a cold beer out here with me...

the tops of the trees are just starting to change colors.

john has been spending a lot of his free time building a new play house/fort for the kids.

it's loosely based on this design.

the kids are already planning their first sleep over in it.

josh and ben like to beat each other silly.

i think it's a guy thing.

sleeping with the windows open...one of my most favorite things ever.

bonnie is 16 years old.

she's starting to act senile and has terrible arthritis.

but yet she's still quick enough to catch a bird.

amazing old girl.

our garden is a nothing more than a huge patch of weeds.

i can't tell you how many times i just wanted john to weed whack it.

but somehow, miraculously, there are zinnias blooming and even a few gourds.

this boy.

he can be sweet as pie.

i treasure those moments.

some time he can be...well...nevermind.

i'm sticking with the sweet.

and this girl.

oh when she tells a story, she just comes ALiVe!

this story was about an armadillo.

and this pic?

it needs no caption whatsoever.

now about that beer...