WHAT! Has it really been 7 years?

So, I was talking to my husband and mentioned our blog. He response was simply, "I didn't know we had a blog."  😳. 

In his defense the blog I started almost 10 years ago was more for me, than anyone else.  If you take a look at the past posts they are a bit cheesy, but really, they are more like a dairy than an editorial meant for public view.  I stopped blogging when I left my job in 2013, and really hadn't thought much of it until recently.  

So what has happened in the past seven years?  Ehh, not much.  I did have Maggie in 2016 and she has rocked our world.  She is a firecracker, and I hope and pray she keeps that spunk all her life.  She will be so much fun as an adult if she can just not let this big old mean world push it away.

After Maggie's birth I stopped working outside the home, and started homeschooling the kiddos. (We have gone back and forth between Home school and Public School.)  Home Schooling takes an amazing amount of energy and patience, but my favorite part is simply letting my kids sleep in, (so we can stay up at night playing and watching sporting events and other non essential like things).  The girls are growing and changing every day, and I love being here to help guide them.

I teach art to Preschoolers once a week, and run an art class through our CO-Op for High Schoolers. Art has always been such a spot of joy in my life, and I am really grateful when I get to talk about art for an afternoon.

COVID 19 started almost 2 months ago and we have been well.  The isolation has been hard on all of us, but I am glad we have stayed healthy. My husband still has a job, and technology allows us to still see family and friends, really it hasn't been nearly as hard as it could have been, and I can't put a price tag on remaining healthy.

So, I guess 7 years doesn't take too long to sum up.  
Maybe it will be another 7 years before I post again, but Maybe not.

Thanksgiving

Thank you Lord, for the family and friends you have given me, for the crazy job, and most of all for being with me through it all.

There are things to be thankful for if we just stop and look. Yeah, yeah, I know that we should be thankful for breathing, and walking, and clothes, and family, and all that great stuff, but what about the crazy day with too many children and not enough patience.   The daily stuff is what's so stink'n hard, and yet it has Your beauty in all of it. The whining of my three yr old, the 4th dirty diaper in an hour, even the husbands dirty socks left under the coffee table have the glow of You.  Can we be thankful for yelling at our kids, for seeing the pain and heartache in the world?  No, I don't think anyone is Thankful for their shortcomings, but please remember that without them we would not have a need for a savior.  We would have no need for anything but ourselves, because we would fill all our needs.  So in a way I am thankful for my shortcomings.  Pride comes before a fall, but if we remember how far we are from perfect, I think we might just see things closer to the way God does.  I am thankful this Thanksgiving that God made us the way He did, and that He gave us the gift of salvation to remedy that fact.
Happy Thanksgiving

What a great Sunday

Yesterday after a great time at Church we ate lunch outside, then Dustan and Sophie grabbed a football, and Lily and I sat outside in the shade while the ball was passed around.  

It feels like a long time since they have played outside with their dad, the girls were both giddy to say the least.  (I was pretty giddy myself.)

Dustan left for work, Sophie attempted a nap, and Lily tried her hand at sneaking into the room to wake up Sophie.  After coming to the realization that Sophie was not going to nap, we all went outside and played with chalk and pretended to fish.  Lily did nap, and I made a crazy potato, cheese, and chicken casserole for dinner, which Dustan made it home in time to eat.  Then it was time for some football watching, and baths.  

It was a great day!

What a great Life

So, I am tired, lonely, frustrated, and all around grumpy, but I'm not sure why.  God never said he would give me an easy road. He promised me He would never leave me alone on that road, and guess what, He has followed through with that promise over and over again.

Teach me to lean more into you, Lord, and expect less from this world.

Hotel

So, let me start by saying I have a phobia of mice, rats, anything in the rodent family really,  So, when I saw a mouse in my house last night I "freaked" out.  Grabbed the kids after being carried to the bed room and calmed down by my husband, and went to a hotel for the night.  Judge me if you will, but I could not stay a night with my babies, knowing there was a mouse there.  So on a lighter note the girls got to spend the night in a great hotel, and we had a really good time.  My husband is in charge of ridding the house of it's guest, and we will spend a great time with the grandparents this weekend.

Sunday School

Yesterday at Church I taught the 3-4 Sunday School lesson.
We had 5  little ones in the class, and had a great time.
One part of the lesson stuck in my mind.  The lesson was on Jesus' return to earth (in Revelation). I asked the kids what they thought heaven would be like, and you could have heard crickets chirping.  So, I asked what they would say to Jesus if they saw or met him, still no response. Then I asked what they might give Jesus if they met him.  This question I did get a response from.  They might give him a cake or a puppy, or even a  hug.
This got me thinking what would I give Jesus if I saw/met him?
At first I am silent like my little ones in the class were. I just don't know.  Then I start to think, wait I meet Jesus every day. What do I give him, or do I even notice him? There are many "Sunday School" answers that come to my mind, but truly, what does he desire of me?  What does he want from me, and will I give that to him?
All I feel capable of doing is calling out, "Help me be more like You, I am your's!".  That sad un-elegant prayer is probably a more true statement right know than anything else I can say, and the only thing I am capable of giving my Savior.
I hope each of those precious children grow to give their lives daily to Christ, and encourage others to do the same.

My funny little girls

How precious you two are. Gifts from God, and nothing short of miracles.  I pray each day that God gives you both Wisdom, the ability to see Truth, and Peace over your lives.  I will not always be there to protect you, but you have a heavenly father that loves you more than your earthly daddy or I ever could. Hold on to that truth, and do not let Satan still the power it gives you!  You are daughters of the King held high and exalted. 

I love you always and forever your Momma-

What a great week

On Tuesday morning it was cool and breezy outside, so I took my girls out to take some pictures. We had a really good time being silly.

 On Thursday, we had a play date with one of Sophie's friends.  We are all tired and worn down, but we are happy, and I think that's pretty awesome.
Football has started, and I am o.k. with that.  Dustan is enjoying the cooler weather, and the Lord is helping me remember that Loving my girls is the most important thing. Not clean dishes, swept floors, or even made beds for guests. God is my strength, joy, and sanity.

A couple of days

So, I have been sick with a monster cold, and really as much as I told people I was fine. I was not fine.  Dustan, like a champ, took charge of the girls one night, and just let me go to bed. (Lovely man)

I am now about 85% better, but people keep asking me if I'm sick (so I must not be all the way better yet). 

The pictures below were last night before Dustan had to leave on an emergency call, as you can see Sophie has been missing time with her daddy, and I think He has been missing time with his girls.  

Lily loves books just as much as her big sister did at her age.  The difference being she has to try and keep big sister from taking them away from her.  (This talent she has not quite learned yet.)

It's been a rough couple of days, but I think we are in the home stretch. 

Galveston 2013

We have been out of town for over a week, and it has been wonderful!

Dustan, Sophie, Lily, and I went to Galveston for  a week.  We stopped by the girls grandma's on the way down, and on the way back.  We loved the beach this time just as much as the last time we went down, and I think Lily likes the water even more than her big sister.  

The girls had a hard time getting rest at night, but that didn't stop us from playing all day.  What fun memories we made building sandcastles, digging for clams, finding seashells, walking up and down the beach, jumping over the waves, going to the aquarium (where we saw lots of amazing sea creatures), and just relaxing together in the beach house.  

 

We love getting to spend time together as a family, and this trip blessed us with a lot of that. What a great gift God gave us, when he made "the beach".

 

Lily

Happy Fourth!

What fun we had! The four of us went to the next town over, got the girls up after bedtime, and sat to watch some awesome fireworks.  

What fun we had!

daddy's hOme! (and a Party)

Dustan got home Saturday afternoon, about the same time we did, and the girls and I had a great time with him! We are all so happy to have him home.

On Sunday after Church Sophie had a birthday party to attend.  Sophie and I got to go (just us). Daddy stayed home with Lily.  So Sophie got to play, and I got to relax and enjoy for a little bit.

It was a great weekend.

Play date

Sophie and Brit playing outside

Lily having a great time in her skivvies 

Crazy Art Lesson!

So... I don't have a picture to show, but yesterday after swimming all morning, washing the car, Sophie taking a 40 minute nap, I had art lesson at my house.  I had three art students under 11, and one that is a mommy and brought her 2 year old to play with the sitter while we drew.
The baby sitter did not show.
We had toys, pencils, paper, laughing, screaming, no crying (thanks to God's grace and mercy), and I think we all had a really good time.
I will call and verify my sitter for next week, I must try to prevent that from happening again!

My Birthday, and a Trip to Vegas

Dustan took me out for my 32nd birthday!  He left it as a surprise until the babysitter showed up to watch the girls at 10:00 on Saturday morning.  We drove to Greenville where he had to pick up a van for work, needless to say I was sitting there thinking, hum... I wonder where this "birthday" surprise will go from here, but after some issues with the rental company, he decided to drop what his plans had entailed, and make it up as we went along.  So we drove to the "big city" and had a steak lunch.  He says I am always happier after I eat steak.  It is probably true. From there we went to shenanigans and played a fun game of black light mini golf (a first for both of us).  We both were ready to get back to the girls, and have them help us celebrate the rest of the day.  

  

When we got home Dustan and Sophie made a cake while I went by myself and bought some much needed luggage for Dustan big trip to Vegas today.  We had hamburger helper, and a Sophie decorated cake for dinner.  It was wonderful.

Dustan left for Las Vegas at about 11:00 yesterday, while the girls and I went to church.  He and his staff drove all through the night , and arrived at the Hoover Dam at 6:30 this morning, just in time to see the sun rise.  It is a happy looking crew considering they just spent about 19 hours in a van together.  

Swimming

We got to go swimming at a friends house yesterday.  I am so proud of my Sophie.  She was timid at first, but soon found that she could go around the pool all by herself.  I am looking forward to not having to watch her so closely once she learns to swim by herself.   Currently my stress level rises every time we get near any body of water and Sophie is not right by my side.  That should not last to much longer.

Tile

So today I had a long lunch with my husband to pick out new tile for the shower in our master bath.
I love my husband, but I do not like shopping with him.
I have this idea that someday in the far off future we will need to make a decision together, and we will not huff, puff, grunt, or be angry in any way.  As of right now, we have not discovered that skill.
At the end of our time at Home Depot we did leave with tile we are both happy with, but it's the getting there that is so hard.  I am a planner, and my husband is not.  He felt that writing out the dimensions of the shower would be plenty of planning. So, as I stood by waiting for him to figure out how many we needed of a certain size, I thought about what I would have done. I would have done all the math, and figured out exactly how many of each size and style of each possibility we might need.  Then go over that about eight times before we even left the house.  
I have to laugh at the differences between us.
If we were the same I might never laugh, and over all there is a lot of laughter between the two of us.
Dustan,
Thanks for picking out tile with me, and being patience when my planning goes a little over board.
I love you-

Sophie went fishing

 We had a great time at Dustan's sisters Baby Shower.  While we were down in Houston, Dustan decided to take Sophie fishing with Pa Pa.  She did great and caught "alot" of fish.

Children's Museum

We got to go as a family to the Children's Museum here in Commerce on Saturday.  Sophie had a blast showing Daddy where everything was and how to do it.  They have added things since the last time we were there, so she was super excited to try the new attractions.  Lily had a big play area covered in mats for her to play on, and we took a trip to McDonald's to get a happy meal for a treat at lunch.  It was a great day for the rain to come in, and us still play all day!