Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Intentional Living

Life is busy.  My prayer this year has been to be intentional about our time.  I was looking at pictures on my phone recently and realized that I had over 200 pictures.  So, here are some of those pictures that I took as we celebrate each and every day God has given us.
 Valentine's Day



 Working off all those yummy treats we enjoyed in February!  Not really, but that's Mommy's goal and we all know that anything Mommy likes, her kids like too!

 Unfortunately we were hit with the stomach bug this year.  Over a two week period everyone in our family endured its wrath.
 Much to the delight and then utter disappointment of the kids, this was all the snow we saw this year.
 Little kids+ the stomach bug=Dad cleaning the carpets on Friday night.
Luke was enthralled with the rug scrubber and still talks about it to this day.

 Little stowaways...Somehow in the wee hours of the night, these two little loves find their way into our bed and make sleeping so comfortable.
 I had the opportunity to attend the Great Homeschool Conference again this year.  This year it was extra special and super fun because my sisters and mom all attended.  This little cutie was getting all the basics on homeschooling.  So excited to share these experiences with my sisters as we journey through homeschooling our kids.

 St.Patrick's Day
Tried our luck in catching a leprechaun, but he was too tricky for us.



 Spring has sprung and park days are becoming a regular part of our weekly schedules again.




 Happy Birthday Jake
We blinked and he turned 17!
He asked for an apple pie
 Spring soccer has begun.
Matt had his first try at being goalie and he loved it.  I on the other hand was very nervous anytime the ball was on that end of the field.

 Thank you God for the blessing of being Mom to these kids.
Some days are hard...
Some days are tiring...
Some days I'm frustrated...
But everyday I'm grateful
 First catch for Andrew
This is a new activity that all the kids seem to really enjoy.

 The gang that always seems to be together and for that I'm grateful. This is one of the many blessings of homeschooling.  A friend stopped by last week while these kids were on the deck dying eggs.  She commented how much she wished her kids wanted to do activities together.  I quickly noted the amount of arguing that occurs with them all being together, but I have thought about her comment everyday since then.  I often get upset when they argue with one another, but I am so grateful that they see each other as best friends and I pray that this knitting together of their souls will last a lifetime.
 


Get Away

Brett and I planned a little get away and were blessed by his parents who volunteered to come to Georgia and stay with the kids.




God's fingerprint was everywhere in this beauty.
We spent five amazing days reconnecting and enjoying uninterrupted conversations, meals, and fun times.  It did our souls well.


 



 
"In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him."
Psalm 95:4
 
 


Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A little of this and a little of that

Emily got a sewing machine for Christmas and has been hard at work over the past 2 months making an assortment of projects.
This is her first completed project using a pattern.


Our sweet Emma Jane (Emily's guinea pig) died and Emily planned a memorial service for her.  It was really sweet and planned out.

It has been cold here in Georgia, so the kids have spent a lot of time inside being creative and basically creating one big mess after the next!




Our church celebrated their 10th anniversary in a big way...on the campus of Georgia at the basketball stadium. There were over 7000 people at the service and Andy Stanley spoke live.  The music was amazing!
January and February have been great months.  We're just thanking God for healthy, happy kids!
 
"And I command you today love God, your God.  Walk in his ways.  Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess."
Deuteronomy30:16