Seven Things

Ok, I was tagged by Lisa and Wendy and ever since, have been trying to think of seven interesting things about myself. How depressing is that? Anyway, I thought maybe if I just start typing, they'll come to me. So, here goes:

 

1) I hate feet. Grody! (I don't think I have used that word since I was 14!) Especially men's sweaty feet. Especially men's sweaty sock feet. There is a scene in Napoleon Dynamite where the comedy of the film turned to sheer horror for me...I just imagine Kip's feet. Nauseousness. 

2) Two of my favorite foods are anything pesto and anything with guacamole. I also love just about any fruit...especially watermelon and frozen blueberries with milk and sugar. mmmm.

3) My goal has been to have 4 babies by the time I'm 30. 3 down, 1 to go! Bittersweet. 

4) I have a terrible fear of regret. I am practically handicapped by indecisiveness. Seriously, it takes me a while to pick out a piece of candy. I am just so afraid I will wish I had something else later. You don't wanna be around me when there is actually a big decision to make! Pray for me! lol!

5) I have only kissed one man and married him. Kinda weird, I guess. Definitely special to me. 

6) I have unnatural spazzy reactions to 2 things...bees/wasps and rubber bands pointed in my direction. I don't know, they just seem so unpredictably after me! 

7) I love to fall asleep watching a movie, I love the thought of reading a book, I love the concept of blogging. As you can see, I have a terrible habit of starting things...

There you have it. 

My Status

Yeah, so I have noticed something about myself. I am not so good at this...but you know what I would be really great at?? Status updates all day! I spend so much time thinking about something deep and interesting to talk about, feeling intimidated by all the really great bloggers out there, and then thinking of about 10 other things I really should be doing. My life feels so full right now. Homeschooling is quite daunting. I am working out the kinks in my schedule and hope to become more disciplined, therefore post more regularly. Anyway, until then, here are my status updates for the last couple days:

* Going to give blood, don't weigh enough, ate too much, threw up in parking lot at hospital, hospital caught on fire......figured it isn't my day to give blood. Hey, I tried! 

* Feeling like I am in high school....intimidated and insecure.

*My boys are camping and I am having a 'girl's night' with my mom and little sis. 

*Off to a 5 year old birthday party! Hoping for great candy in the pinata (that I will confiscate from my kids, then they will completely forget about)! 

* Just got back from taking the boys to a nice quiet park with some friends....wasn't quiet for very long.

*Drama with a 'Facebook Friend'...no longer friends at all....que serrah. (long story)

*Took Jonas to the doctor for 6 month check-up. Feeling like he should join the circus after all the 'he's SO big' comments. He is a very healthy, 20lb, 27", 90th percentile, happy baby! 

*My 3 year old caught a squirrel. His father (Daniel is always referred to as 'his Father' in situations like this) told him that he if he caught a squirrel with his bare hands,  he would buy him new Legos. 2 weeks later, Evan hadn't forgotten. What was intended to be a energy wasting impossibility for a 3 year old was, to Evan, an attainable goal. As my dad would say, that can preach! 

*Getting out fall clothes! It's here!!!!

*Digging deep spiritually....exhausting and challenging. (more on that later)

*Both knitting and quilting in my spare time. HA! 

*Went on a date night, finally!!! First date in over 6 months! Long overdue, much needed, but I still missed my kids terribly! 

*Went on a walk on the Hampton Cove Greenway with my mom, brother, and sister. Soaking in this beautiful weather! (btw, congrats to whoever it is with the signs on Four Mile Post that read: It's a Girl! And a Boy! And a Boy! And a Boy!)

*Got a taste of what it would be like to be Jon and Kate plus 8 (except I had 6) for a couple hours. 

*Embarking on another journey with Beth Moore...it's going to be great! 

*Teaching my child to read. Patience, Lord! 

*Going for a walk with my boys.

*Watching Gilmore Girls with my guy. 

There is a touch of some of the things that happened in my life over the past 5 days or so. Hopefully the next 5 will be quieter, less dramatic, and go by a little slower. 

These are precious times. 

Boys Will Be Boys

Ok, I'm sitting at home, watching my DH and bro-in-law play some 'shoot 'em up' xbox game. There isn't a lot of deep meaningful conversation going on here. Hardly more than grunting. Maybe an occasional hoop or holler'. So I thought what a great time to update you all on my weekend. 

Friday we had a normal 'school day' with the boys. The weather was nice so Daniel decided to take Micah and Evan camping. He and his brother, Joel, loaded up their gear and headed to Ditto Landing. It's a small campground but nice place to take kids and very close to our house, should there be an emergency need to get home. There are bathrooms and actually a playground right by where they camped. I'm surprised Daniel would even qualify it as camping at all. Anyway, I stayed home with Jonas. We both slept better that way. The next morning we met them at the campsite for breakfast and then a bike ride along the Tennessee River. Very nice. The weather was perfect. It was so fun to see the boys in their element...all 4 of them! Micah and Evan were having a blast. I just sat back and smiled. I love my boys. Around noon we headed back to civilization. Here are a few pics that I took on Saturday morning.

Saturday night we had our monthly 'UFC night'. There was a pay-per-view event that we rented at our place. Daniel invites a bunch of the guys and they eat snacks and have, once again, gruntin', hoopin', and hollerin'. It's a lot of fun actually. It's a little disturbing how much I enjoy these 'UFC nights'. One of the guys brought his wife and baby, so it was the best of both worlds.....girl talk AND ultimate fighting. Fun times! 

Sunday was a nice day with the family. We had a delicious lunch at my parent's house. We have all gone 'vegan' so it was a meatless meal but absolutely yummy. I really don't even miss the meat. Even when I think about having a burger or something, it just doesn't sound good. (For those who are curious, one day I'll write more about this new diet of ours.) Sunday night I went to the worship service at church by myself. It was a nice way to end the day and begin the week...refreshed. 

Yesterday and today have been all about schooling and cleaning. I did some hardcore floor scrubbing...oh, sorry. Boring! Today my friend Sherle came over with her boys. She brought her precious new baby, Samuel. He just came home from the hospital last week and is a whopping 4 lbs! I could hold him all day. Looking at those tiny toes, perfect ears, and even that little voice of his...I just kept thinking of the goodness of God. Life is a beautiful miracle. 

Here is a picture of this little miracle. 

We had a nice visit and our boys had such fun together. It will be exciting to watch our boys grow up and play together....Micah, Paul, Evan, Jonas, and Samuel. 

So there is a summary of the last few days. I like this blogging thing. It helps me slow life down a bit and reflect on the day. Somehow, looking at the day as a whole, I see all the good in it. No matter how much disciplining takes place, how down I may start my day, or how monotonous it all gets; I like to end it like this. 

Thank you, Lord, for all that I've been given. 

I've got the best dad in the whole world.

Tonight was special. It was one of those moments that you want to last forever. I'm going to let you in on some sweetness. 

I went to church tonight and enjoyed a powerful message. It was on Numbers 27 and being a 'Daddy's girl'. We can crawl into Daddy's lap and share our hearts. Cry. Laugh. Or just listen. There is nothing that separates a Daddy and His girl. This is the love that we can know. It was a powerful, beautiful message. What hit me was this....I have the responsibility to show my children that the Lord is my everything. That if everything else was gone, I would still have Him. That He is who I live for, He is who I love first. To impart this to them so that they can walk it out themselves. That their relationship with our Father will be real. So that if I weren't here, they would walk out their faith. That He would be their first love as well. I left feeling challenged and encouraged. 

Daniel and the boys went to his parents house for dinner. On the way home they were listening to music loudly, the way Micah likes it. You see, Micah has a thing for music. Really, it's bizarre. He has always been this way. It seems there is rhythm in his bones. Anyway, right before they got home, Daniel put on a worship song by Rick Pino "We Have the Best Dad" which is just like the title implies. We have the best Dad in the whole world. (seemed to be the theme of the evening....coincidence? I think not.) Daniel looks in his mirror and notices that Micah is just rockin'. Normal. Then he looks again. Micah then has his hands raised and is singing (loudly) 'I will give you everything God! I will praise you! I will give you cash. I praise you God! I will give you my toys! I will give you everything! I will give you cash!' I wish I were there. They got home and Daniel asked him if he liked that song. He said 'Yes, I changed it a little bit. I just wanted God to know that I will give Him whatever He wants.' 

Nothing like the heart of a child. Pure sweetness. Abandoned sincerity.

I feel encouraged. My children are 'Daddy's Boys' and I pray the Lord will always be this real to them...the simplicity of His love. 

Write on my blog....check.

Today was a lovely day. Productive. I end this day feeling like a good mom. Here are a few reasons why:

1. I accomplished a great, full day of school with the boys...in a tent, no less. 

2. I straightened the house...mastering the task of picking up almost anything off the floor with my toes while carrying my 'fluffy' baby on one hip.

3. I fixed a delicious dinner....with the help of my darling and his green egg. 

4. I played Legos with my boys and used my rusty imagination!

5. I took my boys to my parent's house to play and swim as an after dinner treat. 

6. I concluded my day with my love, my boys, and good books all in my bed for a few minutes of reading. 

then kisses goodnight.

Good Intentions

I’m back! 

I had great intentions. Really, my heart was in the right place. I had high hopes. But the truth is, I am terribly bad at this! And I have the tendency to start things…I am very good at that. Not so good at seeing them through. This will be my therapy of sorts. I have also had a lot going on in our little family.  That is no excuse. It only means I also had a lot to write about! My sister in law got married. We started home schooling. Daniel has been a very popular man in his real estate world. And I am adjusting to life at home with THREE boys. And, on top of that, I have managed to keep my house fairly clean and have stayed caught up on laundry. Now, that would be considered a borderline miracle!

We just recently went to the beach for 8 days with Daniel's family. It was a wonderful relaxing vacation....well, as relaxing as a vacation can be with a 5 month old! The boys had a blast. Micah really got good at swimming and Evan just enjoyed making a 'memory'. Last year he was only 2 and doesn't remember it very well but this year will be different. They got to go 'crabbing' at night, watch the huge expanse of the ocean, look for teeny-tiny shells, spend hours and hours in the pool, and go to the Gulfarium.  Lots of memories made and such fun doing it. 

(more beach pics to come)

About a week before leaving for the beach, I dove into the world of a 'homeschool mom'. It is official.  It was a hard choice. I admit I am a selfish mommy sometimes. Sending my boys to school sounds nice. I think of all the things I could get done. I could go to Starbucks and just sit. Or go to the mall and just window shop. I could plan and prepare dinner early. I could probably even enjoy a clean, quiet house for a few hours. Or I could just get a break! So, honestly, my heart wasn’t totally in it initially. I just prayed and asked God to rule my heart. To put the desire there. To help me be less selfish. To give me a passion for my children and their education, a passion for their character and for their souls. It was a step of faith. And you all get to see me walk it out. I am getting there. Actually God is getting me there. He is faithful and good. There is a lot of responsibility and pressure in homeschooling. I am in complete control of their education and socialization. Whew. That's a lot. I am not, in any way, knocking public school. I may be there myself next year. One year at a time. I have seen it done well and taken seriously. I have also seen some who have actually handicapped their children. I am determined...if I do it, I will do it well. 

So, as long as I can keep my sanity, provide them a good education, and prevent them from being complete social outcasts, I'll continue on this path. And here, about a month into it....so far, so good. I have to say, the toughest part so far is juggling it all (namely a precious rollie-polie of  a boy, Jonas). I am perfecting my daily schedule but usually our 'schooling' takes place during his first nap. On a perfect day I have also already worked out, dressed for the day, straightened the house and fixed breakfast. I think I've had one perfect day so far. I am a work in progress. 

Anyway, this post is to just catch you up a bit. There will be more to come. 

I forgot how much I enjoy this. 

BTW, here are a few pics I took of the boys today. I am so blessed. 

He's like the best Dad ever!

We've had a wonderful weekend....celebrating the wonderful husband I have, an amazing father to our children. As well as, spending time with my dad who showed me by example what kind of man to wait for, to set my standards high. Daniel has exceeded those standards. He is more than I even hoped for. Ok, I'll stop now with the mushy talk. But I am so thankful. 

Saturday I woke up feeling rough. It seems I have caught the head cold that has spread thru the rest of my family. Everyone else seems to be doing great. We spent the day out on Saturday. We went for ice cream and then did some shopping. We ended up at Rosie's to celebrate Daniel. Father's Day and Mother's Day ends up pretty crazy with church and then lunch with my family and dinner with Daniel's. So, we've started celebrating each other on Saturday. Just so you know the kind of man I have, while we were at Rosie's, Jonas started fussing. Daniel offered to take him outside in the heat. He didn't settle down much out there so he brought him back in when our food arrived. At that time, Evan needed a potty, so with Jonas still in his arms, Daniel took Evan to the restroom. On the way back, Jonas spit up all over him and onto the floor. Daniel then just told a waiter what happened so it could be cleaned up. I felt a tap on my arm and the lady sitting at the table next to us said 'He's like the best dad ever! he's wonderful!' She's right. He is wonderful. Jonas got happy and the rest of our meal was great. 

After Rosie's, we ended the day with a game of kickball with the boys in the front yard. The loosing team, Daniel decided, would get sprayed with the water hose. Sure enough, just as he probably predicted, Micah and I lost. So he made sure we both got good and wet. Then, of course, Evan wanted a turn. It was a fun end to a busy day. 

Sunday we went to my parent's for lunch. It was delicious, as always. Grilled (on the Green Egg) Mahi Mahi, roasted potatoes, salad, grilled corn on the cob, bread and the best I've ever had homemade Strawberry Shortcake. Mmmmm....Then we spent most of the day outside. Either in the back yard or in the pool. It was wonderfully exhausting. A great day to appreciate the 2 most important men in my life.