Pretty much fabulous

Bathing suit with ruffles? Check!

Warm summer weather? Check!

Visiting Mamaw's where being really sticky is allowed as long as it's fun? Check!

Goggles to complete the look? Big, fat CHECK!

She is pretty much fabulous :) There really isn't a better word for my sweet Livvie Lou :)

MUAH!

Urgent...Please pray for Kaelyn

Many of you know this song ("I belong to you"...playing now if your speakers are on!) is dear to my heart but as I listened and worshiped this morning I couldn't help but think of Kaelyn. This is a photo of her yesterday morning....

And a photo of her last night :)

She's beautiful, isn't she? Her mommy is Tawni, such a wonderful woman who has been praying and fighting fiercely for her baby girl in every way. Kaelyn was diagnosed with significant heart defects in utero and it was even advised that she would not survive...and much to the surprise of the doctors, God has worked miracles in Kaelyn's heart already and she is here and so lovely. Still, she has much ahead of her. We all know God can heal her and can use doctors and medicine to help her heart but we don't know his plans...they are always higher and different than ours. Initially a heart procedure was scheduled for Thursday but due to evaluations of Kaelyn today they are considering a procedure tomorrow at 2pm. Things move quickly and decisions are to be made. Please pray for wisdom, peace and insight for Tony and Tawni and for a perfect heart for Kaelyn.

Still, Kaelyn is Tawni's baby girl and no matter the height of our faith, it can be overwhelming to not be able to do anything in the physical to help our little ones. Please pray for Kaelyn today and for her Mommy and Daddy...Tony and Tawni. You can follow more details here, at their site.

Kaelyn, you belong to Jesus and nothing can separate you from His love. He loves you more than you will ever know and you are held by the awesome and almighty hands of a living God.

Welcome to the world, sweet girl!
There are big plans in store for you! :)

Sugar Pie Honey Bun....You Know that I LOVE YOU!

My sugar pie is 4! Wow! :) I say that every year...and every year I reminisce about how quickly the time is passing and try to avoid the wonder about how fast the years will continue to go.

None the less, my little girl is becoming a big girl more quickly than I had ever imagined...and nothing is slowing her spunky little self down!

We celebrated at Fox Run Park this year with a small family celebration. Olivia would have preferred to go camping and roast marshmallows...she told me repeatedly that she wanted smores in lieu of a cake but temps in the high 80's made campfires not a great fit this year. :( We had a great time though!

Happy Birthday wonderful girl...you are smarter, sweeter, more lovely and more wonderful than I ever could have imagined! I'm so glad I get to be your Mommy.

He works hard for the money...

Yesterday I woke up and began my day the same way I do most days...with less sleep than I prefer and more on my plate than I'd like :). We did breakfast, I did laundry, kids were dressed and then naked and wearing dress up clothes before I had a chance to even put clothes on myself. :)

I was a little annoyed that it was already Tuesday and my husband was up early and off to the office and I knew he'd be home late despite my most hopeful wishes. It's a busy season of work for him and there is a lot on the horizon or in the "pipeline" as he'd say :). Some days I long for time alone with him...and that longing is followed by conflicted emotions of being without my children, whether they would be ok without us for the night, who would we trust to care for them...etc etc etc

Busy morning, busy mind...I think you get the picture.

Then I happened upon Hope's blog. Hope is a dear friend I have known now for about 10 years...we had our share of experiences from music to missions and early morning workouts in between. She is a beautiful and steadfast woman, honest and hard working...there are many things about her I admire and seek to learn myself :).

I think you'll enjoy this blog - it was just the perspective change I needed and so accurate I had to laugh :).

Enjoy!!

Apart from you - I have no good thing...

"...the American church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity. The goals of American Christianity are often a nice marriage, children who don't swear and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered..." - Francis Chan

Wow. looooong pause & re-read.

I read this on someone else's facebook this morning. I agreed with it wholeheartedly. I felt relieved and convicted all at the same time. I am guilty; I have pursued 'American Christianity' and have concerned myself with my image moreso than the true condition of my heart before the Lord. I've instructed my children regarding how to behave toward others and have been proud when others are impressed with their intelligence, their manners, their kindness. Not that this isn't important....it's the motivation that concerns me.

I feel relieved...that in my hunger for something more, my discontent with the American church at large and my wonderment over what the difference is between churches here and churches "there" overseas, in poor villages, in places where God is truly first. It's not just me....it's not that I am asking too much...it's not that I'm living in a day and age where miracles have changed in their nature. Sorry, if it doesn't look like a miracle - it's not. God never mistakes his wonders for every day activity. He alone is God...after all.

I hope this has caused you to think as much as it has caused me to think. I'm meditating on it...asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to me areas of my heart that are so indoctrinated with American culture that I have adapted the scriptures to fit them instead of the other way around. Will you do anything different tomorrow than you have today?

I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." - Psalm 16:2

Jewelry & Target....for free! Really??

I saw this contest to win Lisa Leonard jewelry (love it - you have to see her stuff...so perfectly casual and darling!)

Aaaand

$100 to Target...

Get over there and enter! Or don't - it makes my chances of winning much better :)

T

She Gets Up While it is Still Dark

"A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies...She gets up while it is still dark" - Proverbs 31: 10 & 15a

Alright so obviously the emphasis and "..." are a little extreme - since those little dots replace an entire 5 verses! Still, that's about all I saw when I was reading this morning. Kids piled in bed; one naked 2 year old and a hungry 4 year old...baby fussing, I was dying for a little something from the Bible and decided to crack the pages and at least meditate on 1 proverb! So there was Proverb's 31 in all its glory...I used to read it often and strive to apply it however I was able. Then I got married and read "His Needs, Her Needs" and devoured love languages....then I was pregnant. This brought about "What to Expect" and all things Dr. Sears....after this I started school and became familiar with text books and research studies. I read lot of everything except my Bible. Time to get my priorities straight and spend time where it is needed most!

I joke but this did stick out to me. I have often thought that if I could just get up an hour before the rest of the troops, our day would flow much more smoothly. With school, homework and just generally relaxing in the nighttime hours I am often up much later than I care to admit. I think nursing babies has forever disrupted my sleeping cycle!!

There are so many places the Bible references getting up early....and there is nothing about my nature that cares to see the morning sky while stars are still in it...but I think it's a necessary and godly pursuit so that's my new goal - get up early! (Thank goodness for daylight savings time, right??)

So if I seem a little cranky in my tweeting or facebooking you will know why - nothing personal, just a little less sleep until my new, prov 31 schedule is functioning well and I'm tired earlier too!!

Do you get up early? How do you "get it all done"? When do you have quiet time?

Anyone want to get up early with me??? Bueller....Ferris....??


T