Wordless Wednesday

Feather Mania

It has struck our home...the feather mania...the obsession with attaching feathers of all colors to one's hair.  And, for the record, my husband is fueling the mania!

It all started when Chloe was invited to a back to school party for the girls at her previous school.  It was a sweet gesture and she was so excited!  She came home with an obsession with getting a feather in her hair.  I of course had no clue about said feather mania.  Apparently of the 16 girls at the party, only 3 did not have feathers.  My oh my what a tragedy....I kid!

So, my dear husband who is dedicated to being part of the girl world, helped Chloe scour the internet and within days, the feathers were ordered and "installed" into both my girls hair!

Now I'm not sure how it all happened so quickly, but let's just say that I now have over 100 feathers of all colors in tiny little baggies in my house. I swept up feathery dust from my wood floors on Saturday night.  I watched as the girls and their dad dyed feathers into all colors of the rainbow. And now, oh dear, my girls are in the feather selling business!



Yes, they are selling feathers and beads to all their friends with instructions on how to "install" them!  I'm trying to be excited.  Really I am.  There's no harm in the feathers though I think it's quite dorky!  Yes, I said dorky! I'm embracing their excitement and smiling every few days as I hear them say that they want a different fluffy feather in their hair.  And secretly I couldn't be happier that their daddy is so interested in them.  I must admit though, I'm a little sad that they've exchanged their big ole' hair bows for feathers.  Not exactly a momma's dream, but I'm going with it!

The Dump

We all love stuff.  I mean really....I LOVE stuff!  Of course we all love different stuff.  Maybe you are addicted to decorating, or collecting something.  Maybe you love clothing, jewelry or purses.  Your husband may love tools, or anything with an engine.  Whatever it may be, most of us love some kind of stuff.

I was dropping off recycling at our local plant and I was amazed at all the trucks lined up at the dump.  I mean seriously there had to be at least 10.  I saw a bunch of junk, but I also saw furniture and even an old spa.


As I drove home, I began to think about all the waste that was piling in that dump.  I also began to think about how much I had contributed to that pile.  The stuff that I no longer wanted.  The stuff that no longer had a place in my home.  The stuff that I no longer wanted because I had bought a newer version of.

It hit me that that dump represents our world and all the discontent we have.  We seem to all want something new and bigger.  We have to have the latest and greatest thing.  The iphone that we got last year is no longer wanted because there is a new one available. Our clothes we bought last season aren't good enough because the style has changed.

I'm guilty of having those same desires.  Yet that day as I saw all those trucks waiting to 'dump' their no longer valued treasures, I felt God telling me to be content.  To be happy with what I have, to no longer desire the things of others.  I felt he was showing me that the things I think I want today, will soon end up tossed to the side as waste.

So, for today, I'm working on contentment.  Being happy with the amazing blessings God has given me. Remembering how far he has brought me and yet how far I have to go.  God is good and I'm thankful that in that moment he spoke to me in a time when I needed to hear him most.

Wordless Wednesday....

Just Like You

Each morning I try and rise earlier than the girls to just sit and be still.  I complete my daily devotional and have time with the Lord to renew my strength.

This morning God reminded me of what an incredible job he has entrusted me with in raising my girls.  It's not a job I take lightly, but I must admit there are times when I let the world get the best of me.  Times when I let the world tell me that my life is about me and what I need and not what God has planned.

Right now, God's plan is to raise my girls to serve him.  To teach them about the amazing love God has for them and that he has a plan for each of them.

This weekend I spent a day with Chloe and we ran several errands.  One of which was to the Clinique counter...yes a girl needs make-up ya know!  As we arrived home, she was quick to sort through the 'free gift' in the cute little bag and ask what she could have.  I gave her a few things I didn't want.

After a few minutes she came down stairs.  I was surprised at her transformation...she was wearing a skirt, my necklace, a belt and make-up!  Wow!  Not the little 10 year old that was just in front of me.  What surprised me more was her answer when I asked why she had "transformed"....it was "because I want to be pretty like you mommy!"

As I reflect on  that moment, it hit me.  She is watching everything I do.  She is listening to everything I say. She is studying me.  Even when she may be frustrated at being stuck with her mom all day, she is still longing to grow up and be like me.

So, is there anything more important in this world than being with my girls and serving my husband?  No!  Do I deserve to do what I want when I want to?  No!  I have a lot of work to do.  It's my job to teach my girls about a life devoted to our amazing God. 

Am I saying that a mom can't have time to herself?  No, I'm not.  What I am saying is that I know my energy should be spent on my girls, because in a flash they will be grown!  My life needs to show my girls what a life living according to God's standards looks like.

My prayer for today comes from Proverbs 31:28, "her children will rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her."

I count it as an honor to have my girls say that they want to be "just like mommy" and I pray God will help me to be the mommy that honors Him!

First Day of "school" part 2

Ok ,ok, I'm a little late getting this up! Here's a quick picture from our first day at "school."

The girls absolutely love it! They love their teachers, new friends, and small classes.

As for me, I love working with an amazing group of Christian ladies! The best part, is hearing the teachers teach my girls not only about the subjects they must learn, but about their awesome God that has created everything they're studying! What could be better than that?

Verse to Live By

It's been a crazy week at our house as we adjust to a new "normal" which includes homeschool and a new job for me! Needless to say, it has been exciting, frustrating, emotional, and fabulous all at the same time.

Luckily, God knows what I need! While visiting with some fabulous friends this weekend, I noticed my dear friend Ashley had a Bible verse above her kitchen sink (as well as others posted all over the house). I read it and thought that it was such a great verse. Little did I know that the next day I would be pulling out my bible, searching for it, and calling on it for strength!

So, here it is....the verse that got me through my Monday and my not so great homeschool day:

"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." 2 Corinthians 3:5

God reminded me as my dear Chloe and I struggled through math work that our abilities come from Him....and He will give us the competence to get through all that was in front of us.

This verse is now written on our white board to remind me that God will give me the competency to homeschool and I will give all the glory to him!

First day of School

We finally began our first day of "home"school! It was a light day with mainly organizing, figuring out what book goes with each subject and reading lesson plans. It was a great way to ease into it, but let's just say I wasn't as organized as I thought. My dining room, a.k.a. school room, looked like a bomb went off. I was too embarrassed to snap a close up picture, but believe me, it was BAD! Real BAD!

As for the actual learning part (that's what we're supposed to do, right?), the girls did great! Chloe had a few subjects to read and some light math. Rylie had almost nothing to do and was rather mad about it. I assured her that it wouldn't stay like that for long.



I considered the day a success. No whining, I didn't melt down, and I remembered to serve them lunch....after the principal (my husband) reminded me that it was almost 1:00 p.m. Ooops! Guess mommy needs a timer.



We are super excited for the rest of the week and our first day of home "school"....the first day of class at the school we are signed up with. Of course I am excited since I get the day off from teaching :)

Annual Beach Vacation

Every year we enjoy a week, or two, at the beach with my family. It is typically the craziest week as we pack a ton of family into a two bedroom beach condo! This year it was back to Hutchinson Island for some turtle watching and all things sun, sand, and water.


I absolutely love it! We spend time with grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and we make some fabulous memories that I cherish all year long.



This year we spent a ton of time with my sweet 3 year old niece. Since we don't see her often, she typically is scared of us for about half the week which just kills me! I'm proud to say that this time, she warmed right up and latched herself onto my girls and didn't want to leave. We enjoyed her immensely and we miss her terribly!


We had a blast! And, for the first time in a long time, I actually played in the ocean. I mean, really played! Jumped the waves, rode the boogie board, and literally swam with the millions of tiny fish that swam through us daily. I said good-bye to the blow-dryer and flat iron (which if you know me is quite extraordinary), as well as make-up! It was so freeing to just get in there and be the "fun, cool" mom and get dirty! Of course that is why you will not see one picture of me from the beach.....but it was absolutely worth it!

Highway Gators (or Snakes)

Ok, so you know when you're driving down the road and you see those crazy tire pieces? Apparently some people refer to them as either "gators" or "snakes". Whatever they are really called, I always wondered how the heck that happens.

Well, I never expected that my vehicle would produce a "gator" or "snake" on the highway! So, needless to say, I found out!

Last month, we were traveling back from the beach and at hour 1 of the 10.5 hour drive our van began to shake, then it began to violently shake. It began to shake to the point in which I truly thought the doors were gonna fly off.

As my husband and I began to think of what it could be, I began to laugh hysterically. You see, my husband is a little neurotic about noises in our vehicles. It's to the point where I will search for the source in order to silent it immediately.

So, why was I laughing hysterically? Well, because I looked at him and said, "isn't it funny that our van would begin making so much noise we can't even talk, when you freak out over a tiny rattle?"

Just at that moment after we both laughed and giggled, the tire of our beloved "Big Red Van" blew into pieces. And again, we laughed and said, "welp, now we know what the shaking was!" After a 3 hour ordeal of putting on a spare and getting a new tire we were back on the road.

I tell you all this to say that we serve an amazing God! Only God would keep us in the right lane of the highway so that we could exit safely. Only God would keep the tire in tact during the 2 hours I drove alone taking my husband to and from the airport. Only God would allow us to be laughing hysterically minutes before the tire was to shred to pieces. And only God could keep my family safe and my husband unbelievably calm!

That night with every highway snake (or gator) we saw, I recounted God's many blessings and forgot all about the damage to the Big Red Van and I even giggled from time to time!

Never say never (part two)

Last week I began this post....here is the continuation:

Before I tell you why we decided to homeschool, I must say we are cheating a little. My girls are enrolled in a University Model School in which they attend a full load of classes 2 days a week and the other 3 days I follow a curriculum. So, yes, we are cheating! The best of both worlds.

Now, why did we choose to homeschool our girls? Lots of reasons, but mainly God stirred my heart over the last year that we needed to make a change. My husband was unemployed for over 10 months (more on that later) and during that time we began to evaluate our family and what was truly important.

During the last year, I also began substituting in our previous school and let's just say my eyes were opened wider than I had expected. I saw things I didn't agree with and my girls experienced situations I wasn't ready for them to experience.

I began to pray about what to do for the next year. I knew God was calling us to make a change! In February of this year, we began exploring options for schooling (all while my husband was still not working).

We finally chose the option we did and God opened the doors wider than ever! He provided a job for me at the school to assist with tuition and all the parts fell into place.

In May we said good-bye to our former school. The funny part is, I didn't expect it to be so bitter-sweet! I truly loved that school. I made some sweet friends, learned more than I could imagine, and will miss some of the most amazing teachers I may ever know!

On August 8th we will begin our first "home" school day and I'm excited! I have no clue whether we will homeschool for 1 year or the next 10. But what I do know is, we'll do it until God calls us to do something else! Besides, he knows better than I do!