Something We Eat With Breakfast

It takes about 2 minutes and I'd much rather read this than a horoscope.  It feels like a little letter from Jesus every morning. Plainly written, but hidden inside is all His Word. I keep it in the kitchen and try to remember to eat it with my breakfast. Some days I catch up...

This was one of those grocery store impulse buys. Either way, I'm a sucker for 365 anything. I have three boys so naturally this is fitting. It's short and sweet, and even sweeter to hear them pray the prayer with me! I like that it focuses on character.

Anything fun y'all read in the morning?

R is for Rock

R is for Rock

I listen and obey; I build my life on the Rock.

Matthew 7:24-27

Deuteronomy 32:4

James 1:22

Exodus 17:1-7

Books we read:

Let's Go Rock Collecting by Gans

If You Find A Rock by Christian

Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals by Pellant

Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough by Rosinsky
Stone Soup by Brown 

Recommended Activity: Break Your Own Geodes 

Find my Pinterest rock finds here


We took a trip to the Tellus Museum in Cartersville, GA to see their Rock & Gem collection.
[photos currently lost]

Z is for Zebra

Z is for Zebra

I can't hide anything from God.

Hebrews 4:13 & Psalm 33:13

Books we read:

First Came The Zebra by Barasch

What If The Zebras Lost Their Stripes by Reitano

On Beyond Zebra by Dr. Seuss 

Zebras by Ipcizade
Brian Wildsmith's Amazing Animal Alphabet by Wildsmith

Crafts for Zebras found here on my Pinterest


I suggest you take a trip to your local zoo to see this beautiful creatures, we did.
[again...photos lost]

Thankful Thursday #78

Thankful This Week For...

#61 Our announcement about our newest addition 


#62 Photo "outtakes" of the boys [see above: Certified Hunk IS Superman...pregnant]


#63 God's angels & his protection


#64 Boys in matching pjs


#65 The hundreds of people excited about Georgi #4


#66 Charles beginning to fulfill a life long dream this week at work


#67 Chick-fil-a breakfast wraps


#68 Borrowing card tables for the soon-to-be-improved-homeschool room


#69 Grocery shopping with Charles


#70 God's wisdom for child training


#71 Decaf Chai Latte's [made only at home]


#72 All the money I'll be saving at Starbucks since now being pregnancy caffeine free


#73 All the herbs and supplements available for newly pregnant mommies


#74 Homeschool encouragement night when a lovely mother shared so humbly 


#75 A great turn out at my homebirth meeting


#76 Getting away this weekend for almost a full 24 hours for a homeschool retreat


#77 A forth little boy that tagged a long with us for two days this week


#78 A messy house on a rainy day


#79 Brownies and girlfriends


#80 The days passing getting closer to my favorite hoilday [Feb 14...pink!]

Making my way through my first 1000 gift list on Thursdays this year---

What are you thankful for this week?

Link up below.

Why My Blogging Has Slowed Down...

...mainly because I sleep now.

Honestly, though. I have been trying to keep my New Year's Resolutions, one being, 8 hours of sleep. And with the new---

"Bun in the oven" [don't worry, my husband didn't get it either when I broke the news to him.]

Me: Come down here and look at the oven, something is wrong
Him: What? There's a bun in the oven.
Me: Uh Huh...........
Him: What's wrong with it? It's just a bun in the oven.
Me: Think about what you're saying
Him: [Finally got it]

So, if resolutions didn't motivate me to sleep, a poppy seed size child in my uterus has.

I've just been really focusing on trying to cook more, sleep more, and spend time with my family. Charles started a new part to his business at the turn of this year and it's going to be a busy month with 70+ hours and 6 day work weeks. Even if from home, I'm kinda single parenting it. It's just a small season, and sacrifice, not that it's easy, but I believe his desire to do this will pan out.

Some days have been easy.
Some days I've cried.
Some days I've wondered if homeschooling Nation has brought us closer or farther.
Some days I see that all the work to be done is...also in me...not just in my oldest only.
Some days my husband has gotten of work an hour early.
Some days he's gotten off work 6 hours later.
Some days the kids have almost died being boys.

It's life. I'm so thankful though for my God, my husband, my family and my church friends. All of them have brought [as corny as it sounds] sunshine into my life during this busy and transitional start to the year.

[Currently my 1 year old is chasing my 3 year old with a cheese grader around the house---should I stop blogging? Is this terribly unsafe?]

So I might write, I might not, I hope so. But at the end of the day if I've done what God told me to and I don't have time to share---it's a small sacrifice to be obedient to what He's called me to do with the precious few hours I have to fit it all in everyday.

Tonight, I feel that all is well with the world. Even if my kids are chasing each other around with kitchen supplies. It could be worse, I could be working out instead of blogging.

What transitions has your new year brought you?

1...2...3...4

K is for Kangaroo

K is for Kangaroo

I am safe in God.

Psalm 4:8

Psalm 16:1

Psalm 31: 19-20

Books we read:

Living Wild: Kangaroos by Gish

K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo by Andreae

What Do You Do With a Kangaroo? by Mayor

Too Many Kangaroo Things To Do by Murphy
Katy No-Pocket by Payne

Pinterest crafts for Kangaroo here


I suggest you take a trip to your local zoo and visit this adorable guys, we did.
[Although pictures are also lost from this trip]

Thankful Thursday #77

Thankful This Week For...

#41 jelly smiles and shoulder shrugs

#42 visit from my dad & step mom

#43 a new empty room in our house that i'll soon turn into a homeschool room

#44 free dinner at stk

#45 the first boy to wake me up for last three years

#46 exhausted, but a clean house to show for it

#47 refreshed from a long week, by a great weekend

#48 desserts

#49 window shopping with a friend

#50 little dishes to put my jewelry in

#51 giant pizza

#52 hard conversations

#53 sonic burgers [although probably deadly, very nostalgic for me]

#54 free printables that are helping me prioritize my days and week

#55 my first self-arranged floral arrangement

#56 jesus calling

#57 reading books with just solomon

#58 a husband who is passionate about homeschooling

#59 penguins [personally, i think an animal where God was just showing off]

#60 how serious nation is about dress-up

Making my way through my first 1000 gift list on Thursdays this year---

What are you thankful for this week?

Link up below.

2012 Boys

Before I packed my Happy New Year's hats in the basement...I snapped a few shots

Pretty sure I got this smile because I promised a cookie or candy to Solomon

These boys keep me laughing

P is Penguin

P is for Penguin

I show love to everyone, especially my family.

Romans 12:10

Philippians 2:3-4

Books we read:

Penguin Chick [let's read and find out science] by Tatham

National Geographic Readers: Penguins by Schreiber

The Emperors Egg [read and wonder] by Jenkins

Penguins by Gibbons

Tacky the Penguin by Lester

Movie suggestion: March of the Penguins

Check out my Penguin craft ideas on Pinterest

I suggest a trip to your nearest aquarium to see these guys in person.

Here is my three boys in the under water tunnel.

Thankful Thursday #76

Thankful This Week For...

#20 a organized pantry

#21 my expired pantry contents "recycled" to my kids to play with

#22 the smell of spices and fun on my back porch

#24 playing checkers with my oldest son

#25 my husband working 72 hours a week this month [miss him, but thankful he works hard]

#26 a old navy card i never use in my car when my oldest son hid my debit card and i needed money

#27 videos on the iPhone of my bestie in nc's baby

#28 a friends baby being released home from the hospital

#29 a friend helping us get a sweet discount on some business equipment

#30 chatting [and eating and laughing] with my girlfriends about being a wife

#31 a friend coming over to scrapbook

#32 the beautiful light around 5 after it rains

#33 an "almost" mudroom...bath tub not far from the back door

#34 meal planning for 5 crock pot meals going rather smoothly thus far

#35 pb&j to save the day when one meal was a wee bit too spicy for the kiddos

#36 freezer full of fresh [organic? ha] deer meat

#37 learning about fascinating elephants

#38 losing a embroidery machine, but gaining a bedroom space back

#39 week two of no junk drawers and none of resurfaced

#40 how clean the sound of a dishwasher sounds

What are you thankful for this week?

I'm starting 2012 off making my 1000 gift list at A Holy Experience

Link up below and share what 1, 10, zillion things you're thankful for...

Cleaning, Comparing and Crushed Goldfish

I am torn between wanting to spend all my time cleaning to be [and appear] like I have it all together or relax and do my best while still maintaing a pleasant relationship with my husband and children. After all, isn't it ever mans dream to have a tightly wound overly busy wife and clean floors? Don't kids like when mom [today] yells into thin air nonsense about floors, carpets, and dishes?

But then again...doesn't every good mom have a clean house? All the time? It matters, a lot, right? I can hear the judgmental thoughts in my head "well I do it...there's no need to make excuses...you could do it."

I'm suppose to care about what God cares about, right? Not about what I care about. Namely [and apparently]...looking good to other people. Also known as, people pleasing.

You know the ironic thing? Just yesterday I asked the Lord to speak to me...anything. Just speak. I completely and totally expected a long list of things for me to do to better please him. You know like "pray for this country" "take so and so a meal" "read this book" "sleep more"

You know what He said--- "You're a good mom".

Stopped me right in my tracks. Huh? *tears* Really? The God of the universe just wants to---encourage me? Not give me something to do or improve on? It's no surprise to me that 24 hours later I'm being attacked with every judgmental and preforming demon within a 50 mile radius.

So let's get this straight. You, are healthy. Know Jesus. Are married to a man that deeply & dearly loves you. Have 4 beautiful healthy children you have the privilege of being with all day. Live in America. Practically live a royal lifestyle compared to the rest of the world. All your needs are met, and most of your wants. And you're worried/stressed/have anxiety/a tightened chest/have cried today over the fact that maybe your house isn't always as clean and organized as you like?

*Clears Throat* You have a three month old right?

But She...

Ahh Comparing.

Because my life is exactly like hers and it's completely fair to compare our lives. Oh and biblical [ha!]. Our husbands are the same. Have the same job. Work the same hours. Help and encourage us the exact same. We have the same amount of kids, same ages, same sex, same personalities and struggles. Our houses are the same size too. So it's completely understandable why I want to be the best version of her instead of doing my best to be the best version of me.

Bottom line. I care what people think more than what pleases God.

God wants me to do what He's doing. If He's cleaning my house---I'm cleaning my house. If He's spending time with my kids, I'm spending time with my kids. So on and so forth. He knows me. He knows what I do with my time and He knows how hard I work. He knows I'm not lazy and He knows I love to clean and organize. He knows I chose my husband, my kids, and yes why even myself [resting!] over chores. He doesn't send guilt my way and He isn't asking me to change anything. He's perfectly pleased with the verison of myself.

He knows I'm doing my best. But I'm so worried people will look at the crushed goldfish on my floor and not see it too.

At the end of the day, I want to be known as a woman who loved Jesus, her husband, her children, her family & friends mightily. Not as the woman whose floors were the cleanest they'd ever seen. At this rate of chasing Jesus half the time and chasing people's approval the other half. People will end up half loved around me and my floors will end up half neglected as well. My calling is to love well. Clean, yes, but because it's necessary for order---not appearance.

Can you have both? Maybe you can. I currently don't. The point is, I need to be happy for you, and content with me.

So if you come to my house and it's not perfectly clean, organized, or decorated. Maybe you can appreciate the smiles on my husband & kids faces---because mommy didn't yell into thin air today. She just did her best. And that's all her Creator asked her to do.

So moms---if you haven't heard lately---You're a great mom. Just do your best. Be the best version of---You. Not "Her".

E is for Elephant

E is for Elephant

I will remember what God has done for me.

Psalm 103:2

Ecclesiastes 12:1

1 Chronicles 16:11-12

Psalm 77:11-12

Books we read:

Elephants: A book for children by Bloom

But No Elephants by Smath
Oliver by Hoff
"Stand Back" said the Elephant, "I'm Going To Sneeze" by Thomas
If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss

Check out our Elephant crafts on Pinterest.


I encourage a trip to the Zoo too...

Funny Friday #29

[Moses...looking at himself in the drain, but then he got a little too close]

It's been awhile, but Funny Friday is back!

Post one photo from your week that will make us giggle. Then link up below.

Thankful Thursday #75

Thankful This Week For...

#1 plates with food left on them because my children are full

#2 for soup in the fridge on a cold day

#3 for the silence at 8 p.m. when kids are in bed

#4 for extra bags at the curb because we've hosted so many parties

#5 little fingers who play the piano

#6 dishes in the sink because i cooked [resolutions!]

#7 stems without roses because nation cut them to give to his friends [that are girls]

#8 boys who lay in grass and think

#9 for my little studs with suds

#10 bathroom drawers organized and clean [and a friend who did it!]

#11 those few hours warm enough for the kids to play in the sun

#12 passion 2012

#13 new year---new habits---new resolutions---new beginnings---new victories

#14 a kiss at midnight

#15 fireworks that hit the sky...and the house [thankfully no damage was done]

#16 fresh flowers

#17 christmas decorations packed away and awaiting next year

#18 when solomon gets to the end of mario brothers and waits to jump on the flag until i can see it

#19 for moses saying "georgi"

#20 for time off from school

I'm linking up at a A Holy Experience this year on Thursday's, starting my own 1000 gifts list. Making a list of the big and small, the important and then unimportant, the eventful and the uneventful. Finding reasons to be thankful in all of it. The good, the bad, the ugly and hopefully a lot of the beautiful.

For just a little while I'll be taking away the "top ten" part and making a list of 20 instead of 10, helping me end up around 1000 by the end of the year. For now...it shall just be Thankful Thursdays. You can do one, ten, twenty or however many you desire. Words or Photos. It's Thursday, just make it a day you remember...

...to be thankful.

What are you thankful for this week?

Link up below!

Catch Air

We did a playdate for the first time at a new place in the area. Soo much fun!

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Sorry the pictures are grainy, I uploaded via my iPhone to BlogPress[you can click on them individually to see higher quality image]


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Kennesaw, GA

New Year's Eve Party

nerts till 3 am

this picture needs a caption: charles trying to break dance...ending up with a bruised elbow [and ego] instead