{this moment}

:: friends :: 

{this moment}

:: celebrating Father's day in North Carolina with my dad and grand-dad ::

happy father's day!!

I haven't seen my dad for an extended time since last December. 

I think this has been the longest between visits. 

We did cross paths in the airport last month in San Diego. 

He was leaving and we were arriving!! 

We visited for a few minutes, and snapped a few pictures. 

....Well, he and my mom are scheduled to come see us the beginning of August.

Still, a ways away. 

 This past Wednesday my sweet husband informed me that I was getting

on a plane the next morning to head for the South. 

Talk about surprise!! (and talk about what an AMAZING man I am married to!!!)

He wanted me to be able to spend Father's Day with my dad

and to also be able to visit my Grand-dad, Pop!! 

SOOO, Lord willing, I am there, as you read this post,

wishing my Dad a 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY 

in person. 

{this moment}

:: how I love creative play!!! ::

life lately ..... via instagram

our new fire pit .... hopefully this will be us a LOT this summer.

it IS going to be a warm summer. it IS going to be a warm summer.

it IS going to be a warm summer.

(perhaps if I say it enough, it will really happen :)

this is what happens when mom shows up a week early for 

said birthday party for #4..... I HAD to clear my conscience somehow.

I have SO MANY childhood memories of McDonalds, 

and these two declare this is the first time I've taken them. hmmmm.

(if only they knew, this most likely will also be the last :) 

:: she definitely needs glasses, don't ya think? ::

:: she picked them out. 

they both make me HAPPY!!::

around and around we go .... at the WILD WAVES homeschool day.

our family's first go at an amusement park in the Northwest. 

lots of wild rides.... in the waves of rain :)

:: the pastor, #1, #2, and #3.... upside down! ::

:: sweet friends make everything (even the rain) ok ::

:: you KNOW you want to experience the "FROG HOPPER"! ::

these two little gals AMAZED me! I would have NEVER gone on 

the CRAZY rides they both went on when I was 9! 

:: she sure makes that car look good, doesn't she? ::

I have so much to be thankful for.... in fact I'm due a gratitude list here soon!!
Life lately is super busy. It never slows down.
As each day zooms past, as my children get older and older,
I'm realizing more and more what exactly my call
to Motherhood means. What this "kingdom business" that I am called to is all about.
You'd think I'd have it figured out by now. Don't think I ever will.
This I do know, it's daily laying aside my "wants" and my self-perceived "rights."
 It's daily, by faith, looking to the Cross and the grace that is extended to me there.
I KNOW I am not living in that grace like I should be.
I know I am not parenting by faith.
So often I parent out of fear.

Earlier this week #1 requested a "coffee date" with me. I gladly obliged,
and we picked up reading in our book Girl Talk (by Carolyn Mahaney and her
daughter Nicole Mahaney Whitacre.) It's been a great, encouraging book for both me and Ellie.
One of the passages written by Carolyn spoke strongly to me:

"Faith toward God is the foundation of effective mothering. Did you catch that? Here it is again: Faith toward God is the foundation of effective mothering. Success as a mother doesn't begin with hard work or sound principles or consistent discipline (as necessary as these are). It begins with God: His character, His faithfulness, His promises, His sovereignty. And as your understanding of these truths increases, so will our faith for mothering.
You see, it is relatively easy to implement new practices in parenting.
But if our practices (no matter how useful) aren't motivated by faith, they will be fruitless."(pg. 65)

How often do I implement "new practices" and they fail?
Am I parenting in FAITH toward a loving, faithful, sovereign, promise-keeping God?
Or am I parenting out of fear?

I am not an organized person.
It appears I'm organized because I homeschooling my children.
It appears I'm organized because I show hospitality
and have people in my home.
It appears I'm organized because I can get 5 children
to church on time..... looking relatively nice and apparently
ready to worship.
WELL, I'm a good pretender :)
Open the drawers in my kitchen, look in my pantry,
or in any draw in my homeschooling room.
Look inside my sinful heart.
I am sooooo far from an organized person.

So often I act (and the pastor can attest) under the
"tyranny of the urgent."
I clean my house when I know people are coming over.
I send out e-mails when I know that tomorrow will be too late.
I renew library books on the day they are due.
I know this is all "reactive" behavior.....
and I know that this is NOT the way I should parent.
I cannot parent motivated by the "tyranny of the urgent."

Sadly, often I do.
I am reminded today how important my faith as a mother is.
It is the foundation for all I will say and do.
If I am not in the WORD, seeking it's LIFE,
all my parenting - all my "new practices"- are going to fail.
I'm gonna parent out of fear.... constantly putting out little "fires."
O, that I may not just react, but patiently bring my fears to the Father,
and WAIT on Him, in faith, until He directs. 

Well, this sure turned into a deeper post than originally intended!!
It's good for me to think through these things, and to know that
those of you who love me from afar know how to pray for me.
And those of you who I see day to day.....
feel free to look in any drawer in my home to confirm
what I have said.

Many, many blessings to you dear ones.

{this moment}

:: my little shopping partner ::

how does your garden grow??

The past three or four years we have had much fun planting a vegetable garden. 

Last year, though we got our plants in late, we had a pretty successful first

go at gardening in the Northwest. (you can look here to see what we planted.....)

WELL, sadly not much has happened this RAINY, COLD month of June. 

(it's been in the 50s this week!!!!) Folks, the garden just ain't happenin'!! 

I missed my window of sunny days in May, and between our trip to CA and 

homeschooling, (we have to continue through June.....uuuggghh!!)

I have not had the desire or energy to attack our garden plot. 

The kids, however, came up with a wonderful use of the area. 

One afternoon, unbeknownst to me, the girls got into their bathing suits and started making 

mud pies with Toby..... 

You guessed it..... right in the middle of my weed-infested garden!! 

A couple of things about this were funny to me. 

Earlier in the day, the three had declared they were going to have a picnic

in the backyard. I kind of half-heard them and said fine.

Ellie made their spread and sure enough they enjoyed a fine lunch outside. 

I thought, "Good for them. How I LOVE it when spontaneous, creative play

happens with little direction from me!" 

It's unusually pleasant and uncommon when half the day passes and I hardly

hear a peep from these guys. Well... they weren't through. 

We had just been back from our trip.... and very WARM weather.... for a couple of days,

and I was trying to readjust to the Northwest climate. It's just COLD here!! 

I think it was mid 60s this particular day, but that didn't stop these three 

from CONTINUING their self-directed, creative play. I have absolutely no idea

what made them decide to dive into the mud..... (I can't say I remember them ever doing this before!)

But hey, like I said, I'm all for self-directed, creative play....

even if it means they get super dirty!! 

I even ended up getting the 

hose out and spraying them off because they were SUCH a mess. 

Of course, the cold weather didn't faze them and they were all smiles and screams,

running across the yard, as I tried to pelt them with the water. 

I was lazy and didn't get my camera out for the picnic,

but I certainly could NOT let this action miss documentation:

 

Well, I guess though my garden does NOT grow.... it's good for somethin'.
:: mud pies, smiles, and cute pictures ::
That's certainly better than nothin' :)

{this moment}

:: saying "hello"::