A prayer

I woke up this morning excited to prayer journal, and thought maybe this could help someone.

Dear Heavenly Father, I am convicted again how much I need You, Your love, and Your grace.  I am seeing people through my eyes instead of Yours-I hate that... I don't want to, but it sneaks up on me, stealing the joy out of relationships and circumstances.  I am sorry that it takes me everyday of my life to learn that each person is precious to You,no matter how I feel ,or where we stand on things.  Help me to be thankful again, to remember again, Your unending gifts and salvation alone!  Thankyou for hands that help all around, in ways I don't even know.  Thankyou for the people who pray for me that I am unaware of.  Teach me to be a person that prays.  Bring people to mind and break my heart for them.  So much hurt happens, I pray I wont' get caught up in my own little world.  Let me have hands that reach out, help and point others to You.  Thankyou for my health, and the health of our family...that alone should keep me thankful all day.  Please continue to soften our kids hearts to You, to truth.  Protect them as they go through each day.  God, thankyou for holding the universe and caring about me, my best works really are filthy rags, so much of the time my motives are not Yours.  Thankyou for continuing to work on me, and make me like You.  Help me come to You about things instead of complaining about things in vain. Why do I do that?  Only You heal.  I am fearful so much of the time, but I want to be bold.  I don't want to hear news and freeze in fear.  Help me to move forward sheltered by You alone.  I pray that every conversation I have will be full of grace, truth and love, forgive me for so many times that it hasn't been.  Today ,specifically I pray for wisdom and patience.  I know you have heard those 2 before, mothering seemed to bring me to my knees so much more.  I am so thankful for that! So thankyou for this gift of today.  Amen

Food,Family and Flowers

The older I get (gah, did I just say that?) the more lovely and enjoyable those things become.  This weekend we celebrated my dad turning 60 and my brother turned 30.  My mom is literally the best cook and hostess I know.  She always  cooks for an army.  It's what her side of the family is known for.  My grandma always made at least 4 desserts.  This weekend she made delicious pulled pork, triple chocolate cake, and sangria, just to name a few. My aunt Vickie was in the kitchen helping, and it's a beautiful thing to watch two sisters make cooking look like a dance.  I have a cookbook of the Crum side's recipes that I can't wait to use!!

 Flowers around our house have really taken shape this spring/summer season and make my heart sing!

 These little sedum were growing out of the rocks at the beach, grow anywhere and require no  maintenance!

                          The ever faithful and hardy geraniums, vinca, portulaca, lantham and impatients.

  Today this high chair becomes robin's egg blue to match so many of my favorite pieces, Thanks to  Cindi  for your constant thoughtfulness!(=

What's everyone reading these days?

I want to be more intentional about reading a book a month.  This seems doable.  So, what has inspired you in life, marriage, parenting or just a good read.

Supposed to be...

He's supposed to be sleeping and I'm supposed to be folding...Eh

Who makes these rules anyway?  I'm the mom!(=

What these faces mean

Sister love

                                  This picture cracks me up.  Andy looks exhausted, but happy.

                                                                 A very happy baby!

                                              Claire asks for gum as soon  as she wakes up.

                                                  Lily doing everything to make me laugh.

                                                                        Me laughing

                                                                   His favorite 'bankie'

                              Quick take the picture while we are clean, ready and presentable.

just for me

School started yesterday for us!  The girls also tried out for their first musical.  Lily was shocked

and upset that she did not get a 'real' part, the travesty!!  River also auditioned by marching up on stage, the director asking him to sing,  River saying 'no' and marching right back down.  He's sweet like that.  Potty humor is pretty big in our house right now and I'm trying to figure out when to laugh and when to push back.  I laugh more often than I should.  Claire is obsessed with mermaids,princesses, and cooking.   Bode has been spoiled with afternoon naps in our bed, ok, me too.

Lily is running with me now.  She turned 8 in July and just seems so grown up!  We have great conversations all the time.  As the kids get older my idea  of parenting changes constantly.  My greatest pearl of wisdom this week was this; create a culture in your home where you rebound from sin, instead of sin avoidance and concealment.  We want our home to be the first place they feel they can come to confess and heal...

And below you are looking at the number one, most fought over toy in our house right now.  Don't let that tough guy exterior fool you.  He falls apart if the girls take it from him.