The weekend in pictures

Putting at Dick's sporting goods


What might be my new laundry room :) happy happy momma! Y'all, there's a sink in there.


What might be my new front yard. Smaller house, more yard...just what we wanted


There are ducks by Nattie's house that come right up to you (or your car if you're skittish)


And they even run into your car they're so happy about the bread


This country life wears her out


A sneak peak at my Rapunzel's hair...see y'all later for Halloween pics!

No really, how are you?

Y'all I've missed you.

I don't know how long it's been since I wrote coherent thoughts.

Well actually it's been quite a while I guess.

Maybe that's not why you read my blog at all. Maybe you read it because it makes you wish you had a dog like mine.

Not likely.

Maybe it's because you have known me since childhood. Shout out Hachie! Or maybe it's because my drama feels very familiar to you. Yep I bet that's it.

I mean who HASN'T been pulled from a dead sleep this past week to find that your dog has already trashed your house and then tried to wake you up as if to say, "Oops, I need to go put. Oh never mind I'm good now."

That didn't happen to you?

What about this-

I drove Ty to school today and as I parked in the parking lot I felt him slide up beside me instead of being in the back of the car where he's supposed to be. I said, "Honey why are you up here and not in your seat? How did you unbuckle so fast?" He said, "But Mom I didn't buckle up that time and I told you I wasn't going to but you were talking so you didn't hear me." (I was on my phone, I'm just putting it out there.)

Nice, huh.

I told my girls at bible study last week about my struggles,(the most current ones,) and I've been in awe at how God orchestrated a few productive meetings from what I talked about. It had nothing to do with me or my delivery--it was all over the place trust me--but we all have brokenness in common. All of us. We are all in need of God's mercy. Bringing us together under the umbrella of motherhood in this particular instance was what God needed to break down barriers. I've never had actual conversations with these girls prior to Friday. I didn't know their life stories. I don't have to know more than what they offered: I just know they are fighting this battle with me. We are standing together trying to replace fear with Truth. Now when I see them and i ask, "How are you?" I hope they answer honestly! Isn't it refreshing to hear honest answers to that question? I don't mean take it as an open invitation to spew complaints on the one asking but give people the chance to know you and what is really going on in your life. Last week I texted with an old friend and when I asked her how she was doing she wrote back, "Not gonna lie life is hard right now but God is good and He is with me!" I love it! See here I was thinking I was the only momma feeling a little overwhelmed and she let me know that praying for her would help her. She let me know that she doesn't know all of the answers but she's not living in fear either.
It's a beautiful thing to see what God can do with our messes. He can restore and encourage someone on the same path. He really can create beauty from ashes. And friends from acquaintances. And blog posts from scattered thoughts. :)

What I Wore Wednesday

Which shoes? Edition


My favorite boots or



These t-strap heels?

Dress: Modcloth
Boots: Anthropologie last year
Shoes: DSW

Practice

Sometimes practice makes perfect


Like with costumes...


You can learn to jump, twirl, etc best when you practice wearing your costume


And practicing your poses is important


Other times it is good to stretch, suddenly a crowd pleaser with my kids????? We stretch and do "exercises" in the yard. It's like I'm the PE teacher.


Stretched and ready.

For things like puzzles, practice does, in fact, makes perfect


The boy loves puzzles. He's pretty good at them, and surprisingly doesn't get frustrated with the hard ones.


Aw mom stop.


No, mom, really, STOP.

I didn't technically dress him-his older cousins did-At his daddy's birthday party. Sean thought this wasn't his best gift. I think it was.

(Me and the 8 year old nephews, of course.)

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

I'm so on top of it

Y'all, it's another day at the circus in my house.

The day started at 2 am, when Max, my codependent lab woke me up telling me he needed to go outside. When I hit the landing right side my bedroom door it was instantly clear that he'd already done his business in the house and going out was just an afterthought.

I'll spare you the details.

Well except for one: he actually went on the wood floor instead of the carpet for the first time in his life. I was actually proud.

The house update: the offer is still there, pending that we can all agree on what to fix, who's paying for it, etc. this part is strangely not stressful because I'm choosing to believe that the whole thing could still fall apart so why waste stress on it? I'm the picture of mental health.

Which reminds me that tomorrow morning I'm sharing my testimony with my bible study gals and let's all just say it-there is no telling what God will do. It could be helpful to someone struggling with anxiety or it could actually cause anxiety with my all-over-the-place-ness. Thankfully God hasn't given up on me.

Happy Thursday to you and happy birthday one day early to my hubby who gets home tonight from work. Praise the Lord!

Joy

Apparently Joy posted something here this morning. See, she's taken to painting things on the walls while I'm in the shower some mornings. She uses my lipstick for paint.

Ahem.

Since she's been spanked, timed-out, toy taken-away(ed) and still does her painting, I resorted to giving her my phone this morning. I had no idea she found Blogpress, touched "save" AND touched "publish" this making her blogging debut...

Until Carley sent me a text at about 1 this afternoon saying, "Hey did you know you posted a blank page this morning?"

That Carley, she's got my back.

I have more details about the contract, the houses we saw this weekend, and the accompanying anxiety that goes along with the phrase, "closing date." Hoping to post more on the house stuff tomorrow.

Happy Monday y'all.

Shouting it from the rooftops

Y'all, somebody likes our house.

Like, as in they made us an offer, we chatted throughout the day, and we all signed a contract. In less than twelve hours.

I'm in shock.

Happy shock.

I just had to tell you.

Flashback Friday

There are no words.

WIWW: Overalls are still awesome edition

A few weeks ago Carley texted me something like this: "Overalls are back in stores!" and I was all, "Yesssssss!" and she said, "But they are skinny leg...what do you think?" and I said, "I'll wear my old ones if you do! They ain't skinny that's for sure!"

You have to use the word 'ain't' a lot if you wear your old overalls since they're a bit farmer-ish...but they're awesome. First, what I wore yesterday-taken in my girls' bathroom to change it up.





Comfy comfy top: Anthro sale on Monday at the Northpark location: $9.99 + 25 % off all sale items= not a lot of money.

Jeans you can't see: Forever 21 last winter

And now the big reveal:





Overalls: Old Navy from college that I kept at my parents house for moving days/painting days/just in case I'll ever want overalls again days

Shirt: Splendid from Nordstrom three years ago





Look there's Max in his spot.

To those of you who are on the fence about the return of overalls:

Just go for it. I sure won't make fun of you and anyone who does has clearly never worn them around and therefore knows nothing of their comfort-inducing abilities.

Long live the overalls!

Streams in the Desert

My favorite devotional is Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman. If you don't have a devotional that challenges and refreshes you I recommend this one. Every year I learn something new from it even if I've marked the same story before. One of the entries that I go back to over and over again is based on Matthew 2:13. The last week has been full of the frustrating power of anxiety in my heart. I hate that Satan uses my weakness in the ways that he does but what do I expect? I mean, really, he's a punk. I should't be surprised when small things build up and turn into big things.

Anyway, here's the entry from March 17.

I'll stay where you've put me; I will, dear Lord,
though I wanted so badly to go;
I was eager to march with the "rank and file,"
Yes, I wanted to lead them, You know.
I planned to keep step to the music loud,
to cheer when the banner unfurled,
To stand in the midst of the fight straight and proud;
But I'll stay where You've put me.

I'll stay where You've put me; I'll work, dear Lord,
Though the field be narrow and small,
And the ground be neglected, and stones lie thick,
And there seems to be no life at all.
The field is Your own, only give me the seed,
I'll sow it with never a fear;
I'll till the dry soil while I wait for the rain,
And rejoice when the green blades appear;
I'll work where You've put me.

I'll stay where You've put me; I will, dear Lord;
I'll bear the day's burden and heat,
Always trusting You fully; when sunset has come
I'll lay stalks of grain at Your feet.
And then, when my earth work is ended and done,
In the light of eternity's glow;
Life's record all closed, I surely will find
It was better to stay than go;
I'll stay where You've put me.

Now, reading through this it's clear that I am not choosing to stay-my circumstances are what they are and I'm not able to change them. Good Lord I've tried, haven't I? Ha! Sean and I have moved things, stored things, given away things, changed things, painted things, you name it we've done it. And then re-done it. And then changed it again to someone's liking.

So...I can't control the moving process. What I can change is my state of discontent. Praying for change and telling God, "If only...then I'll..." Today I'm gonna say, "Okay Lord. It's okay. Whatever You're doing, it's okay."

What's not to love

My girls are awesome little gifts to me. They cheer me up when I'm cranky and make me laugh all the time. On preschool days I cram all that I can into those few hours when I can run errands on my own. And I enjoy the break I'm not gonna lie. But then I see them and hear about their day and think, "What would I do without them?"

Happy Thursday y'all. I have to shut 'er down and clean my house to get ready for this weekend's showings and open house. Lord help me sell this thing!

Before and after

Charlie and Joy's room:

Before





And after






You can imagine the crazy in this house the last few days. It's a happy crazy though-our favorite kind.

They are in love with the Ikea bedding. I mean, hearts AND pink together? It's heaven.

Night time prayer

Heard around the room tonight:



Charlie:

"Dear God, thank you for today and thank you that we got to see Nattie and Popeye and go to Caf's house. We just had a great day and we have hair like Rapunzel. Thank you for our Rapunzel hair and for being princesses. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Joy:

"Dear God thank you for church. Thanks for school and blankie and brother. And for pasketti."

Ty:

"Dear God thank you for Daddy taking me to the batting cage today and thank you for my Rangers batting helmet for Christmas that I want."

Going to church in the morning and hoping something sticks.