I love fall in Virginia. The leaves changing into vibrant colors, pleasant daytimes sandwiched in between cool morning and evenings, apple picking with friends, football, fires outside. I could go on and on.
This past weekend was incredible! My dad came over for dinner on Friday night where we ate burgers outside with a fire in the firepit. Saturday the girls and I walked to a friend's house where they played in their awesome yard with her kids. The girls slept most of the afternoon and I sat outside putting the training wheels on Kami's new bike so she could ride it around the yard. Jason came home while the girls were asleep and sat outside with me while I wrestled with the training wheels. Once the girls woke up, they came outside and played while I built another fire in the firepit and just sat outside enjoying the day with my family. My sister came over with sushi for dinner and we enjoyed another meal outside with candle light and firelight. After the girls went to bed, the wine was opened and my sister and I sat by the fire for several hours talking about everything and nothing all at the same time.
On Sunday we went to church, then out to lunch with a few friends, naps for the girls, the grocery store for me and then we went back to church for Awana, which both the girls love to death.
The best part about the weekend? I didn't do one load of laundry (until Sunday night). I didn't clean anything except the dishes and even then I threw most everything in the dishwasher. It felt good to just enjoy a beautiful weekend instead of worrying about things getting clean.
This weekend, time stood for me.
PS The littlest little is potty-trained!
No More Waiting
Not sure if you noticed, but I stepped back from blogging for a while. And, when I considered picking it back up again, I couldn't think of anything I was waiting for. And that feels good, ya'll!
I'm finally at a point in my life where I'm content with where I am. I have a lot on my plate, but who doesn't? I'm even going back to school to get my teaching license renewed so I can start teaching again.
Of course, this may have something to do with the anti-depressants I started taking a few months ago, but it feels so good to feel like myself again and feel like I have a reason to love life. And not just life in general, the life I'm living. And I'm living it to the fullest extent possible.
So buckle your seat belts, cause it's going to be a wild ride. Fostering, Disabilities, Being a student, all while holding down a full-time job!
Captivate Your Husband Summer Challenge
Captivate Your Husband
Proverbs 5:18b&19 tells husbands "May you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love."
The Webster definition of captivate is: to capture the attention or affection of, as by beauty and excellence; fascinate; charm
Do you remember when your husband was first captivated by you? He saw you as beautiful and excellent. You fascinated him. Your eyes twinkled, you smiled with each thought of him, you bonded over long conversations of who you both were and dreamed to be.
Do you remember the butterflies when he was around, how it felt for his hand to hold yours, how your mind soared when you dreamed of taking his name as your last name. And then when the diamond wrapped around your finger you sat and stared at the reality that indeed you were about to become the wife of the man you were head over heels in love with!
Remembering does wonders for our soul to remind us of how fabulous our men truly are! We are the wife of our husband's youth and God tells our husband - be satisfied and captivated by her love!
But I wonder, are you still captivating or has pleasing, pursuing, touching, loving, listening and feeding you relationship been lost somewhere in the busy shuffle of life?
It's Week #1 of the Completing Him Challenge. If you are a blogger - share your dating pictures and story (save the wedding ones for next week!).
Consider: How much time do you spend on a daily/weekly basis cultivating your marriage now? In what ways can you regain some of what has been lost in the daily shuffle of life?
Purpose this week to do something that reminds your husband of the youthful wife you once were - maybe it's wearing something you know he loves on you (remember we dressed to please back in those dating days!), go somewhere you both used to enjoy going together - alone!, look at photos together of the "good ol'days", watch a favorite movie, or just simply sit together talking, listening, dreaming, holding hands, rubbing his back, and simply paying attention to the amazing husband of your youth! Treasure him this week!
Proverbs 5:18b&19 tells husbands "May you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love."
The Webster definition of captivate is: to capture the attention or affection of, as by beauty and excellence; fascinate; charm
Do you remember when your husband was first captivated by you? He saw you as beautiful and excellent. You fascinated him. Your eyes twinkled, you smiled with each thought of him, you bonded over long conversations of who you both were and dreamed to be.
Do you remember the butterflies when he was around, how it felt for his hand to hold yours, how your mind soared when you dreamed of taking his name as your last name. And then when the diamond wrapped around your finger you sat and stared at the reality that indeed you were about to become the wife of the man you were head over heels in love with!
Remembering does wonders for our soul to remind us of how fabulous our men truly are! We are the wife of our husband's youth and God tells our husband - be satisfied and captivated by her love!
But I wonder, are you still captivating or has pleasing, pursuing, touching, loving, listening and feeding you relationship been lost somewhere in the busy shuffle of life?
It's Week #1 of the Completing Him Challenge. If you are a blogger - share your dating pictures and story (save the wedding ones for next week!).
Consider: How much time do you spend on a daily/weekly basis cultivating your marriage now? In what ways can you regain some of what has been lost in the daily shuffle of life?
Purpose this week to do something that reminds your husband of the youthful wife you once were - maybe it's wearing something you know he loves on you (remember we dressed to please back in those dating days!), go somewhere you both used to enjoy going together - alone!, look at photos together of the "good ol'days", watch a favorite movie, or just simply sit together talking, listening, dreaming, holding hands, rubbing his back, and simply paying attention to the amazing husband of your youth! Treasure him this week!
I had to search for them, but I found a few pictures from our dating days:
This picture was taken at Gold Cup races that are held on the First Saturday in May each Spring. We started dating in March of 2006 and this was taken in May. Probably one of the first pictures of us as a couple.
The Monument Ave 10k is held each March and I think Jason was one of the first quads to ever complete the race. This was taken in 2007 a mere 4 months before we got married.
This is from our engagement session that was free! I can't remember when they were taken, but it was sometime after we got engaged.
Stay tuned next week for more pics from the past!
Monday Morning Motivation from Paul Harvey
For Today's Kids (italics mine):
We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.
I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.
I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.
I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. (by the age of 5?)
And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.(Word)
It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.
I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.
When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.
I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.
On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.
If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.
When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.
I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like. (If you don't know, I can surely tell you!)
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.
I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it (huh?). And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.
May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.
I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
Well said.
A Full Summer
So, we found out we will have the girls at least through August 20th. That means a summer packed with things to do for little girls and their big brothers, too!
We've already met their brothers and foster parents at the park for an afternoon of play. They also came over to the house for dinner that evening, which was a nice end to a great time at the park.
We will see them again this weekend for some Put-Put and probably dinner following. Jason and I are taking the girls fishing at a local park with the Spinal Cord Injury Association of VA, so be on the lookout for pictures from that next week.
And, a funny from this morning:
S didn't want to watch cartoons this morning while I got dressed, so she followed me back to the bedroom and when I took off my sleep shirt, she announced to no one in particular, "Oh! You have boobies!" Just thought ya'll might want to know that I have boobies. In case you were wondering.
We've already met their brothers and foster parents at the park for an afternoon of play. They also came over to the house for dinner that evening, which was a nice end to a great time at the park.
We will see them again this weekend for some Put-Put and probably dinner following. Jason and I are taking the girls fishing at a local park with the Spinal Cord Injury Association of VA, so be on the lookout for pictures from that next week.
And, a funny from this morning:
S didn't want to watch cartoons this morning while I got dressed, so she followed me back to the bedroom and when I took off my sleep shirt, she announced to no one in particular, "Oh! You have boobies!" Just thought ya'll might want to know that I have boobies. In case you were wondering.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)