Friday, June 30, 2017

June 2017

The month of June proved to be quite a busy month for us! Between camps, races, renovations, and everything in between it seemed there was always something.  Below is a rundown from this past month via pictures.


29 weeks with baby Karis
 Every year Mark's parents and all 3 of his brothers and their families spend the first weekend in June at his parents' church's lake property for a family reunion.  It has been going on 6 years now and we grow each year just about as far as kids go.  I think someone or multiple someones are usually pregnant.  It is always fun to get together during the middle of the year when we otherwise wouldn't see one another.

HK with cousin Annie





After we got back from the reunion weekend Reid went to a 3 day baseball camp in my hometown.  He had a blast and looked way to much like a 12 year old in my backseat!

We also got some pictures of our sweet Karis girl

The second weekend in June started with bang, literally.  Mark obliged me and took out the horrible, awful, gross white tile floor in the kitchen! I was so grateful! He is such a hard worker and got it all out, scraped up, and cleaned up in about 6 hours! He is my hero. He also had a really cool gun he got to use so that made the job a little more appealing.



The next day we went to Dallas to let Mark and the boys run in the Spartan Sprint race at Cowboy Stadium.  It is an event the do and look forward to every year! Reid killed it this year, flying through the course and loving every second.  Mark also did really well too, beating his time from last year.  Owen was able to participate because he was officially 4 which he loved.


Spartan Muscles




Each spartan race starts with a wall you have to climb over.  This is the kids' wall


All the people who ran it this year.  One day I wont be pregnant so I can participate.

My boys! Love them so!


31 weeks.  Ready to meet this baby girl
 This day we went to the splash pad and two of my friends that have boys a few months older than Reid were there.  Their boys also attend the same school we do.  All of us have had babies together over the last few years, and all of us are pregnant through this summer too!


These next couple are just a few of us around the house.  Slow mornings and evenings of being together defines the "little" season and I don't want to forget it.

Owen helping us with supper by cutting up our avacado.

sweet slow mornings all together.  Wouldn't change a thing.
Our kiddos love the water, so one thing that always characterizes a lot of our summers is swimming.  I need to take more pictures, because right now these are the only proofs we've been to the pool.  My aunt just had her amazing pool finished and has told us we are welcome to use it.  We invited our friends over for a pool day and stayed happy all morning long.  These are the days I don't want to forget, the best days.


Pregnant mamas watching the littles

3 years ago vs this year.  Oh how we love these boys
 Mark got a groupon to Splash Kingdom, so on the last day of June we loaded up our kiddos and went.  It was so much fun, and I honestly thought it wouldn't be since HK was with us, but she proved me wrong.  She had a blast and just walked right in, no problem.  Everyone came away sufficiently exhausted and sunburnt, which is a good summer day in my book.  I didn't take any other pictures because I was too afraid I would drop my phone!


Thank the good Lord for the inventor of Puddle Jumpers! A mama's best friend for littles around water!

Sign it was a good day.

Monday, June 5, 2017

Loving Our Calling

Loving our calling. . . This has been something that has been on my heart.  Because for me, in this season, loving my calling also means loving my kids more and better.  Not just being with them because this is what I feel I should be doing, but actually enjoying being with them.  Day in and day out.  

You would think my choice as a stay at home mom would mean the above statement is true and has been true my entire mothering career.  You would assume wrongly if so.  In fact I would venture to say I have spent more time having a hard time with being a mom than I have actually loving it.  Don't get me wrong, me being at home with my kiddos is something my husband and I feel very strongly about.  It is truly where I feel called to be, but that doesn't always mean that it is easy to be here.  Or even on some bad days that I want to be here. . . 



At the end of this school year I was scared.  Scared about what summer really meant for us.  Scared because after a school year of running everyone to different places we wouldn't know how to be around one another.  That I wouldn't know how to be around my children.  Honestly I have walked through an incredibly tough season the last two years, one where I know I wasn't mothering well because I didn't have the emotional capability, capacity, or mental energy to do so.  I was unsure whether I was ready or not.  Can anyone relate to that?  Being nervous about how you would handle being with your own kiddos?


Can I just say though this has honestly been a sweet time.  Granted we are just one week in, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how well it has gone.  I have enjoyed time with them, I have enjoyed the routine they give me, I have enjoyed being at home more, I have enjoyed being reminded of why I am doing what I am doing.  


I am far from perfect.  My six year old could vouch for that after we had a tough morning together.  I lose my cool, rarely do anything fun or pinterest worthy, become as irrational as they are at times, and yet we are still here. . . together. . . living and liking being in this place called home.  I have been praying about my house, for those in it, and how I, as the mom, have the biggest opportunity to set the temperature for my family.  What do I want to be remembered, how do I want my children to look back on their childhood?  How can I accomplish those things and achieve that feeling now? I am working on answering all those questions.


Until then, I leave you with this quote that came up as a memory on my newsfeed today.  What a wonderful reminder as I have pondered the thoughts that made up this post.

This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness. ―Elisabeth Elliot






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