A wild winter.

As you all know, this has been a winter for the record books.  I try to embrace each and every season and I always love a good snow day.   Especially one that causes for a cancellation or two...or a few weeks of cancellations.  Snow is so magical and so mystical and I love to stand at the window sipping coffee and just watch the beauty fall.  There really isn't much better.  So amazing that Jesus of mine.  Now, I am a summer girl.  I love everything about it, but I am enjoying that we are actually having a pretty legit winter this year.  The Lord knew we all needed to slow down and breathe him in.

For whatever reason I have not taken a single pic in the snow this year.   I'm not real sure why, but I whipped out the "Real" camera (not the iphone version) and captured my cuties playing and having  a blast!
Memories.  Isn't that what life is made of?:)

Quiet Noise

The past few weeks I have gotten on here to update my blog and honestly have just felt a loss for words.  A void of words and a lack of anything interesting to share with you.  We have been busy.  Life has happened and continues to, but my words have been few.

I felt a couple of weeks back that I needed to take a break from all things social media.  It was something that was clouding my thoughts and taking up more time than it should in my life. I tried to limit myself to minimal amounts of daily use but that never seemed to be enough.  At the end of the day when the kiddos were in bed and the house was quiet, my mind was still running from all the noise I had allowed in that day.  Noise that was keeping me from being the wife and mother God had called me to be.
Sidenote: This is not a bash to social media.  I have had my fair share of browsing SM in order to scope out the life of someone else and quite frankly enjoyed it...too much...hence why I am writing this post. :)  This is just an area of my life I felt God was leading me to change...for me.  This is about my personal convictions...nothing more...nothing less.

Its amazing how much time I can waste.  Uh hmmm... That's the understatement of the century.  Because quite frankly I am pretty sure I could hold a record in losing time doing things that just hold no value.  Things that at the end of the day, or the end of my life for that matter..simply do not matter.
 I would catch myself getting frustrated at my girls because they needed to have "Patience.  Just have Patience.  Does it look like I am busy?"
Oh, because the pics on Instagram of all these mommas doing fun things with their kids while I sit and snoop into their lives is so much more important.  I end my "browsing session" feeling like half the mom they are because I didn't take my girls to the park to enjoy this glorious weather,  but instead chose to peak in on the lives of others around me while missing out on the life God placed right in front of me. BAM...can I have my face back??
The speck in my own eye.  I struggle to see that...far too often.
Or, how about not making eye contact with Matt while he spoke to me because by golly I can multitask with the best of them...and this text about what Susie (I really don't have a friend named Susie...I mean I could, and If I do I am sorry for not remembering you)  ( I do have a MNL named Sue but that's not who I am talking about) (Whew feel better)  is making for dinner and what all she did today is far more important that looking the love of my life in the eyes while he shared with me about something he felt was important enough to tell the Love of his life.
 
I had lost the ability to quiet my soul to the things around me and soften my mind to the things that really hold my heart.

Noise became my enemy.  Girls you are being too loud.  Matt, why are you talking so loud?  Does the TV have to be THAT loud?  Can we please turn down the radio?  Better yet let's just sit in silence.  Can we just whisper?
My life had been so consumed with noise from the outside, but by filling my life with and my time (both of which I can't get back) with a constant something...I allowed no room in my heart for the investments that really matter.  It wasn't until I took all those things away that I was really able to take in the silence...and enjoy the noise GOD had placed in my life.  Noise from my children laughing and playing together.  Noise from them fighting (yes they do that and yes it is loud).   Noise from a movie with my hubs and the sweet conversation we share together.  Gosh we miss out on so much by neglecting the sweetest gifts God has given us.

I am so thankful for the still small voice of the Lord and His ability to see things for what they really are, and a love that is greater than anything I can fathom.  Because by golly I am a mess of a person.  I mess up more than I care to share and my children and husband have seen sides of me I would never want them to see.  But, I am a real person with real struggles and raw feelings and I never want to portray a different person than the one I truly am.  I gain nothing from that, and neither does anyone else.  I want to be real and true and share from my heart.

  My greatest desire is for my children to live a life that outlives theirs and my hope is that Matt and I are a living example of that in their lives.

Last week I had a friend ask me if I had gotten off SM.  I told her yes and she said she had missed seeing pics of our family.  I told her thank you and she replied with, "It's so quiet without it, isn't it?"  It sure is.  She will never know how much that spoke to me and how the Lord used her in that moment to speak truth over me and affirm what the He was calling me to do.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you wont need to compare yourself to anyone else.  For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Galations 6:4-5

A busy week

These past few weeks have been crazy busy. I feel like I write that in every blog, so maybe I should just say life is crazy busy.  It is.  It is such a good busy, but a busy life can lead to a lot of laundry.  Just saying...I bet busy people have a lot of laundry piling high in their laundry room and possibly it covers the floor too.   That would be really bad. Sigh...

So while my laundry machine is washing and my dryer is drying, I thought I would update this nifty little blog of mine with some of my favorite little girls.

On Monday's Alyssa and I often get the opportunity to go out for dinner just her and I.  We LOVE this time and this week was no different.  A girl after my own heart.  Rolls. I love all things carb related.

Bella Boo is now 5 (not possible) and she is just so funny.  She is always ready for school and seriously wakes up the same every single day.  Happy and ready for breakfast.  I love her priorities:)

Bella decided Lola girl needed to come with us one day this week and I looked in the backseat and she was reading to her.  A girl and her dog.  These girls love their Lola Lou.

Sweet sisters before church yesterday.  They really can get a long and when they do it sure is blissful.  Nothing hurts my heart more then when they fight and argue and are just mean to each other.  

Matt and I always pray for our girls, of course, but I have been so burdened lately to pray much more specifics over their lives. They both have different needs and different struggles so we set them down and asked what areas of their life they needed help or guidance in. It was so neat to hear their hearts and see how the Lord is working in their lives.

Always thankful for each day, but some weeks are just extra sweet and this was one of those.  

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.  Ephesians 4:31-32

Radiate

I know I am about two weeks behind the whole craze of posting resolutions/goals.  But, quite frankly...that's just how I roll with things.  I am ok with that.  :) 

I have thought about this year and what I want my life to look like, and who I want to be coming out of this year.  I have spent a lot of time in prayer the past couple of weeks, just for guidance in some personal decisions we were making, but one thing I have said...and felt in my heart over and over is the word Radiate.  Through prayer I have prayed many times that I want to "Radiate you, Lord."  I want our girls lives to "Radiate you."  I want my marriage and the way I carry myself to "Radiate you" daily. 

I googled the word radiate and this is what I came up with.  Radiate: diverge or spread. give off. fan out. spread out. branch out or extend.  To have parts proceeding out from a center.

I want my life to spread, and give off, and fan out, and extend His goodness from the center of me so that ever angle of my life reflects Jesus. Radiate.  That's what I want my life to mean this year.  That's what I want others to see in me this year...you Lord and only you.  If I am truly reflecting Christ, my life can't help but be radiant. 

So as we move in to 2014 (two weeks later) I have a passion to rest in him.  To seek Him in everything.  If I see Him in everything I will seek him in everything.  If I look for Him in everything I will find Him in everything.  

 "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

A long break.

The girls have had A LOT of extra time at home the past month and a half.  It has brought so much fun and a little extra drama.  Let's be real.  Both girls were out for almost a week just a couple of weeks before school got out.  Then we had Christmas break that lasted about 3 weeks.  Then the day after they went back to school this week, we got a crazy ice storm that left them out of school the rest of the week.  Whew...this momma has some laundry to do...who does that stuff during a break anyway?:)

I realize I am way behind on posting pictures from the break, but better late than ever right?

The girls with their Papa Carl.  They sure do love this man and he adores them!

On our way to Christmas with my Mom and Mike.  Nana Terri and Papa Mike.  We had a blast as always.  

Daddy reading the Christmas Story to the girls Christmas morning.

The love birds...Michael and Kaylie and their first Christmas together at dads.  We sure do love this girl and are looking forward to many years of memories!

We left the day after Christmas and took the girls to Branson.  It was their Christmas gift from us.  Let me just say we had a blast.  The best thing we have ever done.  Our girls need nothing and we all enjoyed being together much more than any gift we could have ever given them.

Sweet sisters at Chateau on the Lake.

Silver Dollar City is one of our favorites.  Having season passes has more than paid for itself!  Such a blessing.

These two road Thunderation for the first time and did sooo good.  Matt and I were so excited.  We are roller coaster junkies and this just made our lives complete.  It's the little things.:)

I love this man with everything in me.  

My sweet Alyssa.  

Such a fun break full of memories. We are so thankful to be back and school and the countdown is on to the end of the school year!  Bring on Sweet Summertime!!

Silent night.

This Christmas was wrapped in warmth, peace, love and a whole lotta food.  All of my favorite things. We have A LOT of places to be at Christmas time.  We love our family and enjoy every single time we get to be together.  This year has been nothing short of amazing and His presence surrounded our Christmas and with that brought much peace, comfort and rest.  

Alyssa woke up the Saturday before Christmas feeling just dandy.  On our way to my mom's for Christmas the scene had changed and she was down for the count.  The next 2 days she spent her Christmas in the bed of whom ever's house we were at.  She just did not feel well.  The stomach bug is not a fun bug.  She would feel great during the day and then by night have "the rumble" again.  All was well on Christmas Eve, until we arrived at the church for our 10pm Christmas Eve service.  Matt had to arrive early to make sure all things were "good to go" for the service.  We were in Matt's office when "the look" came across her face.  The look of, "Where is the closest bathroom and come with me momma!"  I knew it was not over.  So Alyssa and I ran to sonic to grab a sprite.  Since that's what you do when you are sick.  You always drink sprite.  :)  Everyone else had the same idea.  Sonic was hopping...needless to say after a 20 min wait to have our order taken, Alyssa decided she wanted to pass on the sprite.  So we headed back to the church.  She fell asleep, and I sat in the car with her not sure what do to.  Bella was inside with Matt..doing who knows what!  I did hear that she told a few people Alyssa had a ear confection...that kid!

 I watched as people entered the church and I could feel the sweet spirit of the Lord on that evening.  The lights were out and I could see the flicker of the candlelight.  The piano played the sweet songs of Jesus and people entered the church with their warm coats and their warm hearts.  Families, singles, and widows all joined in to worship the Son of God on this Christmas Eve night.  

I ran in and grabbed Bella Grace and brought her to the car with me.  Alyssa sound asleep in the backseat and Bella in the front.  Laid across my legs she wanted me to sing.  "Sing me a song, Momma!"  So I sang.  I sang, Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, All is bright.....over and over again until her  little eyes locked tightly asleep and her breath raised her body up and down on my leg.

  I could see those partaking in the Lord's supper walking back and forth to the table with only the light of a candle and I could hear the piano playing ever so lightly.  

I thought about the birth of Jesus and how thankful I was that The Lord allowed us to be in the car for that moment.  I needed it.  He is Sovereign and all his plans are right.  Did I want my little girl to be sick?  Of course not, but I know that if I were in the service I would have been distracted by trying to keep the girls quiet that I would have missed that special time...time with Jesus.  

It's so very easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of the season and not take a moment for a Silent Night.  It is something I will never forget.  A moment that I felt Jesus right next to me.  A moment where the sounds of my children breathing brought comfort and thankfulness.  A moment where I felt his presence and could relate to the words of a song I have sang my whole life at Christmas.  Silent Night.  I will never sing that song the same...and I never want to miss an opportunity to experience Him because I don't stop and have a silent moment.  

Life is ever so constant.   Flashing by so quickly.  My prayer this year is that I refocus my life on the things that matter.  The things that matter to Him.  Not live in a viral world, but live in my real life, right before me, god ordained world.  Because I don't want to miss a moment with the Savior of the World....

Thanksgiving Day

Matt and I started ourThanksgiving morning out by doing the Turkey Run 10k.  It was soooo cold, but so fun.  It was a great start to a wonderful day!

I love seeing the Greatness of God through the sunrise and sunsets of each day! 

Brrr...

Exactly...and all the other 50 things I'm about to stuff my face with!;)

On our way!  Bright-eyed and bushy-taled:)

We decided we would clean up for the day!  I like him..a lot!  One of the million reasons I am thankful each and every day.  Life with Matt is more than I could have dreamed and I am blessed to be by his side day in and day out.

I sure do love my tender hearted, soft spirited little girl.  

Oh these people. I love them so!

We ended the day with a nap of course!  

What a great year we have had.  The Lord has showered us with blessings.  We are thankful that we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with all of our families this year. It makes life a little more special!