Living Life One Cheerio at a Time

Rocky moments! Yep, that best describes our first week. I knew that going in so it didn't shake me. I knew that my spicy children on Sunday would not by magic turn into perfect angelic kiddos Monday morning. I had hoped! I knew that starting before the neighborhood kids went to school and before the pool had closed was a risky move. I knew that I was starting slow, just a few things. To them it was new mountains, and a scary endeavor. Things I learned: 1. When left to their own devices some of my kids will sleep and sleep and sleep. Balancing the EARLY risers against the not so early risers is an interesting dynamic. So when little man wants to get up and get started while the sun is still pushing the snooze button how do I not make the child who sleeps in not feel behind the 8 ball. 2. Still working on making child #4 feel included but help her not be disruptive to some learning. 3. I can say it until I am blue in the face "School can be done anywhere!!...

OKAY, what a day! Today was our very first day homeschooling. And it was a rocky start. The girls have years of  traditional school to unpack and I have my years as a teacher to unpack before this thing levels out. But tomorrow will be a new and better day! God has called us to this new adventure, this I know! He will equip the called, not call the equipped.       Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,      neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord . 9  “As the heavens are higher than the earth,      so are my ways higher than your ways      and my thoughts than your thoughts. Morning has come.... the hubs has hung my Mother's day gifts ready to go she can't read that she's not in school yet, so child 4 was happy just to hold a sign guess who helped catapult the rocky start   she avoided naptime today but as you ca...

Seriously , 12 post all year? I'd like tell you I've been more than a couch potato streaming all 11 episodes of NCIS! And I have, some days! Like right now I am sitting on the screened in porch with a cup of coffee and only one kid up. Now that's productivity! So what have I been up to? Planning for our homeschool next year! Yup, I've officially pulled the kids out of school. I'm excited, the hubs is excited and the cheerio gang too! In fact between tears and begging to skip last year they also begged to be homeschooled.  But I am also scared Out. Of. My. Mind. I know this is God's plan. It was never something I saw myself doing. I'm a certified teacher K-8. But my jobs and my activities have prepared me for this moment. God orchestrated it all amazingly. I can't even begin to tell you how things fell into place. So over this last school year God's hand moved. He moved by placing me in a dance waiting room 4 hours a week with Christian homesc...

I recently read Anything by Jennie Allen on vacation.  I forgot to bring my highlighter which was a bummer because there was SO MUCH to highlight to remember. Fortunately, I found an orange crayon. Boy did I use that crayon! "What if the thing we are trying to impress him with was the very thing that keeps us from him." (p.17) Anything is a book about the power of prayer. A prayer so powerful. A prayer so simple. A prayer so complex. A prayer so life changing. A moment when they let go and let God. A radical life changing moment that has now defined who she is and what God has planned. Sounds easy, but it has been quite a journey for Jennie's family. While in the middle of this book, I thought of several friends who would love to read it. I stopped and texted them "you need to read this!!!" I knew , even in the middle, that this book was going to be life changing for me and I had to share it right away. "In love with God and yet eagerly serving ...

This month's 10 on 10 is an anniversary edition. Today I have been married to an amazing guy for 15 years! Not only that but we have known each other for 20....over half of my life! Today I found beauty in hanging out with my wonderful kids and hubs.... The light coming in to a quiet house this morning. Packing for vacation and Traveling Jesus has to go too! This my friends is a true sacrifice....painting for the hubs pre swim lessons and look Grandma Norma came too afternoon pool time breaktime with this handsome man oh this silly girls home and its quiet time....mom gets some reading in anniversary dinner with my favorites at my favorite restaurant roses from my favorite guy Linking up over here

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am right this very moment. After all this waiting and waiting  for God to open doors we've finally seen some open doors. Relief and amazement are words that I would use to describe what I have here before me. It Spurs me on to keep looking for what God is doing. So today , although I cannot tell you all the specifics yet, I wait in prayer as God continues to do amazing things in this situation.

As I've said recently I'm praying over something. Although it feels like I'm in midst of a battle. A uphill climb that's NEVER ENDING! And I'm  tired, angry , hurt, confused , and did I say tired! So recently I had enough. I was going to have a confirmation. I was fired up! I had had this conversation in my head several different times and each time I'm in the right. But then something stopped me. The Holy Spirit guided me to some verses to avert my attitude. Philippians 2:6 "your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. " Philippians 4:6 " do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. " Philippians 1:6 " being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. " Okay! Now I was frustrated that I wasn't going to get to find out if all those conversations in my ...

So as I've said before I am a terrible housekeeper. I've tried to blame the fact that I had lots of little ones around. But my little ones are getting bigger and I feel like that's not going to fly much longer. I decided to look on pintrest. Which is the biggest trap ever! I found some ideas to make cleaning less overwhelming. Let's be honest that most of my major cleaning happened before someone came over. Which is SO not fun and it makes me cranky! I broke the cleaning duties up into doable chunks. And for the most part I've been able to keep up the schedule. Of course there's those weeks when laundry is the only thing I can get done. The hubs is impressed with this and wasn't sure what to think when the cabinet looked like this.... Because he's used to the drawers looking like this ... The kids have encountered the dangerous sides of cleaning.  You see the floor didn't have something for their socks to grip. No Cheerios,...

I've been wanting to write this post for sometime but just didn't have the right words, but I'll try anyways. My life is so cluttered right now. I hate to admit it but sometimes I forget  to pray or wait on God. Right now I am doing just that. Relearning to trust, pray and wait on God. I have something on my heart. I began feeling a nudge that God was leading. I prayed, haphazardly. In my feebleness I felt God said yes. When I ran it by the hubs he shot this down. But the urge was still there I couldn't let it go. There is a tension between being an obedient wife and an obedient daughter of the KING. So now I knew it was time to pull out the Hezekiah prayer (2 kings 14-19). This isn't some magic prayer or a vending machine prayer. I think it forces me to slow down and and adjust my focus. I know 2 Kings? Mostly 1 & 2 Kings says , "...and they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. " But there's this one prayer. Hezakiah took the letter that said ...

So one day I happened to catch on my Facebook feed minutes after it was posted that Jen Hatmaker, author of interrupted and seven, was looking for some people to apply to read her newest book before it was released and write the endorsements for the book. I thought why not.  So I filled out the simple application and that was that. Then on Tuesday I received the coolest email, EVER! Knock, knock. Who's there? YOU, because YOU are on my Launch Team for 'For the Love '!! Yeah baby!! We only had room for 10% of all applicants (what the??), and we think you got the stuff. THANK YOU for your amazing enthusiasm; I couldn't possibly love you more if I tried with all my might. You are leading well and using your influence like a boss. We all think you are amazing. We are going to get this thing off the ground together! Let me tell you, launching a book is really fun. And some of you are going to end up on the inside cover, so THAT. I said on January 1st this year t...

Is  it 10 on 10 already? Where did the time go? sometime breakfast is too early good morning coffee "READING COUNTS" right to read and math combination homework my weekly cleaning schedule transformer guarding lunch dinner...meatball subs A foggy day not my color choice but sooo cozy! repairing after 5 days without an oven some times your dearest friends text you real life math problems Linking up here to share my beautiful day....

A day full  of ordinary life but beautiful nonetheless. laundry before coffee this morning little extra in my coffee creativity of child #2...she's figured out how to make all her creations stand this guy cracks me up getting ready for little man to go to Kindergarten and doing some allergy research dinner...pizza dough my mom sent the girls a package sometimes naptime isn't long enough sun in February at home we call her the fairness police...proud of her! homework angst Linking up to  see what beauty is found around us all over the world.