the ride

are you still out there? allen said i've lost all five of my readers because i've taken so long to update! sorry, it's just been a crazy few weeks.

have you ever felt like you were on a roller coaster but when you looked down you're pretty sure your feet are on the ground? that's what we've felt like for the past couple of weeks. the up and down of emtions of selling our house (sniff sniff) have about sent me over the edge.

someone is coming to see it! for a second time! they really like it! they have to make an offer by friday! it's between your house and another....!!!

oh by the way, they chose the other.

and we're back to square one. roller coaster.

don't get me wrong, i know God has the buyer for our house. He knows who it is, what their needs are and how this house will bless them. and intertwined with His plan for them is His plan for us. He knows our needs and He already knows how He will bless us and take care of us. i find comfort that i serve a God who is all-knowing and, whose ways are higher than my ways and whose thoughts are not my thoughts. i think that is what keeps me sane. rather than operate and try to figure this out in my selfish and self-serving flesh, making it happen for me me me, i can trust that His thoughts and plans are working for us, on our behalf, and He knows what is best for our family.

so we continue our ride on the roller coaster.

did i mention the plans for this week? someone called and wants to see our house! they've looked at everything else in their price range! they have to make an offer by friday!

i can't wait until the roller coaster feels more like this little boat ride. no ups, no downs, just smooth sailing!

it's been a while...

since anyone has asked if my girls are twins. i don't know if the common sense stick has hit them or if the girls looks are changing. i personally think they are (now) starting to look more and more alike. i even sent my mom a picture from the beach of addison riding rides and she and my dad both thought it was avery. i'm seeing pictures scroll across our screensaver and i have to stop and think "now is that avery or addison?" normally the outfit is what tips me off because, if you see some of avery's pictures at addisons age, they look JUST alike. but it was 2 1/2 years ago when avery was addison's age.

that didn't bother our sweet waitress yesterday at cracker barrell. she had been back and forth to our table at least 10 times before she stopped, bewildered, and pointed back and forth and asked (say it with me....) "are they twins?" at least she acted like it could be a possibility that they were not twins!! because allen was with me, i let him answer. this time, they weren't even dressed alike. she really was a great server and i would probably request her again if i could!

nope, not twins, but we both love ring pops that look like bunny teeth!

all in one

i have missed so much, so i decided to finish the recap all in one post. i will warn you, topics vary from one end of the spectrum to the other. the one thing that is consistent???....lots of smiles!

avery celebrated her summer birthday in the spring. i think that's a really neat idea because she always asked "when can i have my birthday party at school?"

addison went and, as you can tell, she fit right in. notice the smile and the head tilt.

the girls also got some much needed haircuts! i was letting avery's grow grow grow to pull up for her recital and then they decided, the day before the recital, that they could wear their hair down...a big thanks for that.

may was the month of surgery at our house...addison had her adenoids out and allen had ACL surgery a week earlier (but i don't have a picture of that). sorry babe. you can see his brace in this picture though. no smiles :( look how long her legs look!may also closed out the school year for avery. 4k went by too fast and i can't believe it's over. here are a few of her last days at school...starting with her spring show. her favorite song was there is a redeemerdon't you wonder what she's about to say? smile, head tilt.her last day of school was celebrated at the park! we love miss peggy!face paintingsweet friendssmile, head tiltknow why they are smiling so big? because after that party we left for the beach for 10 days (pictures to come!). want a little preview??? here you go....

twinkle toes

this was avery's first year of ballet. she took at briarwood and loved it (after a while). the year started out a little slow as she was still a young 4. she still took and needed a nap and every monday i had to wake her (and addison) to get there on time. let's just say the first half of the year was hard...but she always loved her class once she got there. and she loved loved loved her teacher.

briarwood's theme this year was 'spirit of america' and, i'll be honest, i was skeptical about what these costumes were going to look like. in my mind i had her wearing a soft, flowing pink tutu that i could put in a shadow box above her bed and she would be dancing to delicate music. instead their class was called the 'pioneer girls,' their music sounded like squaredance music and their costumes were red, white and blue. if you talk to me on a regular basis, we've had this conversation.

BUT, i was wrong - they didn't have the worst costumes...in fact, they were some of the cutest, as you'll see below. she had a great time, she did a great job and she's already asking when she can start ballet again!

here is our little pioneer girl!confirmed - squaredance. (avery is front left)she was so excited that ellie came to see her!

on a side note, if you're wondering why addison didn't make the pictures....we didn't take her. she got 'kicked out' of dress rehearsal for her inability to sit and watch, so we left her with some friends. she can go next year :)

can you believe it??

i have pictures people! and not just a few - i have over 300 pictures that i just got off my camera. i actually had to get them off my camera during this last beach trip to make room for new memories...but that is neither here nor there. it may take me a few days to go through them all and edit the 'keepers,' so i'll take it slow and start back from april and go through all the things we've missed. enjoy!

seaside, april 09

clearly addison enjoyed the pool

life is no fun without a best friend!

50 Reasons I Love My Mom

50. She’s nice to everyone. 49. She’s always patient with me. 48. There is generally a method to her madness. 47. She taught me how to lay down and be real still. 46. She took me to church. 45. She always had time to talk. 44. She went to bunco every month. 43. There was always a home cooked meal. 42. She encouraged me to do better in school. 41. She told me stories about her dad. 40. She trusted me to do the right thing and then punished me when I didn’t. 39. She taught me about values. 38. She let me fail. 37. She gave me freedoms…and she took them away. 36. She told me I could be a good mom. 35. She helped me become a good mom. 34. She lets me call her 10 times a day and doesn’t act impatient. 33. We talk about nothing and still enjoy the conversation. 32. She introduced me to Good Morning America. 31. She makes the best cup of coffee. 30. She thinks it’s okay to give my kids coffee…and tea. 29. We can pick up a conversation hours later like it was five minutes ago. 28. She is Nana. 27. There are days she wears her housecoat until noon. 26. She loves my husband and treats him like a son. 25. She doesn’t say I Told You So, even though she could. 24. She let my family live with her for a month. 23. What happens at Nana and Pops….. 22. She makes sure my girls wear slips. 21. She has an amazing work ethic. 20. She is calm. 19. She gets a Ford discount. 18. She still lets me cry in her arms. 17. She helped provide for our family. 16. She was a cheerleader mom. 15. She helped me reach for my dreams. 14. She connected our checking accounts in high school. 13. She loves to lay on the beach. 12. She talks through problems. 11. She always has stamps. 10. She didn’t make me go to day care. 09. I had a curfew. 08. It was enforced. 07. I couldn’t do life without her. 06. She helped me pick my friends, but didn’t judge them or me when I picked the wrong ones. 05. She let me date the wrong guys so I would know what the right one looked like. 04. She kept Avery so I only had to work three days a week. 03. There’s nothing like her cornbread. 02. She believes in family. 01. After 29 years, she’s still the most amazing mom I know.

what you've missed

do you ever feel overwhelmed or like time is slipping away from you? like life's moments are almost a blur?

i've been there these past few weeks. in fact, i've felt a little out of control. and while i'm not a control freak on a normal day...when things start to get out of control i feel like i'm grasping to hold on. and on those days, i think it's God's gentle reminder that i'm not the one in control of the big things or the small things.

for those of you who have been waiting on a post since seaside, i haven't been avoiding my blog, nor have i had a shortage of topics. just the opposite, in fact. i have a short list of 6 blog-worthy events. in fact, i tried to post the day after we came home from the beach but my camera would not (still will not) upload to my computer. what does that mean? it means i need a new camera (cue, mother's day).

while i haven't been posting pictures or fun stories i've been making mental notes of all i wanted to tell you.

last week i was all consumed with the weight of life. big things, little things, all things seemed like "one more thing" and i think part of me kind of shut down. it was one of those 'out of control moments.' i called my friend becca, who is so often a voice of wisdom for me, and rambled my list of sorrows. her advice was 'sure, it's a lot, but it's not more than you can handle.' she reminded me of the experiences i've had up to this point that have proven me worthy of being able to take on the next few months. a growth process. it is my God who never gives me more than I can handle and it is my God who daily bears my burdens (ps 68:18).

in the midst of fun beach trips, learning to read, the first loose tooth, a torn ACL, and adenoids that are coming out, i've been carrying around a bag of burdens of things i'm trying to do all on my own. stress of work, selling a house, 2 surgeries, a little girl that isn't so little anymore and another one that is staying sick have made that bag so heavy it's starting to overflow. it's left me exhausted and a little defeated, when all the while He has been waiting with outstretched arms for me to cast my burdens on Him so He can sustain me (ps 55:22).

i think we can get consumed by the big picture - where we've been, where we're going and how we'll get there - that we forget His desire is to be so involved in the daily process, the little things, so that the big picture might be fulfilled. we get so caught up in the God whose hands are big enough to create the ocean that we forget about the God whose hands are small enough to fit on the cross. we forget to focus on the everyday presence of God.

so while the last few weeks were hard, i had comfort i knowing the coming weeks will become milestones in my walk with Him. notches in my spiritual belt, if you will. i think i will face some challenges but i know i won't face them alone.

if you ever feel overwhelmed, know that God's mercies are new every morning, He knows your day before you even begin it. He is just waiting for you to cast your every care upon Him because He cares for you!