Rachel @ 11 months, seriously.

I pretty much have Rachel’s first birthday party planned. And I’m excited about it.

Yet last week when someone asked me how old she was, I immediately responded, “10 months.” Greg said, “You could say 11 months because she’s pretty much is.” Right. But as much as I’m excited to see her grow up, I recognize this is {most likely} our last baby.

Generally, babyhood isn’t my favorite, but this third baby came as a surprise from God exactly when we needed her joy-filled demeanor. She fits perfectly in our family and is such evidence of God’s faithfulness.

At 11 months, all of that remains true.

She is continues to be a joy, this one. She adores people, especially her brother and sister. Some of our favorite nights as a family have involved laying on her bedroom floor playing.

In the past month, Rachel discovered her love of the ocean, hasn’t rejected any food we’ve given her, wore shoes for the first time just the other day, and had her fourth top teeth come through at the same time.

She prefers to old her own bottle and still drinks a few bottles a day. Earlier this week I put formula in a sippy cup, which she drinks water from fine, and she rejected it. But she’s happy to drink whole milk out of a bottle. Next up: Trying whole milk from a cup. We are on our last can of formula so we’ll see how the transition from a bottle goes.

She blows kisses often, waves sometimes, and talks on various items as if they were phones. She claps when someone says, "Yay!" or when she hears music, which also prompts bobbing of her head.

Pure joy, I tell you.
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Look back on Rachel’s growth :: One month. Two months. Three months. Four months. Five months. Six months. Seven months. Eight months. Nine months. Ten months.

Even God-sized Dreams can change

Moving to a wide-open space to call home been one of those one-day dreams for when circumstances seemed right, the land was located in the right place, and the house suited our needs and wants.

Well, one day happened.

In June, we moved 8.3 miles away onto 33 acres. Around here, we call that moving to the country. Now I run errands in town.

Our house is all on one level, which I love. The kitchen is many times bigger and brighter and the open layout of the living, dining room fits our lifestyle, and the laundry room is bigger but still close to the kitchen. There are windows with views, wide open spaces to roam, and woods and creeks to explore.

Months before we moved in, I stood on the front porch looking out to where my boy could run free, where my husband could let his dreams take root, and where we could all five adventure together, I knew the dream had changed.

Dreams can change, you know. {Tweet that.}

I say that because I’ve been hesitant to believe that.

Join me at the God-sized Dreams website, where I'm sharing more about what moving taught me about dreaming.
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14 years together

Oh, we had no idea the adventures to come ... 

Greg bought me a new dishwasher for our anniversary.

That statement alone sounds like we have a rather boring life. But, really, I’m craving some normal after an adventurous summer. And what screams everyday normal more than a dishwasher?

My husband’s let’s-live-in-the-country dream came true when we moved in June. And I’m loving that his dream because part of our family’s story. Since moving, we’ve been on three trips – four nights in Buffalo, three nights in St. Louis, and now we are in the midst of a week with my family at Hilton Head.

Our summer has been full of packing and unpacking, getting settled enough before the next adventure, while tending to our everyday responsibilities. And our summer pretty much epitomizes our marriage.

It’s been 14 years since we said “I do” and then started sweating as soon as we walked outside. (August, people.) It’s been 14 years since we started journeying through the everyday moments between big adventures ... together.

We’ve fought and negotiated. We’ve learned to communicate better and have a rhythm that works for us. Like so many other parts of life, the best comes on the heels of the hard. I’ve liked {our} marriage more and more the longer we’ve been together.

We repeat the same jokes and usually laugh at them. We like to adventure away from home and in our back yard. Parenting has strengthened our marriage, even in the messes and noise. And we like to be together.

This is our recipe for life: Take some adventure and then mix in some normal moments. {Tweet that.} And, you know, sometimes he even unloads the dishwasher for me.

Happy anniversary, husband. Here’s to many other adventures, but let’s have some nights at home too.
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Want to read other anniversary posts? Five years. Six years. Seven years. Nine years. Ten years. Eleven years. Twelve years. Thirteen years.
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An InLinkz Link-up

Go to them

I have married friends who work in ministry with international college students in New York City. They were recently in my town, which is the husband’s hometown, sharing about their ministry and some things they said struck a chord with me.

I know God has called me to share with and serve moms – young moms who don’t have much support, adoptive moms, birth moms, women who are surprised by pregnancy and not sure what to do about it, women who want to be moms but are in seasons of infertility and waiting.

That’s different than the Muslims my friends serve in the nation’s biggest city. But some things they shared made sense in my small-town heart.

We can ask people to come (into our churches and into our homes and into our lives and into our ways of doing things), but that’s not going to be their first steps. Instead, we should be willing to go to them. We need to step into their lives and stories with no strings attached. We need to love them wherever they are.

We need to stop saying “come ...” and be willing to go. {Tweet that.}

Who “they” are to you may not be Muslims or moms. But there’s someone who needs you to go to them. Maybe your neighbor or your cousin or your child’s teacher needs a friend. There’s someone – or maybe a group of someones – who need to hear your story so they can trust you with theirs. {Tweet that.}

I was thinking about this recently when my best friend and I drove 180 miles one way to have lunch with our other dear friend who moved away last year.

We miss her in our everyday lives so we just loaded up my mini van (which only held us and our kids because one of my kids was at church camp) and drove toward our friend. Meanwhile our friend drive toward us and we met in the middle. We ate and went to the park and then our friend’s mini van broke down. So I went to pick up her kids and we improvised ... and let the kids get in the spray park in their clothes.

A lunch trip won’t change the world, but being with people dear matters. To be able to serve well, we have to invest in the relationships that keep us grounded. These friendships have sustained me and give me inspiration to pour into others. And sometimes we have to go places to make that happen.

Of course, you don’t always have to go far – maybe just to your phone or your mailbox. Maybe you can go where you always go but linger long enough to notice the others in your paths. Or perhaps you’re supposed to go somewhere new.

As Christians, we like to do Bible studies and acquire more and more knowledge, which is fine, but that can’t be all we do. We have to go do something with what – especially who – we know. We have to go and serve and love.

And then we can invite them in to our churches and into our lives and into our homes and hopefully they’ll want to come. Hopefully they will know we are Christians by our love.
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An InLinkz Link-up

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#ThreeWordWednesday has been full of guest posting goodness this summer, so be sure to read any posts you may have missed. 

Susan Shipe shared about summertime fun. Melody Hester offered advice for navigating new seasons. Tiffany Parry shared about the joy that comes with freedom. Alecia Simersky talked about rejoicing in the day God has made, even with the day involves hard changes. Lyli Dunbar offered lessons on surviving summer storms. Joanne Viola reminded of the importance of rest. 

You can also download The Summer Not-To-Do List I made for you, if you haven't already, and find some book recommendations among the books I've read {so far} this year. 

10 months with Rachel

Somehow, Rachel is 10 months. That’s five-sixths of one year. And this girl continues to bring so much joy to our lives.

She does so many fun things now, like give kisses and high fives. And she tries to blow kisses, which ends up looking like a squishy face with her hand in front of her mouth.

She’s into everything and everywhere. She likes to get into the kitchen trash can so much that I had to splurge on a nice trash can that locks. Our new house has wide hallways, so she basically runs in her walker down them – with much delight, of course! While at restaurants, she likes to wiggle out of the high chair straps when possible and stand up.

No fear this one, just like her brother.

This past month was also when she had hand, foot and mouth disease, thanks to her 2-year-old cousin unknowingly sharing with her when we were in Buffalo. It was a couple rough days, and then more days of her rash healing, but we made it through. Speaking of Buffalo, this water baby loved being in the midst of Niagara Falls – so much so she leaned and reached out of the stroller so she could get more wet.

She’s been sleeping longer, has four top teeth visible right beneath the surface, holds her own bottle much of the time, and eats anything in front of her. She especially loves black beans from Qdoba, peaches from a can, carrots from Cracker Barrel, and eggs from my skillet. She’s figuring out the sippy cup too.

She’s figuring out a lot of things, really, and that discovery is full of joy.
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Look back on Rachel’s growth :: One month. Two months. Three months. Four months. Five months. Six months. Seven months. Eight months. Nine months.

Created by the Creator to Create

When I saw the Five Minute Friday prompt, I really wasn't sure where my words would take me. I did look up the word "create" in a dictionary just to give my mind some extra prompting. (It's been a busy-crazy-good week, people!) So, here we go, five minutes of writing on one word. Join us at Kate Motaung's place. 

Ready, set, go ... 

I create things all day long, but I wouldn’t always consider myself creative. I create meals and routines and memories. I like to create scrapbook pages and pictures with my words. I encourage my boy to create things from Legos. My girl creates by sewing and drawing and playing her keyboard.

To create is to bring something into existence or to cause something to happen as the result of one’s action.

That definition reminds me to create is to influence. That’s powerful. As a mom, I create what my kids will remember as their childhood. I create a home and a foundation for some many other experiences they’ll have. My husband and I create our marriage and in turn a legacy to pass to our kids.

And the foundation of it all is the fact we believe in and serve the Creator. We were created by the Creator in His image to create for His glory in whatever we do. {Tweet that.}

That alone makes us creative. So let’s create.

And stop.
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Build what matters

I saw the Five Minute Friday prompt last night on Twitter and immediately knew what I wanted to write about. When I finished folding some clothes, I typed this out on my phone. I love when one word spurs on so many thoughts and pulls together what's been happening in my mind. That's what Kate Motaung's one-word prompt did for me last night. 

Five Minute Friday is a flash mob of writers, all writing for five minutes about one word. This week the one word is BUILD. Write away. And then join us at Kate's place. 

Ready, set, write ... 

A year ago my husband, oldest girl and I were in Guatemala. That one week in a foreign land rocked my world. There have been related tears and joys and friendships and dreams – all rooted in one week in a land whose language I barely speak.

My first mission trip changed my perspective of pretty much everything. We went there to build houses and distribute clothing, food, and wheelchairs, yet God is building something bigger. I see parenting and church and service and relationships and society different than I did before stepping foot in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

For the past year, God has been building upon that mission trip I took to Guatemala. I know what he’s doing in my life, and I have to wonder what he’s still doing there with the seeds we planted.

Sometimes in the midst of everyday life, I still find myself wanting to let God build more, starting in my heart and mind and spilling over into all the corners of my life.

We moved into our new house June 18. Since then, we've unpacked {most} of our boxes and arranged furniture. The washing machine here didn't work so before I did my first load of laundry, we had to move some appliances around. We've had one toilet overflow twice and the plumbers have been here twice to fix two of the three toilets.

Ben had a pretty bad case of poison ivy the day before we left for a road trip that started with Greg's business meeting four hours away and continued with a stop-over in Louisville on our way to Buffalo, NY, where we visited my sister and the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. At the end of our trip, my nephew unknowingly shared his hand, foot, and mouth virus with Rachel. W came home to "road closed" signs near our house, thanks to crazy amounts of rain. A few days later lightning from another storm struck a tree that blocked us from the open portion of our road.

It all seemed overwhelming. I thought I had come into summer intentionally choosing a freer scheduler and then I found myself outlining my day on Post-It Note because I was worried I’d forget something. Summer has been more adventurous than I planned.

And then, right there with a Post-It Note slapped on my calendar, I remembered my week in Guatemala. I remembered what we were doing on July 7 and July 8 one year ago. I remember how building houses built my faith.

And I remembered that God is building a good thing here too. We are making a new-to-us house a home. We are creating memories and embracing adventures. We have work to do for God's glory.

All of that is the kind of building that matters.
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Read all my Guatemala-related posts here. 

Embracing this day

I'm glad to welcome Alecia Simersky to the blog today as we continue talking about embracing change this summer. Alecia and I connected through the God-sized Dream Team when we helped with Holley Gerth's book launch. She has since become of the executive editor of the God-sized Dream website for which I'm a contributing writer. 

Oh, how I’ve enjoyed reading the previous guest posts Kristin has welcome to her site this summer on change. Like many of them, I don’t enjoy change. When change comes a knocking on the door of life I go into full resistance mode. I’m always telling myself, “Alecia, put on your big-girl panties and move on!”

I’m in a season of change. And change is not something I do well. I’m more comfortable with sameness – I like routine, I like to know what to expect.

Years ago, when my son began kindergarten, I felt devastated inside. I knew once he started school the years were going to fly right on by, just like they had with my oldest daughter who was four years older than him.

I cried a little everyday leading up to his big day. And when the time came to get up and prepare my son for his first day of school, in the early morning hour of my quiet time, God laid one simple verse on my heart. “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

I stood at my front door and watched both kids hop onto the school bus with my eyes misted over with tears and repeated the words, “This is the day the Lord has made…” over and over.

As a family we have moved eight times. (You would think I was accustomed to change with our life!) However, each move pushed me out of my comfort zone and I was forced to make a new home among strangers.

My faith grew and stretched with each new transition. {Tweet that.}

God went before me and more than provided and answered prayers. He brought new friends for the kids and myself. With new church homes and Bible study groups, my social circle grew along with my faith and assuredness of His goodness.

Change has forced me to accept …

I can’t keep my kids little – though I’d LOVE to!

I can’t halt mother time from making me older or my normally dark hair from becoming gray! (I wish!)

And I haven’t been able to stop the moves, though I have fought, cried, and prayed against each one.

I had to come to a place in my heart to accept change as the way of life. {Tweet that.}

Once again, I’m finding myself in a new season of change. (We aren’t moving!) The days keep pressing forward and next year my daughter heads to the high school to finish her last three years of school (hold me). My son officially puts his elementary years behind him and moves up to the middle school. Sigh. And, I’m looking for full-time work outside the home for the first time in 14 years.

This is A LOT of change! I want to hold my babies tight and forbid them from getting older. I want to snap my fingers and grow a beautiful lush green money tree in my back yard that magically makes finances less stressful. Because, unfortunately, the type of writing I do doesn’t help pay the bills.

I’m stepping forward into our new season of life with excitement and trepidation. Yes, life changes and new seasons of life bring new adventures, and God simply reminds me each day, “This is the day I have made, so rejoice in it and be glad.”
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Alecia Simersky is wife to Trey and mom to Keeli and Jackson. She likens her life to that of a gypsy since they have moved eight times in 15 years. They now live in a place she lovingly refers to as God’s-country, Auburn, Alabama. She is quiet by nature, introverted, quirky, and fiercely loyal. In her free time she loves to write and does so at her personal blog and is the executive editor of the God-Sized Dreams website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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An InLinkz Link-up

Alecia mentioned the other summertime change posts. Well, you can read them here: Susan Shipe shared about summertime fun. Melody Hester offered advice for navigating new seasons. Tiffany Parry shared about the joy that comes with freedom. You can also download The Summer Not-To-Do List I made for you, if you haven't already. 

Subscribe to get new posts and/or a monthly newsletter with content not available on the blog in your inbox. When you subscribe, I'll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable.

Our Father's Faithfulness {and Rachel @ 9 months}

When I looked at the calendar and saw Rachel would be 9 months on Father’s Day, I invited Greg to the blog to share about fatherhood and our youngest daughter. If you’d like a peek into his life as a dad these past nine years, feel free to watch the video I made him. I’m grateful for Greg’s word here today, and, more importantly, the way he loves and serves our family. There’s nobody else I’d want to have beside me on this adventure!

Every year when Father’s Day rolls around, I am reminded that our God is faithful. It’s a time for me to look back and reflect on His goodness and grace in my life. I am so undeserving, and yet He has blessed me with three small souls to love and lead.

In looking back, I can tell you that He uses my children to change me daily. The Holy Spirit convicts me of my own shortcomings through the questions and conversations had with my two older inquisitive children. As we live life with them, I hope that they can hear and see the reality of God’s grace through my attitudes and actions.

My own father passed away in 2010, and I can tell you that I learned how to follow God by watching him. He followed God with his whole heart and was the example for me and my brothers on how to lead our families.

Hopefully, Kristin and I have learned a few things about parenting over the first 9-plus years with Cate and then 6 ½ years with Ben. Mostly, I think we’ve learned that the children need to see Kristin and I mess up, and see what it means to ask for and receive forgiveness from each other and God.

This year, in reflecting on Father’s Day, it is amazing to think about how last April, we had no idea that Rachel was even on the horizon. We had felt the Lord calling us to adopt again back in 2012 and looked into several options, but never had the right situation.

Kristin and I were disappointed and frustrated, but eventually we just realized that we had already been amazingly blessed by the Lord to have our 2 children. And so we mostly gave up our hope of adopting a third child. Our hearts were still pulled toward adopting a third child, but we finally had the grateful perspective that we needed. We learned a bit about being content in any situation and then, when we least expected it, we got a phone call from Rachel’s birth mom.

Rachel was born last September, and she been such an amazingly sweet addition to our family. Ben and Cate were immediately taken with their new sister, and she has responded in kind. Rachel has an engaging smile that she flashes to almost everyone.

At 9 months, she now gets around by crawling and she loves to grab, touch and taste everything she comes in contact with. We are so blessed to have her with us. We probably are a lot more laid back with her than we were with Cate, but hey, now we have a 9-year-old and 6-year-old to help us with little things around the house.

And the best part is that Rachel has two older siblings to look up to and learn from. I love watching her interact with them every day. So on this Father’s Day, I am going to reflect on the goodness of our Heavenly Father and rejoice in His provision in my life. I pray you can do the same.
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Other monthly update notes from momma :: This girl is fun. She’s into everything and curious about all the details in her world. I forgot how exhausting this phase can be, but it’s fun to watch her discover. Speaking of discovering, she loves the pool. Good thing because my big kids and I prefer to spend our afternoons there. Funny thing, she still doesn’t like her baths.

She’s crawling at fast speeds, pulling up quickly and thinking about letting go, and climbing the steps. She still loves to eat whatever and whenever we are eating and is taking {very} small drinks from her sippy cups. She takes usually four 8-ounce bottles a day, although I can tell she’s cutting back. Oh and she’s wearing 12-month clothes, except pajamas, shorts and bathing suits, which she requires 18-month size, but each day I had another garment to the pile of stuff she’s outgrown. Girl is growing, obviously.

Look back on Rachel’s growth :: One month. Two months. Three months. Four months. Five months. Six months. Seven months. Eight months.

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On wanting & needing things

I wrote this last night on my phone with 5% battery left after Kate revealed the Five Minute Friday prompt. Seems appropriate.

Do you know about Five Minute Friday? Basically, set a timer for five minutes and just write. And then join us at Kate Motaung’s place. You can find us chatting while anticipating the prompt on Thursday evenings on Twitter. Follow #fmfparty for all the goodness.

Now, WANT.

Ready, set, go ...

I have a long list of things I want ...

... to write.
... to visit.
... to do.
... to see.
... to buy.

Literally lists of chores and things I think our new house needs and ideas I have fill pages and my email inbox and my mind.

It’s as overwhelming as it sounds, sometimes. But sometimes I remember life is best enjoyed one project and one page of words and one dream at a time.

And then right there in the midst of living life I realize so many of my dreams are intertwined and separating them isn’t always possible. The big picture is full and beautiful, and the smaller picture of steps and projects and chores and places and products to get there is quite lovely too, really.

Sure, I finally found the white room-darkening curtains I wanted for my kids’ bedrooms online after looking in three stores with three kids.

I’ve got trips and outings plan that I want to have on the calendar.

And I’ve got my favorite season as a back drop.

I find myself looking at my lists and seeing what’s really right in front of me: My family of five that God made. Our {soon} move to 33 acres that’s my husband’s dream that has become mine. Friends who are like family. Friends who share in the everyday-ness of motherhood. Opportunities to serve and play.

So, really, I have everything I need.


{timer buzzing} And stop.
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I'm linking up with Kate Motaung and the rest of FMF crew. 

Subscribe to get new posts and/or a monthly newsletter with content not available on the blog in your inbox. When you subscribe, I'll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable.

Real-life motherhood {early summer edition}

We're settling into summer. I've been at the computer less (Thanks to my friends Susan Shipe and Melody Hester who have guest posted the last couple of weeks for #ThreeWordWednesday! And there's more guest goodness coming your way in future weeks.)

But with summer comes plenty of real-life motherhood moments, so I thought I'd share some mom confessions from this week ...

1. Immediately upon finishing "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah, I told the kids we needed to go to the library later that same afternoon. But I also told them they couldn't get any books. Cate has many unread books of her own AND we found THREE library books well overdue from the book mobile that comes to their school. Thankfully, the rules for the book mobile are different. But I don't need more books that don't belong to us while I'm trying to pack our house and move.

(Meanwhile, at the library I discovered "Fly Away" was a sequel to "Firefly Lane." YES, PLEASE! And then I finished that one in two days.)

2. One day earlier this week, my kids are fast food for lunch and dinner the same day. And, honestly, I don't feel that bad about it and then fed them fast food more than once later in the week. (I did get a salad for one of the meals ...)

I did start packing so we could move {maybe} next weekend, and I figured starting in the kitchen was fine at this point.

3. Earlier this week at the zoo, I was so thirsty toward the end of the four-hour outing that I took a drink of water out of Rachel's sippy cup with a straw. She hasn't quite figured out how to drink out of it anyway.

4. I had to say no to the pool on Wednesday so I could get some lake house management things done and tend to some chores and errands. We did say yes to blueberry picking and lunch at the park earlier in the day.

(Yes, I may have been as sad as the big kids, but it was a good lesson in responsibility for them. And it reminded me of my Summer Not-To-Do List, which includes not saying no sometimes and not always saying yes.)

Tell me about your real-life motherhood moments, either in the comments or join in the conversation on Facebook.
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The Summer Not-To-Do List

I originally wrote this post last summer for Circles of Faith, but its message is near and dear to my heart, probably because it's what I'm always learning. I wanted to share it again today, in honor of our first full week of Summer Break. Plus I made a free printable for you! Happy Summer, friends!

{Click here to download a printable version of this Summer Not-To-Do List.} 

Dear Summer,

I’m so glad you’re here. You’re like the best friend who has been gone too long. My 9-year-old daughter who is so very literal would remind me that you don’t officially arrive until June 21, but the kids have been out of school almost a week now so I’m embracing your arrival.

I almost always have a to-do list near me. If a notebook isn’t physically near me, I’m emailing myself something I want to remember or making a mental list. One of my greatest fears is that I will forget. So I make lists.

But I don’t want to forget to live with you, Summer.

I look at our calendar and your days are filling up, especially the weekends in July. We’re going to visit my sister and her family in Buffalo, NY. We have a what’s-becoming-tradition long weekend in St. Louis with our best friends. And we’re wrapping up your days, Summer, at Hilton Head Island with my parents and siblings and their families.

I’m intentionally not filling some days, but even planning not to plan is a plan. Plus I’ve been purging and organizing and packing because we’re moving about 10 minutes away to 33 acres that fit our family well.

Cate’s going to a couple church camps. Ben wants to ride his bike and play in creeks. And Rachel just wants to go wherever everyone else is going.

And, of course, the kids and I want to spend many, many afternoons at the pool with our friends. We want to pack our lunches, go the park, and explore. We want to eat ice cream and read books.

These big plans mixed with ordinary days are why I love you, Summer. {Tweet that.}

You welcome a break from routine and foster adventure. In an effort to embrace this freedom and truly live with my kids, I want to have a not-to-do list that fosters joy and peace and grace and freedom.

Christ alone brings those things, but, you, Summer, help give me perspective on how to live. So I'm making a different kind of list right now. Instead of obsessing over what I need to do, I want to embrace a not-to-do list, a reverse bucket list of sorts that frees my soul.

This kind of list will prompt different kinds of check marks and I hope the victories spill over into your friends – Fall, Winter, and Spring. I want to grasp hold of truth so I can live more abundantly regardless of the season.

Sincerely,
A Momma in Kentucky

What are you looking forward to about summer? What does your Summer Not-To-Do List look like? {Tweet that.}
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An InLinkz Link-up

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On real hope & expectations

Hello, Friday. I'm so very glad you're here, ESPECIALLY this Friday because HELLO, SUMMER BREAK. I'm joining Kate Motaung and friends for Five Minute Friday, when we get a prompt and write for five minutes. Like a brain dump. Like a flash mob. Just write. 

This week the prompt is EXPECT. 

Ready, set, go ... 

I had hoped my kids – 9 years, 6 years, 8 months – would sleep in for the first day of Summer Break, but I didn’t really expect them to.

Hope. Expect.

These words are so similar, but I was thinking about how different they can be, depending on what I’m putting my hope in.

Putting hope in my 6-year-old boy who loves to rise with the sun and the moment he hears anyone else stirring and my 8-month-old girl who has decent but unpredictable nighttime sleeping length isn’t wise. I knew that, so I didn’t expect to sleep past 7 a.m.

My husband got up with Rachel at 6 a.m. and Ben soon followed down the stairs. They woke me at 6:45 a.m., when Greg needed to get in the shower for work. So my husband who knew I wanted a little extra sleep helped some of my expectations be met, but, even so, it was just the best he could do given the circumstances.

On the contrary, we can put our hope in God because he promises to finish what he’s started (Phil. 1:6) and work all things for the good for those who love him (Romans 8:28). We can wait expectantly because he’s not influenced by when the sun rises or what other people are doing. We can believe in what we cannot see because that’s the essence of faith that gives us hope – real hope, the kind of hope we can expect to make a difference.

So, welcome, Summer Break, may our togetherness be full of happy messes, limited sibling pestering, and fun adventures. And, yes, I’m still hoping my kids embrace the summer sleep schedule soon, even if my expectations are low.

And stop.
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Rachel @ 8 months

Rachel is into ... everything, literally and figuratively. I’m busy making sure she doesn’t eat anything she’s discovered on the floor and cleaning up things like trash and water from the diffuser she’s pulled over.

That’s right, she’s on the move in the fullest sense – crawling and pulling up all over the place. It’s more exhausting {for me, at least!} than the previous phase, but I really love the discovery that happens. Like the door stop at the base of the wall behind some bedroom doors. That’s been a new favorite. And at least it’s safe in the sense she won’t choke on it.

She’s wearing some 6-to-9-month clothes, but rapidly moving toward 12-month ones. With this week’s cold front, I had to dip into the stash of fall clothes I’d bought her along the way. Obviously, the long-sleeved 12-to-18-month shirts she’s worn this week aren’t going to fit her in the fall, so that’s good to know. I clearly underestimated her growth!

She’s sleeping about 11 hours most nights, but sometimes she wakes up and needs to be consoled back to sleep. Apparently baby nightmares are a thing. And sometimes she thinks she needs to eat, but, thankfully, that’s rare. Her bottom two teeth popped through and she's obviously working on more.

She loves eating, laughing at her brother and sister, standing up in her crib when she’s ready to get out, and chewing on her baby toothbrush. I’m still working on a way to bottle up her scrunchy-nose smile and the one with her tongue poking out because this girl is a sweet joy that I have no doubt will embrace adventure.
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Look back on Rachel’s growth :: One month. Two months. Three months. Four months. Five months. Six months. Seven months. 

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A Letter to My Daughter Who is Like Me

Catherine Anna –

It’s cliché, but I can’t believe you’re 9. You’re the one who made me a momma. We share a first-born girl personality that means I understand you. But, you know, in reality, you’ve taught me so much about myself and faith that I’m not sure I’d have seen through any other lens.

You’re finishing up third grade. I drag you out of bed in the mornings, but you like school once you get there. You’re a leader among your class even though you’re one of the youngest. This year, you’ve started taking weekly piano lessons there.

I’m excited to see you try new things because, like me, you have a fear of failure. I see it because I’ve been there. But I’m thankful for your bravery to have more hobbies than anyone else I know. Kilee is teaching you to crochet. Gran-Gran is teaching you to sew. You’ve been taking monthly horse riding lessons for about a year. You read and write and draw and build with Legos. And we like to watch “Fixer Upper” together.

Your creativity and compassion are going to serve you well wherever you go.

Right now, you put those gifts to use by helping with your baby sister. She adores you and I’m grateful for your faithfulness to help and serve right here in our house.

Serving with you in Guatemala and then having that conversation about baptism right there on the black sand beach in a foreign country top my list for us this past year. Seeing your baptism a few weeks later was a momma’s dream come true. We’ve both become better versions of ourselves since we bravely went on our first mission trip. And I’m really glad we got to do it together.

God made me a momma one week before Mother’s Day 2007. I’m grateful you’re the first one to call me momma. Watching you grow up and knowing it’s grown me up too has been one of the best adventures of my life. I’m excited to see what else is to come for you, sweet girl. I’m glad I’ve got a front row seat to you life.

I love you dearly,
Momma
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Other birthday posts, if you want to see how Cate has grown up :: 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

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Choosing 37 Joys

I turned 37 yesterday, and, really, aside from the fact that I like the number 36 better, I don’t care. My 30s have been my favorite decade yet. And, here I am, closer to 40 than 30, and I still really like to celebrate my birthday.

Even so, I do not like to have “Happy Birthday” sung to me in public.

I’m barely an extrovert – and that totally crosses a line.

So, in a slightly delayed celebration of my birthday, I’m sharing 37 ways I’m #choosingJOY recently. And I used the hashtag because it’s one of my favorites I use regularly on social media. Feel free to join me on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook – whichever is your favorite – and use that hashtag to share how you’re finding joy. And you can share on Pinterest, but, I’m sorry, I’m not there. I did reactivate my account, but, really, only long enough to choose some paint colors. I do not find joy there.

1. This third baby of mine. Y’all, I know I talk about her often here and on social media, but I wasn’t sure we were ever going to be a family of five. And we are. And I love it.

2. Rachel fits perfectly in our family – as if God had this planned all along. (Okay, I KNOW he did, but seeing that affirmation in everyday life is my favorite.)

3. Seeing her crawl quickly and pull up is my current favorite, even though I have a hard time wrapping my around the fact that’s where we are. I’m guessing she’s going to be our earliest walker.

4. Rachel is also back to sleeping through the night, so that’s good.

5. I’m excited about moving to our new house on 33 acres – hopefully later this month. This wasn’t my dream for a long time, but my husband wore off on me. And now it’s my dream too.

6. I really like my husband. I mean, duh, right? Right. But, really, I’ve seen marriages crumble, and I’m grateful mine has gotten better with time. We’re almost 14 years in.

7. Adventures with my family are fun. Whether it’s dinner time on a Tuesday night or a road trip to a safari park near Jackson, Tennessee, I like life with my people. God made us a family. We’re often loud and messy, but we are better together. (Click here for a glimpse into real life.)

8. I also am excited about some big adventures we have coming up this summer – a family reunion at the lake, a trip to visit my sister’s family for her twins’ baptisms, a beach vacation.

9. I’m also excited for days at the pool and catching up with friends.

10. Reading fiction is good for my soul. Sometimes I forget how much I like fiction. Here are some fiction books I’ve read this year.

• "Thin Ice" (Men of Valor #2) by Irene Hannon {Review} 
• "Sanctuary Lost" (WITSEC Town #1) by Lisa Phillips 
• "Sanctuary Buried" (WITSEC Town #2) by Lisa Phillips
• "Sanctuary Breached" (WITSEC Town #3) by Lisa Phillips
• "Cold Shot" (Chesapeake Valor #1) by Dani Pettrey
• "Tidewater Inn" (Hope Beach #1) by Colleen Coble
• "Rosemary Cottage" (Hope Beach #2) by Colleen Coble
• "Seagrass Pier" (Hope Beach #3) by Colleen Coble
• "The Inn at Ocean's Edge" (Sunset Cove #1) by Colleen Coble
• "Mermaid Moon" (Sunset Cove #2) by Colleen Coble
• "Honeymoon for One" by Beth Orsoff
• "Keep Quiet" by Lisa Scottoline

11. Reading nonfiction, especially free books I get review and giveaway, is another way I like to spend my time. I know, this may seem silly, but I really like this part of being a blogger.

12. And, stay tuned because I have at least three books and one CD to giveaway this month alone. Best way to stay informed is to subscribe to receive my posts in your inbox, then you’re among the first to know and subscribers get extra entries into the giveaways.

13. Memoirs may be my favorite non-fiction. Here’s some I’ve read so far this year.

• "Coming Clean: A Story of Faith" by Seth Haines
• "The Gift of Friendship" by Dawn Camp {Review}
• "Looking for Lovely: Collecting Moments that Matter" by Annie Downs {Review}
• "Wild in the Hollow: On Chasing Desire and Finding the Broken Way Home" by Amber Haines
• "Everything You Ever Wanted" by Jillian Lauren

14. An adoption ministry God has built up around me reminds me our stories matter and have purpose well beyond our lives. And, hey, if you know someone who would like to join a private Facebook group I have for adoptive mommas, let me know. We have almost 90 moms who are in the process of adopting, hoping to adopt, or have grown their family through adoption. It’s a safe place to share prayer requests and resources.

15. Documenting life has long been a hobby of mine, but I’m loving the ways I can do it on my phone. My favorites are Project Life app, which allows me to create scrapbook pages right there from the palm of my hand, and Instagram, where I document all kinds of real-life moments.

16. Since July, I’ve used my iPhone exclusively for photos and I don’t feel like I’m settling for quality.

17. I love seeing Cate (who turns 9 this week) have so many hobbies. Her personality is a lot like mine – a little fearful of new things. But she’s embracing new things like having a friend teach her to crochet and letting my mother-in-law teach her how to sew. She’s excelling in her horse riding lessons, which she’s been taking about monthly for the past year, and she had her first piano recital at school last week after taking private lessons since August.

18. I love seeing Ben be a big brother. He’s an entertainer and protector, that’s for sure!

19. We have a countdown to summer break. TWO MORE MONDAY MORNINGS and nine more other school mornings.

20. While I’m certainly ready for Summer Break, I’m grateful for my kids teachers’ this year. They’ve been exactly what they each needed.

21. Cate has specifically cited lessons from her teacher about how to eat a cupcake and why not to wear a bikini. Solid life lessons, friends.

22. Ben is reading and it’s fun to see him know words or be interested in what something says.

23. “Fixer Upper.” Enough said.

24. I especially love watching the show with Cate, who has opinions and thoughts as we watch. We had caught up with all the episodes in the first two seasons on Netflix, but I saw we could buy season 3 of “Fixer Upper” on our Amazon Fire TV for $15 – that’s less than a dollar an episode, so I treated us to an early birthday present.

25. I like sharing my birth week with my girl. It’s hard to believe I had just turned 28 when she was born.

26. Starting new Bible studies is always so refreshing. Right now I’m working through Katie Orr’s “Everyday Faith.” You can follow her and others as we work through on Instagram. I’ll probably post some about it too.

27. I like new journals too. I have a couple awaiting my pen.

28. Facebook birthday wishes make me happy. I know people have all kinds of things to say about social media, but I like it. And I like how friends you never hear from come out of the woodwork to offer you a “Happy birthday” message. I did see one on someone else’s wall the other day that said: HBTY. Really? Can we just take the time to type “Happy birthday to you!” Surely.

29. Greg’s status on my birthday morning made me laugh: Happy 37th birthday to my wife, Kristin Taylor. If you see her out today tell her she is looking prime. (Who doesn’t love a good math joke?)

30. Cate has taken to planning book-themed birthday parties. Last year was Boxcar Children, this year is Pippi Longstocking. Oh and she helped me plan Ben’s “Dragons Love Tacos” party too.

31. Ben loves to cuddle first thing in the morning. Even if it’s earlier than I like, he’s so sweet then.

32. Qdoba opened a restaurant in Murray a few (?) years ago. I was so excited and ate there regularly. I still eat there regularly. I’m pretty sure my family and friends thought my obsession would be a fleeting thing. It’s not. I do need the mango salsa to come back to perfect my nachos.

33. Birthday eve flowers from my husband and big kids that are still sitting on the kitchen table are sweet.

34. Purging is like therapy. I’ve been cleaning out closets and clothes. I’ve shipped boxes to people. I’ve given bags to the thrift store and to a fundraising yard sale. It’s like nesting before our move.

35. I’m always making playlists in my head.

36. I love when I hear a song that goes along with what God is teaching me. Faith and adventures are the current themes.

37. The fact I made this list of 37 things. That’s joy right there, friends.

How are you #choosingJOY? It really is all around you. {Tweet that.}
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An InLinkz Link-up

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How adventure found me in a strawberry patch

Adventure keeps showing up around me. The word. Quotes. Opportunities to embrace the concept. {Yes, I talked about this yesterday too.}

On Tuesday, adventure looked like impulsively picking strawberries while wearing Rachel.

I love picking berries – strawberries in April or May, blueberries in June, and blackberries in July. It’s usually the kind of activity I plan with friends when my big kids are home from school. But it needed to happen on Tuesday because 80 degrees and sunshine are exactly my kind of weather.

The Patch is a new local strawberry patch basically right in town. Hello, convenience. I was driving by on my way to tend to a lake house I manage. So on my way home, I stopped at the Dollar General, bought a bottle of water, and paid the silly convenience fee to get cash back.

All because picking strawberries was my adventure.

And I’m glad I did.

Rachel smiled. She tried to grab berries and enjoyed the one she got her hands around.

Of course, when Ben got in the mini van at the bus stop, he immediately saw and smelled the strawberries and said, “You picked strawberries without me?” He ate a whole bowl full when we got home and I promised we’d go again when he wasn’t in school. That boy embodies adventure, and I’m glad he’s mine.

I’ve been #choosingJOY the past couple of years and God is still teaching me about that. Most recently the lessons have come when I see an opportunity for adventure and embark upon it.

So, here in April, I’m choosing adventure for 2016. I wasn’t going to choose a one-word focus for the year, but it’s clearly choosing me with two-thirds of the year to go. Like seasons, the kinds of adventure change. But here we are, on the brink of summer. And I’m ready.

What adventures are choosing you? {Tweet that.}
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This reminded me of another lesson I learned in a strawberry patch three years ago :: "Mothering is a weary job sometimes, but I want to say yes. I want to speak with a softer, kinder voice. I want to remember we don't always have to be in a hurry to get to the next thing. I want to let them jump and make messes. Yes, I want to teach them truth and problem-solving strategies. Yes, I want them to learn responsibility. But I want them to live joyfully." {Read the whole post here.}

And clearly I like to write about strawberries :: 2011. 2012. 2014.
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Where I Am

I spent this past Saturday with a dozen other adoptive mommas at the second annual Hope That Binds retreat. We ate well, shared our stories, asked the hard questions, pointed each other to resources, laughed, and cried. We looked at the past, talked about the present, and pondered the future.

Where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going matters. {Tweet that.}

Yes, we should not dwell on the past, but it’s important to remember how God has been faithful. Sometimes the present is full of contradicting emotions, but that’s okay because sadness and joy can co-exist. The future is always an adventure and God is the Ultimate Planner, but he’s also a God of order and dreams.

One of the exercises I loved was when we all wrote on small slips of colorful paper words and phrases that told about our present. I am … peacefully sad, waiting for a season of rest, grateful, refreshed, working through birthmom relationship, wanting to count it all joy, thankful, drained, content, excited for change, out of shape, connected, learning, embracing change, emotional, patiently waiting, overwhelmed, longing, healing, curious, enjoying this time of the year, not where I expected, starting new adventures, saying “no,” and in need of beach therapy.

Many of those emotions and circumstances could apply to any of our lives. The exercise made me slow down in the midst of a busy life and appreciate where I am. So today I thought I’d make a list that claims my present while being aware of what God has done and is going to do.

I am …

• a momma to three.
• almost 37 years old.
• married to a fellow first-born who invited me out for ice cream in college.
• a daughter, sister, aunt, and friend.
• excited to live in the country.
• requiring helmets for anyone who rides our four-wheeler.
• loving the sunshine and ready for summer.
• in disbelief my oldest is almost 9.
• missing a couple dear friends.
• eager to see what God does next.
• grateful I get to stay at home and work on the side of being a mom.
• thankful for lessons in #choosingJOY.
• a reader with a big list of books I want to read.
• a writer with a few projects on my mind.
• understanding my son in a new way.
• purging my house.
• anticipating some summer plans.
• looking forward to May.
• making sure Rachel doesn’t pull down the living room curtains or put any cords in her mouth.
• excited to see Rend Collective in concert this coming weekend.

Tell me about where you are – the ordinary and the extraordinary, the lovely and the hard, the joy-filled and the messes. This is the stuff that makes up life. These are the things that will become memories of God’s faithfulness. Even if we feel stuck, life won’t be like this – just like this – for long.
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An InLinkz Link-up

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What a delight! {Rachel @ 7 months}

I was sitting in the kitchen last week when I saw a sweet face peek around the corner from the living room. Rachel had made her way from one room to another for the first time.

And she was delighted.

She is a delight.

I get birth order even more than I did before, and I’m a stereotypical first-born child. But this third-born baby, who is likely our last, soaks up all the attention from everyone and takes short naps when she finally realizes there may not be much to miss. She likes when all her people are gathered together.

I often ask my first-born girl for help. My middle boy requires regular correction and guidance. And then there’s Rachel, the third-born baby after a wait.

We delight in her.

She delights in us.

And I realize she gets a better version of me than my first two got when they were tiny, and maybe even than they do now – not on purpose, but circumstances make it so. I’m quicker to throw the rules and expectations out the window. I’m quicker to embrace the moment because I know this won’t be like this for long. I’m slower to fill our days.

Here we are, Seven Months. And I’m learning things as if I were a mom for the first time. But, you know, I think that’s how it’s supposed to be. Life is always learning and discovering. {Tweet that.}

Just ask Rachel.

She’s crawling now. She especially likes to go to the living curtains hanging but spring rods and the various TV and lamp cords. She also goes from being on her belly to sitting up like a champ. She’s trying to pull up – and did Sunday at church although I couldn’t tempt her with snacks to do it a second time.

She loves to eat – especially when we eat. She loves all those Gerber baby snacks along with bananas, avocados, mandarin oranges, peaches, and yogurt. Really, she’ll eat whatever I give her. She takes about four 8-ounce bottles a day.

Sleeping has been a little unpredictable this month. Usually, she takes a decent morning nap and then naps a couple other times – sometimes in the grocery cart, sometimes in her car set, and sometimes in her bed. I think it’s the being able to crawl and sit up, but she seems to wake herself up easier. Of course, she’s still working on teeth. And probably growing. But she sleeps well and if she does wake up at an hour that’s meant for sleep, she goes back down fairly quickly.

Like I said, she’s a delight.
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Look back on Rachel’s growth :: One month. Two months. Three months. Four months. Five months. Six months.

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Some days it's easy to forget what day it is

It’s Friday! I can say that with assurance, despite my forthcoming post about how it’s been easy to forget what day it is this week. And speaking of EASY, that’s this week’s prompt for Five Minute Friday. Do you know about #FMF? Kate Motaung offers a prompt and then writers write. Five minutes. Just write. And then we all link up together. 

On Wednesday I was walking and talking with my best friend and said, “It seems later in the week than Thursday.” Um, wrong day. In my head I meant to say Wednesday but Thursday came out, probably because it never did feel like Wednesday.

This week, it was easy to forget what day it was. In some ways, my weekdays look similar but in other ways each day is its own.

I have a lot of ideas and thoughts and plans on my mind. And they’re making the days run together.

I started making summer plans because somehow that helps me embrace the moment. Making plans is my love language. (I watched “Leap Year” this week and loved when Declan said to Anna: “I don't wanna not make plans with you. I wanna make plans with you.”)

I have ideas of things to write. By things I mean blog posts, ebooks, and notes to friends. It’s easy to push those aside because other things seem more pressing, but, really, for the way my soul processes life, that’s not true.

I’ve showed our house, thought about our new house, and watched Fixer Upper with my oldest girl. (All that’s separate and related …)

Greg and I have both been up at 2 a.m. with our baby girl different days this week. Maybe those teeth are really coming though, but in the middle of the night, it’s easy to forget what day it is. During daylight, she’s happy and moving and discovering and soaking in life, whatever the day.

When my mind is swirling in different directions, it’s easy to forget what day it is, but, y’all, I’m glad for Friday and I don’t want to not make plans.
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I'm linking up with Kate Motaung for Five Minute Friday. 

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