the weekly-ish recap {January 16-27}

Besides our snow day, I haven't been here to update in a couple of weeks.

Life has just been plugging along!

Since I have been feeling well, I've felt like catching up on things that I didn't keep up with all of last year.

Two Saturdays ago, B Boy had a birthday party to go to at the place where he had his birthday party- Gamer's Only. He loves that place!

Girlie and I made a grocery/household trip to Walmart while he was partying.

We have had a tough relationship the last year and I have been focusing on that a lot lately.

She has a strong personality (which I love) but it can be problematic at times.

Teaching children about heart and character issues is probably the hardest part of parenting to me, especially since I feel like I'm an ongoing work as well.

Speaking of which, I started a new Bible study on Sunday afternoons. 

This study could not have come at a better time.

It has been SO good so far.

After church that weekend, C Girl and I took a meal to a family who just had twin baby girls! C is enamored with these sweet babies!

I snapped this of a sunrise recently. It was so beautiful and a reminder of how much beauty we are surrounded by when we look for it.

Friday night, C Girl went to a sleepover. We let B Boy watch a movie in the playroom and Tim & I had an "at home" date and watched a movie and talked. It was so nice!

Saturday night, we finished our marathon of watching Star Wars movies!

Sunday was church and I made these turkeys take a photo with me before church!

We watched football that afternoon and we also had Sunday evening church activities. When we got home, we watched the 2nd NFL playoff game of the day and learned that the Broncos and Panthers will face off against each other in the Super Bowl. 

We are thrilled to get to see these two teams play.

Monday afternoon, our stray cat friend came in and took a long nap and even stayed while we left to take C to piano lessons! I love when she just makes herself at home!

I caught up on Downton Abbey on Monday. I'm SO sad that this is the last season. I love this show so much! My favorite quote from Sunday's episode: Lady Violet, "I haven't been down to the kitchen in 20 years!" Isabel, "Do you have your passport?!"

I love this picture on Tim's school Instagram. I'm glad they think he is a "hip principal!"

 I just started reading "The Royal We" and "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality." I have heard incredible things about EHS. I cannot wait to finish this book!

 While I was doing Tuesday folders at school yesterday, I had this flyer to put in the folders. It is starting to feel really real that my 4th grader will soon be finishing her elementary school career. I'm not ready to have a middle schooler!

I have been fighting off a little cold this week. I still have PTSD from the great ear infection of last year. I will not let that happen again!

I'm heading to a hair appointment later this morning. I'm looking forward to that.

I wish that I was going to get to hear Serial tomorrow. I'm kinda sad that they have went to a bi-weekly schedule. My other podcasts are on a little hiatus right now too so I don't have as much to listen to lately.

I guess I will start priming a bookshelf for B Boy's room tomorrow. We are revamping his organizational system and the bookshelf will house completed Lego projects! He's excited for that!

babies, favorite things, & other fun stuff

I finished some Christmas shopping and errands on Monday.

Also on Monday, my sweet friend, Samantha, gave birth to her twin girls!!!!

C Girl and I went to visit and C was in absolute heaven! She wanted to bring those babies home!

We are so happy for Brandon and Sam!!! Welcome to the world, E and K!

 After we left the hospital, I met Tim in town to drop off the girl and I headed to a favorite things party! It was my first time attending one and it was SO FUN!

There were 17 ladies that came and everyone brings 5 unwrapped items $5 or under.

We each wrote our name on 5 pieces of paper and put them in a bowl.

Everyone gets a turn sharing their favorite item and drawing 5 names from the bowl to win their item.

I got a cute Christmas towel, Uno cards, a cranberry orange salsa, concealer, and a yummy seasoning! There was also lip gloss, jewelry, body spray, potpourri sachets, hair stuff, and static guard!

Our host, Kimberley had her house decorated so cute and she had so many yummy things to eat and drink!

We also played a game where you put a paper plate on your head and you draw what is described to you. It was a snowman and then you had to give yourself points for how much of your snowman was placed correctly. I actually did really well and ended up winning that game! I was shocked! I'm usually not good at drawing. Maybe I should draw on top of my head more often!!!

 Today has been pretty laid back. I've been checking things off of my to do list. My mentor, Susan stopped by to give me a gift and the book that we will start in January. She is a precious lady!

The weather has been in the 60's lately and the kids played outside for hours today!

Tim cooked chicken stir fry and veggies tonight and it was so good. We watched Elf with the kids before bed. It is one of my all time favorite movies. It is just the funniest! But, I always tear up when the dad starts singing and helps Santa's sleigh fly!

 I love my people! I especially love these moments during Christmas break by the glow of the tree. Magical!

I bought a Christmas scapes coloring book yesterday and I'm loving it!

C Girl has picked out a page to color too!

It's been so nice to relax, get caught up on stuff, catch up on my podcasts and just love on my family.

Words on Wednesday

Well, it is a bitterly cold day here. It is in the teens, but feels like 3 degrees. I wouldn't know firsthand because I will not be venturing out the door today. I am happily camped out by the fireplace contemplating the things in the house that need cleaned but having no desire to actually clean those things.

Yesterday, our Tuesday morning Bible study started again at church.

Ever since the brochure with the new studies came in the mail, I knew I felt God leading me in a different direction than normal. ALL of the studies are always wonderful and I usually choose a study based on what my friends are doing. I love good friend fellowship.

This time, I felt that I wasn't supposed to be in those studies. They are generally studies by well-known Bible study authors and usually have a lot of book work with them.

I always enjoy them and learn a lot, but lately, I have felt the need to be even more intentional with my time, home, and relationships. I felt that digging in directly to scripture was where I needed to be. 

The study we are starting is on the book of Ephesians and I am so excited to get started! The study leader and the ladies in the study are so great! I look forward to getting to know ladies that I don't know very well!

I am also doing the #365daysofTruth through the She Reads Truth app. This will definitely help me to finally read through the Bible in a year. It has each day listed, you can mark it as read when completed, and it posts your total Bible progress. I really need that accountability.

After Bible study, I asked one of my new friends to lunch and we had such a great time visiting!

B Boy failed his eye exam at school for the 2nd year in a row, so he had an eye exam yesterday afternoon. His eyes are perfect so we are not exactly sure what is causing him to fail each time :-(

 I had a meeting with one of my school PTO's yesterday evening and the ladies in leadership there are such a joy! I love when good people take on roles like that!

I was feeling a little nostalgic this morning looking at baby pictures of the kiddos.

It seems like a lifetime ago! They grow up too fast!

a weekly recap {art, razorbacks, babies & a brunch}

Last Wednesday night, Tim and I visited Crystal Bridges to see the State of the Art exhibit while the kiddos were in church.

 This set of photos was titled "Recession." It was homes, land and businesses in the after effects of the recession. I felt so connected to this, I guess because we lived through it.

 This was made from pages in the Bible. Below, you can see in more detail what it said.

 We hope to go back with the kids soon to see the things that we were not able to fit in that night!

On Thursday evening, we had a baby shower for my friend, Mary Avery. Sadly, I don't think anyone took any photos :-( This is their 4th child and they do not find out what they are having prior to the birth. They have 3 boys already. She went in Sunday night and was induced Monday morning. I'm happy to report that they had a sweet baby GIRL!!!! They are so thrilled! I cannot wait to meet her!

I have two more friends from Sunday school who are having babies next spring!

 Friday evening was the 2nd annual bowling party for the faculty at Tim's school. I hadn't felt the greatest on Friday, so I didn't bowl, but everyone had a wonderful time eating, visiting and bowling!

I don't get very many opportunities to interact with his staff, so it's always nice to get to know them a little better.

Saturday afternoon, we went to see Big Hero 6. I cannot say enough good things about that movie. 

It was so great!

 Saturday evening, our Razorbacks took on No. 17, LSU. 

We have had 17 straight SEC losses. 

It has been a HARD few years for our program. 

We shut.them.out! 

No, we did not beat the #1 team in the nation, but that WIN was something that we needed like air. 

We probably shouldn't have rushed the field, but it was beautiful. 

And to anyone on Twitter who was annoyed at my celebrating- I'm NOT sorry! 

You have your #Twitterparties, I have my #Razorbackparties. 

I don't know where that came from except that some non-fans seemed a little annoyed. 

But do you hear me snarking about your #sponsoredAD? Nope.

I fell in love with the Hogs when I fell in love with Tim. My family did not watch sports when I was growing up, so this love is a chosen love.

I've been to many games and lived through many losses.

This team has never given up this year despite everything that has not gone right.

You just have to be a fan to understand how we feel.

We feel lots of excitement right now. GO HOGS!

p.s. none of these stadium pics are mine, they are all from Twitter.

We were SUPPOSED to get snow on Sunday afternoon. And while we did get some, we pretty much just got dusted. That was okay though. It was pretty to watch it falling, we had a nice relaxing afternoon/evening, and the kids to not have to miss school the next day!

They did play some Monopoly, which was great until it wasn't. 

B Boy had not been dealing with "loss" very well lately!

I had a district PTO meeting on Monday morning to go over changes to our bylaws. 

I've learned so much over the last 3 years being involved in PTO, some good and some bad.

I've also firmly learned my limits in how much stuff I can add to my daily routines/duties that I have to family and church.

It has been so interesting learning how things work in a school district that is as large as ours and continues to grow. 

I've learned to work with a variety of people, most of whom, are not from our state.

It's also been interesting being the wife of a principal with managing my words and actions very carefully- I always want to be respectful of him! 

 Tuesday morning, was our annual fall brunch for our women's ministry. 

It was so great! I heard that there about 80 women there! 

It was an amazing turnout, wonderful food and we heard the testimony from one of our ladies. 

She shared about her life so candidly and I am so thankful for women who will do that. 

I hope to be that way as well. 

Her words touched me so much.

I will never be able to express what this church, women's ministry, and Sunday school class have meant to me. I love these women so much!

Our women's ministry director announced that she was retiring from her position to help with a new family business. 

She has been a wonderful leader and we will miss her so very much!

#tbt Throwback Thursday {2008}

Christmases with family

This year, we celebrated Christmas with our families on December 30th.

We drove down to Aunt Karen's early that day so that the kids had time to play in all the snow she still had at her house!

We are country folk, lol. I thought this was cute.

C Girlie and Aunt Tammy

B Boy LOVES his Frankie

Tim and his sisters

After eating yummy food, opening presents, and visiting at Aunt Karen's, we drove over to my mom and dad's house for Christmas with my family.

I miss this girl so much! (I don't ever feel like we will be grown up enough to be women or ladies, we are still girls in my book!)

One of my baby loves! Sweet, precious Parker baby!

B Boy and my brother Keith having some "device" time.

B Boy and cousin J!

And there is my precious Noah baby! And my brother Kevin. ha!

Get him anything Star Wars and you will have a winner!

Noah kept coming and sneaking in bites of my dessert!

Something that is ALWAYS a tradition at Christmas at my mom's- the floor wrestling.  It used to be dad and the boys, then it was J and dad and the boys, then it was B Boy and C Girl, J, and dad and the boys, and now- it is just ALL the kids and the uncles (the boys). Dad does not participate now.  I think there are too many more people involved for him!