Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a week fun filled week with a lot of work, travel, time with extended family, and neat activities. Thankful for an opportunity to travel for a few days to spend catching up with family. I added the weekend since this week as well. Grateful for safety as we traveled to see people and for the wonderful memories that were made along the way.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.
Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday –Thankful for the girls help in getting some tasks done around the house. It was a busy day of prepping and packing. The girls packed their entire suitcases by themselves so that saved me time from rounding up all their items and getting them in the suitcase.
Tuesday – Thankful for friends that are willing to watch our house and pets while we were away visiting family in New England. It is good knowing that the everything is being cared for while we are away.
Wednesday – Thankful for a job that I can work part time so I can travel with my family as well. Jake dropped me off at work this morning and picked me up early afternoon to drive to the airport so we could fly out to see family in New England. Also, grateful for airplanes and the ability to travel places relatively quickly. Thankful safety in our travels.
Thursday – Thankful for time to spend with Jake’s Mom and grandparents in Vermont. It was cooler in Vermont but the girls had a grand time with Grandma Kay, Nana, PopPop, and their chickens, puppy, and exploring the woods.
Friday – Thankful for another fun filled day in Vermont to spend time with family.
Saturday – Thankful for a safe trip to Connecticut and an opportunity to spend time with Jake’s Dad. The girls had a blast!
Sunday – Thankful for a safe trip to Massachusetts to visit with Jake’s cousin Matt and his family.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a week packed full of a lot of emotions. With the girls wrapping up at a school they have been attending the past 7 years it has been quite a stepping stone for us. We are grateful to all the teachers and administration at Crosswell Elementary for the amount of time, energy, and attention they have invested in our girls education. They have made a positive and lasting impression on our kids. Wish we could take some of the amazing teachers with us to Middle school. We are excited to see what Middle School will bring and know that the kids will probably adjust quicker and better than at least their Mom because with them moving up a school their growing up seems more real. Love my girls and very proud of what they have accomplished over the past year! There was so much to be thankful for last week.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday –Thankful to have the laundry room renovation started and that we were still able to get the laundry done so none of us have to run around wearing dirty clothes!
Tuesday – Thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with the girls after school that didn’t include doing a bunch of homework. We even had a few extra minutes to do a rapid quick clean up around the house and read some more of our books together. LOVE catching both of the girls reading independently on their own during free time (for those who know our family you know that for one of our kids this is a really big deal)!
Wednesday – Thankful for time after work to spend with other Mom’s at school prepping for the kids 5th grade Graduation Celebration Party. We were able to get a lot accomplished and organized during our time together.
Thursday – Thankful for Brina’s hard work on her “Cupcakes on the Rise” Science Fair Project because we were able to see her accept a 1st Place Trophy, Medals, Certificate, and Cash Prize (we had no idea there was a cash prize as well) for the Regional Science Fair! Very proud of our Brina Bee!
Friday – Thankful for an opportunity to watch the girls Graduation and Awards Ceremony! They did fantastic and both kids received numerous awards, medals, pins, certificates, trophies and other cool awards for all that they had accomplished throughout this year. Also, Karlie received a trophy for getting all A’s her entire Elementary School years. Super proud of these kids and the effort they put into their learning. Praying they continue to have the love of learning as they get older!
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
Relationships: Granting Your Spouse Permission to Help YOU Heal
Rose picked by Jake from the Mother’s Day bush Karlie gave me last year! Beautiful!I am blessed to have a loving husband. He takes great care of me and the girls, loves me despite my faults, pitches in around the house, always seeking ways to teach our girls, and intentionally invests regularly time and energy into our relationship and our family.
Yet for some reason when I am tired, hurting, or discouraged he is the first person I tend to lash out at. Is it because he is near? Or is it that I trust he will continue loving me as he helps me get through the moments of hurt? Is it that he is the first person who notices that I am struggling? Is it because I allow “little stuff” to build up, get emotional, and blow the “little stuff” way out of proportion? Or is it a complex multitude of feelings and connections of life that make me think it is acceptable to snap at someone truly trying to lovingly help me?
Life is tough. It would be a lie to say that I have not gone through a multitude of various emotions over the past few months. My girls are growing up so quickly and my Momma’s heart is rejoicing yet broken over it at the same time. I have not invested the time and energy into relationships that are important to me. It has been a struggle to balance life, schedules, and times to the point that some days I feel like I am messing up everything or falling short. It feels like there are days when I am rushing through life and trying to just get what has to be accomplished done only to crash at night and re-start the process all over again the next day.
How can I be an encouraging, positive, loving light, sharing God’s grace with those around me when I feel like the walls are falling in on me? I have been praying specifically that God would break down the walls I have built up around my heart, revealed those areas I need to heal and repair, fill the holes that are plugged with the wrong motives, and work in my life, however, it is at times a very painful process.
When an animal is hurting they tend to find a safe place and withdraw into themselves. If you approach a hurt animal when they are in that safe place or feel like they are backed into a corner they have a tendency to snap at anyone reaching out to help them. Their eyes are clouded with hurt or pain, their defenses are up, and they don’t know what to do so they react in anger at anyone trying to help because it is hard for them to distinguish between someone who is trying to hurt and a person who is trying to help. I am sure vets or people who work with animals see this all the time. The animal wants to be alone in their pain, lick their wounds, and retreat to safety even though it it not the best action if they truly want to heal.
As humans we cannot and should not react the same way as an animal would. We are built to value and crave relationships. Some of our relationships may be healthy while others are pulling us down. We cannot be everything to everybody, it’s impossible, yet we can make an impact on the lives we touch. Starting with our relationship with Christ, spreading to our spouses, children, and reaching out to family, friends, co-workers, and others that we interact with in our lives. It always works best when we are living our life looking for strength, encouragement, and wisdom from the top and allowing it to filter down through our lives to the people we have the privilege of loving and living life beside.
Take time this week to spend time pray. Investigate your heart, reflect on your relationships, and start the process of breaking down the barriers we have created to falsely shield us. Those barriers are really just holding us back and blocking those who truly love and want to help us. Allow your spouse and others to speak truth into your life.
Relationships: Friendships & Crossroads
The beautiful flower is the one that Brina gave me on Mother’s Day!
I have been thinking a lot lately about relationships and friendships. Part of the reason this has been on my mind a lot is that our girls are going through the process of learning what it means to be a real friend and characteristics of friends. They are slowly, and sometimes painfully, at least from a Moms standpoint, learning the value and qualities portrayed in a true friend.
As they wrap up their final year in elementary school and prepare to move up to Middle School they are realizing that many of the people they know now are going different directions. They are are starting to understand that the friends they have known since Kindergarten are not going to the same schools. Yes, they will see a few people they know next year, but many of the classmates, teachers, and faculty are going to new. A new school, new location, and in some ways a fresh start to the next phase in their life. Kids from their school are going in various different directions some due to location and others family decisions.
I was thinking about friendships and how our lives continually crisscross paths with individuals who become our friends. Sometimes for whatever reason or due to circumstances our paths have to go separate ways, but that doesn’t mean your friendship is lost or that you’ll never see them again. Other times for various reasons it is best to go separate ways. As I was thinking about the conversations I have been having with my kids and ideas of how to encourage them through this transition I came across this little saying by Donna Yea that describes this part of the friendship journey well:
Life is like a journey. We may be walking along a path with friends and then come upon a crossroad where we each must choose the road that is right for each of us individually. At times we may find ourselves walking a path alone, but somewhere along the road we find new friends to walk with, friends to love, friends to grow with, friends to share with. The path of life has many crossroads, and at each one it’s difficult to say good-bye and go our own separate ways, choosing the direction that is right for each of us. But the memory of a friend will always remain, and there is always the chance that our paths will cross again. – Donna Yee
Thankful for writers that can put words down in such a way that they can encourage my heart and let me know that this is normal. Is it easy to go through this stage and process with your kids, no, but it is necessary. Our support as parents and families is essential as our kids learn to grow and adapt to the changes they encounter while they are under our roof. How we handle or don’t handle these little crossroads will make a big impact on our kids. Let’s make this a positive experience for them. One of the hardest times in my life was transitioning to a new High School, but I met some of the most amazing people and friends during those last couple of years that I may have never met had I not been required to switch schools. God is good and will provide those people at the right times and in the right moments.
Mother’s Day Celebration!
My familyThankful for an opportunity to be a Mom! Being a Mom is an amazing honor and privilege that quite frankly scares me some days. It’s good to know that the call of Motherhood is not a place for us to be alone, but a place where we get the opportunity to live life alongside other Mothers and sisters who can pray, encourage, and support each other throughout this incredible journey.
I am thankful for my Mother and the many Mothers and sisters in my life that continue to make an impact on my heart. We live in a broken world full of broken people therefore it is impossible to be perfect and being a Mom tends to make that oh so clear. It is essential and refreshing to have people who are willing to speak truth and love into your life on a regular basis. I am grateful for each and every one of these ladies in my life.
Breakfast in bed – fresh cherries, fresh pineapple, yogurt, and an omelet (ham, cheese, mushroom, spinach, and tomatoes)! Delicious!
Jake and the girls made my Mother’s Day extra special. I received breakfast in bed, hugs, and well wishes. After breakfast we went to church together and heard a powerful message that hit home in my heart. When we got home Jake and the girls (okay, mostly Jake) made an amazing lunch followed by a relaxing evening. The girls gave me sweet cards, beautiful flowers, a blueberry bush, a swing cushion, and other goodies.
It is not always easy being a Mom, however, there are more good days and great memories than I can count. Some days are a little tough and I get frustrated with myself for not being able to do better, but I never regret becoming a Mom. Motherhood is one of life’s greatest gifts and callings. It is an honor and a little scary at times raising kids.
Although life gets a little crazy at times I wouldn’t change it for anything. It has been a wonderful gift seeing these two little blessings grow up. They continue to amaze me and it is awesome seeing them use their talents.
One of the several beautiful and Sweet Mother’s Day signs. This one is from Karlie and I discovered it sitting on my desk! Love my girls!
Volunteering at School
Crazy day volunteering at school, watching both girls speak in front of their classmates, teachers, and parents – they did awesome! After running errands, sharing a surprise with someone who has been a blessing to our family, and various other activities I was able to finally sit down, eat a late lunch, and soak in the beautiful sunny Fall view from our back deck. Thankful for the colorful landscape!Flashback Friday: Fun with Friends and Bath Time
First trip to GattiTown with Mandy, Jack, Danielle, and Riley (Brina & Karlie)
Today our Flashback Friday is in August 2005 when the girls were 6 months old. It is quite an adventure packing up and heading out to visit family, friends, or do errands, but we are getting better at it. The process of just getting out of the house, into the car, and on our way is usually several minutes long.
The girls have been enjoying going out and about more. I try to do at least one fun activity outside of the house each week with family or friends. They are usually exhausted by the time we get home, but we have fun. It is good for me to spend time with other Moms too.
Thankful for family and friends to hang out with. The girls are really good and for the most part do really well when we are out and about. They love watching everything. It is neat to watch them soak everything in during our adventures.
Mandy and Jack on the carousel
Danielle and Riley on the carousel
Brina very excited about driving Riley’s cool car! Vroom…vroom….look out people here I come!
Josh carrying Brina
Karlie hanging out with Kari
Christy holding Karlie
Aunt Vick hanging out with Brina as she bounces around
Cousins Jordan and Rachel feeding Karlie
Brina watching cousin Jack open his birthday gifts
Jack opening his birthday gifts.
Karlie starting to zone. She didn’t like the party hat at first, but soon forgot about it.
1st Bath together after being out with friends and having sunblock on them. It was too hard to safely bath two wet babies at the same time before now. They could sit up on their own and each had a place to safely sit in the tub now. At first they were not sure what to do? You mean we can play in here!?
Getting use to the bath time fun.
Flashback Friday: First & Second Time at the Pool
Brina a little unsure about this whole “pool” idea
Today’s flashback Friday goes back about 10 years when the girls first were introduced to a pool. The first trip to the pool with the Greenville Mother’s of Multiples Club family party. We didn’t even have swimming suits for them yet so we took them in onesies and swimmer diapers. They were not to thrilled about the pool the first time around. Both were a little surprised and not overly excited about it. You would never know that now though!
The second time we went to a pool was about a week later with our friend Mike and Ashley. We had gotten the girls swimsuits in the meantime and they did a little better the second time around. Still not thrilled about it, but they tolerated it better.
Brina was a little surprised by the pool water.
Brina slowly getting used to the water on her feet while sitting in Daddy’s lap.
Brina standing up in the pool, still not sure about this whole pool thing.
Brina thinking about sitting down, but still disturbed by the pool.
Brina was very curious by all the other kids swimming around her. Why do they look like they are having so much fun!?
Karlie’s first dip into the pool. She was not happy!
Karlie’s thinking that maybe this isn’t too bad. Daddy seems to think it’s okay…
Jake sprinkled a little water over her head. She wasn’t entirely sure if she liked that.
Karlie sitting on Daddy’s lap talking with another twin. He wanted to know why she didn’t like playing in the pool, ha!
Karlie getting used to the water and she sits there for a minute.
Karlie looking at Mommy for help and confirmation that this pool thing was okay.
Karlie – “Can someone turn off the bright light overhead!” She was not a fan of the bright sunny day and if she was directly in the sun would just close her eyes and whimper. Poor baby girl.
Survived their first “pool swim” or should we say little dip! They were much more content to be back in the bassinet together.
Swimming at the pool was EXHAUSTING! They were out for a nap within a few minutes of drying off and getting into the bassinet. (Brina and Karlie)
Brina and Karlie got their cool new swimming suits and ready to go again. They think it’s funny now as they are at home sitting in the chair together….
Brina with Aunt Ashley at the pool. She is still not convinced that this is a good idea!
Mommy taking Brina and Karlie out into the pool. They were very intent on watching the pool water, like its going to get them or something.
Mommy with Karlie and Brina. They tolerated the pool better this time around with only a few tears. Thankfully it was a small quiet pool.
Brina all snuggled up in her dry towel. She is now ready for her nap.
Look at those pruney little tootsie toes! So cute!
Karlie is getting sleepy. Swimming is hard work Dad!
Flashback Friday: Happy July 4th
Happy Independence Day from Brina and Karlie!!!
Today we are flashing back to July 4, 2005. It was the girls first July 4th Independence Day celebration! My Aunt gave the girls these adorable dresses to wear for the celebration.
We spent the first part of the day as usual. Getting everybody up, fed, changed, and some play time. That evening we went over to a friends house to play games and celebrate. They were good sports and happy babies the whole evening.
Brina, Riley, and Karlie all coordinated for the July 4th Holiday!
So many reasons to celebrate this July 4th!
Heart Reflections: A Talking Donkey?
Recently I was reading the devotional book with the girls about the donkey in the Bible that talked. Several days later as I was going through a decision process in my own life I was again reminded about the talking donkey. If you have prayed about something for so long God will give you an answer even if that means being as direct (like a talking donkey) to get your attention.
Other times it may come from Scripture:
Often times after weeks of praying you can come across a verse during your quiet time that hits home. You have been praying earnestly for an answer and on that particular day and at that time He gives it to you through Scripture. He knows exactly what you need and when you need it. You may have read that verse many times in the past, but it really struck a chord on that specific day and time.
Or it may come from people in your life:
I don’t know about you, but a donkey has never spoken to me, however, God has used people in my life to speak truth to my heart. Sometimes they speak truth not even knowing the situation I am currently facing. God uses their words of encouragement to help answer my prayer.
