Lately...

Well hello there! Where have I been?! The past three weeks have been...um...emotional, exciting, different, challenging and eye opening. It has been an interesting month for sure!

Almost 2

Family pictures April 2011

Growing fast!

I recently stopped working  for a dear friend in her home day care. I was fortunate enough to be able to take my youngest littles with me. I was working about 26 hours a week which I know is not a lot to most full time working people but for a wife/mother that has been home for the past few years, it was a lot! I was so anxious and ready to get out of the house and feel "needed" (as weird as that sounds).  I worked for about 4 months and then decided I needed to be at home again. Our lives got so busy all of a sudden. I don't even know how it happened but before we knew it, we had something scheduled 5 nights out of the week! I used to envy that type of life, when I home schooled and felt so lonely and secluded. Now...not so much. I needed to slow down and focus on my home and our family. Its been good but defiantly different. I forgot how clingy and bored my girls get when we're at home too much. Not something I enjoy...! It will take some getting use to again but that's OK. We have missed our morning walks around camp and just exploring the outdoors like we used to. We most all of missed seeing BJ throughout the day, something I never want to change!
I completed a bible study a couple weeks ago that really hit home with me. It affected me WAY more than I had planned or even wanted to. Obviously God was in control and knew that I needed to hear a few things. I was humbled, embarrassed, ashamed, hurt, enlightened but above all, forgiven! I was given the chance to re-evaluate my "priorities" and start over by focusing on things that really mattered. I made the bold, weird step to "delete" (which in Facebook terms merely means to "deactivate") my account so I could regroup and figure things out. Facebook can tend to be addicting, annoying, unnecessary, hilarious, interesting, boastful, awesome, fun....well, for me anyway! I needed a break from it so I took the plunge and "deactivated"! It was hard at first, which I realize is lame, but was good and well needed in the end. After a lot of changes and prayer, I decided to "log back in". To my surprise, note the sarcasm, the Facebook world was untouched, unchanged. I felt like I had just logged in the night before. Anyway, I will use it in small doses and move on! :)

These next few weeks will be full of moving, as the camp experiences a "house rotation", if you will. I am excited, anxious, thrilled, sad...too may emotions to convey. I have brought two out of my three daughters home from the hospital in this house. We have had MANY tears (a house full of 4 girls tends to be that way) in this home but much more laughter and giggles. We've explored every nook of this place and at the same time grown out of this place! We're ready to move on, and by move on, I mean down the road :). It's bitter sweet for everyone involved but good! :)
We're in a good place and God is good, all the time!

A glimpse into my 20's...

Here we go...In 20 minutes I will be 29. I know to most that seems so old and to others, so very young. I agree with both. The growth and maturity that occurs during your early 20's to mid 20's is SO significant! I feel like I changed into a completely different person over night by the time I was 26! The things I held fast to seemed so shallow and insignificant. My views on the world and values had changed. My faith had blossomed and grown. Those few years seemed so important to me and so critical but now I think of my next few years and how crucial THOSE will be! Either way, that last 9 or so years of my life have been, devastating, glorious, shocking, emotional, peaceful, full filling, dramatic, dreamy and above all, Messon! Here is a small and brief glimpse of what I've seen and experienced over the last 9 years.

My dad and step mom, Helen

My mom and dad a few years after they divorced

My parents divorced and my father remarried, bitter sweet and still something that lingers and affects my daily life.

My love

I was married and divorced with a baby by the time I was 23 (something most people don't know about me).  That season of life was very dark and depressing but God had a plan for me and my sweet Bella and bigger, better things were waiting for us! That plan involved BJ. He swooped right into our lives and we all fell in love. We like to say that Bella and I adopted him :)

By the time I was 27 I had given birth to 2 more girls!

My littles

the boat

The RV

Our boy

The cat

We moved to south Texas and we became pet owners, boat owners, RV owners....some phases lasting longer than others.

My west Texas nieces and only nephew :)

my south Texas nieces

My youngest niece

Over the past few years I have become an aunt!

My Grandad came to visit!

I have seen my brother grow into a man and graduate college! I had to say good bye to sweet Grandmommy a couple years ago.

Amanda :)

Kim :)

Shea :)

The men :)

I have lost contact with close friends that I grew up with. I have developed new friendships with precious people.

Bella turning 6!

Starting 1st grade!

Kinder at home

Bella being baptized by her Daddy :)

Kinder graduation with her buddy :)

I have seen my babies grow and change into little women right in front of me!! I have home schooled. I have learned to cook. I've seen my oldest completely give her little life to Christ! She's been baptized and has inspired ME to be a better Christian.