Come.On.Spring.

Am I right? I mean, I'm all about treasuring each moment and enjoying the seasons... I even LOVE, LOVE winter time. But, the itch for spring is definitely here! This morning I woke up to the sound of birds and even now as I sit in the quiet of my TV room there are adorable little pudgy birds chirping away at our feeder outside. They are ready. We are ready. I'm pretending I didn't see this little sight from the Weather Channel. (Buzzkills!) Winter storm Thor... we don't like you.

 

But rather then belly ache, let's focus on something pretty instead. :) And speaking of birds earlier reminds me - Spring has arrived inside our home! Our deck might be ice coated but the interior is green and blossoming. Here's a peek at what I've been up to this weekend.

 

I'm feeling the warm breeze of spring already. {Sigh} But seriously, this was a fun time for me to go through what we already owned and fill in pieces with frugal buys. The little bird was found at the Dollar Tree! The bunting was cut from my old hymnal! I love cheap and free :) I will say, if you have any "fun money" stashed away Hobby Lobby has some awesome deals right now. I picked up the boxwood balls, some silk flowers and that cute round basket on my buffet this weekend. Super great prices and 40%! Also, Burlington Coat Factory of all places. I was really surprised at the aisles of clearance stuff that was in GREAT shape, and super cheap. Housewares were all marked WAY down.

So anyway. We are eager to put this cold February behind us and look forward to some sunny days.
I hope you are having a fantastic weekend! Enjoy your Saturday!

Shocked & Amazed

{Gasp!}
Look at me all sitting down and blogging and stuff.

And, did you notice the new look? I've been finding moments here and there and thought it might be time for a little makeover, blog style. :) Now, to update that family picture and we'll be golden. But who has time for that right now? My darling third born daughter - you are loved. You will someday be represented. Here's a Christmas picture in the meantime.

Hi friends. Oh how life has changed now that we've added this third child. It's beautiful and messy and busy and wonderful all rolled into one. It's taken me til just about right now (almost 9 months) to feel like my head is above water, and I'm thankful to be getting there. Life is full for us right now between ministry things and having a child in school type of things to day to day life and relationships in general. FULL. To be honest some moments (days) have not been pretty for me - there has been a lot of ugly hard times, learning curves and just flat out failures. Those times have reminded me time and again how beautiful GRACE and forgiveness are! Thank you Lord for that! Also, thank you for elastic waistband pants, chocolate and coffee. Juuuust keeping it real, folks. ;)

We are doing well. Ava is still enjoying kindergarten, learning to read, and becoming a little writer. She has lost her first tooth and seems to be growing by the minute. I still can't believe she's 6!
August keeps me busy during the day with all things dress up, pretend, and being as sweet as sugar. I'm so thankful for her constant hugs - she seems to have the gift of empathy and tenderness. :) Jane is 8 months old and just about as darling as they come. She's at the pre-crawling, pushing herself back stage. So cute! She's a smiley momma's girl and I'm eating every moment up. My heart is in denial that June 6 and that first birthday is just peeking around the corner! What is it about the knowing it's your LAST baby that just tears at you?!!?

Some exciting things are coming down the pike for us as we prepare for the spring and summer. We've got some family trips and ministry things going on that we are pumped about. Including ME getting to sit through a real-live Jen Wilkin workshop at The Gospel Coalition. Wooooooot! Not to mention being in FLORIDA. The countdown is on! But right now we are smack dab in the middle of mundane every day. You know what I mean? School, kids, weekly routine, meals, homework, repeat. Not that it's a bad thing - just, feeling a little monotonous right now. Also feeling cold. Very cold. Maybe that makes the mundane feel more heavy?

I can't close a post down without sharing what I'm reading - and, thank you those of you who have mentioned missing me. Blesses my heart! And I love, LOVE giving these recommendations to you. Words are so important. God's word is MOST important, but I'm so thankful for teachers and writers who can write to help us learn too.

Mom Enough.

Remember Rachel Jankovic from "Loving the Little Years"? She's starts this one off and while I'm only on chapter two - it's fantastically encouraging! Gospel truth for the heart of moms! Dig in!


Miserly Moms.

LOTS of good ideas for those of you looking for ways to stretch your dollars.


Life Together.

Oh man. If you need an excellent reminder about Christian community together... this is it.

And, this little nugget below. I've been working on this (tiny) book for almost a year! Ha! But, it's so good and meaty. A little bit of a heavy, wordy, read - but great.
The Hospitality Commands.

Blessings to you, friends. Hoping to catch up soon!