'Twas the weekend before Florida.

In just 2 days we are flying down to sunny Florida! We are all feeling that buzz of excitment, and to be real, I'm feeling the drain of trying to get every-single-little-thing done before we go. My hubby is slammed with seminary homework and is preaching Sunday morning, and I've had more laundry to do this week then any other time I can remember. But we keep reminding each other... "Florida". Keep pushing through.

Tonight I had a few minutes to hop on here and give a quick life update. We are all doing fine, I should let you know. I just genuinely cannot figure out how or when to do more updates and posts yet. I'm also lacking a computer (unless my hubby is home with his), so yea, that's where we are now.

Did you catch my last post on All Things with Purpose? We hosted a Good Friday soup dinner here in our home and it was such a great time. Click here to catch up on that news. 
Next month I'm planning to reveal a BIG project that will start post-Florida - a plate wall in the newly (to be) painted dining room! So that's exciting.

The biggest girl is losing teeth and growing up and making me feel old. She finishes kindergarten in one month. One month. Don't even ask me where this year has gone! We have really enjoyed watching her mature and grow in her knowledge. She LOVES to read now, is learning all kinds of new fun facts and came home today telling me she was going to go make a "Venn diagram". Don't worry, I wasn't sure what that was at first either. This whole first year of school thing ended up going so well and SO much better then I had pictured up in my mind. Knowing how much she loves to learn I think I have my summer challenge cut out for me. Sitting around and playing still happens, but this girl likes to keep her hands busy. I love her.

My two littles have two goals every day: 1) Be as cute and cuddly adorable as possible and 2) Destroy every clean surface in the home the moment I walk out of a room.
I.can't.even.

So it's toys and sticker books and puzzles and games and books and dollies and blankets and teething toys and any other random thing... all day long. I love them. I love this life. Sometimes I don't even notice all the mess, but then other times it's enough to push me over the edge. August will be FOUR next month and loves to tell me this fact over and over. Break my heart! Jane, as you can see, is pulling her self up and into absolutely everything. It's a new world having three mobile children. I love it. And, can you even handle those baby thighs!??!? {sqeeeeeee}

As for me. Well, you know...
Even though life is busy and we are enjoying ministry and our children and our marriage, I still so often feel like I'm "blah". Baby weight to lose but no motivation to do so. House to organize and keep clean with no motivation to do so. I had hopes of having a small garden planted by now - but that's still on my list. Blah. Just blah. I cannot say I'm bored, but I will say I just feel blah. There are a zillion different thoughts in my brain all the time, I tire easily, I want to exercise and eat healthier but I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to sugar. Ha! And yes I see the cycle thank-you-very-much. Even my reading time and study of the Word feels a little...tired. And that's never the Word of God's fault, it lies with me. I'm thinking we just all need a break, good thing it's coming soon!

This week I had my hair done. But not just a cut - like a full on salon experience. I think I've been to a real professional salon twice since I've gotten married. It was awesome and I drank up every minute. When I walked in they gave me fruit infused water to sip while I waited. Before my cut I was given a stress relief neck and upper back massage with warm oil {seriously}, then taken to the paraffin dip for my hands. Now, I'm usually pretty satisfied with just that feeling of having my hair washed for me... can I ever go back to life without massages and paraffin? :) My stylist was sweet and chatty and it was wonderful to sit in that chair and get beautified for an hour. I'm not kidding about the hour - I had a lions mane full of hair that needed some major TLC. Now I'm enjoying a long bob and it's great! Isn't it a beautiful feeling to just feel pretty on the outside now and again? After this third baby I've been having some image issues - sometimes a hair cut helps. Simple as that.

So now it's Friday night. I have a little more laundry to do and there are some dishes in the sink - but, I'm thinking a night on the couch with a warm blanket, some cocoa and Netflix sounds WAY better.
Florida and 91 degree days are heading my way. Push through!

The month of celebration ends (and a GIVEAWAY!)

Me, being the coffee bar afficianado, at our youth Christmas party

Christmas Day has come and gone.

Cookies were swapped.

We have a 5 year old now.

I'm 17ish weeks along in this pregnancy.

Friends got married this weekend and we got to play a part.

Tonight is New Years Eve.

It has been a crazy, wonderful, busy, intense, blessed, season of Holidays for us. 

To be honest with you - our reality is that all this crazy, blessed, fullness just continues on. We have a youth retreat this weekend, I'm starting up our Mom's playgroup at church again, Hubs will be traveling for conferences and appointments, and life goes on. I guess I could look at life as ONE BIG FAT CELEBRATION all the time :) Yea, I'll do that. 

Even during the busy, God has been good in allowing me some time in His word {even when I'm lazy and not making it a priority...to my shame} and a few extra minutes to read through some encouraging and helpful books. I always want to be a woman that is learning and growing - it's important to not get stagnant. 

To kick off a NEW year and another 12 months to learn and grow - I'm doing a different type of giveaway today and I hope you'll join in the fun. I have chosen three books that I think are read worthy and if you are chosen the winner you choose the one you want! All you need to do is leave a comment stating which book you'd like to WIN and why. Simple, eh? I'll choose the winner this weekend - so you have 3 days to enter. If you aren't familiar with how to comment, or, aren't a blogger yourself - just be sure to at least leave your name and email on your comment so I can connect with you. 

Here are the options....{drumroll}....

"Letters to Pastors Wives" Edited by Catherine J. Stewart

This is a book of compiled letters from women who have "gone before" if you will. Here is what Amazon says about it: 

"There is no right 'type' of pastors' wife, only the one whose heart is wholly set on serving Christ."

Pastors' wives encounter special challenges as well as special joys. These letters from the seasoned wives of seasoned pastors provide empathy, wise counsel, and encouragement on a wide range of topics, including:

Campus Ministry, Church Conflict, Friendship, Hospitality, Ministry Abroad, Pastors' Kids, Priorities, Support for Your Husband, and more."

Some of the contributors were: Margy Tripp, Noelle Wilkerson, Pam Schweitzer and Sarah Ascol.

I am LOVING this encouraging and challenging book in my own quiet moments while my kids are asleep. I just finished a chapter about humility and it was convicting to the CORE - compiled with scripture and life stories, it's just exactly my type of reading. If you are a current pastors wife, hope to be one, or even just a ministry leaders helper - you would enjoy this book. 

"Glimpses of Grace" by Gloria Furman

"Sometimes life feels a lot like a burden—day-in and day-out its the same chores and tasks, challenges and discouragements, anxieties and responsibilities. Dust bunnies show up on the stairwell, social commitments clutter the calendar, and our families demand daily attention and care. At times, just catching our breath seems like an impossible feat.

So where is God in all of this? Does he care about the way we unload the dishwasher or balance the budget? Do the little things like changing diapers or cooking meals make a difference? And how can we use our spheres of influence for God’s glory and our joy?

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a working woman splitting time between the office and home, Gloria Furman—writer, pastor’s wife, cross-cultural worker, and mom—encourages us to see the reality of God’s grace in all of life, especially those areas that often appear to be boring and unimportant. Using personal examples and insightful stories, her richly theological reflections help us experience the gospel’s extraordinary power to transform our ordinary lives."

This book was given to me last year and it's on my top 10 list now! Gloria writes from experience and with a true grasp on the Gospel. I loved her transparency and the ideas she gave on really making the Gospel a priority in her day. 

And, just for fun - because I think we need that - especially as we raise chidren, live hard lives, and just face this broken world. :) 

"Princess Petunia's Sweet Apple Pie" by Big Idea and Karen Poth

I have TWO big "girl" Veggie tale fans in our home! They especially love Petunia - and I was glad to find these early reader type books. This cute book is about being helpful, something our children can benefit from for sure! 

Use this to spend some quality time with your kiddos - or gift to the Veggie lover in your life. 

So there you have it! I'm excited to hear your thoughts and pick the winner this weekend! (Drawing will be done with Random.com) Don't forget to leave your comment! 

An online find, or two. :)

Hi friends :) I'll spare you from the millions of pics I've been sharing lately. Can you tell that I adore my new camera?! What fun I've been having with it! Ah, what a blessing...still gives me goosebumps!

I wanted to share something I read online today, especially if you have daughters - it's fantastic and kinda made me tear up a bit. The post is called, "24 ways to prepare your young girl to become a lovely woman", and was from the blog "Club 31 Women". Check it out here.

 

I haven't gotten to dig into the blog a ton yet, so I'm not sure what else is there - but, was so encouraged by that post! And, I needed this reminder and know I'll need it again and again. :)


And on a totally different note...
Back to my new "toy". I think I'm going to jump on board and take this "challenge" here soon! Though, I might tweak it a bit.

 

Anyone wanna jump on board with me? :)

 

SO many things. So, thank you!

I've found that in my lifetime journaling has always been a way of tracking. Life experiences. Emotions. Discoveries. Deep, confusing thoughts and questions. Journaling is a safe place to lay them all down. It seems this day in age with the popularity of things like Facebook, Twitter, email, and the like... nothing is sacred. Thoughts can be spewed, opinions thrown around {whether fact or blatant falsehood} and even used as "prayer concerns". As a blog writer I feel like I'm checking myself all the time. Is this good? Is this worthy of a post? Is this important? Does it build up? Does it honor God?
There have been times when I've thought about shutting the whole thing down...
Who really cares about Pausleyland anyway...? And isn't there something more important out there? And, can't I just keep my little journal near by and stick with that? Safe. Judgement free. Private.

Obviously, the answer is YES. There are more important things. I can still track in my private journal, for the deep and confusing. And, I honestly can say that I do try to write uplifting, encouraging and truthful posts. I love to share life and there may be little better then hearing someone say, "That post really encouraged me and helped me think".

While I haven't done well at heading towards it - my entire point for this post was to say... There is SO much to talk about, learn about, pray about, mourn over, delight in, live in. So many things I want to say and battle over holding back. I just want to say a thank you to those of you who over the years have been a blessing and encouragement to me - allowing me to share my heart and dreams with you via this blog. I love my "in real life" community of church family, real family, and friends. But I count it an extra blessing, too, to have a little community in this bloggy-sphere. :)

I'd like to share my heart again today - on the behalf of a little girl named Taylor. She is in the process of a 12 hour cancer surgery. I don't know the family, or even the baby girl, but I know she needs our prayers and she needs our Great GOD to work in her little body. I sat down this afternoon and read a post from her Momma and was brought to tears. The dr's have told them this surgery is very risky. They now sit and wait. I cannot fathom this in my mom-heart. Sitting. Waiting. Wondering. Time just passing.
Will you please take a few minutes to pour your heart out to God on Taylors behalf? I'm asking God to give the Doctors great wisdom and direction while working on her tiny body. I'm praying for comfort and encouragement for her parents and siblings. I'm praying for a miracle. Will you join?

Waffles, Fern Gully and dollhouses

I went to bed last night with this glimmer of hope that both of my children might sleep until the 7 o'clock hour. I was weary and tired and doing this on my own as hubby is away for the evening. But at 5:50 I heard the littlest call to me. After laying in bed with her for over an hour and not finding sleep again {either of us} - we came down to start the morning, and big sis joined in. I had two frozen waffles left for Ava, some cheerios for Augs and me. We had our breakfast - just my girls and me. Ava and I giggled at watching August try to stuff cheerios up her nose. We love being together.
And now August is napping - Ava is playing dollhouse and Fern Gully is playing on the TV. It's a calm Saturday...I treasure these. I read back through my last post and couldn't help but smile at how similar the feel is - calm. Maybe that will be my word for 2012. I still have a zillion things on my mind - things I can't seem to get out and down on paper. Thoughtful things. Questioning things. Ponderings, I guess. But right now I'm learning to stop...and just play with dollhouses.

Recovery

Today is January 2nd and it's just me and my family. Brad is working from home today - locked up in our bedroom working on his lesson. August is asleep and Ava is watching Milo & Otis. Our tree is still up and all the massive amounts of gifts from family and friends still spill out from underneath. I haven't gone grocery shopping since before Thanksgiving {seriously}. I'm sipping cup #2 of coffee. The dishwasher is full of clean dishes waiting to be placed properly away until their next use. Our oatmeal bowls still grace the table where we ate {as a family} this morning. Even Auggie's high chair tray displays the half chewed cheerios she attempted to eat. It's casual around here. It's calm. I don't want to move for fear it will go away.

I make lists in my head, and on paper.
New housecleaning charts.
Menu plan.
Fun activities for my now 3 year old.
Ways to save a penny.
Home decorations I'd like to try and make.
Books I'd love to read.
Places to go.
People to see.

But, today I won't mess with any of those. Today I will rest. I will stay in my sweats and cozy socks. Ava will stay in her flannel PJ's.

I have a zillion thoughts and ideas on things I'd like to blog about. And yet, can't seem to squeeze them from my brain to fingers to keypad. I dunno...sometimes I wonder if I should even write them out.

Today is recovery day. The Holiday season is over. Family is gone. Friends are back to work. And life will all too soon pick up that frantic pace again. So today we'll take it extra slow. And I'll savor these days of craft time at the table, Milo & Otio {again} and leftovers for lunch.

Stuff you didn't know you didn't know :)

Bear with me as I share a silly email I received this weekend...

Every day more money
is printed for Monopoly than the U.S.
Treasury.



Men can read smaller
print than women can; women can hear better.



Coca-Cola was
originally green.




It is impossible to lick
your elbow.




The cost of raising
a medium-size dog to the age of eleven:
$ 16,400



Intelligent people
have more zinc and copper in their hair..




Q. Half of all
Americans live within 50 miles of what?

A. Their birthplace




In Shakespeare's
time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened,
making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the
phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight'



In English pubs, ale
is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when
customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind
your pints and quarts, and settle down.'

It's where we get
the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'



Many years ago in
England ,

pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle

of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill ,
they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle'
is the phrase inspired by this practice.

Now, how have any of us survived until now not knowing those things? :P
Happy Monday! Let some silly in today!