Opening Ceremony & Scrimmages for Clemson Central Baseball & Softball

This past Saturday was the Opening Ceremony and Scrimmages for Clemson Central Baseball and Softball. Because we have 3 kids on 3 different teams, we were there most of the day! I'm pretty sure we had the first time slot for pictures and the last time slot for scrimmages. 

Spencer is on the purple 8U machine pitch team. He got great hits every time up to bat! He just needs to work on focusing when he's in the outfield! 

Lydia is on the teal 10U softball team. She was super excited about pitching during a game for the first time! She was so brave! 

 Bryn is on the orange 12U softball team. Because there is only one 12U team, she didn't have any scrimmages. She enjoyed hanging with her friends.

Atlanta Spring Break Mission Trip

Our family had the privilege of joining this great group of Clemson students on a Spring Break Mission trip to Atlanta. We came alongside a church plant that will be launching in September. We really enjoyed this time with the Christian and Kimmie White and their sweet kids, meeting their team, and hanging out with the students on the trip. So thankful for this opportunity!

Group picture before heading out on Saturday

Fun lunch spot

My girls with the White kids

Praying for the area they are trusting God to reach. We are on top of the high school they hope to meet in. 

We really enjoyed worshiping with Blueprint Church on Sunday!

Sunday afternoon we had evangelism training and helped fill lots of easter eggs for their upcoming easter egg hunt next weekend. Carson dives in with the group and fully participates. 

Huge highlight from our time was on Monday morning when we all went to Georgia State University to engage with students there, Carson and Ethan paired up and they led someone to faith in Christ! I'm so thankful the Lord gave them that opportunity! 

We are Smitten with Kittens

Get ready for cuteness overload!!!!!  

Our sweet cat Snowflake turned up in December and at some point in January got pregnant and on Wednesday, March 14th she gave birth to 3 beautiful kittens! We have been obsessed with these kittens and so proud of Snowflake and beyond this, in awe of God and his miraculous creation! Wow, to see His glory in creation and the instinct He gave animals, simply amazing! What a privilege to watch!

It all started first thing Wednesday morning when Carson realized Snowflake was acting abnormal, meowing a lot, agitated, and discontent. She really wanted in Bryn's room (where she had more than made herself at home) but Bryn was still sleeping. Finally, he just opened Bryn's bedroom door to let Snowflake in and she went straight to Bryn's half-filled hamper. Next thing we know, there are 2 kittens next to her! Carson came running into my room saying, "Mom, Snowflake is having her kittens!" And I sprinted through the house! 

We all gathered around Bryn's hamper to watch the third kitten being born and just stayed in awe as to what our eyes were beholding! 

3 kittens, all different, all beautiful! 

This was school for the morning! 

Later that afternoon we realized we needed to figure out a better "nest" for her and the kittens. We fixed a spot in our bathtub and when she hopped out of the hamper for the first time I pulled out the clothes from the hamper with the kittens on top and gently placed them in the bathtub. Thankfully she handled that ok and all went well.

I've taken SO.MANY.PICTURES

 Today they are 1 week old and doing great! We are so proud of Snowflake and how she is caring for her babies! They are growing so fast and we are just fascinated!

They are starting to purr which is so sweet! 

We just love them all and love watching them grow! 

Our Days

One of my motivations for this blog is to have a keepsake in the future. I want to remember the big events but also the normal and mundane. The following is a hodgepodge of our days in this season.

Snowflake has a blue and a green eye. She's such a sweet cat!  We are quite obsessed with her pregnancy and are waiting with much anticipation for the kittens to come! Her belly is growing!

Tiger was enthralled with watching Lydia's hamster one night.

We are plugging through school. It's been a fun year of learning history (1850 - Modern Times) and seeing each of them grow in their studies. 

As the kids get older I appreciate their help in the kitchen! I love that they can fix their own lunches and really be helpful!

I spend lots of time in the kitchen. It is no joke running a home and fixing 3 meals a day for 6 people who can put down some food! 

I've really enjoyed my Instant Pot!

We spend lots of time gathered around this table. Thankful for our time together there as a family. 

We are working through "Training Hearts, Teaching Minds" for our family devotions during breakfast. It's been a great tool and prompting good theological discussions.

There are typically several wedding invitations/save the dates on our refrigerator. The chores hang there as well. We rotate chores monthly, which has worked well for us. Training them to do a good job in those chores is another story! Work in progress!

Lately, Bryn has been asking to fix my hair a lot. 

The hammocks have been hanging in our front yard lately. The kids love going out there together and we've enjoyed occassionally doing our read aloud book there as well. I love getting outside more as it warms up!

Speaking of outside…..

at least daily, I walk around the house observing the changes in all my plants...

what an amazing Creator we serve!

I love flowers!

And I love these smiling faces! 

This is a glorious sight! We love when Daddy gets home from work!

All 4 kids are playing a spring sport and practices are just getting cranked up! Carson is playing flag football, the girls are both playing softball, and Spencer is playing machine pitch baseball. We got this softball swing away for them to work on batting.

Of course Jermey had to give it a try:)

They've enjoyed their spider swing they got for Christmas.

Psalm 39:4 - “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!