December Home Life

Here are some other happenings around here in December…..

The Reeves came over one night for dinner and a bonfire:

Kolson's party, card games, chores, neighbor friends, sickness, Jen & Lilly visit:

Family Christmas movies and snuggles with Tiger:

Kids singing at church and our Christmas candlelight service:

Lots of Christmas Prep and hamster hiding (and watching Tiger discover Chewie):

It was a full and fun month! 

Lately (Warning: Random)

Since we got home from all our travels this summer we've stayed busy!  It's a good busy time of year!  Here is some of what we've been up to....

A fun wedding shower for Joey & Sammi (they get married Saturday!) at the Nicholson's home

sweet kids

We're back in the groove with homeschooling which is always a work in progress!  Occasionally Carson gets the giggles uncontrollably....typically laughing at Bryn:)

Bryn LOVES to check things off.  This is what she does as she takes her spelling quiz.

 We enjoy taking school outside as much as possible.

 

I've really tried to be more intentional with Spencer during school time.  I got him a couple preschool books to do while the other kids are working.

Carson using our new dictionary

 Still having a theme of snakes lately that I'm NOT a fan of.  The other day I was sitting on our front porch and saw something move in the bush right in front of the porch and realized it was a snake!  So we got the hose out and tried our best to get it away.  I don't have time for that!

 And a few weeks ago Carson caught this huge black snake in the field next door.  I could NOT believe it!

 Our co-op is in full swing!  We had several new families join which we're so thankful for!  It's been a great semester so far!  

 I'm teaching a dissection class for the 4th-6th graders which has been fun.  We practiced on oranges the first week, then we did an owl pellet the next 2 weeks, then an earthworm, crayfish and this week we will do a grasshopper.

I got to meet up with some sweet college friends.  Jill, Cayce & I hung in Greenville before picking up Ashely & Susan and then we all drove to Charlotte to take out our dear friend Sage for her birthday.  Sweet night with friends!  I'm increasing grateful for them as I age.  

Jeremy's brother, Jon, and his wife, Leigh, adopted their sweet daughter, Zoe, from China!  We are looking forward to meeting our new niece! 

Spencer loves all things soft!

Trying to raise up cooks!

My man had a birthday!

 He got a new grill!  Much needed!  Our old one literally fell apart as it was taken away.  

 We enjoyed catching up with the Watson family!

Jenna & Alex got married!

We've enjoyed doing our read aloud on our hammocks outside after lunch. 

The kids LOVE wrestling with Miguel!  Enjoyed some time with the Generation Linkers at the social last Thursday.

Super excited for new friends of ours who found out they are having a GIRL!  So glad we could be there for the gender reveal!

The girls started playing Volleyball for the first time....

So today I decided to take them to the Volleyball tournament on campus to inspire them!

While Jeremy did some serious yard work!

So thankful for this full life!  

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." -Psalm 90:12

A little MIA lately...

So it's January 2014 and I realize I've completely neglected my blog!  There are good reasons for that, I promise (I'll get to that)!  But, I've missed blogging!  It's therapeutic for me!  I like keeping record of life, it serves as a photo album for our family in many ways.  This blog also helps me process life!  I've always been a writer by nature.  I prefer to express myself through writing. 

I don't know if it's possible to catch up on this blog so I may just start fresh now.  We finally got home after a great summer.  Jeremy and I were able to go on a fabulous getaway to Charleston for his 40th birthday!  We enjoyed fun things in Tiger Town!  And then all I documented on the blog was Lydia's 5 year birthday questions, Carson's 9 year birthday questions, and Bryn's 7 year birthday questions. We had so many fun times and blessings this fall that I just won't be able to blog about.

So, why have I been so MIA????  Mainly because of this.....

By God's grace and Jeremy's push of encouragement I finished my MA at Southeastern!  When we moved to Clemson over 8 years ago I was about 3/4 through my M.Div. degree.  I didn't have any intentions of finishing a degree because I was consumed with marriage, motherhood and church planting.  Now, 8 years later, Jeremy wondered what it would take to for me to finish a degree.  So he (yes, he.....I didn't even have energy to inquire about this!) inquired and found out all I needed was 2 courses to finish a Masters degree from Southeastern.  So I did an online course during the summer and then this past fall had to write a 26 page research project under a professor to finish my degree.  Because I was so rusty from writing papers this was a pretty big undertaking!  It required so much time and energy that I didn't have!  I felt like I had to say no to a lot of areas in order to make time to write this paper!  But, it's over!  I got the degree!  Wahoo!  So thankful that's not on my plate this Spring! 

Another time consumer (yet blessing) was being a part of starting a new homeschool co-op!  Cayce and I have talked for years about starting a homeschool co-op that would offer enrichment courses for our kids and other homeschool families in the area.  Our dear friend Jill, Cayce, and I started the co-op together this past September!  It's been so fun and such a blessing.  It's also required extra time and energy to my week.  It's been so worth it to be around other homeschool moms, and for my kids to be in a structured setting with kids their age and under another authority for a short time during the week.  I love that they have to bring their backpacks and lunch and a snack.  We've also had P.E. and an end of the year party.  I'm thankful for this time in our week. 

So here's to a New Year!  I'm excited about 2014!  Hopeful for many new blessings and challenges this year!  I feel so blessed and thankful for all God has done in my life.  May He be glorified in a through me this coming year! 



   

Home Again

 After all our travels we returned home on August 6th!  It was good to be home!  It's true what they say, "There is no place like home!"  In many ways we hit the ground running because this begins a very busy season for college ministry.  

As much as I try to speak truth to myself and ease back into a little bit of "normal" life (whatever that is) it's still a challenging transition for me.  I come home very rusty in running my home and juggling everything.  I long for routine and control and yet the Lord graciously reminds me He is the only routine and He is in control!  

I've concluded that routine is overrated!  Yes, there is much to be said for planning, and discipline, and boundaries!  But I've found myself idolizing this phantom life that feels under control and is all things routine. Then I look at my reality and they don't match.  So, the Lord has been teaching me the freedom of letting go of that idol and instead to trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6) and keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).  I want to value pleasing God more than feeling in control of my days.  I want to be led by the Spirit more than get my to-do list completed.  My life is always screaming at me the things that need to get done.  But in the midst of the tasks I don't want to miss God and the precious people He has allowed me to do life with.  It's a daily fight of faith!  

Here are just a few pictures of our first few weeks home in August.   

Lydia enjoyed having birthday cards waiting for her!

My budding reader!

Fun India outfit from Aunt Amy

My (at times) neglected 4th child.  Poor thing fell asleep in his room one day...

 A big project accomplished was selling our beloved kidney school table and replacing it with some IKEA tables, chairs, and bookshelves. So glad Jen came with us for our IKEA run!

 Our new school room!  (If it only was as clean now as in these pictures!)

 Sometimes you just have to turn on a video!

 We stayed busy the first week of classes for Clemson students with all the first week activities.  We do love this place and this campus.  May God continue to raise up more and more followers of Christ from this place who would be faithful to Him and used for His glory!  Below is the ice cream social for college students during the first week.

 I've also started this Bible study on Philippians for women.  I've been doing year long bible reading plans for awhile (which are so great) but I've missed inductive study of one book.  So this has been a refreshment to my soul as I fight for joy and am reminded "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21)