Am I Seriously Loving Summer??!

I’m telling you, summer might be my new favorite!

It’s already been so fantastic every day.

Since this is my way of documenting my life and lessons, I wanted to post how great this morning was. One of my goals for the year was to look for God’s details in everyday life and He has def been detailing.

First off, I went on a short little run. I go on a run once a week. I actually don’t do it for health/fitness reasons, if I did then I’d go more often. I was going to tell the reason but now I’m too self-conscious :) hehe. NOT one of my goals.

On my run, my mom texted that she and my grandma were at the donut shop and you know those are some magic words. So Flint and I headed that way.

We all decided to walk a few stores down to the thrift shop where I found exactly what I was looking for.

I have been wanting red check (is it check or gingham?) fabric to make curtains. I don’t have a specific room for them yet, I’ve just had a hankering for more red in my life. Because I didn’t have a set plan for these curtains, I thought I’d check the thrift shop before going to the fabric store.

And whatchu know?!

It was literally the first thing I saw when I walked in, sitting pretty in their Memorial Day/Fourth of July display. I couldn’t believe it.

And not only is this red check fabric. They are already curtains!

Wow thanks, God.

As an added bonus they also had two chairs that fit my taste so perfectly I can’t handle it.

Our driveway looks disgusting. (Ever so sorry.)

Derek was home for lunch… see that hot leg in the background? Mm.

But those chairs!!! They’re in the weird half-sun half-shadowland so you can’t really see the color, but it’s a light sea blue. They’re calm and pretty.

I cannot wait to clean them up and, well, sit in them. There are two, so that’s one for you!

We moved into this house with not near as much furniture as we needed to fill each room. But I decided that I wanted to slowly add pieces that I only really love. Rather than go buy a bunch of furniture/decor to feel “moved in.”

And I’m so glad. Now, not only are we filling the rooms with things we truly love, but each piece has a story to it too. They’re all conversation pieces!

It’s so fun and meaningful. And it’s all so us; rather than something we picked to go in a room.

 

Last night, we had to say goodbye to Derek’s sister and her boys. Back to Japan.

I told him that having all his siblings live so far away is like dating… You feel like you’re always saying a hard goodbye.

Goodbye for another year. A YEAR. Ech.

I unknowingly took a wonderful series of pictures I now call “Flint’s Intense Cheeses”

 

You little cheesehead.

So glad God is weaving Himself into all the little details of our lives. And just as tickled that He gives us the eyes to see it.

Thank you for summer.

Thank you for Your details.

Thanks for all the teeny blessings all along the way that make up a great life.

 

 

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How Am I Doing on my 2016 Goals?

June is a darling word.

It’s so fresh and easy. And it’s a darling name, too! I have a thing for short names though.

Now that we are halfway through 2016 (put your heels in the dirt!) or whatever that phrase is that means slow down, I thought I’d analyze how I’m doing on some of my goals for the year.

This is a list I made back in January. A couple are stolen from someone else. But goals can be shared.

I tried to have it laying out on the counter but clearly Flint thought he’d make some edits.

I’m actually doing really well in regards to worrying!

I have learned so much about God’s sovereignty through having a child. Like even just that little example over the weekend about Flint sticking his hand in the fire… I could list hundreds more like that.

Maybe I shouldn’t say that on a public platform. ;)

But it’s true! There have been countless times when I’m even watching him that out of nowhere he almost hurts himself really bad.

I remember when he was about 7-8 months old I had him playing in the living room; I went to check on something in the oven and he was literally halfway up our stairs! In less than 15 seconds. I had no clue he knew how to climb stairs!!

I raced to him and held him, but then I just had to chuckle because despite my “best efforts” it still takes God’s care to manage just one baby. Even just one baby I can’t do on my own.

But I’ve learned over his little life that nothing will happen to him until it’s time. Truly. Not a thing will hurt him that is outside of God’s order. Because so many things should have hurt him already.

It helps my daily worries over little things, but it also gives me confidence that when the big things do hurt him in the coming years, it’s all in God’s timing and sovereignty. I can trust in that.

Another one that I’m learning this year is “I don’t imitate others”.

I LOVE when people are themselves.

It’s so refreshing when people are just who they are.

Something that draws me to another person is when that person laughs at their own jokes.

I love that! It’s like, “I made that joke and it was darn funny; I’m going to laugh it at too!”

I laugh at my own jokes too, but usually I’m the only one. Haha.

They are such little twins! I hope all our children look like Derek.

Here’s a picture that accurately depicts Flint mastering my 2016 goal of “Other people are not my standard”

He’s got it, even if I don’t.

Do you make goals? I’d love to hear some of them!

Happy June!

May your day be as beautiful as you are!

 

 

Always Carry a Kite

Our Memorial Weekend was our most memorable thus far, hands down. Way down.

Our anniversary was Friday. I woke up to sweet Derek’s beautiful flowers and a gift card to one of my favorite stores. He was even thoughtful enough to know that I’m not loving clothes shopping while I’ve got an extra 20 lbs. of babyness going on, so he got a card to shop for my next favorite thing- home goods.

Do you love shopping for your house as much as I do?

Oh my worrrrrds, I love it. And! I discovered my interior decorating style. Do a google image search for “Dorothy Draper work” and try not to smile at all of it. It’s all so friendly.

After our wonderful date, poor Flintycake had a ear infection and we were up most of the night. That was the first time since he was 8 weeks old that he woke up during the night. So to say we were discombobulated is an understatement.

Finally, around 4 a.m. we figured out that it was his ear that was bothering him so we took him to the ER.

But first, we stopped for donuts.

Bless our hearts, we had been up for hours by the time this picture was taken. I just thought Flint’s bug bites were bothering him because he didn’t act like he was in much pain.

I’m so glad we finally figured out what was wrong.

Flint’s first trip to the ER. Shoot I don’t even have a picture!

That night, we had supper with some friends.

We were sitting around their fire pit when Flint literally stuck his hand in the flames and was totally fine. It was so weird! No burn, no pain, nothing!

How this poor child is alive is beyond me.

I’m sure when God gave Flint to us He designated an extra couple of guardian angels to watch out for him because… his mother.

So those 12 hours were quite dramatic for him. And us.

Then there was church and that always brings a calm.

On Sunday afternoon we cleaned the windows in our den. The windows in that room are just about the size of the wall and are quadruple paned. Okay? Okay.

So that means Derek took out what seemed like 470 windows. In all, we cleaned 32 sides of glass. That might not sound like much, but when I rarely clean anything anyway, that’s a lot.

It has made a huuuge diff!

It was so funny because as we were finishing up I told Derek that I was embarrassed how many people we’d had over since we moved in and how bad our wall of windows looked, and that we should invite someone over that evening. Just to kind of make up for it.

And then his phone went off. We ended up spontaneously having some friends over for supper! It was perfect.

Those curls! Those eyes! Such a little dollbaby.

Monday morning we went on a hike.

Flinty was a tad nervous about the leaf tunnel and it was just the cutest.

Full disclosure, it really wasn’t a hike. It was just a nature walk around a pond and through a prairie. But when you’re pregnant as all get out, everything is a hike.

Putting on my socks is a hike.

Monday evening we went to a cookout with family.

29 weeks along; 2 years old; Flint says the wheat is about 3 weeks from being harvested.

Family knockout game.

There’s a joke in there about me being knocked up, but I can’t formulate it and I’d rather not waste two minutes of Flint’s nap time by coming up with an only mildly funny joke.

You can barely see it, but my aunt is holding a kite.

I learned last night that my uncle always carries a kite in his car. I love that.

You just never know when it might be the right moment to take a rest and fly a kite. But you oughta be ready for it.

I’m adding it to my life list.

• Always be the first to say hello
• Always assume the best
• Always carry a kite

Because every day could be a “memorial” day!

Okay, I’ll stop.