SNOW!!!

6 inches fell yesterday and today and the boys couldn't be happier. I'd be happier if it weren't 13 degrees out, but even though, it was still fun to go out and play today. I've enjoyed being "snowed in" these past 2 days - forced to slow down. It's probably back to school tomorrow, so I'm going to enjoy these last few hours (I can see Brian and the boys sledding down our hill as I'm writing this)!

more basketball

Ethan may have been waiting for a few months to play basketball, but Elliott has been literally waiting for a few years. The last time he played an organized sport was 3 year old soccer, and he really could have cared less. In fact, every time we ask him if he wants to play soccer or t-ball or whatever season it is, he always answers that he'll just wait for basketball and football. Well, he's been waiting a while since I checked all over the place and you had to be in Kindergarten to play basketball. THEN, when the time came, he wasn't sure he wanted to do basketball. Ugh!

He ended up signing up and the other night was his first game. Let me tell you - that guy was more excited about that than I've ever seen him (well, maybe Christmas morning)! He could hardly contain himself. He did great dribbling and threw some good passes. He was very upset that his team didn't score at all (although I believe Ethan was more upset about it than he was!).

Very fun to watch

basketball

Ethan has been waiting for this day for months now....first day of his basketball camp. For a few months now he has been coming home from school saying that he has basketball practice at 4. Or that he doesn't have practice today cause he already practiced at school. But on the days that he does have "practice", he usually goes up to his room and starts shooting some hoops. Very dedicated boy I tell you.

Now he's doing a basketball camp for kids his age and loving it. Of course, he's not totally satisfied cause he wants to actually compete in a game (almost killed him that Elliott got to play in a game and the scoreboard was even on the other night). Your time will come, big guy!

shout out to my mops girls!

It was so nice to get together with my MOPS group tonight - it was really a great night of just sharing, laughing and having fun. I love all the girls in there! I wasn't sure about MOPS at first cause I'd never been in a MOPS group before and all of a sudden found myself on the steering team - yikes! And not only did I not have any experience, but I was kind of feeling like my "preschool" mom days were coming to an end - Ethan was much more independent and sometimes (even still) I had to remind myself that he was only turning 4.

But, once again, God has quickly shown me that his plan is so much better than mine! I have met and gotten to know some really awesome girls and am developing friendships that otherwise probably wouldn't have come about if it weren't for being with them in MOPS. I didn't even realize I NEEDED new friendships - ha!

So, you know who you are, and I just wanted to say thanks for the laughter and friendship tonight (and every other day!).

gift of journaling

On Monday, Elliott came home from school with his journal from the first half of the school year. Every morning his teacher asks each student to write in their journals - they draw a picture and then write about something they did the day before or just whatever is on their minds. As I was thumbing through it I noticed what a change has occurred in his writing skills already, but I realized something even better. This is a daily record of what was really important to him the last few months! What a gift his teacher has given us in sending this home with him for us to keep! I saw that he wrote about wanting to go to the beach and to go camping. I saw that he was excited that we went to Applebee's one night. I saw that he was incredibly happy that Daddy came home after his weekend in Georgia. And I liked this one pictured above the most. In case you can't decipher it (you have to read it in columns - left side top to bottom, then over to the right side bottom to top), it's a picture of our church and says "I like my church. I like to learn about God." Melt my heart! I'm so glad that was important enough to include in his journal.

ethan's getaway

Ethan was so excited to get to go stay with Aunt Meemer this past weekend. He was quick to remind us that WE were not going - didn't even want us to linger when dropping him off. It was a huge deal to him especially since Elliott had never done it before - he got to be the big guy for once!!

They had a ton of fun - Jupiters (where our incredibly blessed guy won 1000 tickets on one of those spin the wheel arcade games) and the Globetrotters on Friday night. Then hanging out with Erin and Jeremy on Saturday afternoon. Even Wii time with my cousin, Tara, and Tyler. He was tired to say the least!

Thanks for being such an awesome aunt, Amber!!

simplifying - two thoughts

I was reminded twice this week of two thoughts that I believe have had (or will have) a great impact on the quest to simplify things and thought I'd share.

First, my friend, Beth Moore, (yep, she's my friend like Becky Higgins is my friend, too - right Vicki and Nyla?) reminded me of something that I learned from her in our last study:

She said that every morning as she gets out of bed, she asks God to be the Lord of her life that day. Everyday. I started doing this and what a difference it has made! In Joshua 24:15, Joshua tells the Israelites to decide whom they will serve and that he and his household will be serving the Lord. Making a conscious decision and commitment to this everyday really puts the day in perspective and reminds me of what my priorities are for that day and everyday. It also reminds me to do my best to live within the limits God has set for us - and I've slowly learned first hand that this gives us freedom and rest. What a simple thing to do each day that has such a profound effect!



That brings me to the second thought - this quote from the end of the chapter that I'm reading in the book I mentioned earlier, "Little House on the Freeway" by Tim Kimmel (the 2008 version):

We give our family and ourselves an incredible gift when we make the decision to live within God's limits. It opens the door to genuine rest in our lives, and perhaps even more importantly, it models the pathway to rest that others can follow as well.

Simple things for my resolution of simplifying!