friday's musings...

i have missed taking the time to put down in words the things that made me happy this week...so, i am back at it.
these are the things i am loving about this week:

1.  the fact that the temperatures here have maintained at mid 70s...making it feel a little bit like christmas...plus, it is really nice not to sweat while i eat.
2.  watching alba shiver when it gets to mid 60s in the evening.
3.  the dream i had about my granny last night.  i woke up this morning forgetting that she was gone...it was a sweet time remembering her.
4.  typing this list with a baby on my lap...makes me remember all the blog posts i wrote with finley on my lap.
5.  finley's dance moves for her christmas program.
6. peeking in the kids' classrooms to see them playing, singing, or dancing with the other kids.
7.  finley's spanish...when she gets mad, she lights into people with the ferocious spanish of a telenovela...pretty impressive.
8.  the christmas tree, the snowflakes from the ceiling, the decorations....everything that makes it feel a little bit like normal here.
9.  i haven't had a soda to drink in about 2 weeks...can't remember exactly how long, but i am happy about it.
10. dorky jokes.
11.  watching the movie "The Holiday"...one of my favorites.
12.  oliver jack telling me that he is sad that he is turning 6 because he knows it makes me a little bit sad.
13.  only having 2 or 3 complete spanish goof ups this week.
14.  family dinners with lots of crazy people around the table.
15.  harper taking broccoli and cheese soup in the largest container i have ever seen with zero hesitation to school..she is the bravest person.
16.  oliver jack's advice to calvary on how to deal with a bully: "bite him."
 17.  life calming down just enough to sit for a few minutes in the morning and have coffee.
18.  having a house full, full of people to love.

Wednesday's Musings...

I am a few days early (or a few weeks late--depending on how you look at it) but I am in need of a little perspective...so, here are some things I am loving about this week:

1. Taking my kids to the library and how happy it makes them to check out books.
2. Finley's love of reading...this kid may love books even more than Harper.
3. My mom reading countless books to Finley throughout the day...seriously...everytime I turn around Finley has a new stack for Nana to read.
4. Guacamole.
5. Hanging out with Lauren at the Duke Gardens and meeting Fine.
6. This video
7. Having a quick little visit with Jen...probably one of the most encouraging and genuinely kind people I have ever known.
8. Oliver Jack and Calvary having a little neighbor friend to play with.
9. Oliver Jack's ninja crawl.
10. Coffee.
11. Finley in little boots.
12. Oliver Jack in skinny jeans.
13. Calvary's excitement about his "sabbath time" in the mornings.
14. Harper's love of dance...she is growing up so fast...most of the time I enjoy it.
15. Having the chance to go out on dates with Kyle a few times in the past few weeks.
16. My husband...he is so good to me...I am just so blessed to be his wife.
17. Candy corn.
18. Duck Dynasty...yes, it has happened...we have not had the luxury of satellite tv for over a year but have been reacquainted over the past couple of weeks...love this family...especially, the Phil...Harper has decided that she will marry a bearded man...
19. Finley telling a story.
20. Oliver Jack doing school. Such a cute boy.
21. Looking through old pictures.

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1. finally getting back to real life...i still feel pulled in so many different directions...but i feel like i am starting to get back to normal.
2. oliver jack playing with calvary instead of watching tv today when calvary had lost his tv privileges...i was grateful for that moment to be able to point out how nice it is to have a little brother...
3. calvary praying that his sunflowers will grow...those little guys are busting out with gusto!  i am almost as excited as he is to see them completely grown.
4. new flowers in my window box.
5. the enormous amount of blooms starting to peek out of my hydrangeas...every time i see them i think about the message of how pruning is a necessary part of life in order to produce fruit...what a sweet reminder in this season of our lives.
6. making friendship bracelets with harper.  it is hard for me to believe that she is big enough to be able to handle more complicated crafts but it is exciting as well...it won't be long before we are working on big things together.
7. how this month marks the last month of school!  i have loved homeschooling, but i am ready for a break!  i am ready to just play...this beautiful weather has me ready to spend all day at the pool, park, and just be outside playing and enjoying the easiness of a summer schedule.
8. having family over for dinner.  it is nice to share our table with friends and family.
9. my kids getting older and having deeper teachable moments with them.
10. the outpouring of generosity and support we have received through our donation marketplace on facebook.  
11. going grocery shopping...i haven't been grocery shopping in 4 weeks...unbelievable...all we have done is picked up a few things here and there...but today was the day when our shelves were filled.  
12. all the green in our yard...the woods in our backyard are starting to fill in but they are not out of control yet...the grass is starting to fill in but it is not so rampant that it is difficult to keep up with the mowing...
13. watching the blue birds fill their nests and take care of their babies...
14. having the quiet time of finley's nap to sit, rest, and catch up with the details of life.  
15. having strangers commend my children for their behavior.  those moments are sweet for all of us...my kids are proud...and i am proud of them...i love those moments...i assure you that there are also many moments where we are not spoken to commending behavior...but this week has been a good one.
16. mailing t shirts to people who have bought them.  
17. realizing just how much my children have learned this year.  i am proud of their accomplishments and how hard they have worked.  
18. watching calvary teach oliver jack school...it is so sweet to watch him "act" like a teacher and it is just as sweet to watch oliver jack respond to him.
19. harper telling calvary how amazed she is at his math abilities...i love when they build each other up...
20. oliver jack waking up yesterday morning and realizing that finley was snuggled up to him...he smiled so big and then laid as still as possible so not to disturb her.  he would bend down and kiss her cheek and then turn and grin at me...probably one of my forever moments...

Friday's musings...

Things I am loving about this week:

1. Having field trips with my friend/ fellow homeschool mom.
2. Getting a chance to be crafty...even if it means that I am getting very little sleep...with another friend to raise funds for Costa Rica.
3. Signing Kyle up for his immersion Spanish class.
4. Calvary calling Alli to ask her to make his birthday cake. Phone talking is not his strength and he really didn't want to do it, but he did! Of course Alli had already graciously agreed to make him a cake because she loves him...but he didn't know that ;)
5. Having Alli around for many reasons...just a few reasons are because she is an amazing gf baker, her work on our tshirts, and just her overall willingness to help us...we are so grateful.
6. Cleaning off our back deck from the layer of pollen that covered it so that we can now sit out there and do class or drink coffee...love it...
7. Finley and Oliver Jack "reading" their Bible during Bible time. Finley will say, "where do you want me to turn? Corinthians or blue?"
8. Watching my kids play in the sprinkler and with water balloons. We are for sure a summertime family...these kids love warm weather, water, flowers, and being outside giggling and having a good time.
9. Popsicles.
10. Wearing flip flops.
11. Oliver Jack's desire to buy Calvary a birthday present. He has been saving his money and he wants to use it to buy a present and it just makes my heart swoon to see them be so loving to each other.
12. Finley following Oliver Jack around wherever he goes and sitting right beside him on the couch. He pushed her up the hill on his bike yesterday and then ran behind her to "make sure she didn't suddenly jump off".
13. Harper's desire to craft and work with me. She is at the age where is so aware of what is going on and what is being said and wants to be a part of every decision making conversation...sometimes it is aggravating to be honest...but other times it is so sweet to see how much she loves and admires us...if only I could actually deserve that type of admiration.
14. Listening to Oliver Jack and Finley count. They are really into counting right now and they love to count EVERYTHING!
15. Mowing the grass and getting the yard tidied up.
16. Working in the nursery at church.
17. My kids in summer clothes...little girls in summer dresses and little boys in plaid shorts...so sweet.
18. Finley recognizing her name when it is written.
19. Harper's attention to details of picking out her clothes. She loves to put outfits together and try and make things coordinate. Love this part of her getting older.

Friday's musings...

Things I am loving about this week:

1. Spring Break! I got so much laundry done and cleaning done...I am not going to focus on how getting laundry done is a sad barometer of fun...instead I am choosing to focus on how liberating it feels to be caught up on the task!
2. Finley feeling better....she was down from Tuesday night to Monday afternoon with a stomach bug.
3. Watching the kids do Easter egg hunts & finding their Easter baskets.
4. Calvary's excitement over new socks.
5. Oliver Jack saying, "do that 'courageous" thing momma" when I tuck him in at night...I tell him, "You are a kind boy. You are a loving boy. You are a brave boy. You are a courageous boy." He loves it...I love how sweetly he gobbles up those words of affirmation...
6. Kyle's mystery trip he planned and surprised us with last week...not this week, but I didn't muse last week so I had to include it here!...it was so fun. He took us to the zoo, an arcade, and to make it all the more awesome we stayed overnight in a hotel with an indoor pool...the kids loved it!
7. Meeting new people through the common goal of ministry. I have been so humbled by the amount of people willing to help us and educate us as we begin this journey.
8. Christy's new Pygmy goat.
9. Hearing Calvary sing. He has such a beautiful little voice and he always sings worship songs. I just love it so much.
10. Finley not refusing to poop in the potty anymore.
11. Oliver Jack taking care of Finley. He loves her so much...even though she can be so feisty sometimes!
12. Harper telling me that she doesn't want me to go somewhere because she "likes to be around me"...
13. The kids being able to get outside and play and climb trees...
14. Calvary and Oliver Jack playing together. Oliver Jack is learning Calvary's quirks; he knows that Calvary has a difficult time coming up with ideas on his own and he has heard me give Calvary options...so now I overhear Oliver Jack say, "Calvary, here are your options: we can play Legos or we can color. Which do you choose?" Calvary always picks one and off they go!
15. Eating dinner at a restaurant other than fast food...it was a long, long time since we have gone out and it was so nice!
16. Having Chloe and Emmi come over and doing a sewing project...we all had a great time and it was so funny to watch all of the kids sew, paint, and be so proud of their finished products...
17. The kids excitement when Kyle gets home after work.
18. Starting to make tangible steps to get ready for Costa Rica. Making plans for our house, selling or giving away our stuff, and starting to plan fundraisers are making all of this become increasingly real and that much more exciting.

Friday's musings...

Things I am loving about this week:

1. The website that Jessica made for our family.
2. Consignment sales and finding cool things like loads of books for Harper for .50 cents a piece!
3. Writing emails in Spanish. Realizing that I can get the general idea of most written Spanish...spoken...well, I am going to work on that one a whole whole whole lot.
4. Watching cartoons in Spanish with the kids...they are gaining some vocabulary and it is really sweet to watch them try.
5. Calvary trying to think of the perfect present for his friend Adam. He has come such a long way from just year ago and moments of thoughtfulness like this are the evidence that we are moving in the right direction.
6. A sweet friend offering her early bird tickets on FB and me being able to have them...I think that these moments of sweet exchange are evidence that there are SO many beautiful souls in the world.
7. The amount of interest and support we have had as we announced our transition into ministry. I am sure that we will have many, many bumpy roads ahead but it is such an awesome blessing to feel the love. :)
8. The friends I have made over the past couple of months. I am inspired by Tara's passion, Traci's sincerity, and Meredith's diligence.
9. Watching how Kyle is totally comfortable outside his "comfort zone" when he is living inside God's calling...
10. Bluebirds nesting in the bird houses in our backyard.
11. Signs of spring...
12. My kids playing outside together.
13. My new bedtime...yes, I gave myself a bedtime so that I would stop staying up so late! I was finding it more and more difficult to get up and be cheery before coffee.
14. Oliver Jack taking care of Finley. He is so sweet to her that it makes my heart just sing.
15. Calvary laughing at my jokes. He laughs like I am the funniest person in the world...and I am not...but he makes me feel like I am.
16. Harper taking her writing test for end of grade testing...and being so "glad we don't do that everyday" and by "that" she means get up early, get dressed, grab breakfast, and go to school...I love realizing that they love it as much as we do.
17. Seeing Susan and Hunter every other Tuesday when we leave Calvary's appointment...it is always nice to see the two of them.
18. Taco soup. It is yummy. Julie made it for us on Sunday afternoon and it was so yummy! Kyle even liked it...his only request is that we stop calling it taco soup and call it "chili" instead.
19. Calvary keeping track of what activities we do on certain days...I sometimes wonder what all is going on in that little head of his...
20. Finley's empathy...she hates for us to be sad or upset...so if we even pretend to be sad or upset it bothers her...she has such a sweet heart...

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week...

1. my kids praying and thanking God for each other...my heart rejoices hearing them love each other.
2. watching harper walk down the aisle at her uncle's wedding...she took my breath away.  she is growing up so fast and she has such a beautiful soul.
3. my mom and dad taking the boys to a movie.  they had such an awesome time and it was great that they were able to have some "boy's only" time.
4. kyle's mom and dad coming to the rescue and keeping a sickly finley so that i could go to the wedding.  
5. getting caught up on laundry.  
6. harper and finley sleeping on the floor together in my room.
7. calvary learning more and more how to have self-control and learning the value of being kind to others. 
8. our church's new move! exciting times ahead!
9. going to book stores with my kids...they love books!
10. finley becoming more and more expressive with her words and body language.  she is really ridiculous.
11. seeing how much harper and calvary have learned this year.  i was so unsure of what we were walking into this year but seeing how much they have grown and learned has helped me to become so much more confident for our future.
12. meeting new people...exciting to meet new people and just see wonderful people living for Jesus.
13. the bunny hat that jennifer made for little finley...it is so adorable and i cannot wait to have it in hand and then on finley's head :)
14. my kids excitement for learning spanish...calvary has asked to have a notebook so that he can fill it with all his new words he is learning...they are constantly asking me how to say different phrases (some are more useful phrases than others).  i am so glad that i have the opportunity to spend more time teaching them a second language than what is allocated otherwise.
15. learning that i have SO much to learn.  i am humbled more and more everyday by just how much i think i know versus the realization of what i actually know.  this is true for all areas of my life; spiritually, emotionally, academically, and inter-personally ...
16. week 2 of the new expectation and reward system and, minus a few setbacks earlier this week, the kids are still going strong and their rooms and areas have never been so consistently clean with such little effort on my part!  i am still choosing to rejoice in this victory and praying for continued success in the future...
17. jesus calling devotional...we have been using this devotional in our bible time in the morning and harper and calvary are really responding to the text as well as learning how to find the scriptures in the bible.  finley is totally unimpressed and usually spends this time rolling around on the couch and poking oliver jack in the eye.  oliver jack tries to be interested but usually he is more entertained by finley rolling around and poking him in the eye...
18. finley eating more vegetables and fruit...by no means is she a "healthy eater" but she is SO much more willing to try things than she ever has before...and she actually enjoys some of it too!  
19. kyle and finley's shared love of all things peanuts.  
20. how cute kyle was playing and planning for david's wedding...

monday's musings...

...'cause i forgot on friday.
things i am loving about this week:

1. washing produce when i get home from the grocery store and putting it in the refrigerator or nice little reusable storage containers.  i don't know why...it just make me happy.
2. kyle and the kids working to fold the mountain of laundry i have been avoiding all week.
3. harper and merriwether exchanging letters in the mail.
4. getting to have a lunch with my sister-in-law during the week. 
5. my kids having someone praise their behavior...i wish people understood what a boost it is for their character and motivation it is for them to hear positive feedback.  i asked the lady if she would repeat what she said to me to the kids because i make them take responsibility for their poor choices and i only think it is right if they get to take responsibility for their good ones as well...
6. sarah's bridal shower...loved having a chance to celebrate the upcoming wedding of this awesome couple as well as feeling so grateful to be where we are with this awesome family....such a testimony of God's faithfulness and i am always humbled by it.
7. little harper.  she is just so amazing.  smart, funny, compassionate, and generous....i see a million ways throughout the week.
8. hearing myself say things that i should never have to say such as, "harper, please do not eat out of the trashcan."  "why are you scratching your tongue?" "it is time for bed; not for riding your brother like a horse!" "please don't play with that lizard's eye ball."  
9. lecturing my kids and suddenly having flashbacks to lectures with my father...he always had a way of saying things that were just too funny and made us laugh and all the while he was being serious.  kyle just looks at me and tries not to laugh and then the kids just lose it...
10. our church offering a gluten free option for communion...what a gift it is to be a part of the body of Christ that recognizes the needs of that body! we have several people within our church that are gluten free and our church has taken steps and then even further steps to make sure that my husband, my son, and all of our fellow gluten free people can partake in this sacrament...beautiful.
11. hope.  hope for my brother...freedom.  i am holding fast to the beautiful testimony that is being written in his life!
12. finding out that old and distant, but still very much loved, are having their very first baby!  (this made my day beth lake!) so very happy for you both!
13. talking openly with calvary about asperger's.  i want him to understand what it is and how he is affected by it-- both the limitations and the areas where he will excel-- my prayer is that in understanding how he is neuro-different will be empowering and freeing...
14. oliver jack picking out candy for each of the kids with kyle...he even knew that he couldn't get calvary sour punch straws because they were not gluten free before kyle even could check!  he pays such attention to his siblings...
15. finley mirroring.  she is copying the people around her more and more and it is hilarious to see her perception of each of us.
16. re-usable k-cups...good grief it is expensive to have coffee with a keurig! 
17. writing.  sometimes i feel like i struggle with communicating my heart to people...i can be silly or i can be serious but i have a hard time accepting a compliment or transitioning a conversation to matters that are personal to my heart.  writing is liberating for me.  i can write how i feel and utilize the transparency that i crave instead of hiding behind silliness or behind mothering.  i can be real. 
18. my wednesday afternoon runs with dalila!  it has been so awesome developing a friendship with her and i am so grateful for knowing her :)
19. mr. levi's sweet gift of a bird house and bird feeder for our back yard.  he really does love us....way way way deep down. 
20. focusing on the little moments that make this life so precious...

friday's musings...

Things I am loving about this week:

1.  Having Bible with the kids...I love watching them think outside of themselves.
2.  Running &; exercising...I have been wanting/needing to get back into working out but I have made so many excuses and I never have time but I really do feel SO much better when I work out. I am not doing anything impressive...just enough to get moving during the winter slow months.
3.  Great Samaritan Methodist doing the Run for God program. It is definitely nice to have some accountability...I would without doubt still be hoping to work out if it wasn't for the shame I would have quitting :)
4. Finley playing at the park instead of chasing me wanting to be held...
5. Playing football with the kids.
6.  Looking out my window and seeing Calvary and Oliver Jack huddled up "like real football players" and playing football together.
7.  Appreciating the beauty of seeing my boys playing together.
8.  Harper really enjoying division. Math is not her strong suit and she although she does well since it doesn't come naturally she usually fights me more on her work...but she has been really enjoying it.
9. My kids in pajamas that actually match. They are all about picking out their own pajamas and it drives me crazy when the tops and bottoms do not match but it is a little like Christmas when they come down wearing pjs that match.
10.  Harper taking such care of Finley.  She loves to take care of her...sometimes I have to ask her to hold back so I can have a part of her care-taking :)
11. My new haircut.  Kimberly cut off so much and it was so exciting to have such a change and feel refreshed...although I have many moments where I do still miss my long hair.
12. My mom and dad coming up for a visit.  
13. They brought a baby they were watching and Finley said, "Thank you for bringing our new baby.  I love him!"  If it was that easy I am sure we would have at least 5 or six more.
14. The women at our church.  I have been so excited to be a part of such a group of people who are so open, loving, and genuinely interested in being a part of each other's lives.  It has been a gift.  
15. Watching Oliver Jack walk over and sweetly hug Calvary...and Calvary not push him away.  
16. Oliver Jack's sweetness.  This boy just loves people.  He has his moments and when he is angry his go to defense is to withhold his sweetness...but even that shows me just how much he values kind words and snuggles.  
17. Making hot tea for Harper in the morning while we do her school work.  Everyone else is usually either watching Finley's show for the day or playing so it is nice to give her something that makes her feel a bit big to comfort one of the not so positive sides of being big.  
18. I wrote "Yay!" on one of Calvary's papers for school and he asked me if I could "write 'yay' in Spanish instead..."  I love that my kids are interested in another language and grateful that they are being raised to understand that it is a privilege to speak two languages and not a disservice.  
19. Kyle's support.  I have been so busy lately and I feel like we have not been able to spend as much time together but he never grumbles or complains when I have to leave after dinner or meet someone on the weekend during the day.  It helps me understand how he feels leaving us each day and it helps me to be a bit more sensitive to that.
20. Nights when the kids go straight to sleep without coming down 7 million times to kiss us, get cups of water, tell us that so-in-so is talking too loud, show us what a bear looks like wearing glasses, or inform us that Oliver Jack is giving Finley horsey rides...
21. ...but then again...I kind of love those times too.

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1. the kids made all a's on their report cards.  they have worked hard and i am proud of their efforts. 
2. clean teeth for 3 out of 4 children (finley doesn't go yet)..well water and copious amounts of candy were not victorious over their enamel...my mind is at peace...praise the Lord we do not have lots of cavities to pay for...
3. french vanilla k-cups for the keurig...yummy yummy
4. harper's book report.  she is such a writer.  love that about her.
5. running with harper.  i love that we have those few moments to walk and run and just chat by ourselves...they are far too rare.
6. at the park the other day finley was having huge issues with me not holding her and running (how dare i not run with her--i tried it...it wasn't pretty)...calvary and oliver jack were trying to comfort her and as they walked towards me, from about 100 yards away, calvary took off his coat and wrapped it around finley...i almost cried.  it was one of those beautiful, unprompted moments that make me realize that they are okay.  despite my shortcomings, they may turn out just fine.
7. oliver jack did not want to be outdone so later finley was laying on the bench covered up with both of their jackets. 
8. oliver jack reading to finley...he says, "sit right here, baby...do you like this book, baby?" in his most gentle and loving voice.
9. finley eating up all of their attention...she really is going to be a monster.
10. bad days.  no, really.  when i finally get through a day where it seems like all i have done is mediate bickering, fuss about the same messes that i feel like i fuss about all day, fear the laundry pile is soon going to be insurmountable, and trudge through a school day where no one has motivation i have a moment where i realize that this isn't my everyday.  i love that.  it helps me to be grateful for the days that i all too often let pass by without mentioning how remarkable they truly are. 
11. skype.  it is cool to talk to people who are so far away and be able to see their face and their worlds. 
12. meeting new friends. 
13. hearing calvary conspire with kyle about using his money to buy something special for me.  he is really, really stingy with his money.  he doesn't like to all of his money on anything.  gift cards are his own personal purgatory...but he is excited about buying me something.  i don't know what it is...but i am going to love it forever. 
14. calvary made all of us valentines and used his hershey kisses to tape to the back.  for each one of us he drew a picture of him and the person he was giving the valentine doing something special.  it was beautiful.  he doesn't do things like that often and somehow that makes it even more beautiful...
15. finley ate a salad the other night.  we are all still pretty schocked by that.
16. the twice baked mashed potatoes i made last night...they were pretty much heaven. 
17. the old men at wendy's the other day that just oohed and ahhed over my children.  they just kept talking about how beautiful they are and how well behaved...it made us all feel pretty good....although i can assure that no one in wal-mart stopped to express the same sentiment...
18. calvary received a letter in the mail from his friend nash.  it made his day.
19. a sweet friend from church gave us an awesome container of lincoln logs that her son has outgrown...my kids have had hours and hours of fun playing with them already! grateful that someone thought of us and shared with us...
20. getting my hair cut tomorrow!  so excited!

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1. change.  the possibility of change.  the expectation of change.  i am just going to embrace the change that comes with this year.  this is the sermon that was taught to us the very first week of church and i have just really decided that, though i have no idea what this year may bring, i am going to live in the change and expect that where i am will be used to advance His kingdom...
2. harper and calvary cleaning their rooms after bedtime because they knew how upset i was at just how messy it was.  i knew what they were doing as i heard them shuffle around and open doors, but i loved that their heart was to please me. 
3. calvary threw a pillow yesterday in the living room and it hit a lamp.  immediately harper yelled, "JACK!" (it is to be expected from him) but calvary said with quickly and with remorse, "it was all my fault! i threw a pillow!"  my heart burst with love for him because we have been trying to teach our children their whole lives that it is more important to take responsibility for our actions then to try to appear perfect. 
4. how finley just melts into my lap or arms or wherever she is when i hold her.  no part of her fights being cuddled and loved. 
5. trying to use technology to communicate with friends.
6. having time to read.
7. using that time to read "families where grace is in place."
8. harper, calvary, and oliver jack playing monopoly together.  harper is quite the landlord. 
9. my mom and dad and sister taking the kids to go and see a movie.  so nice for them to have that time with each other.
10. kyle's dad riding with me to raliegh to get my marriage certificate.  i was planning on managing on my own and i am used to maneuvering with all 4 kids by myself but he offered and it was so nice to have an extra set of hands.  especially when we realized just how small the office of vital records actually is.
11. how great my kids did during those two days of errands and sitting. 
12. having coffee with lori.  i am just so grateful for how our friendship has grown over the years.  we started out as just being in the same couples sunday school class before they were even married....now we have 6 kids between the 4 of us and faced so many similar challenges with our two Aspie boys.
13. how much oliver jack loves to do crafts with me.
14. harper making presents for her friends.  she just has such heart to give.  her generosity and creativity are two of my most favorite qualities.
15. christy surprising me with a coke and boberry biscuits...
16. my little brother calling just to check on me.  he's such a grown up now.  granted he will be 30 in july, he still seems like my baby brother to me. 
17. oliver jack's love of babies.

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1. weekly bible study with women from my church.  it has been great to hang out, laugh, sometimes cry and through it all learn more about what it means to love God with such a diverse collection of women. 
2. finley slept in her own bed last night for the first time!  she used to sleep in her crib just fine, but we had not had a finley free evening since we transitioned her to a big bed. 
3. she came to my bed this morning at 5 am saying "we're going to have a party with dancing and ice cream?!"...i told her that if she ever slept in her own bed we would have a huge party...i guess i know what we are doing tonight :)
4. i was having a discussion with harper one morning about how she sometimes struggles with admitting that she's wrong and she tries to blame other people in a way to make an excuse for her wrong doing.  i was trying not to be too condemning so i was assuring her that i have struggled with this and so has so many other people but my hope for her is that she will learn the lessons i have learned earlier and with less hardships...to which she responded, "too bad...i want to be just like you."  (i want so much more for her than to be like me but it brings my heart joy to know that she loves me and admires me in spite of all of my shortcomings)
5. finley told me to turn my head over because she "can't see my ol' big eyes".
6. oliver jack telling me multiple times throughout the day that he loves me.
7. oliver jack's complete refusal to wear underwear.  i can't help it...it makes me laugh.
8. kyle laughing so hard that he cried when oliver jack got up from the dinner table and started dancing...kyle firmly told him it was not time to dance it was time to sit down and eat...which is when oliver jack decided to drop his pants and say, "feast your eyes!" (thanks brave)...kyle tried to keep a straight face but he couldn't...  he just looked at me and asked, "why does  it always go there with him?!"
9. calvary waking me up every morning at promptly 7:30.  he whispers, "it's 7:30."  sometimes it is nice having someone in the house with a rigid understanding of rules...other times, not so much. 
10. calvary's new therapist.  they seem to be getting along great and the doctor has been so encouraging to me.  i couldn't ask for more.
11. harper working so hard at her school work.  she gets aggravated sometimes and i have to help get her back to a place with a good attitude, but for the most part this girl can work!  we go through her lessons for the day, i teach her what needs to be taught, and then she takes her list of work and just does it. 
12. homeschooling.  i love that we have the freedom to start when we want to start and that the kids have the freedom to choose which subjects they want to start with and where they want to learn.  it truly is such an empowering way to learn.  at this point, i hope that my kids always want to homeschool...
13. hearing finley say, "is this gluten free?'
14. the warmer weather which has allowed us to be outside playing football, soccer, and riding bikes.
15. anticipating planting my garden in the spring and possibly adding some chickens...yes, chickens...i think it will be fun...no matter what mr. levi says or kyle. 

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1. camp fires in our backyard with our nieces and our kids' aunt and uncle :) (this just happened moments ago so it is fresh on my mind)
2. meaningful conversations
3. finding the members of our nativity rearranged in interesting locations...right now mary is getting kind of cozy with the shepherd.
4. oliver jack reading his very first two words through sounding out the letters!  he has been working hard in his lessons for three days now and we are so proud of him...
5. getting some new contacts...sounds petty...but i loathe my glasses!
6. messages from friends because they have found something with a mustache on it and it has made them think of harper.
7. people growing mustaches for harper as a christmas present.
8. how much harper loves that people are growing a mustache for her as a present...it is really weird...but it will be something she remembers forever and she will feel oh so loved...
9. giant coke's from mcdonald's. 
10. coffee
11. my house decorated for christmastime.
12. the anticipation of the arrival of our elf Holly Day.
13. trying to think of meaningful presents for people.
14. watching my children make gifts for people and put so much thought into each person as they make their gifts.  they truly aren't much but i am blown away by how much thought, effort, and time they put into each gift. 
15. jade.  i am proud of the girl she is becoming and praying that she will stay strong in this really hard world.
16. having three different homes in which to celebrate thanksgiving.  it is always a whirlwind time for us but i am so grateful to have so much family surrounding us and wanting us to be a part of their celebration. 
17. having merriwether come over to our house to spend the night...harper loves her so and i think the boys think she's pretty cool too...and of course i love her too.
18. oliver jack flashing the camera when jacob took his picture.  i actually have a love/hate relationship with this because i was completely mortified but also completely amazed that he would think of something so crazy.  he truly lives to make people laugh.  our problem is that we laugh a little too often at the wrong things.
19. having coffee with lori.  we don't do it often but i always relish the time i have to spend with another aspie mama :)
20. my husband's sweet spirit.  he loves us so much and wants to just spend time with us.  he doesn't want to simply fill time with activities and events to pass the days away until his next work day but he wants to just relish the moments he has.  i love that about him. 

fridays musings...

 here are the things i am loving about this week...

1. when the kids come to my room in the morning they hand me my glasses and slippers.  it is like having a really well trained dog. :)
2. calvary has just discovered his love of recreational reading...be still my heart.
3. wednesday. it is the only day throughout the week that we do not have something going on during the evening. 
4. fort building.
5. calvary and harper sleeping in the fort together.  many things make my heart swoon with this one...calvary broke the OCD tendency to need to sleep in his own bed despite whatever fun may be available.  and on top of that he invited harper AND oliver jack to join him.  oliver jack just couldn't make it :)
6. homeschooling.  i love basically every aspect of it.  we are in the honeymoon phase i believe but right now the kids are growing closer, we are staying busy, and overall life is positive and happy.
7. teaching bible to my kids.
8. hearing my children pray.
9. my kids doing chores in the morning. 
10. watching finley and oliver jack make up their beds.  so funny.  they stand on their beds and pull the covers up to the pillow as hard as they can.  it reminds me that they are still so small.
11. oliver jack and calvary being "best buds".  i never thought they would be able to play together like they are now.  such a wonderful place to be.
12. kyle missing us while he is at work.  i am so loving that i married a man that wants to be home with his family.
13. my new christmas plates and cups. 
14. oliver jack loving vegetable soup and telling me that i "make the best hobo soup"....thanks?
15. instagram...i love taking pictures, being inspired by other pictures, and mostly the overall positive vibe that the people i see radiate...i know that there are negative corners, but it is so much less whiney then other social networks.
16. hearing finley identify shapes.  all of sudden this week she started identifying hearts, ovals, hexagons, triangles, and circles....she is harper's greatest student ;)
17. my friend's children...we became friends because our children were in kindergarten together and the added bonus is that our children have become fast friends. 
18. peppermint sticks covered in chocolate...yum.
19. having tea parties with my children and using the tea set that was my granny's.  every time i bring the pieces out my mind floods with images of thanksgivings and christmases past.  it makes me miss her but in a happy, warm way.  i know it makes my children remember her as well...maybe one day they will be using these tea cups with their children and retelling the stories i've told. 
20. being reminded why i blog.  i am loving that i remembered that my goal for this blog was to preserve the moments of our life for us.  the everyday....the beautiful...and the not so beautiful.  i want my children to remember just how sweet life has been...

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1. harper's handmade gifts and cards.  she made me the sweetest mother's day gifts all on her own.  she also made calvary a paper ninja with movable arms and legs...
2. harper's creativity.
3. finley playing sword fighting with oliver jack.
4. oliver jack pretending to be a zombie.
5. finley pretending to be a zombie. (i have no clue how either of them know about zombies)
6. calvary's love for his teacher...although it makes me sad how hard it is for him to transition out of kindergarten.
7. finley hanging from the bar at the park with those enormous cheeks squished together.
8. oliver jack and finley at the fountain.
9. summer break is almost here!
10. harper helping calvary carry in his flowers for his teachers.
11. calvary's much more frequent use of his words to express his feelings since using medication.
12. my hydrangeas.
13. the blueberry bush that my mom bought for me for mother's day.
14. how simple it is to entertain little children...a fountain and a few pennies causes contagious joy.
15. getting at the park so early that no one else is still there...and the dew is still all over the slides...
16. playing anyway.
17. calvary playing in the sand at the park...building tunnels and roads for his truck.
18. hearing my children tell me that they love me.
19. watching dennis the menace (1959) and laughing at how similar oliver jack is to dennis...
20. ...and mr. levi is to mr. wilson.
21. cleaning out my garage.
22. harper hugging me so tightly before bed.
23. kyle's steadfastness...he keeps me grounded :)

calvary at the park

harper's paper ninja for calvary

happy babies and a fountain

lots of cheeks

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1. i am not 30 yet ( i may feel 400 this week, but at least my physical time has not yet reached 30)
2. how tightly finley wraps her arms around me when she hugs.
3. oliver jack telling me that he missed me whenever i am not around for more than a few minutes.
4. harper making me gifts upon gifts upon gifts.
5. harper telling me that i am the best mommy ever when she knows i have had a tough day.
6. harper telling me, "i am going to go put this down and then i am coming to give you a hug." (are we sure she is only 7? her soul is so old.)
7. calvary's excitement about getting to pet a turtle at the pond.
8. friends that help me take my mind off my current stresses without simply avoiding the conversation...sometimes i need to talk about it.
9. coffee.
10. kyle's desire to make me happy...he's so good to me.
11. making concrete plans for school next year.
12. fresh sheets on all of the beds at the same time.
13. mowing the grass.
14. ayden, adam, and alex's new bunny.
15. visiting my mom in mooresville.
16. summer approaching...only 2 more full weeks of school!
17. calvary's teacher.  i almost cried when i wrote number 16 because of how grateful i am for her and what a blessing she has been...still holding back tears. 
18. God's faithfulness.
19. finley curling up in my lap.
20. my children.

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1. how finley lays on my hand while i type.
2. finley saying "thank you" for everything...even if it is just when i give her a kiss.
3. harper telling the story of how she fell down in the school cafeteria in front of all the third graders...there was a hint of embarrassment but that girl has confidence made of stone...and i love it.
4. harper telling me that her fall was completely forgotten the next day because someone put a bib i had left in the cafeteria in her cubby so all of her classmates kept asking her, "why do you have a bib in your cubby". then she added in her most sarcastic tone, "so, thanks mom."
5. glimpses of oliver jack gaining some sense. they have been few and short lived but we have seen moments that he is learning that "listening to his head" is not the way to go.
6. oliver jack's quick wit.
7. calvary's appropriate response to our discussion of some negative behavior. he listened, he admitted fault, and he apologized...maybe not ground breaking for most, but for me it is.
8. seeing how much happier calvary has been since we have started to understand him more. 
9. finley's enormous cheeks...especially considering her impossibly small stature.
10. having the opportunity to help my mom out some...even if it was just visiting.
11. kyle's dad accepting the challenge of watching finley and oliver jack so that i could go to an appointment...it's not the first time he's done this but i am loving that he's not intimidated by the idea of watching his grandkids on his own.
12. i am not 30 yet.
13. i finally weigh less than my friend christy...even though she is 8 weeks out from delivering her 4th child i will count this as a victory.
14. finley's laugh.
15. how finley calls for harper when i don't do something she wants me to do; she knows who is the weak link.
16. how smitten calvary is with finley...she still can do no wrong for him.
17. school is almost out!
18. saving money.
19. the love of a Popsicle.
20. eating dinner with my family.

on a side note, something i am not loving about this week:

1. the realization of just how much finley has grown up....she's not a baby anymore...she's a little girl.  blah.

friday's musings...

these are the things that i am loving about this week...

1. finley's spin jump on the trampoline.
2. finley coming to me several million times a day asking, "bounce?".
3. watching leave it to beaver with the kids at night before bed (thanks alli for the heads up that this program is on netflix!).
4. calvary laughing with the laugh track without always knowing why he's laughing.
5. figuring out why calvary reacts the way he does to some things.
6. oliver jack's refusal to wear underwear.
7. the way harper always bends to help people enjoy life.  she enjoys making other people happy and she is so, so good at meeting people where they are and including their interests in play...even if it isn't her interest.
8. harper reading the chronicles of narnia series.
9. my little milk bottles.
10. my beautiful paper straws.
11. having coffee with a friend.
12. harper and kyle's road trip to GA.
13. the man i married.
14. naptime.
15. finally starting to work out...even though it was only 2 days this week.
16. the brick pathway to the woods and garden (even though it isn't really a garden yet).
17. i am not 30 yet.
18. harper's ability to understand and question the way the world works...mostly concerning money...but she is asking about and understanding things that i didn't understand until after she was born.
19. pinterest and all of its inspirational glory.
20. seeing through FB that my former students are graduating college...some are married...some have babies...it is beautiful for me to see all they have accomplished.
21. my cousin having her first baby, jameson.  pure joy!

friday's musings...

things i am loving about this week:

1.  hearing finley call oliver jack "jack jack".  it has been so long since any of us have called him the name harper gave him while inutero and it was a refreshing dose of nostalgia for this momma's heart.
2. harper and calvary's reluctance (well reluctance for harper and straight up refusal for calvary) to return to school after spring break.
3. calvary asking, "when will we have another week like that?".
4. oliver jack doting on finley.  holding her hand in the car, lightly putting his hand on her back as she walks around the room, pretending like she is faster than him when they race, and looking after her in nursery at church are just a few of my favorites.
5. finley sleeping in a big girl bed without a huge ordeal...never thought it would happen.
6. harper.  i woke up this morning just completely in love with this girl...i am thankful for a renewed awareness for just how much i love her.
7. kyle hunting for bargain books for harper.  i love that he makes special trips just to find her books.
8. harper's claim that she has read every book in our house.  we have LOTS and LOTS of books.  LOTS.
9. calvary's star wars sticker book that he works on at night in his bed.
10. finley's dancing. 
11. overhearing harper and calvary talking about the healing of the blind man while swinging at the park. 
12. calvary's overall disgust of jesus putting spitty mud in the man's eyes.
13. finley's hair in pig tails.
14. watching finley bounce on the trampoline...love that she thinks she is jumping and two feet never leave the ground at the same time.
15. calvary's love for spinach leaves...raw.
16. oliver jack telling me or kyle or harper or finley or calvary that he loves us randomly many times a day.
17. oliver jack walking around talking about his new favorite weapon, "the cat with nine tails"...i hope he got more from the story than this.
18. having chloe and emmi come to play for a couple of days of their spring break...getting to take them to eat lunch with harper and calvary.
19. fun projects to do with my cricut.
20. painting again...i haven't painted in probably close to 5 years.  fun to have a project to work on that makes me get everything out and dusted.

monday's musings...

things i am loving about this week (extended edition):

1. taking an uninterrupted shower in the morning to start the day.  i can't remember the last time that there was no one anxiously awaiting my return to fulfill some sort of need while i take a shower.  or the last time i took one without some sort of audience.
2. kyle's ability to fix my mistakes.  even if he doesn't understand how they happen. 
3. finley singing and dancing with her "bow bow".
4. oliver jack's imagination explosion.  he is constantly making up stories and acting them out.
5. my dad celebrating his 50th birthday!  ~happy birthday~
6. finally being able to braid harper's hair again...i was starting to go through withdrawal.
7. making simple changes that make dramatic differences in my the ability my children have to tackle certain challenges.  mainly those challenges are calvary's but the solutions help everyone! our latest success has been with dinner.  i have started to make simple desserts, like jello, which are offered as motivation to fulfill the new dinner rule: everyone can pick one thing of which only to have one bite.  they have to eat a healthy amount of everything else.  i don't fully understand why it has made such a dramatic effect on calvary's ability to make it through a meal but it has.  i imagine it has something to do with his love of routine and and love for rules.  even though he might be totally disturbed by the meal we are having he knows that he has some sort of control and he knows what to expect as a result of that control.  we have had relatively drama free dinners since we started!
8. working in the yard.
9. finley's sudden desire to be a "real person".
10. harper and calvary's awesome report cards.
11. harper's excitement about our upcoming trip to disney.  everyday she mentions something about our trip.
12. having chloe and emmi over...even if it rained all day and night putting a major damper on their fun...they are good girls and i am excited that they are all about the same age.
13. making actual tangible steps towards the home school goal.  i am a grab bag of excitement and terror...but i love that i am actually walking towards our goal.
14. i love how both homeschooling and asperger's creates communities of people that are willing to move past normal acceptable social etiquette so that we can connect. 
15. doing things i have been inspired to do through pinterest. 
16. calvary's love of spinach.
17. harper's desire to finish her "God-time" card for church...even though she does the whole thing in one day...so that she can turn in back in and have mr. scott be proud.
18. the fact that she calls her "God-time" card her "valentine".
19. finley sleeping in oliver jack's t-shirts for bed because of the warm weather.
20. fruit
21. finley falling asleep in my arms...still.