tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38764718697136994262024-02-07T10:46:09.507-08:00The Seeds You SowKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.comBlogger420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-91364874883214154522016-01-20T08:29:00.000-08:002016-01-20T08:29:03.922-08:00Week in Photos: January 9-16<div style="text-align: justify;">
I tell you what... it's only week two and I'm behind on this thing, and it makes it hard to remember what happened last week! It's making me realize how time seems to go by in a blur and makes me want to keep up with this more! So let's see what I can pull together from last week:</div>
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<b>SATURDAY, JANUARY 9</b></div>
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I officially failed to take a photo on this day. And so sadly, I don't really remember what happened. It's amazing how quickly you forget!</div>
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<b>SUNDAY, JANUARY 10</b></div>
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SUCH a great day. Seriously... the best! We transitioned our church over to our new pastor, and it could not have been more special. The church went <i>WAY</i> above and beyond to honor our work here and send us off with lots of love and gifts (including sending Josh to the national championship game!) and then hosted the greatest farewell party we could have imagined with about 400 of our closest friends. And it was <u>SO</u> <u>MUCH</u> <u>FUN</u> because we had not a single thing to do with the planning, and yet it was perfect with all of our favorite foods, a great local band, in the coolest venue. All of this to say that I'm not sure why we are all so adamant about planning our own weddings! Find a friend you trust and who knows your taste and let her run with it. It was so great just to show up and enjoy! </div>
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Aside from my family who lives here, this picture is the number one reason why everything in me wants to stay, even though I know we have to go. Our staff is now family, and this is one of the most special groups of people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I'm so thankful that our friendships will not change just because of some distance.</div>
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<b>MONDAY, JANUARY 11</b></div>
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Pawpaw ran off to Arizona with daddy and left his hat. Finders keepers.</div>
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<b>TUESDAY, JANUARY 12</b></div>
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We had to break into a friend's house to retrieve some cookies she was holding hostage. These are our "mad faces" when we discovered that she locked the garage door! There were also several videos that we sent her to let her know just how upsetting this was! The kids thought it was a great adventure.</div>
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<b>WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13</b></div>
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All is right in the world today. Nathalie's cookies, shipped all the way from Arizona, are the best!</div>
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Oh yeah, we also got a dusting of snow on Tuesday, and the kids thought jumping on a snow-covered trampoline was the most fun ever.</div>
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<b>THURSDAY, JANUARY 14</b></div>
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Playtime with sweet friends from down the street. Annabelle was all about Ava and just kept trying to climb all over her! I am so going to miss them!</div>
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<b>FRIDAY, JANUARY 15</b></div>
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I'm guessing I forgot to take pictures today in our mad rush to get the kids packed up for a sleepover and getting myself and Annabelle (and all her gear!) ready to go away for the weekend. We spent the majority of the day on airplanes and airports, but I did get sent several photos from our sweet friends Jared and Rebekah who basically made the kids feel like they were at summer camp! Is it any wonder why they love staying with them??</div>
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<b>SATURDAY, JANUARY 16</b></div>
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We spent the weekend in Maryland with good friends of ours and while Josh was in meetings, Annabelle and I got to sneak away by ourselves to the mall for a couple of hours. So I treated myself to a birthday pedicure while she watched in fascination! She was too squirmy for her cute piggies to get painted.</div>
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While on the trip we also ate the best food in Baltimore (oh the crabcakes!), did a lot of shopping in the Georgetown fashion district, and swung through D.C. to see the sights. As always, AnnieB was a trooper, and proved to be a great shopping buddy!</div>
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<b>SUNDAY, JANUARY 17</b></div>
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This might have been the most fun I have ever had watching Josh preach. He was the guest speaker at a great church in Columbia, MD and the crowd was so responsive and energetic. I felt like I was at a comedy show!</div>
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Our plane ride home was super eventful, too, as little bit wouldn't sleep and then puked all over me (and I mean <b><i>all</i></b> over me) when we landed in Detroit. I'm thankful for a husband who is willing to run all over the airport to find new jeans and a shirt for his smelly wife. She clearly felt better after getting all of it out of her system!</div>
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We got home pretty late, but it was super special to walk in and see that the kids had decorated our <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(messy)</span> kitchen. I wouldn't trade 35 for anything... my life is so full that there is nothing I could possibly want.</div>
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Well I guess that's a little more than a week's worth, but at least I'm all caught up! Two weeks down, fifty to go!</div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-34367801680789595762016-01-11T08:59:00.001-08:002016-01-11T08:59:33.067-08:00A Long-Overdue Kid Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since at one time this was a place to keep up with our (too fast) growing children, I figured there's no time like the present to do a very long overdue update on my favorite kids on the planet.</div>
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Jake turns 6 in March, has half a year of kindergarten under his belt, two less teeth in his head, loves Legos, Playstation, Wii, and the iPad, and has recently taken an interest in karate, so we are exploring that as an option in the near future. He is still the sweetest, most kind-hearted child I know, and makes friends with everyone, which also makes him a bit of my emotional one. His best one-liner here recently was on New Years Eve when his aunt asked him if he wanted an extra scoop of ice cream and he responded with, "Sure, I'm not driving." He's my buddy and makes us all laugh all the time, and he loves his sisters (particularly the new one) so much.</div>
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And then there's Miss LillyLilly-bug. Oh my that she is a handful... in a good way most of the time. She turned 4 in September and is seriously a twirling ball of all that sparkles, skipping and flipping everywhere she goes. Dresses are the only acceptable wardrobe choice, unless I force her into a pair of pants, and if the dress goes all the way to the floor like a princess, that's even better. She loves to play pretend (and can do it for hours, just like her mama used to do), color and draw, play dress-up, and ride her bike. She recently learned to whistle and shows off her new trick to anyone that will watch. She's begging to go to dance class, and cannot wait to start pre-K, asking about once a week whether it's her turn to go to school yet. She's pretty witty also, but mostly just over-the-top dramatic, and keeps life interesting and fun.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprrPvqjrfylZUiPlbzier-e3g8XG5m0Se67-HQQ9DZjj8ziD6ymaF9uPVRgQlaMYrGhX9CW5Y918fwmTts1PuOtJ5ZenP40zNUyeeTdAJKXoPIIILpJbmQsYvskO3trnvbSupMeqUNoE/s1600/_78A5037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprrPvqjrfylZUiPlbzier-e3g8XG5m0Se67-HQQ9DZjj8ziD6ymaF9uPVRgQlaMYrGhX9CW5Y918fwmTts1PuOtJ5ZenP40zNUyeeTdAJKXoPIIILpJbmQsYvskO3trnvbSupMeqUNoE/s400/_78A5037.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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And oh sweet, sweet AnnieB. I know she's ours and I'm bias, but ask anyone who knows her and they'll agree that she is the world's BEST baby. That little thing smiles about everything, and even when she's getting "fussy," it's almost as if she tries to make herself laugh to get herself to stop crying. It's kind of comical actually. We've decided that she has Jake's determination to accomplish things, but without his tendency to get frustrated and mad when he can't do it right away. So it's his drive with Lilly's more chilled out personality, so she's pretty happy while she's trying, but loves to figure things out. That's probably why she was my 5-month sitter, 6-month crawler, and 7-month stander and cruiser. She babbles mostly "da-da-da-da-da" (of course) but she also sometimes does "ba-ba-ba" and my favorite, "mmmmm-ma-ma-ma-ma." It's music to my ears. We haven't decided yet if she's going to have Jake's volume, but she sure can squeal for happiness sake! She started out as my smallest, but has caught right up, weighing in at 19 pounds at our last check-up. She's still my little thumb-sucker, which is a big change from my paci-loving other two, but it sure does come in handy and I don't have to constantly search for the magical baby soother, since she can always find it herself. She has stolen everyone's hearts for sure.</div>
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It's crazy for me to think that we have been parents for almost six years! I always rolled my eyes when people said "they grow up to fast," thinking it was so cliche, but now I know why they say it. It's the truest statement ever. While I would love for them to stay little, I thank God everyday that they are healthy and growing, and I love seeing more and more of who they were created to be with each passing day. Who knew a person could love this much?</div>
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<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-60944974221362662182016-01-08T12:49:00.000-08:002016-01-08T12:51:07.687-08:00Week in Photos: January 1-8<div style="text-align: justify;">
Surely this is something I can keep up with in 2016, right? I want a way to document the simple everyday things, which I generally snap photos of on my phone, so hopefully I can carve out some time once a week to upload my camera roll and keep a little weekly log of what is happening in our family. I feel like time just goes faster and faster, and I want to remember the simple little, everyday moments, especially why our kids are so small. So here goes...</div>
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<b>FRIDAY, JANUARY 1st</b><br />
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Happy New Year! We all made it to midnight this year and then had a lazy day at home playing board games and taking naps.<br />
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<b>SATURDAY, JANUARY 2nd</b></div>
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Saw numbers at the gas pump that I haven't seen since my senior year of high school. Thanks, Kroger fuel points!</div>
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We also had a surprise visit from some of our favorite friends... and the new lead pastor kids of TPC!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnWnIH5EmsJqqVzLJPYT5TqpYSvOtlQCaaNDh9ByAd1fPtJIG4wFgBKmfPgjnNlA4Q2tVgsXKa65Fv1vfaS-VJtbRnFWQzJLaWCPtZ0zhEhcl86h5xE7zez40M6vBPl2MlYdiVzD7ZPI/s1600/DSC_0711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnWnIH5EmsJqqVzLJPYT5TqpYSvOtlQCaaNDh9ByAd1fPtJIG4wFgBKmfPgjnNlA4Q2tVgsXKa65Fv1vfaS-VJtbRnFWQzJLaWCPtZ0zhEhcl86h5xE7zez40M6vBPl2MlYdiVzD7ZPI/s400/DSC_0711.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b> SUNDAY, JANUARY 3rd</b><br />
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We had some <a href="http://theseedsyousow.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-new-year-finished-house-new-adventure.html" target="_blank">BIG NEWS</a> to share with our church family!<br />
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<b>MONDAY, JANUARY 4th</b></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Annndddd in bigger news, we found some buyers and </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>WE GOT A CONTRACT ON OUR HOUSE</i></b><span style="text-align: left;"> the day before it was going to be listed!!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgApKojQyZNiVXzttyrp9KUUOqnaEV-7gZZArg7c5NTIX9p2kLZDHKNAteC8_awdVhtNob0bbIhHUBO2mrqFzhGKmiKtpLuSGPUeihcbHcEFpr8-O95nGaQysUyb4j4ule128P4rK2XI/s1600/DSC_0681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgApKojQyZNiVXzttyrp9KUUOqnaEV-7gZZArg7c5NTIX9p2kLZDHKNAteC8_awdVhtNob0bbIhHUBO2mrqFzhGKmiKtpLuSGPUeihcbHcEFpr8-O95nGaQysUyb4j4ule128P4rK2XI/s400/DSC_0681.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th</b><br />
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This one decided she'd rather stand ALL. THE. TIME. instead of sit and crawl. Time slow down!<br />
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<b>WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6th</b><br />
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Enjoyed the start of our last month of our normal Lexington routine... a little <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org/" target="_blank">BSF</a> and then lunch with Gramma. Gosh I'm going to miss Wednesdays here.<br />
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<b>THURSDAY, JANUARY 7th</b><br />
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I so enjoy watching this girl play in any environment... she's got the BEST imagination! Here we are at Paul Miller Ford getting some work done on the van. We were probably there for close to three hours and Lilly did not complain one time! And as a sidenote, I would highly recommend getting your car serviced there. On Thursdays they have "Ladies' Day" and along with your oil change you get free breakfast, a free cupcake, and a gift bag full of goodies. The staff was so great to the kids, too!</div>
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<b>FRIDAY, JANUARY 8th</b></div>
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Our last Georgetown MOPS this morning (sad!) and just a little R&R on this rainy afternoon. Lilly got these headphones for Christmas and wears them non-stop. I think it's the cutest, even though she kind of looks like a tiny teenager.</div>
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So that's it... week one in the books! If I do nothing else on here this year, my hope is to at least continue with this, so we'll see! I want to appreciate the normal, ordinary everyday, because I am so grateful to be at home with these sweet kiddos. Hopefully this will help me do just that!</div>
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<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-34737443017181787292016-01-07T06:16:00.000-08:002016-01-07T06:16:00.966-08:00A new year, A finished house, A new adventureHappy 2016!<br />
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To be honest, I am surprised that this blog even still exists as infrequently as I update, but thankfully the good ol' Internet hasn't kicked me off yet. Which is good, considering that I have plenty to document in the coming months (and plenty to catch up on it <strike>when</strike> if I get around to it). So since nap time gives me a very small window to throw some of this out there, I'll start this year with a very quick recap of what is happening around here, in hopes that I can expound on it later, and do a catch-up post about the kiddos later this week, since that would take up an entire post on its own.</div>
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So since I left you all a little bit hanging and wondering when in the world this never-ending renovation is going to be finished, trust me, I felt the same way. We ripped the house to pieces in June, and it wasn't until the week of Christmas that the very last part of our kitchen was installed after many, many obstacles. Renovating a kitchen from the studs is no joke... and between the cabinet designers, manufacturers, installers, and getting on people's schedules, there are plenty of opportunities for things to get held up. But after many mishaps and even the wrong pieces being ordered and delivered at times, I am thrilled about how it turned out! I need to do an entire before and after post, but just in case that never happens, here's our finished project (<a href="http://theseedsyousow.blogspot.com/2015/07/progress.html" target="_blank">and you can see some of the before pictures here if you want</a>):</div>
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Isn't she beautiful? I can honestly say it's exactly what we had in our heads when we looked at the space, and that kitchen island is my favorite spot in the house. It's where we have most of our meals, do our schoolwork, and hang out with friends whenever they come over. It was worth every penny.</div>
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BUT... here's the <i>really</i> unexpected part of our house plans...</div>
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As of two days ago, this beautiful house and all of our hard work is under contract to sell to another family. For the past month and a half, Josh and I have been praying about and preparing for a move to Birmingham, Alabama, and to be honest, one of the hardest things for me to wrap my mind around was leaving what we thought would be our forever home. And then on top of that, leaving the church that we started in the care of someone else. As you can probably guess, this was not something that either one of us saw coming or expected, which is why we purchased a home last spring.</div>
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So why the move? Over the past four years, really since the church started, Josh has been heading up the coaching and training for future church planters through the Association of Related Church (ARC). This is the same organization that helped plant us, both when we were in Illinois and again when we started our church here in Kentucky, and for me personally, the people we met through the organization and the resources they gave us were always like fresh breath in my lungs. I told Josh to run every travel opportunity by me before he committed, unless it was for ARC. The people at ARC care about these pastors that plant so much, and want to make sure that their families always stay healthy. I loved everything about it, and told him that we would always do whatever we could to help make their mission of planting 2000 churches by 2020 a reality. For a long time he was able to pastor our people here well and continue to help get these churches started, both of which he loved doing so much. But the reality was that our church continued to grow and more and more families continued pouring in, and more churches needed to be started and more planters were coming through. We did feel like eventually we would be forced to choose, but did not really know when that would be, until a couple of months ago.</div>
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Here's the thing... I love Lexington so much. When it came to picking a place that we'd call home, we fell in love with horse country. Aside from a couple of colder-than-usual winters, it is absolutely everything I wanted my hometown to be. And I love our church, and I have far too many great friends that I consider family that we have met through our church. Oh yeah, and then there's the house and that kitchen. Oh that dreamy kitchen. But when it came down to it, there is no doubt in my mind that Josh was made to do this. Church planting fans a fire inside him like nothing else, and he loves being a mentor and coach to those stepping out to plant a church. If we believe that the hope of the world will only be found through the growth of God's kingdom through the local church, then we have to do all we can to make sure great churches are started in every community. So although it's a hard thing, it's the right thing. I have not felt such a peace about a move or a decision like this since the time we decided to move here, and if these past four years are any indication of how much fruit obedience can bear, then I can't even imagine what is to come. Sowing and reaping... funny how I picked the name for this blog around the same time we planted here. </div>
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I could go on and on, and there are way too many stories of confirmation and just really amazing things God has already worked out for us to make this the easiest "yes" possible, but he probably does a better job of it anyway, so I'll sign off for now with the clip from his sermon this weekend. </div>
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Never say never. Never in a million years did I think I would marry a pastor, fall in love with Kentucky (since I lived here when I was younger and said I'd never consider it), help start a church that would grow to minister to thousands, and definitely not move to Alabama. I may be the only Vol fan in a sea of crimson there, so I know without a doubt that it's God doing the sending.</div>
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I challenge everyone to do something crazy-bold for God at some point this year. If He's whispering something to you, go for it. One tiny step can lead to another and another and before you know it, you're on the greatest adventure of your life. I'm so thankful I said "yes" to Josh when he asked me to marry him 6 weeks after we met. I'm thankful I said "yes" when it came to moving to Illinois. I'm thankful I said "yes" when we prayed about planting a church. It's always unexpected, but never fails to leave me in total and absolute awe of God's goodness.</div>
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So that's our next great adventure... hopefully I'll be better about keeping you posted this time around!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XVjuQ4RWjcE" width="480"></iframe>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-26538266020633467512015-08-13T12:35:00.001-07:002015-08-13T12:35:37.963-07:00Just Because<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just because baby 3 seems to get no blog love, and I haven't even gotten her birth story written yet, I can at least share her incredibly gorgeous newborn photos taken by my wonderfully talented friend Jenna. It is so hard to pick a favorite, so I'll just post a bunch of our sweet little AnnieB.</div>
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That's just a handful, so i think I may have to make an album just with her newborn pictures in it! It's hard to believe that she will be three months old on the 21st... fastest three months of my life! She was in the 20th percentile for height and weight when she was born, but at her two month appointment she had beefed up to 12 pounds, 12 ounces and is now in the 75-90th percentile! I guess she won't be a little peanut after all, so she is following in the footsteps of her brother and sister. Mama makes good stuff I guess! She is absolutely a dream baby... so content and quiet! I've never had one so quiet... even her cry is pretty tame, and I often double check the backseat just to make sure that she wasn't forgotten. My heart is so incredibly full with these three!</div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-47451208713822542912015-07-30T06:37:00.001-07:002015-07-30T06:37:25.849-07:00Progress!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It's amazing what a little paint on the walls and new flooring can do to a space! We actually have more done than these pictures show, but here is the work in progress. Our crown molding should be done this week and our furniture is in (but all piled in the middle of the room right now) so I should have before and after pictures of our space soon! Well, all except the kitchen, which is set to arrive at the end of August. Thankfully though it's starting to look like home!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlftokcvfAuitNAbPrU7rqzjCMFAZY1DSL5b1RtV9JAj3-n7gVvqZLYw1Wuky0VZHlO6J4ZeplpAX6Z2Jb-C0ydKxbdWHx_TNY-wa-UIdZcYHqF8yzoVKn_oFfFXmDuQjOjp0nP18DMo/s1600/DSC_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlftokcvfAuitNAbPrU7rqzjCMFAZY1DSL5b1RtV9JAj3-n7gVvqZLYw1Wuky0VZHlO6J4ZeplpAX6Z2Jb-C0ydKxbdWHx_TNY-wa-UIdZcYHqF8yzoVKn_oFfFXmDuQjOjp0nP18DMo/s400/DSC_0332.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the old kitchen. The room closes to view (the old dining room) <br />is the kitchen expansion and the room with the big window is the new dining room.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC4aHvw64KlAYc62K88iTtoWvbECzyu2pDY3mR6vc7AWAm3yctcIL_qjv4fYCziLo-9HOOhSLk39Sv5ghHEAKN1BPeE5K9CSUcot_eD6_fUnhGxVWkD9qgBj51LXYUggRyGsYzbG5SsE/s1600/DSC_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC4aHvw64KlAYc62K88iTtoWvbECzyu2pDY3mR6vc7AWAm3yctcIL_qjv4fYCziLo-9HOOhSLk39Sv5ghHEAKN1BPeE5K9CSUcot_eD6_fUnhGxVWkD9qgBj51LXYUggRyGsYzbG5SsE/s400/DSC_0341.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the other direction... both rooms will be one big kitchen. Woo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little floor model.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the back toward the front door. <br />The hallway is gray (or greige as they say) and the rooms are all a blue/gray color.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVKO1qHdCVwaFJIB6TCuu59eNKRfNwuduR8HQ03lg-BZFM9Nb3ppaBasQhm5DqJSBDJGS9bcPcjj-HWLaabsQkGk0wng74uKN3V-mAFy0qWQf8V-lIsaiiu4Y_HxMibgvIneXb_3NH6g/s1600/DSC_0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVKO1qHdCVwaFJIB6TCuu59eNKRfNwuduR8HQ03lg-BZFM9Nb3ppaBasQhm5DqJSBDJGS9bcPcjj-HWLaabsQkGk0wng74uKN3V-mAFy0qWQf8V-lIsaiiu4Y_HxMibgvIneXb_3NH6g/s400/DSC_0335.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake cannot handle not being in any of the pictures. Neither can Mario.<br />And I spy a sleeping baby.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New floors, recessed lighting, and paint in the living room. So much better!</td></tr>
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We're hoping to get everything moved in and situated over this next week. Stay tuned!</div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-10723264954104358242015-07-02T05:11:00.000-07:002015-07-02T05:11:13.937-07:00Who's Who?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
So apparently Josh and I make clone babies. Everyone keeps telling me that Miss AnnieB is looking more like Jake and I would have to agree, but I remember thinking that Lilly looked just like him, too! So I decided to do a little research... can you figure out who's who?</div>
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<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-55343924132972289882015-06-29T07:36:00.000-07:002015-06-29T07:36:25.351-07:00Because a New Baby is Not Crazy Enough<br />
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On the 1 year anniversary of the day that Josh and I MET, we had gotten engaged, married, he had taken a new job to plant a church campus, we bought a house, moved, and were pregnant with Jake. Yeah, it was nuts. When I was about 3 months pregnant with Lilly we felt like it was time to plant our own church, so at six months pregnant we moved again and started working on getting our church started with a 15-month-old son in tow. She was 5 months and he was almost 2 when we planted. Yeah, crazy again. So it's only fitting that in the same month that we had our newest addition, we also closed on a house... and then completely ripped out the downstairs and started renovating. Yeah, we have a problem.</div>
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We would have NEVER considered taking on this project if my husband did not know how to do most of the work involved. Plus, my father-in-law owns his own construction company, so we can get his guidance and assistance when we don't know how to do something (and by we, I mean Josh). It has become somewhat of a family project with Josh, his dad, my dad, our sister and brother-in-law, our nephew, a few friends, and even our kids helping out! It's not much to look at yet, but here are a few before and after shots of our project in process...</div>
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Family room before</div>
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All cosmetic changes happening here... carpet out, hardwood going down (in the entire downstairs actually), fan down, recessed lighting will be going in, cream colored trim and built-in shelving to all be painted white, walls to be painted (color TBD), chunkier wood for mantle will be installed<br />
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Here's more of the major changes: </div>
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View from the front door before... a skinny hallway leading to the family room/kitchen area</div>
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Now... hall closet and built-in shelving removed to make it more open</div>
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Here is the view from the back of the house looking toward the front door. The front hallway is at least double in size! Looking at this picture, that family room is to the left from where it was taken. The kitchen is to the right and that door goes to the basement.</div>
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This is basically where I was standing to take that shot above. </div>
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It's a bit dark, but that is our kitchen before:</div>
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Up close, it was a TINY kitchen and the refrigerator awkwardly stuck out. There was a doorway to the dining room to the left of the refrigerator. When we made our offer, we knew we would want to expand the kitchen eventually, and since we have the house we are renting through the end of July, we just decided to go ahead and do it now. So out went the wall between the dining room and the kitchen, and the old dining room will make our kitchen over twice the size:</div>
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Bye-bye old kitchen wall</div>
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Before: the old dining room, taken from where the kitchen door used to be:</div>
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After: standing in the middle of the old kitchen, looking at the new addition to the kitchen. That third room in the front will become our new dining room down the road. When we move in, we may use it as more of a TV room for the kids since the new kitchen will have an island with seating:</div>
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<img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR92rP11iXlbzWycAJ4GKcE7-BhBrXjCRw9TvNWNwY5LUwlgGP00nGJN8zSEDA6OP7RAdTvsa3vrFZSJOEGA3U8biR6HltqurDZ9_OO_-e50qEAQHdIRpkWX92EPfL5nxj2g29N3Q1gw/s400/IMG_9324.JPG" style="text-align: center;" width="400" /></div>
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And from the other angle. This is taken from the new dining room. You can see the front hallway to the right, and Jake doing something weird on the stairs. The dining room is gone, but Jake is staying.<br />
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I love that you can now see that gorgeous window from every room!</div>
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<img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPOcykHT_lqi2w-IqrGC9XwDdzuBuYVgSPJG8Ytc-wq9mdgntC78_uBvqbsbdwDH_7-qLiV5kbcSNywUctVCf9x4-BmaAlpDzuiRmHUQIUmVdxeydn7tbqFJZ_7BX8ZGDsuxewfWpD3g/s400/IMG_9326.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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Soooo... it's probably hard to see from the pictures, but that's where we are at right now. Next up is paint, paint, and more paint. And I mean it when I say we are painting every room in the house! When we moved in it was white, white, white everywhere, with cream trim. Look at the difference white trim will make... seeing them side by side makes the old cream-colored doors look dirty! And we'll be putting on new hardware, too.</div>
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I'm going to try and update when I can, so it could be days or months... you just never know with me! It's a family affair though, so everyone is expected to do their part!<br />
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Although some people are doing more than others!</div>
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Just another month and this place will be home! Can't wait!</div>
<span id="goog_279029162"></span><span id="goog_279029163"></span><br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-81320916719752330022015-06-24T08:03:00.000-07:002015-06-24T08:03:00.031-07:00Life With Three<div style="text-align: justify;">
We welcomed Annabelle into the world a little over a month ago, and I have been trying to write her birth story ever since. The time I have to sit down and do it is few and far between, so it may never get done, but that's life with three. So far I really don't feel like going from two to three is all that different, but here are a few things I have noticed:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">The details no longer matter. As long as I have three kids in the car when we go places, I'm good. If they are bathed and wearing matching clothes, that's a bonus. So far I've only arrived to one place to find out that Jake wasn't wearing (nor did he bring) shoes, and have driven about three miles before Lilly informed me that I did not buckle her in. After a pool trip, I packed dry clothes for them except that I forgot pants for Jake and he rode home in his undies. But hey, all three were accounted for. Every time (so far).</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Nursing = all hell breaking loose. My house could be sparkling clean (not that it has been since she was born), but in the 20-30 minutes it takes me to nurse, it will be turned upside down. We go from clean to incredibly messy in record time these days.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">About the above... I don't care nearly as much as I used to! Time spent not holding a newborn or playing with / fixing food for / breaking up arguments between the older two is minimal. Those precious moments are not going to be <strike>wasted</strike> spent on keeping our house spotless.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">No matter how many times I tell them, the older two kids will NOT. STOP. MESSING.WITH the baby. I'm like a broken record. And she's like their new, awesome toy. Thankfully they love her more than anything and we have not had any jealously issues, but seriously, <i>STOP TOUCHING YOUR SISTER'S FACE!</i></li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Sleep deprivation is not as difficult this time around. Because let's be honest, I have probably had a full night of sleep only about 15 times in the past five years. Piece of cake.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">About the above... kids, even your own, irritate you WAY more and far more quickly when you are running on very little sleep. I miss naps. For them. Which would make it possible for me. Thankfully I have a pretty healthy coffee addiction.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Grocery stores are evil. And I'm not even sure how half of the groceries we purchased today got into the cart.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">I used to wonder how people could end up with so much crap in their car. And then I had three kids. I could probably survive in mine for a solid month with everything that's in there right now.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">I have more "help" with Annabelle than I could have ever dreamed of. Thankfully she has not been smothered or dropped, and that Goldfish Jake tried to feed her didn't make it into her mouth. It's only a matter of time I'm sure.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">I had convinced myself that I did not like the newborn phase, probably due to lack of sleep. But I am <i>LOVING</i> having a squishy newborn, probably because I am so much more laid back and worry way less about what I'm doing this time around. I trust my instincts and do not compare myself to what every other mom is doing. Being a relaxed mom of a newborn is <i>way</i> more fun than being a crazy, stressed out, worrying mom of a newborn!</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">With each kid you have, time speeds up. Please stop. I want her snuggly and little forever.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">I am flat out amazed that the third (or fourth, fifth, and so on I'm sure) is no less special or amazing than the other two. Meeting your child doesn't get old. Feeling like your heart could burst every time you look in that little face does not ever go away. My heart has grown to an immeasurable size and I cannot get enough of her, just like I feel about the other two. It's amazing.</li>
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So life with three is really great. It's more craziness, more chaos, but so much more love, and it feels so full. I am loving our little party of five!</div>
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Oh... and on top of this, we closed on a house and have started renovating it... as in, torn out the downstairs down to the studs pretty much... because adding a third child to the mix just wasn't enough excitement for us and that's how we roll. So I'm hoping to record that journey on here soon, too, but again, I have three kids now so don't count on it! </div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-90525433184736988742015-05-15T06:08:00.000-07:002015-05-15T06:08:00.614-07:00My dearest Annabelle,<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi my love. We are now within two weeks of finally meeting you and seeing your face, and it's an understatement to say that we are all excited. The wait has seemed so long this time around, and your brother and sister have been as patient as they know to be, but ask me daily when you'll be here. They have spent the past nine months rubbing on this belly of mine, kissing it, talking to it, and Lilly enjoys "reading" stories to you each night before bed. We have prayed for you, felt you flip around in there, and enjoyed every little ultrasound picture we've been able to see so far. You, my dear, are already so very loved. I'm trying to be patient and truly soak in these last days of having you all to myself, but even I am growing a little impatient. From the start you have made things a wee bit more uncomfortable than either of the other two did, and you're definitely making yourself known to me these days! Granted, I am still chasing around your siblings, which I did not have to do as much when I was carrying them, and they don't seem to slow down much for me. The three of you are definitely wearing me out these days, but you are all going to have so much fun together! I cannot believe how lucky I am to get to be the mommy of these three special people. God is so good to us.</div>
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Before you get here, I just wanted to make sure you know how much love is waiting for you once you decide to make your entrance into this world. You daddy and I talk about you all the time, and there is an entire church full of people asking when you're going to be here! Kiddo, never doubt that God has big plans for you, as He has already surrounded you with amazing people who look forward to being a part of your life. He knew you long before we did, and picked you out especially for us. I'm going to go ahead and warn you that we're not perfect, and we're going to mess up sometimes. Mommy's fuse gets a little short when i am really tired, sometimes I forget that playing on the floor with you is far more important than cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, and on occasion I place blame on one of you before I know the full story, but I'm working on it. Just know that no matter what mistakes I make and no matter how good or bad our day goes, I will always love you, always be here for you, and will always feel blessed that I can call you mine. I will do all that I can to help shape you into the girl (and eventually woman) that God has created you to be, and do all that I can to make sure you go after your big, scary dreams. I already know that you are special. You are valuable. You have talents beyond our wildest dreams. The anticipation of your arrival is hard, but I know that you are worth it.</div>
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We can't wait to have you in our arms, but I know the waiting (and discomfort, exhaustion, and all of the impending labor pain) is worth it. Brace yourself to be smothered in love... you have stolen our hearts already.</div>
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See you soon, baby girl.<br />
xoxo, Mommy (and very anxious family)<br />
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<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-50718973306591978722015-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:002015-03-25T06:00:00.969-07:00500<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sometimes I hear the news and almost lose hope in the world. Between school shootings, ISIS, poverty and war in the world, and the financial situation of our country, it seriously makes me wonder if there is anything good in this world anymore. But as soon as my brain goes down that gloom and doom road, I am almost always immediately reminded, somehow, that God is in control. He has not given up on us, nor will He ever. And today's reminder looked something like this:</div>
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500 churches. 500 <i><b>NEW</b></i> churches. And all of this has only been in the past 12 years or so, with the bulk of them being in the past 5. Josh and I went to our very first <a href="https://www.arcchurches.com/about" target="_blank">Association of Related Churches</a> (ARC) training as newlyweds before launching our campus in Illinois. We were probably one of 20 other couples, the "training" was more of an opportunity to hang out with other people who were crazy enough to try the same thing, but the people that we met, who were on staff and who had already planted a church before us, well, they're what got us. By far it was one of the friendliest, authentic, most joy-filled, encouraging group of people we had ever been around. I grew up in churches where I mostly felt judged <i>(was I wearing the right thing? Did they look at me and think that I had ever messed up or was I playing the role of perfect daughter/sister/friend/Christian perfectly? Did they know that I went out partying last weekend or did I hide that well enough?)</i>, but this particular group of Christians was just so real, down-to-earth, and genuinely wanted to know us... about our hopes, dreams for this church, why we were going to go plant, and what our fears and struggles were. Yes, they wanted to know the good <i>AND </i>the bad, so that they could truly help us and be there for us. <b>Special</b>. That's what these people were.</div>
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When we felt that the time had come to plant <a href="http://turningpointcn.com/" target="_blank">TurningPoint</a> (about 2 1/2 years later), it was a no-brainer that we wanted to partner with these wonderful people again. And they have been there for us every step of the way... good and bad... to once again encourage us, answer questions, and connect us to other people on this same journey. Real people who just genuinely cared, without an agenda or expectation of anything in return. And with their help, we became number #252 on February 12, 2012. It's been quite a journey, but our church would not be what it is without their help, love, and support. Honestly, I would not be the person I am today without their leadership and authentic love for us! And three years later, we are still growing, thriving, and seeing hundreds of people say "yes" to Jesus and an eternity through our church. Hundreds of people who walk in our doors broken and lost, and walk out filled with hope, restored, and wanting to share this newfound love with others.</div>
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Today we are taking a quick trip to Birmingham for the dedication of the new ARC office building, named after the founder of this great organization. The Billy Hornsby Center for Church Planting will see hundreds thousands more church planters come through its doors to be trained, equipped, and sent out in the coming years. And with every church planter, and every new church, I am reminded that there is still so much hope in the world. As a younger generation re-discovers the Gospel, or gets introduced it for the first time, and learns to live a life of generosity, integrity, honor, love, and so much more; for them to find that they are made on a purpose and for a purpose; for others to realize that there is so much more to live this life for than just ourselves- hope springs forth anew. And so I cannot watch the news and be depressed. Sure, there are things that sadden me, and there always will be. I will always have compassion and hurt for the brokenhearted. But I will continue to keep in mind that He isn't finished yet, and His promises are always true, and never broken. </div>
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Today as well celebrate, I am so incredibly honored, proud, and humbled to be #252. I am in awe of what God can do through an ordinary person who just decided that living selfishly and doing life her way was not fulfilling (and wasn't working), and so she said "yes" to what seemed to be a crazy dream of her husband. I am amazed by a God who promises that your past can be left behind and you can be a new creation in Him. He knew my sins and my path and gave me a husband, children, and partnered me in a ministry that I do not (nor ever will) deserve. He makes all things new, and these 500 churches are just the start of the newness that is cropping up all over the country. And they're only getting started...</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><b>[Galatians 6:9]</b> <i>Let us not become weary in doing good,</i></span><i><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29198A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29198A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.</span></i></div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-35873818889139710472015-03-20T04:25:00.000-07:002015-03-20T11:35:27.935-07:00"I See a Church..."<div style="text-align: justify;">
My heart could burst this morning. Here lately, I have felt the nudge to get on this blog a little bit more often, not just to keep this up as a personal journal about my family's adventures, but to write a little more often about how to do this whole motherhood thing in a way that is God-honoring. How to better pour the Word into our kids, and how to really make it worship. For the longest time I could never really pinpoint where I wanted this to go or what I wanted it to be about (particularly because it was started purely just to keep my family updated on what our family has been up to), and lately I have just felt in my heart that this is the direction I'm supposed to go. The thing is, nobody ever feels worthy enough to try and lead people in this way. I mean, I mess up <b><i>DAILY</i></b>. I have times when I feel like I'm knocking it out of the park, routinely getting up early and spending time with God before having to do all of my mommy duties (and honestly therefore doing them better because of a more joyful attitude), and then I have those nights when I lay down and wonder what I did all day. I think I just came to the realization that even if I <i>did</i> get up at 5am every single day, and even if I <i>did</i> read my Bible every single morning, and even if I was the most consistent, self-disciplined woman in the world, I would <i>still</i> have nights like that. And to be honest, no matter how hard I try, I guarantee there are going to be days where I would rather choose (and probably still will) to sit on the couch and watch mindless TV shows instead of actively investing in and leading my children. I just really hope that over time that happens less and less. I want first and foremost what I do at home to matter, and if I can help other moms along the way find the joy in the Lord through their own journey, then I want to be a vehicle to help them, too. Even if I sometimes don't get it perfect myself.</div>
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But back to my heart bursting...</div>
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Last night I heard Josh and Jacob talking up in Josh's office. This is not a rare thing, as Jake really loves to go sit up there with Daddy and pretends to do work. But this time it sounded different. Jake was speaking with a different rhythm in his voice, and as I walked up the stairs a bit, it sounded like he was... well... <i>preaching</i>. And then I heard him say, "I see a church..."</div>
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Jake has rarely sat in "big church" with me to listen to his daddy preach. He is usually back in our (awesome) kids' ministry having his own lesson, but does see glimpses of his sermons from time to time via web videos or non-Sunday morning events, like our volunteer rallies or times of prayer. On our three-year-anniversary, Josh preached a message about the church that he sees, and he used this "I see a church" phrase repeatedly. It would give you chills if you listened to it. But the crazy thing is, Jake wasn't in there, nor do I think that he has ever seen that message, and if he has, it would have been a super short snippet. But on a day when I wonder if what we do at home matters, and if we are leading our children in the right direction, and if they will end up following God and developing a faith of their own, God gave us a moment that I will cherish forever. God let us know <b>loud and clear </b>that it's more about what we <i><b>do</b></i>, and <i><b>how we live</b></i> our daily lives, than it is about what we tell him to do. We ccan teach him right from wrong all we want, or we can live for Him, so that He will also live to serve and love God by our example. On his daddy's podcast microphone, up in his daddy's office, this little five-year-old boy of ours preached his very first sermon, with no help from either one of us. God can use anyone to speak to us. And thanks to my little boy, my feelings have been confirmed. I don't get it right all the time, but we sure do the best we can.</div>
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I hope you enjoy this as much as we have and I hope the link works! I may have to try and upload it differently if it causes any problems:</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10101120870987556" target="_blank"><b>Click here to listen to Jake's Sermon</b></a><br />
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And if you want to hear Josh's version, or any of his messages actually, you can download our new handy-dandy TurningPoint Church app! I particularly recommend last weekend's message!<br />
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https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/turningpoint-church-app/id610741417?mt=8Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-60808656694482578462015-03-18T13:46:00.002-07:002015-03-18T13:46:44.956-07:00five.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I genuinely cannot believe that my little man is a five-year-old. I remember when he was born, I would look at the people around me who had children around five or six, and I would think that it would be forever before my child was that big! Moms always say it goes by fast, and since I generally like to buck the cliche, I just chose to ignore that. But they all say it because it's so darn true... the past five years have gone by in a blink, and every year seems to get faster and faster. The good news is, every year just seems to get better and better, too. Sure, I already miss his baby and toddler phases, those cute chubby cheeks and sticky hands, but with each passing year his personality gets bigger, his laugh gets louder, his knowledge and curiosity about the world gets deeper, and my love for him gets stronger. Sure, we have our days when we drive each other a little nuts, but that happens at any age... it's just a part of it. And just so that I never forget, here are some of my favorite things about our sweet, baby Jake:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">He loves to get a laugh! He tells jokes, makes funny faces, and already understands sarcasm far better than most kids his age. And when HE laughs, it's the loudest, most amazing sound in the world and it fills the whole room. I know this comes from his dad, and that's what I love most about him, too!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">He is such an encourager and thinks of others first! No matter what we're doing or who we're with, he is always telling others how wonderful they are, how they can do it (whatever it is in the situation) and giving others a turn. He always makes sure to make cards for his friends on every holiday and even invited a friend of Lilly's to his birthday party so that she'd have someone to play with. My heart melts with his sweetness.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">On a similar note, he makes friends with everyone, everywhere he goes. We stayed at a condo in West Palm on our trip, and the pool was surrounded by snowbirds. He swam right up to an old man and said, "Hi, my name is Jacob. What's yours?" He befriended a 90-year-old named Robert, and eventually had the full attention of just about every senior citizen around. On our next leg of our trip he swam up to a kid around his same age, introduced himself again, and then added, "I like to play video games. What do you like to do?" I love his boldness, and hope it never goes away.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">He is fearless. Seriously. Take this kid to an amusement park and he wants to ride Ev-er-y-thing. We just got back from Disney where he went on the Tower of Terror like it was no big deal... and of course he had a huge grin on his face the whole time.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">His L's are still W's. I know the day that he says "Lilly" instead of "Wiwee" will crush my heart, so I am soaking it in while it lasts.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">He is always hungry! It does not matter if we just ate a huge meal, he will be asking for a snack about five minutes later. Any time we arrive at my parents' house or Josh's dad's house, the first thing he says is "I'm hungry." It's a bit of a running joke actually. He doesn't really love sweets, and dislikes chocolate, but he loves fruit (mostly watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and apples), cereal, and ice cream sandwiches.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">He's way into Lego's. He still wants us to build them, but will play with them for hours.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">He's even more way into video games. He'd play all day if we let him (which we don't!), and I am always in awe of how quickly he can pick up on any game and excel so quickly!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">He's athletic, but we still don't know what sport he'll end up playing. The kid loves to run (and he's pretty fast!) and he's got the build to play just about anything. We're trying baseball this spring, but we'll see how it goes. He also loves to swim and just last week ditched his floaties. I asked him to try and he swam all the way across the pool two minutes later. I was one proud mama!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">He loves babies... partly because he has their undivided attention and they laugh at him. I cannot wait to see him with our new little one here soon!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">He is pretty particular about what he wears. He will get dressed and then tell me that he's "stylin' and profilin'!" He tears a whole in just about every pair of pants that he has (the same knee every time) and then refuses to wear them anymore. I can't wait for this warmer weather so we can do shorts again!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Aside from that phrase, he has many that he says on a regular basis. Things like "silly me" when he messes something up and "what are you kidding me?" I have no clue where he picks this stuff up.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I love hearing him pray... it's the sweetest, most sincere, conversation with God. He can also tell you several Bible stories, but almost all of them include Noah in some capacity. :)</li>
</ul>
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Although we celebrated a couple of times on our trip to Disney last week, Jake basically informed us that he would be having a party. He told us who would be invited, what kind of food would be there, and that he would have an Angry Birds cake. I have to say, it was the most last-minute, impromptu, but incredibly stress-free party planning ever... and maybe one of our most successful parties, too! I think we should just throw it all together at the last minute every year!</div>
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Happy birthday, Jacob Stephen. Thank you for making our lives so much FUN!</div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-82177794163239825632015-02-23T18:17:00.002-08:002015-02-23T18:30:25.185-08:00Excuses, Excuses<div style="text-align: justify;">
Recently I discovered that I have a serious condition that I need to find the cure for. I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this, and I'm sure it's not that rare, but it's some sort of ailment that causes me to make excuses. Excusititis maybe? And while I've noticed its symptoms for awhile now, I came to my full-blown diagnosis this past week. Because the thing is, we had about a foot of snow on the ground (which is A LOT around here!) and literally could not leave our house and therefore had absolutely nothing on our schedule, and my brain kept telling me things like this:</div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I should probably start posting on my blog again, but I don't have time. I mean, I have to watch the latest episode of Nashville.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Sure, I bought those apples to snack on, but it's cold and I need comfort food. What's one more cookie anyway?</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">The kids are eating a bowl of ice cream so why shouldn't I? I'll eat healthy when it's not a snow day.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I am at least <i>wearing</i> my workout clothes <i>and</i> I pulled up the video on YouTube, so that counts for something, right? I mean, once I stopped to go help my child find his sock, it was much too inconvenient to finish that video. Surely 6 minutes was enough anyway.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">We can't go anywhere this week so I literally have <i>ALL DAY</i> to find a chance to do my daily Bible reading. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I <i>could</i> set my alarm and get up before the kids to get things done, but it's not like I have to be anywhere. Neither do they. We'll just catch up on sleep this week.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Why should I watch what I eat?... I mean, I <i>am</i> 26 weeks pregnant <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(and have already gained almost as much weight as I did with Jake in my entire pregnancy!)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Yes, children, I could play with you, but let me just finish scrolling my Instagram feed. Someone might have posted a new picture in the last seven minutes.</li>
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The list goes on and on. If anything, this past week should have been filled with all kinds of productivity! For the amount of time that I spent on Facebook, I probably could have written an <i>actual</i> book! And when I look back on the past seven days, I literally could not tell you a single accomplishment. Not one. We ate A LOT of frozen pizza (among other junk), so I can't even pat myself on the back for getting a home-cooked meal on the table. And I probably broke some sort of record for sitting the couch. To be honest, I'm a little appalled at myself.</div>
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But here's the thing that I think we all forget sometimes. This pattern that I've let myself get into, it's just a series of choices. And to clarify, it's a series of making the <b>easy</b> choices, rather than the <b>fruitful</b> ones. Because even though it's the easy choice at the time (like choosing a movie over an exercise video), they are not the choices that make me feel good or benefit me in the long-run. One week later and I feel lazier, more sluggish, definitely heavier, and my brain is crying out for some sort of intelligent activity! Once I slack off in one area, it's so much easier to slack off in others! At the end of this week I should have looked back and seen that I am all caught up on my Bible-in-a-year plan. I should have blogged everyday. My house should sparkle. The numbers on my scale should have at least stayed put if not gone down. I should be exhausted from all of the intentional time I spent with my kiddos. </div>
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But those choices are harder... because they take <b>work</b>. But the older I get, the more I realize that the work is what makes it all worthwhile. It's what makes me a happier, healthier version of myself. It's what motivates me to do even better the next day. It's the most rewarding part of my life.</div>
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I'm not sure what inspired me to throw this out here on the good ol' blog, but I felt that I needed to make a confession, to get it out there, and maybe give myself a little accountability. I want to finish strong. I want to make each day count, and I definitely want to reap the rewards of making the hard choices. My husband often advises me to ask the question, <b><i>"what do I want vs. what do I want right now?" </i></b>Right now I <i>want</i> to go watch a movie in bed. But <b><i>in life</i></b> I want to be wiser, filled with God's Word, a woman of worth, someone who can counsel others and lead my children well. I want to be a healthy and fit, so that I can be here for a long time. I want to hear from God, but in order to do that I need to be talking to Him and pursuing Him on a regular basis. I want to be a spiritual partner for my husband, so that I can better encourage and support Him. Focusing on this list is the only thing that will cure me. So right now, to be honest, I really want a bowl of ice cream and to curl up in my bed with Netflix on the iPad, but I think I'll start tonight by choosing a cup of tea and by Bible. One choice at a time, one day at a time, choosing what I want in the long-run... I think I might just be able to kick this after all.<br />
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<i>"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."</i> <b>[Galatians 6:9]</b><br />
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<i>"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."</i> <b>[Hebrews 12:11]</b></div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-72588630167662516652015-01-16T06:59:00.000-08:002015-01-16T06:59:00.161-08:00My Homeschooling How To's... So Far<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am surprised by the number of people who are eager to chat my ear off and ask me questions whenever they find out that I've been homeschooling my pre-schoolers this year. Actually, I'm even more surprised that it ever comes up in conversation considering that <a href="http://theseedsyousow.blogspot.com/2014/09/things-i-thought-id-never-do.html">I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that I'm one of "those" moms</a>. I actually laughed at myself today when I found myself suggesting the use of coconut oil as body lotion, which made me joke that I am just a chicken-coop away from being a total hippie, holistic, stereotypical homeschool mom! And please don't take offense to that... I think homeschooling has gotten a bad rap in the past and now I know TONS of women who do it (including myself) who are some of the coolest ladies around. And also, don't take offense if you use all-natural everything and/or have chickens because I totally respect that. I just decided that I'd rather have a neighbor with chickens than have my own chickens... but that's just me.</div>
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And I'm now <i>waaaaayyyy</i> off track from where I was going. Sorry.</div>
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Anyway, as I was saying, I actually feel quite silly dishing out advice to others when I have only been doing this myself for one semester. And I have to say, passing that milestone felt great! But if I did have any tips or tricks to share, here they are... based on what we've accomplished so far:</div>
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<b><i>one.</i></b></div>
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Homeschooling is not nearly as scary or intimidating as you think it is. Trust me, the number one reason I never thought I'd do this is because the opinions vary so greatly, and the information out there is endless. Seriously, Google "homeschooling" and you could drown in a sea of a million articles. My advice would be to find someone who you love and trust, and who (in your opinion) is doing it well. For example, I have a friend in the church who has homeschooled all three of her kids from the start, and now the oldest is a junior in high school and the youngest is in elementary. But let me say that they are the three sweetest, kindest, most polite and respectful children I've maybe ever been around. They love Jesus and live it out, and the oldest as a junior, just scored very high on her ACT's, so her education is not lacking. The end-result to me looks something like these kids, so she was my go-to. She gave me lots of great information, ideas, but mostly encouragement. She made a very deep pool seem like it had a shallow-end where I could dip my toes in and get my feet wet. And ultimately, she was the one who told me I could do this and not go crazy. Six months into and thanks to some of her beginning in formation, I have a better understanding of all of the information I can find on the web, so I can better navigate that now as well. I'd say continue to do your research and stay informed, but having a mentor-type person to start makes a huge difference!</div>
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<b><i>two.</i></b></div>
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If you can find a friend to do this alongside of you, partner up! My number one fear was my sometimes lack of self-discipline getting the best of me. I was afraid that I would let the distractions of keeping up a home (or let's be honest... the distractions of things like Netflix) get the best of me, and we'd all sit around in pj's until Daddy got home from work. It was not a pretty picture of my future. I actually loved taking the kids to pre-school because I had somewhere I had to be, at a certain time, and the kids had to be fed and dressed before then. I need that kind of accountability. Lucky for me, I knew a friend who has kids the same ages of mine who was contemplating the same thing. We had a few "what-if we did this" conversations, prayed a lot about it, and decided to tackle it together. Now I have somewhere to be, on time, four days a week, and my kids have to be fed and dressed before we get there. So do hers... so it works wonders.</div>
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Partnering also divides the work-load. Everyone does it differently, but for us we take turns preparing and teaching the lessons every other week. We both stick to the same curriculum, but one week I'll primarily do all of the teaching while she is more of an aide, and then the next week we swap. The really great part about this is that our teaching styles are a little bit different, so the kids get variety. I also tend to be a little more craft and art-heavy (which is ironic since I'm not very crafty) and she tends to incorporate a wider variety of worksheet activities and more books (which the kids love). I will go ahead and say that preparing for a week's worth of pre-school material is time-consuming, so I am thankful that I have this extra week between to prepare. I'm afraid that I would fall behind if I had to do it everyday, every week. On our "off" weeks, or really, just the week when we are not teaching, we make all of the lunches, so we also buy all of the food for that week. I think it's actually one of my favorite things we do because instead of searching my kitchen at the last minute and ultimately feeding my kids hot dogs, chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, or whatever I can find at that moment, OR asking THEM what they want for lunch (which is a power issue... and another topic altogether), they eat what they are served, and this usually includes a healthy balance of fruits and veggies, as well as some sort of meat or sandwich. And yes, some days they still do get a more typical kid lunch, but it's fewer and farther between when life gets really busy. </div>
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And the best part about partnering? I have another adult to talk to everyday. As a stay-at-home-mom, you have no idea how refreshing that is! We can celebrate our good days together and lament about our bad ones together, and ultimately encourage each other to keep on going when a week gets rough. I could not be more thankful for that.</div>
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<b><i>three.</i></b></div>
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Find a schedule that works. When we first sat down to plan out our year, we were fully prepared to do a trial run of sorts and then make changes if needed. My friend's son sleeps in (lucky her!) and before I was pregnant (and before it was in the teens every night!) I usually worked out in the mornings, so we opted for a later start time of 10:30am. We schedule out a block for circle time, morning activities/school work, play time, lunch time, afternoon activities/school work, end-of-the-day circle time, and more play time when the work is all done. We were lucky that the schedule we mapped out in the beginning has worked, but that never means that it's permanent and we will make changes if we need to in the future.</div>
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<b><i>four.</i></b></div>
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Be flexible. Isn't this one of the main appeals of homeschooling in the first place!? For our family, a major reason we even considered homeschool is because of our hectic schedule and lack of weekend time together. The great part about teaching my children at home as opposed to sending them to a school is that I am aware of what that schedule looks like, when they were up super-late by no fault of their own, or when they are run-down from a jam-packed weekend. When they are acting out or can't focus, I know that some of it isn't their fault, whereas a teacher would have no clue as to whether or not my child was extra tired or did not sleep well the night before. There are days that we fly through everything we have planned with no problems, and days that we just completely punt. It's rare, but it's nice to have that option. There's no point in forcing lessons on kids who aren't in the right mind-set to learn and absorb and it will end up being more of a fight than it's worth. And tomorrow is a new (and hopefully better) day!</div>
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<b><i>five.</i></b></div>
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Use resources, but don't compare. There is so much good stuff out there... great curriculums, amazing ideas, printable worksheets, creative craft ideas... you name it! Because of this, I actually broke down and subscribed to Pinterest (which many of you <a href="http://theseedsyousow.blogspot.com/2012/06/dear-pinterest.html">know my feelings about</a>!) and I do pretty much only use it for school stuff. Pretty much. With all that is out there, as long as you have a framework, you can find virtually everything you need to teach, and most of it is free! So instead of reinventing the wheel, just use what others have already made and/or done and take the pressure off! But with this comes a word of warning- don't be surprised when your crafts and activities don't go exactly as planned. We rarely have that picture-perfect craft at the end of the day, and I sometimes get frustrated that what was going to happen in my head did not happen in reality. You win some, you lose some... that's really all there is to it.</div>
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<b><i>And finally...</i></b></div>
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Remember that these are the days, and they're going to go by fast. When I get frustrated that my son wants to speed through his worksheet so he can draw Angry Birds on the back, or when my daughter refuses help with the scissors and pretty much mutilates her assignment, I take a deep breath and remember that someday I am going to appreciate that little imperfect mess of a project. Some day, when they can read and write and stay in the lines, I am going to miss those messy little names written with letters the wrong way. No matter how frustrated I get, or how stressful a day becomes, I remind myself that when they are grown, I will never look back on this time and regret spending these hours with them. They are mine, and they're only mine for a short time in the grand scheme of things, and I am so blessed to have these extra days with them when they could be in school in someone else's care. On the days that I wish I could just go kid-free to the grocery store or pamper myself with a pedicure, I realize that I'll have plenty of time for that later in life, when they are older and have activities that don't include me. But this time, when they're little and innocent and say and do the funniest things, I can never get that back once they're grown, and I'm trying my best to cherish it everyday. I am thankful that they are home this year. I still believe that we'll take it year-by-year and make the best decision for our family each year as it comes, but for now, I'll soak it up, knowing that someday these days will be a very special, fond memory.</div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-64680101426508025972014-11-10T06:17:00.001-08:002014-11-10T06:17:55.663-08:00Per A Friend's Request: Baby #3 Prego PostPoor baby #3... he or she just gets overlooked from the start, right? Although not entirely I guess since this child had the coolest reveal out of all of them, but there is no week-by-week documentation or anything fun like that. It's just old hat by now (and I've never used that expression and probably did not use it correctly!). But since one of my very few readers requested one, and since this first trimester (which is finally coming to an end... thank goodness!) has been so different from my other two pregnancies, I think it would be good to document what's been happening with the little bean. So here goes:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"><b>How far along:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"> 11 weeks, day 5 (thanks to the handy-dandy Baby Bump app)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text';"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><b>Boy or girl?: </b>Not sure yet. I've been feeling boy this whole time and the whole family refers to the baby as "he." Lilly is the only one who sometimes tells us that it's a little sister, but I think it's mainly because she wants one. Jake has told us with 100% certainty that mommy is having another boy.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text';"><b style="line-height: 21px;">Total weight gain/loss: </b><span style="line-height: 21px;">I'm really not sure because I am not for sure what I was when I started. I do know that I have gained more than I probably should have by now thanks to some weird eating habits, so I'd say in the range of 7-10 pounds. </span></span><br />
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<b>Maternity clothes:</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;">I have broken down already and pulled out the elastic!</span><br />
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<b>Stretch marks: N</b>othing that wasn't there already.<br />
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<b>Sleep: </b>I go to bed so early these days... by about 9pm, I am DONE. I wake up a couple of times each night, but fall back asleep pretty fast.<br />
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<b>Best moment this week: </b>Buying a new pair of maternity jeans. Mine were quite out of style since the last time I was pregnant in the winter was in 2009/2010. Granted, I forgot how expensive those suckers are, but it feels good to have something that fits and looks cute. This in-between (is she pregnant or just gaining a lot of weight?) phase is always my least favorite.<br />
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<b>Movement: </b>Too soon for that of course.<br />
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<b>Food cravings: </b>My diet has consisted mostly of ice cream, milkshakes, cereal, and fried food (particularly French fries). So healthy I know! There were days from about week 5 go week 8 where all I would or could eat was ice cream! Not that I hated it! And occasionally I'd throw in a fast food hamburger to round out the diet. The only healthy thing has been Honeycrisp apples, and I am going to cry once they are out of season.<br />
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<b>Food aversions: </b>MANY. This has been the weirdest part of this pregnancy. I was never sick with the other two. Occasionally I'd get queasy if I got too hungry, but I'd have a few crackers and I'd be all set. This time around, I spent a few weeks feeling nauseous all day long... like I had the flu. I never actually got sick, but it almost felt like I'd be better off if I did! I just felt like I could at any moment... ugh. I figured out about halfway through that coffee was my main trigger (so sad I know!). And Folgers coffee, which we brew at home, in particular. So reluctantly I've cut way back, which is probably good anyway. A from about week 5-8 I couldn't even look at meat of any kind. It sounded so unappetizing! And then basically anything that wasn't in the "cravings" category was off-limits, too. I'm finally starting to feel like myself again and add different (better) foods back in.<br />
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<b>Labor Signs: </b>Obviously not.<br />
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<b>Belly Button in or out?</b> In... hopefully for awhile.<br />
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<b>What I miss: </b>Feeling good... haha! And my morning cup of coffee. I am able to handle a latte, but for $3-$4 a day, I usually just pass them up.<br />
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<b>What I am looking forward to: </b>Feeling good... are we seeing a trend here? I have some high hopes for the second trimester this time around!<br />
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<b>Weekly Wisdom: </b>I learned this week that I need to keep Tylenol in my purse. Twice now I've gotten a headache while we were out somewhere and everyone had Ibuprofin or Aleve or Advil, but nobody carries Tylenol it seems. So that's an easy fix.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;"></span><br />
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<b>Milestones</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text'; line-height: 21px;">:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text';"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> Getting to week 12 will be the first. And this coming Thursday we have our big ultrasound, where they check all of the organs and the overall health of this little one, so say some prayers that all looks good!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text';"><span style="line-height: 21px;">I haven't really started taking pictures all that frequently, but here's a teeny-tiny bump from week seven. I think I started taking pictures with the other two around week 12, so I should probably try and do that again with this one, just for the sake of not leaving him or her out entirely. :)</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Crimson Text';"><span style="line-height: 21px;">So there you have it. I probably won't do this all that often this time around, but it is good to have it on record, so thanks for the encouragement! Here we go again!</span></span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-68793335857571255382014-10-15T06:30:00.000-07:002014-10-15T06:30:02.307-07:00Sharing our News<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, the cat is out of the bag, and we have officially announced that Baby #3 will be making his or her way into the world in May 2015! We were planning to keep it a secret a little longer than we did, but our very excited 3-year-old daughter was basically telling everyone- friends, people at church, total strangers- that her mommy has a baby in her belly. Yeah, I didn't think that through… the thing is, Jake was 9-months old when we were pregnant with her, so it never really dawned on me that the two of them might break the news to others before we were ready! But such is life.</div>
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As for Josh, I promised him awhile back that if we were to have a third, that I would find a cool way to tell him. I always had the intentions to do that the first times around, but instead it always ended up as one of those, "uh honey, could you run to Walgreens for me?" moments instead. So this has been a long time in the making. </div>
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Even though I had my idea for a long time, I did not realize just how tricky it was going to be to pull off. It stemmed around professional photos being taken, and one photo in particular. Ever since we got married, our family has had the same picture taken year after year, of our feet. It's cuter than it sounds… and as our family grew, there were more little cute tootsies (and sometimes the entire kiddo) in the shot. Here are some from years past:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhKrclh33-dBPFwtBxXY6h-uqgcHXR6qF_RzrEpiRj10uA_FQzFHtUGaKaK2iHm4_EbNoHcPY3Nd1rvTcx4V3m05mWnTHBfWYSlfwwQhvFtvBiZJl1Brmfoy6E1hkFKPkRD7aMWzRggU/s1600/_dsc5990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhKrclh33-dBPFwtBxXY6h-uqgcHXR6qF_RzrEpiRj10uA_FQzFHtUGaKaK2iHm4_EbNoHcPY3Nd1rvTcx4V3m05mWnTHBfWYSlfwwQhvFtvBiZJl1Brmfoy6E1hkFKPkRD7aMWzRggU/s1600/_dsc5990.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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I so desperately wanted to make this picture happen again, but once we were all lined up, I'd pull a pair of baby shoes out and set them down between all of our feet and SURPRISE! And of course, the photographer would be in on it and would take pictures of the whole thing. Easy peasy, right?</div>
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I have never been more proud of pulling something off. Between quickly finding a friend (who also happens to take gorgeous pictures) wo would be available to take "Lilly's Third Birthday Pictures", making sure she understood the plan, keeping the news TO MYSELF for a week and a half (yeah, there was a lot of deception going on!), playing off that we should probably all go (and be camera ready) "just in case" there was an opportunity to get a family shot, and successfully hiding baby shoes in my back pocket for just the right moment, there was a lot of stress involved, but it was worth it! </div>
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It's funny though… he couldn't find a place to park and so he called me and said he'd just circle around until we were done. Um, excuse me??? I don't think so. So I made him illegally park where we could see the car and come out and join us. Then we added the shoe picture as if it was an afterthought and I "explained the concept" to our friend, Ellen, as if she didn't know it was coming. </div>
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And here's the moment of truth… she captured it all so perfectly!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieT6kht_QYLNHrRWGuOdubvAKHeosis5JG8688-jZG8S1VdqiZBuR74WIzx0lIj0HrmEJUSdW3xRZYkf581XLRpjPePip9Q0EVSTUryTkZgAZNesDRVy2m6oGHcT0KLz5ZvkhHl0M0UuI/s1600/IMG_9085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieT6kht_QYLNHrRWGuOdubvAKHeosis5JG8688-jZG8S1VdqiZBuR74WIzx0lIj0HrmEJUSdW3xRZYkf581XLRpjPePip9Q0EVSTUryTkZgAZNesDRVy2m6oGHcT0KLz5ZvkhHl0M0UuI/s1600/IMG_9085.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lining up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb82aW_BwLRBuUx2M1XD3YeQWz6ELje8wNJFK2Z1r5AW6a0MxZYdyPqjUHM9Ps1erGgcH0sVYZHPE7VLDV_KroZvw2UaRt9g0DZsXyB6UXQvCcPrCUTytI_jdpoKR6CMPARktlbh-FR1w/s1600/IMG_9090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb82aW_BwLRBuUx2M1XD3YeQWz6ELje8wNJFK2Z1r5AW6a0MxZYdyPqjUHM9Ps1erGgcH0sVYZHPE7VLDV_KroZvw2UaRt9g0DZsXyB6UXQvCcPrCUTytI_jdpoKR6CMPARktlbh-FR1w/s1600/IMG_9090.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh wait, I forgot something</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZY02DcZFk8UZLf5B7piqHecu7uRhiJxwZZMPaculorAF9u3cr6Axu6mG-jUEU8jy3nfyJ-CZqXKF1RaO0qFTQAhI60_M-mqCthaQOEVutCHXyhsx53bkJzG_k7y_mOr8GkGHz8JMWSM/s1600/IMG_9096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZY02DcZFk8UZLf5B7piqHecu7uRhiJxwZZMPaculorAF9u3cr6Axu6mG-jUEU8jy3nfyJ-CZqXKF1RaO0qFTQAhI60_M-mqCthaQOEVutCHXyhsx53bkJzG_k7y_mOr8GkGHz8JMWSM/s1600/IMG_9096.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These need to be in the picture, too!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsN9RLNI7EAJ81Vg-UCrbqYZTVb3X72x0viveZmxLlP-7-gWWvate9ns2rlq8vLmSXDAdbAW0IPysiPqY3V0L-nSDyKxwWC47Mo42YET4lyXU_0-Y101HOk3NuwLvXbLpV8AmC-2aRNU/s1600/IMG_9100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsN9RLNI7EAJ81Vg-UCrbqYZTVb3X72x0viveZmxLlP-7-gWWvate9ns2rlq8vLmSXDAdbAW0IPysiPqY3V0L-nSDyKxwWC47Mo42YET4lyXU_0-Y101HOk3NuwLvXbLpV8AmC-2aRNU/s1600/IMG_9100.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are you serious???</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZsx6SQxLpo2FAN7Z114q6kQVW72n8iO3TQEJv88tiFrHFn_Py61NmatlB8gjIH10HM41ERSaVo6gegW5cLTD-UnEek3waGIWg9DDUGuU7QEdZ7TDzIqhIfK5WWTi8FOcedYt62uIb_s/s1600/IMG_9101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZsx6SQxLpo2FAN7Z114q6kQVW72n8iO3TQEJv88tiFrHFn_Py61NmatlB8gjIH10HM41ERSaVo6gegW5cLTD-UnEek3waGIWg9DDUGuU7QEdZ7TDzIqhIfK5WWTi8FOcedYt62uIb_s/s1600/IMG_9101.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was lots of laughter after that… he had NO idea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrLoV5oFNnx6A7CEnh2OYXnPYzXL2DMRxZ2qHzbiAhensilOlLxnhh_IyTTNRO297DUoEwxSdnF7N8mrl9PEj-qJkIL0Z80VjmixQxnA4wyKADEPuYOVCSX6J___26aMdGiT93Z24u6w/s1600/IMG_9106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrLoV5oFNnx6A7CEnh2OYXnPYzXL2DMRxZ2qHzbiAhensilOlLxnhh_IyTTNRO297DUoEwxSdnF7N8mrl9PEj-qJkIL0Z80VjmixQxnA4wyKADEPuYOVCSX6J___26aMdGiT93Z24u6w/s1600/IMG_9106.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids finally catch on. Yay! We're having a baby!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DMTPuN3e2UQKcV1Ck5YUDHzmXa88yEyW8rlw6y6U2IW9CmOHtuPzuuNcQFy1Yu0400CdMUhtVMeNXinrKJUVE07LWchyphenhyphenjVw7tynA8F1o6R8CvmdWSNrTl92PydpD7BYo01uD9mpfniQ/s1600/IMG_9113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DMTPuN3e2UQKcV1Ck5YUDHzmXa88yEyW8rlw6y6U2IW9CmOHtuPzuuNcQFy1Yu0400CdMUhtVMeNXinrKJUVE07LWchyphenhyphenjVw7tynA8F1o6R8CvmdWSNrTl92PydpD7BYo01uD9mpfniQ/s1600/IMG_9113.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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After that, we took some pretty cute shots that we could use later for an announcement to everyone else:<br />
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And so you have it. The family pictures and sweet ones of our first two kiddos were just an added bonus!<br />
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So there you have it… a super complicated way to announce some good news! We ended up telling our immediate family and some close friends the following weekend at Lilly's birthday party by having her unwrap a "Big Sister" shirt in front of everyone. I have video of everyone's reaction, but I'm not going to post it since it's mostly of the ceiling and 20 minutes long, because I never hit the record button again to stop it! And even though I'm sure you've seen it on Instagram by now, this is how we told the rest of our world:</div>
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A VERY special thank you to my dear friend, Ellen Turner, for taking these incredible photos, and for keeping a secret for as long as she did! And to a few others who helped me keep up appearances until the day came that I could pull this off. Needless to say, this family is <i>very</i> excited!</div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-44530843035377650752014-09-03T13:57:00.000-07:002015-01-15T19:01:14.609-08:00Things I Thought I'd Never Do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As of yesterday, I have officially added "homeschooling mom" to the list of titles that I have carried in my life. And just like the "pastor's wife" title that I have carried since I said, "I do," it's one that I thought I would never, ever, in a million years, have associated with my name… not because I ever had anything against it, but rather because I've just never felt like it was for me. The conversation would come up, and I would pretend to entertain the idea, but deep down I just knew it was never going to happen. Period.</div>
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But sometimes life is funny. It wasn't until I was away from my kids this summer for almost three straight weeks (with a tiny break in the middle there) that I continued to feel something pressed upon my heart. It was this "thing" that I just couldn't shake… like a small whisper or a nudge, and even though it was oh-so-quiet, it would wake me in my sleep and penetrate my thoughts in even the loudest room. And it was one that was telling me, for reasons that I could not understand, to at least consider keeping my little ones home this year. I disliked the voice so much that I did not even tell my husband, even though he had a major part in the process of making this decision! But I just couldn't go there… not yet.</div>
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If you're wondering why I was ever so set against this idea, I can honestly tell you that I'm not entirely sure. I will say that there is a small part of me that was looking forward to kindergarten, so that I'd have more time to pursue some other passions that I've put off for awhile and throw myself more into the work of our church. Another part of me did not want to fall into the stereotype that all pastors' families are homeschooling families. I've never had anything against any type of school, whether it be public, private, or anything else, and I have loved everything about the little preschool we've sent our kiddos to over the past two years. In regards to why one should homeschool, I've had conversations that were completely uplifting and positive and many that harbored so much animosity toward any other way of doing school that it turned me off to the idea. It can be a hot topic, that's for sure, and if you're not homeschooling, let me be the first to say that it's alright… it's not for everyone, and honestly, not everyone is in a situation where they can make it work for their current family situation.</div>
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And that's just the thing… it's <i>YOUR</i> family. In all the times that I spoke to anyone about it, very few people made it about <i>US</i>, about <i>MY</i> kids, and about <i>MY</i> family. If it's such a personal decision, I couldn't figure out why everyone kept talking about why <i>the world </i>ought to be doing it one way or the other, rather than applying it to the person in the conversation. And so this is my new answer, for this and just about every other decision this family is going to make over the next seventy years:</div>
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We're just doing what's right for our family right now.</div>
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I cannot tell you how much JOY I have found in that statement, and how freeing it has truly been! Right now, in this season of our lives with Josh traveling a lot and our weekends not really being weekends, homeschool works great for us. The kids can travel with us and experience things they cannot get if they are in school, and I can stretch myself and teach them, and soak up these days while they are still little. But can I say that this will be right for my family next year? Ummm… not really. Not yet. I know some people feel like you should commit whole-heartedly, but through the years I've learned that life changes in a blink of an eye and throws surprises at you that you never saw coming. And so we learn to roll with it, adjust on the fly, and evaluate our current situation with every changing year. Take me for example: since we've been married I've worked in an office, I've worked from home full-time, I've been laid off, I've worked full-time for the church, I've worked part-time for the church, I've taken time off to just be a mom and a wife, and now there's this. Because in those times, those things worked best for my family.</div>
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So I think here's my point… whatever it is that you're fretting over right now and whatever decisions you're facing, just know that as long as you're doing what's best for YOUR family, that's the best you can do. Whether your kids are in public school, private school, charter school, or homeschool, just make sure it's the best situation for what you want your family to get out of it. Whether you breastfeed, bottle feed, or give your child goat's milk, just do what's best for your family. I moved one of my children to his crib at 5 weeks old, and my little girl slept in our bed until she was 9 months old, because at those times, those choices worked best for our family. </div>
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So for you moms out there, stop looking left and right. Please stop doubting yourself and your instincts so much. Instead, look within your own home, evaluate everything that is happening around you, and take notice of the season of life that you're in and base your decisions on that. And know that what you decide does not have to be the way you do things forever, because I guarantee there is a curve ball coming at you that you won't see coming. And then you'll adjust.</div>
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But most importantly, never say never. This pastor's wife who home schools her kids hardly recognizes herself these days, but she's doing what's best for her family right now and it's the most rewarding feeling I've ever had.</div>
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<b>Sidenote:</b> our first two days of homeschool have been awesome! I do plan to share some of my thoughts and experiences on here throughout the year (considering that BOTH of my kids are napping right now, which NEVER happens anymore… hooray for this new schedule!), but can honestly say that I am blown away with how much I have loved it. And that has very little to do with homeschooling or not homeschooling, and everything to do with giving into that little whisper. Is God whispering anything to you right now? </div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-30469146631292890742014-08-21T06:09:00.000-07:002014-08-21T06:09:00.635-07:00Our Budding Photographer<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jake has been savvy with our iPhones since before he could walk or talk, and my camera roll has been filled with different portions of his face on many occasions now. I've deleted hundreds, if not thousands by now, of pictures of just his cheek, up his nose, many of his forehead, and sometimes his shoes when he does not have the camera flipped around. The other day, however, I came across a few that were, well, almost artistic:</div>
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I am not a professional by any stretch of the imagination, but this boy might just have an artistic eye! Or maybe I'm just another crazy mom who thinks her child is a creative genius. Either way, I had to share!Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-38262346141292913242014-08-16T13:50:00.000-07:002014-08-16T13:50:34.987-07:00In These Troubled Times
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I have been troubled lately. Not necessarily about things
going on in my immediate surroundings, but about what’s been going on in the
world. Everything from the happenings in Iraq, to Syria, to riots (whether
peaceful or not), to people making a debate out of Robin Williams’ death
(please just let him rest in peace and let that poor family grieve- regardless
of anyone’s opinion it is still a life lost, and that is sad enough) and even a
hoax about a real-life Purge (like in the movie of the same name, in which one
time a year for 12 hours, people are allowed to commit any crime with no
consequences… yeah, I never saw it either) that was supposed to happen in
Louisville Friday night seem to plague me. I think that I am far from a gloom-and-doom
person and have always done my best to have that glass-half-full attitude, but
sometimes this world presses in and it feels like it’s getting darker and
darker.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This morning I woke up and could not shake the feeling. I
did what I do every morning… I rolled over, checked the time on my iPhone, and
then checked my Facebook, my email, and my Instagram feeds. I clicked on a few
articles about things going on in the world, not knowing ahead of time even if
it was a valuable news source. I read some comments of statuses about some of
these things, getting sucked into the comments surrounding each one. My load
was even heavier, the cloud around me more stifling, and I put my feet on the
floor and moseyed out to get some much needed coffee. The kids watched a
cartoon and played with toys while I cleaned the house, which led me to a bill
that I did not realize we had ever received in the mail (and therefore had not
budgeted for) and then that oppressive cloud began to seep into my immediate
situation. It wasn’t just the world anymore, it was everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I am not sure if others operate this way, but my
self-discipline with just about anything ebbs and flows. I’m either working out
all the time or not at all. I’m either shoveling every sugar-laden food into my
mouth or have the world’s healthiest diet. And with my spiritual life, I’m
either up every morning filling myself up with God’s word over a cup of coffee,
or I am avoiding Him altogether, except to maybe mumble a prayer as I drift off
to sleep.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This morning as I continued to put some things away, my
books fell over right at my Jesus Calling devotional (by Sarah Young… it you
don’t have it, GET IT) and my heart flipped over. Maybe it sounds silly to you,
but I felt like God just gave a gentle nudge, reminding me to stop filling my
head with the nonsensical opinions of others, and start refilling my heart with
his everlasting promises. I went to find today’s date and the book opened right
to it as it had been bookmarked by a five-dollar bill from Guatemala. Trust me
when I say that I have absolutely no clue why or how that got there, or where
it even came from, but again, God whispered, stop worrying about your finances…
put your faith in me and I will take care of you. I always do. And then the
title of today’s reading, Focusing Your Thoughts, pierced me to the core.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What have I been focusing my thoughts on lately? What have
my priorities been? Whose opinions and comments have I been reading? Have they
been His? Have they been any of the thoughts and opinions of His followers?
It’s no wonder I found myself in this dark place… I had cut off my supply of
living water and replaced it with mud. Dark, murky, thick mud that sucks you
down deeper and even has the capability of pulling your shoes off. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Today if you find yourself drowning in the muddy waters
around you, I want to encourage you to do as I am trying to do and review some
of your habits, and take a look at what you’re putting into yourself. If your
immediate tendency is to check your phone and click on every single
controversial article, set some boundaries, only allowing yourself to get your
news from a trusted source. Stay away from comments and formulate your own opinion
about the issue without reading the array of all the others. Know what else I found
while cleaning? An old-school alarm clock. If I am not self-disciplined to only
check the time on my phone and use it as a clock, I am going to remove it from
my bedside all together… and perhaps replace it with my daily devotional book,
so that His truth can be the first thing I read each morning. Mornings can be
crazy, but in the same amount of time I used to take to scroll through
Facebook, I can surely open a book and get some much-needed encouragement to
start my day. And when God gives you a little nudge, be thankful that He cares
about us enough to remind us that no matter what is happening all around us,
His love will always prevail. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Here are the verses that were included with today’s
devotional… may they be a reminder to you that His truth is constant in our
ever-changing world:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right, and pure, and
lovely, and admirable. Think about thigs that are excellent and worthy of
praise.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>-Philippians 4:8<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will
sour on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and
not be faint.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>-Isaiah 40:31<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And then one of my personal favorites:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>…When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than
I.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>-Psalm 61:2<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Focus your thoughts today on He who is good, purify your
water, and then go shine your light and spread some love to make this world a
brighter place.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-41171109195374199892014-07-23T07:57:00.000-07:002014-07-23T08:35:01.365-07:00The Vatican<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a great weekend of total normalcy (meaning no traveling for Josh or myself, nothing on the schedule, and then finally back to church!), I'm here to get back to recapping my European adventures. Today as I sit down to type this one up I realize that I'm only on day two of ten… so I may be blogging this stuff into October at the pace that I'm blogging here lately! Especially since I finally have many things swirling around in this noodle of mine after months and months of writer's block, so I probably need to get some of it out in between these posts before it all goes away. But back to day two…</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a VERY rock-solid night of sleep on the rock-slab that our Rome hotel called a bed, we got up, had breakfast, and headed to the Vatican. My mom had set us up with another tour guide for the Vatican, and I must say, she was fabulous! I was incredibly intrigued about the Vatican, and the entire concept still just fascinates me, but where she came in really handy was for the descriptions of all of the art. Oh my, there is art EVERYWHERE. Some of you might be thinking "duh," but I seriously did not realize that. The other wonderful thing about having a guided tour is that we got to skip the line to get into the walls of the Vatican, as well as the line to get into St. Peter's Cathedral. And people were in line for two hours or more! So, if you visit during high season, I'd say it's well worth it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But anyway, I'm not even really sure if I would do any of the art photos justice as far as explanations go, so I won't bore you with the hundreds we took. The city is pretty well laid out so there is a definite flow of tourist traffic, and for the most part we were kind of herded through everything with a ton of other people. We started outside on a terrace and then went through a building to get to one of three courtyards (which used to be 2 courtyards until they build the library to separate one of them. The third courtyard is used as a parking lot). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-ufHogPyuiSmQeEzSEFP6THb92LOl6pfjNDKMDmvYQPdiHtG3QXKqVkj21kGQJLXQ_LbzKw582jno180TNDSzj_gmj1NigQRovfhBGurTMhnNv5ZRTpizEnC1MuHuh2A6LTCPTAwI3s/s1600/DA5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-ufHogPyuiSmQeEzSEFP6THb92LOl6pfjNDKMDmvYQPdiHtG3QXKqVkj21kGQJLXQ_LbzKw582jno180TNDSzj_gmj1NigQRovfhBGurTMhnNv5ZRTpizEnC1MuHuh2A6LTCPTAwI3s/s1600/DA5.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recognize that chimney??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the courtyard we went inside and walked through hallway upon hallway of art. There was a hall dedicated to Egyptian art and then one filled with pieces recovered from the manors of ancient Rome- many statues of people and several of Pagan Gods. The ceiling in this area was incredibly amazing to me… painted plaster that was done in a form that made it look three dimensional although the ceiling was completely flat. </div>
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Then there was a hallway of ancient maps, and one of tapestries, which I found to be incredibly impressive! These areas also had incredible ceilings although they were not only painted, but also plated in gold.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you believe that this is a tapestry? I was amazed.</td></tr>
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Beyond that we entered Rafael's rooms, with amazing murals on every ounce of spare wall space- Renaissance art at it's best. There was so much to see it was almost difficult to figure out where to start! These rooms are filled with works of the greatest artists who ever lived… and it was impossible to capture it in photos, so these will have to suffice!</div>
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Beyond that we made our way into the Sistine Chapel. There are no photos allowed in there, and there is supposed to be complete silence. I wish I could say that I was just completely overwhelmed with awe to be in there, but I was actually quite frustrated that so many people continued to talk even with the security guards frequently announcing "silencio" over a PA system. The ceiling is quite amazing (especially after our guide had told us about each painting and the progression of the work… how he tweaked his design and made everything bigger after seeing the first ones complete from the ground) and to know that he spent all that time on shaky scaffolding and how long it took to complete is just incredible.</div>
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From there we headed to St. Peter's Basilica. On this trip we saw many, <i>many</i> churches inside and out. I have also been to several in Mexico. In comparison, this one is MASSIVE. And spectacular. I do not think there is a comparison anywhere else in the world… and again, my pictures just fall flat. You'll just have to put it on your bucket list and go see it for yourself someday!</div>
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This large altar is one solid piece of bronze and only the Pope worships under there. And as a side note (and a pice of trivia that I did not know, but maybe you did), the bodies of the dead popes are treated in such a way (withe the appearance of being a wax figure) that they are on display 25 years after their deaths. I refrained from taking photos since I found it a bit morbid, but there were many people there taking photos and paying homage to them. We can expect the former pope's body to be added into the Basilica in about 23 years.</div>
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Another piece of trivia… this statue is now encased behind a glass door because a "tourist" came in and tried to destroy it. He made some significant damage before they could stop him and they had to restore it the best they could. IT's unfortunate because out of everything in the Vatican, I thought that this was by far the most beautiful and moving piece.</div>
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We were there the day before a holy festival (the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul), and so the pope's actual garments (which he would be wearing for the festival as well as on other special occasions) were on display. Our tour guide said that she had been giving tours for years and had never seen this happen.</div>
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We exited the Basilica into St. Peter's Square, which might have impressed me about as much as the cathedral did! I think I mentioned in my <a href="http://theseedsyousow.blogspot.com/2014/07/from-rome-with-love.html">Rome post</a> that I found the city to be a bit dirty, but the buildings and landscape and everything in the Vatican, to include the square, was so pristine and well-kept. There is a statue or Peter and Paul, but I found the one of Peter to be the most interesting. He's holding two keys, one silver and one gold (although you cannot tell that in a statue, just in paintings of the same thing) which signify Jesus handing over the keys to the church, past and present (<i>on this rock I will build my church</i>). I have never been to the Holy City, but just to know that I was standing on the ground where Peter was crucified and walking around a city where both Paul and Peter had themselves walked was incredibly humbling. It kind of blew my mind.</div>
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These are how the Romans do public drinking fountains… they are all over the place. But since this one was in the sVatican, we figured it must be holy water.<br />
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Paul</div>
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Peter - you can see the keys in the hand that is pointing</div>
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So to sum it up, the Vatican is pretty darn incredible and certainly worth seeing. I think our experience would have been better if it hadn't been in the peak of tourist season in 90-degree-heat (and a lot of it is not air conditioned, which was surprising due to all of the artifacts in there), but beyond that, it was an awesome day. Out of all of it though, here is what amazed me the most:</div>
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As I was walking through the Hall of Tapestries, we were surrounded by literally hundreds of people. There were people going through on their own, as well as several tour groups, with multiple tours starting ever fifteen minutes. I turned to look at something and a familiar face caught my eye. I randomly ran into someone I knew in the Vatican! How crazy is that??!! And not just someone that I know, but one of my mentors in ministry, a pastor on the ARC Lead Team who dreamt up <a href="http://www.arcchurches.com/women/">ARC Women</a>, something I have been involved with, <a href="http://celebrationchurchtx.com/about/pastors/">Lori Champion</a>. She and her family had ended a cruise in Rome and were heading back to Texas the next day. Only God can orchestrate something like that… nothing blew my mind more on this entire trip than that moment. We traveled halfway around the globe to bump into each other… in a place all about the church. Chew on that for moment. </div>
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That afternoon we checked out of our hotel and boarded our floating home for the next week! Next stop? Florence, ya'll (and you would only understand that reference if you have ever driven through Northern Kentucky). Bon voyage!</div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-60780536635009149682014-07-18T06:42:00.000-07:002014-07-18T06:48:08.753-07:00Five on Friday: Pastor's Kid Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been awhile since I shared some of the silly things our kids say, so I'm gonna try and get back to it. With our kids growing up immersed in all things church and God's word and prayer and community, it's really funny to hear some of their thoughts, questions, and observations sometimes. I do feel like we do a pretty good job of making sure family comes first, and we know that our actions speak louder than our words, so we talk a lot about what God is doing in our lives, pray together regularly, and try to explain things to them from a Biblical view. We don't always get it right, but that's where grace comes into play thankfully. So here are a few funnies from our two silly pastor's kids:</div>
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<b>one.</b></div>
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Jake was scared one night so Josh went up to make sure he was okay. He explained to him that when he gets scared, he just needs to remember that Jesus is always with him. Jake asked him where Jesus was and Josh explained that Jesus lives in his heart, and he only needs to look there to find him. Jake looked down at his chest and then back at Josh with a concerned look at his face. He then said, "Daddy, I don't think Jesus lives in my heart. He probably lives in my closet."</div>
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<b>two.</b></div>
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Lately the kids have been learning about how God made the earth, the sky, the animals, humans, etc. At random, one of them will ask us if God made a certain toy or a TV show or a certain person… stuff like that. The other day Jake looked at me completely serious and asked, "Mommy, did God make poop?" That one I was not prepared for.</div>
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<b>three.</b></div>
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One of the worship songs we sing at church is "Your Presence is Heaven to Me." Jake and Lilly both sing the chorus, "Oh Jesus, oh Jesus, your presents are heaven to me." That works, too.</div>
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<b>four.</b></div>
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Jake is testing out his vocabulary and trying to figure out what words he can get away with saying and what words are off-limits. Thankfully the bad words are pretty mild, such as stupid, butt, etc. He has always called his… er… boy part a "ting-ting" (thanks to a hilarious comedy sketch that Josh and I both love) and one day he threw that out there to see if he could call someone that. I found myself telling Jake to "not say ting-ting" several times that day. Later we were driving over to the church for an evening service and he got a mischievous grin on his face. "Mommy," he said, "I'm going to say 'ting-ting at church." I really need to learn how to reprimand my child without laughing sometimes!</div>
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<b>five.</b></div>
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While we are in service, Jake and Lilly are both back in our KidzPoint ministry where they have their own age-appropriate worship and lessons with some phenomenal leaders. Upon picking Jake up one week, the gals in the preschool room informed me that after teaching the kids about the story of Joseph being thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery by his brothers, Jake told the whole class that "Daddy threw Mommy into a pit once." Yeah… I have <i>no</i> idea! That kid kills me.</div>
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More than anything, we just want our kids to grow up loving the local church, and knowing that they are loved by their church family. We work really hard and they are often with us, but we play hard, too. I just pray that each of them comes to know Jesus in a real, tangible way as they grow up, so that they are not relying on the faith of their parents, but come to have a true faith of their own. As parents, all we can do is lead with our actions and our words, and pray our faces off for them to follow Jesus with all they are. And between the two of them, we may just have a future preacher and a worship leader on our hands. Either way, they are our little world changers!</div>
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<b>Jake at age 3 (about a year ago). Sorry for the poor video quality… </b><br />
<b>and you have to get past some crazy gibberish to get to the good stuff:</b><br />
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<b>Lilly, age 22 months (also about a year ago). Time, please slow down!:</b></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-23832246989403864332014-07-17T10:16:00.000-07:002014-07-17T10:16:00.624-07:00From Rome With Love<div style="text-align: justify;">
To preface these European vacation posts, I have to first explain a bit about how this trip came about. You see, <a href="http://theseedsyousow.blogspot.com/2010/04/the-loss-of-hero.html">my Aunt Barbara (affectionately called Aunt B), passed away a few years ago</a> due to cancer (ugh, I hate that word), and left several people in the family the remainder of her estate. She had no children, so my sisters and my cousins were very much who she spoiled. My sisters and I all chose different ways to continue her legacy with what she left, and I love walking into our church every week knowing that she played a major part in funding our new adventure and has left quite a mark on this city already. If you would have met her, you would have immediately felt like a friend, and that is a very frequent comment we get from newcomers who walk through our doors. I don't think it's entirely a coincidence. My mom, on the other hand, really thought for a long time about how she wanted to honor her sister's memory. She and my dad cruised Europe last year, and while they were away, she kept talking about how she wished her girls were there to experience it all with her. Having two sisters of her own, and knowing how special that bond is, and also taking into consideration that my aunt loved to travel, she found her perfect gift, and the gift really fell on us daughters! To be treated to a 10-day trip to Europe is something I would have never fathomed in my wildest dreams, and we all knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime offer! I struggled with the decision, knowing that it would come right after being away from the babies while Josh and I were in California, but I also knew what a rare and <i>HUGELY</i> generous opportunity this was. So after some thought and many encouraging conversations from Josh, I applied for my passport and jumped on board (kind of literally I guess). And let me just say, I am incredibly glad that I did. And we found it pretty cool that our travel agent and one of our tour guides both were Barbara's… she was definitely with us on our adventure.</div>
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Our first stop was Rome. We boarded the plane in the US at 11am our time and landed in Rome at 2am our time (8am Rome time). Since we couldn't check in, we immediately set out exploring. None of us were able to get much sleep on the plane (who can do that anyway??), so by the afternoon, many of our conversations were pretty non-sensical since our brains stopped functioning. In the morning we saw the Spanish stairs (which had some construction going on), the Trevi fountain (which was unfortunately behind a lot of scaffolding also due to some cleaning… the first time they've done this in 200-some-odd years), and ate some pizza at a little cafe. Pizza in Italy? Yes, please!</div>
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After lunch we were able to check into our hotel, take a quick power-nap, and had to meet for a 2pm tour. My mom opted for a guided tour of the Colosseum and the ruins of the Roman Forum, and while we started out strong, we were all fading as our 3-hour tour turned into one that was closer to 4 hours. But I must say, the Colosseum should be on everyone's bucket list… it is so incredibly magnificent and I was amazed at how much of it remains. I had watched Gladiator on the flight over, so I had geared up for it! Haha! There are <i>TONS</i> of tourists in Rome in the summer, but this is one place where the monstrous size is large enough to handle them all. It did not feel crowded in there at all, and we got great views of everything inside and out. Here are some pictures, and a short video of the inside, since nothing will do it justice like seeing it in person does!</div>
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They've recovered a lot of great sculptures and statues, most of which are in the history museum in Rome, but they do have a few on display in the Colosseum as well. And for me it was interesting to learn that there are no documented records of Christians being killed during the games (not as gladiators, but things like crucifixions, being fed to lions, etc. during intermissions) although that is widely-known and spread information. In Rome they call it a legend… so widely known that it becomes truth. Because when you think about it, why would anyone want actual documentation of the persecution of a race if it can be avoided? I just thought it was pretty fascinating. Another cool little factoid is that the arena was built by slaves, many of them Jewish and Christians (although not openly so), so this painting (which is hard to see in person, so definitely in this picture) was not a part of the plans, because it depicts their homeland, complete with the site of Jesus on the cross on the Mount of Olives (bottom left). So many people died for their beliefs, and surely died during the strenuous work to build this amazing structure, but it did not stop so many from being bold. I love it. We could all learn so much from courageous acts like that!</div>
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We probably spent about two hours in and around the Colosseum and I think we all could have stayed longer. There is just so much to see and I could have probably stared at it in amazement for hours. It also helped that the stone structure was nice and cool and it was a <i>very</i> hot day! We headed to the ruins of the Roman Forum next, where we also saw ruins of an altar to a pagan god, an ancient villa and gardens, the arena from the very first Olympic games, and other buildings. I honestly wish I could tell you more details about what all is over there, but very few things were labeled! We all wished that there had been more plaques and explanations, because even though our tour guide was talking us through the whole thing, by that time between the heat, the jet lag, the lack of sleep, and her thick accent, I think we had pretty much tuned her out. She was great, but four hours of walking on no sleep is a <i>long</i> time. Rome is pretty amazing though because you'll just be walking along a modern, busy street, and then BAM! Ancient ruins everywhere. I loved the mixture of the old and the new. It makes me realize just how young our country is in comparison!</div>
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All of us were surprised to see so many of these trees in Rome. To us, they looked like something you'd see on the plains of Africa, but they were everywhere. Sea pines is what they're called.</div>
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We finished the day with a pasta dinner at a quaint little restaurant, and my sisters decided that they hadn't had enough and went back out to see the Colosseum at night. I had the energy, but the thought of the stuffy subway and the crowds turned me off to the idea. We were crammed into very full and stifling hot subway trains several times in the day, and a shower and comfy bed (although I later learned that the hotel was beautiful, but the bed felt like a sheet of plywood covered in sheets… not that I cared at that point) sounded much, <i>much</i> more appealing. It looks like they had a great time though!</div>
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Rome in a day is A LOT, but we had to make the most of it since that's all we had! In all honesty, aside from wanting to see the Trivi fountain when it's not being cleaned (because that thing was <i>FAR</i> bigger and more grand than I ever expected) and going with Josh and the kids to experience the Colosseum and the Vatican (which I will post on next) someday, it was not my favorite city. Some people complain that New York City (one of my favorite places) is dirty, but it is <i>nothing</i> compared to Rome. Sure, there were clean parts, but I witnessed many people littering, there's tons of graffiti everywhere, and a large portion of the people smoke. And don't get me started on the bathrooms… I'm just thankful that businesses in the US find it totally acceptable if you just need to run in and use the restroom, even if you did not buy anything. I didn't realize what a nicety that is! And honestly, going at a different time of year when it isn't so hot or crowded would probably be a nice change too… busy season always has better prices, but the experience is never quite as nice. </div>
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Sorry for the picture overload, but you are going to have to expect that as I get through these Europe posts… this is somewhat of a journal for me, so I want to make sure it's all included. Our day in Rome, however, all four of us carried a camera. It's mind-boggling how many pictures we have from that one day (as well as how many we've lraedy deleted!). As the trip went along, we carried less and less, so that thankfully there wasn't so much to weed through. There was so much to see, that there was a photo opportunity at every turn… a photography lover's dream. Hopefully it's understandable. :)</div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-43245487046571327032014-07-16T05:17:00.000-07:002014-07-16T05:21:31.179-07:00California Dreamin'<div style="text-align: justify;">
To kick off all of my traveling recaps, I'll start with Josh's and my trip to California. Before I get into that though, the whole trip came about from just one of the cool ways that God works. When Josh and I got married, we did not have time for a honeymoon because we had to be in Illinois for full-time ministry by the following weekend. Sure we had a "mini-moon,"but it wasn't the trip we had hoped for, which probably would have been somewhere in the mountains to include some adventure-type travel. We lived in Fort Lauderdale at the time, so neither one of us wanted to go somewhere to lay on a beach, so we were looking into places like Colorado and Alaska before we realized it wasn't going to happen. Since then we have been saying that we'd do our big make-up honeymoon at the five-year mark. Well… as five years approached, both of us had been too busy to really plan anything, and we have been really tightened up our budgeting and spending, so neither one of us had really put much thought or effort into making this happen. Ministry has given us a wonderful life and a ton of blessings, but it can become all-consuming sometimes. Then, out of the blue, an anonymous donor gifted us a trip. I know… crazy, right? Stuff like that just doesn't happen! But that's not even the cool part. When we were sent the details, we realized that the trip fell directly ON our fifth year anniversary and was literally titled "the Husband-Wife Adventure" in the mountains of northern California. I know God is always working, but my favorite times are when He does something to blatantly obvious that you can't help but be in awe of His goodness. And I think it goes to show that God really cares about our marriages. We are fortunate to be tied in with ARC, which is an organization that cares more about the health of our family than the size of our church or the number of programs we have, and things like this trip make me realize that their priorities are like God's. No family should be sacrificed on the altar of a ministry or a church, but unfortunately it happens a lot. I am thankful that we are very much covered in prayer and people who invest in us to make sure we maintain a healthy home life, and from that our ministry can spring forth and grow.</div>
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But I'm getting away from where this is all going… that was a bit of a tangent that I didn't mean to spend much time on… so back to California.</div>
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We didn't know much about the trip, but we knew we were staying at <a href="http://www.scottriverlodge.com/">Scott River Lodge</a>, which is tied into the programming of <a href="http://www.jhranch.com/">JH Ranch</a>, a Christian camp in the Pacific Northwest. Beyond that, and after looking at the website, we were still pretty unclear about everything we would be doing. They sent us a packing list and a few questionnaires to fill out and then we boarded a plane and headed west. </div>
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The trip started out a bit funny, since the staff had told us to stop and get dinner before we came, and the place to do this would probably be Yreka, since we were driving down from Oregon. What they should have said was that Yreka is your last chance to get something to eat, but it probably wasn't the best option. It was a Sunday and the town was not only tiny, but completely shut down. It was kind of eerie actually. We found an antique shop that was open and ended up talking to a man who spent forty minutes telling us the history of the town and about how the building we were in was literally sitting on a gold-mine. Under our feet was millions of dollar in unmined gold. Kind of crazy. And the store and the things in it were kind of crazy as well.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Yreka, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jVnDYtp2GGdCeIb577nrJ84Gta7eENi0ChyphenhyphenbY1tzwt5d4VXe9D9UMzAyKcvHFDKDaXMMZTik499u4ElRPJbkD156jP2br90y-HBn6hH8FYljbH-yZWeP_B5CcLG0d5cZmgoiCunJtB4/s1600/IMG_6143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jVnDYtp2GGdCeIb577nrJ84Gta7eENi0ChyphenhyphenbY1tzwt5d4VXe9D9UMzAyKcvHFDKDaXMMZTik499u4ElRPJbkD156jP2br90y-HBn6hH8FYljbH-yZWeP_B5CcLG0d5cZmgoiCunJtB4/s1600/IMG_6143.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess this would be considered an antique?!?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out back… a replica of what the town used to look like… complete with creepy mannequins.</td></tr>
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It was an experience, that's for sure. I'm not thinking we'll ever make a trip back to the bustling city of Yreka, but we did learn a lot of very interesting history surrounding the California gold rush. But we were definitely ready to get on our way and start our week at the lodge!</div>
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I think the website keeps things a bit vague, because the week was full of surprises! I won't spoil them all here, but maybe the best surprise to us was that you actually end up doing a lot with a group of other couples. This may not sound like fun to some of you, but for us, it was a blast to get to connect with other couples, make friends, and hang out. We love traveling together, but we love traveling with friends or family even more, and this was just a neat twist on that. And they want to make sure you bond right away, so here is what day one looked like:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group… and some new great friends!<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi134r3yBpjygZMcSQNuqyVH8XuQq8YryEFKiH0MdP2TtnsfeMUdxnV5hNNsjoDmDx5lS2Yd0iT3S1JIxMCcMmmjEkqcijbRuJASRL_q3xXYN3wNrD9lbRhXE4TncOuMYgXWzKyZ48ZSVA/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi134r3yBpjygZMcSQNuqyVH8XuQq8YryEFKiH0MdP2TtnsfeMUdxnV5hNNsjoDmDx5lS2Yd0iT3S1JIxMCcMmmjEkqcijbRuJASRL_q3xXYN3wNrD9lbRhXE4TncOuMYgXWzKyZ48ZSVA/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 Feet up. Scared? No… I'm just hugging that pole to, um, stabilize the structure. Yeah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIytK3KJ16Nnsp0N6jkXxrTO97Xmi09Ift6uCU9mJbBjeKJ0nEcVsJMlQI0YhSAfqSCATL7OjCdKtkI0yNYxJT24VzSkJvRJ-ORqJiP87PdaYvbeLcT15hFEGEWViiBwfV0AB_bBem9o0/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIytK3KJ16Nnsp0N6jkXxrTO97Xmi09Ift6uCU9mJbBjeKJ0nEcVsJMlQI0YhSAfqSCATL7OjCdKtkI0yNYxJT24VzSkJvRJ-ORqJiP87PdaYvbeLcT15hFEGEWViiBwfV0AB_bBem9o0/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zipline!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctyLKDFUbfsleLQ-rarFNCdwQGEfnbKAqag7mLL6klspiRWUxsoulEVJhbP4QHWGmFcEeChbUb4V5jDYoxAVQZ5hRzfEOUrAb9pu-yuYWUPBK28y7sAVW-XVoZH8s9Nu7gVKBqB7Yxfo/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctyLKDFUbfsleLQ-rarFNCdwQGEfnbKAqag7mLL6klspiRWUxsoulEVJhbP4QHWGmFcEeChbUb4V5jDYoxAVQZ5hRzfEOUrAb9pu-yuYWUPBK28y7sAVW-XVoZH8s9Nu7gVKBqB7Yxfo/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gearing up to climb a 50 foot pole, stand on top of it, and jump off to grab a trapeze that's 7 feet up and 7 feet out. <br />
No big deal.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up I go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, you caught me. That's not me. The top of the pole is as far as I got… twice.<br />
Kim is a wee bit scared of heights.</td></tr>
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Here is what the entire process looks like as demonstrated by my fearless husband. Most of the group tried this and did it successfully. I was a little upset with myself the first go-around for not trying to stand on the pole, so I tried again. The second time, I was fully committed and comfortable with my decision to not do this craziness! Climbing to the top and being lowered down was enough for me!</div>
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The rest of the week involved activities closer to the ground, aside from one other day of tower climbing and a giant swing. I may have not jumped off that pole, but I am happy to say that I did make it to the top of the alpine tower. For me, that's a pretty big deal. And I think my husband found a little too much joy in my sheer terror / joy on the appropriately named "Screaming Eagle," considering that he felt the need to <a href="http://instagram.com/p/pjj3zvs9rL/?modal=true">post it to his Instagram account</a>!</div>
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The only group activity I don't have a picture of was the white-water rafting, which is unfortunate since it has got to be one of the most scenic rivers in the US. We even saw a bald eagle in the wild… as well as some pretty interesting characters panning for gold. Each morning we had worship and a short session designed to help make our marriage stronger. Each afternoon we could grab a mountain bike, find a trail head, go down to the river to fly fish or lay on the beach, take a nap in our luxurious room, read in the beautiful library, each homemade ice cream and other yummy treats, sit in the hot tub overlooking the mountains, and/or just truly relax and enjoy one-on-one time with each other without the distractions of taking care of kids, doing laundry, the phone ringing (we were thankful for very limited cell service), etc. Each night was pretty low-key with a few fun games and even salsa lessons thrown in. It was beyond anything we could have expected.</div>
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That ice cream cone is just the tip of the iceberg. As amazing as the trip was, I can honestly say that my most favorite part might have been the FOOD! For starters, the lodge is almost completely self-sustained, even generating its own power, so most meals were made from farm-fresh vegetables, eggs, and livestock. The farm staff even rescued two little orphans while we were there, which we got to hold! They were incredibly sweet!</div>
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And their chef, Terri, is truly a culinary genius. Every meal was five-star quality and so bursting with flavors that even foods I would normally not try, so I had all kinds of fish, duck, lamb chops, figs, kale and brussel sprouts, you name it. We had a Mexican-themed night where all of the salsas, guacamoles, and tortillas were made in house, and a gourmet breakfast was delivered to our room every morning so we could enjoy it on the balcony with picturesque views. One of the buffets I would literally consider the best meal I have ever eaten in my entire life. Hands down. I would go back for the culinary experience alone and I am far from any sort of "foodie." I felt like a dork taking so many pictures of my meals, but it really just had to be done!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marscipone with cream and strawberries… my favorite part of breakfast!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRRzxns-7ehBibNDKRwrltwz2mnDWOtEY2ahZYsO8NM89LfO0T4tq-QyOkEktIp7iVSXi820LG5S5heIbWc9AAR_-EMWSrCPZvwIgTMa7U3vTz2IlwBy0wOjsMK0TyKEwSkNqr39T7Sk/s1600/IMG_6159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRRzxns-7ehBibNDKRwrltwz2mnDWOtEY2ahZYsO8NM89LfO0T4tq-QyOkEktIp7iVSXi820LG5S5heIbWc9AAR_-EMWSrCPZvwIgTMa7U3vTz2IlwBy0wOjsMK0TyKEwSkNqr39T7Sk/s1600/IMG_6159.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churros and chocolate!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV89ku2G6tD8DptohOQafDI6Xtp1Z0jxJI-GylQJfOLsMxCPO_gTpiNZLFXpY5p7-0hFLkJ4iLW1Xtjld9lcV-hqcdd-mNA43hY6doEhsYPSlbPWFQZNjq1SakITMmNL1IqHK7xGF66iI/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV89ku2G6tD8DptohOQafDI6Xtp1Z0jxJI-GylQJfOLsMxCPO_gTpiNZLFXpY5p7-0hFLkJ4iLW1Xtjld9lcV-hqcdd-mNA43hY6doEhsYPSlbPWFQZNjq1SakITMmNL1IqHK7xGF66iI/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful summer picnic in the middle of the mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxNqlnhl30uYnCfsH21rtmzA6yAn9mgoXzAkeeZmSG8txiNaNwZqq1wZlxH3oQdDPuvY4PBK5_y9gzae6ZSOUQJzb4YTzKIQ8sKXfkjPkb7SQyirKtfOrGOC89vGbDpOb4hauprRd0Uw/s1600/DSC_0093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxNqlnhl30uYnCfsH21rtmzA6yAn9mgoXzAkeeZmSG8txiNaNwZqq1wZlxH3oQdDPuvY4PBK5_y9gzae6ZSOUQJzb4YTzKIQ8sKXfkjPkb7SQyirKtfOrGOC89vGbDpOb4hauprRd0Uw/s1600/DSC_0093.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not your typical picnic food… paninis with ham, brie, and caramelized onions, kale chips, wild orzo, and "red velvet" beet cupcakes. Yes, BEET cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. And they were incredibly delicious!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpewOOqQXzCxv2lVw0U9mOkOs2KZw88nZqP3LOkvHNqfLw3fRJ8EiqJ2mm_c2eA7MH8S31umSUfcUtKeqLZiRUgBg38pJLnAZ93dfMDC_4RwZwSVMDvWjs56X_d_drVcH0TmJDW6b8jA/s1600/DSC_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpewOOqQXzCxv2lVw0U9mOkOs2KZw88nZqP3LOkvHNqfLw3fRJ8EiqJ2mm_c2eA7MH8S31umSUfcUtKeqLZiRUgBg38pJLnAZ93dfMDC_4RwZwSVMDvWjs56X_d_drVcH0TmJDW6b8jA/s1600/DSC_0136.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh salsas served in flower pots. Loved it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cVFC362z1DJcTl4P-UA0kGdJ7IVzonR_NrNCK6hqQQ10tTy7xvhZXcL5bO4tAdP1-vfqLS49IMHpka6qSRZO2J4LNOV_soTs9FsRMvrmZQpQn9sDhn2DKldMD61vBqr2X26rkRTGorw/s1600/DSC_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cVFC362z1DJcTl4P-UA0kGdJ7IVzonR_NrNCK6hqQQ10tTy7xvhZXcL5bO4tAdP1-vfqLS49IMHpka6qSRZO2J4LNOV_soTs9FsRMvrmZQpQn9sDhn2DKldMD61vBqr2X26rkRTGorw/s1600/DSC_0137.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp, fish, pork, steak, even tuna tar tar for your tacos. This is what heaven looks like.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfdflVYmuGifKzFOSIDn91MD-8xghTVJFv8E5HUzCBXArkyLQOfScT8kEdL55r2Cj3rTlMH51zxrMHRRUcTLQ59LtKCcS1Gf7gxcdZCa6pPC9Pvub5nOzfaIBbw02uKkw2uJzv4t2vIU/s1600/DSC_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfdflVYmuGifKzFOSIDn91MD-8xghTVJFv8E5HUzCBXArkyLQOfScT8kEdL55r2Cj3rTlMH51zxrMHRRUcTLQ59LtKCcS1Gf7gxcdZCa6pPC9Pvub5nOzfaIBbw02uKkw2uJzv4t2vIU/s1600/DSC_0139.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presentation is everything. Even the "decor" like the corn in the back was edible!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioB6KOarH3xkqCzKuIFtPZlLcHAYepJs-BrTi2pmDIj3Xzl1etuPLfWivz6_oMquFVY-TexlXZsNE0GNFgDhN-U4juW43QyRQEFZsOVUnV2sJESArcBnLR93Z0LJSCC8ied8Wnxs9hqw/s1600/IMG_6158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioB6KOarH3xkqCzKuIFtPZlLcHAYepJs-BrTi2pmDIj3Xzl1etuPLfWivz6_oMquFVY-TexlXZsNE0GNFgDhN-U4juW43QyRQEFZsOVUnV2sJESArcBnLR93Z0LJSCC8ied8Wnxs9hqw/s1600/IMG_6158.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best meal I have ever eaten in my whole life. Hands down. And this picture does not do it justice!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UzIgEtDK1rOwtwC_dCq1tSnv3waHIS1v6C3F-vXTn7hF3kN_6zwSvM5Gmbee2e5xlPyYTWXudVwN7EFgDOMB8rZTv0jFYy_IWDExzE-cAfGBCnaFfY1giFDFf6wBdDMflgTS_JThYWE/s1600/DSC_0276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UzIgEtDK1rOwtwC_dCq1tSnv3waHIS1v6C3F-vXTn7hF3kN_6zwSvM5Gmbee2e5xlPyYTWXudVwN7EFgDOMB8rZTv0jFYy_IWDExzE-cAfGBCnaFfY1giFDFf6wBdDMflgTS_JThYWE/s1600/DSC_0276.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our last breakfast. Homemade scones and berries with homemade, fresh lemoncello yogurt.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFQyEYDKXY98y4PZlRrJOn8cdoowkWY6UM-8oH3rY633eUHGAE3kVWjh3Ftl5rzHiAvsAfOstXKlJqLbfJ9F0DWrqBxKPm1nnQM_y4vTWyvT_3a59ONmxErfppasqqF5ydwSL2RvyEYc/s1600/DSC_0277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFQyEYDKXY98y4PZlRrJOn8cdoowkWY6UM-8oH3rY633eUHGAE3kVWjh3Ftl5rzHiAvsAfOstXKlJqLbfJ9F0DWrqBxKPm1nnQM_y4vTWyvT_3a59ONmxErfppasqqF5ydwSL2RvyEYc/s1600/DSC_0277.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am a sucker for eggs benedict. Especially when they are this perfect!</td></tr>
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Hungry yet? This is by no means a food blog, but I would <i>LOVE</i> to be able to make things that are even half this good!</div>
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Josh and I were definitely blessed by our week in the mountains and the ministry of JH Ranch, and it's something we'll talk about for years to come. Our children are still young, but we're already talking about saving up so that our kids can go with one of us when they turn 13, kind of like a rite of passage for them, because we believe in what they teach that much. We got to talk to some of the dads who were there with their daughters, and all of them said that it was the hardest week of their life, but also one of the best, and that they were able to breakthrough with their teenager in a new way. We are not there in our parenting years yet, but I can only imagine what that must be like based on the teenager that I was!</div>
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By far though, this place was so special and our week was so amazing because of the people who serve at the ranch. The staff of college-aged girls who took care of us at the lodge were the sweetest, most genuine, humble women who were all spending their summer seeking out what God wants for them through serving others. It's the whole core principle to what Jesus taught. Midway through our week we found out that they don't get paid, and that all staff apply and interview for a volunteer position, from the camp counselors to the lifeguards to the kitchen staff even! I was so amazed to learn this, and because of it, their hearts for God and for serving others certainly shined through. It was not a job to any of them, but rather a privilege, and if I could have taken all of them home with us I would have! And our facilitators, <a href="http://www.scottriverlodge.com/husbandandwifeindex/#/our-facilitators/">David and Terri Sumlin</a>, well, they took our week to a whole new level. They helped our group become very close very quickly, were incredibly open and honest about the struggles they have had and how they have overcome some pretty major stuff, and are just two of the nicest, most fun people you'd ever meet. WE were blessed to find out that they will be in Knoxville throughout the winter months of next year, so we have invited them to come up and share their wealth of knowledge with our church family this fall. I am beyond excited. Josh and I came home from this in agreement that this was one of the best things we've ever done, not just as a couple, but in life in general. If you are looking for an amazing way to spend a vacation with your spouse that's more than a vacation (since you learn so much!), or if a JH Ranch Marriage Outback ever comes to your neck of the woods, I would highly recommend it. Best. Week. Ever.</div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876471869713699426.post-44432419309700657072014-07-11T13:49:00.002-07:002014-07-11T13:49:35.991-07:00Playing Catch-UpWow what a summer it has been, and it's only July! I was out of town (without my kiddos… eek!) for about three weeks total and have trekked the globe to cover the Pacific Northwest, and the coast of the Mediterranean. I have missed the past <i>FOUR</i> Sundays at our church (that <i>never</i> happens… and gosh do I miss it and can't wait to be back this weekend!) and have spent the past few days snuggling with my littles, seeing some of my favorite people, and chatting on the phone to some of my best friends who don't live here in the Bluegrass. It's so fun that everyone wants to hear all about my travels, and even though each trip was pretty amazing, coming home just reminded me that <i>this</i> is my favorite spot on the planet. Although, a mountain getaway with my husband and Europe with my sisters comes in a pretty close first and second. :)<br />
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Since I don't particularly want to upload the hundreds of photos we took on our various trips to Facebook, I'm going to do my best to write a few posts here to recap, kind of like I did for our previous summer vacations (you know, when I actually blogged more than once a year). While I was away my incredibly thoughtful husband rearranged our house creating a playroom for the kids and a beautiful office nook for me, so I'm hoping the situation inspires me to write more and creates more independent playtime for them, so that I can do said writing. I'm kind of in love with it all really… I might just have to post about that in itself! Haha! But in all seriousness, I came home and am absolutely amazed at how smooth everything went at home while I was gone for ten days. The house was cleaner, the kids were more polite and better-behaved, and he did all of it and preached about seven sermons and ran a church, without sleeping I would guess! That's the only way I could see it happening! And then he puts up with my jet-lagged self for several days until I felt like a human again. He never ceases to amaze me.<br />
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So I'm back… and will hopefully be recapping all this greatness soon, but for now I'll just leave you with one of my favorite pictures from our European adventures… with many more to come!<br />
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Adios for now!Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967592779620126459noreply@blogger.com2