claire's birthday camping trip

can't believe our sweet claire turns 10 tomorrow! so proud of her for choosing something like a family camping trip to celebrate her special day! we all shared a wonderful weekend and even made it through with four people and three dogs in one tent! we love you claire and are so proud of the lady you are growing into. may God continue to be your source of truth and light. we love you so much.

masters!

so much fun. great friends. beautiful land. good golf. a wonderful day!!

easter

in an effort to move away from santa claus, easter bunny, etc.....nate and i try to come up with creative ways to celebrate important holidays together.....for easter this year we surprised the girls the friday morning before with a note that read:

surprise! surprise! hooray! hooray!

there will be no reading or math lessons today!

no history, no science, no copywork to do....

today is a day for the two of you!

this weekend on Sunday is a special day,

we remember our Savior who reigns always!

We honor our Lord who died and rose for our sins, 

and this morning our resurrection roll tradition will begin!

Then we will get dressed and head out for some fun at the mall....

Build a Bear Workshop, Claire's, Bath and Body Works... 

We will go to them all!

Lunch with Daddy in the food court will top off our day,

He will meet us just to eat- even though we will beg him to stay!

So let's get started, we've got lots to do!

Just remember and know how much we love you!

Love, 

Mama and Dadda

we enjoyed a wonderful morning making resurrection rolls, dyeing easter eggs, and getting excited about our special trip to the mall! we met daddy for lunch and he surprised the girls by taking them to the pandora store to pick out a charm for their bracelets!

although i was sick on easter sunday and wasn't able to attend worship, i will remember this easter as one where we intentionally focused on the meaning of this season and tried to impart those lessons to the girls. we thoroughly covered the easter account during school and the resurrection rolls were a fun way experience first hand the joy of Jesus' resurrection!

on modesty....

this post piggy-backs on my last post when i was thinking about something cute but appropriate to wear to the masters next week...needless to say the cropped cardigan sweater is my new best friend for covering up low neck lines or skimpy top straps....and that got me thinking of modesty issues when i ran across this post over at raising homemakers that discusses thinking through modesty as not only a dress code but also as a heart issue.....good food for thought as we move into the months of swimsuits and shorts wearing around here with two growing girls....challenged to set a good example not only in how i dress but in what my heart reveals as well.....

can't wait!

one week from today we will head down to augusta, georgia for the 2013 Masters Tournament! we were so excited to get tickets through the lottery for wednesday's practice round!! we've never been on wednesday before and are so excited to see the players and their families during the par 3 contest!!

i've been trying to decide what to wear (and since green is the color this spring and when you think Masters you think GREEN)  - i've narrowed it down to these two dresses from old navy. depending on the the weather i may have to wear the cropped cardigan sweater or the shorter vs. maxi dress depending on rain, etc.....

our dear friends steve and kristen are going with us so rain or shine i know we have a wonderful time!!!

dress options:

march birch box

i'm a little late this month posting my reviews of my birchbox.....but it took me longer than usual to get around to trying (or rather being brave enough to try....) all of the samples.....

so here is the round up for this month...

Madewell for Birchbox - Emery Board   $5
really cute print and love the clear case for dropping in a purse and not having to worry about it scratching anything inside....would definitely pay $5 for another and give it a A

Serge Normant - Meta Revive Dry Shampoo  $25
okay this was the product that took me a while to get brave enough to try....my hair is very course and dry and i thought this product would be great to try out on day two or three after a blowout to keep from having to wash it one day early.....oh my goodness....this was the nastiest stuff I HAVE EVER put on my hair....it turned my hair gray, made a ring of gray film around my face (around my ears and forehead), did not "comb" out like it said it would after drying for two minutes, and basically make my hair a sticky mess....think running your fingers through your hair with jelly on your hands.....this product is terrible and i will never, ever try a dry shampoo again.... F- (if there is such a thing as an F-)

Caldrea - Body Lotion  $22
comes in three scents - Tea Olive Lime, Aloe Water Apricot, and Coconut Fig....i did try all three and liked the aloe water apricot the best - it is a light lotion that absorbs quickly. i did like it but probably wouldn't buy it...B+

Marcelle - BB Cream Golden Glow $27
it's an all in one moisturizer, tinted corrector, and make-up base - although i've grown an affinity for make up primers/bases, i didn't love this one as much as i have some of the other samples I've tried in january and february.....this one after an hour or so seemed to settle too much which accented my crow's feet.....C

Whish - Shave Crave Shaving Cream  $20
Love the blueberry scent of this product but wish it was a little more foamy/lathery....the scent is divine but not sure I'd splurge on it for $20.....B+

let.it.go. week 6 blog topics

LEAN ON HIM

Psalm 91:2 (AMP)

I will say of the LORD, He is my Refuge and Fortess, My God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

As I come to the conclusion of the Let.It.Go. online Bible study this verse is a huge take away for me. I love the Amplified version that reminds me to not only trust but to trust with CONFIDENCE!!

Here are a few other thoughts from Karen’s book I found worth noting:

p. 213-214

Alter and Altar

We must alter our mind-sets; willingly decide to let go.

We must alter our actions.

We must alter our desired outcomes. (HUGE for me!!)

We must alter our speech.

Yes, we must alter. We must come to THE ALTAR!

At the altar we lay down our rights, our wrongs, our desire for control, our need to constantly have the upper hand.

God is God and we [I] am not!

Will I stop running the show and start walking in faith?

Yes, Lord! Yes!!!

STUNNING OR LOPSIDED

He is the Potter and we are the clay. I am learning to relinquish control so that He can mold me into something stunning not something lopsided.

p. 209

What matters isn’t that I get my own way. What matters is people.

I must remember to ask myself…

In light of eternity, is this really important?

p. 211-212

A woman who has relinquished her control…

Doesn’t try to alter her circumstances. She accepts them, embracing all God is teaching her as she obediently takes the next step toward the unknown on earth but the certain in heaven. She forms her words and makes her choices not in light of “what’s in it for me?” but in light of eternity.

WITH THAT READ….

Now that the study is over and I know better….the only response is to do better! Remembering to run to the throne of grace and ask for help from the Lord. I cannot do this on my own.

What God has shown me is that:

Pursuing control is not a godly goal…..in fact, often times I’ve found myself being God instead of being godly. 

Oh Father, thank you for this study and for exposing in me the desire for control and how devastating that sin is to You, my husband, and my family. Father, convict me quickly when I mess up so that I can get back on track and keep my eyes focused on You. You alone are worthy praise! Thank you Father for your mercy, patience, and love.