Pausing...

Summer is a busy time.

Little bodies are active and little brains are chock full of creative ideas - like fort building, weapon making, dress designing, molding, drawing, cutting, gluing...

It's often hard to appreciate the creativity when all I can see is the mess that's left behind... But today. Today I choose to pause. Today I choose to revel in the creativity, and ignore the mess. Today I thank God for these little minds.

And if I'm completely honest...

Today I'm glad that these precious children are learning responsibility and are old enough to clean up their own "creative chaos"...

So that this momma can put her feet up & pause just a little longer...

And finally...

What I learned - by Noah Voth

Mrs. Streck. I have learned that Math is hard but I stick up with it. Language is esey but slopey. I try my hardest. I am sorey that I talk. You are the best teacher.

Summer vacation...

Yay for summer vacation & simple motivators to get the kids helping around the house.

And thank you, Netflix, for instant streaming of Phineas & Ferb! ;)

Yes, I use TV as a reward & motivator. Why do you ask?

Today...

"Do not resist or run from the difficulties in your life. These problems are not random mistakes; they are hand-tailored blessings designed for your benefit and growth. Embrace all the circumstances that I allow in your life, trusting Me to bring good out of them. View problems as opportunities to rely more fully on Me.

When you start to feel stressed, let those feelings alert you to your need for Me. Thus, your needs become doorways to deep dependence on Me and increasing intimacy between us. Although self-sufficiency is acclaimed in the world, reliance on Me produces abundant living in My kingdom. Thank Me for the difficulties in your life, since they provide protection from the idolatry of self-reliance." - Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God..."
- 2 Corinthians 1:9

"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 5:20

Happy Easter!!

We had a fun weekend with Phil's family for Easter.
We got to celebrate 8 years...

We got to love on a sweet boy & have fun sister-talks...

We got to decorate sugar cookies...and do a fun craft...

We got to relax a little and enjoy "down" time...

We got to experience the thrill of the go-cart & be mechanics...

And we got to defy all the regulations we learned this week at Agricultural Safety Day. Who says four-wheelers weren't meant for EIGHT?!?!

Thanksgiving...

Dear God -

Thank you for this day.
Thank you for everything.
I love you.
You have the coolest powers.

Love, Noah

Imaginative...

I'm not sure if it's that 7 is a fun age, or if reading has opened new worlds, or if my son is just naturally hilarious, but for whatever reason, I love to read anything he thinks up to write.

At any rate, he keeps me laughing...

The Monkey Attack

One day I went to the zoo. It had monkeys. They were crazy. I gave a banana to the monkey. It bit me! Ouch! It was attacking me! That is why I love monkeys.

Blue

Blue reminds me of the blue sky. It reminds me of my tooth paste and tooth brush. It reminds me of water. It reminds me of the April rain.

(Since we both have bad dental histories, we've gone a little overboard in our attempts at instilling and training our children to have good dental hygiene habits. I couldn't stop laughing to realize that the first "blue" thing our son thought of was toothpaste & his tooth brush! I'm afraid we might be warping our meticulous son and transforming him into an obsessive tooth-brusher.)