Happy, Happy 35th Birthday.....

to our favorite cowboy...

Happy birthday.

We love you.

Thank you for all that you do!

*****

“We turn not older with years, but newer every day.” 

 Emily Dickinson

Life

{In bullet points}

• Whoa. I haven't forgot I have a blog here. It's been a crazy summer. Good. But crazy. I don't do well without a schedule. But the kids? They are resilient and making fun memories.
• We enjoyed a visit from uncle Jon via NYC last week. The kids had a blast with him. 

• The three boys participated in swim lessons this summer. Sol had a total meltdown the first day but sloooooowly warmed up to the idea. {We made him at least sit on the side everyday} He ended up having a great time. The two older boys were in the same class. Sam passed while Shep didn't and has to retake the same level next year. I.was.crushed. to see how disappointed he was. My sweet, tender son was the only one of his bros that didn't pass a level. A good talk and ice cream seemed to help, but his mama's heart broke. {Huge teachable moments, though all I wanted to do was say he passed....ache}
• This post is my favorite of the week {Month? Year? Decade? All time?}  "You don't forget who your brother is when you know who your Father is." Piercing. May that speak to all of us. 
• I am gearing up to plan our school year. I am wanting to repress that it's coming quickly. We are, again, planning on homeschooling. I have just {tonight!} pulled the trigger on buying the first portion of our curriculum. Three kiddos schooled this year. Please pray now. :)
• At the risk of sounding passive/aggressive, it saddens me that family has to read a blog to find out about who you are and what you do and bypass a relationship. 
• I just jumped on board with volunteering with Samaritan's Purse. Super excited to be apart of their work. The kids and I have so enjoyed participating in Operation Christmas Child every year. I am excited to be apart of their ministry. 
• Absolutely {positively} the funniest thing I've heard in a long time: Two Little Girls Explain the Worst Hair Cut Ever.
• On a related note. Nora cut her hair for the first time. I knew it had to happen. Dad was on watch and I think he was more scared to tell me than she was. When I saw her, the first thing she said was, "Only Brenda cut my hair, wright mom? Wright mom?!" She was too cute. {I still ran to doctor the damage. It's just hair, right?! Right?!} She's still adorable. 
• We are thrilled that my sister-in-law and family have moved closer. {'Thrilled' doesn't even cut it} We are looking forward to seeing them much, much, much more now.
• At the end of the past Julys, we have anticipated the beginning of August. We are reminded of the boy we long to celebrate here. 
• Favorite song this week. 
• The best post I've read on the tragedy in the Aurora, CO movie theater: "So you STILL think God is still a merciful God?"
• How is it already the end of July?!
• It's been hot, like Africa hot, here these past few weeks and I still love my hot coffee. True story. 
• I have enjoyed getting back to teaching tennis this summer. Thankful for the number of opportunities I have had to do so.
• The cowboy turns 35 this week. Looking forward to celebrating him.
• If you're a reader, I'd love to hear a bullet point about what's going on in your life!
• I'm serious. Go! :)

We painted....

and painted...

and painted...

aaaaannnnddd painted....

Today.

And then we all melted into one big puddle because it was 14.2 bazillion degrees out today. 

{Or 101 degrees....whichever}

Committed. 

To art.

******

All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.  

- Pablo Picasso -

Micro Projects

As mentioned 147 times before, we built a house almost two years ago. 

Ourselves. 

{Yes, the process was just as you can imagine it was}

After that huge undertaking we have slowly been chipping away at little house projects. 

Macro to micro.

We have been on the hunt for the right headboard for our bed and have looked at a number of options.

We finally found the perfect fit for us.

Using these old church doors for the project.

{How beautiful are these? Seriously?}

The space 

{Please excuse the unmade bed and the messy table, keep'en it real here}

The cowboy put two pieces of lumber, one at the top and one at the bottom to mount the doors.

One good look'en handy man at work.

One door up.....

and mounted.

The finished project.

Three doors, cleaned, polished and mounted.

We are thrilled with the way it turned out. 

{The cowboy said the whole project roughly cost a dollar, for real.}

We hope to add sconce lighting, trim and stain or paint, but for now, we're happy. 

One project down....a few zillion to go.....chipping away. 

11 Things.

Learned.

In 11 years of marriage. 

1. Your husband can try to love you, but it will never meet that deep need like the love of your God.

2. It is not good to live isolated lives.

3. God's plan for marriage is different then your own idea. Go with the Designer's plan.

4. Marriage is a hard. And sometimes a choice. A very good choice. 

5. Allowing yourself to be loved can be scary.

6. Study your husband. Learn what he wants and loves, not what you think he should want and love.

7. It will be hard not to let your love for your children overshadow your love for your husband. Don't let it.

8. Laughing a lot together is the best.

9. The moment you let go of your expectations and embrace the wonderful things in the person you marry, the sooner you realize he is exactly what you wanted and needed.

10.Don't give up. 

11. After 11 years of marriage you will look more forward to the rest of your marriage then at any other time so far.

***

Happy Anniversary to the cowboy. There's no one else I'd rather be on this rodeo with than you. 

Love you.

*****

This side of heaven good marriages are good marriages because the people in those marriages are committed to doing daily the things that keep their marriages good. Things go wrong when couples think they have reached the point when they can retire from their marital work and chill out, lay back, and slide. Perhaps the greatest danger to a good marriage is a good marriage, because when things are good, we are tempted to give way to feelings of arrival and forsake the attitudes and disciplines that have, by God’s grace, made our marriage what it has become.”

-Paul David Tripp-

Swimming Lessons.

Day 1.

More pics to come....

Warrior!

I am scared of heights. Like deathly scared. Like 'I-climb-on-a-ladder-and-get-scared' of heights.

However, when some beautiful friends from college asked if I wanted to participate in a mud obstacle run, called the Warrior Dash, I {of course} said "Yes!"

I didn't look at the course when I signed up.

I didn't want to.

Oh I had heard about it.

But. 

I didn't look at the actual course.

Because I knew.

There'd be some high obstacles.

{Like really high. Hold me.} 

But.

I wanted to do it.

Needed to do it. 

{Ok, so not really need, but  wanted to face my fears}

Thankfully?! I had some beautiful friends with me. 

 And the best cheering squad ever.

The running? Great.

The swimming? Great.

The crawling? Great.

The heights?! Oh my sweet goodness. Terrifying!

 I wanted to get down so many times.

 {The last climb}

Thankfully I had my sweet team encouraging me. 

A little swim through the mud.

Heading towards the finish line.

{Together}

Team work!!!!

Finished!

{And ohhhh so pretty}

{And exfoliated}

 

The hardest part of the race?! 

Admitting I needed help. 

I was reminded so many times throughout this deal, that life is not to be done alone. We NEED people, we NEED each other, we NEED help. It was so hard to admit that I needed help at the top of those obstacles. But I did. My friends were there, willing and able to help and cheer me on. 

I am used to doing things on my own. Barreling through. Pulling myself up by my bootstraps. I often a desire a life where I don't need anyone. A life where I don't have to rely on anyone. A life where I don't need to be disappointed by anyone. {But} I am reminded that I do need people. I do need help. I cannot do life on my own.

And most importantly?!?!

We are  not created to do life alone.
The body of Christ is created to be His hands through a cold, dark, and fallen world. 

Need help? It's OK. Life is not meant to be lived alone. 

A hard lesson.

A needed reminder.

A great memory!

Beautiful friends.

Ready to do it again!

{Give me 13.1 miles of jogging though..... any day. :)}

Love you ladies! Thanks for a great time!

*****

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.

-Augustine-

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 

{Acts 4:34-35}

***

{Thank you Steph and Leslie for letting me steal your pictures!}