Whew. Wednesday.

Whew. 

Because I use this space to journal the comings and goings in our life, I don't like to neglect it. But. Sometimes life gets busy. And while writing is one of my favorite things to do, and I try to carve out time for it each week, sometimes there are just not enough hours. Regardless, I want to remember this fun and crazy time; so, here is what's been going on around here the last couple of weeks: 

My hub and I had an amazing weekend away in Clemson with our college BFFs two weeks ago, cheering on our Tigers to victory over the 'Noles in a nailbiter. And then cheered them on from home this past weekend as they traveled to, and won in, Syracuse. Go Tigers! We are loving the undefeated seasons of our two favorite teams, the Clemson Tigers and the Carolina Panthers. This may never happen again; so, we are enjoying every minute!

We got to spend a day caring for our sweet, youngest nephew, Wilson, while his parents cheered on our Carolina Panthers.

Banks battled a virus that turned into a 104+ fever that turned into an evening visit to urgent care that turned into his first ever ear infection and kept him out of school for two days. 

Our little family of five hosted our second annual cupcake stand to benefit the L.W. Rutland Thanksgiving Food Drive, raising $233 in the process!

We lunched with Banks, last week's Star Student in his classroom, at school and attended the book fair. I let each kiddo pick out their own book: Harrison chose Peppa Pig; Raleigh chose a princess one complete with hair ties; Banks chose The History of College Football. Nailed it. 

We had dinner and game night with two other dear couples, no kids allowed, laughing and drinking and dining the night away. 

We doubled dated with some of our dearest at an awesome new restaurant in Charlotte, eating our weight in tapas and enjoying several tasty beverages. 

I snuck out for a night on the town with one of my bestest. 

I also put on my ol' trusty psychologist hat and consulted at church to help a couple of kiddos in need of a little extra help. We watched college football. We got our schedules organized for the next few months. We cleaned and organized the garage and playroom. We worked on Christmas lists. We attended FIVE separate doctor appointments. We hit up Pure Barre and F3. We did daily homework and projects. We played outside as much as possible. We attended dance class. We ran errands. We had playdates with friends. We did some R+F work. And we, well, breathed somewhere in between. Whew, indeed. 

Happy Hump Day, y'all! 

Mom-ing Through Faith: On Loss

Last week was a really hard one for me, emotionally, for several reasons: the unexpected loss of a young, vibrant, much-loved man; hard health news for others I love; the unfathomable acts of terrorism in Paris. Ugh. Weeks like that are really, really tough. They make my heart ache, my stomach hurt, and my tears readily fall. It is easy to lose faith during such times. 

But. 

It is more comforting to hold strong to faith during such times. 

When things are going well, I think it is easy to "forget" about God. But when faced with loss or tragedy or overwhelming sadness, I think we are more apt to lean on Him. And I certainly think that the greatest comfort when faced with such unfathomable circumstances comes from faith. 

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Phillipians 3: 20-21.

I hope that all those who are hurting are able to lean on not only the love of those around them, but also on their faith. 

That being said, for this week, I have a challenge for all my Mom-ing Through Faith mommas out there. Something that will encourage us to not only rely on our Lord during times of great heartache and need, but also during times of goodness and joy. It is something I started doing about six months ago, and it really helps my day start off on a grateful note, helping to keep what matters most in perspective: 

As soon as your eyes pop open each morning this week, before you reach for your iPhone or greet your spouse, before you climb out of bed or turn on the tv, pause and say a quick prayer to God, one that does not ask for anything at all but instead expresses your gratitude for the many joys in your life. For me, this usually involves saying thank you for my faith, family, and friends; our health; our wealth; the roof over our head; the pantry full of food; a working car to take us places; our education; our freedom; our church, etc. It takes but a few seconds, but it is a daily reminder to pray not only in times of need, but also to praise for all the good in my life. I do not ask for what I want or what I need. I simply make it a point to say thank you, Lord, for everything I have. 

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

If you are hurting today, I will also be praying for you. Not only for peace and comfort but that you will be surrounded by love and an enduring faith. Amen. 

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4.

Cheers to the Weekend: Clemson Football Edition

In just a few short hours, my hub and I are headed out for a weekend away with some of our best friends to one of our favorite places: Tiger Town! That's right, we'll be headed to Clemson to watch our undefeated, #1 ranked Tigers take on the FSU Seminoles. We are crossing every finger and toe that we can pull out the W, all while having a good time with great friends. But. Before we head out, I wanted to say...

CHEERS TO...

Halloween. Say wha? Yes, I know it was last weekend but we sure had fun, both Friday night at our progressive couples party and Saturday/night, when the Force was with us while trick-or-treating. I think Banks hit up somewhere around 50 houses; so, we are drowning in candy. Not that I'm complaining... :)

33%. As in 1/3. As in 60 days. As in, we are almost officially one-third of the way through the school year. This first year of elementary school is absolutely flying by!  

Magazine photo shoots. Be ready to snag the 2016 Halloween edition of Better Homes and Gardens off the shelves in a year. You just may see a familiar face amongst the pages...

Favorite things. And by Favorite Things, I mean my favorite party of the year! My neighborhood hosts this fun event each year where every party guest brings four of the SAME item, costing $10 or less for the item (so, you spend a total of $40). Each guest's item is assigned a number. All guests then randomly draw four numbers, and you get to take home the four items corresponding with those numbers. Make sense? It really is easier than it sounds. And so fun! This year, the item I took to give away were R+F Mini Facials (one of my favorite things ever!! Contact me if you want to hear more about this magical concoction). :) And I ended up bringing home awesome nail polish and lip gloss, Crabtree & Evelyn products, a gorgeous cowl, and a travel pill case, complete with Advil. :) In fact, I love this party so much that three of my girlfriends and I are hosting our own for our dearest friends next month. I can't wait!!!

Holiday plans. Family gatherings have been scheduled. Holiday parties are written in the calendar. Double- and triple-date nights are ready to go. School celebrations and music programs and neighborhood events are on the horizon. I know this is a busy time of year, but I love getting to see so many I love!

Healthy 6-year-olds. Banks had his 6-year well check yesterday, and I am so happy that my handsome little (big) guy is healthy and well. He is 4 feet, 1 inch tall (95th percentile) and 54 pounds (88th percentile). <3 And I'm thankful that my trio *mostly* behaved at the appointment. ;)

CHEERS to you and your weekend! And GO TIGERS!!!!
 

Isms, Part 22

Yes, Part 22. These kiddos keep me laughing, and forever thankful, that's for sure. And my Isms coffee table book is pretty much writing itself. Here's the latest out of the mouths of (my) babes:

Raleigh: "The sun makes me bless when I look at it"
Sweet child of mine. Bless You.

(While watching The Empire Strikes Back...)
Raleigh: "When is the pire gonna strike?"
That pire is tricky, I tell ya.

Banks: "Am I the best player on the team?"
Momma: "Well, the best players are the ones with the biggest hearts who are kind and have a good attitude."
Banks: "If Daddy was on my team, that would be him."
I think someone has a hero who's name rhymes with Claddy. <3

Banks: "Bye, Mom! I love you more than anything except Daddy and God." 
You know what? I'll take it!

Raleigh: "Mom, do stunks poop yucker?"
(1) Raleigh thinks /skunks/ are called "stunks." (2) I think this is a valid, but hilarious, question: Does a skunk's feces really smell worse than his animal buddies'?

Raleigh: "Wow! She knows a lot about everything!" 
Said after her wise mother Siri (yes, as in iPhone Siri) answered a few questions for us. 

Raleigh: "Mom, thank you for all the lovely things you give us." 
Oh my heart. <3

 

Until next time, sweet little ones...

Mom-ing Through Faith: On Taking Action

It's easy to wait for a "sign." I should know. I pray for signs, ask for tangible evidence, of what path I should follow, which way I should go, which door I should open. 

What a travesty.

What if all of us did this, all the time? What if we were always waiting, waiting, waiting for a sign instead of doing, doing, doing? As Jen Hatmaker makes clear in, wait for it, For the Love,

How many trot that tired cliche--"I'm waiting for God to open a door"--and He is all, "I love you, but get going, pumpkin, because usually chasing the dream in your heart looks surprisingly like work. Don't just stand there, bust a move." (God often sounds like Young MC.)

First of all, she just quoted Young MC. Bravo. Second of all, I ask you (and also, myself): 

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? 

What's the hesitation in digging in, going deep, offering your gifts to the world, loving Jesus and telling others about it all? Jen Hatmaker tells us,

You are good at something for a reason. God designed you this way, on purpose. It isn't fake or a fluke or small. These are the mind and heart and hands and voice you've been given, so use them. 

We must not stand idle, waiting for others to do what we can, and should, do. 

It's time. Don't wait for permission; we've already been given it. Lead, sister. You have authority to use your home as a sanctuary, your hands as tools of healing, your voice as an instrument of hope, your gifts as channels of incredible power. 

Let me emphasize again what Jen says, because I love it so, so very much:  

Lead, sister. 

Now is the time. What does leading look like for you? 

• Is it trying out this church thing, and bringing your children along for the ride, to see what all the fuss is all about? 

• Is it starting a small group? 

• Is it loving and encouraging and praying for your neighbor? 

• Is it volunteering and helping others? 

• Is it teaching your children about God, even when you have questions yourself?

• Is it doing local, national, and/or international missionary work?

• Is it sharing your love of Jesus with the world through writing, through speaking, through singing, through leading?

I ask, at the end of your life, will you be proud of what you've done? Truly proud? Will you be able to say you took action with your life and made the most of it?

I'll end this week's post with one of my favorite quotes of all time. I reflect on it often and it encourages me to take action, to be the change, to not sit idly by. Maybe, just maybe, it will do the same for you:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver