the dream of someday

Once upon a time I used to be a teenager.
And one day that teenager happened upon a little white ceramic tea pot.

Despite the absurdity of it...

Why does a teenager need a tea pot?
I certainly wasn't the tea pot type...if there is such a thing?

...I bought it.

And kept it packed away in newspaper for...someday.

Someday I'd have a husband.
Someday I'd have a child, or two, or four.
Someday we'd have a tea party together.

The years went by.

I am no longer a teenager.

And as I sat at a table this week, surrounded by my four children, sipping my tea and laughing over the lack of tea time manners from the youngest guest...I remembered.

I remembered that someday dream.
That seemingly absurd purchase of a ceramic tea pot.
That is now used on an almost weekly basis.

My someday is now.

And its better and harder and more rewarding and agonizing and blissful and more beautiful than I ever dreamed it would be.

2 days, turning 32, checking out, busting my bootay, and a lovely visit

I leave for my honeymoon anniversary trip in TWO days!!!!

I turn 32 years old today. Officially "into" my 30's. So far, I have to say...I am loving this decade.

I have been neglectful of this blog and of taking "real" pictures of my children because I have been very busy taking photos of other children and busting my bootay to get all caught up on editing. 

However, as of last night...I am done. 

All caught up. 

And can check out...right?!

Or maybe not.

I do have four children to care for, for the next two days.

Little L...so sweet and curious of her world.

The Fergie family whom I've come to know and love and their how can she be 9 month old Ellison.

In other news, my in-laws are here for a very quick (but very enjoyed!) visit! They've been mostly in Haiti over the last 6 months and my kids were over the moon excited to see their grandparents.

In other other news Zoe has learned to say the word booger.

I think because her big brother (on the ok of his PawPaw no less) came home from the dollar store with fake boogers.

Warning: The following picture is not for the faint of heart or those with weak stomachs.

Thanks PawPaw! 

In other other other news, Ella and I got to participate in an event at Spoonflower (an amazing cool place right here in Durham!) and work alongside some very talented women to sew pillowcase dresses for Haiti. We had fun, we finished 20 dresses, and I found a new cool creative place to want to just sit in and absorb the creative juices floating in the air over there.

                                   

In other other other other news I am more excited than I should be about my birthday pedicure.  Flip flop weather is here and these feet need some help!

Two days people! Two days!

thursday thoughts: diddly and squat

The title of this post is entirely misleading, as I have done the complete opposite of diddly squat this week. It's like the spring cleaning/motivating bug bit me, or something. Or maybe it is just that I was so happy to have my husband back from Haiti and to not be single-parenting it that I went way overboard on my to-do list this week?

Whatever the reason, it has been a very productive week.

Operation swap-summer-for-winter-clothes for all four kids is finalized.
(Can I get an amen from all you other mommies who realize what a big task this is?!)

Operation vegetable-garden is almost finished, and while it isn't near as big as our garden at the farm (we are doing two raised beds) it will be nice to have home grown veggies this summer.

The kids helped with every single step and are totally into the gardening thing this year...so fun!

The two pale-haired helpers. Zoe was asleep and Eli was at speech therapy.
But don't worry...they ALL got plenty of chances to help =)

Our home school is really winding down for the year. I am struggling to find motivation and creativity in these last few weeks...but we are still having fun and plugging along. I decided not to introduce any new science units or artists/composers/authors, but instead to spend these weeks reviewing and making sure they have a good grasp on all the concepts and skills we have worked on this year.

In 8 days I will be (Lord-willing) sitting on a Caribbean beach with my favorite person in the world on the first day of our week long 10 year anniversary celebration. Not that I'm counting down the days or anything, ha!

I am almost finished my 5k training program. I have really enjoyed it and was surprised at how effective the program is in increasing my stamina for running. Now, if I could only find a free Saturday to actually run in a 5k...that would be a miracle! Not that I am complaining as my photo business has been keeping me very busy...I am officially booked into July right now!

Happy Thursday!

Have vs.Get

Have.
Get.

The use (or more likely, the misuse) of these two little causative verbs has a surprisingly big impact on my day.

When I use the phrase "I have to _________________ (go to church, work, teach the kids, etc.)," I am inferring that given the choice, I would choose something else. That the task that I have to do is a burden.

When I use the phrase "I get to __________________ (go to church, work, teach the kids, etc.)," I am inferring that I recognize the privilege and blessing of my task, my child, my job, my freedom to worship, etc.

If I can change my perspective from "I have to go grocery shopping" to "I get to go grocery shopping" I am recognizing the blessing that it is for me to have the ability to provide food for my family.

If I can change my perspective from "I have to exercise" to "I get to exercise" I am recognizing the blessing that it is for me to be healthy enough to exercise.

If I can change my perspective from "I have to do school today with the kids" to "I get to do school today with the kids" I am acknowledging the privilege it is to get a front row seat on the development of their minds and to be part of their learning process.

And so on and so forth...

Granted, their are some tasks that I will never be excited I get to do...

"I get to clean this vomit out of the car seat cushions" um...said no one ever!

But If I can intentionally watch my causative verbs as I go throughout my day, my perspective and attitude can completely reflect the attitude the Lord would have me approach my day with.

"Whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Col 3:17.

What do you get to do today?

thursday thoughts

5 days down from our 7 day daddy's gone countdown.

It has been a good week, and the kids have done great. I even think that this mommy hasn't done too bad, all things considered. However, I am not being overly dramatic when I say that this has seemed like the longest week of my life. The days are just dragging...

We came up to VA yesterday to get in some family togetherness time with Meme and Poppee. 

A change of scenery was just what we needed!

Nothing like a Meme hug.

Eli loves Poppee's motorcycle =)

The team in Haiti is doing great...projects being completed and lives being led to Christ! It makes my "struggle" this week absolutely worth it when I hear of the work being done. I'm so thrilled to get to be a behind the scenes part of the Lords work. 

Speaking of Haiti, for any local readers, I have a friend who is leading a sewing class on Sunday, April 21st at 1pm at Spoonflower in Durham with the goal of sewing 50 pillowcase dresses to send down with a team this summer. The class is free, and you can find out all the details here. Ella and I will be there and we'd love to have you!

3 more days to go...3 more days to go...

Happy Thursday!

(ezra's) real questions

 If I was turned into stone like a statue, would Jesus peel my skin for me?

 How close would I have to get to the sun until I exploded into dust?

 Is a hedgehog faster than a cheetah?

 Is today, today?

 Can I have ice cream with 4 cherries on it for breakfast?

 How long does a hedgehog live?

Will I ever be your boss?

How come the night is black? 

Oh, Ezra..
you make me laugh,
you make me google a lot of random things,
and yes, sometimes you just make me squint my eyes and scratch my head and wonder. 
but mostly,
you make me so glad to be your momma.

How else would I ever have learned that the average hedgehog lifespan is 7 years?!

not me monday: daddy's gone edition

My hubby and his team hard at work helping a stuck truck on the crazy roads in Haiti yesterday.

My children did not tell the sketchy random stranger that showed up at the house to offer a free house painting estimate that their Daddy was out of town for the entire week.

I did not try to make up for their safety guffaw by working the words pit bull, security system, and armed and dangerous into the rest of my conversation with him. Which is kinda hard to do, I gotta admit. I'm sure I seemed a bit skitzo to him, but I think that all probably added to the effect I was going for.

I did not have all my children bathed, pajama-ed, and fed dinner by...5:30pm last night. I thought for sure it was 7:30. Therefore, it was not a very very very long night last night.

I do not stay up way too late when my husband is not home watching guilty pleasure tv shows.

And I definitely do not keep an extra stash of dark chocolate for such occasions. Because dark chocolate tastes better when eaten in front of bad tv. With my pit bull sitting at my feet, my alarm system armed, and my .22 magnum mini revolver at my side, of course.

Nope. Not me.

(I did not have to google the name of a gun...)

sustained

It's been a long week here.
A good week, but an emotionally full one.

So many things...

We said "see ya later" to part of our Via family...



It's sad for us as we will miss them, but it is especially hard for the momma part of me as I know Ella really struggled with sadness in sending off her cousins.

The "fab four" Easter 2013

The sillier side of the fab four.

Yet, I was overwhelmed with excitement and the rightness of knowing that for the first time their entire family will be together. Their family has been splintered so much over the last two years...it is time for them to be all together. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you can catch up on their site here.

My sister and brother-in-law welcomed home their 2 sweet little ones from Ghana. All the travels were uneventful and the initial transitioning is going great. This is my first sibling to adopt, besides our family...and it is an amazing journey to watch...regardless what part of the journey you play.

Zoe came down with quite the rip-roaring cold and therefore sleep has been low on the priority list this week. Which always exasperates every other emotion. She decided to share the love with me. Oh, joy.

Jeremiah leaves tomorrow for a week in Haiti. I'm more than a little bit jealous of him. This is the longest we will have ever been apart.

On weeks like this, it is good to be reminded of Psalm 54:4...

Surely God is my helper, he is the one who sustains me.

Recap: Easter 2013

Despite the risk of sounding cliche' and cheesy...

I can't help but say that this Easter was just glorious! 

Celebrating our Savior's empty tomb, rejoicing with our church family at North West Community Church, family time with our Via family filled with egg hunting and yummy food...the day was nothing short of perfect! 

Individually, in their Easter finery. Cuteness overload.

Collaboratively, in their Easter finery. Chaos and fun always ensues...and blurry pictures.

I bet you thought the picture before this one had a lot of kids, huh. Now...not so much
All the Via cousin's together. This is about the best you are going to get with 18 little ones under the age of 8.

I just happened to be on this side of the TV during the Duke game and caught this shot of the adults reactions to the horrible injury Kevin Ware suffered. 

Sweet girl was excited to partake in her first official egg hunt.
Apparently pinecones are quite tricky little egg impostors to her.

the gap that wasn't

I worried about the 6 year gap between Ella and Zoe. 

Would they ever be close being so far apart in age. 

(Far apart at least in our standards...I realize that having kids so close together isn't done by every family, ha!)

Oh, silly, silly me...