Chores...

I'm sure you've done the math.

We have a lot of kids.

Including our sweet foster babe...5 to be exact.

So in order for things to run like a well oiled machine (Ha, yeah right) we require that our children do chores.

Usually they have really great attitudes about helping.  Especially since we have started fostering they have gone above and beyond to help.  We've seen so much maturity and growth in that area.  What a blessing!

However, sometimes the chores are a little too big for my Ellie Jane and she isn't happy about it.  She wants to help- Bless her!

Sissy wouldn't let her help put up the silverware...

It's so hard being three...

We have chickens.  They poop on my deck and dig up my yard.  Lucky for them I like eggs.

While Nolan and Kane were out of town a few weeks ago Ruthie got chicken duty.  Let's just say there are some chores she doesn't mind and chicken duty isn't on that list...

Ellie's such a good helper...

Sometimes too many eggs are carried and an egg gets dropped.  Sometimes it gets messy.  

But it's ok.  

We just pick up the mess and move on knowing that despite the mess, lessons were learned.

Here's a horrible metaphor for you...

We're like that broken, mess of an egg.  

We have fallen.

We are broken...

Praise the Lord, he came to clean up the mess and to set things right again

Blessings,

Summer Dayz...

In an attempt to get outdoors this summer despite the south's heat and humidity I talked the hubster into getting a pool membership.

It's been totally worth it.

The kids are getting some exercise, playing with other kids, getting some vitamin D, and becoming better swimmers.  We've met new people, had some great conversations, and enjoyed each other as a family.

And I've totally mastered packing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  So there's that.

This girl is so funny.  She has met more people at the pool than the rest of the family combined.  She just walks right up in the middle of groups, introduces herself, and makes life long friends.  She's the best.  I've said it before and I'll say it again-  I hope she stays this personable and friendly forever.  She challenges me to be a kinder, friendlier, more joyful person without even knowing she is.  Love. Her.

Dives are being mastered...

Boys...are weird, but I just love him so much in spite of all the weirdness.

Did I mention that half the time we're the only ones there?  So it's like having our own personal pool that I never have to clean or manage... It's the only way to go.

Never leave your camera lying around...

He'll regret this picture when I show it at his wedding someday.  #paybackbymom

Other than swimming not much has been going on.  The kids have been reading and playing piano.  Kane's become a master lawn mower- Yay for that.

Our sweet neighbor surprised Ruthie with a Fairy House hidden in our yard the other day- so fun!

We've been taking care of babies- our own and fostered- diaper changes, bottle feedings, and nursing, baths, and cuddles...it's very glamorous.

Our sweet little, foster baby is beautiful and sweet.  Please continue to pray for her and her family.  We've been so blessed by the outpouring of love that's been shown to our family since bringing her home- meals, gifts, friends coming over to hold and cuddle babies and the big kids while I shower and get some things done.  We even had a group of ladies we did not know bring us a weeks worth of meals and buy us some groceries.  It's been challenging to say the least, but already the blessings have outweighed the struggles. God is beyond good!

Happy Summer and Blessings,

Summer of Awesome- Still Awesome...

H-man is getting so big.  

He started crawling over the past few weeks.  Eight months old.  I can't even wrap my mind around it!

He is so cute and funny.  A mouth full of teeth and the worst napper on the planet...not cool.

His big brother spoils him rotten and is turning him into a spoiled monster who thinks he has to be held around the clock.

But that face though...

Little Miss Thing is into everything.  Why do they call it the Terrible-twos?  It should be the into everything and too much energy Threes.  She's so funny though, and might be the friendliest child ever.  I hope she stays that way forever.

Those eyes...

Love her...

Why is he wearing this vest?  It's like 100 degrees outside.  So strange.

I took this girl for ice cream the other night and it basically took her like an hour to eat a bowl of ice cream that was about half the size of mine.  I asked her why it was taking so long and she told me she wanted to savor every bite.  It's like she's her father in a female, younger, smaller body- bizarre.

He just crawls around making messes the whole way.

Summer of Awesome is turning out pretty awesome.

However, I'm not actually getting any of the things I originally set out to do done.

We finally got certified to Foster and we've had three babies all under three weeks old in our home over the last few weeks since summer started.

Right now we have a sweet baby girl.  Please pray for us as we walk this path God has brought us to.

Pray that:

-We will be the family she needs right now and love her the way God has called us to love.

-Her family will receive the help that they need, and that hopefully we can love on and encourage them in the process.

-For her to continue to be healthy.

-For our own children to embrace her and to love her without any holding back.

-Most importantly- For God's will to be done and for us to obey and trust that His plan is always best no matter what.

So obviously Summer of Awesome has taken on a different look than I originally planned- Less reading and sewing and more diaper changes and bottle feedings.  But ultimately I hoped that this summer would be Summer of Sharing the Gospel.  What a better platform to open conversation with tons of people- than when they look at me like I'm crazy for having two babies under the age of one and three others for a total of five kids.

"Hey person- it's a God thing.  Let me tell you how awesome He is."

Blessings,

The Summer of Awesome...

So I've officially declared Summer 2016 the summer of the following things:

-Summer of Sharing the Gospel

-Summer of Reading

-Summer of Creating

-Summer of Getting Healthy and Fit

I know.  It's been declared probably too many things, but I couldn't narrow it down to just one.  It seemed to me like all of my choices held their own level of importance.  Some more than others obviously.

The plan to Share the Gospel is simple.  Like Nike always says- "Just do it."  If I'm out and about start conversations, hand out tracts, basically just get the word out that "God is Awesome and Jesus Saves".  I plan to enlist the help of my children.  I mean don't you think we would have more missional/evangelical minded people in the world if we trained up our children doing it from a young age?  Get relational with my neighbors and invite them to church, vbs, or just over for dinner and games, and some gospel talk.  Mainly the point here is to be more purposeful- make it happen.  People need to know that all have sinned, and that all have fallen short, and that Jesus filled the gap and died for any and all who believe.  But how can they know if we don't tell them?  So Summer of Sharing the Gospel 2016 is all about telling people.

The plan for Reading is to aim for at least 30 minutes of reading a day.  This of course will be separate from my bible reading.  This plan also will include my children.  We have a pool membership this summer so the plan will be to swim in the morning and to come back in the afternoon for resting/nap/reading time.  Our local library and Barnes and Noble has a great reading program for children that awards prizes when they meet their reading goals.  If your kids are anything like mine- prizes are a big help!

Here's where I'm at with my reading list so far:

Women of the Word- I'm really excited about this one.  I've already started it and it's super good so far...



Glimpses of Grace- is about seeing God's grace even in the little day to day tasks like changing diapers and washing dishes.



The Pastor's Wife-  I know this may not be relative to many of you, but I'm super excited about this one!



Fierce Women-  Using our fierce strengths to encourage and inspire our husbands.



Desperate-  Encouragement, help, and answers for moms.



Disciplines of a Godly Woman-  I'm almost finished with this one and it's amazing!  We could all use a call to be more purposeful and disciplined as we walk in our faith.  I'd call it a very practical look at Sanctification. Every Christian woman should read this book.




Family Driven Faith-  Raising our children to walk with God.



-Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ- by John Piper
-Mere Christianity- by CS Lewis
-The Case For Christ and The Case For Faith- by Lee Strobel (they have a simpler/shorter versions of these for youth that my 11 year old is reading.)
-Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die- by John Piper
-The Reason for God- by Timothy Keller
-The Meaning of Marriage- by Timothy Keller
-The Next Story- by Tim Challies
-The Missionary Call- by M. David Sills
-The Holiness of God- by Sproul
-The Knowlege of the Holy- by A.W. Tozer
-The Cost of Discipleship- by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
-Anne of Green Gables- by L.M. Montgomery
-Pride and Prejudice- by Jane Austen
-The Scarlet Letter- by Nathaniel Hawthorne
-The Secret Garden- by Frances Hodgson Burnett

My kids and I also enjoy it when I read aloud to them.  So I will be reading children's books to them as well throughout the summer.  If that interests you here are a few that my children and I would highly recommend (I asked them):

-Doctor Dolittle
-Robin Hood
-The Bronze Bow- (a must read!)
-The Bridge to Terabithia
-Old Yeller
-Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
-The Tale of Despereaux


Summer of Creating is pretty self explanatory- My creating of choice will be sewing.  I love to sew, but sometimes my life doesn't always allow for me to prioritize it, but this summer it's happening.


Summer of Getting Healthy and Fit- feels more complicated and right now feels like it will require the most discipline. I'm getting a membership to a gym and plan to start working out with free weights and doing cardio with a friend this week.  I'll tell you more about the diet side of it when I figure it out.  Ugh.

Anyhoo...That's what's happening around here.  If you'd like to join in the fun on any or all of the summer happenings you can find me on Instagram @thepurplecladjewel - Just tag me or use any of the following hashtags:

#summerofsharingthegospel2016
#summerofreading2016
#summerofreadingkids2016
#summerofcreating2016
#summerofgettinghealthyandfit2016
#summerofawesome2016


Happy Summer of Awesome Friends!


Blessings,