my thirty-third birthday

I turned thirty-three years old over the weekend. Charlie planned two days of good clean fun and covered everything I love: local food, the beach, new clothes and a tidy, quiet house. I am loving my thirties and I can't wait to see what this year has in store. Bring it on 33!

our summer schedule

Alternate title for this blog post... "How to manipulate your kids into letting you work out and get a tan." I love summer! Don't we all? Summers at my house seem to be more enjoyable when we stick to some sort of routine. I read THIS blog and it got me excited about surviving summer without spending a jillion dollars and/or having kids who are bored to death.

I posted our schedule on the chalkboard so everyone can see it. We start the daily routine every day after breakfast (around 9am). The kids read and write in their journals then they go outside for exercise. I use this time to watch the Today show and do either a p90x dvd or Jami Eason live fit workout. I get a good 30-45 minute workout while the kids get fresh air and lead each other through obstacle courses and relay races. Then they come inside and we finish the rest of the schedule, eat lunch, then do our "daily adventure."

Here's how I use the "daily adventures" as a way to get a tan...
Make it Monday. I'll say something like, "let's make a sand castle at the beach!" or "let's make a sculpture of sticks by the lake!" or "let's make something fun to slide on in the sprinklers!" So they make something while I watch them.
Take a trip Tuesday. We take a trip to the beach, pool or water park.
Wet Wednesday. Again... beach, pool or water park.
Thinking Thursday. We research things like how many strokes it takes to swim from point A to point B or how fast we can run through all the sprinklers in our backyard.
Friend Friday. We meet a friend at the beach, pool or water park.

We have had some creative indoor adventures on rainy afternoons, but all other days are mostly water related. How are you spending this summer?

father's day wishlist

I seriously love buying presents for Charlie. Father's Day is coming up and these are on my list of things my baby daddy wants/needs. Anyone else shopping for Father's Day?

1. Working Man's Hygiene Kit / 2. Toms Chukka Boots / 3. Bow Tie / 4. Journals / 5. Duffle Bag

our life wrapped up in a pretty little blog post

Story time! My husband, Charlie, is now officially a pastor. This is such a huge, huge deal. I share very little of our personal life here, but I think this story of God's goodness needs to be told.

I met Charlie in 1999 at the University of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama. He was studying Christian Studies and Sociology. We colleged up some pretty good times, fell in love, finished college and got married. Charlie knew he wanted to spend his life working in church ministry. Soon after we got married, we moved to Memphis, Tennessee so Charlie could go to seminary. He graduated three years later with a Master's Degree in Divinity. Then we packed up all our stuff and moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for full time church work. During all this time (from college to Baton Rouge), Charlie wore many different ministry "hats"... college ministry, youth ministry, music ministry, janitorial staff, intern, supply preacher, teacher... the list goes on. But his heart was longing to preach the Word and pastor the people.

Four years ago, we moved from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Brunswick, Georgia. We moved to Brunswick (Charlie's hometown) after a series of events that made it clear to Charlie that serving as the Pastor of a church was totally and completely what God had placed a longing in his heart to do. After moving and settling into a little Baptist church, we did something completely unexpected... we became Presbyterians. (If you don't know/care much about the difference between Baptists and Presbyterians, just know that we love Jesus, always have, always will). This denominational switch had been something we'd talked about for years. After much prayer and study and counsel and more prayer, we decided to leave the Baptist church (we were both raised in the Baptist church, went to Baptist college, Baptist seminary, etc.). This was a BIG deal, but both of our families were beyond supportive and understanding and wonderful. This is where the story gets interesting...

We joined Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Downtown Brunswick, Georgia. According to Presbyterian policy, you can't be a Presbyterian minister until you have been Presbyterian for at least six months. This presented an interesting obstacle for our little family. Charlie had only ever received pay checks by doing church work. Since we were new to the PCA church, Charlie had to find work. Like, real people work. So we started a snow cone business. Charlie was learning and studying and going through the license/ ordination process while selling the heck out of some delicious snow cones. We made enough money in one summer of snow cone selling to support our family for almost a year... then then money ran out and we couldn't afford to rent a space to sell snow cones the next summer.  Charlie applied for 12 or 17 jobs a day. He heard, "Sorry we're looking for someone with more experience" from almost every possible employer in this town. Apparently, a Master's Degree in Divinity doesn't amount to very much when you want to be a bank teller or a college admissions officer or a grass cutter or a coffee maker. He finally got a job stocking shelves from 3am-9am and worked at a golf course in the afternoons. After almost one year of long hours and late night talks about whether or not we did the right thing, Charlie got a marketing/sales job with a local landscaping business. The income was a little more stable, but his desire for pastoring a church was still very deep.

This past January (2013) Charlie completed the last step in the licensure process for the Presbyterian Church. We prayed and PRAYED that something would open up... a church in need of a pastor... anywhere. In February, a church from South Carolina called the pastor of our church (also a dear friend and mentor) to see if he would be interested in moving his family to serve at a church there. All worked out for him to make the move and God so perfectly answered our prayers by opening up a position for Charlie to become the pastor of our church... right here where we are! Even as I type this tears are streaming down my face out of excitement. There was a process of nominating and presenting and electing, but it is finally real. Charlie is really the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. And I am really an over-eager, grace-dependant, hot mess of a pastor's wife.

The powerful creator of this world wrote this beautiful story for us. You know what kind of people sit in churches every Sunday? People who can't find jobs and people who are opening businesses and shelf stockers and landscaping guys and mothers of four children. If our Lord had not walked with us through these last three years, we would never know how to deeply love these real people. I am so thankful and overwhelmed.

recycled disney clothes

Did you think we were done talking about Disney? NOPE! I made these outfits for this girls out of fabric scraps and old clothes. They wanted to wear "Minnie Mouse clothes" and this is what I came up with. I knew they couldn't wear an itchy costume all day and I couldn't bear the thought of them wearing a plain old t-shirt and shorts... so here we have a happy medium.

The red polka dot fabric was left over from a Christmas project a few years back. The black and yellow jersey knit are old shrunken t-shirts. Everything else was found deep in the corners of my sewing closet and pieced together. Millie's pants were old leggings with a little ruffle added around the bottom. I made Stella's pants using my one and only ruffle pants pattern. The tennis shoes take about 37 cool points away from the cuteness, but that's really the only shoe option for walking in the Magic Kingdom.  I sort of gagged every time I looked at their feet that whole day, but they didn't seem to mind.

The highlight of the whole Disney trip for me was when Cinderella (that's right... CINDERELLA!) asked them if someone made their outfits for them. They said "our mom made them" and Cinderella said to me, "Why, these are the fairest clothes I've ever seen! Sleeping Beauty and I were discussing how delightful they looked when we saw them standing in line." I smiled and said thank you and refrained from curtseying. That was a HUGE compliment considering how many thousand outfits she must see every day. I also made Hal's Mickey Mouse suit from old T-Shirts...

Happy Recycling!

millie is seven

Millie Grace is seven years old. That sounds so old! She has always had an "old soul" and seems so mature for her age. We love her so, so much and had the best time celebrating yesterday. We started the day with donuts, then a trip to Savannah. We met up with two of our favorite artsy church friends who only frequent the coolest places in Savannah. They introduced us to what could possibly be the freshest coffee shop we've ever entered, Foxy Loxy. After coffee and presents we shopped, ate pizza, people watched, giggled and headed back home for our family fiesta! Delicious tacos, an ugly cake and a Pinata named Sprinkles... perfect. Millie, you are so special. I'll always be jealous of your calm, determined spirit. We love you!

phone pics friday

Here are a few of my favorite phone pics from recently. It has been a wonderful week! The weather is hot and perfect. Thanks so much for the overwhelming response to my new Turn Turn adventure! I am so honored to make things for you. Anyone else going to a ballet recital tomorrow? I hope so.