Vacation!

Vacation is coming to an end. I feel refreshed, renewed and filled up again. My tank is full. My cup runs over. I have many blessings in life and vacation always reminds me of those blessings. Here are just a few things about vacation that I love-

1. Mornings. I usually hate mornings but on vacation- the earlier the better.
2. NO make-up.
3. NO blow drying my hair. Just up in a ponytail every single day. Saves me probably 52 million minutes of my life :)
4. Time does not matter.
5. Worries go to the back of my mind.
6. Good conversation.
7. Lots of random laughs and singing.
8. Games... playing games and learning new ones.
9. SUNSHINE.. coming home with a tan :)
10. No schedule.. you can do whatever whenever.
11. Lots of reading gets done!

Now I must go. It is the last day here and I must make every moment count!

Time to travel or at least dream about it....

Just a few places I want to go and take my kids....

1. Africa- (what a once in a lifetime trip)
2. Florida- to see the awesome beaches... they are much different than the beaches here.
3. Hawaii- I think they would be in awe at the hula dancers ;)
4. Disneyland- already been but would like to make this trip more often ;)
5. Washington DC- can't believe I lived so close and never took them ;(
6. Disneyland- only on the off season and if I had at least ten days ;)
7. New York (maybe I would like to take this trip kid free actually)
8. Newport Beach, CA- took our honeymoon there.. I love it there.

There are many others places I would love to take them... to see the amazing beauty of the world. Guess I better start saving my pennies.

Hillsong - This Is Our God - With Subtitles/Lyrics - HD Version

Love this song.. especially the end. Freely you gave it all for us. Great is the love... this is MY God.

I have been tested lately. Tested to do the right thing even though it SUCKS. Tested to be patient.. waiting... waiting.... ugh. I am hoping and hoping.... and believing and believing.. my heart is heavy and hurt BUT God is faithful and He is constant. I am thankful for hope. I am thankful for what I am learning along the way. Even though it is not fun.. but I have come to realize, life is full of these kinds of things. Things that are hard........ things that will hopefully make me a better person and stronger in the end. At least that is what I am praying for....

enough of that- 2 days until we leave for one of my favorite places ever!! The girls are packed and driving me literally nuts!

vacation is coming.. thank the good Lord! :)

This last week, I took my girls to VBS at the baptist church where I grew up and where I gave my life to Christ and was baptized. I felt myself almost having to hold back tears as I took them there on their first day. Partly because I was nervous for them walking into a place to spend more than 3 hrs a day not knowing anyone, and also because I am so incredibly thankful for that place and the memories I have there are good. The building seems so much smaller than it seemed to me as a kid. I guess that is always how things seem to end up. I saw a few faces I knew from way back then and my kids had a blast. They loved it. I am so proud of them. They are homeschooled, you know, and not often have to go into a situation like that while not knowing anybody. It proved to me that no matter what some have said to me about their social skills, I, as their mom, know they are okay. I am proud of that and have worked harder than most know, to make sure they are okay in that area. They last day ended with a program at night and a carnival. My kids got on stage, singing several songs and dancing around. The message of the week was to spread the news and they have already done that to the neighbor girl. My kids make me smile.
Now we have a week until the girls and I leave for vacation with my folks. I am so ready to just get away and lay by a pool and to see my kids happier than ever making memories. I have many great memories of vacations my parents would take me on.. Sunriver and Disneyland. No wonder those two places totally make me smile even today :) This will be the first time in Sunriver that we will be without the Manns and it is going to stink without them.. but I know somehow we will all manage to have a a good time. So now for the next few days, I get to try and entertain my kids enough to keep them from going crazy since they are so pumped!
6 days and counting..........

There are just some days when the only thing on my mind is ... come quickly Jesus. Come quickly. Today is one of those days. I think that is how everyday should be though. Life is hard even though it is good and amazing... I am thankful this is not my home.

Here is my me and my friend Shannon after we did our 4th of July 5K. This was her very first race! :)

Summertime......

I ran my third 5K on July 4th. I ran it in just a few seconds over 37 minutes... yes, I am a slow runner but I made it running the entire time and I beat my last time! I looked back on the websites of my last few races and finally got my times written down. I ran my first one in 41:59 and my second in 39:26. Those times are not great but the fact that I am getting better each time makes me happy and is my goal. Running a race to win will never by my thing. My goal is always to finish without having to walk. Slow and steady wins it for me baby!

So, there is much going on in my head these days. I am going to focus this blog now on my two girls. I have received a few compliments this week on how well behaved my kids are and how normal they are and social they are and how they break those "homeschooling" stereotypes. Those kinds of things make me happy to hear as I have been feeling like a failure as a mom lately. I am proud of my kids and for the gains that they have made. Nevaeh is totally coming out of her shell and literally has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She always considers others above herself. I hope she stays like that because selfish people bug the crap out of me.
Speaking of selfishness, Jesslyn is coming out of her selfish stage. She still has her moments but she is getting way better at considering others and at not being so difficult. She makes me laugh. She dances really funny and now that her two top teeth are gone she is the cutest thing ever and even has a little lisp. She also is loving riding her scooter with the neighbor girl. Jesslyn is social- she loves her little neighbor girl friend coming over to play.

So to my two beautiful girls: let's keep learning, growing, pushing through our fears, becoming better people who love Jesus and love others above ourselves. Let's have fun this summer.. making memories of the days when you did not have to do math problems or worry about spelling words. I think we have had fun so far. Lots of swimming and laughing with friends and definitely too much candy eating has been taking place :) I look forward to the summer days ahead and I hope to make it fun and memorable for you before those school books start showing up in the mail and before I have to go buy pencils and notebooks. Let's eat as many popsicles as we want, take a trip to the beach, sleep in as late as we want and stay up late playing outside. I love you girls. I love summer. I love being a mom.