Coffee and Conversation from the Heart - 7/12

This summer has been a warm one, and I'm not a huge coffee drinker when it's hot out.  However, while flying home a few weeks ago, I accidentally discovered Starbucks new Cookie Crumble Mocha - a cold drink that is out of this world yummy.  I have wanted to get another one soon but haven't been able to.  So, I thought I'd use my imagination today and invite you all to meet me at Starbucks for conversation and a Cookie Crumble Mocha! :)

While we're drinking these fantabulous mochas, I would love to tell you about all the many things that have been happening this summer.  First off, my kiddos are getting so big!!!  We're about to end our birthday season next Tuesday with my oldest baby girl turning 9!  I cannot begin to tell you how sad but happy that makes me.  She will be going to Bible Camp in two weeks and will be 7 hours away from home for the entire week!  I told the Mr. I should volunteer at the camp that week, but he refuses to allow me! :)  I have no doubts that she will do wonderful.  Miss E has always been the independent one!

I would also tell you about the 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge!  I am so enjoying reading the Bible through, but it has been much more difficult to make the time for it than I thought it would be.  I am beginning to think I may never read an entire book through until after all my children have left home!

I LOVE my violin and am enjoying the lessons soooo much!  I was a little worried that I may not enjoy practicing because I have this thing called "never enough time," but I really have enjoyed it!  I haven't been able to practice very consistently these last three weeks, I my goal is to practice every day this week and really WOW my teacher next lesson! :)  

I would bemoan the fact that I missed the Tummy Tempting Tuesday again.  I would love to change the day to Thursday because that's an easier day for me to make the time to write.  The only reason I haven't changed it is because I love the little ditty "Tummy Tempting Tuesday!"  So silly, I know!!!

I would also tell you that I have discovered that I LOVE planting and caring for flowers.  I never in a million years dreamed that I would enjoy something like this.  I had helped plant and care for our vegetable garden a very little bit in the past and never cared at all for those poor veggies.  By the time the end of the summer came, I was hoping they would rot so I could quit caring for them! (I know this is a terrible attitude, but it was my true sentiments!)  I only planted a few flowers last summer out of that terrible thing called peer pressure.  One of our Mommies & Munchkins topics was planting flowers  After discussing the topic, we then took a trip to the local nursery to buy starters for our own flower gardens.  I bought a few thinking they would surely die, but alas, they did not!!! I planted even more this year, and I have found that it is so relaxing in the summer evenings to water and care for them, and I get to enjoy their beauty all day long.  The Mr. says he doesn't see what the difference is between flowers or vegetables, and he loves to remind me of all the benefits the vegetables will bring!  I gently remind him that he married a Lady of Beauty....not a Lady of Practicality...trying to make it sound all romantic and poetical...because we all know how the Mr. feels about romance and poetry! :)  I LOVE THAT MAN!

Speaking of that man, I would tell you that we just had our TWELFTH anniversary!!!  We were actually at Family Camp for our anniversary, and both of us forgot until the day was about half done!  Despite that, we really do love each other, and we are both so thankful for how abundantly God has blessed us over the last 12 years. It's definitely not what we had pictured or imagined...I think it's better! :)  I'm hoping we can actually celebrate in a few weeks...maybe with the Cheesecake Factory included!

As we finish up our Cookie Crumble, I would tell you that my number one goal for this summer was to have company over 2 Fridays each month.  Guess how much company we have had so far?  Not a one! (Insert huge sigh!)  We'll keep working on it!

I am beginning to get excited about the coming school year!  I am looking into changing things up in a MAJOR way and have had a great time browsing through curriculums and catalogs.  I will be homeschooling a 4th grader, a 2nd grader, and am attempting 2 kindergartners this year!  We shall see how it all goes!  

Well, despite all the conversation, the Cookie Crumble is nearly gone.  We should probably head back towards home and real life!  I would end our conversation by telling you how thankful I am for the friendship we've developed!  I am so thankful for the technology God has provided us with.  There are so many of you that I may never meet or might not see for such a long time.  I am so thankful that I can still keep in touch and hopefully be an encouragement to you.  I would leave by reminding you that life is short.  So, make sure you take the time to enjoy today.  Find God in everything you do!  He is waiting to show Himself to you!  Have a beautiful and blessed day!

Coffee and Conversation from the Heart - 4/16/12

I thought I would invite all of you over for a cup of coffee today. That way, we could catch up and share bits of our hearts. If you were to come to my house for a cup of coffee today, I would race to meet you at the front porch and not let you enter into my humble little abode. Sounds like a great way to start a coffee date, but it's the truth! I would tell you all about my idealistic dreams of painting a room in 5 or 6 hours, and then I would tell you that I didn't know what made me think I would be able to do that. I would tell you how every toy that my children own (which thankfully aren't as many as some have) is piled in my living room so that I could paint the toy shelves as well. I would also tell you about the crazy idea of mine to have a laundry marathon where I washed about 7 loads of laundry, but didn't finish the marathon, and it is all piled on the couch waiting to be folded and put away.

I would tell you how much I love my family and how I wish I had realized much sooner what beautiful gifts I have been given through each of them. I would tell you of my newly found passion for getting to know each of my children in a personal and very real way so that I can reach their hearts and disciple them in following Jesus. I would tell you how excited I am about homeschooling my kiddos and some of the new things that I want to try with them this summer. I would humorously refer to Miss E and Mr. A as my "guinea pigs" in this thing called homeschooling.

I would tell you how the Mr. laughed at me at lunch as he looked around at all this ridiculous mess and heard my speech on optimism. He told me that for every optimist there has to be a realist who is willing to come and rescue them! He is so right, and I'm so very thankful that he is my rescuer.

I would also tell you how excited I am about a challenge I am going to take up this summer to read through the entire Bible in 90 days! I have never done this before, and I really don't even know if I'll be able to. But I do know I'll never know unless I try. I might would even ask if you'd like to try it with me and help me stay accountable to my goal.

I would want to hear about you and what all is going on in your life. I would love listening to your everyday happenings - the challenges you are facing, the goals you are reaching for, and the prayers you are praying. The best part of our cup of coffee on the porch would be the sweet time of sharing our hearts and then praying together so that we could share our hearts with the One who loves us most.

Then, I would give you a hug, walk you to your car and make sure you knew how to get back to civilization (because we really do live in the middle of nowhere). I would walk slowly back into my ridiculously messy house and thank God very sincerely that you never actually saw the house, and then I'd go to the back and start painting....again...for just a few minutes before one of my kiddos needed me again.

And that....would be our coffee date. I think I kind of like these! :)

Hey! Have a great Monday, why don't you? And while you're at it, don't forget to count all the little blessings God has you covered you with today!

More of God's graces to me:

51. A washing machine - can you imagine hand washing all these clothes?
52. That God's grace is bigger than all my mistakes and sin
53. The comfort and peace of God when saying good bye to a friend
54. My kids love each other and really are each others' best friends
55. Our Moms and Munchkins meetings
56. The opportunity to 'remodel' my house!
57. I met another homeschooling Mom who lives in our area yesterday! This is the first one I've met since I began homeschooling 5 years ago!
58. Talks with friends who challenge me in my walk with Christ
59. An upcoming date night with my Mr. We haven't had a 'going out' date in a LONG time!
60. The exersaucer which keeps my little newbie entertained despite the dr.'s warning that "due to the large size of his head, he may not be able to enjoy being in the upright position quite yet!" (hee hee - THAT made me laugh! Yes, my newbie's head is quite large, but it's quite adorable too!)