InstaFriday - A Good Laugh

I am a quote-a-holic.

So when I saw this one from Jon Acuff, author of the book Quitter, and a guy I follow on Instagram and Twitter, I took a screenshot. I like the discipline/creativity connection. That's a new twist for me and makes "being disciplined" an even more desirable attribute.

Speaking of disciplined, that's what our daughter, Faith, and her track teammates had to be to make it to the sectional track meet. If you were a top 4 finisher here, you qualified for state. Faith qualified in 2 events - the 4x200 meter relay and the triple jump. I took a picture of this not really thinking about InstaFriday, but to have the schedule and not worry about losing a piece of paper. Could we really be paperless someday?

Before I made it to the track meet, I attended Mary Grace's violin recital - held in a beautiful, old Methodist church in downtown Springfield. Loved their "Little Methodists" bags for the young 'uns. And Mary Grace looks fetching in her concert black.

After the track meet, we hit Andy's Frozen Custard. While I dearly love the people in this picture, the thing that stood out to me when I saw it was Lou's ring.

I have a thing about seeing that ring on his hand.

It's the only ring he's ever worn.

And he wears it because he loves me. (Heart flutter and palpitation). Smile.

Can you say Pinterest?

Not up to Cake Boss standards, but this carrot cake was yummy...and cute.

Sunday was graduation day for child #3. David Elliot moved his tassel from the right to the left, smiled for all the pictures, and then greeted lots of well wishers at our home afterwards. Fun day.

It warms a mother's heart when brothers bond. They have been pretty typical brothers and not always bonded, so this maturing - this enjoying each other's company now that they are older, is precious to me.

Faith was a little worried that I'd forget to take her guitar in to get fixed, so these sticky notes greeted me on:

-our bedroom mirror
-our dog's crate
-my Bible
-guitar of interest.

Funny girl.

Since my mom has moved in with us, Kiowa has a new favorite spot....wherever she is.

I think this is my first mirror picture.

It's fitting that it should be in front of the best mirror in Bolivar.

Stephen's Photography calls this their "confidence" mirror. It makes you look soooo skinny. Love.

Speaking of Stephen's, we were there on Wednesday for Faith's senior picture session.

And later Wednesday afternoon, I read the paper, and had a good belly laugh.

Once again, David's picture was in the paper, sort of.

Do you remember Mike Wazowski from Monster's Inc? Remember how he was so excited about getting his picture on the cover of the magazine only to find it covered up by the barcode?

If we'd been trying to get this shot, we couldn't have. Hilarious!

Hope your weekend brings you some belly laughs.

God is good!

InstaFriday

My InstaFridays are my blogging lifeline right now!  One day, they will be proof we lived through May 2012. A May that is filled so full, it's a blur. Thankfully, my camera is in focus, helping me capture the moments.

Still enjoying my Diptic app. We enjoyed the day in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at Luke's graduation. Two of his friends from Bolivar High are also Razorbacks!

Happy moms. Happy kids.

 This pinkish picture greeted me when I turned my phone on the other day. My girls have a friendly "battle" over who graces that coveted spot. When Faith sees this, it will be gone.

Our son, David, and his golf teammates from Bolivar High School, qualified for State Golf. We had a fun two days of following him around. The weather was perfect!

I'm just a shadow of my former self

The brush pile was burned this week.

Men like burning brush piles.

Men bond around brush piles.

When I hit the grocery store this week, I had a little good girl/bad girl going on.

Yum - good

Yum - good and bad

My mom swears she doesn't want anything to do with our little Shih tzu, Kiowa. She's constantly telling her to "go on!" Well, after my grocery run pictured above, I walked into the house and found this.

And Thursday, our Hannah turned 21. It was a banner day, so we grabbed Subway and picnicked in the park. It's such a crazy week, that we are officially celebrating next Wednesday when everybody can make over her properly!

Hope you've had a week where you can look back and smile. It's not that we smiled all week long, but the smile times have helped us through the bumps that this week had, the bumps that every week has.

Blessings to you as you start your weekend!

InstaFriday

 Good Friday to you.

And it is good. God woke me up this morning - which means He still has work for me to do on this earth! And if you're reading this, the same applies to you. So we wake up with an expectation of divine help for the living of today, and the ability to look back with gratitude for all He's helped us with!

My weeks are beginning to fall into their new normal, their new rhythm. Since our Europe trip in March, and my mom's subsequent illness, we've been a bit off kilter. But Mom has been with us a month now, and we've got the routine figured out. It too is good.

And InstaFriday is here. Good! I post only pictures taken with my cell phone that show how we lived life this past week.

When a dear friend came in town last weekend, we hit The Cup in downtown Springfield, MO. Uhh...yum. And when it makes me think of my man, that's even better.

Saturday, I helped host a bridal shower for a sweet friend of the family.

My contribution to the Words of Wisdom suitcase...Read Sheet Music by Kevin Leman

This fixture was hanging in the kitchen of the old house where we had the shower.
I thought it looked like something you'd see on Pinterest.

It's always fun to open up the paper and see your kid's picture and name (as long as it's not in the "Police Report" section).

For some reason other than needing to, my girls are into the "Slimmer in 7 Days" workout. I participated by taking a picture.

They were sore 

This just struck me as incongruous.

Pinned my map with our latest European stops!

Mary Grace made cupcakes for her team to have after their last soccer game.

Friends since birth - Grace vanHoornbeek and Mary Grace...and can you say photobomb?

How about a little grilled chicken and brown rice covered with bearnaise sauce at 6 a.m.? This is the breakfast of champions for our David after his 5:15 a.m. run.

David likes it when we have protein rich leftovers!

I took a pic of this workout while I was getting a pedicure. It's supposedly Lady Gaga's workout and boasts that after 4 weeks, I'll strut like her. I'm pretty much ok with this workout except for the "no resting" reminders. What's with that?

Of course, I went straight from reading about working out to a store in my hometown that offers this. But no matter, for some reason I always come away from here feeling so good about myself.

Why, thank you!

Mary Grace is helping me get ready for the graduation party we are having at our home for David on May 20.

And finally, a dear friend, now in his 90s and who we lived next door to when my kids were little, brought David this graduation gift.  So thoughtful.. and just in time for state golf next week!

I'm smiling as I end. Thankful for another full, rich week.

A Family Feast

Reading this week in John 4, I came across this verse:

So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
(John 4:45 ESV)

Those Galileans knew a good thing when they saw it. They knew it because they had been at a good place. They had gone to the feast.

This verse made me think of a recent and reoccurring conversation my husband, Lou, and I had (again) the other day.

This will probably come as a shock, but the reoccurring conversation Lou and I have concerns our children. We usually have it after a serendipitous moment happens in our family. (I use the word serendipitous in a sovereign sort of way;).

 The typical set up to the conversation goes along the following lines:

        -We want our kids to do something/go somewhere (a "feast" if you will) with us.
        -They do not want to do the thing or go to the place with us.
        -We make them.
        -They make their displeasure known in one way or another. (This sentence is a euphemism.)
        -We question (privately, to each other) whether the said "feast" is worth it.
        -We waver (don't tell the kids), but know time with them is the real issue, so yes, it's worth it.
        -We reaffirm our decision with concerned party.
        -They are excited (not).
        -We go to said "feast."

THEN......

         -Sometime during our time together (our "feast"), something happens that makes everybody glad we did what we did or went where we went. I mean, really glad. We laugh our heads off for some completely unforeseen reason or we see/hear/feel/experience something, that, because it was experienced together, cements the ties that bind even further.

It's after these moments that we have the conversation. We talk about being together in the right place at the right time. How we couldn't have seen "the moment" coming. We remind ourselves that some of the best - probably most of the best - moments we've had as a family have been completely unforeseen and unplanned. We then are thankful that we, at times, forced the quantity time upon one or more of the kids that day. The preciousness of that moment seems kind of fragile even - a "whew, we almost missed that" kind of shiver.

But we hadn't missed it. We had made the effort to go to "the feast." We didn't know something great was going to happen. So often, it is so much easier to let our kids stay put and veg. It is easier to give in to the balk than to give out more of myself in relationship. Because, honestly, we're tired - and kids hanging out at home are easier than kids in the car.

Let me clarify that we don't always force them to participate when they have legitimate reasons not to. That's not wise either. That's being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nobody's welcome there. Hopefully, we use wisdom in each situation.

I know I'm stretching to get where I went in this post, because John wasn't talking about parenting points when he related this story. But God, once again, met me right where I am. He reminded me of this aspect of my parenting journey through the words about Galileans. Galileans who put themselves in a good place - not knowing that they'd see Jesus. Those miracle moments were completely unforeseen. But being in that place, seeing those moments, prepped them to do what brings more joy than anything else - welcome Jesus.

So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.

(John 4:45 ESV)

InstaFriday, InstaPost

A quick look at my week through the eyes of my phone. These are especially whirlwindish days, but ever so precious....

Faith and friends were at Mizzou last Saturday for State Vocal Contest. Her group got a 1!

Why put your shoes in the shoe cubby when they are completely out of the way under the table?

These lived here for a couple of days.
Hence, I heard the question, "Has anybody seen my shoes?"

I try to never post blurry pics, but this was the best I had of a big moment for my Faith and our track team. We were first in our conference!

A Bolivar tradition. The Victory Lap.

 I've noticed for a while that some of the people I follow on twitter could post framed, multiple pics. I loved it, so I took some time this week to research how to do that.  I have fallen in love with Diptic, and have to restrain myself from making every pic I post multiple and framed. These were taken at the Sectional Golf Tourney that our David participated in.

I love how they take their hats off and shake hands on the 18th green.

We have great school colors and a noble mascot.

Waiting for all the scores to post. Hannah's first golf tourney.
Her most frequent comment? "Golf is so stressful!"

2nd in Sectionals qualified our entire team for State!

On the way to the golf tourney, we had to go through Joplin, the town that 1 year ago was devastated by a massive tornado. We passed this temporary home compound. Notice the cement storm shelter....

Sobering reminder of how quickly your life can change.

My sister brought these verse cards to share with my mom, who's been living with us since her life changing illness that occurred in March. I was reminded that there is nothing that encourages like the Word of God.

My mom's favorite verse is this last card - Proverbs 3:5-6

Thanks for sharing my week with me! Hope your weekend is renewing and restful!