recent happenings in pics

oh, hey there...just some pics to share from our happenings lately.

Be blessed today friends!!

B's first time swinging. ohmycuteness.

sissy swinging! ohmycutenessagain.

SO glad it was cool enough today for some playground time!

being abundantly blessed by going through Proverbs with the #SheReadsTruth community.

Visiting Steve's (Parker's Dad) bench at the cemetery when we were there for his Grandmom's funeral last week.

This is a special bench, and a place to reflect and remember.

roadtrippin.

HELLO GAP?!?!

Do you need a new model?!?!

out to eat with my sisters, Alex and Danielle.

B's first time to see "the fountain" at Northpark Mall //

Abigail climbing on the planters there...kindof a right of passage as a Dallas kid.

After the funeral, Parker and His cousin Jenks (with his son here) tried to dig up a

"time capsule" they buried in his Grandmom's yard when they were kids, only to remember that they dug it up like 10 years ago.

my gift to Parker for our 9 year anniversary...

Since I recently started drinking coffee, now we can share in our love for it!

{get these cute mugs here!!}

painting suncatchers and hanging out.

working hard, my beautiful girl.

Hope y'all had a great week and weekend!!

i wanna blog, but...

... but I don't want to.

I don't want to ever feel pressure to blog.

to post. to comment. to read.

And the thing is, there's been so much talk I've seen going around lately about what a blog should be, what it should have been,

how it should be different, yadda yadda.

And honestly, while there are some very good and true points I agree with,

I also believe that each person's blog is just that:

it is THEIR blog.

So while I don't have much to actually say about this right now, I will say this:

I love this blog.

I love the opportunity it has opened for me to be a part of something huge that God is doing in His church and in His people,

particularly in women.

I am honored to be a part of the community it has given to me,

the women who I walk daily with and have never even met.

I love that my blog is a place for ME. My outlet, my space to process in.

My way to document life.

My way to meet new friends.

My "written legacy" that I can give to my children someday.

I love that my blog is a place where I can share as the Lord leads.

And that I can NOT share when He doesn't lead me to.

And while there is freedom in blogging,

THERE IS FREEDOM IN NOT BLOGGING too.

So if I don't blog for a while, or if I don't have a "deep" post for a while,

it. is. okay.

because it is my space here and it is something that I am responsible for.

But days or seasons of life may lead me elsewhere.

And since I feel like the Lord led me to it...

I am responsible to Him and His Voice in leading me in this blogging adventure.

does that make any sense?

Anyways.

I just feel like I want to say this:

Bloggers,

BE FREE.

Free to do with your blog what you want to do.

charge money. dont charge money. host giveaways. dont host giveaways. have a business.

post about the Lord in every post. Post random pics from your iphone in every post.

Dont use pictures at all, or have posts of nothing but pics.

or do all of the above.

Just do it for YOU.

and if HE is the one who led you to this, and you believe that He is asking you to use it for His glory...

then do that too.

And in my heart and mind, being free to experience a blessing God has given me, like this blog,

is something that I don't ever want to feel pressure about.

From myself or others.

Just be free, okay?

{thats all. love yall!}

cuteness overload

enough said. :)

another loss, & finding hope

Last night, Parker's Grandmom passed away, which was pretty unexpected.

(she was almost 90 and had leg surgery last week, which she never really recovered from). Really, it was just God's time for her to go Home.

We are thankful she did not suffer long but will miss her.

But we know she is dancing right now with Parker's Grandad, who went Home before her many years ago.

It's weird, because loss had already been on my mind a lot this week.

Just processing in my head about how to deal with it, how to think about it...

and remembering losses we have experienced.

Like for some reason this week,

I thought a lot about the little soul we lost in my miscarriage.

I thought a lot about Steve's sudden death (Parker's Dad...we lost him 3 years ago).

And I thought about how awesome it is that they get to play together, and how amazing it will be to see them both someday.

I've thought about Parker's godfather (Steve's best friend) who we lost this year.

I even came across a blessing this week that he wrote for Abigail on her 1st birthday.

I also thought a lot about friends who have had losses.

Several friends who have recently lost the dream of having a baby.

Others who have lost children and family members recently.

Some who are fearing loss as they deal with family disease.

And about my own Grandmom, who is in hospice and is miserable.

I am amazed that though my mind can't wrap around the reasons, the timing, the suffering...

for some reason I can find peace.

I guess it's cause I know Jesus and I believe HE is the author.

Of life AND of death.

And that He tells us that when we grieve, we can grieve with hope.

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

wow so many thoughts here swirling around in my head, and I certainly don't have any answers.

I guess I just needed to start a conversation with myself here about grief and loss and finding peace and hope in the midst of it.

Just processing out loud.

I am thankful for each day not promised, and in a way I am thankful when loss does happen, because it reminds me...

that I am NOT guaranteed another day or even another 5 minutes.

This life is fragile. It is important. It is HIS.

And I want to see it that way better, more often.

When we believe what He says is true,

that HE holds all things together,

that he knew our days before we were formed,

that He loves us...

then. THEN. we can have hope and find peace.

Today in the midst of loss, I am finding peace and joy in watching my little girl dance for her Jesus.

I know it may not move you like it does us as her parents,

but I think there is just something so beautifully hopeful about a little child worshipping.

(she does this every morning and every night, at her request.

God has made her a little worshipper!)

Thanks for listening, y'all, to me process.

Please let me know how I can pray for you right now if you are experiencing any kind of loss.

Seriously, I want to.

Hope your weekend is blessed.

love you all.

nine.

8.9.03

The day my life changed forever.

They day we committed to health and sickness.

The day we devoted our faithfulness to each other.

The day we said we'd be rich or poor together.

The day we worshipped together as husband and wife for the first time.

The day that God had ordained for US to start OUR life with Him as one.

Y'all have no idea. NO idea, what kind of man I married.

(well, if you know him well, you have an idea.)

I had no idea what kind of man I married that day.

I was 20, blinded by love, just wanting a life of our own.
I knew I loved him deeply,

but I had no idea the amazing journey God was about to take me on with this man.

We've been through a lot.

a. lot.

Lots of sickness, lots of financial struggles, several devastating losses, lots of uncertainty.

But also lots of healing, lots of deliverance from strongholds, lots of miracles, and just a journey of faith that has tested us, but also held us together.

I can honestly say that I am broken, just broken, sometimes with feeling like I do not deserve this man as my husband.

Parker...

He loves well. SO well.

He is the most amazing Dada.

He is the most grace-filled person I know, and forgives me well when I act in my flesh.

He leads me well, ALWAYS pointing me to truth and to Jesus.

He dreams with me...big dreams and little dreams.

He encourages my passions and desires.

He works incredibly hard for our family, and allows me the blessing to stay home with our girls.

He isn't afraid to speak truth when it is needed.

He defends his family against attacks of the Enemy and isn't ever afraid to rebuke evil.

He teaches me well, about life and about the Lord.
He is by far the most obedient person to the Lord's voice I have ever known.

He is so incredibly smart.

And so incredibly humble.

(I could go on and on...)

He has no idea the impact he makes on people around him, and on me as his wife.

I am thankful that we are not just married, but that we DO LIFE together.

That's one thing we do get right in our constantly growing marriage...

we do life and share life together really well.

Thank you Parker, for loving me so well.

I am honored to be your wife and am so happy to celebrate 9 years with you today.

I love you baby.