purple party!

Though she isn't 3 until Christmas Eve,

(insert mini heart attack just now. when did my girl get so big?)...

We celebrated Abigail's birthday last weekend with a few close friends and family.
We tried to keep it a little smaller this year to not be so overwhelming to her,
and it was just a few close girl friends/family friends, which ended up being perfect for her.

At her request (for like the last 6 months)...

We had a Purple Party!!

btw, I think I may just ask her every year what her favorite color is.

A color theme was SO easy and fun. :)

so I present.

Purple Party!!!

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I had a little photo shoot with her (just with my own camera) in her purple outfit and a balloon,

then added words to it and just printed the invites at Walgreens for cheap.

I thought they turned out so fun and cute, and different than just a paper invite. 

Abigail and her little besties.

SO cute.

and they all wore purple!

opening a fun gift from her Memaw.

We were blessed that the grandparents got to come in town for the party!

opening another gift with her bff Anna.

as they wear Princess clothes, of course.

Bethany had a blast, but pretty much looked like this the whole time.

Just in awe of all these people in her house! haha

She wore the same purple skirt as Abigail, and a purple headband, but a pink shirt...

so as not to steal her sister's thunder. :)

We told everyone to wear purple if they could, and I was SO impressed...

even all our friends (guys included) busted out their purple!!

Even the christmas tree wore purple!

Abigail helped decorate this with her Daddy.

Being a little bit sassy waiting for her friends before the party.

(i mean, she IS about to be 3. yikes)

best part of the next picture is the baby pic of the day Abigail was born.

I just had to put that out somewhere!

(wasn't she beautiful minutes after birth?)

Surrounding the pic are some cute water bottles with crazy straws that I found at Dollar Tree!

Each kid went home with one as a party favor.

Each kid also got to pick a candy cane off the tree!

purple up to my eyeballs.

(PS the lighting in my kitchen is terrible for pics, so excuse these!)

I tried to keep with the Purple theme even for the food.

a few purple things we had:

crockpot meatballs in grape jelly (yummy AND purple-y) :)

purple fruit snacks,

purple skittles,

cream cheese with crackers and rasberry sauce,

and purple juice boxes for the kiddos.

yep, more purple.

(true story, on Thursday night before the party, i literally DREAMT in purple, no joke.)

For drinks,

(i forgot to take pics)

I made some homemade crockpot hot chocolate, and set out marshmallows.

We also had some cran-grape juice,

and for the adults,

Parker made us some fabulous Sangria Wine.

He even put a sign next to the pitcher that said "Adult Purple Juice". :)

I didn't do anything too fancy for the cake part bc Abigail had requested cupcakes,

so I just made some and decorated them for her.

pretty simple, but SO so yummy.

(I used confetti cake mix, and cream cheese frosting)

used my mason jars to put the (purple) silverware in!

We had a great purpleicious spread! :)

(arent these girlies so sweet all together?)

blowing out her candle!!!

She had practiced all week. funny girl!

Enjoying her cupcakes with her friends.

(dont worry my floors were clean. well, before this.)

It was so fun and I cannot believe that my girl is turning three soon.

How in the world is that possible.

She is the most amazing little girl.

Here's to Abigail.

oh, and here's to the color Purple!!

Storming Through Heaven's Gate - {grab a kleenex. or a box of them}

"Storming Through Heaven's Gate"

twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate

their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.

they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."

when what to their wondering eyes did appear,

but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.

then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring

those children all flew into the arms of their King

and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.

and as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."

then He looked down on earth, the world far below

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe

then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"

"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"

"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"

then He and the children stood up without a sound.

"come now my children, let me show you around."

excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.

all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA 

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(thanks to my friend Kristine for sharing this poem)

We WILL press on in this war against evil in our land.

HE will overcome.

blogger silence in support of Sandy Hook

(read more about this here)

(donation link is here)

continued prayers today...

holding my girls tighter

As everyone is saying, I also have held my family a little tighter this weekend,

after the tragic events on Friday.

My heart breaks, just breaks.

It's one of those things where all I know to do is pray without ceasing...

for healing, for comfort, for peace that truly passes understanding.

This little family picture (while not the greatest), that we snapped on Saturday morning

after the Christmas program at the girls' school,

means a little more now.

Thankful for my little girls to hold right now.

And praying for the mamas of the ones who are being held by Jesus now.

I really can't. Oh wait, yes I can.

I've been having one of those kindof roller coaster weeks, going back and forth between feeling like "i can" and "i can't".

So many things to get done, people to see, things to take places, gifts to buy, gifts to mail, house to clean, parties to plan, meals to cook, bills to pay, dr's appointments, school Christmas programs, laundry to fold (a huge pile is staring at me as I write)...and the list goes on and on. Daily.
You know how it goes, right?
It just seems to keep coming and coming sometimes.

And that's not to mention all the things I really WANT to be doing. Like doing cute Christmas crafts with Abigail, reading the Christmas story to her over and over, spending extra time loving on my husband, working out (hmm, I've missed you, Gym), having quiet "me" time, etc. Oh, and sleep.

So this week I have found myself throwing my hands up a few times and just being like "I CAN'T do all this."  Then the enemy comes in and throws Shame in my face. "You are a stay at home mom...I can't believe you can't get all this done. You are so spoiled."

woah. Have any of you heard that one before? For me, it kind of takes the wind out of my sails...which in turn, just perpetuates the cycle of feeling like "I can't." (hmm, that's a whole other post)

So then, in my own fleshly efforts to make up for hearing shame and feeling "behind", I find myself frantically trying to make things work, make things happen, check things off my long list.

And you know what? I DO actually get things done. I get those errands run, I cook the meals, I send the gifts. I may even do a Pinteresty Christmas project with my little girl. (just go ahead and pat me on the back. I'm such a good mama.)
ahem. that was sarcasm in case you didnt get it.

And while it's helpful to be feeling like "I CAN" versus "I can't"...at some point, after I have exhausted myself, and set the town on fire in my five hours alone while the girls are at MDO...

I crash.

And then it starts all over with the I can'ts.

But this morning, something woke me up at 4:50 AM, and I was not able to fall back asleep, because my mind was running through my list again. So after an hour of tormenting myself trying to sleep, I finally just got up and came downstairs. My plan was "well, I'm up before the sun, I may as well start getting stuff done..."

But the Lord has had different plans for me this morning.  Just to help me wake up, I put on some music, and intended to tackle this giant load of laundry (remember, that one staring at me right now?)

The first thing that came on was "Our Secret Place", an oldie but goodie worship song from Christy Nockles.
In the song, she is asking the Lord to draw near, to come close to me in our secret place.

(Hmm, I just have to wonder if maybe the crack of dawn this morning was a "set up" to get me in a quiet place with Him. With my heart.)

part of the words of the song...
"There is no more to DO, there is no more to SAY...Come close to me..."

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OK i hear you Lord.
I heard Him.
I felt His presence, His desire for me to just be with Him this morning.

HIS ability to help me do what He has placed before me to do today, whatever that may be, whether it is on my "ever-important list" or not. HE is able. He is wanting to give me strength today.

So for now, I am living in the "I can" AND the "I can't", with the help of someone a lot more capable than me. I want to do what He's put before me to do...but I also want to remember He is the One who even gave me this day to begin with, so when I feel like I can't do it all...He will give me what I need in the moment I need it.

My word to you this morning is that you would remember the same. That his abilities really are a lot better than your own, and that's okay.

Strength and blessings to you today, friends.