1871-1878

1871. here i sit, with candles lit, glass of ice water with mint, babes tucked away [not entirely asleep yet] and typing on my brand new baby mac book air! i have never owned my own computer before! Nathan surprised me with an early anniversary gift and i could not be more humbled and thankful for this personal generous gift! it is tiny and small, light weight, and it makes me feel like a real writer even though i know i already was one, but this makes me feel legit. :) 

1872. candles. 

1873. my husband is home after a hard 6 days without him. 

1874. continued solid friendships that flourish in this season. 

1875. uplifting words given by a brother. unexpected yet welcomed anytime:)


1876. ever learning, always growing, continued stretching and refining. thankful. 

1877. thankful for something small and trivial as makeup which lends itself as an outlet for me to dabble and create and give bits and pieces of confidence. 

1878. long time coming face time call with chelsea chess piece. 

1854 - 1870

1854. the way that baby wil smiles all the way from his eyes every time he wakes up, and finding him perched on his little elbows searching the room eyes to capture 1855. reading out loud and doing puzzles and cooking and laughing 1856. a few nights away at the farm with mom and dad 1857. a new friend at my doctor's office. she's joy and grace and gratitude. and so much beauty. 1858. thai coconut soup, infused with lemongrass and ginger, loaded with superfood sweet potatoes, bamboo shoots, broccoli 1859. growing friendship with chongo and the sweet gift of her babies shared with me 2 days each week 1860. this gentle man in my life who came out of nowhere. i'm still shocked and thankful for him and his patience with me, the way he serves me, and the way he naturally carries himself with calmness that i need to learn so often. 1861. grapefruit in the morning while the sun pours through the small window 1862. a successful 5k with our small group. sweet memories, and sandy's donuts 1863. luke joshua. sweetest boy, baby #3 for ross and kristi. baby #8 for our family 1864. upcoming trip full of camping and hiking and mountains and stars, a ten-hour drive, and a state i have never been to 1865. stairs with chels ( and still-sore muscles), mitten bbq pizza, and the gift of a few hours with a friend who has known me for 13 years 1866. that molly actually calls for me now, from her crib, when she need something or is ready to get up 1867. probiotics 1868. gf chocolate chip banana bread 1869. tt's church, a wise+kind shepherd who teaches and listens and loves the gospel 1870. food experiments with linds and an excuse to spend time together

1848-1853

1848. australian, south african, english, cuban, spanish accents. 

1849. a sense of care and security and belonging i feel from our church leadership back home. what a 
          gift.

1850. when olives makes it to the bathroom in time to poop and pee on a toilet. she is quickly getting     
          the hang of it!

1851. home group. community. fellowship. camaraderie. laughter. encouragement. wrestling.  
          an  honest pursual of scripture and God's truth.

1852. so much family time. more than we've ever been able to have in the past, and probably will   
          ever have.

1853. naturally long lashes that i've been trying to grow back with coconut oil.

1841-1847

1841. spring brining more sunshine, more blooms, color, and awakenings. 

1842. little colorful chevron slip ons fitting perfectly on little Liv's feetsies. 

1843. vanilla cheesecake drizzled with chocolate, raspberries, and blackberries. 

1844. no more meetings, drawn out conversations for a while. 

1845. good, good friends to fellowship with, to grow with, to share Christ and life with.

1846. car seats arriving just in time for us to go on a family adventure to the coast this weekend!!

1847.  chicken rezzealla 

1834. -1840

1834. an end in sight as far as war goes.  
1835. as much as we have been brought low and spent in every way, we also have been more built, uplifted, held in honored regard which is the Hand of the Lord only and I praise Him for the humbling that came before honor.  
1836.  coffee with rich cream 
1837. popovers 
1838. unexpected text messages reaffirming love where i thought there was none. 
1839. opportunities to choose God above man, to die to fear of man, what he thinks, and walk in obedience to God and with that comes undeniable peace. 
1840. three different glasses filled with fresh flowers blooming in my house. 

1829-1833

1829. A pocket of time during the day where only one babe is left and the two olders are out adventuring with grandparents. just enough time to get some quality soup* with my husband. MUCH NEEDED.  1830. Resting in my identity that is hidden in Christ. less anxiety and fear then before. I am HIS. and He is mine. Thanks be to God!! 1831. A wonderful evening out with couples just being adults;) 1832. Almost to a small season to just be a family again 1833. Figs. Dried cranberries. boiled eggs. crisp bacon. bleu cheese. toasted almonds and sesame seeds. dynamite salad.

1817-1827

1817. weeding out, flushing out, detoxing my spirit with unneeded anxieties, troubles, and just plain gunk that built up in my heart. God be praised for walking with me, reviving me, and redirecting me to Himself. 

1818. up to 2 liters of water every two days. i know i can do better, but i rejoice that i am drinking more water than i have and it has improved me in a lot of areas.

1819. one small week, yet cherished, to decompress in between visitors. 

1820. talk with Casey that was a blessing to share and listen, and God preparing both our hearts to allow us to be on the same page when stuff comes up. 

1821. a renewed walk and passion for the Lord and His Word. the joy of learning about Christ and His character. thankful for the ability to learn and grow.

1822. face times with goodies back home. friendships remain strong and immovable. if anything, growing by the minute. praise God for these gifts. 

1823. watching as my husband seeks God, reads his Bible, journals, enters into chaos and is wiling to share truth and wisdom. i am proud of him and he is the man i always dreamed of. [believe me, i know it sounds cheesy as f, but let me just have a squishy moment]

1824. long dusky evenings in Oxford. the sky still stays lit as the sun casts shadows on buildings and streets, people still out and about, there is a calm, relaxing atmosphere and i have really enjoyed it. 

1825. exploring little house projects that give me a small incentive to looking forward to going back to my home.

1826. just found out some unexpected visitors are coming and they want to see us! thankful that they would give us time..

1827. a new ginger beer infused with pear that i discovered at gourmet burger kitchen. perfect amount of spicy, sweet, and deep lush hints of pear. delicious.