Pericope No. 11

Happy Tuesday!  I think it’s official-- TODAY-- I’ve got one foot in summer and one still in school.  We have three more weeks and then finals and it is ADIOS to school for 2-3 months and I almost get giddy thinking about it--- lazy mornings, pool with friends, Sonic drinks when it’s 1000 degrees, the lake, road trip, peaches, the smell of sunscreen and chlorine...... 

 Bring. It.  

I am so ready.

You know I make books each year out of these blog entries, and of course, the kids like the pictures-- as most people do.  They could care less about all these thousands of words I write from week to week.  For now, anyway.  I could only hope they will enjoy them later.  These “Pericope” posts are some of their favorites because they are usually in the pictures and there aren’t AS MANY words.  So I do them but for them, never often enough and so here we go with No. 11.  {It’s quite the chronicle so hang in there.} 

Here’s a great example.  This was after the ONLY 10 am game we’ve had all season-- just a snap of them eating lunch at the island.  I will NEVER be able to purchase enough strawberries for these two.    And by the way-- I thought my good camera was on the blink..... until I took more than 2 minutes to study it and realize it was a simple switch on the lens that I had overlooked.  I’ve always said that camera was way better than me-- far more than I deserved!

Same island, same activity but this is breakfast.  I borrowed TJ’s copy of The Hiding Place the night before Julia would receive the book at school so she could start on a project and when she came down for breakfast, she was nearly finished with it.  I didn’t want to know how long she’d been up the night before so I didn’t ask.  I raised ONE reader so now I get to deal with it.

I followed Denise’s instructions after St. Augustine and the Cake Making Lesson and went straight to Wal-Mart and bought all the supplies to make The 12 Layer Cake.  She nailed it again for Easter.  

If you follow me on Instagram {kristaleigh1}, you know I found myself here a couple of weeks ago.  I had a few minutes until I needed to pick up the kids from piano and could not say no.  I am as guilty as anyone about ordering from Amazon the Great, but I LOVE A BOOKSTORE.  LOVE.  Especially Barnes and Nobles.  What are we going to do, you guys, when they are all gone?  I think the libraries need to spiff them themselves up a bit and put in a real live coffee bar.  Can you imagine hanging out at the library on a Saturday night?!  I could SO do it.

Baseball bicep.  He can be quite entertaining.

Grateful for our school and the things they choose to recognize and thankful for this girl who helps me out on Wednesdays! Rachel, YOU are a shining example of the Christ you love and an excellent role model in so many ways to my kids.  Counting my blessings that we got you as a junior and we’ve got you ONE MORE YEAR!!

So here is a peek at the books I have just a hands reach away from my computer, my devo area, a Very Important Spot-- with the exception of “Surprised by Motherhood”, {It was in my Amazon {the Great} cart just to not forget about it as a gift or something and Jeff ordered it.} these are all valuable to me right now.  I’ve been meaning to write about The Rest of God for a few months now but I can’t bring myself to read the last chapter because I don’t want it to end.  Crazy, I know.  Someone asked me what had I liked so much about the book and I told them I just wanted to crawl inside of it and live there.  {I am positive Surprised by Motherhood is a GREAT book with MUCH value, I just haven’t read it.}  And if you don’t know “Cleaning House”, it’s NOT what it sounds.  It’s all about entitlement in our kids.  She’s speaking next Thursday at our women’s gathering- email me if you want to know more!

Thankful for the “big kids” that take time to make our B feel special.  Towner, your basketball moves are impressive and VERY entertaining.  I love that you demonstrate FREEDOM to be who God made you to be!

To get this assortment in the mail as a “Thank You” is really just too exciting.  Lola Loreno-- Yvette, you guys are amazing and know how to wow all of us.  Thank you!

Those pine trees in the top pictures scream of HOME to me so of course I think it’s BEAUTIFUL.  We had a couple of nights to spend with our community group from church about a month ago and it was dreamy.  Obviously the setting was stunning but the best part was the relationships and the challenging conversations around the firepit.  So thankful for EACH person and grateful for love in spite of some of the ridiculous things I say.

This is my really handsome trim carpenter or cabinet guy---- I have one handy husband.  He is hard at work on the Murphy Bed that will allow us to use the school room as a guest room too.  So thankful for the time he’s willing to invest!

The scene from behind the counter..... Fort Worth was extremely sick late winter/early spring.  I think it was all the drastic changes with the weather-- from 85 to 18 one day--- that causes a few trips to the doctor and then to the pharmacy!  Just keep this stack in mind when you are in a hurry for your prescription.  “Right” is better than “in 10 minutes” any day.

Mom taught Julia to play Hand and Foot {an extended form of Canasta} this trip so she’ll be ready for the beach.  This is a rite of passage.

As badly as they would like a tree house, it just won’t happen here on our lot.  But I thought this was a great compromise.  They put the leftover brick to good use!  They just don’t understand why the owners of that lot will need to remove their house when they begin building... “It’s only about 2 feet onto their lot!"

Watching Brighton play baseball.  Could she look more content than this?

To any young moms who might be reading:  Pray over and pick your sitters well.  I can’t tell you what a blessing they have been to me and my WHOLE family! God provided kind, Jesus loving girls who have invested in my kids in so many ways.  They have left impressions on their hearts-- and mine- that will always be with them.  They truly are friends for life.  The top picture is of Joanna’s kids.  Sadly, they’ve moved from Fort Worth but came in for a couple of nights and I was able to share home schooling materials with her--AND love on her kids.  The last two pictures are of Carrie’s kids.  Once she started babysitting our kids, Carrie lived with us during her seminary years. She, too, sadly has moved away but we got them for a weekend when her husband came into town to do a wedding.  I love these pictures of my kids with two of her four.  {Remey-- can’t wait to babysit YOUR kids.  Just don’t move away!! Please.}

I can’t talk about Spring without mentioning baseball-- one of the highlights for sure.  I don’t like giving up nights at home but if it’s to watch B play, I don’t mind AT ALL.

Easter is big deal, right?  We try but nothing will communicate the magnitude of the occasion we attempt to celebrate.  This garden-- idea from A Holy Experience-- is my favorite and possibly my kids’ favortie because they get to plant it.  This year when Brighton was anticipating Friday night and closing the tomb, he said, “Will we do that thing when we sit in the dark, light candles, listen to music about the cross and cry?  You know, I cry every year, right?.”

Another Easter tradition is heading down 377 to spend the day at Cappy and Daboo’s.  What fun this is every year!!

These gals always make me feel like Sasquatch.  You know, like a giant or something.  Even so.... I love them SO MUCH.  Seriously, friends like this {and the rest of you know who you are} are gifts straight from our gracious God.

Sweet Benjamin kept trying to photo bomb these girls.

 
We can always find something interesting at Wrare.  Julia is my faithful window shopping companion.  We’ve got some fun days to come!

The kids still look so young when it’s morning- especially in morning pictures.  I love this face.  Any time of day.

Can you see it?  Prepare yourself.  It’s creepy.  I don’t know about you but it’s a tad disturbing to find one of these at the baseball fields-- or anywhere.  And yes, that’s some kid’s stick about to prod it.  I was happy as I could be just to watch it sit still.  Agh!!!!

And this is Jeff’s beautiful mom-- and Julia with Peter Pan make up on for photos {!!!!}  His parents flew in for the weekend and it was such a treat!  Grateful for wonderful in-laws.

And quite possibly the highlight of my week-- BESIDES HAVING JEFF’S PARENTS IN TOWN-- I had 2 techs from work-- and their spouses over for dinner.  They are friends, of course, and I so enjoyed having them around my table for the night.  And this picture represents that the hostess gift is NOT dead-- such a sweet gesture reminding me that people appreciate a dinner they don’t have to prepare and time with friends.  My biggest regret is not getting a photo of the special people!

This is “ballet season” too --- the recital is coming in a couple of weeks and so the rehearsals ramp up about a month out and we are there four times a week.  It’s Peter Pan this year and my girl is an Indian en pointe.

Enough?  Yep.  Just know my kids will be so happy to see this in the book come Christmas time.  And I will too.

Life is sweet.  Life is something to manage.  Parenting is harder than I ever thought it would be and parenting is a privilege and children are a blessing from the Lord.  Marriage is ever deepening and challenging us to stay connected on all fronts.  And in these days of fullness, time with friends is precious.  I love all these pieces that make up a life.  God is gracious and good.  Even we when don’t understand Him.  He loves us.  Period.