Humbled

Recently, I have been talking with a sweet friend about what they do to celebrate Easter in their family. Her reply sent me on a heartfelt soul search in which I have not stopped quite yet. She just mentioned that while she loves both sides of their families very much, Easter is too holy to sit around and discuss bunnies, eggs, baskets. Add to that the fact they have non-believing family, it takes the focus off Jesus. So they choose to stay home and have people in their home to minister to. Hmmm, that is very intriguing to me. Here is the part that I keep going over and over in my mind: how do we honor this holy day? What things are we instilling in our celebration of Resurrection Sunday that would show it is a holy day?

So with that running through my mind, I kind of changed up how we "do" things. We are blessed to have families that all are believers so I feel very strongly that we are to spend it with them. However, the prep up to that day was different. Tapping into my teaching genes, I pulled out books and looked up websites to help the girls understand more about crucifixtion during that time in Rome. We learned a lot. We watched the Nest Entertainment's version of the Passion of the Christ. Very good and not so gory for kids.

Next, on Good Friday at noon, we shut the curtains and turned out the lights as we read about Jesus being crucified. We had time alone in our rooms after reading that and the knowing more about what that meant, we wanted to have time to reflect. Then we went to Good Friday service. It was powerful this year. The drama team was quoting several verses from Isaiah, which is the study we all do in BSF so the girls recognized that right away. The songs were moving but what got me were the pictures they displayed from Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ. My girls will never be the same and I mean that in a good way. To look upon that bloody, beaten body of Christ, knowing he willingly did that for our own sins is just too much. We then all had the opportunity to walk forward and paint a stripe on the cross for our own sins. Powerful!

I left in tears. I pondered what to expect on Sunday and this year, it felt different. We had discussed so much of the process that when the miracle of Jesus' resurrection came around it was truly a day of rejoicing! I am thankful that my sweet friend made the comment she did to get me thinking about this holy day. I pray I never take it lightly again. Sure, we still did eggs and we did baskets for the girls but they were not the focus at all. We have never done the bunny thing so not having that was not a problem. But this year, I did not worry about what we all wore as I have in the past. I chose instead to focus on who we serve....what a mighty God!

Dots galore!

If you recall, this summer we painted Bean's old room to create Doodle's new "teen room". It has been so fun to decorate this room or shall I say to watch Doodle decorate this room. As she is 13, I let her do what she wanted, within reason of course. She painted the room a light blue this summer and found her bed. I wrote about that earlier. You can read about that here if you like. Anyway, we have had much luck with finding cute curtains, paint, and the bed. However, we have struggled in finding what exactly Doodle wanted for her bed. She knew she like brown and blue and dots. She just couldn't find what she wanted. Luckily, in December I went on an internet hunt to find something she might like and we had great success!

Doodle opening her last Christmas gift which arrived a bit late. :)

For Christmas, I purchased her bedding and the fun dots she has placed all over her wall. Well, actually, she has moved them recently to only having them around the top as a border of her room. Regardless, they leave no marks on the wall and can be swapped around until they lose their stickiness. I think she finally figured out what she liked and will keep them as they are for a bit.

Doodle on her new bedding.

Doodle's desk area, cute curtains and storage stool.

More dots!

I am just thankful she likes what she has created with her new space. It is precious!

Big Decisions!

Do you ever wonder if you are doing the right thing with your kids? Man, I do...way too often especially as we lead them on their walk with Jesus Christ. Bean has come to us from time to time over the past almost three years asking to be baptized at various locations. At times it is in the ocean on vacation, in grandparents pool or at the lake house in the summer. Regardless of where or when, we always have asked why did she desire to be baptized first of all and then why in that location. After Doodle lead Bean to the Lord almost three years ago (March), we did not push the baptism portion as she was so young and we wanted to make sure she was fully aware of what commitment she was making to her Lord. With that, we also wanted to make sure that when she desired to do this step of obedience in her walk, that she was prepared to yell it from the mountain top that Jesus Christ is her Lord and Savior. For those of you who know our Beanie, well that is not her personality. She is painfully shy. Her reasons for not wanting to be baptized all the other times was because of the crowd. She did not want to do it in front of all the people at church, which made her daddy and I feel that maybe she wasn't quite ready to take that step. True, it is a personal thing between her and God, but the act of baptism, we felt, was a public one of a private decision and we wanted to make sure she was ready to stand firm for what she had chosen before. I don't know that I am making sense here, but I think you know what I mean. So we waited. We talked. We prayed with her and for guidance in how to know when she was ready. What a decision to make!

Earlier this week, she asked again and this time she wanted to do it at church with all of her friends and family there. Why? Because she loves Jesus and wants to let everyone know she wants to live with Him forever. Finally, we are at a place where there is peace in knowing she understands what this means and why it is important to do this publicly....although now that she is ready to do it publicly, I so would let her do the ocean if she wanted. It was a heart thing, not the location, if that makes any sense.

So, today, I get to stand by with friends and family and watch my sweet girl be baptized by her daddy. What a precious joy to know that both of our girls will be eternally with Jesus and that we all will be there together worshipping our Lord. There is such peace in that. As much joy as I have in this decision being made, I can't help but think of the multitudes in heaven that will be rejoicing today as Bean makes that final step in her step of faith. Glorious! There is no other word. I pray I don't lose it while I witness it all and try to wrap my brain around how God must feel to witness this child of His find her way to Him. I think we all know that is not possible! :) I am just rejoicing in the fact this decision has been made and that my girl is continuing to grow in her confidence in God. Glorious indeed!

That's my Beanie! :)

The Great Tree Hunt 2010

Our favorite Christmas tree spot went away a few years ago and we have struggled to find an adequate replacement since then. We loved how many choices they had as well as just how nice the guys were that worked there. They seemed to understand that finding the right tree was also about making memories with the family and not just stopping by some store to grab and go. Well, I must say, my honey spotted this place not too far from home and we were totally blessed by our visit.

Matt and girls on the hunt for the "perfect" tree.

God added to our venture out for the perfect tree as it was snowing beautifully. Just enough to make it sweet and not so much to be a problem. :) God is good!

The girls enjoying searching.....

We did get the tree we went looking for...one that is not "sticky" as the girls say about the trees that have sharper needles. One that is chubby as we love our trees to be big! And one that has a good shape. So with all those requirements, we ended up with our tree.....

The tree with lights only.

After Matt placed the lights, the girls and I got busy decorating like crazy. We have so many little traditions that have come about by chance really. The girls love it though and really they are the ones that make those things happen. As we decorate the tree, we have Christmas music playing...Bing Crosby is a must! After, we watch White Christmas with only the tree lights lit. I love that our girls have made things we just did when they were little into part of what we now do. (does that make sense?) I never set out to have a tree tradition beyond having a tree! yet somehow, it has happened. The hunt for the tree, the decorations, the movie and cuddles after are all precious. Finding this new place to go adds to the hunt indeed!

The finished product....love it!

It's a BIG Day!

To some people, today feels no differently than yesterday. They will awaken to the same morning routine, head off to their various tasks/jobs of the day and not give it another thought. However, in our home, today is a BIG day. Today is Bean's Adoption Day, which is the day when we walked into a court room 10 years ago and stood before a judge stating what we had already committed to the first time we laid eyes on our girl...that we would be her forever family! That day cemented on paper what we knew earlier and had thanked God for each moment...it was His completion of our family.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Bean at age 4. Way too fun!

So, in honor of the way God chose to bring our family together, we do celebrate Adoption Day with our girls. We allow them to choose what they want to do, within reason. Some years we go ice skating, some years it is a movie, some it is play at a park with a couple friends. Whatever they decide, we always do it with all four of us together since that is what this day really celebrates....the day we all became "The Miller's". I am not sure what Bean has decided she wants to do and we do have school, dance to contend with but I am sure whatever it is, it will be fun! I am so thankful for being given the gift of this child in my life and the honor of being her mommy...forever! What a precious honor! :) Love ya, Bean! Happy Adoption Day!

This is another favorite after she lost her first tooth. Look at those curls! :)

Purity Pressure

It is that time in our house to have mother/daughter weekend getaway and go through the Passport to Purity package. As I have been going through the kit, I realize I may be under prepared for this task. I have been excited for years at the thought of taking time with each of my girls, one on one, to truly dig into scripture as we discuss just how God created their bodies as well as how He intended their bodies to be one with their husbands.

I feel a lot of pressure, which I put on myself, that if I don't "do" this right they will not realize what a joy it is to wait and be blessed in this area with their spouse or they will never truly be able to allow themselves to enjoy sex as a husband and wife should! It's a good thing...within marriage! Then I realize this is not the first time I have struggled with pressure to share my heart with them about his topic. This time, I am just telling more details and peeling off one more layer to the onion topic.

My husband and I have started praying about this weekend and I know Doodle is going to be overwhelmed as she really has no desire to learn about any of it as of yet. Boys still are just her friends and kissing on any movie or between her Dad and me grosses her out! Thank you, Jesus! :) She likes being protected. She does not want to look like the other teens around and I am thankful for that. However, I also don't want to give her the idea that sex is bad and only for making babies!

Let's face it, God gave us a beautiful gift to ENJOY with in the boundaries of marriage. So, when we talk about this topic this weekend, I need to find the words to explain that it is a beautiful gift that is worth the wait. It is meant to enjoy, within marriage and that keeping that part of your heart and body pure for your husband will bless your marriage. Yeah, I know...no pressure!!! First of all, I am struggling to look at my little girl and realize she will one day be sexually involved with anyone! That is just the momma and I am sure my mom would say she still feels that way, but we move past that and prepare our girl.

One decision we have made for this time, we are not going to ask her to sign the purity contract at age 13. We are going to get her a little ring and present her with that but to sign something when you don't fully understand what you are saying is really setting her up to fail in our opinion. So what we want to do is continue these talks and maybe do the signing ceremony when she is 16 with then a much nicer ring as well. We'll see how it all goes. Pray for me if you think of it and for Doodle! :)

On My Mind

Lately I have been thinking a lot of our girls in Romania. We have not had the chance to talk to them in quite a while and I just miss their voices...although I am not sure the last time I heard them. :( What brought some of this on was the fact that our phone company just switched our voice mail and in doing so they managed to erase all my saved messages which were of our girls calling home from Romania. I know it is silly, but to get to hear them every so often felt like they were not so far away. So, today I am emailing them again and praying to get a response. I know they are busy with college and work not to mention V is now married! So there is so much going on in their world. I just know I will never forget the time that we spent with them in their country as well as when V stayed in our home when touring with the choir. Precious Memories!

Can you feel it?

The earth didn't start shaking...nope. The planets did not stop rotating...nope. The animals did not stand still in silence...nope. Yet tonight, in my house, there was a big change....BIG!! I went back to kiss my girls goodnight and do you know what I found? Take a guess!
My youngest reading a book on her bed without being asked!!!

Do you understand the magnitude of this accomplishment? Probably not, but let me say this; while I am joking about it here lovingly, I must say that seeing her on her tummy, feet in the air I was so proud. She has never liked to read books on her own. They do not call to her like they do to her sister and me. She loves to be read to but reading on her own is not a passion. But I see the passion growing for a good story. I am just happy to see that my girl is growing! Big steps in the Miller house tonight...big steps for my Beanie. Now if I can just not blow this new passion by making too big of a deal about it. How do you do the happy dance quietly? Hmmm......

A Baker's Dozen!

2009 school picture

Today is Doodle's birthday. Thirteen years ago today, I met my girl. Matt and I got to go to the hospital to meet her, feed her and love on her. What a special memory that is. I will never forget it. So, today I honor my girl, who is quite the lovely young lady. I am amazed at how much advice I have gotten about having a 13 year old girl lately. None was positive. Saddens me really. I think we get what we expect from our kids. So with that in mind, let me just celebrate this 13 year old girl today by listing 13 wonderful blessings of Doodle!

1.) Doodle has always hummed when she eats food she enjoys. Started when she was eating with a bottle and still to this day it is true. Don't believe me....bring over chocolate cake and listen! Sweet!

2.) I adore this girls sense of humor. She makes me laugh over some of the silliest things whether it be dressing up and acting like there is nothing wrong or her endless catalog of jokes. Love it!

Doodle and her critters!

3.) I love to listen to her giggle. I always have. When she gets that gut busting giggle going, oh my, I can't help but join in. What a complete joy!

She adores getting muddy...never figured that out since she can't stand to have dirty hands. Hmmm...

4.) It touches my heart so much to see my girl stepping up to greater responsibilities without being asked....she gets it. With age comes responsibilities. Some kids hate it, she thrives on having more because that means we trust her and know she can handle the task at hand. Love her drive! I never have to get on Doodle to do her school work, house work, any work. I love her work ethic. She sees a task that needs done, she does it.

5.)I love to listen to Doodle play the piano. She has such passion that comes through and shows her heart in the music. Sounds quirky but it is true.

6.) I adore how Doodle enjoys playing still. She has days she wants to just read or watch a movie but she often is found playing with her sister or other family friends. It does not bother her to morph back into her childhood and become something from her imagination with her little playmates. I love that she is not "too big" to do this still.

Doodle dressed up like a dinosaur! RRRROOOAAARRR!

7.) I love her heart for people. She sees in people things I don't always see and she keeps me honest in that.

Doodle with her science fair project~ 2010

8.) Doodle is the most disciplined kid I know...and not just with work, school etc. She would rather eat a salad at home than head out to eat. She has a passion for taking care of the body God gave her. I love seeing how she desires to be healthy and not just focus on looks.

Doodle with her team's Bible Bowl trophy...2nd in Nationals in 2009!

9.) Doodle enjoys being protected and kept young. Some of her friends and cousins seem to be in such a hurry to grow up and honestly I would have been like that. However, Doodle is not. She loves movies that others would say are "babyish" or that we don't watch shows on tv that promote boyfriends/girlfriends. She loves feeling protected by her parents. She trusts us fully to tell her no and understands that no is not to be unkind and has never questioned it. I have offered her more freedoms as she has aged and she prefers the safety of our boundaries.

10.)I love Doodle's passion for the things she adores: horses, ballet, science, swimming...musicals! She gets you all excited by just listening to her new ventures.

11.) Doodle loves her friends very much. While that is true, she loves being with her family even more....including her cousins. I love that she is wired to want to be with them and that family comes before friends.

2006~ Doodle and one of her best buddies Em

12.) I love this girl's new fashion bug! This is new and very fun. We spend many mornings out with a fashion show of sorts until she figures out what she wants to wear. She has a desire to figure out what works together and why....or why not. What I love about this new fashion bug....she doesn't want to look like every other 13 year old girl. Nope! No carbon copy here! She likes having her own style and it is modest and sweet!

13.) Most of all, I love this girls passion for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I don't know many adults who have the dedication she does. Every week at church she takes notes during the sermon. Upon arriving home, she draws a picture or makes a poster with a challenge or scripture to help her work on an area mentioned during the sermon. Wow! That gets posted on her wall and I see her working on it. Now if only her mom could do that! :)

Doodle's new adventure....online chess while talking to a friend. :)

I love you very much, Doodle! You could not be more beautiful if you tried, inside or out. I see in you such joy and hope. I pray you never lose your zest for life and your love for the Lord. I also pray you never fit in to what the world says is cool...no matter how much they want to make you try. I love that you enjoy being your own person and see the glory in being who God made you to become. I am eager to see what God has in store for you as you begin this new journey to adulthood. :)
Love ya girl! Hugs!

When In Need...

This week I have found myself sick....really sick! What started off as a bad head cold ended up being a nasty sinus infection as well as ear ache and throat issues. I have not been hit this hard in quite a while. Last time was probably about 3 years ago. With that comes the reality that when momma is down, stuff just doesn't happen like it usually does. Nothing bad happens, it is just different.



I always find it a lovely time to be pampered by those you love. I know I always am so touched by the sweet gestures shown me during times of being down by both my honey as well as my girls. Each of them have ways they reach out to let me know they are thinking of me and wanting me to get better.



I also find these times a great gauge of what areas I still need to work on teaching domestic skills to my girls. At their ages, they are getting to where they don't need me to tell them what to do any longer as far as taking care of their rooms, self and such. However, this time I learned we need to work on meal planning and making dinner. Very good goal. :) I was touched by friends who brought me meals. I think it is times like this that leave me feeling quite appreciative and grateful that I live the life I have with the people God has blessed me to share it with.



So today, I am saying thank you to the man who took care of me all week by treating him to a lovely Bond Day! He is propped up in our bed watching James Bond galore while eating his favorite treats. Definately not my cup of tea, but if that makes him know that all he did for me this week was appreciated than I am thrilled to ablige. :) He is so cute sitting there with his loot and mote in hand. I pray I never take for granted those who take such care of me and that opportunity to spoil them when I have the chance. :) Today it is Matt, tomorrow my girls! Thanks for taking care of me so well my sweet family.

Missing My Buddies

Last night, I sat and wiped away the tears from one of my girls cheeks as she poured her heart out about how much she misses a sweet buddy of hers. This past year, there has been a shift in this buddy's life and that shift has brought about enough changes that my girl and her buddy just don't mesh up like they use to, which is hard no matter how old you are. ;( I wish I could fix this but I can't. I know it has to do with the fact that we homeschool and they do not. They are just sharing life together which is sweet to watch....until I scan the room and see my daughter's face. :( They have no idea how it stings and truly it is not their fault. We have chosen this lifestyle which I never dreamed would get harder as time went on....I mean the choice not the life! Ha! As I reassured her and listened, I started thinking about my own life as well.

Since homeschooling, I have become very introverted and isolated. I usually do fine with that but there are times I see groups of moms out and I think....I miss my friends!!! Then I scan the room and I see their faces....ahh...my girls. The lovely young ladies that assist me daily, teach me how to become a better woman/wife/mom by desiring that for them, the ladies that I would rather spend every second of my day with than out and about with anyone other than their daddy. So the question then becomes....is it worth it?

Is the lifestyle we have chosen for our family worth the heartache it is causing our girls with missing out on activities because they don't go to that school or are not allowed to do that yet? Is it worth it to not have lunch dates with my friends and instead stay home and eat PB&J with my girls singing crazy songs? You bet it is! It is worth every single sacrifice we have made. But this one, the buddy she loves so much, this one is the hardest one I have had to make or asked her to make and yet when asked if she would want it differently.....the answer was no. She does not desire to go to the school they attend nor does she want to do the things they are doing that she is not yet ready for.....she just misses the buddy. Totally understand. One day she will see that the tears she shed last night were not for nothing. This buddy will always cherish their friendship but for now, I wipe away the tears and remind myself that with every choice we make their are consequences that are good and some that sting. Today, this momma is feeling the sting and clinging to the choice we made almost 8 years ago.

Heart Issues

Lately, I have been finding myself having to apologize to people I have hurt with my words. Hmm, shouldn't I be old enough to be able to hold my tongue by now? Gracious! Having to do so has made me stop and think....why are there times I can control that tongue with no problem and others where I can't seem to muzzle that thing to save my life!?! After going before the Lord with this and then considering the areas I have been helping my girls with this same issue, I realize that it ultimately is a heart issue.

My days have been so busy with getting school plans done, house purged and cleaned, co-op plans, more co-op plans, emails from co-op, and yet more emails from co-op that I got weary and did not lean on God to meet those needs. Instead, I relied on myself. When I am trying to tackle life on my own I will always find that I struggle to keep my tongue in check. Same is true for my girls. So if that is true, I know it to be true, why do I ever walk out of my room or my house with out pouring my heart before my God? I pray that as I seek forgiveness for my short tones, sharp words or snarky attitudes the past couple days that I will remember to seek first the kingdom of God in all ways....especially before I speak! :)

True Treasures

Beanie's birthday party at the lake was so much fun! I would love to share pictures, but we had a little tragedy while there. As one of the girls was passing the camera to me, she let go before I had it and it landed in the lake!!! My first reaction, praise God, was not anger! It was a panic to find it, but not anger, which is a big deal for me as I LOVE pictures. She was so apologetic and truly did not mean to do this. Matt went ahead and took the kids out to tube while I waded through the muck and mud to find the thing. No luck! I was sure it was a lost cause which at that point, I did have to text a couple friends/sister to remind me that my pictures on that were not what mattered. Losing one year of birthday pictures is nothing compared to losing the respect of your daughter by putting a thing ahead of her heart. So, when they returned, my spirits where back to where they needed to be for a party. She got off the boat and immediately told me that she wanted to buy me a new one. I reassured her that the camera is not what I was worried about at all, yet I wanted to retrieve the pictures if possible. I stated again that she is much more important to me than any camera or pictures....so not to worry. It was an accident. She decided to go trudging for that thing though. No luck either. So when Matt heard all of this, he decided to give it a try. You know what...God does amazing things through our men. I mean, I don't know how long I was in that nasty mud but I did not just stand there for two minutes and climb out! Regardless, he found it. The card dried out and does work so pictures are safe. Camera on the other hand is toast. My girl, reassured that God answers prayers, even little ones about cameras, because she had been praying about that camera/pictures the entire time they tubed. I'd say that is a lesson in finding the true treasures in life indeed!

A Perfect 10!!!

Today is my "baby's" 10th birthday!! I can not believe how fast this 10 years has flown by! Truly, I remember the day we sat her sister down to share the joy of finding out we were parents again and she would have that sister she wanted. That was so long ago yet I do remember it like it was yesterday.

We are headed to the lake house with two of her buddies from church today. So I don't have much time to write, but will give my top 10 things I adore about this girl when we are home.

Just wanted to take the time to say, Happy Birthday Beanie! I could not be more proud of the young lady you are becoming! Love you sweets!

Double Dutch Days!

The other day we had two of my nieces spend the day with us. The girls love having cousins over to play. It just so happened that I had just purchased new jump ropes and hula hoops for the girls to enjoy. I'm all for simple fun in the summer. I guess I am all for simple fun all the time really. Anyway, I must say I enjoyed looking out my window and seeing the girls all wrapped up in a Double Dutch tournament. It was so fun! Naturally, I grabbed the camera and headed outside to soak it all in.

All four cousins chanting along while taking turns jumping.

Little Bit trying to figure out the rythym of jumping rope.

Beanie jumping with all her might.


Doodle's turn.

NayNay's jumping high indeed!

Now I need to remember next time to put the camera down and join in! I just am thrilled to see all the kids enjoying simple things in life that bring such joy. Truly there is not much to jumping a rope. But the memories these girls will have for years to come of the days they enjoyed double dutch or whatever else they sang...well those are just priceless moments.

Phase One and Two and Three!

Yesterday I shared that we are in the process of painting and setting up Doodle's new bedroom as she enters her teen years. She is very excited that she is picking the colors, designs etc. It is hard to believe that when we moved into this house 10 years ago, she was 3 and I was the one making all the decisions. Regardless, this time it is her and I could not be more excited to see her taste growing through this process. I have taken a few pictures of before and during the process so far, which involves saying good bye to the playroom walls, which my sister-in-law and I painted 5 years ago.

My little hills full of flowers with Bean's choice

of yellow on top since it would become her room.

Then we had all of the cousins paint flowers with their fingers all over the wall to add that sweet touch. That was the wall that really hurt to cover up. Transitions are hard for all of us....no matter how old! :)

The infamous cousins flower wall....each one of those petals has a sweet little face to go with it. Such sweet memories.

So after we sanded the flowers down, we had to prime over them to make sure they do not show up through the new paint color. For some reason, Doodle really doesn't want those flowers anymore...go figure! :)

Both girls helped with sanding the flowers off the wall.

The same cousins flower wall once I finished priming

those precious flowers....I had to walk away for a moment. :(

After sanding everything, filling the holes in the wall from pictures being hung, we had to sweep up our mess. Bean loved that!

Bean is quite the little helper

Next came my personal favorite job..(note the sarcasm)....painting the ceiling! Woohoo! Love it! NOT! However, last night, Bean, Matt and I were able to punch it out in an hour. Where was Doodle....finding her happy!:)

Doodle curled up finding her happy....no messes in that bed! :)

She is an early to bed, early to rise kind of girl so when we decided to paint the ceiling late last night, she offered to help but really there was not enough room for all of us to do it, so she headed to bed, thanking Daddy for his hard work. After getting going, he decided to let Bean give it a shot. She did a good job. I think Doodle would have liked trying but I was secretly wishing I was doing what she was by that point....sleeping! :) So, today we paint the new color on the wall. A color I did not pick. A color I love...a beautiful shade of blue aptly named Ariel!

Doodle painting her room.

My girls decided I needed proof I painted. Took pic when I wasn't looking! :)

Beanie got into the painting action!

The last flower on the wall....

Beanie struggled to paint over it.

See...I'm not the only sap around here. :)

Having your kids help with these projects just make them more fun. I love having a family that enjoys doing all things together whether it be riding rides at Disney World or painting a room! What a true blessing!

Transition Time

Well, this summer my girls are moving into new territory in many ways. First of all, Doodle turns 13!! You hear me? 13!!! Not sure where that time went, but I do know I adore the young woman she has become and continues to show us daily. Beanie turns 10! That is right, people. My baby turns 10!!! When did she stop using a paci?! Ha! Just teasin'! Time has flown by and it is a joy to see Bean shedding her little bashful side and soaring with the big kids. So, we enter the teen years, exit the single digits all the same summer. Along with that, we are changing rooms. The girls use to share a room and I used our third bedroom as a school room. A few years ago, the girls needed some space to call their own and we gave up the school room. This showed us just how different our girls truly are. Doodle's room is always spotless and Bean's is a bit more creative cleaning. :0)
Anyway, Bean's room is a bit smaller and she just has more toys and such now that Doodle is starting to come out of the toy phase really. Doodle still enjoys her dolls, which I will so encourage for as long as she desires. :) But Bean has doll house stuff, dress up, baby dolls, building toys, etc. More stuff needs the bigger room and the bonus...bunk beds! :) So, we are emptying out the room to paint Doodle's new "teen" room. It will be lovely when done but the growing pains today are big. Doodle can't stand clutter and to take two rooms down to one is nutty for her. She has had to walk out several times to "find her happy" as we say. :) I will post pictures later of the before, during and after. Can't wait to see it when it is all done. For now, we are a in the land of transition! :)

Recital Craze!

This weekend, Doodle and a friend of hers were asked to dance at a mutual friend's dance recital. Their own recital was just last weekend so they have had the joy of dancing fever for sure! They did two dances for this girl, who started her own dance studio when she was 12 years old at her church. She is now 18 and graduating from high school as a homeschool graduate. She is off to a lovely Christian dance school in Texas, but what a legacy she has left behind in her home town. I was so impressed by the passion for teaching the younger girls do dance for Jesus and do it modestly. It was lovely. As always, I love watching Doodle dance. These videos are not great but I still enjoy! Hope you do as well.

Doodle is on the right at the beginning of the dance. Dancing to "Who Am I" by Watermark, choreographed by Pearl Riggs at Dance Creations

Doodle is in the blue. Dancing to "How Beautiful" by Twila Paris, choreographed by Pearl Riggs at Dance Creations.

I'm a Sap!!!

Well, I think it is official, I am a sap. I can't deny it any longer. (not that I have been) Today we were working on organizing the school closet. While trying to do that, we were putting the girls items in order based on grade level. Each thing we pulled out, we sat and giggled over what treasures we found. Oh the stories and sweet pictures! Truly precious. Even better, I was able to remember a lot of those precious moments with my girls, which is why it is so hard to throw out any of it. I desire to have less clutter. I really do! I just can't get myself to throw away memories! Sigh....maybe one day I can declutter the school closet, but for now, I think I will enjoy the little stories some more.

Cleaning Out the Cobwebs

Lately, I have been really working on deep cleaning my home. It has NEVER been this yucko! Truly, I had let things go the past year. I just got in a major slump and did not try to make it happen. That fog I mentioned earlier seems to be the biggest reason for the home issues. I notice that while I am attacking certain areas each day something amazing is happening. Each time I dig in and clear away the dirt and cobwebs from my home, not to mention the clutter....it appears to be doing the same to my mood. I find I am feeling more and more like myself. I am seeing God in everyday things and everyday tasks as I once did. I am rejoicing in the new light.

It reminds me that just as clearing away the cobwebs in my house brings out the new home hiding beneath the grime, God does the same for me. As I spend more time with Him, He gently scours away the dirt and grime or cobwebs in my heart and suddenly there is a new heart peering through. A heart for Him. I am not sure why I struggle from time to time with the blues, but I do know that I am thankful for having a loving Heavenly Father who gently wipes away the yuck and allows me once again to shine for Him.

Today, we tackle the bedrooms.....I can't wait to see what God reveals. :)