A Lifetime of Love

Summer has come to an end for us, and we have been so busy that I haven't even attempted to post on here... Our summer started in May with a trip to Ohio for my brother's high school graduation. It was nice to visit with extended family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins (and second cousins!) on both my mom's and dad's side of the family. The weather was hot and we enjoyed swimming while visiting both my parents. We also squeezed in a visit with one of my oldest and dearest friend, Chelsea, and her husband and 2 boys. As usual, the kids didn't want to leave and saying "Good-bye" was bittersweet. I look forward to my visits with her so much and cherish her friendship even more. Good, godly friends are hard to come by and I'm so thankful for the influence she's had on my life. Love you, Chelsea!! June brought on Vacation Bible School, swimming lessons for Thomas, Tristin-Grace, and Teagan, as well as Art Camp for Thomas. Probably the highlig...

It's been a while since I found time to post on here. Life has been busy (especially during baseball season) and now that we are full-swing into summer, time is again passing quickly as our days are filled with enjoying the sun! This post is not a typical recap of our household life, but instead is dedicated to the Lord's working in my life. I've wanted to share this for a while (since April), but I'm glad I waited because the Lord has continued to work. My pastor's message on resting in God prompted me to write this because I have found that in order to fully rest in God, you have to trust in what He's done for you. Here's what I mean... I found myself (questioning) doubting God's goodness to me. I thought the bad things I had done (major yelling at my kids, lack of patience with them, unrighteous anger) caused me to lose favor in the Lord's eyes, and His way of "correcting" me was to suffer the loss of the twin and live with tha...

It's hard to believe school is out for Thomas already. We have had a fun year full of great learning experiences. Below are some pictures of learning in action! September: Latta Plantation Homeschool Day Learning the 3 R's (Reading, Writing, & 'Rithmetic) Reading from a McGuffy Reader Learning about clothing styles & medicine from the 1700s on- VERY interesting! October: Riverbanks Zoo   Our science curriculum is broken down into the various days of creation. This year we started with Day 5: the flying creatures. Megabat- this year we learned the difference between a microbat and a megabat. :) November: Carolina Raptor Center  This field trip only enhanced what we were learning about & was probably Thomas' favorite since he has developed a passion for birding thanks to his study in science this year.  We felt a sense of honor & pride seeing our National Bird up close & in person. Red-tail Hawk: our favorite!! ...

My last post was so gloomy, and I'm happy to say my perspective has definitely improved over the past couple of weeks. With the help of others, I have implemented a new chore chart and I cannot express enough how much smoother our house runs now. The kids each have their own daily chart that is just for their bedrooms. It includes 4 items (each worth 25 cents) that have to be done daily (for a maximum weekly allowance of $5 if all check marks are received). The goal is to have the chores completed each morning, but I have made allowances to the time I check because Annie has learned how to open doors and will literally trash a room in a matter of seconds. The boys have started locking their door when they finish their chores so that she can't go in there before I have a chance to check their room...they learned from experience. =) I also implemented a weekly cleaning chore that pretty much covers the entire house. There are a co...

Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed. Very overwhelmed. By laundry, dishes, cleaning, children, places to be, homeschooling, I could go on. I was having such a difficult time getting into a routine because I have also been plagued by fatigue. I, like the majority of people, wake up each day with a "list" of things to accomplish for the day. Mine is not really very interesting and includes items such as picking up toys, vacuuming, dishes, preparing meals, etc. The problem came when lunch time hit. Whatever wasn't completed by lunch was added to the list for tomorrow because my energy was gone. Every day around the same time (1-2pm) I found myself having difficulty thinking clearly and feeling kind of dizzy. The only thing that would help was to rest for a few minutes (as long as the children would allow- the most was 20 minutes!). I have been to two separate doctors who practice in separate offices hoping to find an answer as to why I have been feeling this way. I re...

I am starting to feel think better again about the trials in my life the Lord has allowed. The more I read my bible, the more I begin to understand God's goodness. It occurred to me the other day that trials are like medicine: we may not like them at the time but they are ultimately for our good. God, as our Heavenly Father, knows this, even though we may not. The other lessons on God's goodness that I learned this past week include: God is good. He doesn't try to be good, He just is. When God allows a trial in our life, He is using it to conform us to His likeness (in this case, His goodness). God also allows trials in our lives so that others can witness His goodness in us (probably the most difficult for me to grasp). I am thankful I was (once again) reminded of these truths on God's goodness. Although I have read certain passages of scripture many times, the Lord uses different verses and even clusters of words to open my eyes to His truths. I had never thou...