KY LAKE TRIP

Shawn and I were able to get away overnight yesterday. We went to the annual "FarmHouse Lake Break" on Kentucky Lake. I have to say, I am VERY partial to Kentucky Lake. It's actually my favorite lake in Kentucky. I enjoy seeing the sailboats (we only saw 1 this time and it was being taken in), I like the calmer water, I like that it's more shallow, and I like the fact that houses can be built almost right on the water. We had a fun time, stayed up late, ate too much, swam a little, laughed a whole lot, slept in late, had a big breakfast prepared for us this morning...it was definitely a little vacation for this stay @home mom. I savored my food and felt almost spoiled. I didn't take my camera because I didn't want anything that I had to keep up with whatsoever. Sometimes I opt for memories vs pictures...I find I have missed being involved by trying to catch stuff on camera the last couple years. Thankfully, I snagged these pictures from the internet.

I wish I had pictures of the cabin we stayed in. It's a new cabin and so cute. Very good use of space. Well decorated. Homey and comfy. Waterfront...that is the best part. The front is all glass and looks out on the water. We were in a cove just like this one today after breakfast.

I haven't tried sailing yet, but hope to...Grand Rivers is my favorite spot to see sailboats at dock. So peaceful...and it reminds me of the Carolinas.

On another note, the kids have been so out-of-whack lately. I have decided for the next 7 days, I will be doing nothing after 1pm in the day (except Wednesday). From 1pm on, the kids will nap, play, have dinner, do bedtime routine, and go to bed. It's gotten too crazy 'round here and I can't let it go on. I wish I could explain how absolutely wild my children can be when they are out of whack. (Some of you have witnessed it firsthand). They are strong-willed and when they get out of whack, their will goes from just being independent to being unbearable. I rarely see Shawn lose it with the kids...maybe 1 time in the almost 5 years we've been parents...well he almost lost it tonight with Grace. It just seems one or the other is crying all the time and when not crying, they fight over toys. I don't know what the deal is for sure. All I know to do is back up and slow down. We know G has a uti. We know NJ has molars that have punctured the skin and growing in. I have to take big, deep breaths, and, like I said, back up and slow down things in our life. Starting tomorrow. No Amish Country visit for us with a couple other moms and kids! Must go text them now. Good luck finding the balance you're striving for, too. It seems easier for some than others. We have to work at it regularly. The way I look at it...at least we recognize when we're out of whack and try to get back in sync. Here's to trying!!! I'll try to update in a week with the outcome...will the kids be back to acting like normal, good-natured children or will they still be acting like heathens? To be continued and I promise an honest answer will be given.

This picture reminds me of Grace and Noah, who are finally, after almost 2 hours of resisting, snug in their beds.

Prayerlessness

Basically...and this is for me!!! Don't do it. Don't be prayerless. Pray without ceasing. I have been at a standstill. I have been in 2 bible studies the last couple months (one is still going). "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore and "BRAVE" by Angela Thomas. I've learned a lot from both of them but the truth is, I could have learned more...if there were enough hours in the day or if I always used my time wisely!!! There was a day when all my study time at home was used the right way and I wasn't behind on stuff. Haha. So, behind I am, but still I have learned how important it is to pray without ceasing and MORE important for me during this phase is...we don't even have to know what to say because God knows our need!!! And my Sunday school lessons are about prayer right now. I love it when God reinforces what I must need to learn! No coincidence could do that, or happenstance! I've just been hearing too much of the same "theme" about praying lately. And I am only beginning to learn it. It's like looking over a big beautiful, lush valley...I want to go deeper into it!

My 10 yr old niece is here visiting. She has been coming to stay with us every summer since before we had Grace. We all really enjoy having her here. This visit has been the first that she and Grace have played together on basically the same level. They have played Barbies and baby dolls. This morning, we went swimming, to Subway, then to the library. Yesterday evening we went bike riding. I am so thankful for my sweet niece and how close we are. She is growing into a great pre-teen. It's happened so, so fast.

Our inside joke...true story. Yesterday after we all went to Kroger, we went through the drive-through pharmacy. We have been eating so unhealthy this summer that Noah John asked me to hand him a french fry when we pulled up!!! For some reason, Callie and I got a kick out of it and have re-told it about five times!!!

I'm feeling so "behind" on little projects (putting kids' pics in frames, catching up the photo albums, scrapbooking newspaper articles about the family farm, etc)...in this stay-at-home mom world I feel like an utter failure at times! UGH. I see these gorgeous scrapbooks etc and I don't even know where to start. I have to remind myself not to compare to others. Back to paragraph 1...need to pray about this!
:)

June

Summer's in full swing. We have attended vbs, had playdates, gotten a new puppy, been in Monticello for a week, gone to a car museum (to get pumped up for the CARS 2 movie), had family here for several days, started Grace in swim lessons, and more. Mom and I even went to an Emmy Lou concert! We have been blessed beyond words. Sure there have been traveling woes...we packed 5 people into my mom's altima and traveled a 3 hour trip in 6. There have been nights that sleep was interrupted a lot (I won't show you the picture of me to prove it). There have been time-outs (and times I should have been the one there). But woven all throughout it, there have been family and friends with hugging arms, delicious homecooked meals, and big yards for running, romping, wagon-pulling, chasing, and rolling. It has been great! Now we are getting ready to settle down just the 4 of us and enjoy our 4th of July together. Plans tba but I'm thinking a museum or the zoo will be involved!

Grace, her best friend, and her bf's miracle-sister! :) Another reminder of how we should count our blessings!

Closing ceremony at VBS...Go Grace!

I stole away with the boys, their wagon, and my camera.

Girls just wanna have fun!






Praying for the requests this summer that have come our way. We have a close friend who was in a horrible accident and lost half of her ankle and some of her leg bone. She is an inspiration to many, including me. Hopefully she will come home after 2 wks of hospitalization this weekend, and she needs prayers for healing so as to avoid another major surgery. She is also expecting and in her first trimester! We see the miracle in her life and her daughter and husband's lives as they were barely hurt! As for us, just today, we have seen evidence of God answering prayers in our little family and providing for us despite my doubts!!!

I hope all of you enjoy the remainer of June and have a happy independence day. And remember, while it is cliche, it is also true: freedom and protection have never been free. We have so many niceties simply because we live in America. As the years have ticked by (long days but somehow SUPER short years), money has gotten tighter while our "stuff" has gotten older and worn out. The furniture is stained, scuffed, scratched, and while I long for new stuff, I wonder...am I spoiled? I know the answer to that, and the answer is shameful. I hope I can teach my children to be ever-mindful of these things because it is easy to forget and take it for granted. I can't help but think of all the places in this world where freedoms and liberties are nonexistent, not to even start with lack of healthcare, child support systems, clean water, variety of food (if any), sanitation. A friend once said "Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours." I guess when it comes down to it, what breaks mine isn't that some people don't have what they want; it's that some people don't have what they NEED. I WANT new furniture. All I need ... that I have. I'm humbled.

I'll close with saying thank you for servicemen and women before and during our lives, including our grandfathers Jack and Bill who served in the US Army and US Navy respectively. We will be waving our flags this Monday with thoughts of them in our minds and thanksgiving in our hearts for sure.

Redecorating

Noah peed in the floor today...just.like.a.puppy. He is into taking off his diaper...the pro is this is early potty training. The con is...read sentence 1 again. That was about 8 hours ago and I have yet to clean it. It's dried now...I'll have to use my sniffer to find it. (Eyes rolling)

The kids wanted "peanut butter spoons" and I was too lazy to make them stay in the kitchen (or ANYWHERE in one place). So there is peanut butter on the floor and I am afraid to check where else! Seriously. In Grace's hair for one. Blah! Now I'll have to bathe her for sure.

Laundry is stacked in the recliner. Just towels. They will be fast and easy to fold. Oh ... I now remember that there is a load big enough to count for 3 in my dryer (said load almost threw my washer out of whack due to the size!) Is it bad that I hope it isn't completely dry yet, just so I can turn the dryer back on and not have to fold it yet?

The counters are so dirty, you can't rest your arms on them or you might get stuck (ok, this is where I'm exaggerating but they ARE dirty and it bugs me to look at them).

The kids have watched Strawberry Shortcake (or Strawberry Cupcake according to Noah John) twice today. The TV is still on despite the fact that I know their brains are rotting away. They had many giant marshmallows for lunch, along with some other random stuff, like spinach artichoke dip, goldfish, cheese... (So did I).

We made it to a friend's to swim today. She has a large 5 bedroom home. It's massive and stately. The pool was cool and refreshing. I went inside. It was spotless. I can't keep mine clean and it's half that size. And I have half as many kids. No joke.

So I have come to the decision that I am just going to say I'm redecorating...the mess is a work of ART. So there. I'm always trying to expose the kids to art in some form or fashion. There ya go. I just told them the mess is an expressionist art form. I feel better already except for the fact that Grace wants a clear definition of expressionist and I will now have to tell her I'm lazy (thus the icky mess), not smart....

A few MORE summer favorites....

Day lilies!

Itty bitty tomatoes make me think of summer dinners with a BLT as the main dish!!!

Our magnolia tree has had a rough way to go...it is trying to come out of it as is shown here. Nothing says southern like a magnolia tree.

Blue skies and green grass...and across the road "amber waves of grain."

These purple beauts are petunias of course! Grown by my mother-in-law...4 baskets don my deck and sway in the late evening breeze even as I type.

A few summer favorites

What makes my summer sweeter every single year? These pretty babies! Tiger Lilies! Why? Because they come back time and again with no replanting. Beauty in the summer...when there was nothing there but bare ground in the winter. Ahh!

And this summer, I have been even MORE pleased because of this surprise calla lily. It is one of my closest friend's favorite flowers; I think of her each time I see it. It is blooming among the orange tiger lilies, like a little surprise! I cannot recall where I got it or even when I planted it...my memory is foggy about it...but it's been a pretty little surprise this early summer!

Watering can that I got for Mother's Day 2010.

Lounge chair that I got for Mother's Day 2011. It is very comfortable and reclines back a little bit too.

Friends and family, if you're reading this...come and sit a spell. I have a big front porch and can have sweet tea ready in no time flat.

Noah John's Birthday Party

We had a small get-together Sunday after church. My mom was in for the party and for Grace's recital. As always, we loved having her here. Noah sang himself happy birthday when we sat the cake infront of him. He grinned from ear to ear when everyone reacted with "AHHHH" :) He is a ham! Grace helped him open his presents and show 0 signs of jealousy when he opened gifts. She was so excited for him to get new toys. The little party started with kiddy pool time and swingset playin'. Jonah, Grace, and Noah jumped, shrieked, splashed, ran, climbed, slid down the slid while Logan and Papaw threw ball. We have the best backyard ever. You could say I know a guy who took care of the sod. It's super nice and really pretty too. :)

Happy birthday Noah John Brumfield, the sweetest, spunkiest little boy I know and the apple of my eye! In this picture, we were adding sprinkles to the cake (Noah chose his icing color: blue!)

The theme? Thomas the Train of course! If I had found Chuggington supplies, that would have trumped....Isn't it cute? I like the bright, primary colors.

What's a sunny day without a swingset?