Vacation...

It's day three into our vacation and I am finally winding down. I mean, REALLY, finally relaxing.  Pajama's until noon nine, pool time, late night movies, reading, rocking-chair mornings on the front porch, no makeup, lost phones and tons of hilarious moments.

I love family time.

I will post pictures soon. We are literally in the sticks. The WiFi around here is virtually non-existent. The heat probably contributes. Needless to say it makes doing any kind of business difficult.

102+ every day. Even my clean clothes feel wet. It's a great excuse for the pj's and A\C. Excellent!!!

Tomorrow is out on the boat for the day. Hopefully Libs will hold up. Here in the mountains things are much different. (Much.) Refreshing in a lot of ways. There aren't many young families here where we are, which means Cade and Libbi are getting spoiled rotten by multiple sets of grandparents. Cade was given water skiing lessons (on land) by a woman from Chicago. Tonight in the pool, a sweet lady from St. Louis played with Libbi. They've had such a great time. I think we will be permanently wrinkled from all the water time we have had. Pools, indoor and out, and the beach.

Cade is developing his sense of humor and just getting too big, too fast. It has amazed me at the fun we have as he joins in and sees the humor in the life around him. I LOVE the fact that he loves to laugh-just like his mama. His sister isn't far behind...

Libbi is getting so big. Her personality shows through in so many ways. Tonight we decided to venture into no-mans-land to find a Dairy Queen we thought we had seen on our drive in. With it being later in the evening, close to her bedtime, we decided the drive through would do. As Aaron begins to place our order, she lets off with the loudest jabber\talk we have heard from her yet. With no interpretation, we can only assume she was excited for ice cream. With our melting treats in hand, we were headed back to the resort just as Cade had a spill. While he is busy cleaning with one hand, his other is holding his ice cream dangerously  close to the "center line" between his sister and himself. I hear her sweet voice say, "oh, wow...yes!" As I turn around and look, she takes only the fingertips of her right hand, carefully dips into Cade's ice cream and proceeds to lick off each one. She ends with looking at Cade with a huge smile and saying, "Boom!"
He has met his equal.

I mentioned earlier about the lady in the pool, playing with Libbi. Her and her husband have traveled and seen the world. They are fellow believers and we had a great time visiting with them. We got the impression that they were needing encouragement and as it turned out they blessed us the same. We learned that they are very mission oriented. Their son wrote a homeschool curriculum, and we also learned that they are friends of Kyle Idleman's parents. They even knew of the town I grew up in! (That rarely-if ever-happens).

These fun times remind me of where I am at in life and beg me to ask, "Where do I want to go?" I know that I want to be like the people we met: fun loving and blessing others. After hearing their stories, I realize they didn't get there overnight. I don't want to rush past the spilled ice cream mess and the "accidents" on the floor that were meant for the potty. I want to enjoy midlife-driving a minivan-and use it to make me into the girl that The Lord wants me to be. The girl that I want to be.

I'm thankful for the time here. The mountains. The weather. The laughs. To see the new sights and to take the time to relax. I find myself grateful. Worshiping. Giving thanks to the One who made it all.

Wishing you all a blessed night. Truly.

-Erin

Hello...again!

 

 

I decided to get up and get my workout done early so I could

get on here and share my heart with you.

It was costly.

5:00 am...but worth it. 

 

I "snuck" downstairs for my secluded 40 min.

It is my "sacred place."

 

Don't be jealous, now.

Libbi refused to stay in her play yard, so I opened it up and climbed in.

I included some of my toys as well.

 

(*a note to my photographer friends...the lighting? On purpose. It hid the dust and cobwebs. Feel free to share my idea. If you're kind, I might even let you ride on that slick little roller coaster to the right. I'm not really to a place where I'd feel comfortable with a photo sessions giveaway, so the coaster ride will have to do. I'll even throw in the "box fan breeze" for an added treat.) *smile*

 

 

These kids mess me up in the best way possible.

For real.

Every day is a challenge (a good one). A call. Not a "call out" but a "call up." To be a better mom. Wife. Friend. Sister. Daughter. Pastors wife.

I'm not going to lie. It isn't easy.

But it's worth it. Just. Look. At. Those. Faces.

 



 

These papers are priceless to me.

The first? 14 weeks with my trainer. Blood, sweat and tears. Reminding me of where I've come from, and where I'm going. Stronger. Leaner. Everyday.

 

Below that is my "love" note from Libbi. I have a Bible cover now to match.

Priceless. Just like her sweet self.

 

 

(Wow these IPhone uploads are #blurry)

 

As I mentioned earlier, we have a big girl in the house now...

 

 

Her brother is growing just as fast!

He is learning so much this year. Character. Perseverance. Patience. Forgiveness.

Though I hate to see him hurt, I watch from the front row

as this man-child grows and begins to apply everything we've tried to instill.

It truly is a gift. #Hiswordneverfails

 

 

As our school year was quickly approaching, I decided on a last minute curriculum change.

Not knowing what to expect, I dove in head first through countless reviews, phone calls, and finally decided to do a placement test. It covered the five core subjects. He passed...right through to 4th grade.

I was stunned. And so proud. He loves to learn and it is paying off.

 

As I mentioned before, these guys have my heart. Most of it anyway. Aaron's in there too! *smile*

 

May this day find you blessed.

Breathe deep.

Push the incline up just one more %. Do one more rep.

Spend just 60 seconds more, mentioning every name you can think of before the One who can pull the plug on the worry that keeps you awake and weighs you down.

He could stop time if He wanted to. And better yet, who is already in tomorrow.

You got this...when you've got Him.

Stay the course, friend.

 

And until we chat again, here is my "Hello"...again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

HELLO!

I'm back.
I'm ready to write after a long (and much needed) hiatus. I've missed this. Just to type this feels just, well, exciting!

I took the summer off to regroup and digest the summer: slow and steady. I realized that I needed that time to continue staying flush with plumb line.

I cannot write another minute until I tell you about the most precious little nephew that arrived today!!! Wesley Coy impressed us all with his adorable cute self. I can hardly stand it that I live so far away! His sweet little face just melts his aunt Erin's heart. I'm pretty sure that he will love me more than Alison (my sister), but lets keep that between us. He is perfect. We are absolutely in love and I could not be happier for my brother Eric and his sweet bride, Kerri. Great job, mom and dad! Thanks for letting us dote on your sweet little boy!

Speaking of sweet kiddos, Cade is getting ready to begin school. I remember post-partum hormones; tears; and memories of dreading his first day of school. Now he is in the 3rd grade. How does that happen?

Libbi? She is using the big girl potty. I know. This house will not know what to do without its trail of diapers and wipes. I may break into song and dance. Repeatedly.

Aaron is doing such a great job at the church, his job, and being a great dad and spouse! He is constantly striving for excellence and goodwill towards men. He's a stud...and ladies, he is taken.

I am doing well. Health is doing great. I had a bit of a scare as my liver enzymes came back elevated. I have a new oncologist and he ran additional tests, all coming back normal. I'm thankful. So incredibly thankful. I am now on a six month check up schedule. I cannot tell you how good that feels. Finagling childcare and appointments gets old--quickly.
I'm writing again. Bits and pieces here and there. Contemplating another book. Preparing for two retreats this fall, back to back. I would appreciate your prayers as I assemble each session.

We are looking forward to taking some much needed vacations this fall/winter. Hoping to see some of your beautiful faces this year as we make our rounds. So few words can describe how thankful we are for friends like you. Your love, support, and a verbal spanking now and then to keep us on track.

That is pretty much a glimpse into our lives as we catch up. I would love to stay longer, but this girl needs to turn in. Worship practice comes early on Sundays, but I wanted to stop by and say Hello!

Blessings, Erin