ten on ten

i thought maybe the best way to get back in the swing of blogging would be to participate in 10 on 10 today. even as busy as i have been, it was nice to stop real quick and snap a picture. it was a pretty typical day - probably boring to most other people. but this is how life looks right now.


running late already

riding to work with my honey

the pledge

planning time - lesson plans and homework for next week

how to cook a turkey writing via whattheteacherwants

end of the day - there's strange peace in a classroom after an eventful day

picking up the hubs from work

snack time for the baby (and the dog)

freezer meal lasagna - interesting

play time with daddy

life is honestly good right now. things are busy and exhausting but oh so wonderful. school is kicking my rear and i am drowning in paperwork. i am just trying to remember what it is I am there to do and to enjoy my kids. chloe is at such a fun age right now and i am trying to soak it all in. it is all flying by. i will truly be thankful for our break in a few weeks so i can spend days playing with my family!

can someone please make her stop growing?

i don't know if i can handle the pace of her growth. i am trying my best to soak up every minute of it. this whole process of watching a child, your own child, grow and develop is absolutely amazing. seriously, i am constantly amazed. jacob and i were talking the other night about being obnoxious parents who thing their child is the best. we hope we aren't too annoying. it is just so hard not to be when you see all of the awesome new things your child is doing. it's just crazy to witness. it truly is testimony to God's greatness.  i stand in wonder and awe of His works. especially this little one named Chloe.

city chickens

Several months ago, Jacob found out we could own up to six chickens where we live in the city limits. It didn't take long for him to begin construction on a hen house to be tucked away in our backyard. Once Jacob's dad got involved, we had a grandiose poultry paradise.


It was originally supposed to be about half this size. But we like to spoil our chickens. :)


They have a nice little window with a pretty plant ledge.


A little door for easy egg collection.


A pretty, shady white crepe myrtle to keep them from cooking in the backyard.



FRESH eggs are so much better! So fluffy and much more taste.


And Chloe loves her new little friends - I think we have an animal lover on our hands.

Yes, I know her pacifier is dragging the ground - gross. We do clean it. 
My favorite hen is the white one with the feathers on her legs - see her there on the left?

 

wow! has it really been three months?

I cannot believe I haven’t blogged in over three months. With the end of school and a baby in the mix, blogging definitely got pushed to the bottom of the list. Heck, even scrubbing the toilet got pushed pretty low on the totem pole.

The good news is….I have scrubbed the toilet….a few times since March. But my return to blogging has more to do with my bad back. I’ve been out of commission for about 4 days now. Lying down when I have the chance and carefully choosing when I pick up my daughter. It has not been fun. It’s life though.

Oh, and our dryer went out and it is raining today. So if it can’t air dry in the hallway – it is not getting washed right now. Wah-wah, I know.

BUT on the flipside, my summer has been wonderful! Lots of fun stuff and good times with great people. We’ve also been very busy around the house.

Some things that I will be posting about soon:

Our chicken coop
We’ve built a deck
Thrifting finds
Working on an Etsy shop
and one precious little girl

Speaking of, I soaking up every minute I can with this blue-eyed beauty.

She just melts my heart.

Spring Sunday

"For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness
and praise to spring forth before all the nations."  Isaiah 61:11

friday finds

wow. I really like this. like really, really.

{addicted 2 decorating}

funny.

{jpharris}

um, yes please.
be careful going to this blog.
tip#1 – wear a bib because you’ll drool.
tip#2 – don’t nurse while looking at this blog because you’ll laugh out loud and make the baby mad.
 
{confessions of a cookbook queen}

and in case you were wondering (in which case I know you were just dying to know) if all I do is look at pretty things and make myself fat by finding yummy recipes, the answer is no. I also read blogs. like good ones with good things to say. so, go bake those cookie muffin things then sit down and enjoy them while reading these posts!

Liz @ Mabel’s House on good men 
Rachel @ No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane on scripture 
Julie @ Joy’s Hope on her babies

Have  a happy weekend!

pictures with mama, e.t.c.

I only have like two pictures with chloe. and, of course, I don’t like either of them. hence the reason I typically have the back of the camera pressed to my face. well, it dawned on me the other day that I didn’t have many pictures with my own mother. it made me want to be more intentional about taking photos with chloe and not caring what I look like in them. she won’t be critiquing my double-chin or crooked teeth. when I look at pictures of my mother I think she is beautiful – because I knew her.


so when chloe took a liking to my nose the other night – I practically yelled at jacob to grab the camera. we laughed as she was going to town on the tip of my nose – she LOVED it. I am glad we captured this moment. she is at that age where everything is interesting and she is trying to find a way to get it to her mouth.


and just for kicks – I dug up a photo of my mom and I when I was about chloe’s age. LOVE IT!

I am linking up over at the anderson crew for embrace the camera. I love this linky – it challenges me to think about snapping different images and capturing memories – not just events. every day life. head over there and check out the other links.

return of the teacher

I am on spring break this week – three days after going back to work after maternity leave. ha! I love that it worked out that way. my first few days back at work were good. I keep telling everyone it was like riding a bike. it was nice to go back for those three days and just get reacquainted with my students and get everything back in order. 

I enjoy my students and I enjoy being in my classroom. teaching is a challenge but it is a fun and very rewarding challenge. I so glad this is what I can do with my life and talents. 


I will be glad when the weather is warm enough that kids do not have to wear jackets. our school is an open campus so jackets come off and on at least three times a day. they had to clean up this area just after I took this picture. they will tell you their jacket should be on a hook. pet peeve maybe, but I view it as teaching them to be responsible and respect their property as well as thinking of safety. mine and theirs. ha!

the morning message – ask my principal, I am a little neurotic about this. it is usually a lot longer than this and the kids complete it. they haven’t done it since I have been gone. this was the first time since December for them to try it. it’s not pretty – they’ve regressed some. we will get back on track. they LOVE doing the morning message and our morning meeting.
 
midday shoe change – sometimes I hate doing this in front of my kids because the first time I did it this year one little girl shook her head and said, “all them shoes.” a sharp stabbing reminder at how blessed I am. and just fyi – I only change into my crocs in my classroom, I travel around school in my ‘cute’ shoes – you know, because I have to pretend to be professional and all.

today, I will spend a good portion of this spring break preparing lesson plans and activities for the rest of the school year. I will not take time away from my family to do it in the evenings. I am excited to be back but it will be a whole new set of challenges to balance home and work. any and all suggestions are welcome. :)

this face

I am going to miss it tomorrow when I go back to work.

birthday happys

yesterday was the big day. thrity-schmirty. so far, so good.

here are a couple of ‘things’ that represent wonderful people in my life.


flowers from two people who ‘reappeared’ in my life about 2 years ago. I am so happy to call them friends now. funny, funny girls.

a *super cute* reusable bag from my old college friend. so glad we live near each other and get to see each other from time to time.

a new stone from my mother-in-law, with whom I share a birthday.

a cute scarf from my sister-in-law that I wore to church in the morning.

a few other blessings of this weekend:
a new nephew named Zeke
a chance to hang out with the ‘old and new’ friends (no picture. why do I do that?)
two naps
estate sale-ing
listening to an entire sermon (and processing it)
mexican coke
muddy’s cupcakes
kissing my husband
 
and A LOT of other little things.

looks like 30 isn’t going to be so bad after all.

thoughts

I’ve been struggling lately. it’s my own fault really. I realized over the weekend that it is anger and anxiety, mostly, that I am struggling with. I’m not sure if it stems from being subconsciously stressed or lack of stimulation or just knowing I will never have control. I know I will never have control but it is still a rough wrestle of the mind.

whatever it is, it’s eating away at me. I just feel so robbed and defeated by it. I have absolutely no reason to be angry but little things have set me off so very easily the past few days. I will suddenly catch myself getting upset over the smallest of inconveniences and then quickly remind myself how easy I actually have it. and then I get upset and angry at myself for getting upset over the small thing. argh!

I stop, often in mid-activity, and just say “what’s wrong with you?” I know I have every reason to be thankful and grateful and I am. I know I have it good, better than good even. It’s just those moments that catch me off guard and take over.  

it’s silly. it’s ridiculous. and I’m tired of it.

I know what it will take to ‘fix’ this problem. getting back to the basics and drawing closer to God. giving it to Him.

and not getting angry in the process when it still doesn’t go my way.

friday finds

I started this post last week ~ but as I’ve said before, it was a rough week. I just took it easy today and then remembered I hadn’t posted this yet. hope you enjoy fun finds, even if they are late according to my clock :)

sweet and simple sentiment and it’s *yellow*

{tuesday mourning}

how cool is this?
 
{ohdeedoh}

i heart clouds.
 
{etsy}

i think i am going to try this.
 
{homemade cream of chicken soup}

chloe needs this…..okay, I’m kidding but c’mon, it’s wicket

{where else?}

mommy’s day out, etc

today, I am typing this while not popping a paci back in or holding a little one. today, I am typing this with a tear in my eye.

chloe is with her mimi and she is going to have a great day. her big cousin will stop by to play with her and her gigi, jacob’s great-grandmother, will get to love on her as well.

we are so very blessed with wonderful families. we are especially blessed to live fairly close to jacob’s family. mimi, jacob’s mom, will be keeping chloe when I go back to work in a few weeks until the end of this school year. what a blessing! and I couldn’t think of anyone who could care for her better than her mimi.  



^that is what I wrote this morning. then, I got too choked up to finish. :)

I ended up going to a small local consignment sale for one thing I’ve been hunting for chloe and a consignment store for a couple of clothes for me. it was nice. breathing room. but I missed my little girl like terrible. I only called twice.

jacob got home early and we decided to have a day date. it was unexpected and very nice. we held hands. and pop-kissed in public.

gag if you want.

it was a good day. and now we are settling back into our regular routine.

sweet kisses

today. last night. and the beginning of this week.
they just haven’t been great. rough for us.

chloe hasn’t been napping ~ maybe thirty minutes at a time ~ maybe.
and her awake time has generally been a fussy time.

but i need to focus on happier things. like the way she is when she is on her changing table. she could lay there all day and play. we kiss and sing and just have sweet little conversations there.


i snapped this the other day when we were playing.

i’ll be glad to have this some day when i am chasing her down to give her kisses.
or just to look at on these rough days.

there is something to intentionally capturing the little moments in life. definitely.



linking up here

two months

dear baby girl,

you have been in our lives for just a few short weeks but it seems like you have been here forever. i think that is because you have always been in our hearts, but we just now have the blessing to be with you in flesh. what an amazing life ours has become!



as far as your development goes, you are well on track – quite impressive actually.

you smile all day long. and you laughed once for daddy.
you LOVE being on your changing pad.
you prefer to be naked. and hate getting into clothes.
you hold your head up. and have since you were born.  
you sit straight up. and fuss if we don’t let you for very long.
two people in two separate venues have stated that you look like you are about to talk.
you take in everything around you. you are so very alert. always.

and the kicker, you have been sleeping through the night for almost 4 weeks!!!



we love you.

you have made our lives more wonderful and we praise God for you.