For the past few years, we have had our annual Valentine’s Day Family Night. We have talked a lot about loving and serving each other, as well as those around us. So, when my friend, Deidre, put out a February Challenge, I thought it was a great idea!

She has challenged us to show love each day of the month to those around us. I am late jumping on the bandwagon, as usual, but I did have three kids with the flu/stomach virus last week. So, there was my act of love…taking care of my kiddos.

Check out Deidre’s blog to see all the creative ways her family is showing the love of God this month…..

A few weeks back, I had the chance to go on a little girl getaway. My sweet friends, Marty, Ashley and Connie were very strategic about where we would go….we basically chose the cheapest flight out of Nashville, which happened to be CHICAGO!! None of us had ever been, so we were super excited about spending the weekend exploring this amazing city. We left early on Thursday and landed in Chicago by 10! We headed to our hotel,   The Chicago Hilton, dropped our luggage in the room and were off!

Our first stop was the Navy Pier

There are several restaurants and also some rides at Navy Pier. Everyone says it is a must, but it didn’t seem to be that big of a deal!

Of course, the lake is pretty…

And the city view were impressive…

But, get a load of the big anchor….crazy..

Connie met up with us here because she flew a different airline. We became quite the bus travelers on this trip. We basically would ask every bus driver at the stops if they were going to our next destination. They were super nice. I love big cities…like seriously love urban living. Of course, I may just love the idea of it as oppossed to the reality of trying to navigate a city.

After Navy Pier, we went and did a little shopping on Michigan Avenue. We went to H&M, which was so crowded, but fun!

We discovered that the  Art Institute of  Chicago is free on Thursday nights from 5-8, so after stopping in at our hotel for a few, we headed back out. The line was around the building at 5 so we figured we would go eat first. We had our first Chicago style pizza at Pizano’s. Our waiter was a doll and even gave us free dessert, which was yummy. We didn’t get to the Art Institute until 7, so we rushed through it. Big mistake on our part, because there is so much to see! If was really cool.

Recognize this famous couple?

What about this famous grassy knoll?

This was is famous too!

I love this one!

I highly recommend going to the Art Institute. We could have spent hours there and had a blast.

Our next stop was the John Hancock building. We navigated the bus again and finally found it!

This is the view….from the ladies bathroom. This place was so cool. Great atmosphere!

Friday was a big day. We were headed to see Oprah! Whatever your personal thoughts on her, she is an icon. And there is also the added bonus that you may be in her audience for a favorite things episode and score some major loot. Needless to say, that didn’t happen, but I can now say I have seen Oprah in person. Our show was on the documentary Waiting for Superman. It was disturbing. It was scary. It is a tragedy.  Bill Gates was on the panel and we saw her give away 6 million dollars to 6 charter schools. Not something you see everyday!

It takes FOREVER to actually get into the taping.

This is us after the show. We were saying hey or something that Oprah suggested you say to get a good smile….not so much!

The wind, oh my word, the wind.

After Oprah, we went back to the hotel and changed clothes and headed out to the Bean.

I must say, this thing was fun and cool.

You can actually see the skyline in your pictures when you take it.

Where’s Kelly?

And at this point, no joke, I ran out of battery on my camera. I also didn’t have the charger. So thus ends the picture portion of this post.

Which isn’t cool because we totally saw Vince Vaughn about 5 minutes later and proceeded to stalk him for about 20 blocks.

I wish I were kidding but I am not.

We ended up at a GREAT place to eat for dinner, which a lady we met at Oprah recommended.

The Grand Lux Cafe was so good and had a ton of windows, which made the atmosphere great. We got there before the rush, and had a great time.

We did a little shopping and then ventured back to our hotel.

Saturday morning was raining. YUCK.

We had a late breakfast and then did an architectural boat tour. Total Tourist.We did our through The Chicago Architectural Foundation, and it was amazing.

The amount of information our tour guide, who is a VOLUNTEER, dispensed, was phenomenal. I was seriously as impressed by her as I was the buildings!

After our tour, we ate at Giordano’s and even got a frozen pizza to bring home.

And then we almost missed our plane because we went to get these.

But they were worth it!

I had a great time in Chicago with the girls. I think GIRL trips are ESSENTIAL!

I am thankful for my sweet friends, how they support and encourage me and how we have so much fun.

When is your next girl trip??

Last month was a busy, but fun month for us.  We finished up some projects in the house, which makes my heart SMILE! We were able to lay the flooring in the playroom and my soon to be office and Jason also put up the baseboards and quarter round.  It looks sooo good! I sold our couch on craigslist, but haven’t found a new one yet, so we are a little makeshift in the playroom! Oh well! I am super excited to move into my office and have a dining room soon. We are re-routing our cable and internet and once that is done, I am moving into my own separate office. This will be great for my homestudy appointments, since we meet at my office/home once.

So what was the reason for our frenzy of project finishing you ask??

Our dear friends, the Robertsons, were in town and we decided to have a Shrimp Boil to celebrate.  They are living in Houston and only get home a few times a year, so we asked some of Jason and Matt’s old college buddies, along with their families, to come and join us for a fun evening of food and fellowship.  Our turnout was low, but we still had a blast.  It is amazing to me to think that I have known Matt for around 15 years and Heather for around 12 years.  I love that we have been apart of their story from the beginning.  Matt was Jason’s college roommate and they worked together, as well. Matt continued to work for Jason’s family’s business well after college and we have been able to stay connected through marriages, babies and distance.  When we moved away to Cleveland, years ago, they were some of the few to come visit us….I guess we need to return the favor!

One of our greatest joys was seeing Matt become a Christ-follower when he, Jason and Melvin were golfing. To watch how he has grown in his relationship to Jesus, is leading his family and pouring into the lives of others, brings sweet tears to these eyes.  They were the first to have a baby of our crew and they blessed us by naming Andrew after Jason (Andrew is his middle name and Bradley’s as well.)  We have watched Heather grow from a teenager into a beautiful woman who loves her man, her children and Jesus.  As they struggle living far away, I have seen God work in them anew, as they seek to find His place for them in Houston. I have seen how He has provided amazing friends for Heather that I know are supportive of her and Matt.

To me, this is a relationship that is all about doing life together….even though we rarely are.  It is about investing for the long haul.  I am so thankful for their friendship and that we can truly be real with Matt and Heather. I am praying BIG, GOD sized things for them, no matter where they live.

I went really basic on the tables since we would be putting the food right on it! This is a cute little tray I found at Goodwill for 1.99!

The wind drove me crazy and kept messing with my table! Loved the daisies and bandana mix….

The Amazing Shrimp Boil…love this meal

This was about the only pic we got of even a few of the kids…they ran, explored, jumped, played basketball, rode….

I am loving our yard…after all the work, it is worth it!

Mollie loves the four wheeler…she just needed some steering assistance.

Matt, Jason, Philip

Zan, Heather, Me

We had such a great time, catching up and watching our children play…8 between us!

We really enjoyed a relaxing evening with our friends. It has been so long since we have entertained and I was reminded how much I love having people in our home.

This house is FINALLY feeling like home!

Last week we had our VBS style emphasis at our church, Lifepoint.  I helped coordinate all of our preschool workers and student volunteers. This year we opened up Pre-K to the community and had a great turnout! I got to love on some babies and toddlers, which was good. I am content in being able to love on them in doses and hand them back to mommy or daddy! We had around 800 kids on our two campuses and raised around $3800 for Haiti relief.

I love that our church focuses on children and students. I love that our kids worship with music that speaks to them, their age and their generation. The message is not watered down, which many often confuse with a hipper style of music or the use of lights and motions.  Our kids are learning to worship in spirit and truth and that following Jesus is about giving Him your life, not just a moment, a prayer or an acknowledgment.  They are learning what it means to follow Christ.  Last week they learned about Heroes in Scripture and their example. I am doubly excited to see our middle and highschoolers serving.  This week is possible because they sacrifice time at the pool, with friends, or hanging out in front of the tv for time spent investing in the lives of preschoolers and students. They are growing because they are serving Him.  Such a blessing to watch them grow in their journey with Jesus by being His hands and feet.

Emery was  on the praise team again this year and she did a great job!  It is so cute to watch her and we know that she is learning that leading others in worship is a privilege and that her role is to simply point others to Him.  No focus on self or on being the center of attention….at least that is our prayer.  Bradley was able to be in worship this year.  He came home singing some of the songs and talking about what he was learning, as well.  He told us all about, “the woaves and the fish.”  The girls were also able to invest in our neighbors this week. We don’t have many kids in our neighborhood, which is very evident in the summer.  Our neighbors had their nieces visiting and they came for two days.  The girls were so excited to be able to invite them. We are praying that they get to continue to see these sweet girls in the weeks to come!

Sunday, Parker and Emery had their good friend, Peyton, over for the afternoon. They played and hung out in Parker’s room and spent sometime outside. Jason and I were talking in our office and watching them play. We noticed that they had gathered their bench, two plastic bins, which they covered with a paint tarp and set it up at the end of our driveway.  I thought, “how cute, they are playing restaurant!”

Little did I know….

We walked outside and I heard them talk about having customers…..again, I am thinking RESTAURANT. Jason and I wander back inside and Parker comes in and shows us her sign that they had been showing passing cars.

It read….

Will Dance or Sing for Money

I wish I could adequately describe Jason’s face…he was truly at a loss for words! He informed Parker that “we didn’t, we don’t, umm….that’s not really appropriate.” I later found their list of songs they had written. They had a secular and a Christian set list.

Secular included: You are my Sunshine

Christian: Every move I make

So you be the judge: Innovative, Entrepreneurial or 8 year olds gone wild?

Bradley recently spent some time celebrating with his best good pal, Mason.  Mason had just turned three.  These two are a pair. Individually, they are a hand full!  Together, they are down right dangerous.  They have caused quite a bit of property damage, not to mention tried to turn Bradley’s bathroom into a “swimmin pool.”  They usually end up in Bradley’s shower, soaking wet!

Ryan and Marty got some great video of the two, in the latest sport craze…… Tackle Basketball…..

I can’t believe that I just wrote that.

He has been such a huge blessing, joy and completion to our family.

I remember so much about the day he was born, the nine months before that, the devestation of a miscarriage before that, and always the hope and prayer that God would give us a healthy baby.

We are so glad He gave us you, Bradley!

In this past year, you have continued to capture our hearts. You are all boy and everything you do is with energy and motion!  You love cars, trains, and any kind of ball.  You love to be outside and can often be found playing golf or shooting hoops!  You are full force and do not do things half hearted.  You love to wrestle with your daddy and the sisters when they will indulge you.  You refuse to go #2 in the potty.  This has shown your extreme stubborn side.  You are strong willed when you  have made your mind up about something.  You are a talker, as well. You talk all the time, in a deep voice, in a way that will probably require speech therapy!  But, I love it.  You can’t say your r’s or your l’s and it makes me melt.  You LOVE your mommy.  You give great hugs and sweet kisses.  You especially like to pray and always thank God for mommy and daddy.  I am so glad God ordained you to be in our famliy.

We celebrated Friday with my family since they were going out of town.  We also threw in a few friends and called it a birthday party!

I decided on a golf theme because recently, he has been a tad bit OBSESSED. He kept telling us he wanted blue golf clubs and white balls.

We found him a golf bag that is blue, since he really doesn’t need new clubs to replace his mini Nike clubs!

Here are some pictures:

The table setting..

My centerpiece- golf balls, tees and some shredded green filler! Bradley wanted his yellow practice balls thrown in, as well!

Trying out his new bike

Green and brown cake- I went for cute!

Checking out the candles, which were golf balls on tees!

His groupies....

Today, we went bowling!  Jason even dropped in at lunch!  He also had a few friends come and hang out with him to bowl a round!

He had to carry his own 9 lb ball..

Bowling was a big hit for the 3 year old boys! Bradley, Mason and Jonah were all about rolling the ball down the ramp!

Hanging with his Dad

He's a natural...

Quick picture of Jason and I with Bman.

Happy Birthday, Son!  I pray that you will be a lion chaser who leads this next generation to love God and serve others.  I pray that you will be bold in your love for Him and have a heart for the nations.  I am praying that you will reek of integrity, character and loyalty.  I am praying you will be a man who leads leaders, your family and those around you to a deeper walk with Christ. Love you Bradley!

To say that I am back in reality is putting it mildly! I just left the girl’s school, after picking Emery up, with Parker having a complete meltdown because she wanted to go with me. Then, Bradley cried half the way home for Parker. Emery was upset because her take home book from her teacher is way below her “skillz” and she was not happy about it!

So, since Calgon can’t take me away, I am going to settle for some beach pics!

The highlights of the week:

• Date night with Jason- I must say that it is nice to go with family or friends to the beach because you have a built in babysitter. We traded off date nights with the Hales and it worked out well. We ate at Landry’s, which is one of my favorites! It did not disappoint
• Riding the waves. I spent hours riding the waves at Myrtle Beach as a kid, so I have a deep love of doing this and watching my kids starting to learn! The waves at MB are so much better than Orange Beach. So, I spent some time braving the cold water and caught some waves!
• Eating out every night! Such a blessing to not cook.
• Watching the kids play with their friends. The kids were so good this trip. They all played well together. Poor B, got tattled on, continually. It was like having 5 sisters, as opposed to 2. He didn’t stand a chance!
• Being with friends. The Hales have been such great friends to us since we moved here, almost 5 years ago. Our girls have been bff’s since they were 2. We have been in small group with them, watched Nathaniel come on staff at our church, walked through the early years with twins with them, had countless laughs and gone on trips together! We value their friendship and feel very blessed to share life with them. We also got to spend time with the Sullivans. They are a precious young, married couple who celebrated their first anniversary while at the beach! We were amazed that they chose to spend time with us old married people with 6 kids between us! We had a lot of laughs and fun with our friends!
• Sleeing with the door open to the balcony and hearing the waves crash. LOVED IT!
• Having quiet moments with the Lord, early in the morning, listening to His Creation.
• Going to Alligator Adventure with the kids. We saw a lot of alligators and crocodiles. We also saw snakes and “wiserds” as B calls them. Loved being with my family.

Here are a few pictures (we didn’t get any formal shots on the beach this trip because we waited to the last few days and it was cloudy or rainy. Live and learn.)

Fudruckers Stylin Hat!

This is the kids at Alligator Adventure- a reptile zoo. This is what most of our pictures
look like with B!

Group Dinner!
Me, catching a wave!

Putt Putt Extravaganza

Bradley and Reese chasing each other, which they did for hours!

A rare moment!

They found a tunnel and proceeded to inspect it!

Filling up holes with water- hours of entertainment!

Evan, Emery and Parker- catching waves

Recovering from catching waves!
Ryan playing in the sand!

I am a beach person, if you have failed to figure that out from reading my blog. The beach and the ocean have a way of relaxing me, reminding me of the Greatness of our Creator and refocusing my heart, like few other settings can. I love the sand, the waves, the time with family, the time away.

So, are you a beachy person? What place relaxes you?

GP camp ended well, I must say! The kiddos had a great time with Grandad, playing putt-putt, bumper boats, video games and a few kiddie rides. He managed all three kids, all by himself, which is not an easy thing to do! The kids loved it!

Yesterday, we finished our week in Knoxville with a visit to our dear friends, the Swaffords. They are planting a church in Kingston, which is outside of Knoxville. They are living on the lake for now, so the kids had their first chance to tube behind o boat! I had no idea how they would respond, but they climb on without hesitation and had a blast! It is so fun to watch my kids be adventurous and unafraid on new things. I was a daredevil as a kid, but as I got older, I lost some of it! I liked to do adventurous things, but I would not take a chance, very often. I am praying that our kids are unafraid to venture out into the unknown, being willing to follow His lead, wherever it may lead them.
We love time with our friends, and yesterday was an amazing blessing.

We are settling in back at home. Jason has been at camp with our students all week! I love hearing the stories from camp and seeing how God changes lives through an intentional week, set aside to hear from Him. Camp sharing service is always one of the highlights of our year, for me. I was really bummed not to go, but I am realizing that with the 2 year old boy factor, it is harder to leave all three with the grandparents! He is a hand full and requires all of your attention! I was reminded that I have many years ahead of me for camp!

What an eventful week we have had in our household! We have had a busy few weeks and I am just amazed at how fast summer is going. Parker actually starts school in two weeks! She will be going to a year round school and I can’t believe how quickly that day is approaching. I am sure I will be blogging about our school choice and all the emotions surrounding the first day of school soon, but for now, I thought I would give a little recap!

Monday we celebrated Jason’s birthday by going out with some of our closest friends to one of his favorite spots, SATCO, otherwise known as San Antonio Taco Company. It is in the heart of Nashville, across the street from Vanderbilt. We ate out on the patio and had so much fun with our family and friends. We tried to go see a movie, but the entire movie theater was showing Transformers, which started before we got there. It was still a fun night!

On Wednesday, we celebrated the 4th with some friends at a cookout. We had a great little fireworks display. Emery was terrified last year and has been in the last few days, but she did great! Bradley, not so much! He heard the first boom and it was freaked out city for him!! So, I watched HGTV while everyone else went outstide!

Thursday morning I loaded up with the kids to head to East Tennessee for some grandparent time! Jason had taken off of work to get some much needed work done around the house, so I made his job easier by clearing out! Thursday I did some shopping with Mom to get the last of Parker’s school clothes and we had dinner with LuLu, Mom and Wally. The girls then went to LuLu’s to spend the night. Bradley, who stayed with Mom and LuLu while we were at camp, did not sleep great the whole time we were at Mom and Dad’s. I think he was afraid I would leave, so he did not want to sleep. It made for some rough day’s and nights!

On Friday, Mom and I went shopping again and the girls had a tea party with LuLu. I found some of my favorite flip flops, Yellow Box, on sale and grabbed them up! The girls had a great time!

Saturday, was a work day! My parents recently had their hardwood floors redone and the house repainted, so they had to take everything off the walls and all the furniture out. They are planning on moving next year, so they are beginning to downsize. We went through box after box to decide what went back in, what went in a garage sale box and what got thrown away. I am not sentimental and my mom is, so it was interesting at times! I called my sister and told her that she needed to be there!! We have a lot of cleaning out to do over the next year. I looked in my parent’s basement and saw my 9 year old niece’s infant car seat. I saw furniture that is probably 20 years old! I think we are going to have to get a dumpster delivered to the house to clear out a lot of stuff and have a massive garage sale!
While all the fun was going on, my dad took the girls to a park with water fountains they could play in and to McDonald’s. That evening, they went with their Grandad and Beth to see a movie and to their aunt’s house! They had a great time playing with their dogs, Rusty and Gabby.

We came home today and Jason had transformed my bathroom. He restained our vanity, painted and caulked the trim, tiled around our bathtub and framed the mirror over the vanity! It looked really great! He also began painting the trim in our downstairs and touched up a lot of paint throughout the house. He also changed out some light plates! He worked so hard and I am so thankful he is such a worker around the house!

We have had a great week! I am going to post about camp soon. It was a great time for us and our students.