An Open Letter To My Graduating Senior {Thoughtful Thursday}

Hey there friends! Well, here we are again. Preparing for another high school graduation. It seems like yesterday that we just did this, but in reality it was two years ago!! Time moves so quickly these days, that I feel I must pay close attention or it will all become a blur. 

There is something that happens to us mamas when are babies are about to leave the nest. It's odd, and hard to explain, but it's real. It happened two years ago and it's happening again. 

So, I am writing this letter to my graduate to try to make some sense of this strange phenomenon.

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Another Year Older

A couple of months ago our oldest turned 20. And just this weekend our daughter turned 18. 18 and 20? How is that possible?? Seriously it was just yesterday that they came home from the hospital right? 

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How'd We Do In 2015

Good morning friends and Happy New Year! 

I've never been one to write down goals in the past, but here on the blog I have. And, honestly, it's interesting to go back and look at where I was a year ago and where I am now.

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Hello There!

Hello there my friends! It's been a great summer here and I hope it was for you as well! The kids are in their second week of school this year and we are all adjusting to the schedule. I have so many things to share with you! I plan to get back to a more regular posting schedule after my boy goes back to Boston next week. I have missed writing here! Today I just thought I would pop in and share how the family is doing! :) 

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Loving The Home I Have

For years I struggled with dis-contentment. In the last couple of years, God has really helped me to see the blessings right in front of me. Including our current home. Like many people, when we moved here we never intended for it to be our forever home. And, maybe it won't be, but maybe it will. 

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Thoughts on Thursday

Not gonna say this is a series, but God has placed some things on my heart lately that I have wanted to share, so I am. :) This week a sweet, encouraging friend posted a comment on my facebook page related to my last post.

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Pressing On and Refocusing

Hello there friends.  I hope everyone had a lovely time celebrating the holidays with family and friends!  We sure did!!  We also did a whole lot of nothing, and it was great. But, I have to admit, one more day of it might have made me internally combust!  I need a project, but what I need more is some quiet so my brain can focus. So, I had planned on coming to you today with some great post about our plans around here for the new year. But instead this

and some bullets.

• Spending more time with my Lord.  Reading the Bible and in prayer.  Working on refocusing my attention away from worldly things.

• Family Room update - there are lots of ideas swimming around in my head for this room, many of which were re-kindled after seeing this year's HGTV dream home.  Have you seen it?  Cape Cod beach home at it's finest!

• Kids/Guest Bath overhaul - this involves plumbing, tiling, and building. It may actually happen sooner than later, since I think I discovered a leak yesterday...
• Pressing on with JOY through all the breakdowns.  And, I'm not talking emotional ones.  Although there may be a couple of those too if things don't stop breaking down - appliances, cars, other house things like leaks.  

Number one for me this year, I am fixing my eyes on Jesus, and pressing on. 

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of god.  -Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus.  -Philippians 3:14 (NASB)

God doesn't ask for lofty goals or resolutions, but just calls for us to fix our eyes on Him and press on toward something greater - a deeper walk with Him.  

There will definitely be home things happening this year!!  Once I get my desk and my mind cleared!!  Anyone else out there feel a little scattered after Christmas break??

Merry Christmas!

I love this time of year!  I love spending time with family!  I love giving presents!  I even enjoy the hunt for just the right gift that I know my loved ones will be super excited about!

Last night I awoke with a fright!  Feeling that I had forgotten something for Christmas! So I quickly scanned the list in my head and realized what I had missed!  

This year has been busier than most and in the midst of that business, I realized I had not fully prepared for the greatest gift.  The gift of Jesus Christ.  How often do we come to this place at Christmas?  

Today we will spend the day making final preparations for tomorrow, spending quality time with the ones we love, and most importantly preparing our hearts to receive the gift of Jesus. I pray that you and yours will get lost in the wonder of it all with us!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!  

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

I hope you enjoyed the tour of our Christmas-ified home! Today we are here to talk trees.  :)

Our Christmas tree is a labor of love.  A family labor of love.  You may not find it on the pages of a magazine, but it is perfectly loved by this family, and perfectly beautiful to me.  

So much a tradition that our college freshman son INSISTED on decorating the tree while he was home for Thanksgiving - a three and a half day break - one of those days being Thanksgiving.  And, of course we did!!

We have a 9 1/2 ft slim tree that is packed full of ornaments.  Every single ornament has some sort of memory or meaning to them.  Some are ornaments given to me or my hubby when we were teachers.  Others have been gifts from friends and family.  Some are ornaments we have purchased to remember and event or trip. Many or ornaments the kids have made at school or church.  The only 'fluff' ornaments on there are ones my hubby and I collected at after-Christmas sales early on in our marriage.  And, even those aren't really fluff because they remind me of our beginnings.  

The ornament on the bottom right is a new addition this year.  Given to me by one of my dearest friends and prayer partners (there are four of us, and we each got one) as a reminder of the bond that only God could have created.  We have prayed each other through SO many things.

So, there you have it.  A collection of love and memories that I love unpacking every year. {click here to see the easy and inexpensive way we store our ornaments each year} 

These memories are the reason I can't wait to get the tree up (the day after Thanksgiving of course), and why it stays up at least until New Years, and sometimes past.  Well, that and the lights.  I love twinkle lights.  Ahhh.

Since my kiddos were small they have had their own trees in their rooms which they help choose how to decorate.  It's fun to see their little personalities come out every year.  This year was hard for mama because I pretty much had to make them decorate them.  But, by golly the trees were going in.  

Even in my daughter's packed tight room we got in a little tree with twinkle lights.  

Trying my best to keep the wonder of the season in the hearts of these too-cool teenagers, and pre-teen!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Linking up with Thrifty Decor Chick's Christmas Tree Party / Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop / Inspiration Monday Party / That {Holiday} DIY Party / Link Party Palooza