Adia and i had a tea party today while her sisters were off at a friend's birthday. it was so fun spoiling Adia, my third child, and give her a little "lovin". she's so adorable! i love her so much!

what a day! i love it when the cabinets are running empty, fridge is getting bare, and then we get to go shopping and load it all up again! that's really when i feel well-loved and taken care of, for sure! yep, today is that day! i also got a new craft for ember to do--popsicle sticks and glue! oh man....she is creative! she was making letters and whatnot...i was pretty impressed! fun times, i have lots of VBS memories with popsicle sticks and glue...just the smell brings it all back!

i keep on forgetting that it's july. every night it gets down in the 70's and it's really enjoyable! so lately my favorite time of the day is around 7-8pm when i can go outside and breathe and be alone or with my hubby. very nice indeed!

here's a pic of adia--she's getting so big!--she says she's 3 already, and i correct her, saying
"you turn 3 in november!"
she rebuttles "no i'm not ember!"
oi! :)

5 Things i love, Friday!

1. i love my daughter ember--she's 5 and coming alive with life, imagination, creativity! i love her and this stage that she's in! so much fun!! she went to bed last night telling me she couldn't wait to find fireflies and catch them in a jar and make them a home! what a sweetie!

2. july--this is the coolest july yet and i love it here in south carolina! windows open at night...it's really really nice!

3. quiet mornings--nothing like a good meditation, coffee sippin morning time!

4. cleaning, yup--nothing makes me feel better faster!

5. good friends--props to j&j, can't wait to hang out/eat tonight!!

Today, wasn't such a normal day.....last night a migraine headache woke me up at 4:30am....ew and ow! hurt so much i threw up...yep...very bad. so rye let me sleep in...and all day i felt "out of it" and my head felt like it had a major work-out....weird. what are migraine's anyways? what causes them and why do they happen? so weird...

but i had fun with the kiddos anyways...we made homemade playdough...ivory picked the color yellow for it, which was very appropriate...they love to make spaghetti and various foods with their playdough...too bad Brighten likes to eat it no matter what it looks like! :)

"Finding Nemo" is the movie we watch every day around here....thank God for friends who let us borrow that movie! (jenn!-life saver!) ember prefers the full screen version vs. the wide screen. ( i agree on that...who cares if i'm missing the whole picture...it's BIGGER!)

so yeah, good day....i went and got WIC vouchers and found that we now get cash vouchers for fruits and veggies! that made my day when i went to redeem them, i bought the girls a big thing of strawberries, real corn on the cob and more....we feasted tonight, it was so much fun...they all loved the corn...husking and all! :) i love july!

"Captivating"

yes, i am reading this amazing book by john and stasi eldredge! i am halfway through it and i am already highly recommending this book! my favorite part so far is a reference to "kisses from God"--stasi talks about how john went to the ocean and the Lord gave him a "kiss" by having a huge whale show up (it was neither migration season or a reason for that whale being there!)--so stasi went to the beach asking for a "kiss" from the Lord--she didn't get a whale but saw a beautiful starfish! she was blessed and kept walking, turned a corner and got a whole beach-full of starfishes!-all ranging in different colors! she was completely wowed!

i have my own "kiss" from the Lord story---and i still want more! it was about 5-6 years ago, living in Sheboygan, WI....went for a walk on the beach, and took my camera--felt compelled to do so, and i just had this feeling that i was going to find something from the Lord. i kept walking (i was 8 mo pregnant with ember at the time) and was just about to get off the beach when lo and behold there in the sand was written:

"YOU MAKE MY WORLD HAPPY!"

i was speachless and so overwhelmed and excited with the Love the Lord had for me! wow...really? i do? woah!
how has the Lord given you a kiss? please share!

5 things i love Friday!

1. having a creative outlet....this season it's bread! i'm experimenting with artisan bread/sponge starter!! yum!

2. Fresh basil from the garden!

3. $5 movies--just bought "March of the penguins" at kmart!

4. planting/growing flowers!-just bought more potting soil to do so! yay!

5. asking God for "impossible" things!--it's an invitation to be wowed!

Isaiah 40

"Comfort, yes, Comfort my people!" says your God.
"Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins."

Isaiah 61:7,8
"Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs."
"For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth, and will make them an everlasting covenant."

These verses stand out to me today, through a dream i had this morning....may they speak comfort to you as well!