Easter | 2017

we spent Easter sunday with mom's side at mema's like we always do. the weather was perfect for an egg hunt, so we stuffed over 100 plastic eggs with coins and hid them all over mema's yard. it's been so fun to continue this tradition with our kiddos. and, i especially enjoy looking back over pictures from past years watching our family expand every year. 

[2015]

taking stock | my boys

These boys - my heart. 

Mikey, I know it can't last forever (or can it?), but I sure have enjoyed having you home over the past few weeks. You're good to me, to us. You love us well and I know that we'll look back on our "early retirement" with a smile.

Mosie Mo, four and half is tough. You're stretching us and challenging us daily. You're smart...so smart. We've loved learning about the things you're interested in (currently, volcanoes) and are so enjoying seeing your little mind grow. You're fun and interesting. You love the kid fit class at the gym and are the coolest ninja warrior we know. You're a daddy's boy, through and through and would probably attach yourself to his hip if you could. 

Solly Mack, 2.5 is my favorite age on you! You're kind and sweet. You are the loviest boy we have, by far. You tell me and daddy all the time (unprompted) that you love us. You're considerate in ways that I never would've thought a two year old would be. You're such a sweet middle brother - you love and look up to Amos and you're the best big brother to Ez. Y'alls relationship is one of my favorite things in the world right now. 

Ez-a-roo, you happy, happy boy! You are strong and rough, but also the snuggliest boy I've got. You have a ton of words, can climb up and down our entire staircase (17 stairs) unassisted (we're right with you, but you do it alone), are pulling up & cruising, and sleep through the night. We love who you are and how you fit perfectly as the 3rd brother. 

the pursuit of bravery

what does it mean to be brave? who has a right to claim it as one of their own defining qualities? does bravery stem from our actions, or is it deeper? is bravery even important any more? i believe that bravery can be found in a lot of places and in a lot more hearts than we give credit. for bravery isn't about not feeling fear, but over coming it because we have a reason to do so. maybe the first step towards bravery is solidifying what you find beautiful and what you'd risk everything to protect or to see come to pass. foundationally pursing bravery is about pursing love. i think we're all brave deep down because we love. it takes bravery to tell someone you love them for the first time and it takes bravery to choose to continuously walk out that love, come what may. often it takes bravery to tell the truth or to speak up for what you believe it to be. it takes bravery to make a new place your home. it takes bravery to read a poem or to play a song in front of others. and it takes bravery to first pour your heart into the lines and to then step back and to look at what you've created. because often, or i'd say usually we're our own worst critics. and perhaps often the biggest fears we hold and the greatest barriers to our own dreams are the ones we've imagined for ourselves when we saw the world at it's darkest & it's most cynical. and certainly there is darkness and hate and discouragement on this earth and there are barriers to pursuing what we love. but i also believe there is hope. i believe that love can conquer death and move mountains and that dreams are powerful. i believe that perfect love casts out fear. CS Lewis wrote, "courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at its testing point." Aristotle believed that courage was the greatest quality of the mind next to honor and that one would never do anything in the world without it. i think it takes courage and bravery to dream. however, it takes no bravery to tear apart the dreams of others. it takes no bravery to passively criticize our nation or our culture or the church or even the frailty of our own hearts. it takes bravery to tear down only when paired with the intent to pull yourself in the pursuit of rebuilding something more beautiful. it takes bravery when you risk looking like a fool, or failing, or being hurt for something or someone you love. but i believe that love is worth the risk...

perhaps the unknown is the most beautiful part of any journey & simultaneously, perhaps the unknown holds the greatest potential for fear. but, i believe that love makes the dark places bright & every journey in it's pursuit worth taking. 

currently

currently...

reading: Southern Living

playing: Sister Hazel (on pandora) 

watching:  John Adams 

trying: to cook every night / eat in 

cooking: [crockpot] bbq chicken, corn on the cob, brussels .. 

eating: tortilla chips + homemade guac 

drinking: coffee, ginger ale & coke zero + lime 

calling: the Greenville Midwifery center 

texting:  haley, amber & ashton // amber & alexa 

pinning:  house things / recipes ... not pinning much these days tho

planning: lake weekends, baby showers, late spring trips (NYC!), girls weekend 

crafting: Easter eggs

doing: photo shoots 

going:  (summer) dress shopping soon

loving:  this weather

hating:  being nauseous almost every night (instead of morning sickness, i experience "nighttime nausea") 

(re)discovering: that you make time for what's important 

enjoying: having my mike home all day almost every day 

hoping:  to be more intentional with our friends

celebrating: baby Hattie & baby Charlotte // Easter 

smelling:  April rain 

thanking: mikey for all of the hard work he's put in at the white house lately 

considering:  eating all of the Easter candy #sendhelp 

finishing: outside work at the white house -- the shed & chicken coop 

starting:  to lay out art / photos to hang on the walls (finally) 

Easter egg fun

yesterday we dyed Easter eggs with our buds. i think we ended up with about 18 eggs that i dyed myself, more cracked eggs than i could keep count of and a handful that have assorted carrot, bunny and egg stickers on them. i think the kids more enjoyed having a crowd to play with than they did dying eggs, but that's ok. we'll take our partially dyed, mostly cracked, some-what stickered eggs to the hunt on sunday and be happy to have them! (: