beginning a new season

Here I am, again, 

sitting at this little notebook,

wanting to write out a few feelings,

thoughts, and experiences as of late.

I am peering out of our big, dining room windows,

at the smoky thunderclouds rolling in,

in our new quirky cottage under the big oak tree.

Occasionally, I am snapped out of a day dream to the shrieks

and laughter of the girls dancing in their dainty bedroom 

which is now a good mix of 

Paris,

Pandas,

Pink,

Pale Green,

and 

Horses.

Outside, the cool wind is dancing through the trees,

 grasping at little leaves and carrying them across my view.

For the past three weeks, this has been our home,

we are settling slowly, into a new place,

with new faces, places, and food, good good food. 

This little place has lots of little rooms, 

and every room needs a little bit of love.

And I hope to document the changes and love added here, 

because I am excited at the transformations taking place in the near future.

When we bought this house, we had such a mix of feelings,

it wasn't the giddiness of the first house, 

it wasn't the easy excitement of a brand new house

(and this house is no Schuber Mitchell),

it was eagerness to live together in our new city,

it was nervousness about taking on a "fixer upper" without Chip and Jojo's help,

it was a bummer at the state of the little place,

and the constant flood of ideas for the potential.

So quietly, holding hands, we waded into this new season together.

But it is merely "brick and mortar" a place to be together,

and even though it needs quite a bit of love 

and the backyard has been let go for +5 years,

thats enough time for random small trees to be a nuisance, 

we have lots of love for it!

For Mother's Day this year I asked for flowers to plant,

I will be asking for this every year.

By our little lamp post,

which is constantly covered in bird poo from a fat, greedy robin,

my girls each picked a flower,

yellow dahlias,

light pink petunias,

and violet bacopas,

to plant. 

Right out of my dining room window, I get to watch those flowers,

(and that robin, he has become just a silly bird to us),

and I am thankful for this quirky place,

this neighborhood with its tall trees and kind folk,

this city and our season to love well here.

a big hunk of catch up

Hello friends!!!

My stars, it has been a while since swept off this dusty corner of the internet. 

This morning as the girls went about playing, I began researching a few things on the www's and ended up here, reading old posts, mourning a lack of desire to keep up with this place, and feeling a desire to play catch up right now.

This week marked 1 year since we packed up our little grey house in Oklahoma and moved our little family to Missouri, and it has been quite a year.

A year of travel :: we loved it and are always on the lookout for more adventures. We were blessed to have gotten to go to Colorado for a couple weeks in the mountains, across the ocean for 10 days to Osaka, Japan, Cincinnati for Christmas, and little trips to Arkansas, Tulsa, and Kansas City. My oldest often asks "What's our next adventure, Mama?"

A year of healing and growth :: everyone deals with hardships and sufferings of different kinds, but this year, especially, God's grace and love has been made known to me like never before. There are still days when the wound opens because of some memory, or someone's comments and the hurt comes back, but He is still there, and still good. New Year's Eve, best friend and I went on a date, and I remember making the comment "Boy, so glad this year is over!" and for him to look at me and remind me of all the good that came and continues to come, all the answered prayers, all the fun. So thankful for my best friend.

A year of new passions ::  Home based education has been a new found joy this year!! We all have been able to discover things we love and new avenues to serve in doing things we have always enjoyed!

A year of awesome kids :: every year I think they are awesome, and there is so much truth to each new stage is my favorite. And while Pip is the "most toddleriest toddler" we have ever experienced, she is also the sweetest little lovey girl. We love getting know these girls everyday! 

And I hope we will continue to live with thankful hearts, and joyful spirits feeling at peace in His Grace, ready to do all He asks!  

Have a fantastic weekend! I have missed this little space! Thanks for reading! 

 ::eden

my best friend

Today, I am thankful for this guy:

Really I am thankful for him every day,

yep it's cheesy,

but every single day I am thankful to have him as my best friend.

It's so fun to remember all of our time together.

The awkward picture my dad asked for as juniors,

ciy summer conference 2003
photo cred - my dad

the still awkward interaction on a church trip as seniors.

Then going to the same college next semester,

and the giddiness I felt when I walked into my very first class,

and Mr. Greer sat down in front of me!

Followed by years of marriage, babies, 

and loads of laughing.

we're engaged!

I love this guy!

I admire his servant heart,

always doing the jobs others don't want to do.

I am encouraged by his diligence,

working hard even when it seems fruitless.

He is steady and loyal.

I say this quite often because 

I feel so strongly about its truth,

he is the FUNNIEST person I have ever met,

and laughing is one of my most favorite things!

photo via Lane Moss Photography

While our life together hasn't been easy,

its been fun, full of growing and little girls.

We are stronger because of it all,

and we will continue to grow our love.

Bud,

I have been greatly blessed to have you as my husband,

the "Yea Yea" to our girls,

my pilot on our adventures,

and  my best friend.

Thank you for working so hard for us,

for loving us so abundantly,

and for leading us boldly.

Yours Forever

Who are you thankful for today?

sunset at the pier

Now, I really really love grey fall mornings,

but today,

today I am missing the beach.

I miss it's simplicity and warmth.

Back on our vacation,

we had the most wonderful evening on the pier 

watching the sun set over the water,

following a pod of dolphins,

and enjoying the fishermen's show.

i spy a dorsal fin

our walk back to our hotel along the beach was quiet and special.