our story // Scott and Becca

     Scott and I met last 4th of July, through a mutual friends huge annual picnic. As it turns out, they were our only mutual connection at the time. :) 
     I struggle with being very shy, so the whole day I was hanging out with my mom and Aunt, or holding my baby sister, instead of socializing. I wasn't really excited to spend the whole day around a crowd of people, but looking back I am so incredibly glad my family decided to attend. 

     Apparently, Scott was watching me that day, but I never even noticed, and he was too shy to introduce himself at the time. So instead of coming to talk to me, he and a friend found me online... We have since talked about it, and if Scott had tried to talk to me that day, I honestly would have probably not encouraged him at all, because I am shy and not very comfortable talking to guys in general.

      So, we both ended up going home, and I had no idea he was about to rock my world! two days later, I got a text message through my Google account from Scott, introducing himself and explaining that he had really wanted to talk to me, but hadn't, and wondering if I would be interesting in talking. I immediately freaked out! My family has always had a strict "no private contact with the opposite gender "  policy, and a guy I didn't know at all had just randomly contacted me. I knew I had to talk to my dad before replying to him and I was honestly very nervous about how my dad would respond. So I took almost 24 hours to just pray about it before finally feeling a peace about talking to my dad. I emailed him at work, and awaited a response. (So he would have time to think about it and calm down before we talked. haha) 

     My parents were obviously concerned, wondering who this guy was, and we contacted our friends to ask about him. They reassured us that he was a real person, not a stalker, and they attended Church with him. But didn't have too many other details for us. After much consideration, my parents decided that I should reply, and then decided that we needed to meet as soon as possible.

     We met at the river for a picnic six days later, and it was the most nerve-wracking situation. We chose not to tell any of my siblings what was going on, so they were blissfully unaware of the tension going on. I was shaking so bad from nerves when they arrived, and held Lydia almost the entire time to try to mask that. He claims that he was as nervous as I was, but he is way better at faking calm than I am! We didn't talk a lot, (Even after my mother insisted I leave her alone and go sit by him! :) but it was reassuring to know that he was a normal, sane person. I was also somewhat reassured by the fact that the first personal question he asked me was for my testimony. 

     And so, that started a slow, cautious  correspondence between us. It started with chatting online a couple hours a week, and spending time with my family every couple weeks. That changed into phone calls and more involved conversations. 

 

     And eventually, I realized that he was the person I looked forward to talking to the most. That he was always in my thoughts, and it didn't matter what I was doing or who I was with, somehow I was always thinking about him. My parents asked me to keep out friendship between just our families for the first eight months, because we weren't officially in a relationship, just cautiously getting to know each other with that possibility in the back of our minds. It was so hard not to talk about him, when I was thinking about him so much! :) I had to constantly stop sentences short in normal conversations with girlfriends because he was such a huge part of my life!

     Then, on March 25th, we met with my parents to talk about where we were in our friendship, and it was a whirl-wind of a conversation, but by the end of it, Scott and I officially had permission to court!! We were so excited and happy to begin this new part of our relationship. And it meant that I was finally allowed to talk about him, and that we would also be able to spend more time together! 

      So we continued spending time together, with my family, I began occasionally attending his Church, and starting to get to know some of the people on his end. (He lives about an hour drive away from me.). 

 

     In the five months we courted, we fell completely in love with each other. I can honestly say that he is my best friend, and my favorite person in the world! There is nobody I would rather be with! 

     On September 16, 2016, Scott took me out for a "date." We were going to dinner, the beach on the river and then a movie. But once we finally left my house, he started stressing about not having time to get dinner and then see the sunset at the river, so we decided to just go to the river first. (Although both of us were very hungry!) We ended up wading out into the river and just making small talk. (I think he was really excited and nervous. But he knew I was was going to say yes... :) Finally he started to tell me how much he loved me and a lot of other beautiful things I can't remember at all! (I was too excited to pay super close attention.) And then suddenly he was holding out the most beautiful ring and asked me to marry him. I said "OF COURSE!" ;)

And now we are planning a wedding, our home, and to spend absolutely forever together!

l i f e // november

    

I kind of feel like this season of life should be officially renamed from "engaged" to "Wedding Planning!"I'm always working on it, and  have to consciously make an effort to not talk about it constantly. Its honestly astonishing how many thousands of details and decisions there are to be made. I have lists everywhere which is helping,  but we have to decide everything from shiny tulle or matte tulle, to his wedding band, to what kind of dessert we'll be serving.There are so many things we don't have figured out yet, like honeymoon plans, and what time we're having the wedding... (On a side note, I did my passport application today... even though we don't know where we're going yet. And I was happy the photograph didn't turn out as awful as I've heard most do. ;) 

    I am so excited to get to marry my best friend, (92 days!) and I cannot wait until our wedding day. But lately I've been thinking so much about after the wedding and honeymoon are over. The weeks and months after we say "I do" and real life begins. People keep asking me if I'm nervous to get married. And I'm not nervous at all about marrying Scott. I am completely at peace with the decision to get married, and I'm beyond excited to be his wife and spend forever with him. 
     The only part that makes me nervous at this point is learning to run a household by myself, (obviously with him, but I mean without my mom overseeing things.) and everything that entails. Having to decide what to do for meals every.single.day! Finding a balance between working, and keeping the house together. But I keep hearing that it'll be fine, we'll figure out how to make everything work, and things will settle down into a routine. My sister-in-law and a couple friends have been a huge help with it comes to questions about all that. :)

     Its so strange to think about the fact that in three months I won't be living with my family. I won't be doing any of my normal routine, nannying for my cute kiddos, running siblings around, or the endless laundry. The people I nanny for are starting to look for a new Nanny.  Last month I visited my best friend, Hannah, for a long weekend, and it felt so odd, because its one of the last times we'll hang out just being girly like that. 

anyhow, what has been happening in your life lately? 

xx

the beginning of forever // an announcement

        

 Scott Weston and I are officially engaged to be married!

On September 16th, he put the most beautiful sparkly ring on my finger, and asked me to marry him, and I said yes, of course! :)

We have been engaged for 24 days, and I am still amazed every-time I glance down and see my ring and realize again that I get to marry the most wonderful man in the world and spend absolutely forever with him!

And to answer some questions we've been getting over and over:
How We Met
Scott and I met through a mutual friends 4th of July picnic in 2015, although he was too shy to introduce himself at the time. Instead, he and a friend found me online and he messaged me two days later. A week later, after praying about it, talking to my parents, checking on him with our friends, and thinking about it a lot, our families met for a picnic so that the two of us could officially meet. And that started a slow friendship that blossomed into love!

How long have you been together?
We began courting at the end of March. We realized that we were more than just friends at that point, and together with my parents decided to move forward with our relationship. 

 

When Is the Wedding?
We are planning our wedding for the third weekend of February. :) That's 131 days, and it feels like forever, but everyone says that it will go by so fast! :)

How did he propose?
Scott and I had planned a date night, and he told me he wanted to take me to dinner, and then to a beach down at the Columbia that we found last month and loved, to watch the sunset, and then to see a movie he was excited about. I was excited for a relaxed evening, just spending time together. He came up to my house to pick me up, and we ended up spending over an hour sitting in our backyard with my mom and siblings, just visiting and hanging out together. Then we left to go to dinner,  and on the way he started stressing a little bit that we were going to miss the sunset. So we decided to go to the river first, and we both took our shoes off and waded out into the water. He was acting a little bit nervous, and we just stood there and talked about nothing in particular. and then he started telling me how much he loved me and a lot of other things I honestly can't remember, and then he pulled the most beautiful ring out of his pocket and held it out to me and asked me to marry him! and I said " Of course!!" and he slipped it on my finger and we were officially engaged! We hugged and smiled like crazy and were both pretty excited. And then we hurried to dinner because we were both incredibly hungry! :)

Our engagement photos were taken by Emily Coder. She did a fabulous job and they turned out sooo cute!

We are in the middle of wedding planning, and all the details that entails, plus getting our little house ready. I'm so excited  and cannot wait to start our lives together! :)

xx, 

its a girl thing // polka dots

 

Outfit details:

Skirt: Handmade Circle Skirt

Shirt: Fred Myers

Boots: Famous Footwear

Today was a most perfect first day of fall. Sunny, but cool and crisp. I was nannying this morning, working on scoring math pages for mom this afternoon, and am headed out the door in a little while for a girls night out with my sister-in-law. All things considered, its been a good day! :) My whole family has been sick for a couple weeks, but everyone is finally on the mend, which is wonderful, and its been nice to be busy again this week. I just bought these boots, and I have to say I am very happy with them. They're adorable and surprisingly comfortable. 

How was your summer?

xx

thoughts on hard days

This quote has been on my mind a lot lately. I have had a pretty hard week; dealing with a bad allergic reaction, running around a lot to different jobs, and then hormones and cramps thrown in there for good measure, all jumbled together to make me frazzled and stressed. I am realizing that  I have been letting little things get under my skin, one annoying conversation or a sibling playing the same three note "song" for the twelfth time in a row, a hurtful comment, or even just a headache, and I am letting them ruin my whole day, and then I excuse my wrong attitudes and behavior, pushing the blame off on anybody else. So I have been thinking about this; Is it really a bad day, out of my control? Or was it just hard for a few minutes and can I brush it off, pray about it and push through the rest of the day with a good attitude?

the art of being rediculous

John is my trusty photographer. He is sweet and always agrees, and is very gracious by while I change settings, check the lighting and poses and exclaim about how creepy and awkward I look. He just rolls his eyes and snaps another twenty photos. And somehow, with how many pictures we take, its amazing how few "acceptable" ones we get. I think it's a combination of my awkward personality, his laughing at me, and how short my attention span is; because most of the photos we capture end up being entirely ridiculous. Now I'm wondering... do I really appear this ditzy in real life, or just whenever a camera appears. :)

the many faces of james

James is a bundle of crazy energy. He's incredibly intelligent, has the vocabulary of a much older child, and is rather hilarious. He can be super sweet, and then turn around and be all boy. I don't think I've ever gotten him to pose with anything resembling a normal smile. James has the knack of being able to drive me absolutely insane and also make me melt with his cuteness. This morning he told Mama that she looked cool; because girls say pretty and beautiful, and boys say cool and awesome. He's pretty awesome. :)

its a girl thing // cranberry

this i need to do this afternoon:

* finish scoring the kiddo's math pages

* fold and put away the mountain of clothing that is currently covering my bed. 

* laundry

* play with my puppy.

places I'd rather be today:

* the beach. always the beach.

* Paris

* Italy

* Goldendale

simple things i love at the moment:

* lemonade

*captain crunch cereal

*morning coffee, afternoon coffee, after dinner coffee

* the sound of the rain outside my window

*listening to Lydia pretend to talk on the phone

* ice cream

* watching my siblings watch a movie

How to Get Dressed // Book Review

 



How to Get Dressed 
by Alison Freer

Costume Designer Alison Freer's styling kit is a magic bag of tricks, built to solve every single wardrobe malfunction on earth. TV and film productions wait for nothing, so her solution have to work fast. In How to Get Dressed Alison distills her secrets into a fun, comprehensive style guide focused on rethinking your wardrobe like a fashion expert and making what's in your closet work for you.

    ...instead of repeating boring style "rules" Alison breaks the rules and gets real about everything from bras to how to deal with inevitable fashion disasters. Including helpful information such as how to skip ironing and the dry cleaners, remove every stain under the sun and help clueless men get their sartorial acts together, How to Get Dressed has hundreds of insider tips from Alison's arsenal of tools and expertise.

- From the back cover

I'd never read a fashion book before, but was interested in a review by one of my favoritest bloggers, so I started reading this with high hopes. The book itself is adorable, with gold and polka dot accents all the way through. I love books that are not only interesting, but are also designed attractively and adorable, and this book was both! And her tips and tricks are insanely practical. It's stuff real people can use, not a book of designer clothing and tips only people with a huge budget can use. Practical advice for using what you have, altering to make things more flattering, and what to buy intentionally instead of just splurging on lots of stuff, 
     I would definitely recommend this book to those interested in dressing intentionally and learning to be practical, frugal, and comfortable with their wardrobe.

These are a few of my favorite things // 07

+ reading books with Lydia
+ being busy
+ late night ice cream
+ funny conversations with James {4}
+ solving problems
+ deep cleaning
+ strawberry acacia refreshers from starbucks
+ warm weather with blue skies!!
+ thousands of daisies on our property
+ sunsets
+ the Psalms
+ dancing
+ old movies (Cary Grant, Gregory Peck and Audry Hepburn.)
+ P.G. Wodehouse
+ playing old piano pieces
+ picking up my flute again (and remembering why I stopped playing. Hyperventilating isn't very fun. :)

ten ways to improve an off day // a list

1. Read some Psalms
Sometimes, it's better to skip reading Leviticus and read some Psalms instead. 

2. Listen to happy music.
Some of my favorite happy music include  The Vitamin String Quartet, Frank Sinatra and Michel Buble, and Jadon Lavik.

3. Drink more coffee. (or whatever you're into.)
I usually try to limit my coffee consumption to just the morning before 11:00, because I don't really need it after that and I will just end up acting like the squirrel from Over The Hedge and then deteriorating into a shaky mess if I drink it all day. But some cold, dark afternoons I just really need to give myself permission to have another cup of coffee!

4. Make a list of things you're grateful for.
 I started keeping a gratitude journal after reading One Thousands Gifts and getting inspired. And it helps a lot on days when I am sad, or just down because of the weather. (Please tell me I am not the only person who struggles with it being dark, depressing and cold outside!)

5. Bake something yummy.
Like these Lemon scones with lemon glaze that I made this afternoon. Because for some reason lemon is such a happy flavor to me.

6. Be productive.
Write a To-do list and try to complete as much as possible. For weirdos like me, the act of crossing something off of a list is such a rewarding feeling that it literally makes me giddy sometimes. 

7. Curl up with a good book
Right now I am reading The Reason: How I discovered a Life Worth Living by Lacey Sturm. Its her autobiography from a abused, suicidal teen to a redeemed, forgiven woman. But for just a feel good book on an off day? Christy by Cathrine Marshall, or Anne of Green Gables is always a good idea.

 

8. Do something that makes you feel pretty.
Curl your hair, apply some happy lipstick (this morning I put on barbie pink. ;), paint your nails, wear heels! Its such a silly thing, but sometimes doing something extra will really help improve your mood.


9. Do something happy for someone else.
It gets your focus off of your hard day, and brightens someone else's. Pay for the person behind you at Starbucks, paint your sisters nails, send a quick text to someone you miss, tell someone "I love you!" put together a random email of ridiculous pins and quotes for your bestie, find something to do for someone you love. :)


10. Eat Ice cream
This one is from three of my little siblings, but basically it's what I would say too. Ice cream is always a good idea. :)

its a girl thing // silver and blue

 

Sweater: Kohls

Skirt: handmade

Cami: Forever 21

Sandels: Fred Myer

    This was my outfit for a normal Saturday around the house baking and babysitting this afternoon. For the past year or so, I have been freezing cold all of the time, so even though the sun was shining, I was  perfectly comfortable in my sweater. The little girl I was watching thought I was crazy and should go home to put a tank top on. ;)

    This skirt is making me so happy at the moment. My mama agreed to make circle skirts for the ballet studio my sisters dance with for their recitle. 50+ skirts to be exact. She has perfected the art of figuring them out, and I decided that I needed some summery skirts that were light and fun. So I made a couple one day this week, and this gray and silver pattern was one of them. It is, lovely, lightweight and I am very happy with it. (Today I am wearing a navy and white polka dotted one that also makes me very happy. ;) 

How are you revamping your wardrobe for summer?

thoughts on a friday afternoon

link

"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, Tall, light, dark, can, decaf, low-fat, nonfat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are, can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall! Decaf! Cappuccino." - Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

+ + +

Last night I was watching You've Got Mail for probably the 21st time. And I think it's the cutest movie. But Lydia wanted to cuddle, so I was snuggling with her, and every single time I laughed she would do the most adorable little forced giggle, and then look at me to make sure I noticed. And we had the "battle of the pause button," because she figured out the movie stopped and I tickled her when she pushed it. :)

 

+ +  +

Tomorrow I get to go back to my hometown to spend a few days with my bestie. And you know what, I've been thinking about this lately, but I don't really think of it as home anymore. I think I finally got over being upset about movie, and think of this area as home now. I'm not resisting learning my way around and making friends. I'm not terrified every time I leave the house.  I can see ways that I  have blessed in moving here two years ago. I have a good church, and a bible-study group that is really good for me, in being able to study and learn, and also learn to become more vocal and articulate about harder things. I left some friends behind, but I've made more genuine, good friends in the two years that I've lived here than I ever had before. When I start to think about how angry and upset I was, I regret expending all that emotion and frustration. Yes, it was hard. Really hard. But it was a good thing.

+ + +

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand." Psalm. 37:23-24

+ + + 

I am so ready for spring this year. This rain and cold has been starting to get to me, and the past two days have been sunny at least and I've been so happy. I can't wait until it's warm and happy out all the time, and I'm not longer freezing all of the time. ;) I'm in such a raspberries and lemonade mood. At a coffee shop a few days ago I just wanted a strawberry lemonade, but they couldn't make it, so the barista and I decided on a lemonade rockstar with strawberry flavor added; and then I proceeded to drop it all over my car right there in the drive thru. (But she was so nice and made me another one and helped me clean it up.) Yesterday, in a fit of spring fever I made a lemon cake, which I do every spring. And I remarked something about Lemon just tasting exactly like spring, and Caleb came to me quite perplexed. "Why does lemon taste like spring? You can't taste spring. It just happens!" gosh. When did he get so smart?

link

+ + +

 After reading My Life in France by Julia Child I ordered several dvd's of her cooking show from the library, and I love her even more. Not only is she full of confidence and adventure and totally inspiring, she's just adorable. I'm a messy cook. After I get done cooking the kitchen is usually a disaster and it's a big job to get it cleaned up, but hey, the food tastes great! :) But I noticed that Mrs. Child is a messy, slightly klutzy cook, but she also doesn't let it faze her. In fact sometimes it strikes her as funny, and you can see that she is trying hard not to laugh in the middle of the show after spilling something all over. She'll try to flip an omlet in the pan and end up spilling it all over the stove top, but instead of freaking out or being upset she just picks up the pieces and smashes them back together saying something like "If nobody is in kitchen with you nobody has to know!!"

+ + +

Lydia just woke up from her nap, and we're going to go play outside for awhile. It's the thing that makes her happiest. At the moment she's standing in front of me with amazing, wispy bed hair, chattering in the cutest munchkin voice about nothing in particular. :)

 

Head in the Clouds // Book Review

Head in the Clouds
Karen Witemeyer
{3 Stars}
I picked up Head in the Clouds by Ms. Snelling earlier this year at the library, completely on a whim. I didn't know anything about her writings or the book, but the cover caught my eye. It featured a woman dressed in a bright yellow dress, completely caught up in a book, about to step off a porch into thin-air. I had to laugh, because it was something I would do. (And the first thing my sister said when she saw it was, "Becca, you'd totally do this!") The back cover shows the book flying through the air.

    So I took it home and thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't your typical christian romance book, which are usually stupid, either rambly or too fast, and more romance than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I love cute love stories, but I'd rather read a sweet book than one seeped with unnecessary details, especially if you're writing from a Christian perspective.

     But Head in the Clouds was pretty adorable. And I loved the fact that she didn't really glorify the love story. It was a thread throughout the whole thing, but the plot was more centered on a kidnapping/child recovery theme.

Adelaide was very lovable, and relatable. Being the klutz that I am, I enjoyed her "awkward situations" thoroughly. Lately my own life has felt like my name should be used as a definition for awkward in Webster's dictionary. So it is always nice to find reassurance in the fact that other people humiliate themselves regularly in public by falling over randomly and tripping on nothing, or just acting like a complete spaz. (Even if said person is entirely fictional. Somehow it helps...) But she was so much more than a klutz. She was independent in the best way, spunky, intelligent, impulsive but still sensible. And I loved the way that she treated Isabella, (who hasn't spoken since her mother died.) And the creative ways she draws her in, and peaks her interest.
    All in all, I enjoyed this book. It was cute, and not too deep, so perfect for an evening of just relaxing and not wading through a Dickens novel. :)

these are a few of my favorite things// 06

+ quiet

+ getting things done

+ having awesome little brothers who are more than willing than to remove the flock? herd? pod? of lady bugs that have decided to infest my bedroom.

+ Happy daffodils  (they're my favorite flower. ;)

+ good conversations with good friends

+ it's almost spring, which means we might start seeing the sun! (!!!!!)

+ electricity and hot water. (our power was out last night, which always make me thankful for lamps and showers. ;)

+ coffee dates

+ Happy books, like "Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good," by Jan Karon and "My Life in France" by Julia Child.

+ "The Lord's loving kindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I have hope in Him." Lamentations 3:22-24

+ Ice cream!

+ Cuddling with Lydia when she's still sleepy and teaching her to give hugs.

+ "Greater is He living in me than he who is in the world." (Paraphrase of 1 John 4:4)

+ "Never miss a good chance to shut up." Will Rogers

+ Roots Run Deep by Jadon Lavik 

+ baby bunnies. (so far my sister has had a couple doe's have babies in the past few weeks, and they are pretty darn cute.)

+ watching master and commander with my little brother a couple days ago. (It's cool that he's old enough to really hang out with, but also, he's turning 18 this year!??)

+ the wind outside. (so it knocked the electricity out for a while, but I love it anyway. Makes me think of Goldendale.)

+ having fun with my sister while shopping. (she's a good one to take with you when you're not supposed to buy any more clothes. ;)

+ working on some piano pieces again. it's been far too long, but it's cool that my fingers and mind still remember how to take sheets of music and make music happen.

My Life in France by Juila Child // Review

 

Just speak very loudly and quickly, and state your position with utter conviction, as the French do, and you'll have a marvelous time! - Julia Child on French dinner parties.

I have loved Julia Child ever since watching Julie and Julia several years ago,  and falling so in love with it and both women, and as a result, I ended up hosting an elaborate French party just to have an excuse to show the movie to friends. Earlier this month I was catching up with a favorite youtube channel, and Petie heartily recommended "My Life In France." I've read several other books per Petie's suggestions on her blog, and loved every single one of them. So I ordered "My Life In France" from the library and was excited to read it. But I wasn't expecting to fall quite so in love with it. How could a book rival Julie and Julia? But this book is insanely adorable. One of the things I loved the most was the way Julia describes her experiences with food. She's not just telling stories about food, but she makes it almost as though the reader is experiencing the dishes with her, through her pen. It's not just a meal, but every bite of food was an exquisite experience for her. I find it amazing how she remembers every detail of different meals and dinner parties, right down to the sauces and particular bottles of wine.Another favorite aspect was Paul and Julia's relationship. It was interesting, because they met later in life, and married around 35 and 45, but never had children. But their relationship was sweet, fun and inspiring. She whole-heartedly supported him in his work and dreams, while he cheered her on right from the beginning. (He wrote to his twin Charlie, "Julie's cookery is actually improving. I didn't quite believe that it would, just between us, but it really is.") And they seemed so compatible. They both had their separate talents, interests and dreams, but they also shared a lot of the same interests, and they found great ways of meshing together and complementing each others strengths and weaknesses. Julia had so much energy. She was always off attending a professional lecture by some renowned Chef, exploring through the marketplace for the absolutely perfect mortar-and-pestal, or starting her own private cooking school, or a tv series, or traveling back and forth from the States and France. (Not to mention perfecting her mayo recipe, and using 200+ lbs of flour to find the perfect way to make french bread in a standard American oven. :) All in all, I loved this book so much. It was entertaining, funny, inspiring and entirely enjoyable.  {5 stars}      

It's a girl thing // black and floral

I am pretty excited about this skirt. I bought it last  week for 1/3 of the original price. I've been looking at it every time I went into Fred Meyer over the past three months,  falling more and more in love with it, but couldn't justify the price, considering the quality isn't that good, but I love the print and length. So when I found it on sale this week I couldn't resist anymore. ;)

This pendant is my favorite and I don't really even like peacocks. (At least real ones. ;)

Outfit:

Sweater: Target{20.99}

Skirt: Fred Myers{14.99}

Tee: Kohls{8.99}

Heels: Payless {19.99}

Set my heart, O dear Father,

On Thee and Thee only,

Give me a thirst for Thy presence divine.

Lord, keep my focus on loving Thee Wholly,

Purge me from earth; Turn my heart after Thine.

A passion for Thee

O Lord, Set a fire in my soul,

And a thirst for my God.

Hear Thou my prayer, Lord Thy power impart.

Not just to serve, but to love thee with all of my heart.

Father fill with Thy Spirit, and fit me for service

Let love for Christ, every motive inspire.

Teach me to follow in selfless submission

Be Thou my joy and my souls one desire.

A passion for Thee

O Lord, set a fire in my soul

And a thirst for my God,

Hear Thou my pray, Lord Thy power impart

Not just to serve, but to Love Thee with all of my heart. 

This hymn has been stuck in my head lately. I've been thinking a lot about serving God in all things, big or small, and having a consuming passion and desire for Him, not just going through the motions, or serving with my hands; but truly loving and seeking to bring Him glory through everything I say, think and do.I think sometimes I get caught up in doing things because I know it's right, (like reading my bible, or praying, etc.) But not necessarily out of love and total devotion and passion for Christ. 

Anyway, that's just what I've been thinking about lately. :) 

normality: the state of being usual, typical, or expected.

+This past week my entire family has been pretty sick. We've gone through an abnormal amount of ibuprofen and NyQuil, but despite all that the world rolls on. It's been a week of deciding to wear cute dresses everyday, and then adding  jeggings and sweaters for warmth, and a lot of make-up--if for nothing else than the fact that whenever you happen to catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror at least you don't look as though you were dying. ;)

+ I bought a weighted hula hoop earlier this week, and I've tried it a couple of times, in between feeling like I might as well die. It seems like it's a much less painful more entertaining way of working on your abs, than crunches. My purchase seemed to inspire the whole family for one day, because mom had everybody doing hula hoops in the living room one morning early last week-but the fad seems to have ended there. :)

 + One of the girls had ballet on Wednesday, and I felt somewhat better than Mom did, so I threw a bunch of dark chocolate covered camels into my purse and we ran a bunch of errands. (The caramels were to bolster my mood through out the errands and shopping I needed to get done, of course!) To cheer myself up I decided on a whim to run to goodwill and look through the formals. I ended up buying a red satin strapless gown, that is a high-low tea-length. It's quite beautiful and perfect for a formal dinner my brother and I are attending next weekend. And my sister and I picked out a new color of my current favorite brand of lipstick, which is super exciting for some reason. :)

+ Lydia learned to walk about a month ago, and she is now an expert at evading all of our gates/blocks to the stairs. Luckily she is already an expert at climbing them and has nearly perfected coming back down. (As long as she doesn't take any tips from me and end up toppling down them once a week, we're all good! ;) So far she has learned to say "Up," "Mama," "Duck," and she also moos like a cow. (I taught her that of course. ;)

+ I tried to take photos of my outfit today but my compute won't read the SD card. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a new laptop sometime in the next couple of weeks. Whenever I finally convince myself, and talk to my brother about what to get. (I haven't any idea how to go about shopping for a laptop. Suggestions??)

+ in short, life around here has been rather normal. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, reading, helping littles with school, telling Lydia she's cute, all those little things that make my life. I kind of like it. :)

xx,

life // a list

I've been thinking about the sea a lot lately. I never did get to go last year...

Listening:

lots of Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra and Chris Rice

 
Drinking:

Coffee. Lots of coffee. And Harney & Sons Paris tea with a dollop of half and half and a spoonful of sugar. 

Missing:

my little horse and riding through the meadow. 

Watching:

lots of musicals... Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, The South Pacific, etc.

Loving:

baby giggles from Lydia

Hoping:

to make a trip back to Goldendale to be ridiculous and spontaneous with my lovely bestie. 

Wishing:

that time would stand still and speed forward at the same time. I want to enjoy every moment, but the ancitipation for things to come is overwhelming sometimes.

Reading: 

just friends, a lost pearle, Colossions