Hi there. It's that time of morning when the two eldest girls are still sleeping and Reese and I are hanging out together. Well, more like she's in her Exersaucer and I'm getting things done (read: blogging) *wink*

This weekend, Michael went to a Mariner's game with this nieces and nephew. His sister and her kids had free tickets. His sister didn't want to go, so asked Michael to chap - he hasn't been this year, so he said sure! It was a little hard to explain to the girlies why Daddy was taking their cousins to the game and not them, but they did okay. As a treat, I took the girls to Issaquah, a quaint little town on the east side for some play time, yummies, and to return a rental violin.

We stopped at Confetti Cupcakes and used our Groupon there. It was expired, but in case you didn't know, all Groupon vouchers still keep the dollar amount you paid, which does not expire; like a gift card. The cupcakes there are bigger than ones at other shoppes and the frosting is amazing! We tasted Cookies n' Cream, Lemon Buttercream, Mint Chocolate Chip and Raspberry. Talk about a sugar coma. Afterward, we hung out at the library. Both my older girls LOVE books, but my Katie adores them right now and promptly sat in the middle of the library with a book about the Incas and was super interested in it. Ha!

After being hyped up with cupcake goodness, I realized the wonderful, quiet antique shop was probably not the place to take the girls, phooey. We tried to find a park to get out their excess energy, but this mom hadn't a clue where a park was in Issaquah. I kept failing every time I saw a "park" - just grass and no toys to climb on. Will have to Google that next time.

While waiting in a gigantic line at the Starbucks drive-thru, my middle girl went berserk, and I realized we had gone beyond nap time and into the dark zone. Upon arriving home, all were given naps.

Mike didn't come home until 7 pm! We were all glad to see him. Since there wasn't any time to finish projects, we decided to relax instead and watch the Olympics. I'll just get said projects done this week.

On Sunday, we taught the 4s/5s during Sunday school hour. It was about Jesus ascending into heaven and spreading the gospel. Very fun. The kids were responsive too. It was great to have our pastor back; he'd been gone for a few weeks since he's continued studies to complete his doctorate! It might sound bias, but our pastor is one of my favorite preachers. To say I "enjoy" his sermons would be the wrong word, but I am always challenged by them. God has definitely gifted him in the way he delivers Truth. He has a heart for discipleship but also a burden for the lost, that they find Christ.

Right after church, Mike went to help an acquaintance move. It was just one of those weekends where Daddy is busy! Unfortunately, the move didn't go very smooth, so he was gone for several hrs. I had promised Brilla we would go to Redondo Beach again because we didn't get to go the beach part last time. It was gorgeous weather and the girls had a blast chucking rocks in the water, rolling driftwood and just being goofballs. I love watching them. We took a walk along the waterfront (trying to wear them out) until "I'm hungry" came up several times. Mike had beaten us home, which was a great surprise for them. Chili and chicken soup was our dinner, albeit a weird combination. We also had leftover cupcakes :)

We watched the Olympics again. Summer Olympics are my favorite; just can't get enough. Especially the running races and gymnastics. All that muscle and stamina! I am amazed at how these athletes train and push themselves to the limit. Wow. Of course, I launched into the topic of praising God for our abilities and strength with the girls. It's just sad how a human can accomplish Olympic feats but never thank the God who made them.

TRUTH

I have been learning great truths over the summer. That's one thing I love about Summer, getting away from the usual group study and doing my own - digging, pursuing Christ in every corner.

Here are some gold nuggets that I've been meditating on:

1) I have enough time to get everything done that God wants me to get done in my day.  


This is keeping in mind my schedule, my day might not look like the man or woman next to me, but it's what God wants for my individual life and family! It is relieving to know I don't have to meet others' expectations, only God's! That might mean comparatively more or less than others' plans, but it's what God has revealed to my husband and I as our game plan!

2) Submitting to my husband God's way will bring freedom and protection.


It is not hard for me to respect and listen to my husband; he makes it easy to love him. He earns it every day by the way he loves us. But there are those times where, he and I both being sinners, clash. We have our own opinions. And God calls me to submit to my husband, even when I thing he's wrong. And it's his job to lead our family, not mine. When he makes a call, even if it ends in failure, I am there to support and love him. I grew up in a home where Mom wore the pants. It has taken some years (and years to go!) to extract lies Satan had planted in my mind about this concept. It comes down to faith, am I willing to trust that God will work through my husband as He says He will do?

3) I am not the source, only the servant.


Christ came to earth, born as a human babe, lived a humble life as a carpenter, washed His disciples' feet, and died on a cross in public humiliation like a criminal. His entire life was on display for God's glory and took the form of servanthood. Am I any greater than Jesus? Setting the example for my children as a servant should be a joy, not a chore. Acting like I'm bothered and put out by my little ones, day after day, is such a poor example of how a parent should be! It is a delight (though exhausting) to demonstrate Christlikeness. To love them unconditionally. I am not the source of all wisdom and knowledge for my children, God is. They are not here to serve me, but to serve God. 


Do you have any truths God's impressed on you this summer? I would love to read them or be linked to them.

Last night, it was my decision whether or not the girls and I go to Mike's basketball game. I could tell he wanted us to go, so without much ado, we hopped in the car. We hadn't been in a while; the games tend to be late.

Poor guy, he'd pulled another muscle (framing will do that to you) and didn't play the best. But his team won anyway! Proud of him for keeping up his exercise; he plays because he loves it.

In short, I'm glad we went. Another wife-friend came with her kids and we chatted. Such a good chat too! Turned into a long, deep talk about submission to your husband, the solidly biblical kind, not the legalistic man-conjured-up kind.

Chatting with this woman also made me grateful for all we have. The fun, rich life is not always a fancy life. In fact, it is often deeper and fuller without all the extras. I have been tired lately and it's given me a chance to pull back a bit. Enjoy the simplicity of bath time, making my home clean and cooking meals for my family. Though they scarf it down the next minute :) I'm a go-getter and tend toward getting out to parks, the zoo, shopping, "get away" to somewhere different. Not spending a lot of money, just getting to adventure. Honestly? It has been abundant right here.

Today is packing day for the getaway. We also have to get my husband's wardrobe for the wedding. Isn't this a cool alternative to the classic tux?

It's also quite the task to pack for three little ones. Hoping I don't forget important things like wipes, sunscreen or flip-flops :) I am weird and like to make a packing checklist. Soothes the brain to know we have our needs. You do this too, you say? Oh good, I'm not solo on this one.

My girls have woken up and walk into the room, one claiming "sleep all done" and the other already getting blankets out for the ever-present fort. And one wanting her diaper changed. Time for this mama to get on a roll!!

Progress and a Vacation

I am down 6 pounds! Very excited about that. Kind of a huge accomplishment when you're nursing. I hope to be down couple more, over the next week and a half. Need to take the whole "only 2/3 desserts a week" thing more seriously. July 4th got my taste buds craving it again. I have been working out regularly, which has greatly upped my metabolism!

Can you believe we ladies are STILL recovering from our colds? Katie seems completely healed (probably because she's so active and has amazing metabolism (getting that gunk out regularly), but my sore throats have been coming back every so often over the past month. I finally paused Brilla's swim lessons, because her cough was still in effect and she started to complain about her ear hurting. Also, Reesie has had some gunk in her eye. And I knew part of it not clearing up was a lack of sleep - missing her morning nap during swim lessons. Another reason why no sugar would be a grand idea; so we can get over these bugs.

Mike has amazingly missed these germs! I am so glad, the last thing he needs is a cold - work is crazy busy.

We are soon heading over to Spokane for yet another wedding. Mike's close friend, Matt, is the groom; my best friend, Julie's, older brother. This is the second wedding this year Mike has been in! Pretty funny considering he hasn't been in one for about 10 years.

The trip to Spokane will be mini-vacation for us. We'll get to swim, hang out with friends, visit the theme park, Silverwood (haven't been since Mike and I were dating), attend a pretty wedding and do no cooking. What could be better?

The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous. No complaints whatsoever. The sunshine has been growing my flowers and giving us some much needed Vitamin D! Good thing the air conditioning in the car decided to kick in again. It had paused for a day (?) I will be sad when Summer ends. Please sun, stay for a long time!

Today is a so-so kind of day. No amazing sun, but no dreary rain, either. It feels like a day to stay in, though. Little Reese woke from her morning much too early, thanks to Katie's buoyancy! Now she's back in the crib, which puts a kink in attempting to go anywhere. Plus, this woman needs to pay bills and do laundry. I am also attempting to eat out of our frig before we go on vacay so produce doesn't go bad, and going out would mean eating out! Hmm. The fine line between waste and freedom :)

Mike and I were hyped about camping with the girls. We haven't gone camping much since Katie and Reese  came along. We even looked at maps and thoughr Chelan and Cushman looked great. But then, we discussed logistics. How are we going to pack it all in our (comparatively) small Camry? Ha! We hadn't thought about that!! So, we decided, no camping for us unless it's with a borrowed trailer. Or pitching a tent in a hotel room.

Thankfully, we are going 'sort of'' camping in August. Mike's uncle annually rents a cabin at Priest Lake. We are hoping to hang out for a few days and see Mike's cousin's new baby. (Did you get that?) It will be a little crazy since there will be about 4 families in one cabin. I am not looking forward to sharing one bathroom, but we'll see how it goes!

We thought we would be hanging out a lot more with friends than we have been! But Summer has been full so far. Sickness, busyness and just plain life with an infant are in the mix. We've been able to go to an animal rescue farm, be with extended family more, see a brother get married, visit with Uncle Sean (home from college), go to the local water park and get free lunch, visit Florida, go to the beach with friends, attend Brilla's swim lessons, celebrate Independence Day, visit with out-of-town guests and serve more at church. Summer still has one and a half more months in it. I think we've got time to make the most of it!!

Hoping that next I post, I will be 2 or more pounds down. Wish me luck!

These last couple weeks (besides the Fourth of July) have been pretty awful health-wise! Twenty-four hours after I landed home from Florida, I came down with a fever that lasted throughout the night and next morning. Then it reoccurred the next day...and the next day. Why? Because mom's don't get a break. Especially when your husband is crazy busy at work. But Mike was very, very sweet and took Friday to do bids at home and help out. I just needed some sleep and was able to get it!

But this cold is/was a doozy. My girls all had it, then gave it to me. In fact, I was holding out just great until I traveled. Travelling always does me in. Our sore throats are slowly drifting away, while our hacking coughs have overdone their stay.

Thankfully, the sun has come out to play! The Fourth of July celebration was at our house this year. It was our first year hosting because now we have room with the deck out the back! We had about 23 family members over. We had a great time eating (of course), playing badminton, volleyball and golf (the throwing kind) and setting off and watching fireworks. Super exhausting, but totally worth all the smiles and memories made.

I wish I had taken more photos! My brother was able to get some so I'll just have to snag his. Reese loved being held by her aunties and grandmas. What a life.

Too bad we can't have a second celebration, we have a ton of leftovers. Two racks of ribs and about twenty pieces of bbq chicken. I was a good girls and sent all those who brought dessert home with what was left. I have to share: We had layered lemon dessert, strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream/ vanilla ice cream, raspberry layered cake, and fruit bars. Yes, hard to resist any of those! So I didn't.

Before the Fourth, I had lost 6 pounds. Part of that was sickness, part of it was eating very healthy and minimal sugar, combined with exercise. It feels good to have a little room in my shorts :)

Now, I'll have to shed away a few again. But that's okay, because I know I can do it! I've been a lot more patient with myself, thinking on "whatsoever is true and noble and pure....".

I'm still reading Lies Women Believe and am soaking up Truth. God's Word is so opposite worldly wisdom.  His Word is also such a thorough two-edged sword. It's also a gentle teacher. Much of the information in the book I have heard before (or the Holy Spirit has convicted me about before) but it never hurts to confirm God's Truth in my mind!

Well, right now, Katie wants me to read her book. I'm serious, she loves the ones with no pictures...like the Bobbsey Twins; it's hilarious! So off I go to read, then send them to bed. The sooner, the more relaxing for me. Good night!