Author name: hill

we’ve finished.

it’s {embrace} the camera day!



we have finished book one of the Narnia series.
it took us five days.
this is a record people, 
as i never have time to read books.
chapter books.
but, i suppose that it helps that i am reading to D 
and that K is just as happy as a clam 
entertaining herself while the big guy and i snuggle up. 
and you better believe we’ve already started book number two.

and yes, i always coordinate my outfit
with D’s
and of course, with the lampshade.
always.

The light shines in the darkness, 
but the darkness has not understood it.
John 1:5

and be sure to check out yesterday’s post!

681. hearing the funny things my kids say
682. that K can turn on lights by herself
683. that K can go to the bathroom by herself
684. that K can entertain herself
685. feeling that i’m firmly in His hands

picture me {im}perfectly.

i want you to do something.
i want you to
picture me {im}perfectly.
because you know what?
i am not perfect.
not even close.

have you ever?
yes you have. 
have you ever read a blog post 
where you just knew that the lovely woman 
who authored that blog had it all together?
and even though we know 
in the way, way back of our heads 
that they aren’t perfect, 
we still sometimes convince ourselves
that they would never, ever have:

laundry that has been sitting on their couch for three days
waiting to be folded and put away or
a floor that desperately needs to be mopped or
dishes that just sit and sit and sit in the sink or 
children who throw fits or
a craft that went completely awry.

so many bloggers seem to have it all together. 
but we really know that none of us do.
none. 
and you know what? 
that’s okay.
that’s more than okay. 
that’s real life.

because no matter how prepared, 
no matter how organized we are, 
no matter how much planning we have done, 

no matter how thoughtful we try to be, 
sometimes things just fall apart and
sometimes we just fall apart.
and i think that we need the 
regular reminder that 
that happens to everybody. 

picture me {im}perfectly
is a weekly project to reveal that we don’t have it all together.

i will post a 

picture me {im}perfectly
blog post every wednesday 
where you will be able to link up to your blog
revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,
your kids are not picture perfect,
your house is not picture perfect,
your crafts are not always picture perfect,

let’s 
encourage, 
inspire and 
remind 
other women 
that none of us have it all together.  

But encourage one another daily, 
as long as it is called “Today,” 
so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 
Hebrews 3:13

for instance, D was so responsible to use the bathroom 
before his Christmas performance at CBS 
but not as responsible in making sure that his pants were buttoned.
he sure sang his heart out though!


here are some other awesome examples:

my sister reminded me that:
there’s beauty in the mess ups and the messiness of life.
there’s joy in happy accidents and what develops out of them.
there’s freedom from the wordly pressure of “having it all together.”

and, Auntie B reminded me that
women face great (and often unmet) expectations 
and most of them are self-inflicted.  


i have had a rather difficult time since L’s seizure.
and this past week has been particularly hard. 
i will write more about it next wednesday 
so that you are sure to picture me {im}perfectly. 


676. new projects
677. the super cute button my sis created
678. D heading back to school
679. a fun day at the park
680. tired kiddos who fall asleep easily


add my button to your blog post 

and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged.





splats worthy.

D and i got in a little one-on-one time this past weekend.


after being encouraged by 
not one 
but two dear friends 
who did this with their boys,
he and i started reading through the 
Chronicles of Narnia series.
it was (of course) enjoyed alongside a bowl of ice cream.


i worried that he was a bit young for this book, 
so after i read the first chapter i asked if he would like me to continue.
his answer was an enthusiastic yes.
(here he is doing the “splats” as my kids call them.)


he has just begun reading on his own
and i can just see it in his eyes that he is going to absolutely devour books. 
he is going to be just like my sister, 
(Aunt CC),
who is kind of a nerd 
(no offense). 


growing up, i remember my parents had to make an official rule in our house 
(which we all knew would only affect my sister) 
that there could not be any reading while walking.
especially while going down the stairs.
yeah, like i said, she’s a nerd.
and i can’t wait for D to become one too.


Photobucket


671. the joy of reading
672. reading outside
673. reading inside
674. cuddling up while reading
675. K playing so nicely while D and i read

more birthdays.

sorry for my lack of blogging as of late. 
i’ve missed it.
that’s for sure.
it’s been a wild, wild week.
but we are all 
(slowly), 
(but surely) 
getting back into the swing of things around here.

and i’ve got some fun new things planned for the blog this week.
just you wait.

and a happy, happy birthday to my mom
(which was yesterday)!

no smiles for L in this photo,
but i do love both of their eyes in this shot. 

my dad 
(who was just getting a cold) 
was standing outside the house and looking through the window 
since he didn’t want to infect anyone. 
it was a tad distracting to L 
who couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. 

676. fresh lime in my dr. pepper
677. fresh lemon juice that was soaked into my fingers
678. this unbelievably wonderful (hot) weather
679. a whole new day open to fun and adventures
670. this video

the littles and me.

it’s {embrace} the camera day!



it seemed only fitting to include a photo of L and me this week.

and surprisingly, the first two were taken by sweet K, 
who was actually being really sweet.


i am living out what my faith really means.
especially this week.
and as a sweet friend reminded me,
i am making an intentional choice to do this. 
an intentional choice to
resist fear
and to
resist worry.
and an intentional choice to hope in the Living God.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, 
because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 
perseverance, character; and character, hope. 
And hope does not disappoint us, 
because God has poured out his love into our hearts 
by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:2-5

671. bike rides
672. seeing seals while bike riding
673. the lovely weather
674. picnicking outside
675. get just enough done

the squirrel.

truly, truly,
i would not have been able to sleep 
these past few nights
without your prayers. 
i would have been watching little L 
on the video monitor
all
night
long.
but instead,
i have felt the Lord’s peace cover over me.

now, onto something a bit different…

K came running in from playing outside.
she was quite upset.
and it wasn’t because her hair was a mess.
she said that a squirrel stopped and looked at her.
“he thought i was his mother, but i wasn’t.”

she said he looked at her like this.
i think i would have been scared, too.

D tried his hand at making a squirrel face.

and L just thought they were both being ridiculous.

You hem me in–behind and before; 
you have laid your hand upon me.
Psalm 139:5

Photobucket


666. B’s availability to watch the big kids today

667. something new for dinner
668. the ability my children have for making me laugh
669. hearing “this land is my land” sung from the big kids’ bedroom
(even though they should be asleep)
670. new music

ten on ten. january.

i’m participating in something new
(for me)
today.
it’s called
ten on ten.

the idea is to:
Take a photo every hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of each month. 
Document a day of your life and find beauty among the ordinary moments. 

the bathroom.
which needs to be cleaned.

fresh clementines.

Auntie B pushing the littles at the beach.
isn’t she nice?
yes, she is.

something’s gotta happen with that hair.

a paper snowflake D made.

playing the harmonica.

our memory verse.

working on my CBS lesson 
while snuggled up in my most favorite quilt.

the reflection of the beautiful tree in my laptop monitor.

laundry being folded on the table.
a sweet friend just told me that she does this. 
not only does my table have to be clean, 
but the clothes have to be put right away. 
i may have found the answer to my never ending laundry issues. 

ten on ten button

661. new sheets
(thanks, MK!)
662. hand picked cherries
663. fruit smoothies
664. a walk at the beach to clear my head
665. good days.
really good days

not a nightmare.

i thought it was a nightmare.
but it wasn’t.
it was, unfortunately, real.

on friday night, while L was asleep,
he had a grand mal seizure.
it was terrifying.

we immediately rushed L to the “hostable” (hospital) as K would say it,
where he was thoroughly examined by
doctor upon
doctor upon
doctor.


you see, with his diagnosis alone, he is more susceptible to seizures.
but after
test upon
test upon
test,
all the docs could come up with was that
this seizure looks to have been caused by just a cold.
just a cold.
Praise Jesus. 


and, we were released from the “hostable” merely five hours after arriving.
that is record breaking for our family.
record breaking.
Praise Jesus.

L is doing well and is nearly back to normal
from this little cold.
Praise Jesus.

and other than hanging out,
L has mastered a new trick (thanks to B):

touchdown!

and as Auntie B has reminded me
over and
over and
over again,
God has prepared me for this.
and i know exactly what to do.

instead of letting fear take over,
i cling to Him and His Word.

But he said to me, 
“My grace is sufficient for you, 
for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly
about my weaknesses, 
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

and when i do, 
His perfect peace 
covers over me 
like nothing i could ever experience without Him. 

we are on the other side of this seizure now.
and, the hardest thing about yesterday
was when i was trying to remove the sticky tape
left over from the heart monitors.
and do you know why this was so hard?
well you see, because as i was wiping it off of L,
it was tickling him.
and he couldn’t stop laughing.
Praise Jesus.

i continue to be so comforted by the words in Jesus Calling.
i feel as though He is speaking directly to me.
directly.

656. my weakness
657. great doctors
658. a greater God
659. being home as a family
660. sweet little L who continues to strengthen our faith
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