God's FAITHFULNESS in all things!

So.........I made it through the first week of my new job! Whew...I must admit, I am so glad the first week is behind me. It went really well! I felt God's hand of peace with me and now, looking back, see the many ways He was faithful in giving me what I needed for each day. It feels so good to be using my nursing skills in this type of setting. Dr. Presley and his whole staff have been so kind, gracious and encouraging as I learn. Caroline, you were teary towards the end of the week...it was a lot to take in, I believe. It was hard to leave as you cried on Friday, but made me realize how much we all had missed one another. Each week will get easier...I know it will!
I had to put these pictures in of "my birds". They have been such a reminder of the way God provides for all our needs over the last few weeks. We first noticed the mother bird about six weeks ago, making a nest in one of our new ferns. We have these hanging right outside the kitchen window on the porch, so we could see her progress every day. By the middle of the second week, there were five small eggs inside. Every few days, we would step outside and lift you girls up to check them out. The mother bird was never far. After about two and a half weeks, the baby birds hatched and we got to watch the mother bird come and feed them several times a day. They would make lots of chirping noises and open their mouths wide....just like I had always seen on TV or read about in books. Two weeks later, all five baby birds had learned to fly and had flown away. This picture is the last one of the babies and the bottom picture is of the empty nest.

Watching the six week process...all of which occurred before I started my job, was a constant reminder of God's provision and care for even the smallest of His creatures. Girls, He always knows exactly what we need and when, and He will guide us to take each new step He lays out for us.

Backtracking a few weeks... we ended school with a whirl of activity. Sweet Caroline, you ended up getting sick the last few days of school, but at least you got to attend some of Caitlyn's end of the year activities!!

Your Field Day was very different than I remember mine to be. No relay races, no ribbons...just all sorts of fun stations to enjoy. You and your partner, Bailee, jumped from one to the next with such joy! I was able to stop by for about an hour and snap some pictures.

The day before school let out, you had your Kindergarten Picnic on the front lawn and you got to play on the "big kid" playground. It was so nice. They parents sat on blankets under the trees and visited while you all played and played, stopping briefly to enjoy a popsicle and of course, a few pictures!!

Our precious Mrs. Adcox...we pray she hangs around for Caroline in another year!!! We truly could not have hand picked a better teacher, suited for you. I give her so much credit for helping you love school. She deserves more than we could ever give her!!!

At the first of the year, you were so nervous to meet new people and make new friends. Oh, how that has changed! You have become such a social light...even with the older kids at school. It has been so neat to watch. In fact, I could tell on multiple occasions during the last week of school, you held back tears. When you came out at dismissal on the last day, you ran to me and sobbed...so sad to be leaving all your new friends. You cried on and off all the way home and then went to your room to cry some more when we got home. It was bittersweet for me to watch....seeing how deeply you love and thinking about all the times in the future you will have to say goodbye to people. It just reassured me, though, that Lipscomb was a great choice for you and I can't wait to see what's to come in first grade!!

So.........summer begins........with my two pretty princesses!!!!!!!

Time for MUCH outdoor fun...the first of which was playtime and lunch in the purple palace...with your amazing guard dogs on watch!!!

Here's to summer time life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Working Momma!

Well.....I have known about this for months now, but for some reason haven't brought myself to write about it to you yet. We've talked about it....off and on for months, too. I guess there is always just so much going on in your world and your life experiences that I want to blog about and share. This one, though, is significant in all of our worlds. I am going back to work!!
There has been a lot that has happened since Mother's Day and I will come back and catch up soon...but I wanted to record my feelings about this new season while they were very fresh.
I have been praying for over a year for God to make it clear as to where I needed to be headed...what my focus should be. I have been unsettled within for a good while....not in a bad way, just that I knew God was trying to open my eyes to something new. For a time I wondered if it was to have another child, for a time I wondered if I should indeed look for a job (outside the home), for a time I wondered if I should work for Daddy, or if I just needed to stop searching and stop questioning. Over this last year, God has made it increasingly clear that I was to step back into nursing. A job opened up that I could not say no to. It is for a physician that I have respected and loved now for 10 years.... Dr. Richard Presley. When I met him 10 years ago, I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to work for him. Truly, God's timing is always perfect.
I have had so many emotions since agreeing to take on this new position. Elation, doubt, fear, relief....yet overall peaceful and so very grateful. It will mean more time away from you two (only two and a half days), however, I feel like it will be so good for all of us. It will give you special time with grandparents and Daddy, and it will teach you that a mommy can do lots of different things. I look forward to the conversations it will provide and also the time for me to miss you....my time with you will be all the more valuable.
I look forward to feeling comfortable with our new schedule. It will take us awhile to get adjusted and sometimes those "getting adjusted" weeks can be difficult. My prayer is that it will be smooth and enjoyable for all of us and that in no time, it will feel like a very peaceful routine.
I became a nurse to do just this....work part time and be mommy. I guess it is just hard to believe the time has come to live that out.
God, bless this transition. You know what we need and we are open to your leading and your instruction. You have always been Faithful in every new endeavor and I want you to know I trust you. Help us all to feel your loving presence in a powerful way over the next few weeks, as life begins to take on a new look. Be right in the center of all we do. Thank you for this new opportunity of growth.

My Favorite Day

I think I said the exact same thing last year...but....MOTHER'S Day is becoming my all time favorite day. Yes, the attention is soooo nice......the hugs, the kisses, the "thank yous", but I think ultimately it is because I am so lovingly reminded of the role God has blessed me with. For as long as I can remember, all I have wanted to be is a momma. I think one of the main reasons for that is because of my own precious mother and the influence she has had in my life. I really do love being a mother. I am living my dream....amidst the chaos, clamor and challenges, there are joys and delights beyond measure. I am learning and growing more as a person by being a mommy than I ever have in anything else. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord, for granting me this beautiful gift!
Here is your class, Caroline, singing us "You are my Sunshine!" and blowing kisses.
You are my sweet, sweet girl!

Caitlyn, you helped Daddy mow the grass in preparation for our Mother's Day lunch.

Three of my favorite Mommas!!!

I adore my gifts!!! Your teachers at school helped you make these precious keepsakes. The first is your foot, Caroline, stamped on a tile square that quotes the verse, "I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in the truth". AMEN!!!!

The next is your hand, Caitlyn, as the center of a flower. The poem on the back reads, " A piece of me I give to you. I painted this flower to say, "I love you". The heart is you and the hand is me. To show we are friends-the best there can be. I hope you will save it, and look back someday at the flower we shared on your special day!"

Each of you also answered questions about me...Some of my favorites were that my job is "to clean up the kitchen" (Caroline) and that I weigh "50 lbs and am 40 feet tall" (Caitlyn).

I had the thought on Sunday of how incredible it will be to watch the two of you become mothers yourselves one day! Talk about joy...............

Spring is in the air!!!

My two favorite seasons are fall and spring, because it is so pleasant to be outside. We have enjoyed so much time outdoors lately, I haven't been indoors much to blog!! There is just something to be said about sunshine for the soul!
Here are just a few shots from our latest activities....... Daddy and I went on a long weekend trip to Searcy for Daddy to play in a golf tournament with Brian Layton and Brian Hoppes. All the wives went and we stayed with Rhonda. It was SUCH a nice weekend......and the two of you enjoyed time with grandparents. A win/win for everyone!

Talking about their next shot...........

Their team came in 2nd place! Not bad for some old guys, huh?

Here are the spectators..........

We worked hard last weekend to clean off the screened in porch. Here you all are enjoying a quiet morning out there with Daddy.

Another big event that occured last weekend, was your first lesson in riding a bike without training wheels, Caitlyn. I was most proud of you for being patient, sticking with it and not getting frustrated. You even laughed at yourself several times. Here you are scoping out the riding area (soccer field at Granny White Park).

A little help from Daddy..........

YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You two love to create "houses". Here you are in your latest project.

Josue' had a first of his own this week....his first experience in the baby jumper. He LOVED it! Caroline, you would push him back and forth in it like a swing and he would just laugh. He stayed in it for over an hour........I guess it wore him out!!! He took a quick nap, then woke up for more jumping fun!