Lots of Wind and Rain

We started with the basics...water, a gallon of milk, homemade pizzas, peanut butter M&M's (for me), hot chocolate (again...me) and flashlights.

We watched and waited...seemed to not be too bad.  Some rain and some wind.

We watched movies and stayed inside all day.

The kids opened a spa...and used lots of powder and lotion.  In fact, I am finding powder all over the house.

Then Monday evening, in the middle of Tarzan, the lights went out.  

And they are still out tonight due to this right down the road from our house.

Thankful that my parents have electricity and don't mind us camping out till its back on...we are warm, safe and having fun!

Life Lately

Enjoying a new home, family, friends, summer and God's faithfulness.

A Little "Pinsperation"

Oh, Pinterest. I really do love you.
You have brought many, many creative ideas into my world that would definitely never have been.


Already completed

These are actually hanging in the kids' bathroom and you can find them here. Free printables, too cute.

I did a variation of this cake for Anna's birthday (the ombre layers) and Oliver's cake (the sprinkles) and it wasn't as much work as I anticipated.

A version of this is hanging in Anna's bedroom, just need to find fun lanterns like this.

To be completed

How cute are these bracelets? The tutorial for these is here.

And this makes me want to have a summer party.

And this recipe...with fresh blueberries?! Yum.

And I remember Philip's mom making these. So good.

What has Pinterest inspired you to do?

Patience or Lack Thereof

I have been struggling with patience these past few weeks.  A lot.
I have felt it rear its ugliness all throughout my day.

During outfit picking time.
While trying to get out the door.  On time.
Watching them fight over a game of Memory.
During ear-piercing screams when he doesn't get his way.
While giving them a bath.
When I try to show how to write the letter 'k' and she doesn't agree.

It's not pretty, my heart.
For a few weeks I have been trying to figure out what God is trying to teach me, 
how He is stretching me, how He is helping me grow.  
I think this is it, right now.

As I am trying to love, teach and train my kids, 
God is trying to teach me patience.

The Zoo

Our first trip to the Philadelphia Zoo   

Top three memories from the zoo:

1.  Watching a huge Galapagos turtle enjoy being scratched on the neck by a zoo keeper (see picture above).

2.  In the bird house, Philip was the only one who needed a wipe for bird poop that landed on his wrist.

3.  And last but not least...while we were observing an orangutan, he peed into a toy and then drank it.  This was all caught on video and witnessed by Anna and Oliver.  This is all Anna seems to remember from the day.

It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

I love The Nesting Place.  Love it.  So inspired by her decorating.  When she posted today about how our houses don't have to be perfect to beautiful...I looked around our home and agreed with her.

From an uncontrollable toy basket...

 A fridge cluttered with magnets and art...

 Wipes left on the table and play glasses hidden in pottery...

 A crack in my lantern from the move...

A bed unmade...

 To a sister and brother both wanting the same thing...

This is our every day.

Our un-perfect, beautiful life.

So far...

So far this week...


My favorite hair product, Argan oil, was spilled all over the floor and left there for me to find.  (Might I add it was fairly expensive and a Christmas gift?)


Oliver would rather be naked than wear clothing.


We left Target with Anna screaming crying, allowing for every person in our proximity to stop and look at a mom staring straight ahead, trying to remain calm, eyes on the door.  When we got to the car she proceeded to tell me that 'I ruined her life and killed her heart!!!'  What five year old says this?


I got pelted this morning in the neck by a rolled up dirty diaper.  The thrower shall remain nameless but claims he wasn't trying to hit me but be funny.  Hilarious.


Oliver dove all over my couch with newly washed slipcovers with fruit shake, containing berries, all over his mouth.


Oliver bit Anna's side while they were playing on our bed and it needed a bandaid.  She proceeded to stay in her room until he apologized while yelling, 'You will never be my brother ever again!!!'


Finger painting ended with Oliver's entire face being blue.

Lots of timeouts, apologies, hugs and forgiveness.

How is your week going? :)

My Husband

This is my husband.

If I had to pick a few words to describe him they would be {ahem}:

passionate, hilarious, devoted, gifted, loving, sensitive, talented,

creative, supportive, encouraging, relatable...

a husband who runs and gets M&Ms and creamer for his wife late at night and 

a dad who builds forts, cuddles and sings songs to our kids.

He has been a musician ever since I have known him.  

My first Christmas gift when we were dating 

was a recorded song written by him for me...at 16.

He has been in bands since his teens, throughout college and today.

I have stood in awe as I have seen God revealing His plan for Philip...for us.

I have watched as he went from working in sales to being in ministry full time.

I have seen God's hand when He healed Philip from throat nodules...being told he would probably never sing again to being told the surgery was a success.

I have stood in awe as he leads me, and our church,

into powerful, God glorifying times of worship...right into His presence.

And now, I have seen God putting something new on Philip's heart...

to write and record a solo album filled with songs worshiping our Creator.

I ask you to please pray with us as we step out in faith.

You can hear Philip's heart in this video. :)

Untitled from Philip Herndon on Vimeo.

If you feel led to partner with us...check it out at The Philip Herndon Worship Project! 
Thank you. :)

Field Trip

One of the many fun things about homeschooling is the field trips.  Anna is studying Cows and the letter 'c' this week so we took a field trip to the Apple Valley Creamery.  The Stoners, one of the sweetest families ever, gave us a little tour of their dairy farm.

We learned about their cows, saw calves that were born the night before, felt the rough wool of a baby lamb, learned about what the cows ate, saw the cow that produces the most milk, fed the sheep some rolls, learned that about 80% of their cows were pregnant, saw the 'maternity pen', and I got my jeans bit by a calf.  It was pretty cute.

Anna named most of the cows and the baby lamb.  She called him Curly. :)

Then we went to their farm house and Oliver played with toy tractors, Anna did a puzzle with Miss Sharon, we listened to Philip and Rachel play worship songs, drank milk from their creamery and ate homemade waffles for lunch.  

A field trip that ends with homemade waffles is my kind of field trip. :)

Our Week

Stayed home New Year's and watched the Coldplay concert on PBS.  Amazing.

We celebrated a little boy turning 2!  

 Birthday lunch...chosen by the birthday boy.

The last picture of our very dead tree.  Taken by Anna.

A trip to the park on a warmer day

Smiles from our sweet girl