The Suits Sisters

On this Sunday we give thanks for 1. The tissues that were sacrificed (unbeknownst to me) while I got ready for church 2. Nursery workers from a sister church that come to help us 3. Other kids to play in the nursery with our kids 4. A personal success- I made no comments on Kent's outfit or appearance before he left for church 5. Singing this song (in a much slower and piano-artsy-ish way) The weight of guilt I bear no more 6. 37 people in church today! The week after Easter! 7. People sticking around afterwards to chit chat  8. Spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker 9. Rest time and a second cup of coffee 10. The girls' anticipation of movie night tonight

After one year of "laying low" as a church, I brought up the idea of a Spring Break Kids Camp. And brought it up. And brought it up again. The pastor was on board with one condition- I plan it all. Easy enough!  Shocker... spewing out ideas and suggestions from your living room recliner is easier than actually making plans, buying supplies and sending emails, but it all came together and in the end, Pastor Kent helped a lot winkyface It was a four day camp that ran from 9am-12pm.  Saying our memory verse, Romans 10:9 (and a peek at the church's indoor makeover: paint, carpet and screens ) Sweet Li wearing our kids camp t-shirt!  The 2019 Group! On Wednesday we had a group set up a table at the town's Easter Egg Hunt and one church member, Angie M. made this awesome photo prop.  People dressed as the Easter Bunny will forever be the creepiest thing to me. I can't believe my kids wanted to get a picture with it and Audrey stayed still/didn...

Easter Sunday or the year we had to crop the picture because everyone grew 3 feet over the winter  (and we didn't cross our legs) or  the year Audrey started to have her own fashion opinions  We started the morning with German kinder eggs sent from our Florida friend, Ilse. The girls were surprised to find that Uncle Walker and (fiance) Katey had spent the night to lead worship for Easter. I always enjoy roping our guests into playing the games we play all of the time. This visit was Guess Who?   Lunch followed church and we had two church ladies + Aunt Anna join us for that. Three seconds after they pulled away from our driveway Pastor Kent came bounding down the stairs in a hoodie and sweatpants. This signaled the end of his wild week and I was happy for him. Ya'earned, Kent!!! Good work.  Aunt Anna playing Guess Who? (while I sip coffee and giggle)  Pops and Gigi came to visit in the late afternoon and, you guessed it, play G...

When your mom says "smile!" but you're wearing a bike helmet  Ice cream!   How a third child enjoys the backyard while her mom makes dinner (or: watching sisters swing)  The 6 minute skating experience: 4 minutes to put skates on 30 seconds to smile for a picture 1 minute and 30 seconds to skate

With the last chilly winter days behind us, you can feel it, can't you? The hustle and bustle of spring. Everybody out and about being their best selves... running, playing, buying mulch, smiling, and my neighbor who uses a leaf blower everyday from April until November {shrugs my shoulders} I don't know, but his yard looks nice.  I love spring just as much as the next person. The spring scent coming through an open window instantly transports me back to 7th Street with the charcoal grill and backyard wiffle ball games (BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY! TAKE ME BACK just for a day!) But I have to confess that those cold, windy, rainy winter days are my JAM. Make me stay inside,  slap some leggings and wool socks on me and stick a fork in me, I'm done. Introverts gonna introvert, y'all. Of course too many of those days in a row can damage your pyschological frame of mind (not speaking from experience or anything...) But one or two? Makes me giddy.  I am also the parent who ca...

Dear Kent, after thirty years of marriage, let's look at each other like Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson looked at each other the other day when she received her Hollywood Star Dear Readers, if you haven't seen Tom and Rita look at each other the other day, google it. PRECIOUS is an understatement. Here , let me save you a step.  Dear Tom, I like to think that we're on a first name basis. I mean, after all, you're WOODY. Anyways, 5.6 million people follow you on Instagram and you follow one person, your wife. In a digital age, that is classically romantic Dear Daughters, you spent 4 hours in your room today not cleaning + 15 minutes cleaning. This has made for the easiest parenting day ever! Your dad and I are in great moods. Dear Pub Sub, Kent put you on wheat bread and I just wasn't feelin' it. If I'm going to splurge on you, you need to come wrapped in cozy white bread. Dear Pale Legs, yep. It's here again. Shorts weather Dear Local Thrift Store...

Here's to the moms who request extra handwriting practice at the end of the week  and to the moms who survived an other-wordly, shrill scream from the 18 month old to start off the Aldi shopping trip with three kids after home school co op. Then zipped around the store, throwing things into her cart(organic hummus, really Kait?), spent more money than intended and topped it off with bacon ranch chicken salad in the parking lot   Here's to the moms who find new tape mangled and gnarly on the regular  to the one who has cats eating in the corner of her kitchen To the moms who finds themselves, after lunch, throwing back Coke Zero, staring at chicken nuggets on the floor, yelling Catechism questions to one while the others harass and chase each other in circles. I salute you. Also, for your soul, if you're trusting in Jesus, Q: How does God justify you? A: God forgives all my sins and accepts me as righteous through Christ