Falling in Love with John Quincy Adams

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
John Quincy Adams. Heard that on Dave Ramsey today.

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.

Salt Lake City Bound on Wednesday

We will be flying out to Salt Lake City, Utah, Lord willing, on Wednesday.  I am going to the Melaleuca convention and Dave will be watching the boys in the hotel.  I am very excited to be going and very thankful that Dave will be watching the boys in the hotel next to the convention so I don't have to worry.  God is faithful!

Henry has been telling everyone we are going to Utalk (Utah) and Jackson Hole.  After the convention we are driving up to Jackson Hole, WY to get a glimpse of Yellowstone.

Dave was offered to test into a new job today.  Everyone else got training for the test and they told Dave he had to test out of it without the training and that it would be very difficult.  Many people prayed and he passed!  Praise God.  He will officially start training as an under writer very soon.  We are incredibly grateful to God for bringing so many blessing and clarity.

Precious Faces

So thankful for so many things... clarity from God, excellent message at church tonight, phone chats with good friends, walks in the country, loving husband and precious faces.

Today's Eucharisteo - Spring Flowers

Thankful for Spring flowers in flower boxes and hanging thanks to the helpful hands of my husband.  Thankful for long talks with old friends.

Just Love Chubby Babies

thankful for chubby baby

chubby feet

i wanted to take a photo of hudson's chubby feet today.  but the day got away from me.  i just love those little feet and i am always thinking about my baby even when i am away from him for a few hours.  so thankful for the gift God has given to us.

i love how he moves his little hand across fabric because he loves texture so much.  i love how he rubs my arm when we are cuddling.  i love watching his little personality develop.  he is a home body and mommy's boy but very strong willed and independent at the same time.  he's very, very opinionated.

i made the mistake of letting him play with the home phone and now he throws a fit if he sees it and cannot have it.  big mistake on my part but still find it cute.

thankful for my husband who is such a helper and a man in love with his family.  last night i had appointments so he made indian food and tonight hudson was fussy (i had to be with him) so dave made salmon on the grill, salad, rice and asparagus.  so good.  so grateful.

Eucharisteo - Continued Hudson 10 Months Old

Paul learned to be content in whatever situation he was in.  The point Ann Voskamp brought in her book was that Paul stated learned twice.  We have to be intentional about our gratefulness because the fall was all about ingratitude and we gravitate toward the fruit.

One behavior I have noticed in myself is being easily distracted and less present in the moments.  Going a hundred miles an hour and not ever being fully there.

And then I learn from my four year old.  He fully lives in every moment, every detail of every day.  He truly lives.  I am so grateful for what he teaches me.  He enjoys life with every fiber of his being.  He stops to notice and enjoy details of situations.  

I am thankful that he enjoyed the smallest gift of sun glasses yesterday and wanted to wear them all day today even in his pajamas inside and even when it was raining outside.

I am practicing saying Eucharisteo to myself when he is asking me for the same thing 1,000 times and at the same time Hudson is screaming and we are trying to get out of the door.  Eucharisteo.  Thankful for the air in my baby's lungs and for insatiable brain of my toddler.  

I am thankful for 10 months today outside of the womb.  I think of all the babies that their mothers made the choice for them not to live and I hold mine tightly and give thanks.

I am so grateful for cuddles with this little man and watching his little personality develop.



Celebrating his 10 month birthday with Aunt Stacey, Uncle Johnny, Aunt Molly, Uncle Wayne (pictured), Sam, mommy and Henry.

eucharisteo - living a life of thankfulness...

have i mentioned how much i love ann voskamp's 1,000 gifts?  i think i'm only 36 pages in and in love.  i want to practice the eucharisteo - i life of thankfulness.  

today i am thankful for my family..

my four year old who sees majesty in the mundane. 

my cousin sam who is visiting this week & new friends made.

my baby who will be tens months tomorrow.  i am thankful for how much he loves his mommy.  and for loving aunts who love my children.

beautiful lighting on a beautiful, Maryland Spring afternoon to take a photo of a beautiful girl in the back of a pick up truck on a farm adventure.

fun aunt catching crazy pig on a neighbor's farm.

thankful to have a camera with charged batteries and memory to catch this candid moment.

thankful for the things you can't learn from a book.  how do you learn to catch a pig?

thankful for the ability to find humor in fear.  well not serious fear but adventurous fear.

thankful for the times i stop and see life through the eyes of a four year old who is in love with life and fully engaged in the moments.

thankful for meeting new families and making new friends.

maryland farm country.

beautiful horses.

my henry making new friends and having so much fun.

making new memories on a beautiful horse's back.

little boys in rubber boots and little girls in summer dresses.

dangerous farm animals.

spring blossoms, henry overcoming fears and good ol' laughs.