My Favorite Things Link Up!

        Watch//Book//Candle//Shoes 

Christmas of 2012 left Lee and I feeling yuck.  We'd bought too much. 

 Our kids were overwhelmed with gifts.  It all started to feel unnecessary 

and quite frankly I was embarrassed.  That Christmas morning as I looked

 around our den, instead of feeling filled up, I felt empty and regretful.   

Fast forward to 2013.  

We decided to bring our focus away from the gifts and back to Jesus.  

We decided to focus on advent and preparing our hearts for Christmas. 

 We decided that as a family we could do more for others if we didn't 

ask for a lot of stuff for ourselves.   Instead of a making a Christmas list

 a mile long, we talked to our boys about keeping the list to four things...    

something you need, something to read, 

something to wear, and something to share.  

I'm not going to lie.  Last year {2013} was an adjustment, but 

something happened.  Our boys appreciated every single gift in a way 

I had not seen the year before.  They enjoyed watching others open

 their gifts and it was wonderful.  

Now, truth be told, Lee and I have not exchanged Christmas gifts 

for a few years now.  BUT if we were to exchange my four 

"need/read/share/wear" above would do the trick!  

Summer 2014

                       {Last Day of 2nd Grade}

                              {More Baseball}

                                   {VBS}

{An Engagement...this will have it's own post soon!}

                 {Edisto with Prices}

{Fripp Island}

                       {Sisters}

Spring 2014

{In an effort to make my mama happy, 

I am going to blog again...

or at least try to catch up}

                                 Spring was...

  meeting cousins in the mountains and floating down the creek.

         Watching two boys get the news they made All-Stars

            and getting scooped up by your Gigi to celebrate.  

             Spring was meeting under this tree in Bryson City, 

       in front of a church, where my Nana worshipped as a girl and 

                                    hot tubs with bubbles. 

                      Spring was jumping hurdles at field day...

                                       and tugging ropes.  

                               Spring was a baseball tournament and

                                   a trophy that looked like a cup. 

                                      {Mothering boys is funny}

         Spring was a make-up Mother's Day picnic with my boys. 

                        

                            Spring was the second grade field trip and 

                                 finding my green thumb {happy to report it's still alive}.

                          Spring was more baseball with buddies and 

                                      finding the mud hole at the park.  

Spring was saying good-bye to second grade and looking forward to Summer!