my superheros

I am doing a super hero party for the boys this summer for their birthdays. So, I came up with this idea to take pictures of them in their capes and superman shirts they have (thanks to Grandma and Nina's). I thought it would be really cute to use on their invitation... yes. I know. some of you may think that is a bit annoying. hahaha

so anyway... needless to say the boys thought this idea was AWESOME. Especially because I had them stand on their bench and jump off. :)

I really can't handle the cuteness of my children

And just when I thought "this is the cutest thing ever" 

 the little princess started crying in her swing yelling "me. me. me"

which I interpreted as "I want to do it too mother. What about me??!!"

and so I tucked Ethan's shirt into the back of her's as a "cape" and she got be be a super hero.

and then Jace jumped off...
which gave me this picture...

she was a bit scared.

so she called for Ethan...

Such a good big brother.

and then seriously it got to cute for words.
I am so glad I had my camera.

I kept trying to get Ava to put her hands up...
but only got this blurry picture when she finally did...

sigh. be still my heart. I love these babies to the moon and back.



My favorite one of all 3



cell phone genius

My husband is a genius.

pure genius.

I was reading about his personality type yesterday. If you are familiar with Myers Briggs, he is a INTJ, appropriately titled "The Scientist". It's easy for this type of personality to run companies, solve huge problems and change structures. It's easy for them to manage people at an upper level but at the same time common for them to be misunderstood at an intimate level. Not at all their intention, its just the way their brain works.

I understand and love my Scientist.

Let me demonstrate how this works:

Brent: I don't understand how you always loose your cell phone.

Me: I dunno. I am always running around doing 100 things. I have so many things on my mind.

Brent: Me too.  (this coming from the man that manages a thousand employees and millions of dollars)

Me: *getting defensive* Well, sometimes my pants don't have pockets (lamo excuse)

Brent: I have set spots for my cell phone. The buffet, my nightstand, my pocket or my cup holder

Me: *brain racing trying to come up with a rebuttal but instead I say* Oh. that's a good idea.

brilliant. sheer brilliance I tell you! ;) And this is how his brain thinks about everything! It's why he is AMAZING at what he does.

But... I of course am very different. I balance him big time because my personality is called the giver and I am completely focused on relationships. We often see life very differently . But for the most part I think we have learned to embrace who the other person is and friction (which every one has) usually creates balance for us.

My cell phone is now sitting in a set place.

The end.

beauty takes work

Someone recently posted on facebook about women

“fake hair, fake eyelashes, fake teeth, fake color, fake singing along with other enhancements... what's real? True beauty comes from within...”

I have been thinking on it a lot and thinking about my life and what I have learned about beauty.... and then I started writing this blog and had a couple of emotional days... you know what I am talking about right girls? I feel like this last week I have been up, down and all around. It's frustrating having so many thoughts and feelings sometimes.

I was like, well forget that blog. I have no right to talk about inward beauty.


And then I started thinking. No.


I do have right to talk about inward beauty. I am paying attention and getting ahold of all these emotions I have been dealing with this last week BECAUSE I know that inward beauty is what counts. I am saying to myself, Get ahold of yourself woman because I know that it matters to deal with the issues of the heart.


I have always been taught that beauty is more than outward looks...  but its taken life to develop and learn that the depth of beauty a person has comes from within. Quite frankly I probably learned the most about it after Ava was born… maybe part of it was having a little girl but most of all I found myself stretched to capacity… 3 kids under 3, a husband with a demanding job and in full time college and worship leader position at our church.

I remember being completely sleep deprived with a newborn nursing, the boys wrestling on the floor and looking around at my house thinking "how am I suppose to keep up with everyone and everything??” I felt so overwhelmed. I didn’t want anything in our family to lack.

And I started to read proverbs 31. a women whose life was cultivated beauty.

I really did read it. Several times.

This was my favorite verse for awhile: She rises also while it is still night, and gives food to her household.

It wasn’t just because I was nursing at 2am. Haha. There is this other part that says that she doesn’t eat the bread of idleness. For heaven’s sakes, if you read through that chapter… this women worked her butt off! But you see all the rewards it gave her. I kept telling myself, this is NOT supposed to be easy… easy is not going to make you be what you are supposed to be.

So I started to be super proactive about everything.

Here’s the list of qualities in this woman:

Rare, precious, trustworthy, kind, works joyfully, goes extra mile to get choicest goods, disciplined, enterprising, prudent with money, energetic, good steward, diligent, compassionate, generous, provident, elegant ,influential, industrious, poised, wise, manages her home, praiseworthy ,distinguished, God fearing, honored.

True beauty goes very deep. and it takes work. lots of work.


Beauty means "The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality". I like that the word harmony is part of beauty. Somehow as a women, we have to take the many pieces of our life and create harmony to make it beautiful.


Life is like a garden. It takes wisdom. It takes work, hard work. Some days will be good. Some days will be bad. But you press on. You work at it. You find out more of who God created you to be and you do that... until you learn to be that.

If you look at women who created a destiny and a legacy in history - they worked their butts off. They raised families. They were involved. They stood for something.

Here’s a list of a few women who had a mark on history (there are some descriptions after their names): http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/figures.htm

One of my favorites is this women who was one of the first to move to Cleveland, Ohio (of all places :) ) she had 8 children and out of her house was the local store, church, school, jail, and trading post.


I want to stand for true beauty and leave a legacy of heavenly things.

I pulled a bunch of random photos of women I thought were beautiful… I don’t know their stories but the pictures grabbed me in some way. I like to be cute and beautiful on the outside but God help that to never define me. Let the things I cultivate and manage on the inside bring beauty to my life and those around me. Help me to remember that whatever comes in life... true beauty comes from deep within. True beauty is not worn, it cannot be put on or taken off. It is from this place deep inside that a wellspring comes out of... good and bad.


Help us crazy, emotional, passionate women learn to manage ourselves and find the "cause's" God’s called us too. Let us be full of virtue, character, servant's hearts, and steward all that comes our way.

I'll start with a hero: