S.A.H.M........I mean why not ;)

Hey guys!! It's been such a long time since I've made the time to post!!! I have taken a really great upper level position in my career.....as a STAY AT HOME MOMMY! Upper level in that I'm looking forward to being "up" all night with a sweet new baby due around the beginning of October!! Josh and I are so blessed as a family and while I struggled deeply with the decision to actually pull the trigger and stay home...(my on-the-go personality may propose a challenge) it is one I feel certain God has called me to do at this road in my life.  I am anxious to see and SHARE with you guys what God is going to do through this and how I maintain my sanity as well :).

My hope is to post daily eventually. At this point I feel so far behind it's impossible to catch you up on our lives as the unknown reader! I am not sure entirely what direction this blog will take- but I can safely say I hope it allows me to "vent" about the struggles as a SAHM to four kiddos, and to share joys or sorrows as God works through my life over the course of the next few years. If it touches even one person, then it is worth it and if it doesn't, well, surely it will be fun for me as I look back through my life 25 years from now.

We had a big summer that was consumed with family, lots of hugs, smores, best friends, baseball & swimming! To update a bit on each child:

Kinlee (8) has enjoyed finishing this past semester in tap, jazz and ballet and was able to dance at Disney World this summer!! This was a huge deal for her and we were very grateful for such a cool experience and an extra-amazing Mamaw that came along for the fun! She attended church camp for the first time this year which she loved loved and I saw growth in her spiritually that I haven't yet seen. She spent plenty of her summer nights at the ballpark, at B's (her bff'/family), swimming constantly, and traveling to see family. She was able to start running cross country at the end of the summer for school (you have to be in 3rd grade to be on the team)- and she is just doing great. She loves to run and does it so effortlessly. I  have to assume she inherited from her Grandpa (my dad) who also shared a love and natural ability to run.

          

Kasen (6) spent his summer consumed with baseball. First regular season, then all stars!! He did great throughout the season and he played short stop for the Reds. (I add these details for my later accounts :) He also had two pretty amazing coaches, his dad and uncle!! Seriously, regardless of the coaches he learned a lot this summer/season and I am so very proud of him. He got to play all summer long with his cousins and his best friends. If you know Kasen at all- you know this is all that matters to him at this point. Sports has his heart and he loves baseball..."so so much" he says. Basketball is coming in a close second and this child never sits inside. I mean ever. It can be 99 degrees and he is outside playing baseball or basketball-by himself-for hours. If he isn't playing it he is watching it. I honestly would love to see him keep this mentality and commitment to try to  constantly improve and it is so fun to see him doing it on his own. He did a few camps this summer and loved tennis camp and camp invention.

         

Kruz (3) spent his summer hanging out with mom :). No seriously, we were basically inseparable. It drives me crazy most of the time but in the same breath I know how quickly the age and desire to just be with your mom goes. I've loved it. It's probably a deeper rooted issue hahahaha....everyone tells me constantly to cut the cord...there is just something about him  

   

And finally....baby #4:

HELLO GUYS!!!



God Bless,
Emily

Forever Grateful

"Emily and the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day" (or weekend).

Saturday night we spent 7 hours in the er with my middle son Kase because his buddy hit a baseball (line drive) to him in and he caught it with his eyebrow and split it open. Within a day, Kinlee had a tooth that had just had a filling, become infected and have to be extracted (3-4 days of serious pain), and Kase then developed a fever and "virus" of some sort while Kinlee was in pain with her mouth being so sore. these moments are hard to see as a mom. I HATE seeing my kids hurt; emotionally or physically.  (This is all going on while we found out that the new car we JUST purchased, needs a new cadillac converter and we were lied to by the dealership). It's just been a rough week. You know what though, as I was thinking about how much the weekend and beginning of the week had stunk, and how I was only going on about 4 hours of sleep since Sunday, it hit me like lightening. I'm so immensely blessed. I'm blessed to have Kasen, with his ability to play baseball, to be hit in the eye and it be OK.  I'm blessed that Kinlee is growing and has teeth and was OK after the soreness wore off.  My kids are generally very healthy, all three of them!!! I was blessed to be able to see the Sun, Snow and Rain (all three God's amazing works) all in a weeks time period :) I have a supportive husband that listens when things are hard. God has opened some MAJOR doors for me recently to grow my faith through, and has led me to some areas I didn't expect but am so excited about. I'm blessed. I'm grateful.

I really dislike the fact that I can turn things into a "self" pity party as quick as I do when things aren't going great. I know that is satan. He won't win.  I won't fall into these pity parties with the help of God. So I went from feeling super sad about my rough few days to feeling super convicted about my "selfishness". I had to ask for forgiveness and say thank you for all I have. As moms it's hard. Finding that balance between selfishness and selflessness.  Even in my selflessness and worry I was being selfish. My prayer for you, the unknown reader..do NOT let satan win. Don't let him hold you down. Remember that at the end of the day, you're blessed- if for nothing else, because someone loved you enough to send his son to die for you. 

God bless

xoxo,

Em

ps leave a comment or a thought! I'd love to hear from anyone who reads! 

Last Week in February!

www.enditmovement.com

if you haven't heard about the raising of awareness to end slavery, please visit the link above!! 

END IT!

It's always a fun time when I get to visit with my sweet nephews! I have had the pleasure of being with THREE of them this past weekend and we had a blast!! Beckham has grown into such a sweet, fun-loving baby!! His age reminds me of why it is I want another......(PSA: my husband says no way no how)

This past Saturday three of my girlfriends and I hosted a little "surprise" party for one of our best friends Beth!!! We had it in a room at church and did the best we could decorating with the pretty pink carpet and mural of Jesus and the little children on the wall ;). We had the best time making it a fancy black white and gold party and see that beautiful blonde in the last picture?? That is the birthday girl!!! She is one the prettiest girls INSIDE and OUT and we loved honoring her!!! love you Beth!!!

Overall it was a great weekend and I hate that my sister is leaving this week. You guys can say a prayer for me....tear....and for her safe travels!!

God Bless
xoxo,
Em

February 2015- Catching Up

Hey guys!! I am really mad at myself for not doing a better job posting on here. I want to be able to express my feelings, but I also want to be able to look back at a small time line of my children being young!! (insert teardrop...) Time seriously is moving at rapid speed and they are growing up so quickly.

Here is just a little catch up from our lives in February!! This is a favorite month of mine, not only because it's my birthday month but also valentines day!! A lot of people dislike v-day, but I "heart" it lol. Pun intended.  I'm a hopeless romantic and love all things sappy.

FUN FACT: Me and Abraham Lincoln share a birthday- February 12, I also live about 5 minutes from his birthplace.

 We started February off with a trip to Bowling Green to WKU to see this pretty Lady Hilltopper play!! <Ivy Brown>  She's my sister-in-laws younger sister so we had a great time supporting the TOPS! GO IVY!!!

On my birthday we made the 7 hour trip to Georgia to visit my sister Kimmy and her fam!! I took the boys because I didn't want to pull Kinlee out of school for two days and we left on a Thursday morning.  They boys did AMAZING in the car and my other sister Kayla rode down with me!!

We hung out at the house and then found the cutest little plaza with a great little frozen yogurt shop. The weather was 65 degrees and beautiful!!! 

 This was my face because this is the first valentines day in almost 10 years that I didn't get to spend it with Josh. He took Kinlee on a VERY sweet valentine date-she was so excited

When we drove home from Georgia on Sunday, we were welcomed by a big snow storm headed our way. We didn't know it at the time, but that snow storm would allow the kids to be out of school ALL week. We got about 14 inches total and for the first 3 days we had the best snuggle time. 

-insert: cabin fever-

Below are the random activities we did while being snowed in!

FORT!!!! 

Kinlee loves to get dressed up, play in makeup, do nails etc. so it's no surprise when it was her turn to chose the activity she chose a photo shoot. 

We got nerdy!!! We read a LOT!  I just started a study on the book of Romans and am working through a study book that goes along with it. It's deep, intense, and sometimes tough- but I love learning more, growing and gaining a real sense of "urgency" for the lost- just like Paul did in his letters to the people of Rome. Praying I can have half of his faith and heart.

Finally, we were able to get out of the house to watch the UK game with some great friends!!! 

I'm sooooo not a leather wearing "hard core" type girl....but I'm really loving this one every so often!! Not going to lie I feel like I should be on a harley!

Kim and the boys drove up this week and we couldn't be more excited to see them!!!

I'm excited for what I have up my sleeve for the end of February!! Below is a sneak peak....stay tuned to see what this means........

GOD BLESS,

Em