A Boy w/a Phone Camera

 

Yesterday,

Lucas, Livi and I

went on a neighborhood adventure.

 

I had forgotten that I gave Lucas

my phone at one point to take pictures if he wanted.

 

 

Then, later that night, when I remembered,

I checked my photo gallery,

and this is what I found...

 

 

 

 

I didn't even realize he was taking Liv's pictures

as I was busy snapping with my Canon...

 

I like his better!



Just because...

           



Here's to You, Fam!

Sometimes

"better late than never"

is really a true statement.

 

Finally,

here is a recap of

2013,

a year that will forever hold a special place in our hearts...

 

 

 

 



Leading the Wolves and Lambs



                                                                                       Rie Munoz

Wolves will live with lambs.

 Leopards will lie down with goats.

 Calves, young lions, and year-old lambs will be together,

 and

 little children

 will lead them.

Isaiah 11:6

Jayce,

I have no doubt you're an animal lover.

It's in your genes.

(Even your dad wants another dog!!)

So pet a wolf for me, please!

I've always wanted one.

(the closest I got to having one was a malamute named, appropriately, Joy...

maybe you're running through fields with her!)

And give a pat on the head of a lion

while

holding a sweet lamb!

There's this song, Sweet Jayce,

about life in heaven.

"I Can Only Imagine"

 It's so true...

we can only imagine what you are experiencing.

And our imaginations are limited

by our humanness.

The wonders that you are encountering

are beyond our comprehension.

But this verse gives us a small glimpse

of how you are living life as God intended.

And for that we are thankful.

To say that you are missed today in particular

would not really be true.

You are missed every day.

Our hearts are full with love for you,

and every day has moments when the thought

"Jayce would enjoy this!"

crosses our minds.

But it just occured to me...

every day (are there days in heaven?!)

you are most likely having the thought,

"Wait till my Fam sees this!!"

You will be our own personal tour guide :)

The verses go on to say...

"they shall

not hurt

nor destroy

in all my holy mountain."

Dearest Boy,

you are experiencing a life with

no hurts or destruction!

A pain free, holy life!

And on top of that,

you. have. mountains. to. hike!!

Yep, we can only imagine!

Know for sure that I look forward to a

hike with you...

and as the song says,

"will I dance for you, Jesus?"

Yes we will!

Together.

That we can totally imagine.

After all,

dancing

is in your genes also!!



The $20 Challenge

Us girls

love a competition.

 

and a deal.

 

and consignment/thrift shops.

 

There are treasures to be found out there!!!

 

So we decided to combine these loves,

come up with a $20 price limit,

and go out to find our treasures...

 

From the Ancient City to

our UF college town,

the Appalachians,

and the foothills of the Ozarks

the search was on
and 

Here are our finds...

 

Outfit From Plato’s Closet
(Little disadvantage that our closest nice resale shop is over an hour away,
but made for a great mother-daughter day with a friend!)

Flowing cotton tank top from Forever 21. $4
Hydraulic Denim Shorts. $4.80
Shoes- Gianni Bini Flats from Dilliards w/original price tag of $59.00.  $9.60
Bracelet. $1.60
4 Items Total -  $20.00
Designer Dog- Free

(Backstory: Teenager dressing in summer clothes. before school. in a freezing house with snow outside to challenge her aunts- Priceless)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 



  

 



Sexy slim Nine West pants. $5

Adorable 2 tone wedges w/girly bow. $5

White, sparkly beaded earrings. $2.99

Gorgeous gauzy coral Papaya brand blouse. Perfect for any summer day. $6.99

4 items Total. $19.98 

 

(Shoe brand not posted as I do have a similiar pair, so I sold them back to the SAME shop along with the pants... so technically, in the end, I only paid a $1 to use the pants and shoes for the competition ;)

 



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 







  

Pinstripe Pencil Skirt w/bonus Pockets and Button Detail - $3.50

Filigree Detailed Top w/Front Zipper - $3.50
Jean Jacket - $5.00
Leather Ankle Lace-up Boots - $5.00
4 Items Total:  $18.02

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 



 



New York and Company blouse. $2
Talbots jacket. $3
Steve Madden shoes new with $60 tag. $10
INC International Concepts Capris. $2
Liz Claiborne purse. $1
5 items Total - $19.08

Lucas is one of my most precious, priceless accessories.
(He also happens to be wearing a bonus find of a Carter's vest for $1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





 



Classic Black wash-n-wear Pants. $1.50

Clark 3" Heel Clogs. $4.99

Gauzy asian-design Shirt. $2.00

Button down Scott Taylor overshirt.(price tag still on from Steinmart) $5.00

Earrings. $2.99

5 items Total. $17.47

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Also,

Jessica's backdrop was a $10 find...

scalloped-edged 100% cotton quilt from Linen Source, mint condition!



Overall,

a very successful hunt,
I would say :)

                                                      ***********************************************************

 

 

3/2/14

The judging is complete.....

and the official winner is

tatadadaaaaa.....

 

Jessica!

 

Congratulations to all the competitors...

job well done!


 

Spontaneity and Discovery

 

 

Came out of my room
 one foggy (both my mind and outside) morning anticipating my coffee.

Lucas was at the dining room table coloring on a piece of paper.

While my coffee perked,
I took the piece of artwork,
attached some colorful hair bands
intending to hang it from the knob of my dresser.

Lucas didn't see wall art.
He instantly saw a kite.
(Perspective is everything, right?)

 

Kite meant outside.

 

And, taking after his Aunt Christa,

immediacy was the key.

 

as in

"Let's go outside now, Nana!
With my kite!"

 

He hasn't grasped the concept of morning coffee yet.

 

However, I have no regrets in following the
spontaneity of a young boy...

 

 

 

 

The added bonus to this time of morning...
the Grass Spider webs scattered around.

 

 

To touch? or not to touch?...

that is the question  

 

 

Curiosity wins!

 

 

 A bit of trivia...

these webs are virtually non-sticky,

and 

these spiders will eat their web

in order to recycle the silk,

 

 and when touched

the web magically disappears

"Hey, where did it go?!?"

No frantic flailing of arms at unseen fibers here! 

 

 

 

 

Ok,

now lead the way back home, Lucas,

 to my awaiting
perked
pot of
java,
and I'll sip away as I listen to a
2 year old's version
as he tells his
mom about the morning's venture.

A great way to start the day!



 



God, Friends, and Things that are Kind

 

 

“That time I thought I could not go any

 

closer to grief

without dying

I went closer,

and I did not die.

Surely God
had his hand in this,

as well as friends.

Still,

 

I was bent,

and my laughter...
was nowhere to be found.

Then said my friend...
“It’s not the weight you carry
but how you carry it -
books, bricks,

 

 grief -

it’s all in the way you embrace it,

 balance it,

 carry it

when you cannot,

 

and would not,

put it down.”

So I went practicing.

Have you noticed?

Have you heard
the laughter
that comes, now and again,
out of my startled mouth?

How I linger
to

admire, admire, admire
the things of this world
that are kind..."
 ~Mary Oliver

 

This past week, Christa made a statement that is so very true.

After she had an encounter with her "favorite nurse",

she said,

"Mom, it's the simpliest of things that people do

that help to make this easier."

 

God, family and friends...

 

thank you for the small (and big!) acts of kindness

that help pave this very difficult path.

 

They give us stability.

 

They allow for some laughter.

 

They cause us to stop and

"admire the things of this world that are kind"