real life

I have so much to share with you!  Coming soon …the cheese bread recipe that will change your life …making do (trimming our home with what we already have lying around) …and handmade gifts (great idea, jules!)

But, it’s hard to sit down and write about cheese bread right now.  While this weekend had moments of laughter and hugs, candlelight and romance, boys crawling into my lap just to cuddle, seeing prayers answered and desires of my heart changed…it’s real life.  And in real life, there’s also the moments where your heart sinks when you realize your boy has expired at the park and the long stares and disapproving looks of “what is wrong with him” have started, panic as you discover water pouring into your boys room through the ceiling from the attic, weariness of continuing to have to decide whether to spend “free time” building into this house or our family, uncertainty crunching numbers and wondering how it will all work out (breaking out the envelopes, Dave Ramsey!)

I found myself sighing long, and sighing hard.  I found myself praying little more than “I need Thee.”  Not because there is a huge mountain we must climb.  But because sometimes the journey just gets long, tiring, with endless unknowns.   

The words that kept coming back to me were so simple.  So reassuring.  So motivating. 

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

So good, I wrote it down on our window.  And below it, added “I have everything I need…and so much more!”  I need to be reminded of this.  To linger in awe that the Creator of the universe, the Author of life knows, He hears, it matters to Him, and He will lead us!  Whatever you are facing, you can know He cares!  He is honored in our coming.  He is pleased in our asking.  How blessed are we when the answer we walk away with is that He is our Shepherd.  And, that is more than enough!  

Through the years, we've grown to say “the hard times make the good ones all the sweeter.”  These here are some of the sweetest of moments.

“Goodnight Moon” is a book we have read so many nights to our babies we have it memorized, and now our “baby” is reading it to us!  So surreal.

1^st grade field trip to the apple orchard.  My highlights of the day were certainly when Jack asked me to sit by him on the bus, when he picked me for Red Rover, and just being a part of my boy’s day.  I’m sure it will be all too soon that I won’t be welcome, let alone invited to join along.  So, I’m taking advantage of the time while I can! 

Date Night at Home: a candle, bottle of Lambrusco, appetizer (I recommend the baked jaleps filled with goat (or cream) cheese, topped with prosciutto), and some Carla Bruni playing softly in the background.

The boys asked me to start a cooking school with them.  Ummm...YES!  

Our first lesson was 2 ingredient homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker.   

I followed this recipe, which I will so be using many more times!  This time, I crushed up some GF oreos to make a gluten-free cookies -n- cream. Oh baby, it's been awhile...

So, there you have the hard mixed with the good, joy intermingled with tears, hope in the midst of uncertainty, and this is our life.  

Our craZy, fun, precious, real life.