Matt preached at our Fayetteville location a few weeks ago and did an amazing job. As always.
On Saturday we took the kids to Crystal Bridges. I am honestly amazed that we haven’t been sooner. It was incredible. Best collection of American art in the country… JUST DOWN THE ROAD!
This was my favorite piece. The Portrait of Anne Page by Dennis Miller Bunker. It was purchased in 2004 for… drumroll please… 3.5 MILLION!!!
I could have stared at her forever.
I ate this for lunch today. (Like you care.)
Actually, I eat this for lunch almost every single day.
A Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Wedge spread onto a toasted Orowheat sandwich thin topped with half an avocado with a little salt and pepper. Less than 300 calories. Love.
While I was eating, I had this nice little text conversation with Belle. I couldn’t help but think, I hope we can have conversations like this when she’s 16, too.
Yesterday I was outside writing on my laptop while the kids played in the yard.
Belle came over several times and asked me to “come see a bug” she found.
I was on a writing roll and didn’t want to go, but her persistent begging won out.
I finally stood to go check out the unidentified insect and somehow hit the top of my foot on a rock.
When I say it hurt, I mean, I promise you I came closer to smooth passing out than I ever have in my life.
I went down. Fast. In the middle of the backyard. Leaving my children wide-eyed and speechless.
I rolled around for a while, holding my foot and wondering if amputation would be necessary. By that time, the kids were surrounding me, and at the first sight of blood, Jeb began making gross-out sounds like, “Ewwwww,” and “Yuuuucccck,” while the girls immediately ran inside for the first aid kit. (I was thinking more along the lines of dialing 9-1-1 but figured a kit would be good, too.)
For a moment I was pretty impressed by my kids’ concern for my health and well being.
That was until they ran back out, dropped the first aid kit near me, and ran off to go find the mystery bug. Awesome.
I probably spent another five minutes just laying in the grass, not sure I could move. Ever. Again.
Finally the girls meandered back over and handed me a wet paper towel. (Their bug must’ve flown away.) I took it, along with a tiny wet towelette that Belle assured me was for cuts. I wrapped it around my wound only to realize IMMEDIATELY that what she had handed me was a ALCOHOL WIPE.
Commence more writhing. And yelling. And hysterical laughter from my children.
Today I have recovered, but barely.
I actually do have photos, but they’re gross, and some of you may be eating.
As a side note, I did NOT receive proper sympathy from my husband OR friends.
I am totally unappreciated.
My children were very upset that I did not have a birthday cake yesterday.
I tried to explain that big people don’t always need a cake, but it didn’t fly with them.
My only out, other than going to buy a cake for myself, was to promise them we would make me a cake the next day.
And so we did.
I have been wanting to try mini pineapple upside down cakes I found here. I thought the kids might think walking through that process was pretty cool, especially when they saw the final result.
I was right.
Instead of making my batter from scratch, we used a box mix. Nothing fancy for us today.
Also, since I don’t have a jumbo muffin pan as called for in the recipe in the link above, I used these Pyrex baking bowls Matt’s mom gave me a while back.
The kids always love watching my Kitchen Aid mixer in action. Clearly, we are easily entertained.
Today was my birthday.
I’m like 12 when it comes to birthdays.
I love them. Way too much.
Like a 12 year old.
But today was super special for me.
This morning, my little girls surprised me with breakfast in bed.
I heard them rummaging around in the kitchen and was just about to go check on them when they came in my room holding a cookie sheet topped with a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles, a cupcake, and my diabetes supply bag.
We’ve sort of been lazy today.
We watched a movie about a mermaid. Estella Dru picked it.
It was an hour of my life that I can never get back. But she loved it. Belle and Jeb only tolerated it.
When it was over I declared no more tv.
Instead, we made friendship bracelets.
I let them pick out their own charms earlier.
Of course Belle got a basketball, and ‘Stella got a guitar. (The next Taylor Swift, you know. Just ask her.)
Yesterday my girls decided they wanted to learn to sew.
I’m not a sewer/seamstress. I CAN sew, but not well.
I don’t really enjoy it, mainly because I am such an impatient person. But it does comes in handy from time to time.
My grandma taught me when I was little, and I would like for my girls to at least know the basics.
That said… they are driving me cuckoo with all kinds of projects they’re coming up with.
I literally can’t sit down without one of them materializing at my side begging for my help to sew something.
I’m not complaining. (Not really anyway.) I think it’s sweet, and Grandma would be so proud of them.
Belle’s first project was a little purse that she designed and sewed all by herself. (P.S. We sew on a 80ish-year-old Singer machine that Matt’s Gran gave me several years ago. It is the best little machine ever, and we are so thankful for it.)
I can’t tell you how proud she was of herself and her creation.
The girls’ room is finished!
I had my poor husband busy all weekend, much to his dismay.
But I think even he agrees, the final result is worth all the time and effort we spent.
Matt did all the painting on the walls. Two are gray. One is yellow, and of course, my favorite is the chevron!
The headboards, an old door sawed in two, were repainted the same gray as the chevron and two solid walls.
I got the bedding from Target, $20 per comforter. I love a deal.
This little stand makes me happy. I found it in Matt’s parents’ attic and gave it new life with a fresh coat of paint and some cute little knobs.
My kiddos are HOME for the summer!
I know. I’m that weird mom who actually likes them being home with me.
Don’t get me wrong. They drive me crazy sometimes a LOT. But for the most part, we have so much fun together, and I absolutely enjoy them to pieces.
The day started with some difficulty.
Jeb cried out this morning around 4 am. Matt went in, tucked him back in, prayed for him, and came back to bed. Then at 5:45 am, he cried out again. I went to check on him, and he had thrown up all in his bed.
Gag. (Confession: I’m not that mom who says, “Oh, once you’ve been thrown up on a couple times, it’s no big deal.” It’s a big deal to me. Vomit is gross and possibly gets grosser the more I deal with it.)
Because Jeb was sick, I couldn’t go to the girls’ award ceremony/last-day-of-school stuff. (Sniff. Sniff.) But they didn’t seem to mind.
By the time they got home around 11 or so, Jeb seemed to be feeling better. So we had lunch outside.
To celebrate the last day of school, I had planned on us making these cupcakes I found on Pinterest.
Don’t they look fun?
