A Month of Natalie - Motto

What is your life motto?

You wake up everyday and decide who you are going to be!

I am twenty-eight years old. My childhood seems like a lifetime ago. But, even at my age I have peers that still based all of their life decisions, or rather make excuses for their lives, based on how their parents treated them. I have family members that have decided to live in constant pity party mode and essentially miss out on life because they are upset about the way someone (or maybe just life in general) has treated them. 

But the truth is, while we all have wounds that need to be healed, we get to pick who we are. God's mercies are new everyday. Even if you don't know God there are programs, doctors, books, good old fashion gumption, something, that could help you be the person you want to be, if you really wanted to be that person.

I know that in many areas of my life this applies directly to me. I cannot tell you how often I have complained about the laundry. I know it seems stupid and trivial (oh, and I know it is) but it is such a point of personal contention with me. I (kind of) want to be one of those people that does laundry every day and stays on top of. But, if I am really honest with myself, I know that I want to procrastinate more. 

And while laundry isn't like alcoholism, or lust, or manipulation, or using foul language, or gluttony, or lying, or being lazy, it is just another example of the things in our life we could change, if we really wanted to. 

Just remember, tomorrow has new mercies, and you get to pick who you want to be. 

We can't always change our circumstances, and we aren't responsible for others, but you, is completely up to you. 

A Month of Natalie - Events (Plus A Little Business)

Just a bit of business. My blog address is now nataliesapples.blogspot.com. 

Keep checking out my blog because in September I am either going to do a month on Homeschool (because we are just starting the school year) or Emergency Preparedness (or as we like to call it in the house preparing for the zombie apocalypse) because September is National Preparedness Month. Any thoughts on which one you would prefer?


If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be?

I would have loved to see the resurrected Jesus walking the earth before His ascenion. Actually, just to see Jesus on earth, at any point of His time here would be amazing. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to see him lovingly heal people or cast out demons or weep with Mary and Martha, to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, and oh the cross. I just can't imagine what it felt like to be there that day.  My Jesus is tangible in so many ways but it would have been something else entirely to see Him physically here during those short three decades. 

Also, I would have loved to see Romeo and Juliet in the Globe on the day it premiered.     :)

A Month of Natalie - Remembered

What are things you would hope to be remembered for?

I would love to be remembered first and foremost as someone who loved Christ with everything and anything I had.

I also would like to be remembered as my children’s mother. I pour everything I have into them. They are my life’s calling and my greatest mission field.

Hopefully, in the generations to come, Brandon and I’s children, grandchildren and great great greats, can look back and remember that we left a spiritual legacy for them. Both Brandon and I had very dysfunctional upbringings full of divorce, adultery, and idolatry, and to replace those sins with righteousness   and a love for the Lord would be amazing.

I also want to be remembered as a wife that really loved her husband. With the ideas of marriage that are floating around in the world right now, if I just want to be remembered as a wife that sought to please God by loving Brandon.

I want to be remembered as someone with a kind heart and a generous spirit. I love serving and giving and to be able to touch others’ lives is truly a blessing to me.

A Month of Natalie - Love Language

What is your love language?

My love languages are quality time and acts of service. I love to just spend time with people and I feel the most loved when people just want to hang out with me. As for my other language, acts of service, this has really just developed in the last couple of years when I have been so busy. I cannot tell you how amazing it is to walk into a room and see my husband doing the dishes. I know that he really loves me, appreciates me, and notices all I do when he decides of his own volition to do something for me. 

A Month of Natalie - Eyes

What is your favorite part of your body and why?

Does it sound cliché to say that my eyes are my favorite part of my body? I think that they are very pretty but what I like most is that they are green. Here is why. When I was a little girl my eyes were dark brown. Most babies have a permanent eye color by six months but by one year for sure. My eyes changed color as I grew into adulthood. I always wanted green eyes and I like to think that I wished them green.

Side note: After a little bit of research I found that in approximately 10 percent of Caucasians their eye color changes in adolescents but still, saying I wished them green is a lot more fun. 

A Month of Natalie - Dinner

If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?

I am sure that if I had time I could think of a better and more profound choice but for right now I am going to go with William Shakespeare. I believe that he was the man from Stratford upon Avon but there has been so much speculation that I would just love to sit down with him and get his side of the story, and know once and for all, who he was (and what religion he was might also be interesting to know.) He was such an amazing playwright and to not be given credit for his work sort of irks me.

A Month of Natalie - Family Dynamic

Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.

When I was a child I didn’t necessarily have just one family dynamic. We lived with my grandparents off and on for my entire childhood. My mom had several different husbands (not all at the same time J) and sometimes it was just us kids with her. However, the one thing that never changed is that we were NEVER home. I don’t remember one weekend when I was growing up that we just sat at home and hung out as a family.

Our family is very different than that. Other than church there is nothing that we prioritize more than family time. We spend quite a bit of time just being together as a family and we spend a lot of time in the house. We love hanging out and though I have friends and Brandon has friends and we have family friends our favorite times are when the four of us are together. My grandmother also moved in with us about two years ago. I think that this has been incredibly enriching for the boys. First of all, the bible clearly instructs us to take care of widows. Second of all, my Grandmother practically raised me. She was my constant when I was growing up and so it has been a wonderful experience to have her here (even with all her quirks). I also think that it teaches the boys a different level of honor and respect. My boys love their Granny but they also know that they share in the responsibility of helping to taking care of her. 

A Month of Natalie - Hobbies

List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.

I absolutely LOVE reading. I read all kinds of books. I can enjoy most things from my absolute favorite Shakespeare to the poorly written but oh so fun Amish books. Right now I am reading a non fiction book about Jamestown, an end of the world as we know it novel, and the Bell Jar. Seriously, I am pretty diverse in what I enjoy but as long as I am reading I am a happy girl.

I love scrapbooking. I love crafting and making memory books for my family. Our evacuation list actually includes our family scrapbooks. First of all, those things took SO much work, plus they are the embodiment of beautiful family history.

I enjoy cooking. I like making healthy food delicious and I love experimenting with foods and flavors I haven’t previously tried. I also love to take a recipe or idea from somewhere and then adapting and making it my own. I can’t say that I have an equal love for baking but I can cook savory food all day.

I like planning. I am not sure if this counts as a hobby to the rest of the world but I plan out everything from my day tomorrow to homeschool curriculums to my dream house to our budget. I actually really really enjoy planning things. If I have just five minutes to squeeze something in, it is usually a plan or a list from something I want to do later.

This last one, like the first one, might not even be considered a hobby, but it is one of my favorite things to do, so I will list it: I LOVE ORGANIZING. Now, that being said, my house is not uber organizing, and I work on things, organizing them over and over again, until I have perfected it. For example I have organized and reorganized the homeschool room about six times this summer. It isn’t perfect but it is getting there. Actually, organizing it one more time is on my list of things to do this afternoon. Now, the bathroom, that is another story, Brandon has dropped several hints that he would like it organized but I am not inspired yet, so I am going to wait until he flat out asks, or I get the bathroom organizing bug. 

A Month of Natalie - Future

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 Years?

This is such a crazy question. I used to think like this but the older I get the more I know that the Lord rarely sends me where I think I am going. Hopefully, five years from now we will have at least three children (we have two right now). I will have a teenager since Ezra will be 13, oh man that is a scary thought. Elisha will be 10. Hopefully Brandon will be established in some of job or career doing something that he loves and my personal goal is to have published some of what I write (which includes homeschool curriculum, devotional material for women, and creative fiction.)

In ten years Ezra will be an adult (technically voting age), Elisha will be getting ready to drive, and who knows what Brandon and I will be doing. We both would really like to own and operate a ministry retreat center so who knows where we will be with that dream. Fifteen years is so far out that I almost can’t imagine it. Although, I have always joked that I want to have two children in my early twenties, check, two in my early thirties (not quite there yet), and two in my early forties. Now that I am a little older, wiser, and more tired, I realize this is maybe not such a fantastic idea, but then again God does have a funny way of reminding and bringing to pass random things you have said. If that were the case, at 43 years of age, I might have young children in the house. (Maybe I can adopt those though. J)

A Month of Natalie - Super Powers

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?

I would chose to have the ability to turn any object into any other object. I mean come on, it would be pretty amazing to turn a potato into a bar of gold. And I would do just that, monopoly money into cold hard cash would be a good power to have. And, I am not being selfish in this either, although my Old Navy flip flops might turn into these:

Seriously, I love these but I am not spending more that $100 on a pair of sandals.

But seriously, with a lot of money, you can help a lot of people. In my opinion this is much more useful than freezy breath or the ability to fly. 

A Month of Natalie - Memories

Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.

New Year’s Eve 1992 my cousin Keenan and I spent the night with my grandmother. Now spending the night with your grandmother might now sound like an amazing new years eve but my grandmother was pretty awesome. I was in the third grade and absolutely in love with Axel Rose. I remember my grandmother said that we could do whatever we wanted that night. I remember that we went out to dinner and my grandparents ordered raw oysters. In exchange for McDonalds the next morning (which in hindsight we probably could have had anyways) both Keenan and I ate a raw oyster. Now, there was more ketchup than oyster, but still, it was gross. After dinner my grandmother gave us our own sodas in little bottles and tucked us into the bed in the guest room where Keenan, Grandma, and I watched MTVs top 100 videos of the year until midnight, when of course, November Rain came on in the top spot. I don’t know why this memory is still so fresh in my mind but I love it.

I loved Axel Rose. 

It wasn’t too long after that when I was sitting my father’s little truck in the drive through at Jack in the Box when my father told me that Grandma wasn’t going to get better, that she would in fact die from her cancer. I just remember thinking that it was so odd that my father was crying. That moment, in the Jack in the Box drive through was the one and only time I have ever seen my dad cry.  My grandmother died just a few days before Easter in 2005 and I really missed out on her when I was growing up but I am thankful for the time I had with her.

My wonderful Grandmother. 

Another fabulous memory I have from my childhood was the week we went to Disney World. Hands down, this was probably the best week of my childhood. I was in sixth grade, and would have told you that I was too old to have a blast at Disney World but all the magical moments the commercials show, yeah they are still that magical even in you are twelve. Anyway, my sister and I were deemed old enough to go down to the hotel pool and swim. We would wear our white, hotel provided robes, and strut our stuff down there. I am sure that it wasn’t a perfect week; I remember freaking out because my sister had my shampoo, and I wore these ridiculous heeled sandals and complained that my feet were going to fall off but it really was a neat week. (Thanks Dana and Brenda for a fabulous week!)

This was the wonderful hotel we stayed at. 

My last significant childhood memory would be the day I met Laura Rowley. I had just moved (for the twentieth time in my short eight years) and when we pulled into the little brown house on Johns Street there were these little girls sitting across the street. One was the little girl that lived there named Jessica, and the other two were sister, Laura and Katie Rowley. Within a week I was best friends with Laura and Brittany, my little sister, was friends with her little sister. Laura and I got into so much trouble and it all started right then and there!  

Still friends twenty years later.

A Month of Natalie - Location

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

A River Runs Through It. Okay, I know this a movie title and now an actual location but that simple life in beautiful country sounds like a dream. The movie is set in Montana and filmed in Wyoming and it is absolutely gorgeous. I would love a small house in the lush green surroundings but a clear running river. Sounds like a dream. I always imagined myself as a big city girl (and I still love places like NYC and my all time favorite San Francisco) but if I could go anywhere I would love to raise my children somewhere beautiful.  

A Month of Natalie - Seasons

What is your favorite season?

I love all of the seasons. Obviously spring is beautiful and I am so happy each year to be able to shed the winter clothes, put back on my flip flops and play outside. But that being said I like winter. I like hot chocolate and the holidays. I like bundling up the babies and exploring a frozen world. And, despite all things you hear about the Texas heat, I love summer. (Now, if air conditioners suddenly didn’t exist I am not sure that I would feel the same.) I love the free time of summer, I LOVE swimming and being in the water, I love the sunshine on my skin. And, while there aren’t any seasons that I dread or just don’t like, my favorite is fall. There is something about the weather change and back to school and the leaves that is simply magical. Something happens in fall. Spring may be the time of new life but fall, for me at least, is the time of rebirth. It is a time to be who your set in your heart to be. I love fall. I think it signifies the new year (maybe this is because I was a student and now I homeschool) but fall is when you mature, when you advance, and when you get to reinvent yourself. 

A Month of Natalie - Skill

What is the thing you most wish you were great at?

Can I only pick one? There are so many things I would love to do well but if I had to choose one I would pick writing. Now, I know I am a decent writer, and I can write a pretty decent term paper. I am also working on book, but I would love to be a fabulous novelist. I have to work at and craft my words but I know writers that just sit down and let the stories flow from their fingers. That is the gift that I want. (Brandon thinks I just haven’t found my story yet.) But alas, that is probably my most desired gift. 

A Little Catch Up

I was beyond blessed to get to watch my sweet seven month old nephew last week. He is absolutely adorable. Isn't he....


Well, let me just tell you that while he is the sweetest thing during the day, he is not quite as endearing at night. Actually Brandon and I started calling him the Gremlin. You know, cute, cuddly, and lovable during the  day, not so much at night. Seriously, though he apparently sleeps just fine for both my mother and my sister he didn't sleep for more than an hour at a time the entire week. So, my blog fell behind, horribly. But, I am going to repost the week I missed and then finish out the month strong!

Thanks for reading and thank you more for having patience with me while I was operating in no sleep zombie mode!

A Month of Natalie - Accomplishments

What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?

My greatest accomplishment to date is my children. Being a mother is the most reward and the most demanding job ever. The amount of effort I have put into raising and loving my children does not even compare to any other endeavor I have attempted. And, if you know my children, they are amazing and wonderful and intelligent and witty, so I guess it is worth it!

Another thing I am immensely proud of is my education. I worked my butt of in school and I got both my Bachelors and Masters while raising two wonderful children, taking care of my husband, serving the Lord, and often times working! And I completed my Masters with almost all A’s (I only had one B).  School was really hard but I feel like I am a better person, more well rounded, and better equipped to teach my children because of my education.

I would have to say that my marriage is another accomplishment (for both Brandon and I). When we had been married only about two years we separated and almost divorced. We were apart for about five months and it was the worst time in my life. Honestly, we were young and stupid. But one night we met and decided that if we really loved each other (which we did) and, more importantly, if we wanted to honor the Lord, that we would give our marriage our all. We decided then and there that we were never going to get divorced and no matter what it took we were going to work it out. Eight years later, I am SO glad that we made that decision. We have had to learn and grow so much over the years (we got married as teenagers for goodness sakes) but I can’t imagine my life today without my wonderful husband.

Homeschool is another major accomplishment. It takes an immense amount of work to write the boys curriculum. But, honestly, it is worth it, they get to learn about the world in a manner that is directly tailored to them, fun, exciting, and engaging. But oh man were there late nights preparing this years curriculum.

My last but certainly not least accomplishment has to be my Monopoly skills. I don’t think I have won every game I have played but pretty darn close. I love the game (and actually I love it just as much if I lose as if I win) but I have been known to be a little ruthless. (Okay, this one is obviously a joke but I am exhausted, working on about four hours of sleep, and hopefully I have accomplished more than four things in my LESS than thirty years on this planet but tonight all you get is Monopoly; and this just may be the longest sentence in the world, further evidence of my extreme fatigue.) 

Tune in tomorrow to learn what one thing I wish I was great at!

A Month of Natalie - Animal

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I think I would be a gibbon. First of all, they are stinking cute! They also look like they have a lot of fun and enjoy life. Plus their family structure is fabulous. The pick a mate and then remain monogamous for life. Then their offspring just join the family and the live together, swinging from tree to tree, for the rest of their life. They are fiercely protective of their babies (that is me right there). Plus, they get to live in tropical rain forests. 

A Month of Natalie - Strengths

Describe 5 strengths you have.

I am a planner. God has gifted me with the ability to plan things out and then see them through. I think this has a lot to do with why I love writing the boys homeschool curriculum. It is a blast to conceptualize, to talk to the boys about what they want to learn about, to write it, and then to teach it and watch them learn and absorb.

I am a nurturer. I love taking care of people, especially little ones. I love love love playing and cuddling with babies. I like to do little sweet things for other people and to surprise someone with a token of how I feel about them is one of my favorite things in the world to do.

I have the ability to empathize with people. I can almost always put myself in someone else’s shoes. I won’t say that I have never been judgmental, but I think I am pretty good at being able to see things from other’s points of view, for being able to emotionally be there for someone when they are going through a rough time, and for loving people for who they are and where they are.

I am devoted. I am unconditionally devoted to my God, my husband, and my children. Those things in life are not temporal. My heart is fixed on Jesus, Brandon, Ezra, and Elisha. While my relationships with other family members may wax and wane, (sometimes I have to set healthy boundaries) my love for them certainly doesn’t.

I have pretty good discernment. I can usually tell if someone is genuine or if someone is just acting. I can often pinpoint emotions and reasons behind others’ decisions and actions even if they can’t. I am not very often fooled by people. Most times, it isn’t difficult for me to figure out what is going on in someone’s head.                                                            

A Month of Natalie - Typical Day

Describe a typical day in your current life.

There is “typical” day in my life so I will just tell you what I did today and how that correlates to my normal.

Brandon woke me up this morning at 5 a.m. and sweetly asked on his way out the door to work if I had remembered to pack his lunch for work. And honestly, I almost never forget, but I forgot last night. I offered to get up and pack him one but he let me sleep and so I snoozed until 6:30. For whatever reason my mind likes to turn on exactly ten minutes before my alarm goes off which drives me crazy, but alas. I laid there for the sweet and precious moments until 6:40 rolled around and I had to get out of bed.

 Ezra, who had been waiting patiently for who knows how long popped his little head out of his room and asked if he was allowed to get up yet. Since Brandon had already left for work I told him to go get in my bed and we could cuddle.

At about 6:55 I opened the door for Anna and her mother. Anna is the little girl I watch. She is fabulous at going to back to sleep so I laid her down and crawled back into bed with Ezra. Instead of falling back asleep like I had hoped he giggled and played for about twenty minutes before I gave in and told him he could go watch some cartoons until his brother woke up.

At this point in my morning I stole fifteen minutes of quiet, read Titus, and said a quick version of my daily prayers because I could hear that Elisha was also up.

With Anna still snoozing in the pack and play and Elisha and Ezra munching on grapes and watching Veggie Tales I hoped in the shower.

I spent the next hour and a half making breakfast for three hungry children and one sweet little old lady, getting dressed, trying unsuccessfully to pick up the house.

We left the house at 9:30, (it was supposed to be 9:15) and ran to Target. I had to pick up a few things for our small group brunch and grab a card for my wonderful friend Angie who recently adopted a beautiful little girl.

(Now, obviously I don’t have small group every morning but between homeschool groups, curriculum group at church, and a few other things we almost have something have morning.)

I had a fabulous time catching up with the girls from my small group and all the littles played wonderfully.

We left around lunch time, made a quick trip to the gas station and post office and headed home. Since I knew that Brandon would home about 2 we waited and had lunch with him.

While we were waiting Elisha and I worked on reading while Ezra read his novel. (Let me just steal this moment and brag on my baby, who is now reading at least one 100+ page book a week!)

When Brandon got home we had lunch together and then left to go pick up my nephew Zephaniah who is going to hang out with us for a few days.

Usually we do homeschool or swimming or some sort of activity during the afternoons but today we just chilled and played with Zephaniah and Anna. It’s a real treat to have the baby here so we just kind of kicked back and relaxed.

At 6:40 Anna’s mother came to pick her up. I fed Zephaniah dinner, jumped on the computer to do this really quick and now I have to feed the rest of the family.

After dinner the boys will shower, get ready for bed, Brandon will read them  a story while I try to make sense of my house that never really got clean this morning and then I will have some alone time with my sweet husband. 

A Month of Natalie - Weaknesses

Describe 5 weaknesses you have.

I am not nearly as disciplined as I would like to be. I have a very difficult time making myself do something that I don’t want to do.  This especially applies if it requires me to stay up later or get up earlier. When people ask if I am morning person or an evening person my answer is always that I am an afternoon person. I cannot just decided I am going to do something, it takes a while for me to ease myself into whatever new endeavor I have decided to take on.

I am opinionated. I have a difficult time not inserting myself into conversation and controversies. I cannot tell you how many times I have typed a Facebook comment and then deleted because I knew it would stir up a storm of emotions. Let me tell you that I have struggled with waiting until I was asked for my opinion before giving it. Oh, and I had quite a lot to say about this whole Chick Fil A things, honestly because I felt like both sides were wrong. I seriously typed and deleted a blog on the issue three times.

I am oversensitive. I get my feelings hurt like a child and I cry at commercials, not even just the Hallmark commercials. I cry at stupid commercials. I cry when I read blogs, I cry when I hear stories of people hurting children. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I experience the wounds of others very deeply. I am very in touch with my emotions. Actually, I can tell when I depressed or not doing so well spiritually when I don't cry. I am a blubbering baby. 

I am super organized in many aspects, but surprisingly enough, I am not detail oriented. Perhaps this is why I excelled in Literature but not chemistry. I do well with sweeping themes not minute details. I think is also why I am a great cook, but not a great baker. Baking requires precise measurement where as cooking just requires knowledge of the ingredients, a good palate, and a little bit of creativity.

I am impatient. I don’t like surprises unless I only have to wait fifteen seconds. Christmas kills me. If I decided I want something, waiting for it seems impossible. Traffic and me are not best friends and I much prefer stop signs to red lights. Evening finishing this last weakness is taking too long. Come on fingers, type faster!

A Month of Natalie - Pet Peeves

Describe 10 pet peeves you have.

It drives me crazy when people eat loudly, unnecessarily. I mean, come on, doesn’t the oatmeal taste the same if you don’t make that wooosooop sound.

Smoking. Seriously, it is disgusting and I hate walking through puffs of smoke. I feel like smoking is something that should NOT be done in public.

Talking during church. You can decide what you are having lunch after the preaching is over.

Those little toddler shoes that squeak when they walk. I understand the appeal, but leave them at home.

I have a difficult time with people who don’t watch their children in public. I don’t have a problem if a child is being difficult, (that happens to every child and parent at some time or the other) but when a parent is NOT trying to control their wilily child it ruins it for everyone.

People who post both bible verse and obscenities on their Facebook page.

It drives me crazy when the waiter walks up to the table when we are praying. We didn’t just all fall asleep holding hands. Give us sixty seconds.

When the cashier or bagger puts my plums and the half gallon, cardboard, pokey cornered milk in the same bag. 

It absolutely drives me crazy that every time I find a lip gloss I LOVE, the discontinue it. Do you know how hard it is to find a red that isn’t to pink, to orange, or to light? It is almost impossible and nothing has ever come close to the Smashbox red that I loved and they cut.

And my number one pet peeve is people who complain about everything! Seriously, I mean, I even heard of this one girl that put a list of her top ten pet peeves on her blog. Ugh. 

A Month of Natalie - Embarrassing Moments

Describe your most embarrassing moment.

To bad I still don't have it memorized....

My sophomore year of high school I was in Chemistry. (Quick, let me insert a little background information: I went to a private school this year. While I was slightly punk rock and definitely marched to the beat of my own drum everyone else at the school was beautiful, super wealthy, and in general, more ‘normal’ than I was. Now I had wonderful friends there and everyone was very kind but I was already different than of my classmates.) One of our Chemistry assignments was to MEMORIZE the periodic table. Because at the time I was much more interested in alternative activities than my studies I neglected studying for the test and decided to cheat instead. Not only did I get caught but I had to apologize to my entire class for my lack of integrity. It was pretty bad; I never cheated again though. 

A Month of Natalie - My People

List ten people who have influenced you and describe how.

Brandon

This man has a greater influence on my life than any and every other person. He is my heart. I tell him all the time that he is my favorite person on the face of the earth (and he is!) but he is so much more than that. He is the rock upon which God has built our family. He loves me unconditionally and unquestionably. He not only allows me to be the silly girl that I really am, he relishes in it. Because of him I no longer make excuses about who I am and because of him I want to be a better person. Brandon has spent the last (almost) ten years tenderly restoring things that I didn’t even know were tarnished. He was the first person on the face of the planet that made me want to feel good about myself.

My handsome husband with a giant hamburger!

Ezra

I knew I loved Ezra from the first moment I found out I was pregnant but holding him in my arms for the first time changed me forever. He is one of the best things that ever happened to me. From the moment he made his grand entrance into this world (ten days late mind you!) he was the center of my universe (a spot he now shares with his precious little brother Elisha). A mother is not just one aspect of who I am, it is something within me that stirs up and fuels every other part of me. As Ezra has grown he has become this pensive little boy who sees the world differently than anyone I have met before. He is brilliant and compassionate. He is amazingly tender (but all boy). I cannot imagine my life without Ezra. I don’t feel like my heart grew when I had Ezra, I feel like it came to life.

I can't get over how cute he is!

Elisha

Elisha made his entry into the world in a much different manner than Ezra did. As a baby Ezra was relaxed and as he grew he was open to relationship with anyone. Elisha on the other hand has always been a mystery. He takes his time and has set out to discover the world on his terms at his own pace. You cannot make Elisha do anything, regardless of how hard you try (trust me). Elisha is remarkably introverted but when he lets someone in it is because he has something to share. Because of this I am a more intentional parent. What comes naturally with Ezra takes work with Elisha. Because of Elisha I have realized the value in really seeking out what is great in people. My relationship with Elisha is one of the most rewarding things ever because the more I discover him, the more amazing he is. He is a great character, complex, sometimes confusing, and always beautiful, that is unfolding word by word.

Elisha, with his baby in a sling.

Joyce

My sweet grandmother has been my biggest fan my entire life. She has always supported me and loved me. She has always asked me if I am doing my best, encouraged me when I wasn’t and praised me when I was.

My lovely Granny.

Dana

You are amazingly fun to be around and you have always been. This combined with the fact that you are most the most responsible adult I know is quite a feat. You taught me which rules I can break and which ones to heed, and for that I am eternally grateful! (And probably a more fun person to be around!)

You are my most fun family member!

Rene

Can you believe that I had to look up how to spell your last name the other day? Okay, I am bad at spelling but we have always been best friends and no matter where life takes us we will always be friends! I love you unconditionally and will forever be grateful for your love. I am and will remain eternally grateful for the friendship you have offered me. 

Gorgeous as always. 

Lauren

I would have never made it through my teenage years without you. You know how messed up my life was. You still hold some of my favorite memories. Through our friendship I discovered who I was.

I love this picture by the way.

Emily

Christine Caine said “Compassion is never compassion until you cross the street and go do something about it.” Emily, you are the embodiment of this. You have always been such a spiritual mentor to me. I love the way you love the Lord. You faith inspires me and I cannot thank the Lord enough for your friendship.

Your entire family is amazing. Such a power house for the Lord!

Hugh

My grandfather was amazing. To have the life I had but still have a strong, God fearing man, who was ALWAYS unconditionally sweet with me was a great gift. He was the sole example of what a man should look like in my young childhood. He worked hard his entire life to take care of his family and he tenderly loved his wife. That example was priceless. 

Wasn't he a looker?!

Brittany

You are the embodiment of the word sister. We are adults now and just the other day I caught you wearing my shoes and you told me you weren't giving them back. With as much as we fought growing up, I would have never made it out alive without you. I didn't really like you tagging along with my friends when we were kids but I had no idea that you were going to grow up and be my friend. Your children are AMAZING! And while we still don't see eye to eye on everything I am blessed to have you in my life.

My sweet sister with my sweet baby.

Zachary

I know that you probably don't remember most of this but you taught me how to me a mom. Because of you, I am a nurturer. Seriously, you were the cutest little brother a girl could ask for. And I am SINCERELY sorry for picking on you when you were a kid, and yes, that does have something to do with the fact that you are a beast now. I am immensely proud of you and what you have done in the last year or so! You decided to be someone different and accomplished it. You have all the potential in the world to be whoever and whatever you want, and through that mean guy guise I still my sweet baby brother. 

You look a little scary dude, but I like this picture of you, it captures your essence.