First Love.

If you follow me on social media, I mentioned yesterday that my mom always made a big deal about every holiday when I was younger, and that I'm carrying on that tradition with my little one's. I set our table for when the kids got home from school so they could write on our chalkboard table paper and bake goodies for their teacher's.

Everyone took a turn!

My grandma sent up a little gift for each of the kids. Ryan and I gave them our little gifts too since we were all under one roof last night. They were obviously thrilled!

I spy a Cookie Monster;)

Yesterday was fun, but it wasn't all about Valentine's Day. It was about quality time and giving the kiddo's the opportunity to have fun, feel creative, independent and to do something special for others. 

When I was looking through the pictures this morning, all I could think was- It's moments like this that remind me how much the small things mean to them and how much is gained by investing my days into the hearts of my children. 

The first thing that came to mind after that thought was Psalm 127:3-5

"..children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man whose quiver is full of them..."

Watching those three stamping their teacher's cookies and giggling together brought me so much joy and happiness. 

The second thing that came to mind was this:

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” ...

It's days like yesterday that give me such a clear picture of Proverbs 31: 25-30. 

It's a beautiful reminder of how much we as women truly gain by pouring our lives into our husbands, children, and homes. 

At the end of the day, the Proverbs 31 woman was the one who was blessed because of the way she poured her heart into her home and family asking nothing in return. 

What I'm sure of is that she wasn't able to do this through her own strength.

She feared the Lord and before she could serve her family well she knew her first love must be her greatest desire. 

What an encouragement on days like these, and especially on days when the days seem to linger just a little bit longer.  

Happy Friday & Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXO

Lately in photos and a home update

We've been plugging along as a family of five quite splendidly around here. We do have our moments- especially as we are all getting aquatinted with each other's boundaries, but it really has been so much fun.  For every disagreement or sinful nature fully displayed, there's been ten fold that in grace, forgiveness and mercy..topped with love, kisses and countless hugs! 

It's been crickets over here on the blog as we've been getting back into the swing of things with school and recovering from the month of December. Did January even happen? Seriously, I'm just now feeling like I'm halfway caught back up on rest. 

Anyway, since it's been so quiet, I wanted to share what we've been up to lately. 

They worked hard for those three bites of the sno cone's they made!

Family game nights are always a favorite. We enjoyed the five minutes of our "southern snowstorm" this year!

After school routines...These two assistants helped me make a Hershey pie for our special visitors. They were also learning the art of homemaking... but all they knew was they were having fun!

I also wanted to share a little update on our new home.

We got everything moved in so quickly and everything was settled, but part of me won't rest until the picture of what's in my head is executed in reality. I have moved furniture, rearranged things and have been working overtime accessorizing to make our home warm and welcoming for our little family. 

I've been eying that white pallet wall art from hobby lobby and couldn't resist it when I found it on sale, because I love acts 2 and I love the meaning behind this verse:

"They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47

The artist in me is not afraid of color. I really wanted to make our main family room light and airy but still fun and cheery. Also, props to Ryan for finding our fun blue rug! 

None of the photos, or wall art we have matched our decor so I decided to paint my own. I love the contemporary feel it adds to the room. The kitchen and breakfast nook are still a work in progress but we are getting there!

We made a spur of the moment decision to give the master bath a makeover. Actually, I really couldn't stand the color in there from day one, but was willing to keep it until every attempt to decorate was a complete FAIL. 

So here's a before and after. 

The before pic is from the previous owners. The second is immediately after we finished painting the master bath in Sherwin Williams, Zurich White. 

After a little accessorizing:

We are still trying to decide on a color for the master bedroom so stay tuned for more updates. 

In other news, I'm sooo excited tomorrow is Friday!

Happy weekend eve everyone!