Wednesday is Project Day

My husband has a pretty good work schedule.  Most days we get to eat breakfast and dinner together.  But one day a week he gets home late.  Wednesday.  And that means dinner, baths, story, and bed are all me.  But it also means that Wednesday is project day.

After the kids are in bed, what am I supposed to do?  Well, hopefully, it means tackling my long list of projects that I want to get done around the house.  :)  Last night was incredibly productive, if I do say so myself!

It all started with a closet.  I think it was intended to be a linen closet, but we don't have much, so I really only needed one shelf for all of our towels.  And so, because I had commandeered all the other closets for myself (don't judge!), the remaining space was left to my husband for all of his clothes.  Suffice it to say, he did not have a lot of room to work with.  Therefore, what was once plenty of space, neat and organized, turned into this monstrosity:    

So last night, I happily set to work.  I pulled everything out, sorted and packed away winter clothes.  Then I organized what was left and placed it neatly and orderly on the shelves.  Now his clothes are not piled in front of my towels!

Ah, the beauty of living in a small space and the necessity of simple, organized living.  I love it!

Have I Mentioned Lately...

That I absolutely LOVE how close my children are in age?

Or that I am so stinking proud of the way they play together and that they have an amazingly good grasp of the concept of sharing? (At least, for a two and three year old...)

Or that Baby Doll just decided one day that she was giving up crawling cold turkey, and is now walking like she owns the place?

Or that some days, having a full time job and being a full time mom is more than I can handle in my own strength?

Or that everyday before class starts, we pray for the persecuted church, one country at a time?

Or that, for a three year old, my lil' Punkin draws incredibly detailed pictures of people, flowers, clouds and the sun?

Or that some days I am tremendously humbled by something one of my students says, does or prays, and that I thank God for the influence they are having on my life?

Or that then there are days that I feel incredibly old because they can text, tweet, chacha, and update their status, all while playing Draw Something or Words with Friends, in the middle of a math lesson?

Or that I am so very much in love with my husband, and appreciate him all the more now that I am the one working?

Or that my students make me laugh every single day?

Or that Jesus Christ died to save and rescue His people, and that I am left speechless by the love and grace and mercy I have been shown?

Well, if I haven't mentioned it lately, now you know.  Praying you have a blessed weekend!!

Things...Are...Happening...PART 2!

So after leaving Little Rock, we headed into Tennessee.  Tennessee is a very long state, and we have a lot of friends and family there, so we took our time driving through.  First stop, Nashville!

The Parthenon and playing in Centennial Park:

After we left Nashville, we were able to spend some wonderful time visiting my family.  My kids had SO much fun with GiGi and my cousin's son Luke!  When we were at the mall, Luke decided to try a bungee trampoline jump thing (what is the actual name for those things??) so of course my daughter had to do it too!

She was so proud of herself.  After she got started, she said, "Mama, look at me! Look at me, Mama, I'm jumping and I'm not even crying!" :)  Such a big girl!!

After we left my Grandma's house, we went to visit our friends in east Tennessee.  We were able to spend some much needed time together, and were shown such tremendous hospitality!  Here are the highlights:

Riding the rides at Dollywood:

Playing at the park:

After we left, we finally, at long last, 12 days after our journey began, crossed the border into Virginia.  We took a slight detour on our way home to visit our beloved alma mater, James Madison University.  It had been so long since we walked on the campus and ate a delicious Dave's lunch, we just couldn't pass it up.

When I told my kids this is the "Kissing rock," my daughter bent down and kissed it.  HAHA!

**Side note, if you are in Harrisonburg, I am very sorry we didn't get to visit with you.  It was really just a walk on the quad while we eat some lunch and then get back on the road kind of stop.**

So then, we finally made it home.  Where we spent the better part of July.  It was fun and relaxing, and I read a book (beginning to end!) for the first time in years.  (Well, maybe not years, but it has been a REALLY long time)  :)  So where are we now??

Come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!!

Things...Are...HAPPENING!

Oh my goodness gracious, friends!!  I cannot believe I neglected my beloved blog for so long.  There we were, right in the middle of one of the most fantastic/crazy/joy-filled/INSANE road trips ever, and I just stop posting.  Leaving you all completely hanging.

Rude, huh?

To give up this blog was never my intention.  What has happened in the last 2 and a half months, however, is a very long story.  So I guess I better start at the beginning! :)

Obviously, our road trip was off to a shaky start (to say the least).  But rest assured, the remainder of our journey was significantly better!  We learned what works (and what doesn't) when driving cross country with three babies under three, visited with tons of family and friends, relaxed as a family, did lots of sight-seeing, and eventually (a week and a half later) arrived home in Virginia.  

And all the while, I was taking pictures and preparing to relay one fun and hilarious story after another here on my blog.  Unfortunately, after leaving Texas, we were without internet access.  And THEN, I left my computer at my Grandma's house!  And THEN, when I finally got my computer back and accessed working internet, well, I got lazy.  Hey, I was on vacation!  Lots of things have been happening around here since our cross country adventure, so if you want to know what ELSE is up with my life (and where we have finally settled this time) you will have to tune in tomorrow for PART TWO!  :)

Until then, here are some highlights from part one of our vacation!

Fun times in the backseat:

Impromptu afternoon in the park:

Birthday dinner with some of our favorite Texans!

Picnic lunch, somewhere in the middle of east Texas (and boy, was it HOT!):

Texas is such a HUGE state, I feel like the majority of our trip was spent just driving across Texas!  Slowly but surely, we made our way and eventually said "good-bye" to Texas, and entered the state of Arkansas.  Our next stop:  Little Rock.

Visiting my Aunt and Uncle:

Exploring one of the COOLEST places for little munchkins that I have ever seen, "The Wonder Place":

What comes next??  I will share the rest of our trip in pictures with you tomorrow... woohoo!!