i wish...

Nothing's officially wrong today.  I just feel down.

Maybe it's a lack of routine from a week off of school and church due to all the snow.  Maybe it's a lack of exercise or a lack of sleep.  Maybe it's hormones.  

Blame it on whatever.  But today I'm weary and struggling.  I'm overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and I'm crying out to the Lord.  

Jesus is good.  But my heart will just not be satisfied today.  

I wish my child would nap when he's supposed to and for that matter, sleep in his own bed instead of mine.

I wish for a friend to come alongside me and just sit and talk.  I wish my love language weren't time, because it seems like a commodity no one has any of which to give.

I wish for a community where people could be real, and honest, and full of struggles and doubts.   A safe place where it's okay to not be okay.

I wish for a world where my loved ones didn't suffer with dementia and almost constant complications from a lung transplant. 

I wish I had a mom to take care of me instead of me being the mom to take care of everyone else.

I wish life was a little more exciting and a little less ordinary.

I wish Christians in my town weren't so conservative and judgmental.  I wish they could see that  God is WAY more liberal than they can imagine, and to be "Christian" doesn't mean to look like them.    

I wish I had balance.  And discipline.  And a desire to stop eating junk.

I wish I didn't feel so plagued with anxiety.  I wish for peace within.  I wish I could find a good counselor in my small town and that Christians wouldn't react uncomfortably when I say that.

I wish children weren't neglected and women weren't objectified.  I wish my son could stay young and cute and we'd never have to face the day when he'll automatically be perceived as suspicious.

I wish I was doing more.  I wish I was making a bigger difference.  

I wish my children would just do what I tell them to do.  I wish I didn't feel the strong need to control and I wish Jesus would help me be quicker to offer mercy and grace. 

I wish Jesus would comfort the broken hearted and bring justice to those who perpetrate wicked against the innocent.

I wish I could age with confidence and hope instead of fear and dread.

And I wish dinner would cook itself.

 

before we went stir crazy...

Our first snow of the season came a week ago!

8 inches.  This was the scene down our street.

The first snow in our "new" house.

Of course, this girl was SO excited to get out in the white stuff.

He was pretty excited about it all himself.

Who knew that just behind our back yard was the perfect hill for sledding!

 And how fun is it that our niece, Callie, and her husband LIVE HERE now?!

(on the street behind us!)

What a blessing it has been to have family in the same town as us.  

Something we haven't had in 15 years.

Jameson LOVED sledding!

Can you see his smile?

My turn to ride

Then it was Marc's turn to sled by himself, 

and in typical Marc-style, he thought he'd try a steeper hill...

Can you see him?  Yep, he's in that ball of snow. 

Yeeeaaahhhh, baby!  (I'd say he enjoyed it.)

Callie and Caroline took a run on the steep hill themselves.

Cousins

   

 Snowball fight with a neighbor!

(in oversized, purple Hello Kitty gloves, nonetheless... we weren't quite prepared for the winter, ha ha!)

 At least the Hello Kitty gloves didn't stop the snowball fights...

Or the incessant need to eat snow.

That afternoon, several college students and some more neighbors 

came over to play in the snow with us!

Angie and Caroline

Jameson, of course, found a way to play baseball using a stick and snowballs.

The kids loved the igloo the students made!

my sweet girl

The fun of a snow day.

....Except that now, one week later (with four more inches on the ground), we are pretty much done with the snow and stir crazy and ready to get back to school, PLEASE?!...

the cold never bothered me anyway...

Okay, when Caroline said she wanted a FROZEN birthday, this isn't quite what I envisioned... 

But even with eight inches of snow on the ground and no school all week, it didn't keep us from having a fun celebration at home with friends on her actual day.  One of our guests brought the PARTY with glow sticks!!!  So this (above) is what it looked like with the lights ON...

But THIS was the scene with the lights OUT and the party music blaring!

Woohoo!

Over the weekend, the official Frozen birthday celebration was with all our South Carolina cousins!  I love how God has grown our family over the years.

Make a wish, Caroline!

All the cameras rolling.  

Thankful Papa could be with us.

Cousins eating cake.

This little guy... soooo cute.

After cake and presents, Jameson thought Uncle Larry needed his hair brushed.

Cousins Julius and Jameson.  Such a sweet little pair.

Since many of Caroline's birthday presents this year were clothes for her new American girl doll, the gals decided to give the family a fashion show with all of Caroline's new looks.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the fashion show.

Jasmine's doll, Kit, with her first look.

Maddie's doll, Julie, with her first look.

Caroline's doll, also named Caroline, with her beach look.  (I'm dreaming of warmer days right now!...)

How're we doing, guys?  Enjoying the show?  Jameson looks concerned.

Backstage the girls quickly changed into their next looks.

And their third...

Then the boys wanted to model their looks for us.

Julius.  What a stud.

Jameson.  Toddler model.

Malik.  With the hat turned sideways.

And then, the final fashion show looks...

Along with a grand finale of singing Frozen's "Let it Go."

Except that throughout the song, two of the girls dropped out leaving Maddie to belt out the ending all by herself.  (Something tells me she didn't mind.)  :)

Happy FROZEN seventh birthday, sweet Caroline!  

We love you!!!