This past weekend I enjoyed more solitude than the past six months altogether! I was longing for some moments alone, with God, and with my sweet friends. So this conference in Atlanta could not have come about at a better time. I asked Andy if I could go a month or so ago, which he, of course, encouraged me to do. And later, after paying a heaping $170 for the conference alone, he asked, "So who are the speakers? What will you be studying?" I had no idea. I just signed up, no questions asked. This Mom needed a respite (and no price tag could be put on it)!
But God in His great goodness blessed me beyond what I could have anticipated from a website. Nancy Guthrie was the main speaker and she took the word of God and unfolded it for us in such a poetic, beautiful, heart-felt way. My seminars were wonderful, too. And what an experience it was to sing to the Lord with 2,000 other joyful women! I left feeling reminded of the great honor it is to be a Jesus-follower in such a time and place as this.
Getting ready to hit the road!Besides a great conference, in my quick, 48 hour stay I enjoyed several meals with friends. (These are always fun when I am visiting from out of town. No fluffy chit-chat. We get down to business and no one holds back! I love it.) I also had the great pleasure of worshiping with our church body in Atlanta. It is pure joy to see our "family" there. I had a quick visit to the urgent care, but it didn't put much of a ripple in my plans. While I was getting over that issue, I read 4 magazines cover-to-cover in my best friend's guest room and then took a 3 hour, uninterrupted nap. Now that's a way to spend an afternoon! It took me until about Monday evening to shake off the blues. After all, it might not ever be easy to visit a place with such sweet memories. But I was reminded of what Ruth Graham's daughter said of her, and greatly inspired. She said, "I now understand that her joy did not stem from perfect or ideal circumstances, but from a deep, abiding faith." That type of joy, that dependency on my Saviour is what I long for more than any person or place. 
Stripes seem to be the rage! (Note my shirt from the picture above...another striped shirt!)
Stripes seem to be the rage! (Note my shirt from the picture above...another striped shirt!)So yesterday when we took the day off of school to have some fun together (our first day off this year!), I knew how I should use my travel time. We decided to go shopping in Auburn. We were in the car about two and a half hours round trip. So I let my dreams fly. I let myself really envision how God could use me in bigger ways here. I imagined making art and jewelry, establishing a non-profit, having a "food barn" for the many unemployed in our county (canned & non-perishables from churches in surrounding counties and produce from the farm), and even the possibility of a classical school out here in the country (or at least tutoring services). It was fun and I got excited because I was reminded that I am here because of God, for His glory. Slowly, slowly I am moving forward, by His grace, and I have great hope that He is going to use me.
Enjoying the sales at Old Navy!
The kids at the book store...adding to their Christmas wish lists!
Sweet, goofy boys across the booth in Ruby Tuesday's.
In a book I read with the boys this morning, Abe Lincoln had to fire a Union general who was not getting the job done. He said (paraphrasing), "I might be a slow walker. But I will not walk backwards." Amen, Abe. I think I will adopt this phrase as my new battle cry.
The year the boys were 4 and 2 was 2004. It was the easiest year I have ever had as a parent. We lived in a new house that was easy to maintain. Andy didn't have to commute to work any more, and he wasn't doing house projects over the weekends. We had many friends at church and in our neighborhood. And everything was convenient to our house. That year was the only year in the past eleven years that I had regular time alone. The boys both went to preschool three mornings a week. After lunch they went down for a nap together and slept for three hours. Without fail. Did I mention that Joshua was THE EASIEST child on earth? Give him cars and trains and you could clean the entire house without a peep from him. And the boys played very, very well together. They remind me of Phineas and Ferb, if you've seen the cartoon. One was the talker/leader/mastermind of ideas and the other could build/engineer. They were both even-tempered and gentle. Our house was relatively quiet and predictable. That was an easy year.
I haven't been the same since that year. There is always a yearning to create, find an adventure away from home, and capture things with words, paint, a camera. All of these pursuits allow me to see God more clearly. It's such a privilege to interact with his world in an intellectual, artistic way. It leads to worship and joy. I am a better Mom and wife when I have these opportunities for artistic expression and solitude. I know some seasons allow more of this type of learning than others. And I am okay with that. I just do not want these experiences to die altogether again. This time is such an enriching part of walking with Christ as an image-bearer. And, I hope it always remains a top priority for me to encourage this type of expression in my children as well.
On Sunday we headed south to another job site. Good bye mountains, hello ocean! We spent three restful days in Charleston, South Carolina. If you haven't seen this magnificent city, it is a balmy, coastal town filled with beautiful beaches and oak trees overflowing with Spanish moss. Not to mention the captivating "Carolina Blue" skies. Here is how we were greeted by the city:
I loved our time together. We did school in the mornings in the hotel room. Then we were off looking for fun and adventure. We spent a day at Folly Beach...
My Josh doesn't like to be bothered with any one else. It's him and the ocean. He's fearless out there in the water.
*Jackson later told me, "Mom, I have always loved Lydie. But today she became my friend." Gush.* 
And we played at the Children's Museum.
I needed this trip more than I could have known. I feel so refreshed and encouraged. It is good to experience a very special perk of this homeschooling way of life. These road trips, I am sure, will be memories we really treasure as a family in years to come. It felt exciting and adventurous to take off across 5 states and see new places, all while not missing a beat in our schoolwork. This is the freedom I hope to remember on busy days when there is too much to juggle! I am already looking forward to the next road trip.
Every year I either make or buy Lydie a dress for her birthday. This year I didn't have time to make one. We actually found this outfit at the consignment store. I appliqued the shirt with scraps of fabric I already had. The skirt was $12 and the shirt was $11. The pigtails are my {FAVORITE} hairstyle on her right now. She just happened to have those brown shoes with a matching pink flower on them. (Hand me down from a friend.) Love it when it all comes together like that!
We set up for lunch in the mall of the food court. Lydie and I wanted pink and polka dots for our theme. I used mostly stuff around the house. Tissue paper (pom poms), scrapbook paper and a kabob stick (sign), and left-over shredded paper for confetti. She is a girl who loves all the little details.
Andy and I did our best to make exactly what Lydie wanted for her cake this year: "a very chocolate-y ballerina bear". Although this cake required less creativity (we just followed the instructions on the cake pan), this cake took a longer amount of time to make! But she squealed when she saw it, which made it well worth the effort, of course.
Look at my darling nieces!!
I wonder what my five year old girl wished for?
Greyce and Lydie- two peas in a pod. 
Fun was had by all. In six short weeks we threw all three children their own birthday party. Gonna hang my party hat up for a while! :)
