I think I love October

Two of my very favorite people in the whole wide world came to our house this weekend.

Jamie and I chatted late into the night... early into the morning.

Then we went to Shipshewana and picked out pumpkins.

And we ate lots of food because that's what we do best.

We also carved pumpkins, a favorite past time.

The past several years we've always seemed to get together in October. We carve pumpkins and eat pumpkin seeds and go on hikes. I love October. I love my Jamie!

So check out our pumpkins!

Derek bought some carving tools last year. We printed off patterns and taped them to the pumpkins.

Makes us look like pros!

I never get enough pics when we're together. But we already have plans in the works for our next visit!

*There's a sale going on over at my shop - 20% off now until Halloween using the code "boo20"!
*Also check out the giveaway happening HERE!

It all boils down to this...

I just love my husband. We always seem to agree on the important things like how we discipline our babes, ministries we're involved in, and that Domino's is the best pizza ever and Goshen needs to get one.

We have also almost always agreed on schooling for our kids. Yes, we discussed this pre-engagement even!

It all boils down to this...

We want to build a solid Biblical foundation into our children.

Just like Javier said in Courageous. (My first official reference to the absolutely fantastic movie. More to come another day!)

I plan on doing a whole lot more research in Scripture and elsewhere on this whole homeschooling business, but until then, this is our primary purpose.

Our plan has always been to homeschool each child until they ((Lord willing!!!)) come to a saving knowledge of our Savior. Then, when we feel the particular child is ready and are confident in God's approval, we'll send him/her to a public school. (Why public school? That's a whole 'nother post).

We aren't willing to commit that this is God's plan also. But we're headed that direction while being aware of the very possible, even probable, change of plans.


The bottom line is, we believe God has called us to homeschool this year. And maybe next year. And possibly many years to come.

Erica over at Confessions of a Homeschooler wrote out an amazing post that does an excellent job of summing up most of our reasons for homeschooling, too! Please take the time to read.

I've also been very slowly going through the book I Saw the Angel in the Marble.  So far I really appreciate what it has to say. I haven't gotten far in it so I can't attest to all that it says, but I definitely think it's worth looking into.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

Deuteronomy 6:5

Waiting for a slowdown

Life has been hectic. Mostly good hectic though.

We've been doing school every weekday. We've been having family time and soccer games every weekend. We've had numerous chiropractor visits. Derek and I even got a date in! My bestest and her hubs are coming for a visit this weekend! I finally got a library card and have been doing lots of reading with the babes and all by myself. I'm also preparing for several craft shows in the future, a baby shower for my sis, babysitting, and thoroughly enjoying every moment with the most adorable mini's ever!!

So here's a quick glimpse of the past couple weeks via Instagram...

Playdate with the cousins at my sister's new house!

My peppers enjoyed all the rain!

Soon after we learned $2 bills aren't worth any more than $2, we finally went out to eat!

Okay, this is just an iPhone shot but how adorable is this future superstar?!?

The babies LOVE this super old kitchen set our fave neighbors gave us!

My momma came over with a million apples and showed me how to make cinnamon apple sauce! Delish.

Thanks to a super sweet couple in our Life Group, we got to go on a kid-less date! We ate at South Side Soda Shop and saw "Courageous." I am sure there will be many future references to that amazing movie.

Marie is doing wonderfully in school. I am daily blown away by how much she's learning and improving!

Recently highlighted verse: "Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25. 


That's barely the tip of the iceburg. I was just scanning my facebook profile and came across at least ten other crazy happenings in just the past couple of weeks (including getting stranded in the Kroger parking lot and scoring my first real goal in soccer). I guess I'll need to do a better job keeping up with the blog! For now, it's lunch time :)

The Chapel

They never told me how tough freshman year of college could be. Did they tell you? I really had no idea.

It didn't help that I had a really amazing senior year of high school. Then we moved out of the only house I ever knew (so what if it was barely a mile away?) and my only real boyfriend dumped me.

Then I left for college.

Okay, I'm completely aware that really it wasn't that bad! I can be dramatic.

But it wasn't all fun and games like I always thought it would be.

I mean there was some fun. And lots of foosball and sand volleyball games. And movies. Lots of movies and cookie dough.

But it was hard. I don't really know any better way to describe it.

The funny thing is, though, when I think back on it now I am overwhelmed with the good stuff.

And by good stuff I mean God's grace and mercy.

There was the little things like having an end room so we didn't have to share our bathroom. And a foosball table in the nearby boys dorm where I was champion. And the amazing athletic building with lots of treadmills and weight machines and a pool.

And there were big things. Very important, big things.

My sister lived off campus and did an amazing job being my big sister. I could not have survived without her.

My roommate and I met and became best friends. Literally as fast as you just read that sentence. I could not have survived without her.

Every morning I got up half hour earlier than necessary and spent time with the Lord. I could not have survived without Him.

That finally brings me to the point of this post...

The Chapel. I could not have survived without it.

Last weekend we went to my little brother's final homecoming game. We finally had a chance to visit the chapel that I've told Derek about so many times.

We walked in and I started to cry.

I spent time in that chapel almost every day of my first semester. And I cried almost every time I walked in.

I was hurting. Bad.

And when I would walk into this chapel, into the silence, into the peace that I could practically touch, I would break over and over again. And little by little, God put me back together, piece by piece.

Second semester was very different. That peace that I clung to inside that chapel, finally became part of my every day life.

I stepped into that chapel only once in the last few months of freshman year.

And I cried.

But they were tears of thanksgiving. My Savior carried me through those first few months and finally I was able to walk into this chapel already filled with peace and joy. I was on the other side of my most difficult trial up to that point in my life.

9 years later I got to walk in with my family.

Wow. I'm at a loss for words...

Thank You, Father.

Thank You.