Fun on the Fourth

Happy Birthday, America!

 

The Fourth of July is one of my very favorite holidays.

 

I love the food, family time is the best, and I can hardly wait for the fireworks (although I much prefer fireworkers have a curfew, now that I have a little one who begins his snooze fest long before the light show begins).
 

As we went through the day, I couldn't help but get swept up in the euphoria of the holiday.

 

 

We donned red, white, and blue,

exchanged our front door monogram for something more patriotic,

put flags in our flower pots,

topped our pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream,

barbequed all the things,

marched to This Land is Your Land throughout the house,

and then, we prayed with urgency and pleading for our great nation. 

 

Throughout the day, I found myself alternately humming and petitioning the lyrics to my favorite Shane and Shane song, Be Near.

 

 

Happy Fourth of July!

 

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:14

Five on Friday

one.
on involving children random acts of kindness

This past week, Baker and I scheduled a play date with some of our favorite kiddos. We love hanging out with this precious family.

Throughout the school year, we would plan ice cream outings and backyard shenanigans. When we set the date for our first get-together of the summer, I racked my brain trying to decide what we could do that was different than the things we had already done. I thought back to some posts from bloggers I follow about involving kids in random acts of kindness. I had always dismissed these, thinking we would join in when Baker gets older. Here was our chance! There are no children more joy-filled, and I jumped at the opportunity to schedule a day more meaningful than water slides and sunscreen.

It was the best day! I wish I had hidden a camera to video everything.

The sweet conversations among the children, "While we're at Target, we can buy water bottles to pass out at a construction site. We can also smile at a stranger, leave an encouraging note for a mother on a changing table." And from another, "Ohhh yeah, we can also let someone go in front of us in line." And the youngest, "Yeah, and I am going to help someone unload her groceries. Hey, while we wait in line, we can be writing notes to leave on windshields in the parking lot."
Later, driving down the road, I overheard, "Jenn, I know we didn't plan to give anything to that man beside us, but it looks like his car doesn't have air conditioning. And it's really hot out here. Can we give him a water bottle?" And the girls, "I'm thinking about that verse in James to write at the bottom of this note, but I don't remember the address." "I have a good Bible verse for that note, let's use this one..."

I was mush. The Lord was using these children and it was incredible to watch.

They chose the following acts of kindness (and already have an ongoing list for our next playdate)

one. leave coins on a drink machine

two. leave a note of encouragement for a mother on a changing table

three. smile at a stranger

four. compliment a stranger

five. buy dog treats for a local vet's office

six. take flowers to a nursing home resident who doesn't have family in town

seven. pass out popsicles to workers at an oil change garage

eight. take water bottles to construction workers

nine. leave encouraging notes on windshields

ten. help someone load or unload their groceries

eleven. let someone go in front of us in line

twelve. buy a stranger's meal

thirteen. chalk attack! etch words of encouragement and love in chalk

 

I shared more about this fabulous day on Instagram. Come see!

two.
on my recent addiction to roasted veggies

I can't get enough roasted vegetables. It's true. No vegetable is safe from being tossed in olive oil, sprinkled with garlic salt, and being thrown in the oven to do it's marvelously delicious thing.

For lunch today, it's roasted tomatoes, green beans, and avocado over a half pita for a roasted veggie pizza, of sorts.

three.
on summertime and me time

Baker is in school this summer. I mourned the thought all school year. What would I do without my Baker Boy all day long?

PART-AY!!
Kidding. Sorta.

I have come to love the few hours I have each day to savor the quiet, clean our home, prepare dinner, read, and check items off my summer bucket list.

This time is allowing our family time together to be more intentional. Here's to being a hand free mama.

four.
on Father's Day

I just love this Father's Day card Baker made for Brian this year. So perfect for his favorite hero. And I am the biggest sucker for personalized cards.

five.
on a mischievous toddler

Baker has learned to open doors. Everything that was safe, is no longer safe. Times, my friends, they are a changing. And I quite love it.

when I think about a father

when I think about a father,

I think about a man

who, with the same hands, works tirelessly to provide for his family and lovingly bandages a skinned knee

who, with the same voice, screams I love yous and whispers gentle corrections

who, with the same feet, twirls his wife around the kitchen floor in a midnight slow dance and pulls his two year old in a red wagon teeming with a dozen of his closest stuffed friends

who, on the same knees, kneels before his Maker and teaches how to loop, swoop, and pull just so to tie itty bitty tennis shoes

who, with the same eyes, memorizes the beauty of a morning sunrise and admires a toddler's artwork as if it holds the value and prestige of the Mona Lisa

who, with the same arms, builds a fort to rival all forts and soothes his baby to sleep

who, with the same tongue, sings praises to his Savior and encourages his family to be dreamers of the biggest and wildest dreams

 

who, with the same nose, gives tender butterfly kisses and sniffs a steak to grilled perfection

 

who, with the same heart, loves fiercely and loves tenderly

 

when I think about a father, I think about this man

 I think about the man who steals my heart everyday

 I think about the man who is my little boy's biggest hero

 

when I think about a father, I am most grateful God gave our family you

 

Beach Lovin'

We spent the past week with Brian's parents on the gulf coast.

It was the perfect way to start our summer vacation!

 

Baker loved all things beach.

The sun, the sand, and the saltwater.

I wish we could bottle it up and bring it home with us,

or better yet,

stay all summer long!

 

That smile.

Pure joy.

 

 

We loved spending the week with BeBe and Poppa.

 

 

You can take a boy from his trucks, but you can't take the trucks from the boy.

 

We spent a lot of time on the balcony the first few days because of rain.

In my opinion, a rainy day at the beach is still a day at the beach.

 

Finally, sunshine!

 

 

Baker loved crunching the sand between his teeth.

Silly, silly Baker Boy.

 

 

This hunka-hunka burning love was the best looking guy on the beach.

 

That sweet little profile melts my whole heart.

 

I have never seen Baker sign "More, More, More" than when he and his daddy were splashing around in the water.

 

A sweet, sweet lady approached me before dinner on Tuesday night.

She said, "Sugar, give me that camera. You're gonna wanna picture with those good looking boys."

She was right.

I did want a picture with those good looking boys. 

 

 

The night before, at Cosmo's, one of my favorite beach restaurants,

Baker was called a girl twice.

He was wearing the most precious crab john-john, sweet little sandals, 

and was very clearly a well dressed little beach-loving boy.

But, not to risk my husband never again letting him don a shortall,

Baker wore clothes unmistakably, and very handsomely, ALL BOY.

He did look pretty cute, all the way down to his new red Converse shoes

I sprung for at the outlets earlier in the day.

 

 

Our last day on the beach was perfect.

The sun came out bright and early and we enjoyed every second until we were sure every wave had been surfed and every sand castle had been built.

 

 

 

 

 

We finished the day with watermelon and a low country boil on the balcony.

It was the perfect ending to a wonderful beach trip.

 

 

A perfect little Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day is one of those days.

 

One of those days I intentionally slow down.

One of those days I pause to remember.

One of those days I stop to reflect.

 

One of those days I sit back.

One of those days I soak it all in.

One of those days I vow not to take anything for granted,

but to think about and meditate on the liberties and the freedoms I get to experience every single day,

and the sacrifices made and the lives lost that afforded those very things.

 

Things like stripping this little love down to his skivvies for a watermelon date

at our backyard picnic table, then teaching him to launch the forbidden seed in our seedless melon into oblivion.

 

 

Things like laughing with a whole body laugh until your breath is lost and your belly aches.

 

 

Things like lawnmower rides in this boy's neverending quest to be just like Daddy.

 

 

Things like friend time hovered over shrimp and sausage and potatoes and corn.

Where laughter perfumes the air and time seems to disappear.

These women share my biggest secrets, by favorite memories, the best parts of my past.

I love them fiercely.

 

 

Things like splishing and splashing and dunking and cannonballs and pruny toes.

 

 

 

 

Things like watching these hunky men thrive as husbands and daddies.

These three are especially incredible.

 

 

Things like sleepy summertime snuggles with my littlest.

 

 

And pallets made on the edge of the pool for toddlers who try to hang with the big boys,

 

 

 

and wee little piggies that always sneak from under the covers, whether in the bed or beside the pool.

 

For all the things,

big and small,

I am grateful for the sacrifices that allowed us to have a perfect little Memorial Day weekend.