warm weather brings...

58. sand soccer tourneys

garrett plays hard

he runs fast after the ball

stop. refuel.

go.

stop. do ballet.

and go.

he plays hard and we love watching!

59. beach colors

60. summer rainstorms

grateful

although today was a rough day at school, long and stressful, this afternoon was good. i felt energized to study hard, eager to learn, and confident that in Christ I can learn all i need to by monday and tuesday. i’m grateful for days like these

library

Here is where people,
One frequently finds,
Lower their voices
And raise their minds.
~Richard Armour

quiet and calm
cool and hushed
the perfect place for hours of study

i've so enjoyed sitting for hours in the library to study for a&p
it's quiet and i accomplish much while inside the big brick walls



plus, i have a lovely view

a tribute

after the last few days, i've once again realized how perfect my mom is for me. and even more importantly, how much her life reflects Christ.

ever since i was little, i can remember my mom constantly serving us. i also remember going to friends' houses and the moms slept in on saturdays, left dishes piled in the sink, constantly planned fun stuff for themselves with friends/husbands, and i remember thinking that was weird. while i know most of these moms lived for God, their strengths were in other areas, though they never neglected their kids in any way. but it seemed weird to me still because my mom never slept in, tried to keep the sink empty and always had the laundry going, and rarely planned fun outings for herself, but instead spent most free time doing fun things for and with us.

while it used to seem weird to me the way other moms did things, i now realize my mom is the weird one. and not in a bad way at all. she excels at serving her family. she goes over and above in the category of putting her family before herself. and this, more than any other way, is how i see Christ in her.

proverbs 31 says

an excellent wife who can find? she is far more precious than jewels.

my mom is an excellent wife, and she is indeed far more valuable than all the riches in the world.

the proverb continues on to say

she works with willing hands...
she rises while it is yet night...
she makes her arms strong...
her lamp does not go out at night...
she opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy...
she makes linen garments and sells them...
she opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue...
she looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness...
charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. give her of the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates.


wow. my mom excels at daily living out what it is like to be a Godly woman. and what a better way to teach and train her four daughters than to live out a Christ-like example every single day.

she works with willing hands
my mom complains less than any other person i know. she does not grumble or gripe when she is left to do the laundry again, or when it's time to pick up. but instead she frequently offers to clean up the kitchen after dinner so that we might go finish homework or run off to some fun engagement. willing hands, i tell you.

she rises while it is yet night- her light does not go out at night
she is basically always up before me in the mornings. even on saturday, her one day to sleep in. she still rises early to begin her day, and she usually begins with God. spending time with Him is of first importance, and she displays that by making that the first thing she does. she stays up late often times to complete her work, to pick up after everyone, or to ensure we are all home safe and sound.

she makes her arms strong
i've always thought my mom had the prettiest hands. now, i know it is because her hands and arms are continually busy, working to ensure everyone else is comfortable.

she opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy
even while my dad was out of work for 17 months, i still found thank you notes in my mom's room from families thanking her for the generous check or gift she had given them, because their family was also struggling financially. she never drew attention to her giving, but God used her generous heart to bless others regularly. i know of many times she purchased gifts for others and then had to run an errand. a couple times i went with her and found her errand was to return that thing she bought for herself in order to pay for something for someone else. and we had gotten so excited that she actually bought something for herself for once. we should've known.

she makes linen garments and sells them
she works hard at her full time job to help support our family. and she does an excellent job. and then she puts in extra hours tutoring to save up money for the future, go ahead and pay that other bill, or to give us swimsuit money for the summer. she is not lazy and she is not stingy.

she opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue
i personally think i have gained the most wisdom-next to the Bible- from my mom. she almost always has a Biblical answer or solution and does not neglect to get right to the heart of the issue. though this wisdom at times is hard to hear, i always look back and see that it was indeed wise. she studies God's word and is close to her Savior, and in turn imparts wisdom to others.

she looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness
she is always on the look out for us. she cares for both our physical and spiritual needs. my mom is not idle. she works hard five days a week and then comes home and works her second full time job being a wife and mother, and a stinkin good one at that. lazy and slothful are not things my mom practices.

give her the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates
that's the point of me writing this. i'm overcome with gratefulness for her and want for her God glorifying deeds to be praised. while she never draws attention to herself, her actions and life are indeed worthy of attention because Christ is alive in her and doing a good thing through her.

summer colors

these past few days i've been so enamored with colors. and not just bright, cheery, bold hues, but the white washed, clean tones too

some are my own pictures, some i've seen. so here are a few

fresh salsa

green chocolate vine

clear and i love the touch of beachy green

turquoise and orange. summer. summer. anthropology. yes.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150269874651416&set=a.10150269874321416.373216.107418161415&type=1&theater

snowcones

sunsets

sea shells

fossil

love this white by lizelle lotter

green and gray from pottery barn

pretty golden glow

feminine in white ruffles

i've always loved the colors in this perfume ad

shades of the jade sea

beach streets

patterns and shades

candy jars

and lastly, it doesn't get more summer colorful than this


a ferris wheel at the beachfront. lovely and blurry, i know

36. new shoes that got here

37. getting a good laugh out of the fact that somehow, probably because i'm brilliant beyond belief, i ordered 2 identical pairs of shoes. not one. TWO. i only wanted one though

38. being a nike member, which means i get to ship back my clone shoes for free. $0 : ) yes!

39. summer sandwiches. chicken, mayo, black pepper, spinach. all on some good wholesome wheat bread. chips and fruit on the side and you've got a close to perfect lunch

40. my ipod. i love it. oh it's so good to have

41. my silver bracelet from brighton that mema gave me for my birthday. i love it too!

42. i got to see cutie giselle lastnight

43. shade. ahhh. when driving without an ac, driving under trees, in the shade, feels like heaven. it's seriously 10 degrees cooler. so nice

44. a car that works, that i don't have to pay for. Lord, help it live a few more years. pleeeeaaaasssseee.

45. taylor swift, the national, mumford, and coldplay. coldplay and taylor mostly. but all provide a nice background for studying

46.ac in our house. 93 and feels like 100. or so says the weather channel. so grateful for air conditioning

47. chels and all the others made it home safely from next. thankful for protection

48. my express sunglasses. make it much easier to drive with the windows down. plus, they're super cute and stylin. or so i think

49. new bare minerals eye shadow. i love it. thanks mar for the late bday gift!

50. sunburns. ok maybe not. well yes i am. because it means i got to go to the beach. i got to lay out in the blazin sun, with nothing to do for hours, obviously too many. and i enjoyed having the time to relax beside my family. so i'm grateful for this ever so painful sunburn.

word to the wise, do not plop down on black leather car seats if your car has been sitting for hours in the sun and if the backs of your legs are sun burnt. it hurts. it really hurts. like really really hurts. so yea, don't do it

51. homemade salsa. delish!

52. being neat and organized

53. yellow highlighters

54. pretty flowers and little leaves to look at while studying

55. good, fresh, ice cold water to drink

56. windows! i don't think i could live somewhere without windows. i love having a the view outside, and the light from the sun is simply splendid

57. snagging some magnolias and gardenias from public property to bring home to my mom. then enjoying the sweet fragrance of the gardenias