Ellie's First Race

It's no secret I am so excited for the days Ellie will get to run races with me! She has rode in the stroller for a couple of races, now, but today, she sorta ran her own race!

Zoom Through The Zoo is one of my favorite races I run. This was my 3rd year running this race. (Side note: participants get a free guest pass for the zoo!) I love it because they have such a fun environment and great fun music. The shirts are excellent....shirts are a big deal to me in races Lol! And who doesn't love to run among wild animals?!

But the coolest part ever is they include a kid's fun run!! (.7 mile) Eeeekkk! Super exciting and adorable. 3 of Ellie's other little friends ran today too which made the event far more special! Go Nolan, Thomas, and Joanna! So proud of you sweet little friends! Rockstars!!

Lately, Ellie has actually taken a genuine interest in running! It makes my heart so happy. She always cheers me on and loves watching me run. And now, at home and on the playground she has started running a lot and as she does so, she chants happily, "Run run!!!" Smiling all the while. However, Ellie is still very timid to new things. Once introduced to an activity 2 or 3 times, it becomes second nature to her. Yet, the first time, she needs time and space to observe and understand. Naturally. I am the same way. So, as expected today, Ellie started off shy. We crossed the Start line with her in my arms. But not very long after our start, Ellie wanted down and she wanted to run! She took off like a baby cheetah....for a little while, then she was enjoying watching others run and began clapping for them and soon we were at the back. So, I scooped her up and ran up the hills for her with her in my arms, then right at the very end again, I put her down and we crossed the finish line holding hands. We finished just after Nolan and he was soooo proud of himself and he came back and got me and Ellie. So awesome! Ellie then got her medal, but not before she first saw her daddy and wanted him first as her prize. I can relate. After my first full marathon in Charleston, I collapsed crying into Eric's arms and he was all I wanted. The medal meant nothing but his love and smile and support were the world. (Still the case!) And so it would seem Ellie felt the same. She grabbed her daddy and he cheered her then sent her for her medal. I absolutely cannot wait for more of these moments in the future. I know that one day I will be busting my tail to keep up with Ellie! She and I are good for each other.

Then, as is now a little family tradition, Eric, Ellie, and I participated in the Zoo 5k. It is a mostly uphill race actually but because it is such a fun race it doesn't kill the motivation or joy. I pushed Ellie in the stroller and still finished under 30 minutes which I consider great when pushing ~45 lbs uphill in rain and a crowd of people! I always have to set my competitive self (with myself) to the side and remember it is about the family experience when racing together. Eric crossed shortly after us and we got to cheer him on!! Ellie saw her daddy cross, and smiled so big, pointed to him and said, "Dada, it's Dada!!" We had planned to attend Artisphere after with a change of clothes packed, yet the weather was too wet for our liking so we went home and napped hard! Happy lazy afternoon with my family! I am so proud of my family and excited for Ellie to keep up this activity with me! So long as it makes her happy!

Why Our Kindermusik Class is Tops

After a few months post-partum, I began to gain some confidence in my "momming" and I wanted to start putting Ellie into every adventure possible. I desire daily to offer her the best Eric and I can give her. The best for her joy, happiness, education, and childhood and enjoying that fleeting precious time of life. I believe Kindermusik held at Village Arts is one of the ways we provide these good things.

I saw an opportunity to send Ellie to a one day sampler with Kindermusik led by Rosalind Cross at her business called, Village Arts, last summer and I jumped on it. I unfortunately was unable to attend but my mom took Ellie to this first time event. My mom raved over how wonderful Mrs. Rosalind was and how Ellie enjoyed watching and observing. Ellie was filled with wonder and amusement the entire class. Ellie was in the baby class at this time and it is incredible to think how much has changed in nearly a year since having began the Kindermusik class.

So let me explain why it is our number one cannot live without class.

First,  our teacher, Mrs. Rosalind Cross is unlike anybody I have ever met. She is truly one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met but also she is very interesting and full of so much wonder. This characteristic makes her excellent for instructing itty bitties...they sense her wonderment, too. She does not hold back. She is so very loving and personable with the parents/grandparents/guardians and the children. I am always impressed how quickly she seems to pick up a child's name and their special characteristics. It is evident she truly loves each child regardless of anything at all. She is patient, compassionate, understanding, and a true leader. She loves the children as if they were each her own and that speaks volumes to me as she is loving on my child. I want my child to feel that sort of adoration from everyone she encounters. I know she won't; but, I am thankful we have found that in Mrs. Rosalind. she also pours into me as a young first time mother. When I signed Ellie up for her first round of summer classes last year, I remember I was super tense and nervous because Ellie wouldn't always do "exactly" what was being done in the class. Mrs. Rosalind very quickly reassured me. She calmed my nerves and she encouraged Ellie's exploration. She let Ellie be a major factor in where that class went while still staying on track of learning all the things that have helped Ellie to develop so strongly in character and education, already! She checks in on me as a mother and makes sure I am standing strong and confident and energized. Sometimes just making eye contact with her makes me feel like I am absorbing her own maternal love and it is super uplifting. She is truly the most gentle, funny, fun, and loving personality out there. I am thankful she is ours. She is really a treasure. She is 75% of my total devotion to our Kindermusik classes. She makes the difference in my child's life.

Secondly, Our Kindermusik class is Tops of all others offered because we are located in Mrs. Rosalind's beautiful new building space for her business, Village Arts. Here she encourages art in children, creativity, good messes, exploration, discovery, and socializing the children and teaching good "playground" manners. She also offers cookies, coffee, and tea on occasion which is kind of amazing. Her classroom is bright, colorful, and an environment the children feel safe and cozy in. They take it to themselves as a piece of home.

Third, these classes are in my opinion and through my observations of Ellie's growth and character are essential. Truly, essential. I would never not put any child of mine in Kindermusik at Village Arts. I will scrap for every penny if I have to to make sure Ellie is part of this incredible adventure in play and learning. She has learned so many life skills that sound small but are so huge. Anytime we ask Ellie to put things away, she respects that command through a song we have learned and she has never questioned it. She has learned so many songs, rhythms, instruments, ways to play with the most basic things ever. Like seriously, Kindermusik at Village Arts has truly shown me my child never needs toys. We can do so many things with the most basic househeld items. And honestly...the kids love these items she provides way better than any of the toys. She stretches their minds and the class molds their brains and creates new pathways and the repetition of the songs and dances has made such an impact on Ellie's conversation skills, her mobility, her fine motor skills.....like I truly could not say enough. I feel that this class has given us such an amazing start and I will keep Ellie involved until she ages out. She gets new books, CD's, and instruments each "Semester". Most of the games we play around the house stem from the ideas or concepts presented in the class and I can truly state I believe it has given Ellie a joyful, strong, and confident start to life. They also encourage cuddle and bonding time. But Village Arts' Kindermusik courses off of Laurens Road in Greenville are where it's at.

My only regret is that we didn't start as soon as she was born. These classes are a huge blessing to us.

Hike it Baby April 30 Challenge

Whew y'all! I am loaded up with challenges this year it seems! Haha! April, particularly. For April's Hike it Baby April 30 challenge, Ellie and I had no 0 days. Meaning we did not have one day in April where we did not get outside and play and hike or walk together. I love challenges. Oh man I am so driven by a challenge. That adrenaline pumps and my competitive soul thrives. I mostly just compete with me. I challenge me. And I love that. April was a perfect month of sunshine, warm weather, and beautiful scenic places to visit. We were even able to do a little swimming in the creeks of the waterfalls! We sunk our toes in sand, got covered in mud, climbed mountains, and explored new places. I even hiked 1 mile wearing two toddlers at once. Tandem carrying is no joke so to my mama friends who do this on the regular.....cheers. Y'all are beasts. I couldn't lift my arms.

Catawba Falls was a new one for us this month and it was super beautiful and special. I loved venturing out there to climb and explore. Moore Cove Falls was also a success this time. The last time I went there was almost a year prior with Ellie. She had just been placed in the structured carrier on my back versus riding up close to my chest snuggly and warm. That adventure ended in us running the entire trail back to the car to get a squawking Ellie home.....the running put her to sleep. This time though, she enjoyed watching the waterfall and stealing her friend's snacks. Bless.

I love HIB30 because while I am already determined and love to go outside and be active, the challenge gives me an extra boost of determination and desire and it gives me goals. I love accomplishing goals. I love having something to work towards. Sadly, HIB will only be doing two 30 challenges a year now instead of four. So, until fall, I will have to wait. You see, we also get super cool stickers when we achieve the challenge goal....so....it's pretty awesome. Just sayin'.

I am trying to get Ellie walking just a bit. She is one who lovessssss being snuggled up to mommy though and is far more contented to hold my shoulders and play with my hair than to walk. Fine by me. I like to move fast, anyway. But I will still continue to encourage her to try little by little. 

Women's Backpacking Weekend April 2019

When my friend, Tabitha Cooper brought to life the beautiful idea to go backpacking and presented us with a thoroughly planned opportunity, I had to jump on it. I LOVE camping and hiking and just being surrounded by the beauty God created. I also love the company of encouraging friends who I can just be raw with. It was a super big bonus that the location was one on my hiking bucket list. Laurel Fork Falls. An 80 foot waterfall that cascades into lake Jocassee.

The hiking with a loaded backpack was easier than carting Ellie around in my structured toddler carrier for hiking. My pack also didn't wobble around and demand milk. I had my own pack loaded and ready to go. Eric once carried a backpack to Europe when he was my age for his traveling (though he did not actually backpack through Europe, haha!) I took one of the two he owned and just as the crew was ready to load the packs into the truck and head out, mine broke! Perfect timing because if it had broken on the trail I would have been in some struggle for sure. Luckily, our trip was taken care of by a most wonderful establishment called Mountain Goat and they were able to immediately supply me with one of their packs. To give you a little insight on this company, Mountain Goat, it is most important to state that they are a huge blessing to the Greenville community. They are fairly new and beyond worth checking out for your daily coffee or tea or for grabbing a beer with a buddy. Here is what they are all about:

"Mountain Goat is a family-friendly cafe, bar and bike shop in Greenville, South Carolina. We are proudly located in the Poe Mill neighborhood and exist to build a community around our partner non-profit, GOAT (Great Outdoor Adventure Trips).

Whether you’re stopping in for a coffee on your way to the mountains or catching up over a beer on your way back, everyone who walks in the doors of Mountain Goat is helping to give the gift of the outdoors to at-risk kids all over the state of South Carolina."

The trip we took helped to support at risk children and give them a chance at a better future through the ministry of Mountain Goat and their beautiful work. Major bonus for me just doing something I love! Check them out. https://www.facebook.com/pg/mtngoatgvl/about/?ref=page_internal

This trip was so good for me. It gave me time to just be plain old Emily again. The Emily God created and no other roles attached (though I am SO thankful for my roles in life!) Sometimes it is really just good to discover yourself again as it can tend to get lost in serving others on a daily grind. I was able to be a little wild, a little quiet, a little daring, and a little reflective. I grew close relationships with women I have only met through this experience and to hear their stories and respect them.

My favorite parts were definitely making smores and eating our freeze dried meals around the campfire, relishing in what we accomplished that first day. I loved the views I got to take in and the overall experience of going somewhere new just an hour away from home that I have never seen before. I loved spending time with my friends and having one big sleepover.

I believe there is no better surrounding than being out in nature where it is quiet and raw.

We were all pretty cold at night because spring in the mountains means 50 degrees at night which is quite chilly...at least for me. I bet my Michigan husband would have loved it. But we all sorta snuggled up close and inside our sleeping bags and fell peacefully asleep in a perfectly dark place on top of a waterfall...the perfect natural sound machine. Lots of funny stories when waking up in the morning as we recounted our night. Not many of us slept because we were cold, or had to pee but were too cold to get out of the bags to go pee, etc. Personally, I wanted to sleep and knew I wouldn't if I were holding it in the remainder of the night. But my little headlamp was a dud and really was useless. I am blind without contacts.....like...really really near blind. My glasses Rx is like 15 years old and I merely use them as a bedside aid. So in the dark of the forest night, I ventured out into the woods to find a spot to ...well...go. Except I couldn't see. If a deer cam had been on me it would be hilarious I am sure. I walked into so many patches of things I knew were not where I should be so then I would back up and try another way but then there was a tree. After a few minutes of not being able to see a lick of anything I finally just decided that where I stood was good enough! Then as I crawled quietly back into my sleeping bag I peered out of the weak frames of my glasses into the woods and saw these glowing things....running....moving quickly...on the ground....NOT lightening bugs. Their lights were almost white fluorescent and they could turn on and off but mostly they just stayed on. Glowing and moving. Let's put it this way....so bright I could still see them without the glasses. I decided I would just close my eyes and go back to sleep. My friend Kristen said she saw it too and it was like eyes looking out! Hahaha!!

In the morning we slowly rose with the sun and packed and made breakfast over the fire. Most of us walked a mile and a half to see the bottom of the falls we had slept on top of. What a beautiful waterfall. So peaceful. We came back a shorter way making our hike a total of 15 miles. Then we went to Sassafrass mountain to the new lookout to see the view from the highest peak in South Carolina! Also very close to the camp spot and home. Then, us girls went for pizza in Pickens at Main Street Pizza and we ate like ravenous wolves. Exhausted, quiet, dirty, smokey, happy. The van ride back to Mountain goat was filled with all the stories of our wild births of our babies and the 3 poor girls that are not yet mamas....I hope we didn't change their minds about having babies in the future! Hahahaha! They were very quiet....oh but we laughed! Motherhood and sharing it with others is a necessity and a great blessing!

This trip was amazing and everything good. It allowed me to find the Emily that existed when it was just me. I mean, I still am that person but she gets put in a corner sometimes as I serve the needs of my family (which is a great honor and blessing I would never ever want to be without). I just felt like 20 year old me again. Going off and doing whatever I wanted on my own terms with no agenda or worry. I was free to relax and explore and free to breathe and be quiet if I wanted. I was free to do what I love doing. I cannot wait for another backpacking trip in the future. I surely missed my family before I ever fell asleep that night. Missing them actually hurts. I pine for them when I am away. But, it is also very good for myself to do these things. Plus, the greeting I got when I arrived home was so lovely and warm. Worth it every time!

Doing Life

We talk about how we can’t wait to “do life” with our significant other. We get the ring and we think about all the life ahead of us and how we get to do it together. We go in knowing hard times will come but we never consider what they could be or how long they could last. For me, “hard times” would be deaths or maybe job changes. I never imagined that sometimes huge blessings that God grants can come with hard times too. When I pictured “doing life” I pictured snuggling on the couch and not having to go home because I would already be home. I pictured vacations, adventures, dogs, cooking and food experiences, travel, and promotions. I pictured growing old and our hair turning white and our butts getting saggy together lol! But I never imagined that a season could last so long or be so hard even when it is really a blessing.

Right now, Eric and I are doing school. He is the one enrolled in courses and working full time and I am the cheerleader on the sidelines. Being a cheerleader for this college boy looks a lot like making sure he has food to keep him nourished, energized, and give him focus. I cheer him on by giving him a clean and de-cluttered space to come home to that is relaxing and that will offer him a safe haven from the busy day. I cheer him on by cutting the grass. 9.2 miles by push mower since we can’t seem to get the riding mower belt working longer than 1/2 an acre. Cheerleading looks like preparing his clothes for the next day, running all the errands, caring for Ellie, teaching Ellie, and a lot of lonely times. (Which as an introverted person is not terrible)....I just miss my Eric. I miss having long conversations and being slightly more care free. I sacrifice a lot of self care and time to unwind for myself.

Eric sacrifices more important things like being able to see and experience all the cool things I am privileged to take Ellie to do. He wants more than anything to be present but his schedule is impossible in this season. He sacrifices almost all sleep as he gets up before the sun and comes home long after it has gone down. He comes home and studies. His weekends are not weekends, they are a few hours of reprieve that he invests in his family before having to study or work on projects again.

This all started 3 years ago just before we got pregnant with Ellie. We planned school, Ellie, selling and building a home all at once but not necessarily to be done all at once....it’s just the way God willed it. Which is what keeps me going, knowing this is God’s plan. Most of the time, God’s perfect plans looks and sound insane to us. Like....”you’re kidding right, God?!” He wants us to trust Him and He wants to strengthen us. That doesn’t mean that these such times aren’t frustrating and hard and annoying. They feel impossible and burdensome. Eric has done so very well and continues to do so. For a long time, I held in my loneliness and stress. I felt in order to support him I couldn’t tell him how hard this was on me. I WANT him in school. I WANT him to achieve his dreams and goals and passions. I would be disappointed in him if he did not. I would be disappointed in me for not pushing him to those ambitions. But it is hard on both of us. He misses us and we miss him. We are exhausted and stressed and only get weeks in between semesters to feel like a family again. But that is “doing life”. Life is what God says it is. God gave Eric and I partners in each other on earth to help each other “do” life. Whatever that life looks like. One day, we will be finished with this season and we will be so strong and better for it. Our teamwork together will give us such a powerful stepping stone in marriage. His hard work and work ethic will be such a beautiful example for Ellie. I am one proud wife. This is the hardest life I have ever known up until now. I especially feel most people don’t understand how much it is I am actually doing here at home or how much work I am picking up that is usually shared between two people. I have desire only to spend weekends with my family because otherwise our family would never have any time together. I am a family woman and I am in love with what God gave me. They come first on this earth and are only second to God. I feel that people don’t realize how much Eric is actually doing and taking on. Because on top of this ridiculous schedule of work and school, he is still first focused on his role as father and husband to is and he excels there too. My heart breaks sometimes knowing how silly, goofy, laugh filled, joyful and care free this man is and seeing him so weighed down by the weight of this season of life. It is so beautiful to see him have a moment of relief and see him laughing and relaxing. Apart from my daddy, I have never met a man who worked as hard as he does while still putting his family first. Never complaining.

And why is it taking so long? 5 years to be exact for 2 normal years of school. It is taking so long because Eric is taking only a couple courses at a time so he can keep working full time so I can continue to stay home and care for our Ellie. The man is so so so good to us.

I am so thankful for the very true friends God granted me who understand this season of life and are prayer warriors. They understand when I would rather just spend my free time with Eric. They understand family is first. They understand because they feel the same. They pour into my soul and pray for me and Eric when my soul is too burdened to pray. I just lay st the cross and ask the Holy Spirit to speak for me. It is a joy and honor to “do life” with Eric. I will be so so so happy when we can be through this time and He can see the fruit of the seeds he sowed in this journey. Life doesn’t
 always feel like a sunny beach day complete with a cold drink in hand. Sometimes it is pretty hard and a struggle. I am happy to do life with Eric and am immensely proud of him. We need prayers every single day as we follow the path God has laid for us and as we work our hardest to remain faithful and seek Him in every step. One day, he will wear a cap and gown and have that Clemson ring and his smile will radiate all the way up to those beautiful gray hair on giant head and his dimples will be so deep and I will cry huge tears of pride and joy in my husband. He will accomplish this. I believe in him and I most importantly believe in the love and faithfulness of God Who holds us in His strong right hand. We can “do” this, E!

Homeschool Preschool

Before Ellie, I thought homeschooling was stupid. No offense. I just was immature, ignorant, and didn't understand it. I didn't see all the insane academic and social benefits. I didn't realize that home-schoolers are actually the ones who on average test higher and also have a higher acceptance rate and are more frequently chosen to attend major universities. Those are facts. I just thought it was a dumb idea.

Now, I don't personally care what kind of school any person attends. I went to public school and I did well  academically, socially, and morally. If you want to do public school, do you. If you want to do private school, do you. Home school; do you. Etc. I do not care one bit what others do with their kids. To each their own!

My sister has 4 children whom she home schools. God bless her. I have more friends who home school than public school, actually, and they have enlightened me to what this educational experience is really all about. Everybody has differing reasons for choosing to home school. Mine vary, personally, but overall are for the sake of having as much control as possible of the influences and atmosphere that surrounds my young daughter's ever growing super sponge brain. I don't want to raise and earthly daughter, I want to raise a Godly daughter. (This is not at all to say public school can't do that, don't take offense or read me wrong). What it means is, while Ellie is at home with a most vulnerable and influential young mind, I want to surround her with the best influences possible rather than throwing her into a too deep water of differences in our beliefs. Some won't like that, some won't understand. I used to say things like....."Well your kid is going to be living in the world and exposed to bad crap all the time so they need to learn how to deal with it. They need to learn how to say no. They need to not have culture shock and realize most of the world is probably sadly not in love with Jesus." I would say things like this because I didn't understand these home school moms. I thought they were weird and ignorant themselves. Until I had Ellie. In fact, I didn't get it until she was nearly a year old. I believe God really just opened my eyes in my maternal heart to show me His plan. And to once again clarify.....public school is not bad, I have nothing whatsoever against it. So pleaseeeee don't be taking offense to this. It is that God showed me something new and different and He showed me what He wants me to do with Ellie and so I obey that. I also want to start with home school because I don't want to be without Ellie for even as much as two half days a week, putting her in someone else's care when I know I can teach her at home the exact same things....without doing worksheets or being made to sit down for too long a time. I've seen preschoolers made to sit for so long and that is not beneficial to learning at such a young age. Play is the best form of education. Playing, discovery, exploration, observation, experimentation. Once again, I hate for people to think I am making some confrontational point....I am not....I don't care what you do with your kids, nor am I judging. I trust every mama makes the best choice for their child and their family! Every family is different and every child is different.  I also know that not every preschool is like that. I'm sure your child's preschool is awesome or you wouldn't have enrolled them there! Just explaining my personal choice. For Ellie. It is also a beneficial financial choice as a bonus point. I have also been given the blessing and privilege to stay home with Ellie. Therefore, it really just makes sense to keep her with me for preschool to home school. Honestly we already do it on a daily basis....there really won't be much difference. 

Currently, Ellie and I, through play, work on shapes, colors, counting, animals and sounds, objects and their functions and/or sounds, read books and discuss them on repeat, play music, listen to music, dance and practice rhythm, do bible study, work on fine motor skills, allow Ellie to dress herself, practice putting lids on containers, sorting and organizing, playing outside all day long if it is sunny, teaching her that "Ellie" is her name, and the list goes on. Also, I have her enrolled in many extra curricular classes for academic and social engagement and also to let her test the waters of what activities she will love and want to be involved in. She attends ballet class, she is part of hike it baby which constantly teaches her about nature and friendship and nurturing, she does kindermusik which is basically my favorite because I believe it really is an all encompassing program teaching literally everything, but also engaging the brain, growing the mind, and encouraging friendships. She goes to the little gym where again she learns independence, friendships, physical skills, embracing her fears, overcoming obstacles, and learning academic and life skills.......all these things through play. I plan to continue these activities and add more sports in as she reaches the appropriate age. We also go on lots of little field trips to have many experiences. I will drive that baby up to 3 hours away for an adventure in one day. It is so good to expose our little ones to new experiences, creating new pathways in their brains. Then repeating an experience as to really make that pathway a permanent road in the brain. (This is why you see baby goats like 5 times in one month or 10 santas at Christmas!) LOL!! Y'all lovingly pick at me and I don't mind it! :)

So, I essentially plan to keep doing exactly what we are doing, yet I will make sure to have a bit of a "lesson plan" in mind for her. Such as, completing a STEM or STEAM activity, discussing it, and letting her do as much with it as she can or wants to do. Nothing will be forced. She is a toddler. Learning has to be fun, playful, creative, and patient. I like her learning to be "toddler led", not forced. If she is not having fun or is getting frustrated it is time to move on. We can re-approach when she is ready. I will be more intentional about spending time hitting the basics with her 10-15 minutes a day....even if she is running circles around me...she is still listening....don't think because your tot is babbling and running around that they don't hear you or comprehend. I cannot tell you how many times Ellie will ask to read a book and sit in my lap. 2 minutes later she is up and playing with blocks....I will keep reading and making voices and sounds and expressions. When I stop, she notices. Sometimes she copies me when I make a sound and it doesn't even seem like she acknowledges I am in the same room. Then, some days later, she will have a new sentence or a couple new words for me in her vocabulary and her brain and I am blown away! She is still listening. Keep reading. Keep investing. Play is their school. Keep in mind: this is exhausting for a mama....especially a Type A personality like me. I have learned by the very grace of God somehow, to just breathe and let it be. It is exhausting to feel  like the toddler is not understanding a thing you say or do....but remember, they usually do....so keep up your bright, bubbly, playful, loving, patient work. You will see the results and you will be blown away...as they are usually out of the blue!

Now, while I currently plan to home school Ellie for preschool, I am leaning heavily with Eric towards Christian private school for kindergarten-12th grade. I've been researching this for the past year as well as different home school options...just in case. In fact I plan to take a tour of a private christian school this week...just for my research purposes. I will do tours again as enrollment comes in a few years. I do not currently plan to home school past preschool but I am not saying no to the idea, either. There are so many wonderful options for home-schoolers where we live. If it is not obvious....I would have Ellie as part of a co-op. There is so much research to do; it is overwhelming. We have so many options it is shocking. But I love options. I am making excel spreadsheets and plan to make pie charts of comparisons. I know I am ridiculously nerdy. But, it is my actual job, role, career, mission in life to do the very best I can raising a daughter in accordance with God's will....raising her to be kingdom and Christ focused and not distracted otherwise. (Not to say that she won't still mess up...because she will; I guarantee it; we are all un-holy little sinners! I just pray every night that her mess ups won't damage her life or another's and that she can easily learn from her mistakes). Only the Holy Spirit Himself can open Ellie's eyes to Him, as well as her heart, but Eric and I are commanded by God to guide her, lead her, and direct her lovingly with Him as our purpose.

I have still so much research and planning ahead of me. I will take it all step by step and I will see where God leads Eric and I to lead Ellie. Home school is daunting to me past preschool level because I struggle at a 3rd grade math level. Fractions. Oh boy. We will just have to see if we go with private or Home in the future. God will show us. But for now, I am SO excited to teach Ellie her pre-schooling through a world of play and imagination!! My sister is sending me the twin's curriculum soon and I can't wait to pick through it and set up my little agenda for the fall!!

A Productive Week

I don't know if a home is ever finished being made into a home. A family and their needs and desires are ever changing. It is the house that holds all these new memories, feels the labor of hard work, sees the growth and changes of a family, and feels the wear of time, that becomes a home.

Eric had Clemson spring break this past week and this allowed us to teamwork together to nail down several projects.

We are always dreaming and planning up ways to serve Ellie and please our happy home desires in our new forever home. Productive ways to benefit our busy and active lives. Beautiful ways to bring respite to busy and tired bodies. We had a week of productivity.

Before we ever put the old house up for sale, before I ever got officially pregnant, Eric and I have possessed hundreds of books for the desired and dreamed of baby that would be Ellie. My sister, grandmother, mama, and friends have all given books for that little girl. But we never had a single place to store them, before. Even after having Ellie, we never had bookshelves for these books. Then we decided to finally sell the house as we had always dreamed of, and we decided to wait to purchase shelving. The books lived in open cardboard moving boxes for a year. Then, we finally had the money to purchase proper shelving for our princess's playroom for her many books and toys. Books actually are her favorite toy, truth be told. When the bookshelves arrived to the house, I wasted no time carrying them piece by piece up the stairs to the playroom. Ellie helped me to assemble the shelves. Eric bolted them to the wall for safety. We went from books all over the floor to an organized playroom for Ellie. She loves them and so do I!!

The next thing we have been really mostly excited about is beginning to tame our new yard. The yard is a big living space for us. It is as important as the home interior to us as we spend most of our time home outside, playing. After construction, the ground has to heal. It has to recover, grow, and constantly be groomed. The very edge of our shoreline is trashed with logs, briars, brush, and overgrowth. I have been working, swimming, chopping, sawing, pulling so so hard many days to create a big pile of wooded mess. Eric and I got to finally see a week of sunshine and were able to burn the pile. Due to having soaked in the lake for goodness knows how long, and then two months of rain, the logs are still wet inside. They were taken down and broken down a lot, but will still need another round of burning. That is fine though, because we still have so much to tear down out there. Then the grass. We imagined for the first year here we would have nothing but red clay. However; the grass actually grew in quite nicely before the start of fall in 2018. While more grass needs to grow, we actually have a better grassy yard than we anticipated. The sod up front is greening up with the warmer weather. I cut the grass. This wouldn't seem like such a huge accomplishment on any other given day, yet, with 2 months of rain and no mower working at the time, the grass grew so tall it no longer stood straight. A lot of it was nearly my knee height. Not to mention this ground is still healing from construction...meaning we still have rock, some debris, unwanted soil, even some nails! Yikes! It is a more daunting task than normal at this time. Once the grass was tamed, Eric and I worked together to plant 50 cypresses along the property to give us even more privacy on this quiet spot of land. They are also just insanely gorgeous. We began mulching the front yard around the big trees. Soon we will plant some flowering bushes in these spots to accent the yard. We have designed plans together for the backyard and will start on that next.  We want a garden back there, a pebble "patio" for the Adirondack Michigan chairs and fire pit,  more trees, and a playground for Ellie.

Eric is constantly working in the garage as time allows to build hanging shelving. The bike rack is next. He didn't quite get to this.

There really is something deeply beautiful about seeing the fruit of your labor. Labor put forth as a team with your spouse is all the more special. Our home is a reflection of us and our dreams and our joy. So thankful for the time we had together to accomplish this. I can't wait to knock out more of our dreamy projects soon!!