What I’m Into {May 2015}

I’m interrupting our regularly scheduled program of Weekend Links with a post to tell you what I’m into right now.

These have been fun to share these last few months, and I love reading about what is going on behind the scenes of other blogger friends, especially the ones I’ve been following for years.

You can catch up with previous months here:

• January
• February
• March
• April

What has my family been up to in May?

Read on …

In Our Home:

In a nutshell, May brought beautiful flowers, lots of family, and the closing of our home in Colorado!

These two boys are truly best friends. My grandmother said it best, “Those two wouldn’t know what to do without the other, would they?”

No. No they wouldn’t.

They squabble just like regular siblings, but at the core they are together. They are brothers. They share secrets and play made up games together. They run and jump and ride bikes. They dig in dirt and pester Mommy for MORE FOOD, PLEASE! I am so thankful for these two.

We discovered a bird’s nest right outside our front door. We were so excited!

We were able to watch the goings and comings of the mama and daddy bird as they awaited the hatching of their babies. We were able to observe the eggs in the nest and even the babies after they hatched. Then we watched as the mama and daddy went back and forth with food for their babies.

Eventually they moved their babies and we’ve not seen them since, but we had a great time of observing and learning all about birds!

I found the  National Geographic Bird-watcher’s Bible: A Complete Treasury book very helpful! I spent many days pouring over this book.

Samuel had a lot of questions and this was my go-to resources for answering his questions.

We also started a nature journal together to record everything we were learning about our birds. We also found an incredible app from Cornell University to help us identify all the birds we see everyday. It helped us determine that our bird’s nest and its residents were Brown Thrashers.

Samuel has thoroughly enjoyed this month of learning at home! We’ve been letting nature teach us, and I’m impressed by his ability to identify birds. He’s interested and eager to learn more, which we are loving! Perhaps we’re family birders after all.

We spent a lot of time this month getting “legal” in Virginia. There are a lot more rules and regulations here than anywhere else we’ve lived! With all the extra tasks, it’s made getting work time a little more difficult. The picture above is me working on a blog post while my littllest napped in my arms. We were at the auto shop getting our car inspection and lucky me, they had free wifi!

We have decided to start Kindergarten with Sam in the fall-ish. We sort of do year round homeschooling right now – taking a very, very relaxed approach.

It’s been a fun couple of weeks of mail checking as our new curriculum has been arriving by the box full! I cannot wait to dig in and share more about our decision to start Kindergarten a year early.

I’ve already shared about our strawberry picking day here, but it’s worth noting again that we had so much fun! We’ve been able to share our strawberry jam with friends and family on our road trip as a way to say thank you for letting us crash at your place. 🙂

 

We are currently on a mini-road trip as a family. Well, mini for us. After our 40-day road trip last fall, this three week road trip seems small. 😉

So far our time has been filled with lots and lots of family and friends along the way. The next two weeks will be spent camping and sightseeing some more in destinations yet to be told! 🙂

In My Heart:

God continues to refine me and mold me by the recurring theme of “grace” and “people over tasks” mantra.

I’m continuing to dive deeper into God’s priorities for me in this life He has given, and I’m learning to be content in the season I’m in. This has always been a battle for me. I’m a planner by nature, always thinking ten steps ahead of where I’m at. But learning “daily bread” has been key to growth in the areas of contentment and peace in my life.

We continue to pray through God’s will for our family work-wise. There are so many opportunities we could jump on as a family, but I do not want to miss the years at home with my children. Neither does my husband.

The song, “Lead Me,” by Sanctus Real has been heavy on our hearts. God has been using it to speak truth to our hearts as a couple about the desires of our hearts. I want my kids to value family AND dreams. But right now it sort of feels like we teeter on the line of dreams in spite of family.

It’s been a humbling awareness. I’m so thankful God is willing to speak and pursue our hearts always!

So I’ve shelved the big goals for a season. It’s okay to let the little things speak in this season as we invest in the lives of our children and in our marriage. Little kids are a lot of work what with booty wiping, cutting food, the laundry, etc. Timmy getting older has brought us into a new season, and with the changing season comes a time to adjust our schedules and be willing to slow the big projects for a time.

I’m rambling because it’s hard to put concrete words on what is transpiring in my heart, but there is a deep peace that surrounds our everyday that hasn’t been there for quite some time.

I think at the core, I just want to live authentically. Slowly. Intentionally. Perhaps the simple life is needed for God to truly work in and through me.

In our productivity-driven society this seems strange. Feels strange. But I’m trusting and seeking to live in obedience to this call to invest in the little things. The things people won’t notice. The things that won’t win awards or end up on the best seller list. It’s the daily grind of living a life sold out for Jesus in the little everyday moments. The hard moments of the mundane.

What I’m Reading:

I’m currently reading Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full by Gloria Furman. My mother-in-love gave this to me for Mother’s Day, and it has been a blessing to my soul.

This is not a book that you read quickly and toss aside. This is a slow read. Each paragraph meditated on. Mulled over. Prayed through and read again.

My mom heart needed this book. Badly.

What I’m Watching:

Nothing right now. We’re on the road and loving not having a TV around!

On the Blog:

I started a series on the blog this month, A Grace-Filled Look at Real Food. I have enjoyed hearing your feed back as I share some of my journey into real food and natural living. You can see all the posts in this series here (just scroll toward the bottom).

Popular Posts in May:

• How to Make a Prayer Notebook
• 12 Indoor Toddler Activities {12-18 months}
• Planning 101: How to Do Daily Planning to Be More Intentional
• How to Pack for a Long Trip in One Carry On Pack {Free Printable}
• 12 Ways to Slash Your Grocery Budget
• Free Intentional Living Monthly Checklists

And that’s what I’ve been into lately! What have you been into? Do you like these type of posts?

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