building for 6 :: early days

Spring has long been on the calendar, but this spring project sprouted in what felt a little more like summer . This building for six project has been a long time coming... It started off as a dream, became a little goal, ventured into a desired outcome, and slowly started to take shape for this family of six that largely fills out this house and needs a little more space to call home. We're so very thankful for all the right things falling into place so we can make this happen and so grateful for the resources, people, and time to do it. God is good. New room or not, God is good. 

Here's the start of it a few weeks ago... After we tore down the old deck and dug out old bushes and trees!

 The supply truck delivered the goods For two little boys, thats free entertainment. 

Austin loved the pieces. It was like a gigantic puzzle ready to be put together!

Carson loves the activity... always something new to see or explore or talk about. Mostly talk about. A lot.

The start of the new...

We start 'em young.

Post building. A solid foundation. Nothing more important. A house or hearts, a solid foundation must come first.

Of course, building for 6 usually means you have about that many peeps around to keep the construction zone crowded.

We've got some of the most talented carpenters in the area... not to mention hard-working, hug giving, and grandkid holding help for this crew. 

Because who wouldn't want to work with this guy around all day? :) 

she's 1

made to move, our soccer boy

Just as most women with boys of their own told me as this boy arrived, our firstborn is a mover. I remember being told that boys means busyness and through the years, life with 3 boys has proven every single one of those older, wiser moms right on this one. From the early walking days to his latest gig on the soccer field...Jaxon has always loved to be moving. 

We've been slow to get involved in soccer. Partly because I as his mother could never figure out just exactly how to get him involved and always seemed to make the call about 3 months too late for the current season. Finally after a few attempts we landed him on an actual team through our local soccer rec program and he fell into an awesome Coach with a heart for Jesus and a lot of spunk from the sidelines. Right up our alley :) In our experience, coaches can make or break it for these kids at this age. Sports loving Mama's...pray for your children's coaches. This is such a crucial piece of positive experiences with sports and so far for the most part we've been blessed in this area. And the couple times we haven't, we've just found a deeper appreciation for when we do and a few tough life lessons about respecting even when we don't agree!!

This boy loved the soccer experience and I think we may have a continual soccer player on our hands. The constant movement and fast paced game is fun for this kid. It was so fun to watch him, too! Plus, for a kid with lots of energy...as his Mama, it's kinda nice to have him a little worn out by the end of the day :)

Soccer Season 1 down! Fun times following that #23 around this spring...

And the winner is...

After Friday night home-made pizza and bubble baths and a game of night tag, we threw names in a hat the old fashioned way and pulled our lucky winner! Becky B. you win!! Congrats, friend! Hope you love your new Noonday Collection piece. Thanks friends who voted and shared. Maybe next year ;-)

Let me say thank you! And you could win!

A week ago I rallied my social media community and we gathered 752 times to vote over at Noonday Collection's website for Style for Justice with International Justice Mission. 752 votes did not get me to Rwanda... but it got me a front row seat to see how my community rallies for their own, how my community wants to see good in this world, and how my community wants to support a company that is trying to make a difference in how we purchase things. It was quite the show to watch from my view and I ended the contest feeling enthusiastic about bringing attention to such a cause.

I also ended the contest feeling encouraged to keep doing what I do here. Connecting. Connecting with what I'm learning in this life and sharing it with you. So thank you for your kind words, cheering, and votes! It was a fun (and nervous few days!) way to spend some time on social media and I want to thank you...

So friends and family that voted, shared, liked, and voted some more...

Comment a simple hello or smiley face or "voted" below in my blog comment box!  I am going to draw a winner from you voting, liking, sharing peers and be giving away a FREE Noonday Collection Bracelet. One of my very favorites! I'd give one to all of you if I could, but I can't :) So comment away and come back on Friday to see if you won!

And thank you again... Thank you for supporting Noonday Collection, thank you for supporting the women who represent Noonday, thank you for bringing awareness to Noonday's adoption partnership, and thank you for saying yes to something great. It's the little things that make a big difference! You're a difference maker! Thank you!

Send a Mom to Rwanda?

It's no secret I love Noonday Collection. I've spread their love all across my facebook, instagram, pinterest, and twitter feeds since I first met them. I can't seem to remember exactly how we met, but it came through my son's preschool teacher-turned-friend, whom became an ambassador for the company, Kristen Kimball. The first products I saw, I loved. Then I heard their story, their mission, their vision. A gal named Jessica hosted a trunk show from her home in order to raise funds to bring her son home from Rwanda. The style and purpose drew a huge response and it quickly became more then a fundraiser. To this day, Orphan Care and Prevention remains a core value. The vision took off, a partner was added...and boom: A dream was built...a business that would alleviate poverty through entrepreneurship. Today Noonday is styling us gals and changing the world as they do. It's a beautiful partnership. 

While I fell in love with what Noonday represents and they are some of my favorite accessories these days, I have no desire to become an ambassador. It's not my fit to be in that role. Then I opened an email from Noonday that invited people to come apply to come to Rwanda with them and TELL the stories of the artisans there. I couldn't shake the stirring in my heart. I'm not a sales girl, but I am a share girl. I love to connect people and things and communities and places with each other through...WORDS. It's why I blog, why I write, why I hang out on Social Media in this trenches of motherhood season. For good to be given to people's hearts as they live day to day in this ever changing and fast moving culture. I started to pray about what this journey might look like for me.

The journey to Rwanda might be one I take as virtually as the next person...or it might be one that has me flying to a place I had to look up on the map. Either way, for the next 10 days I am going to share my Noonday trip voting site and a.) bring awareness to their cause b.) support my friend, Kristen, as she establishes Noonday in our community c.) annoy a few people with my daily reminders to go vote d.) learn more about what Noonday means for us gals that like to buy pretty things to wear e.) possibly end up in the middle of Africa missing my kids, second guessing myself, and being rocked to my core as I experience what Rwanda and God have to teach me. 

So... check out Noonday Collection here.

And vote for me to go to Rwanda here. (You can vote everyday until May 28th and share it with your Facebook feed, too!)

Sometimes we can't ignore the nudge to jump. I've already been blessed to go through the application process and learn a few things for my life that I didn't know before. So to me I've won. To actually go to Rwanda would be a new journey with a whole new application process...one that would solely involve my heart. Right down to the core. 

TGIF

 Some weeks go so fast you find yourself in Friday before you even realized where Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday went... Making for a PJ's day at home with these littles of mine just what I needed. 

And thank goodness for naps that fell at the same time today...a little gift from them to me, TGIF!