A Surprise Party for the Books

When it comes to blogging, my motto is, better late than never. I turned 30 the day of my husband's surgery, May 19th. He was feeling pretty bad about this ahead of time, so he planned me the best surprise party evah!!

It was the most swoon-worthy and beautiful party! The setting was at my lovely friend, Ann's, beautiful front yard out in the country. China and gold plated silverware. Perfect weather. The tastiest of food. And most importantly, my most dear friends.

I really had no clue! Marty totally pulled this one off! And, yes, surprise parties are slightly awkward, because I think everyone stared at me for 10 minutes.

I couldn't stop smiling!

There was even the most adorable kid's table with mac n' cheese for the picky eaters. Ehem...my children.

And there's the man who pulled this whole thing off! A night I will surely never forget.

Love all these fab people who made my night so very special! This was such a group effort, and I loved hearing who made/brought what.

I look at these ladies and realize how very blessed I am! They are all so unique and special to me. And to top it off, crazy creative to boot. Ann is my partner in crime for the Madison Road Market. Lindsay makes beautiful hand stamped jewelry and cuffs. Shalmai is a painter and photographer. And my dear sister in law, Annie, is the owner of Furore Photography and superb at making me beautiful nieces!

This made 30 not seem so bad! If 30 involves being surrounded by amazing friends and family, then I'm all in!

Like I said, I couldn't stop smiling! And, yes, I ate every dessert that was offered!

Straining with Eyes Wide Open

We've made it home, and apparently I'm capable of driving on large highways for multiple hours. I feel like that's going to bite me in the bum when we head to Florida in a few weeks. We came home and realized we were more exhausted than we thought. We've been laying around, folding laundry, unpacking bags here and there, and laying around some more.

Yesterday, I felt a blessing pour over me that God had preserved my emotions and strength while we were gone. Don't get me wrong, I was tired, but not the kind of tired I felt when we got home a couple days ago. The boys were good while we were gone, and yesterday, all kinds of crazy broke loose. I felt humbled by the fact that God knew exactly what I could handle while we were gone.

It's only been a couple days, and I'm trying to take in all that just took place. What a whirlwind!

I'm digging deep and searching my heart to find out what I can take away from this week. I want to learn from my life and the situations that God has placed me in. It's much easier to move on and not look back, but I'm straining to find the lesson in it all. Straining with eyes wide open.

While the week was primarily about the guys, it was about me too. And not only me, but my boy's lives, and the nurses that we came in contact with, and even working in the lives of those who read our story on FB.  God's waiting to teach us and mold us, we just have to be willing to stop and listen.

As I think back, two words come to my mind.

PEACE

BLESSED

PEACE: As I think back to the morning of surgery, I felt so calm. Almost oddly calm. I don't think the slightest bit of me was worried. I felt that I may have looked slightly insensitive, while others were crying. And trust me, I am a crier. This is where I stood in my mind and heart: 

 This situation is of God, and whatever happens is of God, I will not be shaken. I had come to terms with the fact that if something went wrong, it was God's hand that allowed it, and it would be part of our story.

Blessed: Many times we think of blessings as material possessions, tangible goods, or people in our lives. But this weekend, I just felt blessed. In a way I maybe have never felt it before. People have commented that they pray that we will be blessed by this selfless act of love. And, I felt it. The whole week, I felt so in position with the will of God, that the blessings seemed to just pour over me. I can't even type this without tearing up, because it was so real, and I honestly can't exactly explain it. 

So where does this leave me? Honestly, still tired, but my cup is overflowing, right alongside my laundry basket. I feel challenged to live with eyes wide open in the big and in the mundane of life. There's a lesson to be learned at Mayo Clinic and at the grocery store. There are people that need to be touched in a hospital waiting room and at the park. I am praying for opportunity! I am inspired by my husband, and I long to be used in a way beyond my comfort zone. It's a scary prayer to pray, but I am confident that peace and blessings are right within my reach, as long as I am smack dab in the middle of His will, as scary as it may be.

A Day Well Spent - Ikea Style

This weekend was full of sunshine, 70 degree weather, and a trip to Ikea with our best friends. You really can't get much better than that. Oh wait, we also ran into Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and H&M. So, I guess it can get better. My husband would gladly add eating at Bass Pro Shop as his highlight, I am sure of it.

I am thankful for my love of vintage now, because I know that it saves me gobs of money when I walk into Ikea. It's really just a bit too modern for me, although I can totally appreciate it. We only spent $50, which has to be a record for us. Here's what I got.

These huge baskets were only $10 and perfect for corralling all the junk under the boy's beds. The new rule will be, what fits in the basket, can be under the bed. And then every so often, we'll have to go through the basket. Love my hoarder children!

No children were hurt or injured in the making of this photo.

Perfect size for capturing small children or even an 8 year old who is on the tall side!

I was in need of a little more green in my home, and at only $2.99, I couldn't resist.

Loved these turquoise towels, perfect pop of color in my kitchen. Loved this tray as well.

I think straws just make a mom more fun. So, I bought us a pack of colorful straws. Suddenly I'm super mom for $1.99.

I also snatched up one of these systems for a future project. 

The ride home involved laughing till you cried, hooting and hollering, jelly bean eating, and obnoxiously loud singing. That's my kind of day!

Peace

I hadn't really given much thought about New Year's resolutions, other than the obvious one to lose weight. But, the day after Christmas was just beautiful out, and as I walked our little dog around the pond, I realized something, I need less noise in my life! 

It was just Darla and I, and the occasional goose overhead. I felt peace inside. 

No TV blaring or cell phone in my hand. I had no idea how badly I needed that. Even music can be a little overbearing at times.

So, I've been thinking about what is causing all this noise in my head, and it does boil down to electronics and social media.

And when did it get to the point of being an idol of my heart, instead of God seated on the throne? That is truly the problem. 

Why am I checking my phone in the morning instead of pulling my Bible out?

I have some different ideas and steps in mind in order to combat this problem. I'll unpack those another time after I give them a little more thought.

Everybody's picking a word for the year. I think I'll go with peace.

As a Christian, it's so freeing to know that I can have peace amidst the chaos. Some chaos is not our plans, but His. Other chaos is just because of pure laziness. When my kids are fighting, and I'm too busy on Instagram to deal with it the proper way, I'm only adding to the chaos.

 I want intentional chaos. Chaos because we're busy in the church or because we're busy having families over for dinner. I want chaos that makes the Father smile, because we're busy building His Kingdom. 

I have other things that I want to work on this year and be better at. But, I truly felt God speak to me when I was out walking the dog that day. In some ways, it's a domino affect. This one area can transform my life in many other ways.

So, what's your word for 2014? Do tell!