Things I love.

I'm currently snuggled on the couch as the light fades away into night, perusing Amazon and Overstock.com for last-minute gifts that promise free shipping in time for Christmas morning. Diego is dutifully keeping my feet warm and the house is silent albeit the sound of my fingers tapping the keyboard.

I am content.

It surely helps to know I do not have to wake up at the crack of dawn to bravely tackle the youth of America. Tomorrow I will greet the day with the dentist and then press on towards finalizing Christmas gifts. I might attempt to be crafty and sew more gift bags like I did last year.

Anyways, the title of this post is "Things I love," so let's get to it.

I love spending time with my friends outside of school. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm so blessed to have the greatest friends and am lucky they also happen to be my coworkers (Kristin, you are still a coworker because we chat while we are working. the end.) Last night we celebrated our dear friend Ashley's day of birth around a fire downtown. We relaxed, we laughed our guts out. It was much needed!

I'm in love with this girl:

I swear my uterus ached when I drove away from the hospital after holding this precious baby. Danielle and Carl will be such wonderful parents; my heart goes out to them this week as they bring Harper home! All I can say is, "I swear, it's normal!" lol, sorry Danielle.

And finally, I heart the time before Christmas, when everyone is focused on giving and finding that perfect present to bring joy to someone she loves, when children anticipate the night of Santa's appearance, when our houses are full of lights and joy and tons of sweets.

Not to sound cliche, but it is easy to become wrapped up in Christmas as we search for that perfect .gift.christmaslights.hotchocolate.concerts.parties.music.movies to give us the warm-fuzzies. I'm all for seeking out any activity that involves "getting in the Christmas spirit," usually involving Santa and jingle bells.

But tomorrow, before I head out on my quest to finish the to-do list, I'm going to sit down with the Lord and my Bible, and spend some with Him remembering WHY we celebrate Christmas. Those events, the ice skating and white elephant gift exchanges, they provide joy for the moment, but truly we celebrate because our Earth was granted a sweet baby boy to be "God-with-us," to work alongside us and to teach us the 'unforced rhythms of grace.'

sigh. the hubs is home, the silence is gone.

I love this life.

a week in the life...

last week summed up in pictures:

the end. Now on to the good stuff. 

My heart is heavy this morning. It seems like everyone around me... students, teachers, friends.... are all dealing with family crisis (I can't figure out how to pluralize that, lol) that are beyond anything I could ever imagine. I mean, really crazy, awful stuff. And I feel so burdened with their situations that all I can do is pray to be used somehow beyond the obligatory, somewhat superficial response of, "Oh yeah, I'll pray for you." It's challenging to put on that game-face and be full of joy for the kiddos. But they're the ones that need it, cause they're some of the ones going through all this garbage.

BUT... good things that make my heart happy?

There are fifty 8th graders in the room next to me belting out "Go Tell it on a Mountain" at our school's new FCA club.

The kiddos are lined up for homeroom with their noses pressed against the windows, mouthing, "Can we come in?!" May I be filled with strength and compassion that prompts me to love with every fiber of my being today, because I certainly can't do this on my own.

There was something about yesterday that warmed my heart:

Maybe it was the crisp air that chilled my cheeks to a rosy pink

or the bonfire smell drifting from the yard of 

the guy that sells firewood down the road.

It could have been the soft colors of the weeds that tricked my mind into believing

they were golden fields of wheat 

and Diego and I were on some great American adventure 

with the waning sunlight and epic orchestra music in the background. 

All throughout the neighborhood

the sounds of children squealing could be heard

as they squeezed the life out of 

precious after-school winter sunlight.

We were ready to ride off into the sunset...

Oh, Thanksgiving! 

Don't those kind of look like screaming turkey faces?

I was SO stinkin' proud of this. So proud that I couldn't eat it...

mmmmm season that turkey!

Note Bryan's resistance to prayer hand-holding...

So lovely!

We're so blessed to have amazing parents who love and support us through life.

We're blessed to have the most amazing friends.

aaaaaaaaaand i love these guys too

Last game, sad day.

Football season comes and goes so quickly. My tummy and rear end will be thankful that there won't be any more tailgating for months to come, although now we have to get through the binge-eating that accompanies the holidays...

Gators, I have to admit you were a bit of a downer this season. We supported you and went to your games, but you lost. A lot. Which is okay, but you lost without any style. In fact, last night's game against FSU was so uneventful that I found myself humming along to opposing team's war chant just to have something to do. Thank you, though, for providing beautiful weather and grass space for ample tailgating. That, at least, made the season worth it.

I want. 

*sigh*

I'll keep prayin'.

Love this guy:

someone has a birthday!

Dear Michael,

How do I put into words what the anniversary of your birth means to me? Your birthday represents the life you've been given and the fact that I get to celebrate every year with you from here on out. You've been my best friend since senior year of high school, when life was fresh and new and we thought we'd never grow up...We'd sing, "We're gonna stay 18 forever, so we can live like this forever..." and hold hands exploring the empty streets of campus on warm summer nights. We snuck onto the football field for fondue and made frequent trips to the prairie for star-gazing, attempted skiing trips and first backpacking excursions.

You're always up for an adventure, and you don't mind that I'm always planning our next trip. I've loved being alongside you as you've taken on the role of an incredible husband who lives his life working diligently, gaining the respect of everyone around you but taking the time to enjoy living. It makes my heart happy to watch you love on Diego, because I catch mere glimpses of the amazing, devoted father you will be one day. Thank you for your love, grace, and the absolute joy you bring to my life.

I love you with my entire being, to the moon and back.

Love,
Rachel

Oh, and enjoy the 'Royal Package' at the Art of Shaving and get rid of the 'stache already. 

my heart

God's been working on my heart.

Out of nowhere I found myself in a dark place last week. In the grand scheme of life, I'm absolutely certain that I will look back on this point of time and realize I had it made compared to the future challenges that will arise, but whew... it got to a point where I. was. miserable.

The thing was, I really couldn't pinpoint why I felt the way I did. I allowed a black pit of hopelessness consume me for a brief moment, catching a mere glimpse of what it's like to feel utterly and completely helpless. It was awful.

But it's a good thing I'm able to bounce back pretty quickly; I'm beyond blessed to have friends full of love, grace, and wisdom to pull me out of slumps. This year has provided quite the challenge with my faith... rather than sprinting after the Lord at neck-breaking speed when I need him the most, I'm more like a turtle attempting to cross I-95, believing I've reached the other side when it's only the median. And there's a barrier wall.

Anyways, the point of this post was to say that God is working on my heart, softening it just a bit, teaching me what it means to pray for a heart that is humble, transparent, and genuine. To fully understand to move along with the 'unforced rhythms of grace,' to 'recover my life' and to 'live freely and lightly.'

I honestly don't know how I could do this life without the hope of Christ.

Part of last week's desperate need for love + rest resulted in an impromptu park trip on a school night.

Diego was happy. 

Orlando Calling

Awesome weekend. I haven't been to a music festival in a loooong time, the last being "Rock the Universe"with Christian bands at Universal circa 2003. So when Alex asked months ago if we were interested in checking out "Orlando Calling," we were game. 

It was a gorgeous day (& the company was even better!) 

The people-watching was epic. 

But not as epic as the special effects put on by the Killers:

Confetti!! Made my heart so happy to look up to a sea of fake snow..

Fancy lights and a giant screen to visually accompany the songs..

Ending it with an "Our-Feet-Are-Tired" bike ride was priceless. 

Today we stumbled upon the downtown Orlando farmer's market and a gay-pride parade. 

Made for some EXCELLENT people watching. 

Too bad my phone was dead....

I love that Jesus speaks so sweetly in my dark oh-lord-i-can't-do-this-anymore times. 

First, through a stolen chocolate moment and an encouraging word.

Tonight, by watching our lovely littles sing their hearts out on stage

and then opera songs in the car he knew would fill the empty holes in my heart, 

the holes that have been void of music for a while. 

I can't wait for the weekend. I need to recharge already!!

to a new *CLEAN* me

A new month always presents new challenges and the chance to start over. Lately I've been struggling with my inability to keep a clean house... I know in the grand scheme of life that sounds so trivial but I find that life's just a *teensy* bit less stressful if I come home to a relatively clutter-free home. My current cleaning style is waiting until I can't see the counters anymore beneath the junk, or I can't fit anymore dishes into both sinks, or there's mildew creeping up the sides of the shower wall and toilet paper rolls spilling like a waterfall over the side of the bathroom trashcan. So, although it's not spring or new years, I'm officially dubbing this November as a month devoted to starting fresh and forming effective cleaning habits.

First and foremost, I vow to put everything back in its place immediately. I will not leave the banana peel and lathered peanutbutter knife on the counter; I will toss the peel and lay the knife in its final resting place. My dirty clothes will make it all the way into the hamper instead of on my dresser counter. I'll make sure the sink is empty and clean each night.

And (drumroll, please) I'll attempt to clean 15 minutes a day during the week so I no longer have to give up one of my precious weekend days. We'll see how it goes.

Monday- Floors
Tuesday- Dust & vacuum bedroom
Wednesday- Laundry day
Thursday- Clean master bathroom
Friday- kitchen-- clean counters, mop, wipe fingerprints

What do you love right now?

There's a blog that I read that warms my heart. The writer has such a profound way of expressing herself that I leave loving life just a little bit more. In her recent post she talked about how she challenges her littles to answer the question, "What do you love right now?" I feel like I've been rushing through living, ready for the next adventure, always looking forward to something else... but I truly need to be reminded to slow down and savor each unique day on its own. I heard the country song "You're Gonna Miss This" the other day, and I found myself tearing up because nestled within the stress of life, I'm so stinkin' blessed to be right here in this present moment of life.


The writer of my favorite blog wrote on being thankful:
"And I think that's what gratitude really is--recognizing every bit of wonder in our surroundings, from the seagulls that swoop in the background at the beach to the extra sprinkles that are generously spooned on scoops of vanilla when we venture out for ice cream."


So simple, and so me. I find myself most grateful for this life when I slow down and notice the little things... like how the two oak trees on my drive home form a heart with their branches... the baby cows that are loping across the field... enjoying a drink on the porch while Mike mows the lawn... little kids' faces lighting up when they receive their sugar cookies at Publix. I always thought myself to be a little corny for being so joy-filled over little things. But it's okay. It's who we were created to be. 


So what do I love right now, in this very moment?


I love...
    ...snuggling with Mike and Diego on the couch, watching Man vs. Food.
    ...that I can't go to school for the next two days, even if it means I'm sick. 
    ... the change of weather, the smells of fall, and chili for dinner. 


What do you love right now?

3 weekends in a row?!

I don't know how it happened, but the fates aligned this month and I was able to spend time with Amy 3 weekends in a row! Because she lives in ATL, we usually go months before seeing each other's faces... we've been lucky. Last weekend we celebrated her brother's marriage to his beautiful new bride. That boy is a brother to me, and as the wedding ensued I couldn't help but remember him and his groomsmen catching animals in the backyard and wanting nothing to do with girls. Now one has twin boys and Brian's married and they're all growed up. I'm pretty much an honorary member of Amy's family (yeah, I was the one who got to sit next to the groom's parents) and was happy to be a part of the celebration.

This weekend I was blessed to bring the littles to Wyldlife camp in Ocala (more on that later when the pictures are loaded...) I left early this morning to come home because Ames and Paul got FL/GA tickets last-minute and were staying over for the weekend. I heart seeing my BFF- and getting to see her the whole month of October makes it seem like we live only a few hours apart instead of six. 

Now I have the whole day to spend with Mike... we have plans to be proactive on decorating the house with Thanksgiving as our deadline.... but he's still recovering from the shenanigans of yesterday's game so it might be up to me to get stuff done.

bahhahaha

Every time I look at this picture I burst out laughing. 

More on the wedding later :)

Picture dump day #2

The cabin was amazing. Set back in the woods, right on a beautiful river, just absolutely perfect. Diego had the time of his life exploring and bringing us every stick he found, which in the woods, is a lot of sticks. 

Mmmmm. Have I ever mentioned that I feel most at home in the woods?

Especially the woods in the 'south.' I'm pretty dead set on raising my children within the vicinity of the Blue Ridge/Smoky Mountains... I guess I'd feel different if I were raised going somewhere else like the Rockies or Cascades, but I feel so at home here. I think it will always be like that for me... 

In my heart I'll always hold memories of family getaways and summer youth camp in North Carolina, of camp in Tennessee and rafting down the Ocoee. 

I'm meant to be here, or at least closer than a 9 hour drive. 

Oh, just having breakfast on this rock jutting out into the river. No big deal. 

Okay, let me explain these next set of pictures. I set the timer but didn't realize it was going to take five quick succession pictures. I cracked up today at our ridiculous faces... 

#1-- We were ready.

#2-- Thought the picture was over. How it managed to get ALL of us with our eyes closed, not sure. But it's awesome. Except Diego, who was like, "What was that sound?!"

#3-- please focus on Michael's face. It's like he sees a leprechaun behind the camera... he can't believe that it took another picture!!

#4 And then we all catch on, except for Paul, who's like, "Taking pictures suck. I just want to eat." and Amy, who's like, "Maybe they won't notice if I fart right now..."

#5 Did Paul and Kelly mean to make the same face?

Oh leaves, this is why we drove so far. 

Look at us trying to be stern parents while our unruly child causes a scene in front of everyone...

<3

Yeah, he fell in. It was cold. His butt was soaked.

We came across this lame stream after driving for a super long time looking for an apparently non-existent waterfall that no one could tell us how to get to. In an act of desperation and need to get out of the dang car, we spotted a crick, pulled over, and ran into it. 

.... what are Paul and Amy looking at?....

And then we found the stupid thing! Hooray. The day was saved and we were able to get a little bit of hiking in. 

This was one tuckered out pup. 

bahhahaha