Today, September 26, 2015 is a day I started looking forward to back in late January.

It was our baby’s due date.

However, on May 18, 2015 Asa David Blanton’s body entered into this world even though his soul was already long in the arms of Jesus.

Beginning on Monday, I will share Asa’s story over the next several weeks.  God did some mighty things in our hearts and lives through this short yet powerful life.  I believe He wants to do some things in yours, too.

I pray you will be blessed as you read these words.

This week was difficult, but even amidst the hard times, I saw God right there with me encouraging me to keep pressing on…the sun will come out tomorrow!  (We have been listening to A LOT of the Annie Soundtrack lately.  It is SO FUN to clean to!)

Haven had the flu the worst of anyone.  Lasted a good 8 days.  Was SO thankful when it was gone!  She was very very needy, but I was thankful that I was able to care for her.

I had great encouragement along the way. Not the best picture, but one night I went in to tell the boys goodnight, and Crews said, Mama, I want to rub your feet – you’ve been working hard today.  MELT. MY. HEART.  I cried and thanked God for that precious encouragement.

Two sweet friends brought me little pick me ups – that were truly the little boosts I needed… One brought me a Starbucks drink, and another friend brought me chocolate, coffee filters (well, because I had requested those – lol), and a gift card to Sephora.  I was blown away.  This just reminded me how much little gifts truly do boost someone spirits.  Thank you my dear friends, Arley and Christine.  You loved me well.  One night Haven’s fever was so high that she just couldn’t get comfortable, so she asked if we could watch Rio 2 on the couch.  So, we watched a movie at 3 am.  She slept until 10am the next day… I got up at 6.  That coffee arrived that afternoon and it was STRAIGHT from the hand of God!!!

Little moments capturing my oldest studying tulips.

The boys playing a game in the  kitchen with a balloon.  The sound of their laughter is a gift and so contagious!

A little self care – haha! Put coconut oil directly onto your hair, comb through out, and let it sit all day.  You will be a grease ball, but by your next shower (mine was the next morning), your hair will be SO SOFT!!!)

By Friday, everyone was all better!!!  It was also the boys’ half birthday!  Paddington came out that day, so we went to the movies!  It was so much fun to have the theater pretty much to ourselves at 10:30am! The game room was fun, too.  One car game was broken, so we got to play for free!

Saturday was beautiful!!! The sun was out!!!! We went to the park, and had such a great time.  Spring is coming!!

After rest time on Saturday, we played outside more!  I know there may still be several weeks of winter left (9 to be exact – oy!), but this little break in the cold gave me the boost I needed to keep going!

I would say this week consisted of transformations. I began this week with long, brown hair and ended it with short(er) blonde hair.  I love the cut – it is way easier, and my ends were scraggly.  I had gotten to the point of always wearing it in a pony tail anyway. 

After Wendy, my hair girl, whipped me around to see myself in the mirror – I died laughing!  I had to take a selfie!  And, I love that sign behind me!  Oh how I want to be my own kind of beautiful! I’m learning to do it without looking to see other people’s beautiful first.

The new look! The next morning, I was kind of in shock from all the blonde.  I am actually going back in tomorrow to get a little more brown added in- I feel washed out – maybe I will add it back in come summer.

We began school this week.  I was just having a tough time getting my engine going.  I think next year I just need to plan the month of January for field trips and a lot of reading because I just don’t have it in me to keep all structured and focused.  But, I did muster up a fun idea for hot spiced tea and favorite books.  We added some scripture memory at lunch.  I had planned on getting handwriting and math in, but we just made it with hand writing.  The beauty of home school is grace.  We don’t have to stop school come summer, so I’m not on a deadline. I am certain I will be much more focused come the spring and summer!

Harper and I did actually do a little more focused school work. I am always so amazed at how much it endears her heart to me.  Mom, can I snuggle you after I finish my school work?!  Oh, I treasure this time!!!!

So, in my last post, Chris and Warner had the flu.  This week it was Maverick and Crews’ turn.  Followed by Haven.  She is still sick as we speak and is just pitiful!!  The boys took a 3 1/2 hour nap one day… all at the same time.  The house was sooo quiet!! haha!

This pretty much sums up our week… jammies, lounging around on beds, couches, floors, and laundry- oh and tv.  Can we please turn that off for like a month?!

Sweet baby girl had to sleep on me one night for a while because she was so congested.  I’m so thankful for essential oils!  Since she can’t have cough medicine yet, Breathe from DoTerra has been a life saver!

One night, I got to sit in on a live recording of Sally Clarkson promoting her new book, Own Your Life.  I am SO excited about this book, and just got it in the mail!  I’ve already read 2 chapters – oh what wisdom she has!  I am going to her Mom Heart Conference in about 2 weeks!  If you don’t know who she is, please look up her blog sallyclarkson.com  You will be SO blessed!!!

I just need to add this picture in because it is so precious to me!  These two just snuggled in bed Saturday morning for the longest time because little punkin had a high fever.

So, I transformed my hair, and the flu transformed us in all sorts of manners… we also transformed/ cleaned out the refrigerator – there was a smell.  I think it is so funny and sweet how kids just want to be with their mama!  I was happily working alone while they were watching a movie.  And before I knew it – movie abandoned and I had 4 helpers!  ha!  Apparently, Maverick wasn’t feeling it.

The highlight of my week was going to counseling.  I was a little apprehensive walking into this first ‘real’ session.  My very first session was a lot of history intake, and that was absolutely exhausting – I came home and napped after it!  This one was so hard – a lot of tears – but very healing wrapped with so much hope in upcoming future sessions.  Each session is closed with a guided prayer time.  It is so beautiful and restoring.  I went to Whole Foods on a ‘date with Jesus’ directly after my session – I journaled my gratitude to Him and felt such peace and healing and freedom- somethings I didn’t even realize I had been missing.  If you are considering counseling, but are afraid – let me tell you – please don’t be!  My advice would be to seek out Biblical counseling (which is even a little different than Christian counseling.)  I know there are many differing opinions on counseling, but I love this Biblical counseling because it truly gets to the root and offers a permanent solution based on the Word of God.

Being honest and open with Chris through this process – and not thinking I just need to heal on my own – has brought a new level of depth to our relationship.  I am so thankful to be going through this process.  I am falling in love with him even more as I unveil more of my broken & healing self to him.  Jesus is so faithful and God’s word amazes me by His good and perfect plan even more.

I love you!

I cannot even tell you how much New Year’s Day Freaks Me Out.  It does.  Every year.  I think I’m going to be prepared for it, but every year it comes around and I have a mini- break down.  I’m not really sure the ‘why’ behind it, but I kind of just have to roll with the punches.  Any other time of the year I am fine making goals.  Mid February – BRING. IT.  September – my favorite goal making month.  January…OH MY WORD.  What?!  A Goal?  Can.not.do.it.

I think it may be the perfectionist that is in me – what if I don’t accomplish them?  I think it could be that everyone is asking what my goals are, too.  Any other time of year nobody asks me- so I’m not really held accountable.  But, for whatever reason, I’m going to try to brave this and put my goals on my blog.

My words for the year: Love Me.  Sounds kind of selfish, but really it’s not.  If I am to love my neighbor like I love myself…I need to actually love myself – to respect myself & to see myself the way God made me.  So, I keep those words in mind as I write these goals.

Spiritual:

To begin and continue with counseling.  December was a hard month for me.  A lot of processing, a lot of tears.  Not sure if it was from all the cloudy days or the past 10 years just catching up to me (life has been in constant & crazy change for us the past 10 years- married, parent’s divorced, Dad remarried, moved to Atlanta, struggled with infertility, got pregnant, moved to Nashville, had a baby, got pregnant – had triplets!, got pregnant – miscarried, got pregnant – had Haven, survived my first year with 5 tiny children, depression, homeschool, now).  God has been faithful through it all and has sustained me amazingly.  I would be fine even if I didn’t go back and deal with some of these things that have just piled up and not really been processed, but I would still kind of limp along in the long run.  I’m ready to dig in with some Biblical based counseling and heal up some heart wounds.  Also want to memorize this scripture for January: Psalm 139:23-24 and Colossians 1:8.

Mental:

Read Little Women.  I have the CUTEST book of Little Women that I got from Anthropologie!  And, I’m already several chapters in and am LOVING it!

Via

Emotional:

Counseling (see Spiritual goal).  And, date nights with Chris- would love 4 a month, but I think 2 would be more realistic!  Maybe 2 out of the house, and 2 date nights at home after kids are in bed.  It is really important to communicate with him through this time.  I want to draw closer to God and to him as I dig up some old stuff and get healthy thoughts back in my life.

photo by Nancy Ray  I love this guy so much!!

Physical:

Walk and/or run 3 times a week.  Lift weights 2 times a week.  This isn’t so much about my physique any more as it is about my attitude.  I read in Runner’s World this quote: ‘A life without running is a life without a relief valve.’ -The Newbie Chronicles  And I cannot agree with it more!  I am a calmer and more focused mama when I get to sweat!  But, yall…it is SO COLD- 5 degrees right now.  I am going to pull out T25 again!

Family:

Spend one on one time with each kid every day – be it 5 minutes or one hour.  We are all together so much, I really want to connect with their hearts on a daily basis.  And, I want to figure out how we can take the kids on one-on-one dates with each of us.  It needs to be something we can keep up with, stay consistent with, and not break the bank!

photo by Nancy Ray

photo by Nancy Ray -from left to right:: Crews, Maverick, and Warner

Friends:

Meet with and encourage 2 girls that I began mentoring last month.  Have coffee/ play date/ mommy therapy with my people, the Blue Stocking Ladies.

Home:

Get back into the groove of home school.  Consistent daily schedules.  Start teaching the boys to write- wouldn’t mind your prayers on this.  Our first go round of trying to teach this was a big ol’ flop.  They weren’t ready.  I’m a little nervous.

I think I almost have our meal plan tweaked to work.  But, I need to spend a good two hours just focused on that.  I will share it once it’s done.

Work:

This is crazy to be writing this, but I am actually taking this blog seriously. It is going to be my ‘work.’ God has been stirring my heart on it since last year.  It just needed a bit more clarity, confidence, and direction. He has also given me some ideas to work on that I am really excited to share with y’all!  Would love your prayers here, too, because I think these are going to be such helpers!

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I met with Whitney English at the Influence Conference – she asked me what were my BIG dreams?  The ones that scared me?  I had none.  I didn’t think I was capable of dreaming like that – or maybe even scarier was I knew I could dream like that, but would they ever be fulfilled?  Better keeps those dreams quiet.  No!!! She encouraged me to dream Big! Huge! Dreams!  Because those are dreams that only God can fulfill!  Have you written out your dreams?  My big dreams are kept in my journal and in my heart.  I’m learning to open up and begin to take those steps to trust God to do the BIG!  Here’s to 2015!! Sharing those wasn’t soo scary!  What are your dreams/ goals this year?

Hey there sweet blog.  Mama is back.  And it’s time for you to get some weekly attention.  I had this idea a few weeks ago to capture family moments and post them to the blog each week.  Not terribly different than Instagram, but it will give me a beautiful display at the end of the year of our sweet family who is growing up big, Big, BIG with every blink of my eyes.

So, here is our week 1.

Cannot remember the last time this happened, and not sure it will ever happen again. (waaaahhh!!!!) She woke up from her nap on New Year’s Day and was mad as a hornet. Mom and I were watching Fault In Our Stars, so I just patted her back and gently shushed her back to sleep. She stayed there for another hour while we finished the movie! (All of our kids are color coded – have been since the boys were born… so, here is Haven’s color, purple)

A lot of snuggles from Haven this week!  Here she is after not being able to snuggle with Daddy for a good 5 days.  He came down with the flu, and was quarantined to our room.  We all missed him a lot!!

I work for a very benevolent farmer during the summer.  He called us on the 30th to tell us he had a Christmas present for us.  It was a 33lb turkey!!  (I need the googley eyed emoji right here!)  Farmer James told us to spatchcock it before roasting it.  Spatchcocking is cutting out the spine, turning the bird over and then basically flatting it out by breaking the breast bone. This is NOT for the squeemish!  Bless Chris’ heart.  While recovering from the flu, I had him leave quarentining to come help me with this bird.  Even after getting the spine out – gag! We had to hack it all up because I didn’t have a pan to hold a turkey that big!  I roasted a lot and froze even more.  I had SO much meat after we were done, that I shredded all of it in the food processor, and we have been eating turkey EVERYTHING –  turkey and cheese quesadillas, turkey salad (think chicken salad – made with Veganaise – healthy mayo- and dried cranberries),  turkey sandwiches, turkey on top of sweet potatoes.  But, it is SO yummy!  Oh and made some broth, too!

L

My Mom gave the kids Innotab Max for Christmas.  They are in LOVE and would play them every waking minute if possible.  There are some cool games on there! In this pic, Warner had just started running a fever.  Otherwise, he would have been over there head snuggling with the other two.  Also, I don’t dress the boys alike – they dress themselves alike!   W’s got on his pj’s, though.

I’ve been fighting some seasonal depression.  I’m trying to fight it with exercise, vitamin d, and good eating.  Harper wanted to run with me the other day.  I was a bit opposed at first because that is my alone time.  But I am so happy I did!  1.  She is FAST!  I called her my personal trainer!  2. The happiness and care free spirit of child is so refreshing, but I have to pay attention to it.  3.  We most certainly danced to Shake It Off half way through our run.  4.  One on one time is a rare commodity that is going to be prioritized for our family in 2015! This WILL happen more often!

I wanted to take a selfie to capture our time together, and then she did this unprompted.  Soooo many things I love about this picture.  So many.  Heart explosions!

A LOT of laundry accumulated of the flu week.  So, we had a laundry folding party.  Oh wait…this really isn’t super different than ANY OTHER WEEK.  Putting a load of laundry in the wash gets me motivated to clean…but then, I have to fold it and put it away.  Motivation over.  Seriously, Chris… you are the biggest servant.  Thank you, my LOVE!

An impromptu reading session.  How I love that Harper has learned to read! Also…we need a new couch.  But, that won’t be happening for a looooonnnnggg time.  (#BoyMomProbs)

Welp, there’s our first week in review.  A little sickness, a little crazy, a little refreshment.  Yay for 2015!