I love being a stay at home mom. Getting the opportunity to home school our kids is my dream job and I would not be able to do that without the hard work and sacrifice of my husband. He’s a good man, who works hard, and lives his life with integrity. He’s a follow of Christ, my best friend, and an amazing father.

I decided a few weeks ago to surprise him with something spontaneous, so I bought tickets for us to go and see Rhett and Link live in concert. They are his favorite YouTubers and he introduced me (and eventually the kids) to their fun videos years ago.

He was very surprised and excited and the past few weeks we have been looking forward to this evening. I wish I wasn’t so tired, so I could do this evening justice, but we really did have a wonderful time and we are already trying to think up other unusual dates for us to try!

I have been wanting a bike for ages. A few weeks ago I saw one come up on Free cycle and I picked it up. Tim took it to the shop and filled the tires, fixed it up, and brought it home. I was so excited! Unfortunately it was too tall for me. However the seed was definitely planted and the next time I was out, I started looking at bikes.

For an early birthday present, my mom and sister got me one! Tim teases me about the one I picked out, but I really do love it! It’s a cruising bike with pedal brakes and a comfy seat. I won’t be winning any races on this thing, but it’s fun and it’s a great option for riding with the kids.

This evening Big E and I took our first long bike ride together. (It was his first without training wheels.) We live near a school so we followed the path to the parking lot and we rode around it a bunch of times. They have a nice paved walkway around the soccer field, so we did that too.

When we initially left the house, Big E seemed nervous, but by the time we got to the school, that kid was fearless! He learned the joy of riding his bike off the curb, taking turns quickly, and picking up speed going downhill.

By the time we headed back I was exhausted, but when we ran into Tim on the Free cycle bike, Big E couldn’t wait to show his daddy all his new moves, so he led back him to the school.

I sat on the front porch, relaxing and waiting for them to come home. When he got back his face was red and he had crazy helmet hair, and a huge grin on his face!

I’d say Baby E’s visit with Grandma and Grandpa is going very well! I received this picture this evening and it made me smile to see my sweet boy so happy!

He’s been waiting for days for this visit, counting down the sleeps until he would get to see them. I expected some hesitation when it came down to it, but boy was I wrong!

This morning he asked me every five minutes if his grandma was there to pick him up. He kept choosing toys he wanted to take with him to show his her. He didn’t argue when it was time for shoes. He marched out to the van and climbed right in. He was so excited.

We found a playground today when we were out. Public school kids were still in school, so we had it almost to ourselves. There was a consensus that this blue spinning thing was their favorite part, but I thought the bear was pretty awesome too?

If you know me at all, you probably know that I am not a fan of organized sports. I hold no allegiance to any professional, semi-pro, or college teams of any sport. It’s never been my thing. The closest I ever got to participating in sports growing up was middle school gym class, playing tennis in the center of the street outside my house, and a short stint with fencing in my late teens.

When my sister in law asked me about a homeschool soccer group at a local park, my knee jerk reaction was to say no… Because I don’t like sports.

But then I thought, just because I don’t like them, it doesn’t mean my children will feel the same way. And even if they don’t end up loving soccer, I know they’ll be ecstatic about spending more time with their cousins. So I called and signed my kids up for eight weeks of soccer fun that starts this Friday.

Today I went out and picked up what I understand the soccer essentials to be. (I’m seriously out of my element here.) They should be well prepared.

So I’m tipping my hat to all the other reluctant soccer moms out there, in over their heads, clinging to their minivans, wondering what led them down this grass stained road. You’re not alone. 😉

Yesterday my fancy microphone that I ordered showed up and today my vocal booth did. I’ve started taking on some voice over work and needed a way to dampen the echo around my desk.

I brought it out for the kids to see and we had a short science lesson about how sound travels and how some materials can absorb sound, while others bounce it away.

They had plenty of fun trying it out!

When I started to pick up freelance editing work towards the end of January I had no idea it would blossom so quickly. It’s actually the perfect part time job for me to do at home because I can usually focus my attention on it in the evenings after the kids go to bed.

I’ve been working on a variety of projects with multiple clients and I have really enjoyed getting the opportunity to edit. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.

It’s nice to be back.

I have a friend that has been texting me photos all week from when we were teenagers. I’ve looked forward to hearing the chime of my phone and seeing what treasures she has uncovered. I’ve relived birthday parties, vacations, and youth group activities.

But my favorite photos so far are the ones that have me and Tim. (This was long before we dated, but he’d be the first to tell you he was already hooked.) It makes me smile to see us so young and be reminded that the man I travel through life with is the boy that was by my side all those years ago.

We were at a restaurant this evening and Tim taught the kids how to play music with water glasses. Big E was the first to catch on that the tone of note was based on the amount of water in the glass.

There are milestones along this journey that take my breath away. It’s been seven months of ups and downs, a lot of prayer, and a lot of trusting God to pull us through. My sister sent me this picture the other day and my eyes watered with joy. My father loves the shop. He loves to be there. He enjoys the work. And this week he started back up. This right here is a tangible answer to so many prayers!!