Birthday Fun and a 30 by 30 bucket list

My 29th birthday was this past Sunday and I had a wonderful day! Actually, I was celebrating the next day, too! Thank you for all the birthday love y'all sent my way!! The emails, tweets, texts, IG comments were so appreciated!!

Sunday morning brought a fun trip to a local bakery, Queenies, with my sweet little family of 4. We enjoyed walking around Utica Square, followed by a delicious breakfast. After breakfast, we made our way to Woodward Park to take in the beautiful colors of Spring.

Later that evening, we celebrated with some of our best friends, Mia and Dustin. {Missed you Ang and Andrew!} I was so excited to go to Cheddars and enjoy a Cookie Monster! Have y'all had one before? You need to, they're amazing! I wasn't able to get a picture because the kids and I {though mostly the kids} inhaled it! Mmm, so good!

The next day, my mom made a delicious Cinco de Mayo dinner and we celebrated with my family. {Thanks, Mom!} I don't know what I was thinking because I completely forgot to take pictures. {I guess I was subconsciously going Hands Free :)}.

I was completely spoiled and received nearly everything on my wishlist and then some! These babies are mine and I am so grateful! I'm excited to put my Mamarazzi skills to use with my new lens! :)

So, the idea of turning 30 hasn't bothered me too much and I haven't really given a '30 by 30 bucket list' any thought. Until now... I think it might be fun to put together a list of big and little things I'd like to accomplish before I turn 30. However, I'm hoping y'all might have some fun suggestions. 30 things is a lot!

I've come up with a few ideas, but I'm wondering, what do you think I should add to my 30 by 30 list?!

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On Motherhood

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I adore being a Mom. Being Collin and Emma's Mommy. It's truly the best! I was talking with Robert the other day about how much I enjoy being a Mom. Sure, I reach my limit some days and have to put myself in time out. Or, I reach my limit and need a break, outside of the house, to refuel. But, even on those days, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a Mom, their Mom.

I have never done anything that has required absolutely everything in me...and then more, all the time. Some days can be tough, really tough. But at the end of the day, no matter how trying and tiring it was, my heart is overflowing as I look in on them sleeping peacefully. 

I have never known such deep, unending love until I became a Mom. This love that I get to experience as a Mom reminds me of how much the Lord loves me...and then more! Sometimes it leaves me speechless and in tears...at my love for my kids and the realization of His love for me.

I have never felt so inadequate or ill-equipped until I became a Mom. I'm learning right alongside my children. But He is so gracious and has surrounded me with incredible examples and encouragement as I walk this journey through motherhood.

I feel so honored to have the opportunity to stay home with our kiddos every day. Sure, there are sacrifices that have to made for that to happen. And there are days that can feel lonely and isolating. But those days are not the norm and the sacrifices are hardly noticed. I am so grateful to stay home with them.

I love being a Mom. I love being Collin and Emma's Mommy. May I never take my days with them for granted.

Our lives to share

Sometimes I forget that what I go through and experience in my life, both good and bad, is meant to be shared with others. I can find myself in the mindset that what I experience is mine only, meant to be kept private. And sure, there are things that I do believe are meant to only be shared with you, God and specific people involved in that experience. But on a broader scale, I think we forget that what we're going through, or may go through in the future, somebody else has either gone through it or will go through it. We're not alone.

This past week, I've found myself studying Abraham and this truth has been pushed deeper and deeper. Genesis 12:2-3 says "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." What we experience in our life is meant to be used as a blessing for those around us, near and far. That means, I'm meant to share those experiences. They are not just my own.

It can be a lot easier to share the good that happens in my life and much harder to share the bad, too. But there is value in both!! As I've watched the horrific situation with Mia's brother, Christian, continue to unfold, it has been such a blessing to watch as people have stepped up, near and far, whether they personally know the Mayberry family or not. And to watch God's hand at work has been amazing!! There have been things, situations, experiences that have happened years prior in other's lives that are being used in tremendous ways to bless the Mayberry family today. Only God could do that!

So, as I go through this day, I'm trying to remember that what I experience and go through can, and is meant to, bless others in ways I don't even know...even if it's simply to let somebody else know they are not alone!

In a rut? Be thankful!

Sometimes I can find myself in a rut, for no particular reason. I become complacent to all the blessings and good God has placed in my life. Thankfully, when I find myself in that place, God almost always has a way of waking me up to the beauty that He has surrounded me with on a daily basis.

I didn't realize I was in this rut until I recently became very aware of those blessings. Sure, life has it's ups and downs and things do not go always go perfectly...ok, they rarely go perfectly. But, I do try to maintain a positive attitude and reflect on the good. Because really, even on my worst days, I'm so very blessed!!

I am so grateful for the wonderful people God has placed in my life. There was a time, in the fairly recent past if I'm being honest, that I struggled with loneliness. I had people in my life who were "friends", but only if it was convenient or beneficial to them. Thankfully, this brought me to my knees in prayer and I realized pretty quickly that in order to have friends, the kind I was longing for, I needed to be that friend to others. That has been my goal ever since, to love like He loves, in my friendships. I am by no means the perfect friend, but God has blessed me with precious, precious relationships that I cherish.

I am so grateful for my family. And that I'm able to live close to my parents and grandparents and watch my kids grow a beautiful relationship with all of them. There were times during my high school years that my mom and I did not see eye to eye on things. And honestly, we both wondered if our relationship would ever be repaired enough to call each other friend?! But God is so faithful and He restored our relationship ten fold and now I can proudly call my mom one of my best friends!

I am so grateful for my husband. Sure, we have our ups and downs, like any married couple does, but there is no one better suited for me than him. God so knew what He was doing when He put the two of us together!! And I couldn't be more thankful for him; for the love he has for me; for the love he has for our family; for the way he provides for our family; for his faithfulness. So many things, I could go on and on. But you get the picture. :)

I am so grateful for my kids and that I'm able to stay home with them! I realize this isn't the most popular decision in our society, to be a homemaker, but it is exactly what God has made me to do. Sure, we have rough days and Mommy needs a break! But who doesn't have those days?! These days are fleeting and I am so very grateful that I'm able to spend these precious years with my children!!

So, reflecting on all the blessings in my life is a great way to stay out of a rut and grateful for all that's in my life. I would encourage you to give it a try, too. You might be surprised at how much good you find. :)

Until next time,
Kristal

He is faithful!!!

Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend. We had a good, full weekend. Friday night we had a delicious Mexican dinner with friends; Saturday morning we witnessed the baptism of a friend's little boy in our pool and Saturday night brought a fun family pool/pizza party; Sunday was full of church and family time. Busy weekend!

I thought now would be a great time to share how the Lord brought us to our new home. It was not an easy or fast one. But, it was such a sweet time of growth and fellowship with Jesus that I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Our last home was the first home Robert and I bought together. It was a cute 3 bedroom, 2 bath home and it was ours! We loved it. So many sweet firsts occurred those first few years we lived there. That's where we started our family when Collin was born in February 2009. Then, in September 2011, Emma was born. That home holds a special place in our heart for sure. But, by the time Emma joined our family, we had outgrown our home...or at least we weren't comfortable in it anymore.

Robert's parents live in Chicago and come visit as often as they can and I hated not having a place for them to stay. Plus, as a stay at home mommy, the walls of our little home were beginning to close in. Can anybody relate to that?!

Well, one day the kids and I were out running errands. While we were out, I noticed a "For Sale" sign in a neighborhood Robert and I had longed to live in one day. Out of curiosity, I followed the signs to the home so I could snag an information sheet and see the details of the home. I was shocked, in a good way, at the price and promptly called Robert to tell him about it. He, too, was pleasantly surprised. Thus, the wheels began turning.

After much talking and praying, we decided to bring a Realtor to our house and talk about putting our home on the market. We were nervous! Yet, excited! Our talk with the Realtor didn't go as well as we had hoped, but we ultimately decided to list our home. Selling a house is not easy...at all! From keeping it spotless for showings, to the highs and lows of constant showings, it's exhausting!

After 4 months of having our house on the market, receiving one offer that was insultingly low, we talked with our Realtor about taking our home off the market. We just weren't convinced it was the right time for us to sell anymore. But, she encouraged us to keep it on the market a little longer and just see what happens. About two weeks later, we were under contract on our house!

I'll be honest, it was bittersweet  for me. I was excited that after all this  time and stress we were finally under contract, but it was bitter because I didn't know where we were going to live. There was one house that we had looked at several times that, on paper, was the perfect house and an incredible deal. Everybody was on board with this house, except me. I just knew it wasn't the house. But, I didn't understand why I was so polar opposite from how everybody else felt. What did they see that I didn't?!

We made an offer. And immediately my heart sank. I had absolutely no peace about that house. The owners took quite a while to respond to our offer, which left Robert and I more time to talk and pray it over. And as the weekend went on, Robert felt more and more reservations about the home, too. Thus, we walked away from that house. I immediately felt peace about our decision to walk away from the house, however our move out date was fast approaching and we had no where to live!

My parents graciously opened their home to us for as long as we needed to find our house. So, most of our possessions went to storage, while we moved into my parents home. We continued to faithfully house hunt, but the Lord kept telling us to wait. And wait. And wait. Seriously, I have countless passages, spanning many weeks, that the Lord gave me during that time that speak of waiting on Him and His timing. We didn't understand why He was telling us to wait, but we knew He had a reason for telling us that and our job was simply to obey.

Time passed and still nothing. We continued to look at homes both online and in person, but none of them were "the one". And then I received a call from a dear friend's mom. She had just visited an estate sale in her neighborhood, which is the exact neighborhood Robert and I longed to live in, and thought we might want to walk through it and check it out, in case it went on the market. She warned us that it needed a lot of updating, but that the bones of it were good and she really thought it might fit our family perfectly. So, the next day we went to the estate sale.

And y'all, for me, it was almost "love at first sight". There were things about the home that concerned me and made me wonder if it would work for us, but there was so much potential there, too! I tried really hard not to get too excited, though, because Robert was very unsure about the house and about the timing of buying it. I knew I needed to respect him and not push him at all, so I went to the Lord all the more. I prayed and sat in His presence waiting and asking Him to clearly open or close the doors to the house. And He did!!

He first started with Robert. He softened his heart to the home and the timing of buying it. Then, He moved to me and calmed my anxieties. Finally, He very clearly showed us through Scripture that it was time to move on the house, trusting Him and allowing Him to show us His faithfulness.

And, oh how sweet it is to wait on Him and His timing. He worked things out in ways only He can. There was no doubt at all that He lead us to this house, that He was fighting for us and this was why He wanted us to wait on Him and His timing.

We closed on our home in December and promptly began updating and making it our own. On March 5, 2013 we moved into the most perfect home for us because it is exactly the home He lead us to. Our hearts desire is to use our home in a way that brings honor and glory to Him.

I believe He was honored and glorified this weekend when we witnessed the baptism of a friend's son. Baptism always chokes me up because of what it represents, another soul that has been added to the Lamb's Book of Life. But it was even sweeter this time. God was, and is, using our house to bring Himself glory and we are just very thankful to be a part of His story.

We look forward to our days in our home and continuing to give it back to Him; moving over so He can take the reigns and use our home to reach others for Him and bring honor and glory to Him.

Until next time,
Kristal

Little mouths praising Jesus

In our home, I have worship music playing nearly non stop. When we wake up in the morning, I usually turn on KLove and have it on all day. Music is powerful and it's a great way to help me stay encouraged and focused on the important things. And it's a great ministry tool. Collin and Emma are little sponges, soaking in everything they hear and see.

While we were staying at my parent's house, in between our last house and current house, my dad introduced us to a wonderful song full of great truths. Collin and Emma immediately became enthralled with He's Alive!.

They quickly learned the words to the song and request to watch it over and over. I pray those words sink deep in their hearts and they claim the truth that He Is Alive!! in their lives, as early as they can truly understand what Jesus did for them and accept His precious gift of salvation. I haven't been able to get a good recording of them singing along, but I'll keep trying. Here's a picture, though, of sweet Emma intently watching along. :)

 

 

Another favorite song around our house is Great I am;

 

 This is another song chalked full of awesome truths!! We were driving home from church yesterday listening to this song and Collin was singing along to it. :) This is one of those songs that when it comes on during the day, we stop what we're doing, turn it way up and praise Jesus together. Few things melt my heart more, than when I hear their sweet voices praising Jesus! These truly are the best days of my life!!

 

(If you look closely, you'll see sweet Emma's little leg moving along to the music. She may not be able to fully sing along yet, but she's praising Jesus too :))

 

Until next time,

Kristal

 

 

 



 

Walking through life together (Tulsa metro)

I missed linking up on Tuesday, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to brag on God and thank Him for the precious group of ladies He's placed in my life.

Back in 2012, I approached my friend, and neighbor at the time, about starting a Bible study just her and I. I was so nervous to ask her, not knowing what her response would be. We had grown a friendship through our mutual love of Scentsy, we're both on the same team, and I was excited about growing our friendship beyond that, specifically in the Word. So, one morning I invited her over for muffins and coffee, because really what's better than blueberry muffins and coffee with a dear friend?!, and I asked her...after our time together was almost over. Again I say, I was so nervous. But, once I finally asked her, I was so relieved and excited by her excitement to start a study! Not only did she say Yes!, but she asked if another friend could join us!! I was thrilled, albeit super nervous about leading a group (even if it was only 3 of us) in Bible study. Was I equipped to do this?! What if I stumbled over my words?! What if I didn't know an answer to a question!? What if....

What if God showed up! What if He was the one actually in charge of this study! What if our friendships grew like we never could have imagined! What if...

To say I am grateful I obeyed His call on my life to start a Bible study with my (old) neighbor, is a vast understatement!! God has so richly blessed our lives through our time, once a week, studying His word together! That neighbor of mine has become one of my very best friends!! I cannot imagine doing life without her. And we have added some lovely ladies to our group. And friendships have grown and blossomed together that I never could have been put together apart from Him. He is so good and knows just what we need, exactly when we need it!

Our Bible study group has been meeting almost every week since January 2012 and it truly is a highlight of my week. Growing with these ladies has been such a blessing to me. They have forced me to dig deeper in the Word as I attempt to lead/facilitate our study. And sure, I stumble over my words. I don't always have the answer to questions. But, He gives me grace and they give me grace. And it's beautiful!

If you aren't involved in some kind of community/life group, especially with just women, I encourage you to find one in your area....or even start one! It is a blessing to do life together with other women striving to live a God honoring life.

Until next time,
Kristal

Beach fun-part 2

Here are a few more of my favorite highlight pics from our first week at the beach. Hope you enjoy them!

 

 

 

Until next time,

Kristal

Beach fun

The last two weeks we've been at the beach. We had a wonderful time! Seriously, I can't say enough good things about Gulf Shores. This was our 6th year to vacation there and every year we're there, it feels more and more like home. It's just comfortable. Beautiful beaches, lovely people, small town feel...just wonderful!

We spent the first week with my parents. We stayed at a condo right in the heart of Gulf Shores. It's fun being close to the action of the city...close to good restaurants, shopping, other happy vacationers. :) Our weather was surprisingly rainy/stormy this year. We only had a couple days of really nice weather. One day was a complete wash out....I'm talking heavy, heavy rain all day! But, most days were a mix of sun and storms. And really, it was ok because we were at the beach!

Our last day with my family was beautiful!! The nicest day by far. We decided to go on a jet ski dolphin tour. It's a 2 hour jet ski tour with a guide who takes you all around the bay, showing you parts of Gulf Shores you can only get to by water, fun places to play on the jet skis and the best places to see dolphins. Robert, Collin and I went last year and had a great time!! This year, my parents and Emma went too. Let me tell you, I was nervous taking Emma along. But, we sandwiched her between Robert and I and she did great. I was so sore after the tour, though, from squeezing my thighs together and maintaining a death grip on Robert's life vest to keep her secured. But, it was fun!

Gulf Shores is only about 45min to an hour away from Pensacola. That being said, until this year we had never seen the Blue Angels fly by. But we got a real treat one day on the beach. They came by, on their way to Ft. Morgan, which is about 20 miles from where we stayed in Gulf Shores. They were doing all kinds of maneuvers and showing off. It was so, so cool!! I'm bummed, though, because I was wasn't able to get a single picture of them.

Well, that quickly tells about different highlights of our vacation. We're always thankful for time away with our family to slow down, reconnect and relax. Here are just a few pics from our first week at the beach. I hope you enjoy them!

This post became surprisingly long, so I might do a part 2 just more pics of our week. :)

Until next time,
Kristal

Family as friends

As Collin and Emma get older, I find myself adoring the friendship they have together. And even more so, praying they will always be friends. For some reason, it is sometimes difficult to view our family as friends. There is always that one person, or two or three, that just drive us nuts! (Tell me I'm not alone here...you have that person in your family too, right?!) But the older I get, the more I value my family and see the huge importance God places on family. And not just the family as a unit, but each individual, unique person within that family.

Psalm 127:1a,3-5 says " Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

To me, this passage clearly shows that God places people within families. For one reason or another, He determines that each person, with their unique personality, gifts and talents, will work best with the other people in the family. And each person is a treasure. A unique gift that carries infinite value to God and those within the family (and outside of the family, too, but I'm focusing on family right now).

Our family's can, and should be, our biggest allies. That means we need to value our brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents as more than just family, but as friends, too. People we can grow with, experience life with, pray with, cry with, laugh with, etc. I fully recognize that not everybody has a good home life or family, but we can all pray for our families. That's the best way we can love our family, as brothers and friends.

So, let's put the value back in our family....as friends and brothers. Let's love them like Christ loves us. Let's pray for them always. Let's be there for our family. Let's grow with our family. Let's laugh and cry with our family. Let's be family.

Until next time,
Kristal

4th of July

We had the best time this 4th of July! It was our first pool party/BBQ to host at our new house and we had the best time. I'm so thankful that our friends not only love us, but also love our kids. God has blessed us with some amazing friends!  We had some yummy food, good conversation and, of course, competitions from the guys. Our first BBQ party was a success and we can't wait to have another one!

 

 

 

Even Maxi boy got good lovin'. :)

 

 

Until next time,

Kristal

A Dad and his Boy

Collin adores Robert. It's so precious!! He literally screams with excitement every evening when the garage door opens, knowing Daddy is home. And, Collin is completely Robert's mini-me, in every way. Facial expressions, mannerisms, walking...even the way he likes to push my buttons. :) I'm so thankful Collin has such an amazing Daddy to emulate as he grows up!

I absolutely love this picture! If you're able to zoom, you can see how much Collin adores his daddy.

They fell asleep one night watching basketball together. It cracks me up that they're even dressed alike!

They walk exactly the same...

 And are goofy in the same ways. :)

 

Until next time,

 

Kristal

Summer reading program

This summer we participated in the summer reading program the local library sponsors. I had heard about the program in years past, but this was our first time to participate. I really wanted the coupon book full of goodies of free and discount things to do with the kids. We completed that portion of the program and received the coupon book but they also earned themselves a badge. You would have thought it was the coolest thing ever! Collin was so excited that he declared "I'm going to wear this everyday! I'm going to wear this to church!" Well, he wore it for a couple days, but I did get some cute pics of them sporting their awesome medals.

Collin was cracking me up the way he was wearing his medal on his head. I don't know. That's all I can say about that silly boy. :) And Emma....somebody please tell me when she grew up!! She looks so big! Oh these two....I'm so in love with them!

 

 

Until next time,

Kristal