if you were to come to my house....

if you were to come to my house....

- you would see 3 kids being very silly.  there would be chasing and tackling and mountains of pillows for them to jump on.  

- you would see toy cars strewn through every room because while we have a bin for all our toy cars, they seem to mate and multiply every night while we sleep and no matter how many times i put them away, one of the kids will think it is hilarious to dump them all out again.

- you would probably smell fresh baking bread because i am obsessed with having fresh bread every few days.  i started to make bread to cut back on some of the preservatives we were eating and we have now become possessed carb eaters where we are capable of eating entire loaves in a day.  there is nothing like fresh, healthy, warm, homemade bread.

- you would hear cries and screams, from unwanted tackles, toy stealing, being disciplined or maybe just the need to be held.  i have learned since having 3 kids, that often someone is crying....and sometimes thats okay.

- you would probably see a clean kitchen because i convince myself that if my kitchen is clean, then i can face the world head on.

- you would notice that our house is for sale again with a new relator because we are ready for god to move us...somewhere.  whether it is straight out of waco, to another place before we leave or if his will is for us to stay in this town we call home, we are ready for a different house.  and i am trying my best to be patient while still in this one.

- you would probably see one or both of the girls dressed up like this. they love to dress up and wear hats and they are currently obsessed with their snowsuits that shockingly still fit them.

- you would see baby food splattered across the kitchen cabinets, walls and fridge and see crusted oatmeal on the wall of the dining room.  i know its there, i know i need to clean it, but somehow i always forgot to do it.  (maybe i need to get on that one since we are trying to pass our house off as desirable, you think?)

- you would trip on pacifiers or blankets because the kids drag them everywhere. especially clara and her cow blankie.

- you would hear us say we are sorry to each other because i think it is just as important for a parent to apologize to their child for yelling, being impatient or checking email when your kids need you as it is for them to apologize for disrespect, not being kind and honoring to siblings and throwing milk cups at other peoples' heads (ahem, toddler).  forgiveness is something to be taught.  adults do not practice it enough and if we did, we would live in a much different world.  i want my kids to love and forgive like jesus and it all starts with me and brenner showing them.

- you would probably notice brenner doing laundry while on a business call.  since he works out of the house, he helps out when he can throughout the day (read: when the laundry to piled so high he can't open his office door).  i love him for that.  and i am grateful that my kids see him helping mama.

- you would hear dogs barking, lots of laughing, and veggie tales playing in the background.

- you would see drool from the dogs and the girls all over the windows.  yep.

- you would probably step in a puddle of milk since we can send people to the moon and skype with people in the jungles of africa but the human race is incapable of coming up with a sippy cup that doesn't leak.

- you would see family pictures on our walls because i refuse to take them all down just because we are selling the house.  my babies are growing so fast and somehow seeing pictures of them when they are younger every day reminds me of that and makes me more intentional about being with them in the moment every day.

- you would see our dining room chairs currently consist of 4, rusted metal chairs that we got at a garage sale because we gave our old dining set away to a girl whose house burned down in the west explosion.  we were trying to sell it on craiglist and suddenly god slapped me upside the head and reminded me to give to those in need.  she needed this table to start to rebuild her life way more than i need a couple hundred dollars from selling it.  i was humbled to give and what a great teaching lesson for cole.  i am currently grateful to be sitting on some rusted metal chairs.

- you would see that we try to follow jesus as best we can but we have bad moments, bad days full of imperfections and sinful tendencies.

come over to our house and we will love to share life with you.  brenner and i each have the same desire to know people more deeply.  we truly try to fill our time with meeting people for play dates, having people over for dinner, visiting friends, emailing/calling/texting those we know who live far away because god calls us to connect.  he calls us to care for those around us and we want to do that more.  our house may be messy and loud and chaotic at times, but we want you come over anyways.