Outside the Nest...
I'm sitting in the backyard watching one over sized child on a trike, a three year old balancing on a large rock & two little guys collecting sticks. It is actually (for the first time in a couple months) quite pleasant outside! There is a slight breeze & about 90 degrees. Funny that is considered pleasant ; ) We love being outside & are thankful for a fence around the Nests' outdoor wonderland. Well that was a quick trip outside...headed back in for the next paragraph following some sister on sister fighting.
I am thankful for...
brothers. I love our brothers, I really do. Scott just came to spend about five days with us & we had a wonderful visit! He did more playing than I do on a regular day which is always entertaining to watch. The favorites this visit were "Child Catcher" where he walked around with the tunnel acting like it was a metal detector & when he would find a child he would release it to capture them....hilarious. Another was hide & seek that provoked so much squealing from two excited nieces. Uncle Scott read books, colored, fixed lunches, washed dishes & made sure I sat down here & there for a breather. He also picked up some Torchy's Tacos for lunch one afternoon...oh my goodness, it was delicious. The evenings were fun too, one night we watched a million & one funny YouTube videos, another we got a sitter for the kids & went out for a nice relaxing Sushi dinner & quite possibly my favorite evening we had Uncle Joe & Aunt Debbie over for a cheese & wine night. Not only was it cheese & wine but we got fancy with some sliced meats & baked brie with walnuts, apple & honey. I got full fast & enjoyed lots of laughing. Spending time with one brother always makes me miss my other brother & then of course Robby's brother too. The kids & I will head down to Kingwood in October & are hopeful Uncle Kyle will sneak away to spend some time with us. Steve & his family will be arriving in the great state of Texas within the week & we have an extended weekend planned with their family for catching up. Helping my four get along with one another is taxing but my prayer is that deep rooted friendships will grow over the years & they will experience the sweetness of siblings just as Robby & I do as adults.
One other particular person we are thankful for right now is Lydia, our new babysitter. She started about a month ago & continues to wow us every time she is here. I interviewed five women & she was the last. As I shared a bit about our hope for the person that would fill the role we needed, her eyes lit up when I told her that we were homeschooling. She along with her three brothers were home schooled & she has jumped right into finishing up lessons with Charlotte which is so helpful for me. She is a christian, has a clam & gentle way about her & interacts so sweetly with the kids. She is newly married & brought her hubby over to watch the kids the night we went out for Sushi with Scott. The girls have not ceased to talk about Jake & "Olydia" as Eloise says. It's tricky when your cousin is named Olivia : )
One other particular person we are thankful for right now is Lydia, our new babysitter. She started about a month ago & continues to wow us every time she is here. I interviewed five women & she was the last. As I shared a bit about our hope for the person that would fill the role we needed, her eyes lit up when I told her that we were homeschooling. She along with her three brothers were home schooled & she has jumped right into finishing up lessons with Charlotte which is so helpful for me. She is a christian, has a clam & gentle way about her & interacts so sweetly with the kids. She is newly married & brought her hubby over to watch the kids the night we went out for Sushi with Scott. The girls have not ceased to talk about Jake & "Olydia" as Eloise says. It's tricky when your cousin is named Olivia : )
I am thinking about...
how tired I feel & how to rest in the Lord. I have not worked full time since before Charlotte was born & at that point all I had was a self sufficient husband that did most of the cooking plus two pups that required snuggles on the couch whenever I could get there. Did I feel tired then? I am sure I did but this season I am walking through has been exhausting in comparison. It's funny because even though we have an incredible woman watching the kids while I nap before or after work or Rob who does so well managing the kids & the house, my load feels about the same as it did when I was home six out of seven nights. My mind feels jumbled right now but writing is such a release valve for me so I will continue. When I think back to the past couple years, I am reminded that two years ago last week it was confirmed there were two babies growing in my womb which started a wild pregnancy in every way imaginable. They were born the following March which started the four under four era in our life. Just when things may have started to settle down at the start of 2014, Robby had some changes with his job which required me to begin working a bit more & prompted the move back to Texas. We arrived in May, I started full time work, we moved into our house at the end of June & Robby's appendix ruptured the next day followed by a month of recovery (ie no lifting over 10 pounds). August came & went with a visit to Kingwood, the start of our homeschooling year & Robby transitioning out of his old job. At some point Robby & I have described ourselves as Lego's with a certain number of connectors on them for relationships. When we arrived in Florida mine was gigantic with all sorts of possibilities for being filled. As children have been added, it has decreased & now I feel like I am one of those jumbo blocks that the boys use for building with only one circle available. I feel like I am doggie paddling to stay afloat while completing the necessary tasks to make it through the day (or night). As I think through this I am realizing that my "one connector" is best filled with the Lord.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
Rest sounds so amazing right now & when I imagine "rest" I automatically think of multiple full nights of sleep in a row & ample energy to take on the day but when I consider what "rest for your soul" might mean, it seems different. Could it mean that while my body feels tired, my soul is at rest knowing that God has provided all I need through his son? Could it mean that when I am abiding in Him the burdens that usually wear on me are lighter? Learning from him, a person who is gentle & lowly in heart has the potential to transform the learner. I don't expect the yawns to go away but I am asking the Lord to help me rest in Him in this period of weariness.
In the schoolroom...
The Valentine Nest school for little children (just kidding, I have never called it that) is in full gear! I do need a name though...any suggestions? We are on week three at home & will attend day two of Classical Conversations on Thursday. Our days are going alright for the most part. It is a bit tricky with younger siblings but thankfully Charlotte is a (mostly) attentive learner & is able to focus even if someone is screaming. I think it will serve her well in the years ahead. I mean really, mommies have to get things done when someone is screaming....Labor & Delivery nurses must do the same : ) I will elaborate more on our curriculum choices & daily routine in another post but will say that we are enjoying what we chose thus far.
I have gone a little crazy in collecting books to support the content we are covering, especially in American History. We all loves books here at the Nest so I am certain they will be well used by the time we are done with them. I will add that I am thankful for writing in pencil & buying a fabulous eraser to use in the planner I took four weeks to gather the courage to write in. There has been some erasing going on & I'm okay with that. At least that is what I keep telling myself, haha. We do love our canvas map that hangs over our table. The girls are always up on their chairs telling me what is located where & which animals live on which continent. I decided against hanging a magnetic dry erase board & instead, we just pull it out when we need it & lean it onto the table. So far, so good even with difficult moments in the mix.
The Valentine Nest school for little children (just kidding, I have never called it that) is in full gear! I do need a name though...any suggestions? We are on week three at home & will attend day two of Classical Conversations on Thursday. Our days are going alright for the most part. It is a bit tricky with younger siblings but thankfully Charlotte is a (mostly) attentive learner & is able to focus even if someone is screaming. I think it will serve her well in the years ahead. I mean really, mommies have to get things done when someone is screaming....Labor & Delivery nurses must do the same : ) I will elaborate more on our curriculum choices & daily routine in another post but will say that we are enjoying what we chose thus far.
I have gone a little crazy in collecting books to support the content we are covering, especially in American History. We all loves books here at the Nest so I am certain they will be well used by the time we are done with them. I will add that I am thankful for writing in pencil & buying a fabulous eraser to use in the planner I took four weeks to gather the courage to write in. There has been some erasing going on & I'm okay with that. At least that is what I keep telling myself, haha. We do love our canvas map that hangs over our table. The girls are always up on their chairs telling me what is located where & which animals live on which continent. I decided against hanging a magnetic dry erase board & instead, we just pull it out when we need it & lean it onto the table. So far, so good even with difficult moments in the mix.
From the kitchen...
This mama has finally gotten back in the swing of things in the kitchen. I think Robby is really enjoying it after I was in a slump for our first month here. We loved all the yummy foods Bob & Jeannine cooked us while we were in their home but I COMPLETELY got out of the mindset of meal planning & preparing! Once I was responsible again I entered a grieving period before coming out on the other side with meal plans coming out of my ears & lists for the grocery store free flowing from my pen. Well, it's not always like that but it has been a vast improvement from the first week we were on our own. I have even been doubling & freezing some batches which is something I love doing for those days that cooking just doesn't fit into the schedule. I even pulled up that Pinterest board that has more than I could ever cook in a lifetime under the title "Yummy in my Tummy" & tried a few new ones. Robby bought a grill over the weekend after being without one since we left Florida. He loves to grill & I love when he takes over : )
This mama has finally gotten back in the swing of things in the kitchen. I think Robby is really enjoying it after I was in a slump for our first month here. We loved all the yummy foods Bob & Jeannine cooked us while we were in their home but I COMPLETELY got out of the mindset of meal planning & preparing! Once I was responsible again I entered a grieving period before coming out on the other side with meal plans coming out of my ears & lists for the grocery store free flowing from my pen. Well, it's not always like that but it has been a vast improvement from the first week we were on our own. I have even been doubling & freezing some batches which is something I love doing for those days that cooking just doesn't fit into the schedule. I even pulled up that Pinterest board that has more than I could ever cook in a lifetime under the title "Yummy in my Tummy" & tried a few new ones. Robby bought a grill over the weekend after being without one since we left Florida. He loves to grill & I love when he takes over : )
Mommy by day, nurse by night...
This section was seriously long last time so short & sweet is the way I'm headed this go-round. I switched to a night shift schedule the week following Robby's ruptured appendix & feel like I got into the rhythm of nights quickly. I love the night shift crew & general feel of the unit while most physicians are sleeping. I have met some super sweet patients, had some memorable experiences & even took care of a woman I went to high school with & another women that I was related to...our grandfathers were cousins! So strange & funny! After a long summer, I feel settled into the charting & the way things are done for the most part which is SO nice. I'm not a big fan of being the new girl!
This section was seriously long last time so short & sweet is the way I'm headed this go-round. I switched to a night shift schedule the week following Robby's ruptured appendix & feel like I got into the rhythm of nights quickly. I love the night shift crew & general feel of the unit while most physicians are sleeping. I have met some super sweet patients, had some memorable experiences & even took care of a woman I went to high school with & another women that I was related to...our grandfathers were cousins! So strange & funny! After a long summer, I feel settled into the charting & the way things are done for the most part which is SO nice. I'm not a big fan of being the new girl!
I am creating...
Now that my craft table is set up again & mostly organized, I have some plans in the works that are actually feasible...I think.
- fall dresses or skirts for the girls
- fall centerpiece for kitchen table
- recovering seat cushions of dining chairs, just got the fabric today!
- four Halloween costumes...this is more of a brainstorming effort at the moment
- on the back burner we are kicking around the idea of making a dollhouse for a Christmas gift for the girls. The ideas I am hooked on have lots of ideas for handmaking many of the items in the rooms....let's see if we make the dollhouse first.
Clicking around...
Oh Pinterest, I really enjoy Pinterest.
Craigslist- I am currently stalking dressers, desks & wooden train sets.
a patient I took care of a while back is fighting Inflammatory Breast Cancer & has blogged beautifully though it. It usually brings me to tears & to my knees in prayer for this sweet family. I walked into the room seconds after her baby was placed on her chest & was overcome with emotion knowing only part of the story. God is central to this couple & they are struggling well through this awful disease. Check it out here.
Living Well, Spending Less- a fun blog my mom sent me that I love to look at. It has great ideas!
Craigslist- I am currently stalking dressers, desks & wooden train sets.
a patient I took care of a while back is fighting Inflammatory Breast Cancer & has blogged beautifully though it. It usually brings me to tears & to my knees in prayer for this sweet family. I walked into the room seconds after her baby was placed on her chest & was overcome with emotion knowing only part of the story. God is central to this couple & they are struggling well through this awful disease. Check it out here.
Living Well, Spending Less- a fun blog my mom sent me that I love to look at. It has great ideas!
I am reading...
The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer - I had skimmed the first few chapters of this book while contemplating a classical education at home for our kiddos but am really enjoying it now that it is entirely applicable. It is quite encouraging as well entering into a season (that looks really long) of homeschooling.
Her Daughter's Dream & Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers. The first fiction books I have read in YEARS!! I brought one to work & left it in my locker so I could read if I didn't have a patient. It was really fun to read without thinking much although her books really do provoke a lot of thought about God & family in this case. I found myself telling Robby stories from it like they were real people....he SO loves that ; ) I think it gave him flashbacks of when I read Marley & Me & told him stories everyday until he told me to stop talking about Marley. Then I switched to telling him about a "friends dog" but he would always catch me partway through & say "that sounds like something Marley would do...are you talking about him again?" haha! All that to say, I might keep a fiction read going just for enjoyment.
The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, Vol. 3: Early Modern Times by Susan Wise Bauer, this is written by the same woman who wrote the first book listed. It is on most recommended reading lists that go along with our cycles for Classical Conversations. It is a narrative history of the world that is so well written. I am not reading straight through at this point but am reading the excerpts that match up with our history sentences each week. Today I read a page about Columbus aloud to the girls during their afternoon snack & they liked it. History was a class I always loved & remember barely anything from so I am excited to re-learn much of it while teaching the children.
a bit of Charlotte's Web to the little ladies & LOTS of Brown Bear Brown Bear to a certain little boy who is obsessed. Hint, we have referred to him as Chubby Bubby & he cracks us up with the way he puts it in reverse till he falls into my lap or the lap of whoever was already in mine.
We got our library card the week the arduous task of getting a Texas license was finally complete. In fact, I took my paper copy into the library...I was that excited. The girls & I went to an evening family read aloud for kids 3-7 which falls after the boys bedtime. It was perfect to give Robby a free evening & do something fun with the girls. The library has been a place we have avoided since the boys were born since one on four parenting makes it difficult to ensure quiet mouths or obedience for that matter ; ) This library is incredible. The entire first floor is Children/Juvenille sections & they have a play area with some toys the little guys enjoyed. There are lots of librarians around to help you find things & they don't seem to mind kids being kids. The girls LOVED filling up their basket & so did I! I had a list of school related books, history & science mostly & grabbed all sorts of things to go along with it. We have spent a lot of time reading or looking at books since our last trip & can't wait to go again!
Her Daughter's Dream & Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers. The first fiction books I have read in YEARS!! I brought one to work & left it in my locker so I could read if I didn't have a patient. It was really fun to read without thinking much although her books really do provoke a lot of thought about God & family in this case. I found myself telling Robby stories from it like they were real people....he SO loves that ; ) I think it gave him flashbacks of when I read Marley & Me & told him stories everyday until he told me to stop talking about Marley. Then I switched to telling him about a "friends dog" but he would always catch me partway through & say "that sounds like something Marley would do...are you talking about him again?" haha! All that to say, I might keep a fiction read going just for enjoyment.
The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, Vol. 3: Early Modern Times by Susan Wise Bauer, this is written by the same woman who wrote the first book listed. It is on most recommended reading lists that go along with our cycles for Classical Conversations. It is a narrative history of the world that is so well written. I am not reading straight through at this point but am reading the excerpts that match up with our history sentences each week. Today I read a page about Columbus aloud to the girls during their afternoon snack & they liked it. History was a class I always loved & remember barely anything from so I am excited to re-learn much of it while teaching the children.
a bit of Charlotte's Web to the little ladies & LOTS of Brown Bear Brown Bear to a certain little boy who is obsessed. Hint, we have referred to him as Chubby Bubby & he cracks us up with the way he puts it in reverse till he falls into my lap or the lap of whoever was already in mine.
We got our library card the week the arduous task of getting a Texas license was finally complete. In fact, I took my paper copy into the library...I was that excited. The girls & I went to an evening family read aloud for kids 3-7 which falls after the boys bedtime. It was perfect to give Robby a free evening & do something fun with the girls. The library has been a place we have avoided since the boys were born since one on four parenting makes it difficult to ensure quiet mouths or obedience for that matter ; ) This library is incredible. The entire first floor is Children/Juvenille sections & they have a play area with some toys the little guys enjoyed. There are lots of librarians around to help you find things & they don't seem to mind kids being kids. The girls LOVED filling up their basket & so did I! I had a list of school related books, history & science mostly & grabbed all sorts of things to go along with it. We have spent a lot of time reading or looking at books since our last trip & can't wait to go again!
I am praying for...
My friend Halie who is is about six months pregnant with twin baby girls (wahoo!) She is doing a lot of resting at the moment & we got to bring her a couple meals last week. Two other friends I worked with at Parkland are also pregnant with twins right now, Ginny is expecting boy/girl twins and Tiffany is expecting boys. Another friend that worked with us there also had twins early this year....as they say, there's something in the water or at least there was seven years ago ; )
That God would lead us to a body of believers near our home that we can partner in ministry with. We attended a Sunday worship service at a nearby church a couple weeks ago & felt refreshed & excited to return. The timing is a little difficult with my schedule right now but will hopefully be a good fit for us on the the weekends I am not working Saturday or Sunday nights. It is a church plant called Christ City Church. Feel free to read up...I enjoyed all the details! It felt very similar to Celebration Community Church & even had a logo that looked like theirs. We can't wait to feel connected again to other believers.
That we would develop friendships easily & quickly as we settle into a new neighborhood. It's hard to meet neighbors when we live on a busy street that we can't even let Eloise ride her scooter on let alone have the boys walking on the sidewalk without a one parent per child ratio. We have made friends with a girl that just started sixth grade & lives a couple doors down. She is adorable & is a perfect "mother's helper" for busy times of the day. She is hoping to come over one late afternoon a week & tag team kids with me. I love her company & the girls love it even more!
Ryan & Leah, our friends from Orlando that are now in New York City ministering to West African Muslims. We finally got to Skype with them over the weekend & were reminded of how much we enjoy their friendship. We were encouraged to hear of the relationships the Lord is building between them & those who need to hear the gospel. They have ministered to our children in such a special way by sending NY postcards & special notes to each of the four. Charlotte & Eloise especially treasure their special notes. Leah & Ryan paid attention to every little seemingly insignificant thing the girls wanted to share with them on Skype making them feel important. It is a gift to be supporting this couple financially for many reasons, one being the up close & personal way to help our children understand our call to share about Jesus with the world & how it can be done even inside the US.
Steve & Jenny as they begin their two month support raising trip in preparation for their long term move to Poland next summer. They sold their home in Orlando within two days of listing which was quite incredible. They also sold many of the things inside their home & moved the rest to storage. They are headed out this week & have a long road ahead of traveling with three, four & under. We are excited to see how the Lord provides for them as they take the next steps in the process of moving over seas.
I am hearing...
That God would lead us to a body of believers near our home that we can partner in ministry with. We attended a Sunday worship service at a nearby church a couple weeks ago & felt refreshed & excited to return. The timing is a little difficult with my schedule right now but will hopefully be a good fit for us on the the weekends I am not working Saturday or Sunday nights. It is a church plant called Christ City Church. Feel free to read up...I enjoyed all the details! It felt very similar to Celebration Community Church & even had a logo that looked like theirs. We can't wait to feel connected again to other believers.
That we would develop friendships easily & quickly as we settle into a new neighborhood. It's hard to meet neighbors when we live on a busy street that we can't even let Eloise ride her scooter on let alone have the boys walking on the sidewalk without a one parent per child ratio. We have made friends with a girl that just started sixth grade & lives a couple doors down. She is adorable & is a perfect "mother's helper" for busy times of the day. She is hoping to come over one late afternoon a week & tag team kids with me. I love her company & the girls love it even more!
Ryan & Leah, our friends from Orlando that are now in New York City ministering to West African Muslims. We finally got to Skype with them over the weekend & were reminded of how much we enjoy their friendship. We were encouraged to hear of the relationships the Lord is building between them & those who need to hear the gospel. They have ministered to our children in such a special way by sending NY postcards & special notes to each of the four. Charlotte & Eloise especially treasure their special notes. Leah & Ryan paid attention to every little seemingly insignificant thing the girls wanted to share with them on Skype making them feel important. It is a gift to be supporting this couple financially for many reasons, one being the up close & personal way to help our children understand our call to share about Jesus with the world & how it can be done even inside the US.
Steve & Jenny as they begin their two month support raising trip in preparation for their long term move to Poland next summer. They sold their home in Orlando within two days of listing which was quite incredible. They also sold many of the things inside their home & moved the rest to storage. They are headed out this week & have a long road ahead of traveling with three, four & under. We are excited to see how the Lord provides for them as they take the next steps in the process of moving over seas.
I am hearing...
Back to Ellie Holcomb & JJ Heller plus a bit of Seeds: Family Worship, a favorite way to get scripture stuck in our heads. Oh & that Timeline song for Classical Conversations....it never leaves my mind.
Around the house...
We finally feel settled which is a wonderful thing. Once Robby could lift again, he tackled the garage & knocked out a bunch. He still has a bit more to do but we can actually walk through it safely now and/or find a tool we need. We have baby gated the front room at the entrance & exit to the kitchen so we have a large space to contain our little rascals. Sadly Daddy's bookshelves are in the "cage" & have been attacked by little hands. We are working on being diligent to correct but it is SO hard with two busy boys! Since it is now September I put out fall decorations & photos. I did this in Orlando too even though it never felt like fall till December but I am hopeful that Dallas will experience some fallish weather come next month. Now that I have the fabric to cover the kitchen chairs I can hunt for some curtains for the window that opens directly into our neighbors window....awkward at night ; ) I wish I could say I am in a good cleaning routine but really I just make do & dream about the days when Maria the cleaning fairy remedied all messes old & new. The space is amazing though & we love this layout more than any other place we have lived.
Plans for the rest of the week...
get outdoors with the kids, work a couple shifts, catch up with Grammy & Papa on Friday, send the girls to a sleepover with Auntie Deb & Uncle Joe over the weekend & start counting down for the arrival of Steve, Jenny, Karis, Isaac & Olivia!Instagram- July & August
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