Countdown to Country Chic?

Well it's official, our family photos are booked for mid June.  Yep, 6 weeks away and I only need to lose, oh I don't know, 50 pounds!  Okay, maybe not 50 but at least 15 by then.  I know I can do it but will I?  A wonderful photographer named Jessica Dues is going to photograph us and to say I'm excited is an understatement!  She has a new loft studio she is renting out in Arcanum for photo sessions.  Hard wood floors, exposed brick walls, antique couches and chairs .. need I say anymore?  Now I just need to shop for outfits .. oh poor me.  ;)  Now don't laugh but I would really like to wear a flowy dress or skirt / top combo with cowboy boots.  I know, I know but I think it's kind of country chic!  What about skinny jeans and high heels, or vintage jeans and cute ballet flats, or maybe we'll all just go barefoot!  Let me know what you think .. honestly friends, I need help!!!

Cute!  But me?

LOVE IT!!!!

Much more "me" but trying to step out of the box.

Could be kinda cute - ish?

Just Beautiful

I love days like today!  I woke up with a horrible sinus / allergy headache, which is the norm lately, but decided that I was going to try and make the best of the beauty in the day.  So Bennett and I ran a few errands, went to Jim's Root Beer stand for lunch, picked up Gammaw Carlos and headed out to one of our favorite places to buy spring flowers, Miller's.  My eyes were a bit overwhelmed but in the best possible way!  We planted sweet pea vines and gorgeous red-orange marigolds.  Marigolds sometimes get overlooked but plant them in front of something purple, like lavendar or salvia, and boy do they shine!  I dug this old green metal picnic type box out of the garage and went to town; tangerine geranium, peach orchard verbena, variegated ivy, and light purple nemesia.  I nestled in a stone dove from The Little Shops in Verona and voila!!!! I had a little extra verbena left as well as one ivy plant so I put those babies in a milk glass vase and out on the back patio they sit, looking quite pretty if I do say so myself.  Point is, the day started a little rough but ended just beautifully!

Prayer Changes Things

Just yesterday at church the kids learned this ... "Prayer changes things".  Bennett had a rough evening last night and so we talked about this very thing.  Today I became aware of a mother my age who went missing at an outdoor mall that I frequent this past Saturday.  Her name is Tiffany Tehan ... and she and her family need our prayers!  Tomorrow a search party is going to be organized.  Please pray about getting out to help and if you can't, please just pray ... because PRAY CHANGES THINGS!!!! 

But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.  Psalm 71:14

Candy Coated Countryside

Yesterday afternoon Bennett and I took a drive in the country.  There's nothing like driving through places you've never been before, windows down, singing to the music, and best of all just laughing!  There is a mysterious little town, if you will, called Sugar Grove about 15 minutes from our house.  It's a winding, tree speckled, creek lined road full of beautiful old farmhouses, bank barns, and at this time of year, tractors.  Just being out there yesterday made me more and more ready for the country.  It has been the dream of my husband and I to buy an old farmhouse, give it lots of tlc, raise our family there, and grow old there together.  Anyone who knows by husband knows he has a passion for old barns, especially bank barns.  Sugar Grove Rd. is filled with them!  I love the wide open spaces and smells in the air.  I so badly want to give Bennett room to romp around and have real animals (he has a minor obsession with stuffed ones).  We finally have a contract on our house so we are trying to patiently wait for God's plan as to where we go next.  He is kind of unpredictable in His timing .. though I'm not complaining!  Everything He does is perfect and I know He has some run down, abandoned, nearly condemned house for us out there somewhere.  I hope to dust it off, clean it up, shower it will tons of love, and present it one day ... aren't these all things He does with us sinners?  I'm so thankful He sees in me what many days I do not see in myself!  Just today Bennett and I were opening his bible to read about kindness and here's what he said "Momma we should also read about faithfulness."  I know the look on my face read curious because I marvel at how he comes up with these things sometimes.  So this evening I looked up faithfulness in my bible and this verse spoke to me. 

~ Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Psalms 36:5

I need to be reminded of this more often ... so thanks Bennett!  He is faithful and will lead us where He wants us, when he wants us there.  Until then, I will drive through Sugar Grove marveling at His beautiful earth ... His candy coated countryside. 

Redeemer!

"Now I know my Redeemer lives

I know my Redeemer lives

Let all creation testify

Let this life within me cry

I know my Redeemer, He lives

To take away my shame

And He lives forever I'll proclaim

That the payment for my sin

Was the precious life He gave

But now He's alive

And there's an empty grave."

These are just partial lyrics to Nicole C. Mullen's song entitled "Redeemer".  Today I have no words worthy of the empty grave; of the life nailed to the cross to free me of my endless sin; of the sacrifice my King and Father made for me.  All I can say is that I pray everyone, today and everyday, acknowledges the Savior of all mankind and the miracle of our redemption.

Chicago's Glory!

Wow ... it's been a few days.  I've missed you blog, but I'm back now!  Cory had a last minute business trip this past weekend and asked if Bennett and I wanted to tag along.  So we packed our bags and headed up to Chicago.  Our 4 day schedule was jam packed with The Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum, the Planetarium, The Sear's Tower, Navy Pier, and of course lots of eating and tons of shopping.  We experienced a lot in a mere 4 days, many things which we had never done before.  Like riding the El, the subway, and in a taxi.  You're laughing I'm sure but remember we are from rural Darke County Ohio and there are no red lines here.  We've been out of the country and to numerous states but somehow Chicago was different.  Massive yet quaint ... noisy yet quiet ... scary yet liberating.  I of course took a ton of pictures, 308 to be exact, but couldn't fit them all on here so I hope these will suffice.  Chicago was full of glory but like Dorothy says "There's no place like home!"

So many flower shops in Old Town.  It was nice to see such beauty in the big city!

The beautiful architecture in Old Town.  Love at first sight!

This darling paper boutique in Old Town called Greer.  I could've spent hours in there.

Navy Pier's magnificent views!

The many faces of Bennett!  He was unhappy about waiting for the bus for what seemed like a lifetime; him with the Guatemalan dance masks @ The Adler Museum (I love when places we visit have things from his culture and birthplace); and Bennett just plain happy!

The beauty of Chicago's downtown.

More beauty!