Hunter’s somehow taken up residence in my bed. Shhh … don’t tell anyone … but beside those heel-to-my-ribs midnight jabs, I really don’t mind. There’s something comforting knowing my babygirl is snuggled up next to me.

I didn’t always feel this way, but slowly she’s wiggled her way in and it no longer seems important to make her leave. My reasons were mostly selfish anyway.

I used to do my morning quiet time in my bedroom. I have a fireplace, coffee maker, my Bible and necessary accoutrements all within an arms reach. And seriously … how inconvenient for me to go into the next room so she can sleep in the morning!

But like I said … she wiggled her way in, and I no longer see it as an inconvenience. And instead of pining for my comfy bedroom luxuries, I’ve moved my morning time to the living room.

Let me take a moment and be brutally honest about something … lately, I have been completely and utterly exhausted. I used to have an internal alarm that would wake me at 5:00 am. Up and at’em, I was raring to go! But now? It takes all I have to drag myself out of bed in the morning to get my prayers and quiet time in before I start the day. Some days my snooze button gets a better workout than I do.

But. I know. I’ve learned. If I’m not intentional about my morning time — even if 10 minutes is all I can muster — then I’m basically willing my day to go astray.

All that to say …

Hunter’s my earliest riser and most mornings she finds her way out to the living room for some early morning snuggles, before a little iPad or TV time.

But last week, she completely shocked me! She was getting ready for bed and asked me to wake her up so we could do “quiet time” together. She told me she had her Bible, pens, and paper all ready to go for the morning.

My first impulse was to tell her she was crazy!! Ain’t no way a momma’s gonna wake a sleeping baby before sunrise to do “quiet time.” Not to mention the fact she’d interrupt my quiet time!

Instead I bit my tongue.

Yes babygirl … I’d be honored to have quiet time with the Lord together.

And we did.

Is there something you stay intentional about and see it pay off in your children?

Wynter’s on the stage and in the upper right hand corner.

This one isn’t weather related, but it was their last song and one of the reasons I love, love, love their school!

Hunter had kindergarten graduation …

She’s the girl that “mouths” everyone’s part during the program and takes her own part very. very. seriously!

Walking across the stage to receive her diploma …

This is an awesome parody on the Grease song, “Summer Nights.” Definitely worth a listen. Hunter is hidden behind two other girls … if you locate the greenery, she’s almost directly under that.

And Taylor had her first show of the season. It was schooling show, which means it was very casual and a show to give horse and rider some experience in the ring together. I love seeing her riding again!

My sweet cranky-pants Hunter worked so very hard on beading a necklace for herself. You know when little hands painstakingly work each bead onto a string that wibbles and wobbles and frays? But she didn’t give up and reveled in her accomplishment as she asked me to tie the string for her. Just one last step and her necklace would be complete.

And then.

It slipped.

And tiny beads scattered all over the floor.

Her precious face and accomplishment fallen.

I immediately swooped her up and held her something fierce. I thought the closer I held her, the more I could absorb her pain. I repeatedly reassured her, “I’ll help you put it back together, I’ll help you. We’ll put it back together.”

And then God spoke.

“I’m holding you.

Tightly.

I’m trying to absorb your pain.

I’ll put it back together.”

Has something fallen apart in your world? Something you painstakingly and lovingly put your all into? Can I reassure you today that our God is holding you. He’s loving you. He’s trying to absorb your pain. And He WILL put you back together! Those are His promises.

My girl was so brave. I don’t think she had any idea what was about to hit her. But more of that goodness in a bit …

The primary focus of this writing is … motherhood. In light of my recent post on “quitting” … an experience I had in the hospital with Hunter kinda struck me to the core.

After surgery, I was brought into the recovery room where she was still completely out of it. An oxygen mask on her face, hooked up to monitors, an IV … the works. I stood next to her holding her limp and fragile hand. She would mumble in and out of her “anesthesia coma” and each time the nurse would assure her, “Your mommy’s right here. She’s right here.” And on cue, I’d get my face real close to hers, whisper her name and tell her mommy loves her.

Think about these words … “mommy’s right here.”

The world is as it should be because mommy is right here.

I haven’t hidden the fact that I’ve been struggling a bit. In life and in my parenting. My patience is at an all time low. And that’s putting it mildly. It seems every little thing sets me off. I’m at my limit and being tested constantly. I blow up. And immediately regret it. Welcome to parenting, huh? :)

But no matter how difficult I’ve been with these girls … and I’m the first to admit, I. have. been. difficult. They still love me. Unconditionally.

Sometimes I’m so worried I’m going to screw these kids up. I’m not spending enough time with them. I’m not loving enough. Caring enough. I don’t listen enough. I don’t put my phone down when I should {and pay attention to them}. I’m not disciplining correctly … or enough. I’m yelling too much. I’m impatient. All these things and self-doubt has really crept up on me lately.

But right there, in the hospital, it struck me … all they really want to know, now and forever, is that “mommy is right here.”

And girls … I promise you I am. I promise you I will be “right here” for you as long as I have breath. Thank you for your grace and thank you for loving me unconditionally … no matter what.

Whew. Okay! Anyone ready for some Huntie goodness?

Oh wait! First … do you Instagram? It’s kinda my new obsession. If you’d like to follow me, I’m tmstier. I also found this site … haven’t really played with it yet, but you can find me there! :)

So … sorry ’bout the photo dump here … but like I said, I’m a little obsessed with Instagram and I happen to be a little obsessed with my babygirl too!

So this is Hunter in the waiting room {at 6:00 am} before surgery.

She’s been admitted and given her “happy juice.”

The nurses brought her to a closet full of lovies … she picked a hedgehog.

Babygirl after surgery, trying to wake up.

Woken, and brought into her own room.

Green popsicle. “nuff said.

A setback. She wasn’t getting enough fluids and got
nauseous when they sat her up. They decided to keep
her a couple extra hours and pump a bag of fluids
into her.

Within an hour she was better and we made our way home.
After sleeping/resting/whining in my bed for a while,
we decided to get some fresh air with a walk.
Babygirl loves an opportunity to hop in the stroller.

After our walk, I got caught up in looking through the mail
while Hunter went outside. This is where I found her.
On the back patio …

Watching her sisters swim. Yeah, it kinda broke my heart too.

I was told her recovery would take a week. A week off of school.
She may not want to eat for a few days. She may be in pain.

When we got home from the hospital, this girl was ravenous
and craving goldfish and pretzels like a madwoman!

The morning after, she woke up raring to go! I seriously
contemplated sending her back to school in a few days.

And then …

My precious princess was secretly replaced with
Princess Cranky-Pants.

And it was not fun. At all.

We saw a ray of sunshine when she got some
notes from her friends at school!

This one might be a little naughty of me … but I couldn’t help it!
She would. not. give in to sleep! She was crankier than
crank and wouldn’t lay down. I got into bed and she
came and laid with me, but rolling around and ’round.
She climbed on top of me and fell asleep and
this is what I’ve been listening to for the last week …

When I was sure she was sleeping good, I rolled
her off me and let her snooze!

Finally yesterday afternoon she was feeling “a little good”
{her reply when you ask her how she’s feeling}
and so I took her into school for a half-day.
She was a bit wiped when she got home, but
I think it was good to get her back into
her routine a bit. We’ll see what today brings!

I love this little monkey! She’s tested me this past week … oh
how she’s tested me! But we also had quite a bit of fun
together … I love my babygirl and can’t wait for a
strep-free, ear infection-free summer! Woot!

Hunter was with me in the church bookstore last Wednesday night, when she fell in love with a bible and begged asked to have it.  As you can see in the photo I gave in bought it for her.  But seriously, can you really turn your child down when they’re asking for a bible?

Anyway.

She proceeded to walk around church for the next 20 minutes “reading” her new bible.  And when she so-very-excitedly told me she “found the red words!” my heart went to mush.  I asked if she knew what the red words were and she replied “they’re God’s words.”  The red words in the bible are indeed the words that Jesus spoke while on earth.  Be-still-my-heart.

Sometimes I so worry that I’m not sharing enough, I’m not being intentional enough, we’re not in scripture enough, we’re not doing devotions enough, I’m not teaching enough.  Do you ever feel the same?

And then they surprise you with something you had no idea they understood … “the red words.”

Recently, we had a long drive in the car and the girls brought Apples to Apples {bible edition} along.  The girls would get to bigger words “prodigal, martyr, obedience” and they’d ask me questions about them.  We talked about the Red Sea, Passover and the story of the Prodigal Son … I was amazed as I would start to tell the story or meaning, they’d excitedly take over and finish the story.

All this to say, if we can stay steadfast in our teachings and talkings and bringing them to church … these words, stories and their meanings will grow deep into the hearts of our children.  And then into their children’s children …

They seem like a harmless pair of cute, toddler, jelly sandals, no?  Well … they were.

Until my cranky, ailing princess decided to try to squeeze her well-covered-with-socks-and-unhealed toes into them!

They just wouldn’t fit!  And she just wouldn’t give up!  All I could do was stand by watching incredulously as she struggled to get her feet into them.  Tantrum after tantrum.

I would gently tell her “they aren’t fitting.”  “Let’s wait until your feet heal.”  “Look at your sparkly ‘Dorothy‘ shoes.”

Nothing I said mattered.  She was bound and determined … all caught up in the emotion of a fresh pair of synthetic smelling jelly sandals.

Truth is … I finally had to walk away.  She.just.would.not.listen to me.

I wonder how often God stares at us incredulously?  Clearly, something in our lives just isn’t working.  It’s not where we’re supposed to be … where He wants us … what he desires for us.

And yet we struggle.  We make it fit.

Until we’re tantruming on our closet floor … all cried out, puffy-and-red-faced.

Meanwhile, God’s gently telling us, “it doesn’t fit.”  “Just wait.”  “Look over here at what I have better for you.”

But we refuse to see it.  We’re all caught up in the emotion of that new pair of sandals.

And so our loving God let’s us go through it.  He lets us learn.  Until we come to Him with a new pair of shoes, hoping those will be the ones that fit comfortably.

Oh, but how great it would be if we didn’t even have to go through that trial … walk all day in those very uncomfortable and ill-fitting pair of shoes.

Won’t you trust in Him today? “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Today is Hunter’s sixth birthday!! In honor of that, the rest of this week’s re-posts will be about my babygirl! Bear with me? :)

Anyway … I took her to the doctor the next morning, and sure enough … nasty ear infection. After some meds, we decided to bring the treats in to her class at lunchtime.

And now for some deets on this little project! I had pinned a beautiful photo of chocolate cover peeps and thought they’d make the perfect birthday treat for Hunter. Easy-peasy, right?

Kinda not so much. Stay with me here, cuz I’ve got some Pinterest-gone-wrong thoughts to share with y’all!

I talked it over with Hunt {and sister-crew} and we decided to do some kind of “nest” and set the peeps inside. I knew I’d seen edible Easter grass in the past, so as long as I could find some we’d be set. The only unknown was what to put them in.

Bingo! while at Walmart for the supplies, I spotted these cute buckets {green & pink} … .97 cents! And then a friend of mine had some left over gumballs from one of her girls recent birthday parties … perfect!

Until I started dipping my peeps. Um, yeah. Not so perfect.

I used the melted chocolate candy wafer things … chocolate and white chocolate. And a variety of sprinkles. After I melted my chocolate and started dipping the peeps, it was just an ugly mess. After the chocolate bath, I dipped them into the sprinkles … and that was an ugly mess.

In my mind, I had a beautiful image of perfectly covered chocolate peeps. As the words “Pinterest fail” kept running through my head, I figured the photo I had pinned must’ve been done by a professional. Like a baker, or, I dunno know … a professional peep dipper? But make no doubt … it couldn’t been just a regular mom making treats in her kitchen. Oh … side note … I hadn’t clicked through to the original source before starting my project. When doing a Pinterest project, might I recommend you check out the original source before starting?

Back to my peep dipping.

After a bit, I scrapped the white chocolate {just not cute}. I stopped dipping the whole peep bottom {hee, peep bottom}, and just dipped the front. And I also stopped dipping the covered peep in the sprinkles, instead sprinkling the sprinkles on top of the covered peep. Whew.

Still with me?

Anyway … those changes made the project smoother, faster, and less ugly.

When I was done, I headed to the computer and thought I’d go ahead and take a look at the original source to see just who this professional was. Turns out she’s just a regular over-achieving mom who has a flair for the creative! Humpf.

Why am I sharing all of this you might be wondering? Well … I read this post the other day about “Pinterest peer pressure” and it made me laugh. There’s a lot of truth there!

I wanted to comment, but was too shy … are you too shy to comment sometimes? So … I wanted to comment and say … it’s all in moderation. I would love, love, love to do many of the projects I see on Pinterest. I’d love to throw grand parties for each birthday celebration we have. But I know my limits. Sometimes I have the time for it and I gain much pleasure from creating something lovely. Other times, I’m too busy, my heart’s not in it, I can’t wrap my head around anything other than getting dressed in the morning, and so I either don’t do something grand, or I settle for something right in between that won’t stress me out, or I settle for doing nothing … and feel good about it!

I love Pinterest! I’m a fan of all the beautiful photos and projects and food and clothes and kittens and Ryan Gosling… but I think we each need to recognize where our limits lie and work within those boundaries based on kids, jobs, time on our hands. And we should enjoy Pinterest for what it is … a beautiful collection of ideas, recipes, and photos. No guilt involved. Some of us just don’t have the time or resources to be Martha Stewart.

Anyway … a bit of a tangent there … but mostly to encourage you. As with everything in life … you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have … the facts of life, the facts of life. Anyone? Anyone? :)

Okay, sorry, I’m getting a bit loopy. Seriously … I just wanted to encourage you to take what you can from Pinterest, enjoy it, and realize it’s just a pinboard for EVERYTHING on the internet … all that pretty, sometimes magazine worthy, stuff!

OH! and I was just turned on to a new blog … love it! They take Pinterest projects and do them to see if they turn into a Pinstrosity!