i'm gonna try these.

simple mom has a giveaway for these today.

i'm gonna wait and see if i win (probably won't), but then i'm going to order some to try. i buy the "free" detergents already with two babies and a husband with sensitive skin. these look way cool, and, assuming they work, seem like a easy way to make an unavoidable chore a little greener!

how i became an eagle on the road to ballinger.

this week marks the last week of my first teaching gig.

the combination of the crazy consuming business of being a mommy, being a (sort of) teacher and trying to figure out my plans for next year has had me pretty tied up physically, mentally and emotionally.

the fact that i must work has already been determined. it's where that has been the subject of many prayer requests lately.

on friday, may 15, a decision was officially made.

next year, i will teach 6th-grade english and high school journalism at texas leadership charter academy!

i am relieved to have made the decision, and i am so totally excited to have my own classroom. best of all, i believe i am exactly where God wants me.

the connections, open doors and peace in my heart solidifies that for my family and me.

if you're interested, here's the whole story.

during spring break, i got a call from the principal at ballinger high school. he needed a long-term substitute for a vacated spanish position starting the next monday.

it was random (i'd never applied in ballinger isd), inconvenient (80 miles a day) and scary (leave my kids? um...teach spanish??).

but it seemed like a golden opportunity to gain some valuable experience to add to my hopeful-teacher resume.

so i did it.

shortly after i started, i discovered the principal at bhs was leaving to become the assistant superintendent and CFO at tlca. a little while after that, i learned the counselor at bhs was leaving to become the principal at the private-school-turned-charter-school.

they encouraged me to apply.

then i learned that tlca was collaborating with a successful group of charter schools in red oak called life schools, schools that were established by dr. tom wilson. tom wilson is bracy wilson's father. bracy wilson, the pastor at stonebridge church, where one of the life schools is located, is landon's mentor.

even with all those connections and the leaders' invitation to apply, i balked.

there was another "possibility" i was considering despite a feeling deep inside that tlca was the place for me.

i went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. one sunday, i wrote the names of both options on tiny pieces of paper and laid them on the altar.

i avoided being quiet with God on the subject for the next few weeks. i'm pretty sure it was because of that feeling deep inside. i just didn't want to listen. i wanted to wait. i wanted to see. i wanted the chance to choose. i wanted it to be my decision.

then, a couple fridays ago, i was asked to decide. clarifications were made, conversations were had and suddenly, it was obvious. other doors were closed while the one leading to tlca stood wide open.

"walk through, My child. just walk through."

and i did. the peace is unspeakable. i'll be working in an exciting school with exciting people, teaching children about my deepest loves.

what could be better?!

go eagles!

funny how i could have had this peace weeks ago, if i'd just listened to God. i look forward to the day when i don't plug my ears and hum, pretending not to hear, when God is leading me.

someday.

God has used this time in ballinger to do more than give me a job or two. i've learned a lot and been encouraged and uplifted by some great people.

and He's spoken. a lot. He has revealed simple truths as i've spent many miles on the road to ballinger. through rain, sun, clouds and trees, the Lord has used His creation to speak to my heart.

and as i make the journey every day, there always seems to be something beautiful in the distance.

beyond bhs, beyond tlca, that's what He wants me to get.

He has something beautiful just up the road.

"'for I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

ellie on the back patio.

sunday morning cooperation.

2009 so far: the babies.

look forward to a coming post that will help explain why i've been so non-bloggerish lately. much prayer and petition has been poured out in search of God's will. i believe i have an answer. praises.

see these babies? they are what makes every second of decision-making worth it.

" hey sunshine," indeed.

showering laura.

yesterday, my aunt ellen and aunt andrea hosted a lovely bridal shower for my sister, laura. the beautiful bride-to-be got some great gifts to start stocking her home as a married woman, and we, the guests, were treated to good conversation and outstanding food.

seriously, my aunts know how to throw a shower. fancy food on fancy silver platters and pretty glass plates. no paper here. also, i love ellen's house. it's so comfortable and sweet smelling and just...great. it's one of those homes that makes you feel welcome, but you can't put your finger on why. a big part of it has to do with the fact that being with her reminds me of my grandmother. that warms my heart.

laura (the bride), brittany (the 20-year best friend and bridsmaid) and kyla (the cutie butt daughter) checking out gifts.

laura with her personalized wedding art. from where? etsy, of course. from who? moi, of course. names, wedding date and a crossword puzzle theme. taylor loves crossword puzzles. laura loves etsy. the colors match her planned bedroom.

pretty girl reading cards.

a 4-place setting of her dishes was under this pretty butterfly wrapping.

the loot.

9 months.

i'm a bad mommy, and i didn't post a eight-month update. even this post is two days late.

my reason? i started "teaching" in your eighth month, baby gray. i've just now started breathing again. sorta. yes. teaching. i started working. which means i don't have you by my side every second of the day. which means i have to keep my mind very focused on why i'm working and not what i'm missing. because my heart is very fragile when i contemplate that you and your sister are smiling and laughing and crying hundreds of times during the day. because i'm missing it. i'm praying, that with God's increase on our efforts, your daddy and i will be able to smile ourselves when we know we've done our best to make a better life and future for you.


since i last updated, you've become a champ at sitting. you love to sit and play with ellie. you rarely topple over. you still haven't started crawling, but i can tell you're getting close. i can see it in your eyes. you're very strong, and you push up on your chubby little arms pretty far. i think you could crawl if you wanted to. you just don't wanna. you roll a lot still, and, of course, smile and giggle tons. your sweet, fat thighs are very ticklish. i love to pinch them. you got your first teeth and your first haircut in your eighth month. i posted about that here. you weigh 20 pounds, 7 ounces, just nine pounds less than your 27-month-old sister.

despite my working, we have been able to continue to nursing. you haven't had to have any formula. that is one reason i've been able to tolerate the transition. i pump a few times during the day, and you eat more solid food when you're at home with mamo, daddy or, your sweet babysitter, eowyn. you (and i) are happy to nurse when we're together in the evenings and on weekends. i am looking very forward to the summer. i pray fervently every day that my milk supply will stay up until then.

just about a week ago, you started sleeping through the night! holy cow. i was convinced that'd never happen. though i have cherished our nighttime cuddling, i have to admit it's been nice to sleep a few hours straight these past few days.

also, this weekend at susu's, you learned to pick up food and put it in your mouth. we have been feeding you your beloved puffs. you would grab a whole pile in your fist and squeeze them to mush, unable to get any to your mouth without help. but, with flax seed waffle bits, susu coaxed you into putting bites in your mouth yourself. so big!

i love you so much, my love. one of the sweetest moments i remember this month is one evening when i'd dozed off on the couch. we were all in the living room, you and ellie playing on the floor, daddy watching tv. i opened my eyes to your perfect little face looking at mine. you looked right at me and said, "mama...mama...mama." a coincidence? maybe. but, oh, how my heart swelled.

i am your mommy, little one. and you are my son. man, did i get the best end of that deal.

happy nine months, grayson reed.

spring cleaning party: living room photos.

the living room is done!

it took me all...day. (i was at home with poor grayson who has an ear infection and bronchialitis) but i did it! all of it! from baseboards with alcohol-soaked cotton balls to soaking and sun-drying the blinds. tsh's book says that blinds house TONS of dust. the woman knows what she's talking about. the bathtub was gross! but i can't tell you how much cleaner my living room seems now that the blinds and the windows and the sills are clean.

i took "before" pictures, though it's sort of hard to get the idea of how dusty and musty everything was from pictures alone. the main thing you'll notice in the pictures is i changed a few things around when i organized and replaced everything. i am happier with my built-ins now. it's easier to change things up a little when you're looking at completely empty shelves.

all-in-all, i'm thrilled. it was lots of work (i'm really bad at maintenance cleaning -- picked up suffices as clean in most cases at my house), but SO worth it. i just want to stand in the middle of the living room and stare at everything. and breathe. tangerine essential oil, candle light and rediscovered counting crows has me in love with my living room tonight.

before: not too bad since i did the clean sweep on monday!



decluttered, before cleaning: dust. lots and lost of dust. ew.

after: clean, organized, rearranged....glorious!

i do have plans to slipcover this chair something solid. any suggestions? is ivory too optimistic of me?

a few changes on the mantle and neighboring shelves.

do you like these here? i know they're sorta crooked... i'll fix 'em. also, i really want a palm tree -- or some other sort of live indoor tree -- to put in this corner.

i moved the tablecloth from the kitchen table to this decorator table. the one i had on it needed washing, which then would have required ironing. also, i think this vintage one is more interesting than the stock damak stripe from wal-mart. thoughts?

the kitchen is next. it may be 2 weeks before i finish that monstrosity.

spring cleaning party: clean sweep photos. (updated!)

i've raved about simple mom before, and i'll do it again. simple mom is greatness!

i have had her "spring cleaning whenever" e-book for a couple months. and while i love it, and i can totally tell it would work, i haven't gotten up the motivation to begin the process. until now. tsh and her readers are participating in a 10-day spring cleaning party, complete with before and after photos of every step for those bloggers among us. i do things so much better in groups so this is just the motivation i needed.

i checked out some of the before and after photos in the comments from today's first step, the clean sweep, and i have to say, i beat everyone by a long shot.

tsh is so funny with "see? i'm a real person! i have clutter!" uh, a kleenex and one stray sippy cup is not clutter. bless her sweet little heart.

these, mine, are SO bad. and i'm only sharing the communal spaces. the master bedroom? oh...my...goodness. but we'll get to it! that's the point of this, right? not shame, but motivation and a new (cleaner, straighter) start.

so, deep breath. and go...

living room: explosion of toys and yet-to-be-folded laundry.

the living room: the addition of a husband makes it oh, so much more inviting! :) i took my "coffee table" out of there just to see what i thought. i'm not against coffee tables. but i didn't think what i had going on was beautiful, and it was always covered in mess. so.. i took it out. thoughts? also, do my trying-to-be-artistic shelves come across that way? or do they just look junky? closer pics might be helpful.

hall bathroom: not too bad. except for my lunchbox is in here...???

hall bathroom: not that much difference except for the lunchbox and the makeshift purple hand towel/bath mat is gone. oh, also i took out the faux plant. i didn't hate it, but i didn't love it. it was there for lack of a better option, i guess. sorta like the coffee table situation. like it better with or without?

we even have clutter in the tub! oh. that's the babies. (terrible photo, sorry.) we could probably stand to lose some bath toys though. sheesh. there's hardly room for the kids in there.

kitchen table: etsy stuff and lots of tea stuff waiting to be put away.

kitchen table area: ahhh.. much better. except i hate, HATE that electrical outlet that's way up high on the wall. this is the only place we can plug in our cable modem, and the big black plug makes me HATE the location even more. ugh. any creative ideas for hiding that?

kitchen counter/sink area: dirty dishes, open cupboards, more etsy stuff and other randomness.

the kitchen: funny how pictures make you notice things you don't notice in real life. like how i should keep the front of the fridge clean. and clean off the top.

the idea of the clean sweep step is to clear surfaces, throw away trash and move things to their proper home. tsh also says to decide quickly about things you come across as far as whether you'll keep them, sell them or give them away. her mantra is if you don't need it or find it beautiful, lose it. it's a pretty liberating exercise, i'll say.

on to the living room... there are many dust bunnies about to meet their maker.

too pretty: flowers from the tea.

i had this arrangement sitting in the center of my table at this weekend's first ladies tea. beautiful, no?

update on casen: prayer works!

i'll leave the specifics to crystal, but after a shorter-than-expected stay in the hospital, casen has been released this morning to go home. his oxygen levels are staying up very high without assistance, and he is feeling much better.

praise the Lord!

one of my most favorite things about this thing called blogging is how quickly everyone can and will come together to encourage, support and pray for each other in tough times. i know our spirits and our Holy Spirit respond to such a great gathering.

way awesome.