What Happend to Seven???

For the whole month of March we were totally dedicated to 7 we were going to decrease 7 areas of excess in our lives and we started with food. It was tough it was a total challenge and I think we accomplished it!! So where are we now in 7 thats the question I keep being asked?? Well embrassingly I have to admit we've probably failed some in the eyes of people watching. We haven't done anything since March we had decide we would take a short break between each area of excess and our short break has turned into a long break. I think in part due to the fact we all think food was by far going to be the hardest. Plus its easy to fail, this challenge is suppose to be hard and when its not a law or a requirement and really were not being punished for not doing it....so why why do it???

Well I'll tell you why.....because it keeps coming back to me the thought of all our EXCESS!!! I have been sitting in my laundry room sorting piles and piles of clothes and I wonder why in the world have I let all these piles build up?? Well to be honest because I can were not out of clothes to wear, we all still have clean underwear, and my girls don't care if they match so there is still clothes to wear. So why do laundry???!! Well one its rather ridiculous the amount of clothes we have, the choices we have, and with all that to me comes stress. Stress of having so much laundry to do, so much to keep up with, and stress when it comes to deciding what to wear. So instead of sitting here being upset about the amount of laundry I have I'm going to do something about it. I'm starting the second month of 7.......7 articles of clothing, not including underwear. When all I have to choose from is 7 articles it makes things much easier in the morning to get ready!!

So I ask that people hold me accontable, keep asking where I'm at in my 7 challenge and encourge me to keep going!! As soon as I get out of the mountain of laundry I will choose my 7 articles of clothing and continue on with getting rid of excess!!!

Loving "These Days"

 We have been enjoying the weather!! We've run through the sprinkler, rode our bikes, and been playing at the park!! The girls are growing up so fast and I'm enjoying watching them learn new things. This past weekend Harper learned to pump her legs on the swing and Teagan learned how to ride her bicycle!! We were all very excited and it is so cool to see the excitement in the girls faces.

Blakely's favorite thing to do is go on bike rides! She loves riding in the trailer and more then anything she loves to wear her helmet. Hehe she is so funny she won't even take it off at the park :) I really have to convince her to take it off to go to bed!

I absolutely love this picture!! Teagan and Harper are soo close and they have so much love for each other. While they do fight and argue over toys, where to sit at the table, who's underwear is who's, and pretty much anything and everything they still have a lot of love for each other!! It's funny when they've been separated for a little while like if one is with Daddy or at a friends house when they see each other again they get soooo excited!!



The weather has been amazing and I hope it stays like this all summer but I have a feeling were in for some hot dry days this summer!!

I know it has been forever since I blogged, but wow was April busy!! And here we are already the 2nd of May??!! Really time flies by so fast!!

We have really been enjoying the weather and being able to be outside! We have already checked so many projects off our list and can't wait to get a few more checked off soon!! I'm loving this, seriously maybe a little too much but this is the first time in 5 years that I feel like I can actually get out and do a few things outside, or its ok if Brandon is outside mowing and geting stuff done because I don't have a baby this summer. My youngest is a toddler and she's able to play and I don't have to carry a baby on my hip all summer (although Blakely would still love that), and I'm not throwing up every hour because I'm not pregnant. It's so cool because I can see God's timing in all of this, I know I can be honest and everyone knows it true.....If I wasn't going to Africa in August I would more then likely be pregnant but instead I'm being obiedent to God's will in wanting me to serve in Africa and I'm being blessed with enjoying my 3 beautiful growing girls and my wonderful husband, and while someday we want to continue to add to our family we are doing a lot of fun stuff this summer!!

One thing we did this year is we took a step and invested in bikes, bike trailers, and helmets. One of my greatest memories is riding bikes in Newton with my parents, even as I got older I enjoyed riding with my dad. Last night we got to go on our first family outing and not much has changed except for I'm a lot older, out of shape, and I was willing wearing a helmet. We kind of laughed as were all wearing helmets and Brandon and I still feel like total dorks wearing them but hey being an ER nurse and setting a good example for our kids were wearing helmets! Honestly I wish it was a law to wear a helmet and not because I want to take away a freedom of you being able to choose (I mean if you want to risk getting a head injury thats your choice) but I wish it was a law so that some part of my parenting was easy, I wouldn't be the mean mom that says I don't care that none of your friends wear helmets your wearing one....(I can already hear me saying that and its a few years away before I have to do that) Right now they just do, they don't really think much about it, and its not uncool. In fact Teagan thinks its totally cool and whenever we see helmets she asks can I get one like that??! Oh well I haven't found one part of parenting easy so why start now right??

Since I lasted blogged I celebrated a birthday I only have one more left to celebrate until I turn 30 then I can be one of those people that can say I'm celebrating my 29th birthday for the 5th time. Ok not really I will never be one of those people, and honestly I could care less about turning 30 I don't really find it a big deal...yet but then again who am I to judge I'm not there yet. So this year I had a great time celebrating my birthday with my family and I got two of the best presents and they are totally on the opposite ended of the spectrum (sorta, I'll explain more) but I got a Kindle Touch, and my awesome husband built me a clothes line which sad but true I love!! I've fallen in love with reading again and I hate clutter so my Kindle is awesome, and my clothes line its perfect, its the right size, it looks really nice, and its simple!! So why I've decided these two things are more a like then you might think is because everything I've been reading lately is all about simplicity. My life seems pretty hectic most days and so I love to read and learn about how I can simplify my life. I think I continue to feel convicted about all our busyness, materlisism, and just "stuff" we don't need and I truly want to live a more simple life, one that doesn't seem to be so hectic and filled with "stuff". I want to slow down and enjoy this time with my family because we all know it goes by WAY to fast.

Here is a few pictures of what are summer has looked like so far :)