Raising Arrows

So every year we keep a "memories" jar... and through out the year we fill it with our favorite events, happenings, words, or moments. We then open it up and read through them on Jan. 1st with sparkling juice and breakfast. It's a fun and simple tradition that we look forward to sharing with our kids through the years. So I have had 2014 and 2015 "memories" on my laptop, saved, and ready to blog but just never have done it. (thank you, no internet) So i thought now would be a prime time to finally spill the beans and get them saved on the blog! Along with some fun photos from those years. {disclaimer :: they are in no real order or sequence. sorry!} 2014 Oct. 9 th – Eye appts for Milo & Norma : Norma good, no problems. Milo, we're told, will have surgery soon... praying and a bit scared August 5 th – Reenie starts back to work with momma :) a very cute distraction As of June, Theo “says” :: tractor, light, dog, bubbles, bath, mom,...

Since it's been so long and everyone has grown so much, I want to update on how and where each kid is at. Along with a few fun family updates. It'll probably be a longer post, but what the hey! It should be done. So lets begin with the main frame... Mom and Dad, Tim and Dani,  lovebirds that started this beautiful mess. We are in our 7th year of marriage and looking forward to celebrating our 8th this summer! Whoa, where did time go?! Overall not much has changed with us. Tim got new glasses and keeps a pretty respected beard now a days and I still deal with the dilemma of long or short hair... it changes frequently. Tim has been working for the Gospel Mission now for a little over a year, and has a nice office. I am pretty much a full time stay at home, homeschooling, soccer mom. I still second shoot weddings with the awesome Melissa Gregersen on the weekends, but last fall stopped my weekly fun at the studios so I could home school and be with the kiddos. It was a hard cha...

Well, looks like I have a lot to catch up on. Including but not limited to adding two kids, moving twice, and some awesome lessons God's been teaching our family. It would take me a very long time to detail out all of these and in the next few weeks I hope to give a more accurate account about where we are and how our lives have changed. For now I'll say just the short of it all.... -We moved back to MI in March 2014 -Miss Norma Irene was born June 2014 -We began helping with Citygate (or Uchurch as we began) shortly after moving back -Milo began kindergarten this past fall (2015), and we decided to homeschool - we LOVE it! -We moved to Portage Feb. 2016 (which is why we finally are able to have REAL internet again and I can begin blogging again! woot) -And we are expecting a sweet, new baby boy this summer!! Obviously there's SO much more to all of this. But it's so hard to know what to elaborate on and what to let go ... so that's the small steps to ...

It's officially been 2014 for 12 hours now, and as I sit down to write our year in review I'm reminded, yet again, at how blessed we've been this year & how much I've learned. God's taught me so much about patience, his enduring love, grace & his faithfulness. Nothings in order, there were so many memories this year that our jar was overflowing. So here we go... - end of March, beginning of April: getting settled into our new home & it finally feels like "home"  - May 29th : dinner with the Wilkinsons, Rudolphs, & Morrie - swimming, tractors, lots of kids, late night  - Theo's first steps across living room Nov. 20th (Mom & Dad were in Germany... walked for Nanny) - April 5th : Family night at the park with McD's - slides, sunshine, walks, picnic  - Baking the month of December and starting our own Christmas traditions - chocolate chip cookies, pretzel bark, frosting cookies, lots of music, oatmeal scotchies  ...

After a few failed attempts at getting Theo's 5 month pics - we finally had success. There's been a lot that's been happening in our lives and hearts - God is definitely at work!! (here's a link to see what I recently wrote about - click here. ) But for the day to day kind of updates ... Well for one, Milo's eyes are not as bad off as we had thought. His appt. get great & our new eye doctor is awesome. She's from MI too! (ROCK ON!) There was some change but so little that we don't have to get new lenses unless we really want to or feel need to. So hooray to that one. Theo had his check up (& has another coming up again at the end of the month), but was 17 lbs. and 26 inches. We got a tall kiddo here - he's the 90th percentile for everything i think ... or least darn close. I guess if you're Keith kid, you're bond to be tall. my little man thinking of his momma   The weather has been getting summery ... southern summery...

So I've been feeling guilty lately. I feel like I haven't been true to myself and to you kids. I feel like I've been too influenced by what others may think or do. And haven't taken the what matters most to heart. I searched high and low for how to raise my first baby the "right" way. And have been slowly coming to the realization that nothing beyond the cross and God's glory matters. As I'm realizing it thru my struggles, I'm not completely free of that "What will they think" attitude. But I've been reading an incredible book for mommas called "Desperate" by Sally Clarkson & Sarah Mae. I'm only 3 chapters in and it's hit me hard. I've had an unrealistic view of motherhood & frankly it's interfered with all of me. My spiritual life, family life, emotionally, physically, & how I view myself. In the chapter labeled "Formulas Don't Work", Sally says, "I believe that there...

I know I've been horrible at keeping things updated and posting ... time just slips away from me. We are settling into our "new" home nicely, adjusting to the south & getting into a new routine nicely. There's still good days and bad days for me, but you boys seem to be handling the move with ease. Seriously, as long as you have one another you're great! So to celebrate Mom's Day this weekend I thought I'd post pics of you boys ... the bestest job the Lord could ever blessed me with (also the most challenging at times) : Mom & Wife. :) So glad to hear your sweet little voice, Milo, when you call out to me ... "Momma!!!" & Theo, you light up the room with your smiles when you see me after naps or first thing in the morning. Melts my heart! Thank you for loving me ... even on my worst days. I Love you boys so much!!