The Duke's first annual cabin adventure ;)

Daddy-O and I decided to take the kids on a "mini-vacation".  We did some research and asked around and found a cabin in Asheboro.  This was perfect because the price was right and it was close by.  We were also able to get into the zoo for free so it made for a wonderful time!  This cabin was lovely.  It was small with no cable and no internet.  There was a great pond for fishing right out front.  We had goats, sheep, and alpacas for neighbors.  Cows who lived across the pond.  And to top it all off, the owners were super friendly!  They came and picked us up on their gator to take us to "visit" the cows.  It was a perfect time to just be together.  I think this is something we will definitely be doing again in the future.  

I had a really hard time choosing which pictures to share!  I tried to narrow it down as much as I could!  

When we left the cabin, we went to Durham for a few nights.  We spent one night with Chris' parents and one with my Grandparents.  It was wonderful to spend time with family and catch up with some we hadn't seen in a while!

We are so blessed!

I am a little over 50% finished with a book called 7, by Jen Hatmaker.  I know this because my Kindle app.  keeps up with that for me. This book has my mind working in so many ways I'm not even sure which I want to act on first.  I am realizing now more than ever how much we have and we don't even realize it.  I complain sometimes that I can't do this or buy that.  There are people living right down the street, in my neighborhood possibly, sitting next to me at church on Sunday morning, who are suffering.  Suffering because they don't have food to eat.  Suffering because they can't cloth their children.  Suffering because they can't make the rent payment.  And here I sit, reading this book on my iPad Kindle app. wearing a shirt I literally can't remember the last time I wore, drinking my coffee out of a mug I paid to paint, pondering which of the many things in my pantry I might like to eat for breakfast.  Something is wrong here people.  This book is showing more and more that we live in a society where bigger is better.  More is better.  Expensive is better.  Pretty is better.  But is it really?  When you stand before God on judgement day, do you think he is going to look at a list of all your things and commend you on working hard to achieve the money to go out and purchase this or that to increase your standing amongst other people.  I don't think so.

       "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where

        thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth 

        nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there 

        your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:19-21

A change needs to happen.  In the hearts, in the minds of so many.  I posted a quote on, yes, you guessed it, Facebook the other day that Jen said in her book. "If we all raised OTHERS up instead of raising ourselves a little higher, there would be few needs left on this earth." (emphasis mine)

We live in a "me" world.  People think it's like Burger King where you have "your way right away", always looking out for #1 (ourselves) when we should all be looking UP to #1, our Lord and Savior.  

I'm not saying sell everything you own to help those in need.  I'm not saying sell your house and go live with the homeless to see what they really endure each day.  (Although I must admit both those thoughts have gone through my mind while pondering all of this.....seriously)  I just think if every one of us took a good look at all we have, in the grand scheme of life, what does it matter?  It's just STUFF!  Do you REALLY need another Coach bag?  Do you REALLY need another pair of Dolce Vita shoes? (honestly no clue what these are, I googled shoes sold at Nordstroms....just being real)

Ok, I am going to step down off of this soap box...for now.  But if you are reading this, spend some time looking at how blessed you are.  Even if Sally down the street has way more than you!  And maybe God will reveal to you ways that you can bless others.  

July 4th, 2012

The 4th of July is always lots of fun at our house.  We are very blessed to be able to see the fireworks from Oak Hollow Lake from our driveway.  Every year there's a nice crowd who comes to cook hot dogs on the grill, hang out, have our own personal fireworks show (courtesy of Poppi), then wait for the BIG show!  I will say, we were a little afraid we had missed it this year because they started a little late.  Here's a few of my favorite pics of the night!

a decade

June 29th marked 10 years that Daddy-O and I have been married. 10 years! Wow! I love him more today than I did then....and I know back then I didn't think that were possible! Funny how seeing your husband grow as a father as well as with his Heavenly Father makes your heart swell so big you think it might just pop out of your chest!

The week leading up to our anniversary was vbs week at our church. Anybody who knows anything about vbs at LCC knows we do it up BIG! We reach so many kids and it is so rewarding! It's also tiring! Long days and early mornings! Don't get me wrong I love it! LOVE. IT! But it wears this mama out! I wasn't sure what Friday would hold because I wasn't sure I would be able to hold my eyes open! My awesome vbs team did their best to get me home early upon Daddy-O's request! Now, as a side note, we used to say we were going to return to our honeymoon spot, Jamaica, for our 10 year anniversary (take note of the word USED to...hehe). Back to the story...I got home early and my wonderful, thoughtful, awesomest-ever husband had turned our backyard into Jamaica! He brought Jamaica to me! We had tiki torches, a pool, a beach chair, even the blazing hot sun! He grilled me vegetables and we ate a nice relaxing dinner together....alone! AND we got to sleep in the next morning!  In the words of Buzz Lightyear, I love him "TO INFINTY AND BEYOND!"

OBX

We were very blessed to get to spend a few days in the Outer Banks with my parents starting Father's Day weekend. While we were there, the boys got to go on a 1/2 day charter! They caught a LOT of fish! Poor Nana was seasick the whole time :(. Joss and I stayed at the house while the others went fishing.  Poor Joss had a horrible rash all over her body.  I took her to the dr there who diagnosed her with a virus.  The rash didn't go away so we decided to leave early to take her to our pediatrician here. It turned out that everyone other than me, including Daddy-O, had strep throat! It presented itself as a rash on baby girl!

June....

The beginning of June was spent finishing our baseball season, babysitting some super seet kiddos, hanging out with our dearest friends.....

The boys have also started taking Tae Kwon Do through CBBA. They really enjoy it.  It seems they are never still anymore.  They are always practicing the white belt form.  This class is great because there is a scripture memory aspect to it.  The boys were very excited to break their first boards a few weeks ago and they earned all three stripes on their belts.  

Hmm...what else happened that I may have missed this month...I let Jaxon cut my hair....yes I like it....I've been sewing.. a lot.....

MOM!

Moooooooommy!

Mama, Mama, Mama!

You know those days when you hear your name so many times it starts to sound funny. So many times you think you just might scream. Days when the fighting is never ending and the screaming doesn't cease. With 4 children, I have those days a lot! I hear Mom! Followed by, "he hit me", "he took my Lego!", "he's being mean to me".  Believe it or not, I'm already hearing, "Jossalyn hit me.....again!"

I can admit  there are days when I complain. I'm human. My flesh gets the best of me. I stop hearing "all things joy". But my Lord quickly nudges me. He has blessed me with 4 healthy children here on this earth.  When they are fighting, screaming, crying....I must stop and think, at least I have these children to hear fighting, screaming, crying.

One of my darling sons has a hard time going to bed. He gets himself all worked up. Daddy-O and I tell him a few things each night after we pray with him. One of which is that his actions are a choice. Well isn't this true for everything. It's all about perspective. 

"Joy is a function of gratitude - and gratitude is always a function of perspective." -Ann Voskamp

One day these sweet children will grow up. I will long for those screams. I will long to hear someone calling for Mommy at any given hour of the day or night. So while these days may be exhausting and even if I actually do scream, I am going to cherish every moment....every argument! Instead of balking when someone else needs me at 2 am, I'm going to get up and fill that need...no matter how ridiculous it may be.  Instead of wishing it was just Daddy-O and me in our king size bed, I will welcome the one who has a bad dream. Whatever it may be....ALL THINGS JOY.