happiness is.

gold painted nails and toes

a 9pm run to the grocery store for ice cream.

a husband who willingly gives up the coveted best blanket

naps on the couch

rainstorms in the middle of august

a good book

dinner parties

hope of the weekend

a new menu planner

dreams of Christmas and hot chocolate

a 5th peanut butter and jelly sandwhich in 5 days

what's your happiness today?

bearing the weight

it's Friday morning and it seems like years ago that it was Monday.

5 short days that feel like a lifetime.

the weight of this season is heavy.

5 minutes into each day I'm ready to throw in the towel.

my heart is quiet in this season--when struggling to survive,

words seem like extra fancy gifts I don't have time to give.

this season began in a flurry. moving, changing, new.

it's now beginning to seem permanent.

it's hard and it's raw and it might not be over anytime soon.

and since the days will keep coming,

and this weight will still be here,

I've got to change how I'm bearing it.

because for now, it's draining me empty

leaving just the skeleton of the person I know I am.

i'm bearing it knowing it's a season

i'm bearing it knowing there's grace when I fail

i'm bearning it knowing it's for a reason

bearing it knowing there's a husband at home whose love is deeper than that day's struggles

bearing it knowing each day there's the promise of the quiet of the morning

bearing it knowing He's making me new

why I love(d) the truck.

I drove my husband's 1995 Chevy 1500.
for a year and a month.
Samuel drives an hour(ish) to work each way, so he takes our little Civic.
it was old, and had character.
like a big ol' dent in the side character.

We kept it--no payments, just expensive gas.
think 10 mpg.
and I'll be honest. most days I hated it.
sometimes I complained about it.
and then I'd feel so convicted and guilty about my ungrateful heart.

But really, it was wonderful.
it ran, it rarely had issues, and it got me my 3.4 miles to work each day.

The time came for the truck to go.
And Tuesday evening we bought our new cute Versa.
but the Versa is really only here because of the truck.
The truck gave us a year to save, a year to prepare.

the versa is cute and small and wonderful
but the truck was such a picture of provision

that's my story, and it's true.

wednesday blessings

happy wednesday friends.
this week is so packed for me, it feels like it should be friday.
speaking of friday, I am taking the day off to fill heartsy orders.
if you are waiting on one, please know that I am doing absolutely everything I can to get them out in a week. 

and if you got yourself a heartsy voucher, thank you.
I am utterly amazed and blessed at all of you.
all of you who have kind words
all of you who have purchased a voucher
all of you who have purchased an item at any point
and all of you who have helped in getting the word out.

i'm blessed, and grateful to all of you.

today in Houston it is 60 degrees.

in the daytime

which means it's fall

it will last for about 1.5 weeks

and then we will have winter.

so this week's lovelies are all inspired by my winter-ishmood

and the "freezing" temps of 60

(I'm a Texan, I know)

and for the record, I DO believe in celebrating one holiday at a time, (not skipping fall/Thanksgiving for Christmas), but I couldn't resist today. so there.

now just to find some pine cones.

 i'm thinking an outdoorsy, blankety picture for Christmas cards.

white lights are the way to my heart.

I love matching wrapping. and fun with ribbon? count me in.



little things #1

it's friday!!!!! it's time for the weekend and all the fun that comes with it.
every Friday I want to share with you "little things"
little blessings, little joys that make my heart rejoice.
i'll admit, there are some days where the blog takes on heavier stuff.

in the midst of looking for jobs, of hurting, of grieving, of whatever is your story
there are little things, little gifts to recieve and give thanks for.
and the giver of the "little things" makes them not so little.
makes the little HOLY things.
and I will rejoice in them.

here are my little things.

1. My brother and his girlfriend, Rachel, are coming to stay with us this weekend. We are SO pumped to have them. and how cute is Forrest?

2. I love the bloggers I follow and have gotten to know.  Jessi is such a sweet woman who radiates Christ in her blog and her etsy prints. I just ordered this one this morning and I am pumped to get it:
AND this weekend you can use the code JUSTBECAUSE in her shop and get 30% off. Do it. I did.

3.  Our chevron rug has a home now..we have placed it and I love it more and more each day.  All that work (and soreness!) was so worth it!

4.  Goodies: Since we have company, I am making this bread this weekend (well, trying to at least).
Last night Sam told me "Lauren, it's not fall here. It may be fall everywhere else, but it's not fall here"
I'm sticking it to this weather and pretending anyway.

5. Coupon code: who doesn't like a good deal on their weekend shopping???  Don't forget to use the code GIVEAWAY for 20% off when you do  your weekend shopping.
Have a happy weekend.

What are your little things this week?

To Bless Others

In Genesis, when the Lord is calling Abram, he says this to him

"I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing"

The purpose of the Lord's blessings is not for us to hoard to ourselves.
This is so counter what America screams at us.
We are not to pour our wealth and perfume over ourselves
We have drenched ourselves in so much perfume that we sink.
We reek.  We are sticky, horribly pungent, and we scream look at me.

In a culture of gluttony and hoarding, I want to give.
To pour the perfume over the feet of the needy.
I don't want to reek of selfishness.
I want to pour out all my perfume on Jesus.




Friends, I want you to win these two very awesome giveaways because I love you so.

First, the giveaway at Naptime Diaries ends today, so get over and enter!  You could not only win a headband, but so so many other cute items!  Also open to those is a coupon code--go get it and get that discount for my shop!

And there is a great giveaway still going on at The Sweetest Petunia

Faithful Families

It's Monday afternoon, and as I prepare for an experiment that starts tomorrow, I am listening to our wedding on my Iphone. Tears are brimming at my eyes, and it's not because of the vows (although they are wonderful), or the memory of that day (although it is the BEST day of my life), it's at the voice of my Papa. 

You see, the man that married me is the rock of our familiy.  His voice has read the Christmas story until we grandkids were old enough to start reading it ourselves on Christmas day.  When you stay at his house, he makes you coffee, kisses you goodnight, and if you "happen" to forget your pj's he always has a big T-shirt for you to sleep in.   He knows not a stranger, and will always sing the "bad words" to any song.  I have heard more versions of Zacchaeus than you can ever imagine.  He loves my Gran.  He brings her coffee just the way she likes it.  He holds her hand.  He kisses her (yes, in front of us).  His faith is known.  His life is not rushed.  He enjoys his days.  When you are with him, you know his attention is on you, and he is focused on the relationship he has with you.   All of this you can learn in the first hour you are with him.  But there is so much more to his story.

He's a cancer survivor.  On all accounts, he should not be alive.  With stage four melanoma when I was just two, I shouldn't remember him.  But instead of a distant memory of a man I wish I had met, he is at the forefront of my mind when it comes to family.  But if you meet him, he probably won't tell you about this.  Not a complaint comes out of his mouth. 

His life is not about his cancer, although in that there is the most powerful story I know of a big God saving and redeeming a man time and time again.  His life is about God and family. He has an attitude of prayer and faith in his life that pours onto all of those around him. Just a phone call or a few minutes with Papa can change your whole day. He has made the traditions and memories that will last my entire lifetime.  When at our wedding he said "Remember, the memories you make now will be the foundations you build upon later in life" I knew he was speaking from experience.

Our families (Samuel's and mine) are families of faith.  Our men are men of integrity.  Our women are loving, self-sacrificing mothers. Our family has built a rich heritage for us to stand upon.  As we daily strive to follow the example of our Savior and our family, we remember the words of Papa, " Remember well to put Christ in our living so that He becomes Lord of your life." 

But even if we can't live up to the example Papa has set, we hope to get "close enough."