My Little Sis

I can not believe that my little sister is a married woman ha!  Everything turned out wonderful.  Gabby and Jonathan are so blessed to have some incredible friends not to mention an incredible family (amazing sister and brother in law...cough...cough haha).  Everyone came together to make their special day the best that it could be.  Most of my pictures are on facebook but as soon as the photographer finishes up I will post the link for all of you to see!  Jamey Moore did a wonderful job, we've already seen the first batch and can not wait to see the rest!

The Bride and I...I should have gone to the tanning bed!

The Bride and Groom with the Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

One last good bye...he kept saying he wanted to go to Target with them haha!

And here they are!  Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Roberts!   Thank you all who took part in their special day!  I wish Gabby and Jonathan pure happiness and joy!  Keep God first in your lives and NEVER take your eyes off Him!  I love you both so very much and I am such a proud sister!

"Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.  Love never fails..."

1 Corinthians 13.8

Embracing My Imperfections

As I rocked Mackenzie Faith tonight and reflected on my life I've realized I have spent entirely way too much time worrying about the appearance of "being put together."  You moms know what I mean.  We want to appear as though we have it under control.  We want to be graceful as we unload the double stroller, herd three kids, grocery shop and not lose our minds in the process.  I've struggled the last few weeks and went through a week of almost depression.  But tonight as I took Mackenzie Faith upstairs and as I held her asleep in my arms I felt so incredibly blessed.  As I type this I have the dinner dishes in the sink, a load in the dishwasher I need to unload, a load of laundry in the dryer and washer, dirty clothes on the floor in the laundry room waiting to be washed, my living room floor looks like a sticker book blew up, and none of my beds were made today.  A few weeks ago I was so overwhelmed with my house and myself.  I felt like a failure as a mother and wife because my house to me felt like a tornado had come through, I had not put make up on all week and I believe I stayed in yoga pants and a t-shirt almost every day.  But as I think about how much the Lord has blessed me I am bursting in gratitude.

No, my house does not look like something out of a Southern Homes magazine, my car...well lets say the tornado that came through my house went through my car too!  It's hard when I read other mom's blogs and ask myself how do they look so put together?  I am lucky if I get my teeth brushed before lunchtime and out of my pjs before mid afternoon!  But as I sit here tonight I am embracing my dirty dishes in the sink because I am thanking the Lord for providing the food I cooked tonight, for a husband who worked all day in this heat to provide for us and enable me to stay at home, for sweet kids who ate from those dishes.  I am embracing those unmade beds because I am thankful that my children have a bed to sleep on.  I'm embracing the stickers on the floor because a sweet little girl played with those stickers for an hour while I cooked dinner.  I'm embracing my dirty car because I am thankful to have a car to take us where we need and want to go.

I am blessed...and today I am embracing my unperfect life because I have a perfect Heavenly Father who loves me and cherishes me.  Who loves me unconditionally no matter what I look like, what my house looks like.  I am done.  I am done feeling "not good enough" and "unfit."  I am refusing to stress about every little detail in my house.  I will clean and upkeep, but I will take time and play with my children.  I will take an extra five minutes to rock my sweet baby girl and I will spend time on the couch with my husband.  Even if that means that the dishes have to wait until the morning when I wake up.  Life is precious and no one is guaranteed the next hour or minute or second!  Embrace your imperfections!  I don't have it all together, but God's got it under control for me.  And I'd rather He have it under control than me have it under control!  

Thank you Father for everything you have blessed me with.  Forgive me for being so selfish and ungrateful.  You are awesome and you love me just as I am.  Thank you for everything you have blessed me with.  Thank you for a husband who loves me and cherishes me.  Who is true to me and our vows.  Who works with his hands everyday in this heat to provide for us.  Thank you for Bubba, Sissy, and Baby Girl.  They are my three precious treasures and I love them with all of my heart.  Thank you for trusting us enough to raise these precious babies.  Thank you thank you thank you!  I love you so much Lord and I praise and worship you.

Amen

Memorial Day (Monday) Saved the Best for Last

The best part of Memorial Day was the slip and slide and water sprinkler we bought for the kids.  Joseph just couldn't resist and had to join in on the fun.  He said he needed to "show" the kids how to slide... sure baby sure haha!  The kids and Joseph had a blast! I think we've found our summer relief activity!

After her diaper was so soaked it fell off and we chased her around in her birthday suit she let us put her swim suit on!

Haha!  I thought this one was funny.

Taking a break to eat lunch

Sweet Sissy

Round #2 included Uncle Josh coming out to play

And this is what happens when the neighbor's dog gets loose... spoiled the fun and inside for baths ha!

Thankfully Sissy continued to play...  My fearless girl!

Memorial Day Weekend (Monday)

 Joseph decided to take the day off.  It was so nice having him at home all day.  Mom, dad, tio Gualberto, tia Leonor, Tia Chela, Tio Marcos and Josh were all coming over for lunch.  Joseph and I woke up bright and early.  Joseph brought the ladder out and we dusted and cleaned our high ceilings.  My hubby is a little scared of heights so he held the ladder and I climbed and cleaned.

After cleaning up, Joseph and the kids went to the Mexican grocery store in Gainesville to buy meat and veggies.  It's so much better when you buy it there and cheaper too!  On the way there they stopped by Nana and Papa's house to check on them.  Papa is war veteran, I thought that was sweet of Joseph to go by there with the kids on Memorial Day. 

When Joseph and the kids returned I went to Kroger to buy a couple of more things and then came home to start preparing the meat.  We celebrated Memorial Day...Mexican style!

My uncle has got to be the best "griller" out there!  He does an amazing job at grilling the meat.  It's juicy and tender and well done! 

The finished product!  Carne asada, rice with veggies, pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa, chiles and no Mexican meal is complete without tortillas! 

I was so happy to have my family over for lunch.  Also happy because they all helped with lunch.  It's so nice to have family close by and to see them often.  Most of our family on my side live in another state or country.  It's nice to have my tias and tios (aunts and uncles in spanish) here for a while!

Tia Leonor made the pico and guacamole

Tio Gualberto

Tia Chela made the salsa

Such a nice afternoon with family!

Memorial Day Weekend (Saturday)

This was a weekend to remember!  On Saturday Joseph had one of his "big and important" clients call him with an emergency so off he went to work for a couple of hours.  I stayed home with the kids and cleaned up around the house.  I had planned to go to the tanning bed that morning, but I was seriously in a major lazy mood!  Joseph came home with our regular weekend boiled peanuts and we ate lunch.  After lunch he decided it was time to go pick up his new "project."  You see my hubby has developed a new itch... flipping cars.  So he saw a good deal, we talked about it, waited a couple of days and the time was finally here.  Now this is a flip that I'm not sure will get sold.  Not because of lack of interest...but because my hubby will not want to get rid of it.

The plans are to get new bigger tires, add some more chrome, and a new paint job... can't decide if we'll stick with red or black.  What do you think?

He was ecstatic!  Joseph LOVES Jeep Wranglers and now my kids do too!

This was the first time Joseph's driven a Jeep with two car seats in the back!  Let me let y'all know we rode around in two cars all weekend.  Not only because my hubby wanted to drive his new ride but also because the kids refused to get back in mommy's car.  

Later that day we drove (in separate cars) to my mom's.  She kept Mackenzie Faith while the four of us met our family for dinner at Mellow Mushroom and Sweet Monkey's for desert. Saturday would have been Vince's birthday.  We miss him more and more each day.  

Those were the only two pictures I took that night.  But they sure were good.  Two beautiful girls!