Parties, Musicals and Warehouse sales

Last Thursday my friend Amy from Euna Mae's had a big warehouse sale so I met two of my friends and we lined up about 30 minutes before it started.  It was CRAZY and also COLD.  And I had Will Holden with me.  

He was actually really great.  Another store I love was having a warehouse sale the same day but I decided not to put him through that.  ha! 

I love these friends! 

I also love Amy! She's the best! 

That afternoon - I met two guys about a project we are working on.  We met at the newest place in town. It's a really neat spot but SUPER HIPSTER.  The place was full of millennials working on laptops or in meetings and here I came with my 3 kids. ha! I felt like they were all staring at me like in Sweet Home Alabama when she says "you brought a baby to a BAR?"  ha! The kids were great - I got them snacks and they had iPads and they did awesome! 

That night was the 2nd grade musical at school.  

Hollis and some of her besties! 

Hollis had a few lines in the show.  I was so proud of her.  She was SO shy and scared when she started kindergarten and now she's so confident! 

Someone sent the most beautiful arrangement to my church for me anonymously thanking me for Singles Day.  I'm hoping if it's you - that you see this so I can publicly thank you.  I'm not doing Singles Day for thank yous!!! I just am praying I can use my platform to help others! I guess this is my calling.  It's not building wells or helping the homeless or something that really seems like it matters.  But I guess helping people start families matters! :-) 

Saturday Hollis went to an ice skating party for a school friend.  I got to visit with some of the moms and I enjoyed it so much! 

Hollis has a really great group of girls in her class this year and I've been so thankful for that! Sadly - our town is growing so fast that they are constantly rezoning so so many of her friends will be going to a different school next year.  At least they will meet back up in middle school! 

Harper spent the night with a school friend Saturday night.  This was her first time to spend the night with anyone other than Sarah Kate.  This is a real sweet girl and I love her family too.  And Harper had the BEST time! But she came home exhausted! ha! We picked her up for church yesterday morning and she came home from lunch and went straight to bed and took the first nap she has probably taken in 8 years. ha! 

We took the other two out for dinner and then ice cream on Saturday night.  We had a great time.  

We have had a great week! 

All the Things

I haven't blogged much lately.  I've been completely swamped with the Singles page.  If you could see my laundry piles all over my house - you would know I haven't had time for much else.  

But somehow between posting singles - I still have a family to be with and we have been busy in other ways too! 

Last week Will Holden had his Valentines party on Wednesday.  It was his first time to exchange valentines and he LOVED it.  He's getting SO big.  He's not a baby anymore - he's a full on boy! 

Thursday we celebrated Valentines.  I always have balloons on their chairs for breakfast and some little treats.  They always look forward to it.  This year the girls got face masks and germ X and they were THRILLED.  It's funny how treats change over the years.  I went and ran Harper's class party and then tried to stop by Hollis' for a little bit.  I got a baby sitter for Will Holden and it made it WAY easier.  

My sweet Valentines

Friday was completely consumed with Singles Day.  I was up until 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning getting it ready to go.  This whole thing has completely brought out the Enneagram 2 in me and it's pretty clear I have a 1 wing too.  Scott's parents came for a weekend visit in the afternoon.  I made Amy Hannon's Shrimp and Grits and it was DELICIOUS! 

We had a lazy Saturday morning and then went for an early lunch at the Station cafe.  It was SO cold on Saturday.  

After lunch, Harper went to a birthday party for one of her best friends in downtown.  I dropped her off and walked down the street to my church to go to a wedding.  

They had a dessert reception and had the CUTEST little pies in a jar.  

This is the 13th couple who met on my blog! It was such fun timing that they got married the same weekend I had such a huge singles day! I hope I get invited to a ton more weddings!!! The groom is actually brother to one of my friends and grew up in my church.  This is the first wedding out of 13 that I have gotten to go to.  And the man officiating even mentioned during the wedding that they met on my blog.  I was a little mortified that my name got said during a wedding! ha! 

Then we all went to see Lego 2.  Which was possibly the worse movie I have ever seen.  I literally thought it would never end.  Actually Scott and I kept looking at each other and just laughing because it was so terrible and because we had drug his parents to it.  

Sunday we had church and then the kids were at church most of the afternoon for choir and GA's and then we had church prayer time.  Harper had to be at choir early so I took Hollis on a coffee date.  Well I drank coffee and she just talked.  ha! 

Monday morning Harper had an audiologist appointment at Children's.  We got there right when these Star Wars characters were about to leave so we got to take a picture.  So fun! 

Harper had a fast and great appointment! 

So I took them to chickfila for lunch.  We NEVER eat inside the restaurant.  I let them play and then we traded in our toys for ice cream.  I didn't even know if they still did that because we haven't done that in probably 4 or 5 years.  It was a treat! 

I just knew we would come down with the flu after that morning.  But so far so good.  Half of the school has been out of the girls' school with flu and strep.  I can't believe we haven't had it yet.  

Yesterday morning I had coffee with a new friend and then I met my friend Susan for lunch.  We had business to take care of but we also had fun catching up.  

Okay now that you are caught up - I have to go get caught up on my laundry! 

Dancing and Dinner

Last week we had unusual warm weather and then we had extreme cold weather.  I took advantage when it was warm and did a lot of walking outside.  

My girls are in piano for an hour every Wednesday and I always try to take Will Holden on a walk or to a park when it's not extreme cold.  We had a good time last week because the weather was decent.  Some weeks it's so cold that we have to just park and sit in the car.  I love spending time with this guy.  

Our school has a Daddy/Daughter dance for 4th graders every year.  It's SUCH a fun event.  

I got asked to co chair this year so I spent all afternoon Friday decorating.  I came home just in time to get Harper ready and take pictures and then I went back to the dance so I could serve food and help and then clean up.  

We transformed the cafeteria into a really pretty room!!! 

Harper has been SOOOOOO excited about the dance! And she had the BEST time! 

Her and her best buddy Lillian

Some of her best friends from her class.  They are such a sweet group of girls.  All the girls looked so cute and just had the best time dancing together.  Their teachers all came which I wasn't expecting.  They were so sweet to come and dance with the girls.  

Scott and Harper did several slow dances and it was just so sweet.  Harper said dancing with him was her favorite part.  She also loved her corsage! 

I think she just felt so special! I hope it's a night she will remember! 

I'm thankful Scott works hard to make her feel loved and special. 

Saturday we slept late and worked on projects around the house and then I took the girls to Walmart and let them pick out Valentines.  

We spent the afternoon making Valentine boxes and filling out our Valentines.  This is Harper's last year to do this.  I can hardly believe that! 

Saturday night we went to Fayetteville and met the Ormons for dinner.  We went to Powerhouse.  We haven't been there in probably 15 years.  Scott and I went there on our very first date in Fayetteville.  Steve and Laurie went on like their 3rd or 4th date.  So funny to be there with our 5 kids! 

We left there and went to Smudgies ice cream.  This is Steve's  - a donut ice cream sandwich.  OH MY! 

We had the best time despite WH's face.  and yes - Emily is now a teenager and gorgeous.  

Yesterday was church and then we were back for choir and GA's and deacon ordination so we spent most of the day at church.  

Happy for Monday! 

On Singleness

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23 

Some of you who are new to me - may wonder why I have such an interest in helping out singles.  I thought I would share a little of why.

I wrote some of this post a few years ago. If you have read here at all - you know that I have a heart for girls who are single (and wanting to be married) and for those girls waiting for children. God made me wait for both a husband and children and even though I was NOT PATIENT at all in those waiting periods and it was hard ..................I can truly say now it was worth the wait and that I learned so much about Him and just exactly how much I can trust Him by learning to let Him be in charge.

I could probably write a 5000 page book on the subject of singleness because I know what it's like to wait for "the one" and I feel so strongly about it not hurting your self esteem or making you question God's love for you. I don't really know how to put it in one short blog post. I also am NO expert and I don't understand God's ways or His will for each person. I do believe our lives are like a jig saw puzzle and when you look at just one piece - it's hard to see what the entire picture is.

And I should stop here and say in no way do I think marriage is THE answer to happiness or anything.  You can live a full life and never marry.  Marriage does not complete you (sorry Jerry Maguire.)  Marriage can bring you a whole new set of problems. And YOU are not complete if you are not married.  But for those who desire and yearn to find someone and be married - THAT is who I am talking to.

For one reason or another, God has had me in a waiting status for the biggest part of my adult life. Probably because I'm a planner and a control freak but most likely because He wants to teach me to trust Him and He also wants me to know Him and I have learned to cling to Him during these times. I  had to wait a while for a husband and I had to wait for a baby. And the one thing I know for sure is God has let me go through both of these things so that I can have the ministry of encouraging women who are single or are infertile. I have such a huge burden for both groups because I know the pain that is in the waiting.

I grew up thinking I would go to college and meet the man I would marry. I thought that was how it worked and I tried to help this along by going to a Baptist college where I would for sure meet a Christian guy to be my soulmate. Well graduation came and went and I didn't have a ring, a M.R.S. degree or even a boyfriend. As the years passed, I began to feel more desperate and hopeless. I tried to put my trust in God but I felt like He had forgotten me. And I constantly compared myself to other girls who had gotten married - what was wrong with me? Satan really tried to attack my self esteem. That is one of the main things that burdens me about single girls is that you can really start to feel like  you aren't "enough". 

Well - the truth is that God has the perfect match for you if He has given you the desire to be married. And He is a God of perfect timing. And the thing I learned the most after years of trying to be who I thought guys wanted so they would like me is that there is nothing you can do or say - if he is the ONE - he will fall for you and it will work. If he is not IT - there is nothing you can do or say to make it be different. I used to think if I was just thinner or blonder or more stylish or funnier or smarter or more athletic or more Godly, THEN he would like me and want to marry me. Or if I would have just said this or done that - it would have worked out. But the thing is - if he is not who God has for you - there is nothing you can do to "make it work". The only guy I ever dated who I was just myself around was my husband. I never pretended to be something I wasn't. I never played games. I never tried to make it work - it just did. It fit. It felt like I had always known him. It just felt like home. 

And I remember on my wedding day finally getting it. It HAD been worth the wait. I was a month shy of 30 and I thought that day might never come - but it did. And God IS so good. And I know now He needed to shape me into the woman I needed to be to make a good wife. 

And marriage is not perfect. It can be wonderful but it can also be very hard. I always thought the answer to all of my problems was a husband. And I put a lot on hold until I was married. "I'll tithe when I am married. I'll get involved in church when I'm married. I'll invest in my retirement when I'm married." If you are single - don't wait on life to start when you get married. Marriage can just bring a WHOLE new set of trials and issues. But the one good part - is you have a partner to get through the problems with! God is so good to have ordained marriage and to give us these best friends to spend our lives with. 

I pray if you are single - that you will just trust God that He does have a plan. I pray that you'll look forward to the day you are on the other side of the tunnel looking back and realize the journey you have been on has made you a better woman. 

My sweet friend Caroline one told me something that I LOVED so much that it made me cry. One of my favorite verses (that I had made into a nursery sign for Harper) is Psalms 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". That was my life verse when I was single. Caroline said "Don't forget the verse before that says 'Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the Land and enjoy safe pastures'" She said her and her friends loved to say "they are just dwelling in the Land". Isn't that awesome?

I hope if you are just dwelling in the land right now- that you will be encouraged that God loves you more than anything and if we humans who are evil like to give our children (or friends or family) good gifts - how much more does He want to give good gifts to those who ask Him? (Matthew 7:11)

Also - I know it's SO hard to feel included in church when you are single. That's something I really struggled with. Church can be so family oriented (which is wonderful and should be that way) - but if you are single - you can feel like you don't feel in. I think churches struggle with how to make that better. My encouragement would be to go anyway. If you can't find a good singles group - go to a couples class or small group. Those couples may be a good source for set ups!!! Other singles probably aren't going to help you find someone but couples would like nothing more than to help fix you up!  You don't have to JUST be friends with other singles - but sometimes life just works out that it's easier to be with people in the same stages.

And this is probably the last thing you want to hear - but enjoy being single. Most likely you WILL get married and have a family at some point and you will look back one day and think "wow - it WAS kind of fun being single". Travel ......a LOT. I wish I would have done more. Volunteer for things (also a great way to meet like minded people). Go out to eat, visit friends, go to lots of movies. Enjoy Saturdays laying in bed watching movies all day. Eat anything you want for dinner. I am so thankful for my family that I can't stop thanking God but there are a lot of things you just can't do easily once you have a family. It takes careful planning now for me to have a night with friends or to go on a trip and I can't sign up to help with things or volunteer as much as I once could. I made the mistake of just wallowing in my unhappiness of being single instead of realizing it was (hopefully) just a stage of life and enjoying it.

I just want you to know - you are NOT forgotten and I pray for you - all of you - daily as you wait. Your love stories are still being written.

Life lately

I am knee deep in Single-apalooza right now.  If you need more info on that - refer to the prior post! 

Here is a little of what else has been happening around here! 

I am helping work with a team who is planning a huge day of giving for NWA.  We are helping hundreds of non profits and I'm helping organize local influencers who are spreading the word.  We met at a newer place in town Thursday night called the Holler.  I haven't been because I feel like I'm not hip or cool enough to hang out there.  

Brooke is someone who I have "known" for a LONG time and have been "internet friends" with for about a year but we have just never met in person.  She was at the meeting and we got to hug and talk and it was so great!! She's just a precious person.  She runs BTribalFit.  It's an online workout community.  She will motivate you like no one else will.  

I also got to meet Bridget who is the mom of 8 (soon to be 9).  They homeschool and used to tour in an RV and are about to go to Australia for 2 months.  CRAZY! 

Friday morning I met Susan for Breakfast at Pressroom downtown to celebrate her birthday a little late.  We had a great time.  

My little razorback fan! I sent him to school Friday not knowing it was "team day".  I missed the memo but thankfully I had put him in a hog shirt anyway.  

Friday night our women's ministry hosted an event for Single women and my friend Marci and I met to decorate for it Friday afternoon.  Will Holden LOVES to "hold the door for the ladies" any chance he gets.  

Saturday morning I took Harper shopping for a dress for the daddy/daughter dance this weekend.  We didn't have the best luck.  All the "girl" dresses didn't fit her great so we went to the junior section and everything there was low cut or WAY too mature.  We finally found something that will work.  It's a challenge when they get to those in between years.  But we had a good time together just the two of us.  

Harper went home with Sarah Kate Saturday afternoon and spent the night.  Then Sarah Kate came home with us after church and spent a few hours on Sunday.  They love being together and I love that! 

Hollis went home with Joseph on Sunday afternoon to play for a few hours.  They have been good friends since they were one and I love that they still love being together.  

We didn't go to a Super Bowl party.  Scott likes to watch the game at home and I really don't care much.  I fixed wings for the first time and they were actually really good.  

 

We have been back to school this week and bible study and normal stuff.  It's been usually warm this week so we have tried to spend time outdoors while we can.