While our numbers were fewer today because a lot of people were out of town, this is my view every Sunday in Primary. I have found myself in a bit of a funk lately and have been grateful to be here each week. Even though it requires a lot of energy, I love that I can count on pure simplicity. The gospel in it's purest form. No judgement, just wiggly, wonderful, smart, intuitive kids.

I swear Brynna is going to be 6 feet tall someday! Today the girls and I went to Target to see what some options were for school shoes. (I can hardly believe the summer is already halfway over!) As we were heading to the back of the shoe section, we passed through a clearance rack of ladies high heels. The girls, just wanting to have fun, pulled some on to teeter around in. Brynna pulled down a ladies size 7, slipped them on and they fit her just right....a ladies size 7 at 8 years old! I am a full grown adult with larger than average feet at size 9 1/2! My 8 year old is only two and a half sizes smaller than me! It was so crazy to me how fast these daughters of mine are growing up!

Maryn immediately started razzing Brynnie about how she had gigantic feet. You better believe that I nipped that in the bud pretty dang fast right then and there. I told Maryn sisters don't ever talk down to one another like that. That if sisters do anything, it is build each other up. That her sister's feet are the perfect size for her and that she can walk proud in them and in who she is.

Brynna grinned and took a couple laps around the aisle. She said "I like being tall because then I can always reach high things!" I hope Brynna, and all my girls for that matter, always feel comfortable and confident, despite what sets them apart or makes them different, in who they are. That they will always humbly know how beautiful and smart and capable they are and never let anyone diminish that. That God made them perfect just as they are.

To me family is everything. Time and time again it has been family (and friends who are loved as family) who have been the hand of God in my life. This past Christmas Justin's brother, Kevin, and his wife, Missy, were so dang good to us. It was one of those years where the company Justin was then working for had taken some really big hits and things were not good. I am not really a material person and it's never been my big focus at Christmastime. But I still hoped we could pull off a few gifts to put under the tree for the girls. Then a package showed up from Kevin and Missy and it it was Christmas morning in a box. Everyone had something and everyone was so thoughtfully considered. I was blown away. This was so much more than our usual family gift exchange. Kevin, knowing how much Justin loves taking Instagram photos, had a collage of some of our photos printed off on a poster. It was really cool. Finally this past Father's Day I had it framed for him so we can hang it up in our house. When I look at it I get such a wash of emotion. Partly because the photos tell stories about our life together as a family and places we have been. But also because it represents to me that cementing love of family, both immediate and extended, and I am again reminded that through them I know God cares.

There is something you should know about me...I hate crying. The only thing worse than crying is crying in front of other people. So imagine my excitement on Tuesday when in a moment of feeling completely overwhelmed by work and just life in general, I just started crying. I couldn't hold it back and was so embarrassed I had broken down in front of everyone. Today when I came into work, my co-worker Randi had left this on my desk (in addition to a much loved bag of peanut butter filled pretzels from Trader Joes! But needless to say those didn't take too long to get torn into!) Her words in the card and beautiful flowers brightened my day and gave me courage to keep my chin up. I am grateful beyond words that I have the opportunity to work with such a great group of people who love and support each other. Each and every one of them have extended love or encouragement to me at one time or another. I am so blessed and hope I can be the bright spot to them in some way that they all are to me.

Within minutes of me picking up Devyn and Lauryn from my friend Kathleen's house today Devy was OUT!! I think this is the sign of one very fun and successful day!

Fourteen years ago today Justin put this ring on my finger and promised to be my partner in crime for all time and eternity. It has been a wild ride and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that there is not another person on Earth that I would rather share my life with. I am simply crazy about him.

I was at Publix (shopping while hungry, mistake #1) and had one of those moments where you feel like Chris Farley in the skit where he is dressed like a girl, scarfing his friends' fries and growls, "Lay off me I am starving!!" At that moment there were sushi and Little Debbie's in eyesight...so I grabbed the sushi and raced to the register before I... a.) got violent from hunger or b.) set a world record for downing a box of Oatmeal Cream Pies in record time. (Thankfully now that these are in my belly I am feeling much nicer!)

Justin has been really busy with work lately and has been driving all over the state to cover games. He took this picture today at one of the arenas he was at and it made me happy. The simplicity, the order, the uniformity. In a life that feels cuckoo crazy, I loved the stillness here.

Justin was gone again today. I have been feeling stressed by the sheer responsibility of life lately. I knew if I trapped myself in the house with four girls, piles of laundry and never-ending to-do's I was going to get grouchy. Saturday is MY day. The one and only day I get where I can clear my plate and just relax. So I ditched to-do's, I shirked responsibility and I loaded the Little Women in the van and we took off to hike up the Vickery Creek Trail at the Roswell Mill. It was a slice of heaven I so needed. The girls had a blast and it did my soul good to be under a canopy of leaves with dirt under my feet and fresh air in my lungs.

I tell you what, Fridays wipe me out. I was ready to fall asleep (at like 9:30...on a Friday night. I am SO exciting folks). Dozing between that nagging voice in the back of my head saying "Go wash your face and brush your teeth!" but feeling like the Sandman had me in chokehold of slumber. Suddenly I jolted up at the realization that I hadn't taken a picture of the day yet. (That is commitment people!) So I grabbed my phone and took a picture of the first thing I saw. Devyn's toy caterpillar she had left on my nightstand.

I have been loving Thursdays the last few weeks. All the girls are home when I get off work and we can go hit the pool before dinner! (I was impressed that Brynna had even coordinated her toenail polish with her swimsuit!)

I have been so sore the last couple of days. So Justin and I went for a walk tonight to the lake to try to work out some of the crampiness in my legs and aches in my knees. Everything looked like it had become a jungle overnight with all the rain we have had! It was nice to soak in the quiet and breathe some fresh air. Justin and I decided we may need to make it a nightly routine!

Little heads, wet and smelling of shampoo. Husband swaying at the sink, scrubbing dishes. Television off and music playing. I smiled as I pinched Justin's butt and felt the lift in my heart of good ol' days recaptured. When life seemed simpler. Then I realized, it's not a time gone. It's now. Despite the busyness, it's simply focused around what matters. Today, is a good ol' day.

 

It's been kind of a wet summer so far. But the great thing is, the rain comes and then leaves again almost as quickly as it came. Devy and Lu were outside showing me their sidewalk chalk art that was starting to be infringed upon by fat droplets that had started to fall. It took almost no time at all for them to forget their artwork, as they were pulled out by what seemed like some sort of inner childhood yearning to get soaked. So they left their dry spot on the porch and went scampering out, laughing and squealing, into the rain.

You have no idea how happy this picture makes me!! I am so grateful today for Justin. I count myself so lucky to not only be married to my best friend but to also have him as the father of my children. I have watched him grow and sacrifice over the years and stretch beyond what was easy or comfortable to him to become the man he is today. I can't tell you how much I love him for that. Watching him be a dad to our girls and constant supporter of me has left me more in love with him than I ever thought possible when we started this journey together almost 14 years ago. Happy Father's Day babe, I just love you!!

Justin is out of town today and the thought of being cooped up in the house all day was making me grumpy. So at Lauryn's suggestion, I took the girls for a hike up Kennesaw Mountain this morning. Devyn's shoes were bothering her and so she had me carry her the whole way up. Lauryn decided on the way down she was pooped and also needed to be carried the whole way down. So needless to say I feel like a worn-out mule at the present moment. But I wouldn't trade the time with my ladies for anything!! (And it made me feel a little bit better about skipping out on the gym yesterday to catch a few more winks!)

Today was so crazy at work. Seven straight hours of back to back surgeries, with no downtime in between to break even for a minute to catch our breath. I was so tired that when I got home, as soon as I stopped moving, I crashed. It made my heart smile when I opened my eyes again after grabbing a power nap that Devyn had come to crash with me.

I love watching a storm roll in. Watching the power and force of nature at work. So tonight I was like a kid in the candy store, as I watched from my front porch lightning flashing and listened as thunder let forth deafening booms and dark clouds steadily marched forward blocking out the light of the sun. 

Justin and the girls retreated indoors while I stood outside taking it in until the rains came. When I came inside I was met with tears from Brynna and dirty looks from Justin, both of who were completely convinced I was going to kill myself standing on our covered front porch while a storm was forming. If I would have ever felt danger I would have been the first one hightailing it to the basement. But there were no high winds near us. Just the still air below and the atmospheric push above. 

It's just part of living in the South. Storms happen and I guess I just kind of take it in stride. Justin called me stubborn. I called him Chicken Little. And Brynna, well we had to break out a brigade of stuffed monkeys to make her feel better. All I know is I am glad it was all uneventful here at Casa de Young and we all lived to disagree another day on how to react to bad weather.

Some days are better than others. Today was one of those days where you just shake your head and wonder if you will ever catch a break. If the cards will ever spontaneously want to magically start working in your favor. But if getting older and going through experiences has taught me anything, it's to stop looking for ease and start looking for the good. So tonight I did just that and realized that I don't have to look too far to be surrounded with all kinds of good.

I was pretty impressed with the giraffe Lauryn drew for me tonight as we were doodling together!

Started the day out right with my Dark & Early Crew at the gym! I was finally able to deadlift my own body weight! 135# baby!! 

Woot woot!

Brynna is working away on some thank you cards right now. From her friends for her birthday she requested random acts of kindness be performed for others instead of receiving gifts. We decided the best part of special events in life is not the things, but the experiences we share with others and wanted to focus on that. So many family members though gave her sweet and thoughtful things that she was feeling so blessed and loved over! She had some wonderful gifts to open and is a lucky girl to be cared about by so many.