You are My Rest- Release Video from Karyn Williams

I had the honor of taking pictures for Karyn Williams this Summer for her new album.

Karyn is a dear friend of mine and I was thrilled to have this opportunity.

Here are some of my favorites from our shoot....

Karyn sent me this song to Preview and release here on the blog and when I heard the words, tears filled my eyes.  This song could have been written just for me.  

Some of my favorite lines, I've cried out to Jesus myself. 

"i'm tired, i've tried my best, i've given all i have"

"feels like there is nothing left to give"

"my faith is wearing thin"

"you never said that the rain it wouldn't fall"

"you never said that the nights wouldn't feel so long"

BUT- GLORY!

"you only promised to be there through it all"

"but God you promised the sun with each new dawn"

"you are my shelter in every storm"

"you are my REST"

Friends, I pray you can find rest tonight.  

I know for me, as a mom, home with little ones every day, the days get long and they feel never ending at times.  The to-do list is long.  The chores piled up like the laundry pile that needs to be folded.  The demands that comes from precious little ones.  But friends, we are right where we are supposed to be.  HE made us for THIS MOMENT.  And He can give us REST.  The ONLY Rest that lasts.  I long for that Soul Rest.  Not just rest as in sleep (which, who'm I kidding???...I like some sleep rest too!...) but Soul Rest is so much better!  Rest as you listen to this song.  Soak it in.  Let the words work on your heart.  

It's been on repeat in my kitchen all afternoon as I remind myself that HE IS MY REST.  I hope you'll enjoy this song as much as I do.  Thanks Karyn for letting me be one of the first to share this song!

This song is available for download now at KarynWilliams.com and Karyn's entire record "Letting Go of Perfect" will be available on iTunes as of October 20th!

Quinoa Salad + Tangerine Vinaigrette Dressing

So, if my family didn't have to eat, I would eat this every single lunch & dinner.  It is THAT good!  I made Lance try a bite (GASP:: HE ATE SPINACH!!) and he said "this has really good flavor!"

I thought I'd pass along the recipe to you.  Last month with my Essential Rewards order with Young Living, I got a free Tangerine Oil so I decided to try it out in this salad.  It did not disappoint! Also, diffuse this oil.  It smells so fresh and clean!

For the Salad:
1/2 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
1/2 cup (or more) spinach, chopped
Pomegranate Seeds- I used half the pom for this.  Emerson ate the other half.  WIN!
And a few mandarins

I have also added fresh peaches, blueberries, strawberries to this.  Whatever is in season- USE IT!  You can't go wrong.


Now, here's the kicker.  THE DRESSING!
This dressing is, lick your plate, good!
2 TBSP Fractionated Coconut Oil (or oil of choice---but this is loaded with MCT so it's good for Emerson too)
1 TSP of Vinaigrette (or more---I like it with a little kick)
1 TSP of brown sugar
1 Drop of Tangerine Oil (not for use in children under 6)

Stir together and pour on top of the salad.

I hope you enjoy this yummy, fresh salad!  Try it and let me know what you think!

The Wilson County Fair

We made 2 trips again this year to our County Fair.

The Wilson County Fair never disappoints.  

The first night it had rained, but it cleared out enough for us to get out and enjoy, even on a school night.

The food, the lights, the animals, the smells, the rides.  

It's just wonderful.

It screams summertime!

Easton could ride every single ride.

It's so fun to see his bravery shine.

His favorite ride this year, was again, the Tilt-A-Whirl.

I don't know how they do it, I can't even watch without getting a little queazy.

But they ride every single year and Emerson & I watch.

Next year, she'll be big enough to ride the little Tot rides!

We LOVE the Fair!  we'd go every night if we could!

Except I'd have to pack supper, because I can't do that grease more than one night a year!

Now, that large sweet tea is another story.

See you next year Fair!  You were so fun!

RECIPE::: Fat Free Zucchini Carrot Muffins

It's been a while since I've logged into the ole Blogger Platform...but here I am with a YUMMY recipe. It's a great snack for Back to School!

I posted this recipe a few years ago, but I've since changed it to make it fat free for Emerson, so I thought I'd post it here! Several of you had asked for it, and I aim to please... It was a BIG HIT!

Easton took these to school a few days last week and Emerson had them for snack as well!  I love when I can find something they will both eat.  NOT TO MENTION it's got veggies!  

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini **I used a half of a large zucchini and 3 carrots. I threw it in my NINJA and it was perfect for this!  Emerson also chomped on a raw carrot while I made these!  #winning
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan.  I use mini muffin tins.  Set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, zucchini + carrot mixture and applesauce. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Makes 24 mini muffins

ENJOY!!!

 

 

Kindergarten: Easton's First Day

Well, we survived our first day of school! Actually, the first week now.  

It's so surreal thinking that my first born is now in Kindergarten.  That's a big deal.  A really big deal.  

I knew he was ready, but I wasn't sure that Lance and I were ready.  

But we took the leap and he's done so wonderful!

After a full week in, he's made some friends, he's had his feelings hurt and he's learned new things.

I'm not sure he'll ever get past the little girl 'smacking' him on the first day of school in the cafeteria, however after seeing her response when I dropped him off on Monday, I'm certain that 'smack' was a love pat.  She seems a little boy crazy over my Easty.  #tooearlyforthis

They allowed us a week to walk them in and then we had to start dropping them off at the door with the rest of the kids.  I think this was the hardest for me, because it's a long walk from the gym to his room, but he did it with confidence.

I cannot wait to see how much he grows in this school year and see all that he learns.  

He amazes us daily with just how smart he is.  

His love for others and his tender heart is such a blessing.

Easton Garrett, you make us proud buddy!

Rosemary Beach: OUR Vacation

When your husband tells you he's booked a vacation for JUST THE TWO OF YOU...what do you do?

Well...if you're me, you get a stomach ache and you over analyze and you 'what if' and you have anxiety for 2 weeks.  

BUT! THEN YOU GO AND YOU HAVE THE BEST TIME and VOW TO DO IT EVERY YEAR!

Lance booked us a trip to Rosemary Beach, our favorite vacation spot before we had kids.

He arranged to have Honey take care of our babies and off we went.

Packing + Planning + Grocery Shopping prior to the trip was ALL WORTH IT.  

And the worry and anxiety was for nothing, as always!

I am SO thankful that he booked this trip for us.  He knew I'd never book it, but knew that we needed this trip.  This relax & unwind time.  Just us.

The first day was a little weird.  What do we do without kids?  What do we talk about?  Wait...we CAN talk without being interrupted.  We can eat what we want to eat.  We can do whatever the heck we want!  SUCH A STRANGE FEELING.  

After that first day, it got easier being away and just relaxing.  

The kids were in great hands and having a wonderful time.

Bedtime was going smoothly and they were all smiles every time we face-timed. 

That's Lance in the yellow going to get our chairs for the day.

I mean...going to the beach with 1 bag and 1 cooler...now, THAT is vacation!

Lance is definitely the more adventurous of the two of us. 

But I love that he made me do something that I wouldn't have normally done.

We rented a Kayak for an hour and did our best to find some sand dollars but with no luck.

Well, we found them...but with no goggles and news of shark attacks, we (he) played it safe.

He knew I wasn't dare getting in the deep deep ocean!

Next time, we'll bring the goggles for the big kid.  

We walked the beach in the early morning and found tons of shells.  

Something I always want to do but with kids we never make it out there that early.  

It was nice to just walk and collect.

Easton would have loved finding all these shells!

I'm pretty sure there's a spot just like this for me in Heaven.  

This is as close to Heaven on Earth as it gets to me. 

Our last full day was my favorite.

We didn't pack lunch.

When we decided we were ready to eat, we walked off the beach and found a little restaurant in town.

Swimsuit clad with sand on our feet we sat down and had a yummy little lunch, just the two of us.  

With full bellies we headed back out to the beach to soak up that last little bit of sunshine left before we had to come home.  

Now, I love a family vacation just as much as the next person, but to just be the two of us for a few days was so wonderful!  

We certainly missed the kids, but to know they were happy and well taken care of allowed us to fully relax and enjoy ourselves.

It is so important to make time for your spouse.  I would really love a monthly date night but we don't do that near as much as we should!  Hardly ever, to be honest. 

This trip was so wonderful and I'm so thankful for a husband who made the effort to plan this trip for us.

Until Next Time, Rosemary!

And in my dreams.

And thank you, Boo, for making this trip possible, with all your hard work for us!

A lesson from the Birds

The nest is empty.

Yesterday I went out to check on my babies and they were gone.  All 4.  Without a trace.  

In the back yard, there is another nest.  The babies are bigger.  One had decided he was ready to leave the nest and he hopped around the back yard all day yesterday.  He perched up on the trampoline for several hours, afraid to fly, or waiting for someone to do it for him. Lance coaxed him off and he flew to the fence to sit. He must have slept on the fence all night, because he was in the same spot as I saw him last night before dark.  All alone.  This morning he was on the outside of the screened in porch and let me get right up next to him to take his picture.  He flew off and flew to the back corner of the yard.  He couldn’t get outside of the fence.  His skills just weren’t there yet.  A little while later, I came out to check on him and see where he was and I found him in the kids swimming pool.  I had to scoop him out myself.  

All of this has me thinking.  And questioning so much.  Yes, they are just birds, but there must be a lesson here.  My mom told me to sit down and pray and think this over and listen to what God wants to teach me about this.  So after some time, I’ve come to this.  Bare with me.  

As I was getting ready, I was looking in the mirror and behind me was yet another nest.  Up high on the gutter.  The same place as at least 3 other nests are.  Tucked in between the brick and the aluminum downspout, under the roof.  Safe from the elements.  Safe from any predator on the ground.  There were 3 birds, bigger than my ones on the porch, peeking their little heads out of the nest.  Wanting so bad to get down out of there and spread their wings and fly.  Yet.  Waiting.  It wasn’t time yet.  In my research I’ve found that once hatched the babies are in the nest around 2 weeks before they fly off.  So, I’d say they were close to that 2 week old mark.  But they are up there, safe, knowing and trusting that they are going to be cared for and they will leave the nest when nature says its time.

If only that little one in the back yard would have done the same.  If only that momma that built her nest about three and a half feet up on the side porch, would have built hers up higher.  In a fern.  In the downspout crevice.  I’d still have 5 little birds to watch. Yes, there are plenty more tucked in around here, but the loss of those 5 has me heart broken.  

I started to compare those 5 to my own life.  Trying to make sense of it and see a lesson.  Because theres a lesson if we’ll just Be Still and look.  

How often does my life look like the bird in the back yard.  My life all safe and secure in my little nest with my family.  Food being provided.  Shelter from the storms.  Yet, I decide to branch out and try it on my own.  Because, hey, I’ve got this.  I can do it.  So I hop out.  The landing not so graceful, but I’m out of the nest, I’ve done it.  Yet, I flit and flutter on my own, trying to do life on my own, without the help of My Father and I end up hungry, alone, without the shelter of His Wing.  And eventually I fail.  Thankfully, I’ve not drown because of my own shortcomings, but there have been times I sure feel like I’m drowning.  

Or what about the momma that made her nest too low.  And something got her babies.  Why did she build it so low?  Was it easier to do it right there?  Less of a trip from the ground, up, to build her nest.  Close to the flower bed where bugs and worms are plenty.  Did she feel safe on my porch, where it looked cozy?  Was she too confident in her own self that she could protect those babies?  No matter how low her nest was.  Lance commented several times ‘that’s why they build their nest up high, so no one gets them.’  But she set her focus on the easy.  She didn’t focus on looking UP to see where else she could build her nest, find security. 

Yet, again.  I can see the correlation between myself and these birds.  I see things eye level so many times.  That nest on the porch was right below eye level.  But it wasn’t safe.  The things of this world are eye level.  They look easy. I can do it myself.  I can protect my children.  I can keep watch over my nest.  But I can’t.  I have to look above to see the bigger picture.  That my nest is only safe when I place it up high, in the hands of The Father.  Only truly safe under His watchful eye.  He gave me these birds in my own nest to care for, and to look over, but I cannot care for them on my own.  I can only care for them when I’ve fully trusted in Him.  

For a week now I’ve been taking Emerson’s blood sugar, on recommendation of her genetics team.  It’s been in the 60’s every morning, despite late night feedings, and early morning wake ups.  It just wasn’t making sense.  But, it donned on me yesterday, what the cardiologist reminded me.  “You know your child better than any doctor ever will.  You are the parent.”  And God gave us these children to care for.  And He gave us the intuition to know how to care for them.  My abilities as a mother don’t come from me.  They come from Above.  Where moth & rust will not destroy.  Where there is no pain.  No sorrow.  No light momentary affliction.  So last night, I threw it all to the wind.  Or shall I say, to the Father.  And this morning, her blood sugar was right where it should be, in the 70’s!  

That salvation, and hope that we have “is kept in Heaven for you, pure and undefiled, BEYOND THE REACH of change and decay.”  1 Peter 1:3-9 portrays this Hope so beautifully.  As easy as it SEEMS to do it on our own, it’s not.  It’s so much better to put our trust and hope in Him.  He is our protector.  Our reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of our souls.

Press on dear friends.  Keep the faith.  Keep looking up.  Build your nest under the protection of His Wing.  Stay in the nest.  Because He is the only REAL protection that there is.