PW ... in real life.

Yep ... the picture is for real.

Me ... meeting Pioneer Woman.

And at 10:50 last night, {4.19.2010} ... when she signed my cookbook ... all was right in the world.

And then I traveled the 3+ hours home.

....................................................

Believe it or not ... all is still right in the world.

I am just a little bit tired.

Just a little bit.

a box + a hill = FUN!

A day at Papa & Mor Mor's house.

Definitely a Saturday in April that won't be forgotten.

related to.

Not our lambs.

Not our amazing {fort}.

Not our zip line.

Not our yard.

But definitely {things} we're blessed to be {related} to!

.....................................

Thank you Brownings ... these are just a few more reasons to love you!! :)

Mason ... a.k.a. Maverick

{hey mom ... I look just like Maverick .... not Goose I don't think  .... just Maverick}

Life ... Shared.

Somehow it's Tuesday already.

How did that happen?

I'm suddenly surrounded with a sea of children that I can claim as {mine} for a few hours every day.

The Dr.'s office is calling.

The meeting is still happening.

The kids are ready to learn.

....................................

Another day has arrived and whether or not I'm ready for it, it's here.

The wind is blowing.

Mason's fever is down.

Mack won't get out of his jammies.

The cattle truck pulled out of our driveway early this morning.

And I'm tired.

....................................

My class is getting covered this afternoon.

My notes are complete for the meeting I have after the dr. appointment.

And my students just shared some of the funniest stories using the handful of words I gave them.

Some of the funniest stories I've read all year.

They're growing.

They're becoming those kids that know that they {know it}.

They're sharing their personalities and aren't too worried about what their friends will think.

Putting yourself out there isn't always easy.

And sometimes you catch yourself talking instead of just thinking ... a little too late.

But that is what life is about ...

Learning how to be the best you there is ... and sharing it with the world.

The good and the bad.

..........................

Sometimes I wonder what it is I'm sharing ... or who I'm specifically sharing with.

And then I stop.

All that matters is that I'm sharing life.

Nothing less.

Nothing more.

Just life.

Shared.

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And so ... the blessings I find in the ordinary continue.



212. egg salad sandwiches with colored eggs.

213. friendship. the amazing way life just seems better because of one word.

214. OREO cookies on sale.

215. birthdays.

216. hula hoops and a husband who isn't embarrased to swing his hips.

217. The Help. (powerful, soul-stirring, real)

218. a church nursery overflowing with children.

219. baby lambs.

220. letting go of fear ... and going for it.

221. prayer warriors. on their knees on behalf of others.

222. vocabulary lessons with 2nd graders.

223. a reflection that you're proud to call your own.

224. shoes that fit.

225. a smile that greets me every morning ... I love you Ian.

226. an almost empty table at MOPS and the opportunity to just visit quietly.

227. roses. {the flower that makes the world just that much more beautiful}

228. prescriptions.

229. Little Steps. Paint. Scissors. Stories. and friends.

230. scrapbooks. pictures. {remembering where you've been ... and how far you've come}

I got a feelin'.

You dropped your yogurt on the front porch.

It exploded.

I left home with your shoes on the back bumper.

I made it 10 miles before I realized that they were there.

At 7:13 this morning, the gas station attendant was totally impressed that one shoe was still on the back bumper.

I was thinking it would have been better to lose both.

At 8: 18 this morning, your dad called and said he found the other shoe by our mailbox.

I guess I am glad I made it 10 miles with one still on the back bumper.

.................................................

It's been a day ... and ... I got a feelin' ....

that today ... we're  both gonna to need some chocolate.

......................................

Thanks Bryn for the inspiration to make the most of today ...

neighborhoods.

........................

Our neighborhood.

Anything but ordinary.

Filled with rocks, dirt, grass, hay bales and sand.

Acres wide.

Bordered with barbed wire.

Shared with cows.

No traffic.

No play structures.

No sandbox.

No sidewalks.

No other kids.

...................................

Yesterday my boys played in a neighborhood.

A neighborhood filled with kids.

A neighborhood with paved places to ride bikes and scooters.

A neighborhood with traffic.

A place with parents calling out to their kids, and friends sharing their lives.

Playing with something besides dirt and cows …

I’m pretty sure it was about 45 minutes of an out-of-body experience for them.

And as I pulled away from the {fun} … I couldn’t help but wonder if my boys would ever wish for a {neighborhood}.

A place where you can run over to your friends house in a matter of seconds, not miles.

A place where houses, cars and people are everywhere you look, not fields, cows, and fence.

A place where toys are shared and relationships are made feet away from your front door.

And then I come home, turn on the computer, pull up a few pictures I took last month and say to myself … {nah! … I think they’re just fine}.

Watching storms roll over the hills, digging holes, climbing under barbed wire, and learning to ride a bike on dirt and gravel.

Those things are going to make Mason and Mack who they’re supposed to be.

..........................................

Sometimes it’s good to step outside of your life and experience something else for a minute or two.

Sometimes you wish for the life you see others living.

Sometimes you can't help but compare what you {know} to what you think you'd like to {know}.

And for those of you who find yourself marveling at what we have … come visit for a day … and then go home.

Home will look brighter than ever before.

Not perfect, but definitely where you’re supposed to be.

God knows what you need.

He knows where you’re supposed to be.

And He does ordinary things to remind you.

Like giving you an hour at a place that is {perfect} in almost every way ... and then reminding you how {perfect} the life He's given you is as soon as you pull in your driveway.

...........................

Take time to experience life outside of your own.

Enjoy it to the fullest.

And then remember to praise Him for what he has given you.

...........................

P.S.

Come visit our neighborhood - anytime - day or night … just look for the signs {blowing dust next 40 miles} and the barbed wire fences filled with tumble weeds.

You'll know you're there.