This Week: Girl date, my little artists, dusting off my instruments, food shopping with 5 children, not worrying about tomorrow

I had this post all ready to publish yesterday but for some reason, my finished post disappeared...arghhh. Have I told you I really don't like techy stuff? Thankfully I was able to salvage most of it.

So far this summer has been so nice and relaxing. We haven't had a lot of plans on our schedule, which means less rushing and stressing. The days have been filled with sweet fellowship with friends and family, lots of sun and sand, little projects and some school.

We started the week off going to the beach early in the morning with Josh on Monday. Hardly anyone was there. The water was calm and still cool. The kids had a blast finding cool sea creatures, fishing and swimming. The baby slept most of the time so even though my eyes were still on all the kids I enjoyed just being able to sit and soak in the sun. I shared some of my beach essentials earlier this week.

Ellie and I went on a little date.   I can't tell you how thankful I am to have a girl. Who would I go shopping with if I didn't have her?? I love going out with my boys but it's so nice to have a little buddy to do girl things with! We went to the thrift store, Target and Chick Fil A. The perfect date if you ask me. At the thrift store I found a few cute tops and Ellie found a whole bucket full of Legos for $3! Score!  As you can see I am attracted to flower and color. Ellie and the boys have already gotten hours of use and fun out of those Legos and I have worn my new top 3x already this week. I took some pictures with my phone of us on our date but my camera phone is so bad I just can't share them. Can you tell what show they have been watching lately?

Israel has been painting with watercolors a lot lately. Somehow he has already mastered how to use them! I am sorry but I am going to have to flood your screen with more of my kids artwork but I am one proud mama.

Israel and I had a contest to see who could paint the best picture. Ellie was the judge. Without knowing who painted which picture, she of course chose Israel's. My peacocks legs didn't cut it. I love that my children are so creative and have been given such amazing talents. My grandfather was an artist and Josh can draw really well also so I guess some of it might have been passed down to them. Though I like to draw I don't think I quite have the natural talent they do.

Even though they are all great artists I have to say I think Simeon might surpass them all. He literally draws ALL DAY. He is only three and can draw better then I can. Seriously! It's so hard for me to throw his drawings away. I have them all in a huge box that I need to go through...someday.
We go through a big box of paper each month.

For a while now I have been wanting to get out my guitar and violin and get some practice in. My musical skills have been getting very rusty. I started violin when I was six but since my family moved around a lot I was never able to consistently take lessons. When I was 18 I went to our local junior college and was able to take lessons again. I was even in our county youth symphony. Just so you don't get the wrong picture, I was not an amazing violinist. I hated reading notes, keeping time and playing scales. What I did love was playing on my church's worship team. I could play by ear and improvise. It really fueled my love for worship. Not too long after joining the worship team I taught myself how to play guitar. I spent many hours strumming away, writing my own songs and sitting in God's presence.

  My sister and I leading worship

After getting married I still played violin at church and even started leading worship for our middle school group occasionally. A few of my friends and I even started a worship band and recorded two CD's. But with the birth of each of my children I have been playing less and less. Every time I get my guitar or violin out to play they all come around and start banging on my guitar or hanging on my legs while I play the violin. It is fun playing for them and seeing them run around and sing but it's like they don't want me to play what I want to play....hmmmm.

The last couple of years I have been playing violin when we go to Josh's Great Papa's for a little service with him on Sunday's. He played the piano and we all sang hymns. It was such a precious time. He went to be with Jesus about 2 months ago. We miss him so much. I especially miss worshipping with him. I hope to share soon the impact him and his wife have had on me soon.

Recently I started taking violin lessons again. It has been great to brush up on my technique and play more but realistically I don't have the time to practice so I stopped. Maybe someday I'll be able to play more but for now I am okay with playing when I can. I know God will open those doors in his timing.

I did a big food shopping trip with the kids today to Sam's Club and Aldi's. I usually wait to go when Josh can watch at least some of them but he has been really busy with our church's youth conference so I sucked it up and went with all of them. Did I mention we had no food? Things were getting desperate. But really, I have to say the kids are always pretty good. I have already put my time in training them. Food shopping wears me out. I never feel like cooking after coming home and putting everything away. You would think at Sam's Club people would think it's normal for big families to shop there but I still get some crazy looks from strangers when they see not only all the kids but all the food we buy. It takes a lot of food to feed seven people, people! Thankfully the kids were great. It might have helped that I opened up a bag of snacks to keep Luke's mouth occupied;P

Taken with my terrible camera phone

Life has been very non eventful lately; meaning everything has been going good. No crazy situations, stress, worry or big problems to deal with just the day to day normal hard stuff. Whenever I go through seasons like this it's easy for me to get fearful and start worrying about what might be around the corner and start to let the enemy steal my joy. I have come to realize that hard things happen in life; no one is exempt from them. I never want to get cocky and think my family is invincible. because I know we are not.

Many people we know are going through really hard and trying times. I am so thankful I can lift them up to the one who can comfort and bring them peace and joy in the midst of sorrow, confusion and pain. Right now I know I need to seek him first, keep being thankful and faithful and not worry about tomorrow. God, the creator of time and space, holds my life and my loved one's in his hands.

"Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or stow away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:26-27

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself." Matthew 6:33

"Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news. Their hearts are steadfast trusting in the Lord." Psalm 112:6-7

How was your week?

Do you go on dates with your children?

Are you or your children artistic or musical?

Do you take all your kids food shopping with you or wait till they can be watched?

Do you start to worry when life seems to be going too smoothly?




Linking up with these great link parties: Mama Moments Mondays, The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Faith and Fellowship, the homeschool mother's journal