picture me {im}perfectly.the dishes

first of all...

happy, happy birthday

to my sweet sister,

Aunt WW!

(you can check our her little blog here

and her etsy shop here)

we were able to celebrate her birthday early this year

and she was kind enough to let us

have it at our place

rather than go to a restaurant with the children

(because let's be honest, that is fun for no one). 

and seeing that L needs to be in bed by 6:15pm.

she is quite fashionable

and hands down the most fashionable one in our family.

i think we'd all agree with that.

am i right?

yeah, i'm right.

it does help that she would look good wearing a garbage bag

(as i outlined here).

well, to her birthday dinner

she wore a cute yellow dress

and a matching yellow clip in her hair.

apparently, the clip made quite the statement

because my children

(after getting restless that the adults were still talking)

drew pictures of the birthday girl.

and in both of those pictures,

the yellow hair clip made an appearance.

this is when K was really restless.

i think she could smell the cupcakes

that were waiting for us inside.

i can't wait to see what 

God is going to do in her life this year.

it's going to be good.

for all of His gifts are good.

my sister often comes over for a visit

and in honor of her coming over,

i never do a dish.

not even one.

that's how you know we're tight.

if i let you see my dirty dishes.

sometimes i don't even do the breakfast ones until dinner.

gross, right?

totally gross.

but there are three little people

that need my attention and 

unfortunately for the dishes, 

they can't demand my attention.

all of the confessions from Laura's post from last week 

were such a beautiful insight into her life.

go check that housewife out.

picture me {im}perfectly

is a weekly project to reveal that we don't have it all together.

i will post a 

picture me {im}perfectly

blog post every wednesday 

where you will be able to link up to your blog

revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,

your kids are not picture perfect,

your house is not picture perfect,

your crafts are not always picture perfect,

let's 

encourage, 

inspire and 

remind 

other women 

that none of us have it all together.  

<a border="0" href="http://capturingmotherhood.blogspot.com/search/label/picture%20me%20%7Bim%7Dperfectly" target="_blank"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TTTZOgmZkqI/AAAAAAAAHAw/NH8EssqyeZc/s144/pictureme8.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />

add my button to your blog post

and link up to your direct posting

and feel encouraged. 

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 

where moth and rust do not destroy, 

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:20-21

1406. swim parties

1407. lovely dessert

1408. beautiful words

1409. talking to our neighbor

1410. D's absolute excitement over starting kindy

my sweet friend.

my sweet friend

(who happens to have 

a fabulous photography business) 

asked me to do a shoot for her growing family.

isn't she adorable?

she is.

and funny.

very, very funny.

this girl gets herself into some of the craziest situations.

i told her that she needs to write a book.

yes, her stories are that good.

you'd cry from laughing so hard if you heard one.

and she has one of the handsomest little boys around.

i was completely smitten by him.

and i think that he was completely smitten by me.

it was either that or 

the mini chocolate chips i was giving him

for not running away.

but even when he did run away, he would yell,

"running!"

which was seriously adorable.

he loves his momma

and he loves his dada

and he is sure to love his baby brother.

this family is such a gift to me.

and it is an absolute blessing 

to be able to watch what the Lord is doing 

in their life right now.

how He is working.

how He is healing.

how He is blessing.

how His plans are being made known.

Have I not commanded you? 

Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be afraid; 

do not be discouraged, 

for the LORD your God 

will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

1401. beach shoots

1402. sweet, sweet friends

1403. a practice walk to D's school

1404. toll house cookies

1405. a PT session for L that did not include tears

this is it.

well, this is it.

the end of our summer is nearing.

and we are going to soak it up.

i refound my "summer list" last night

and there are so many things that we haven't yet done.

but that's okay.

i think i can bring a couple of those things

to my fall list.

which i have yet to start. 

but for now,

we are going to be right here.

and, i absolutely refuse to pin fall-ish things on pinterest.

not quite yet.

because it's still summer here.

These commandments that I give you today 

are to be on your hearts.

Impress them on your children. 

Talk about them when you sit at home 

and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 

1396. long car rides

1397. soaking up what's left of the summer

1398. packing a lot in this past weekend

1399. sleep

1400. having just enough energy

rotten.

we eat a lot of rotten eggs around here. 

D was the one to name these eggs rotten.

and as you can see, we clearly label them that way in our fridge.

we go through at least three a day, 

but sometimes the number is closer to six. 

it is just about the only snack that all three of my children will eat. 

besides saltines. 

but i think everyone likes saltines, right?

and when we say rotten, we mean hard-boiled. 

1391. the smell of sweet potatoes baking

1392. a super clean shower

1393. a million fun links to look at

1394. rotten eggs

1395. having plenty to do all the time

that day at the beach.

we recently went to the beach.

i don't think i have ever seen the beach like that august. 

the tide was super low and it was stormy and overcast.

(thanks for taking this photo, Uncle J!)

mister L observed the water from on high.

the bigs couldn't get enough of the shallow water.

K finally warmed up enough to take her windbreaker off.

more from that beach day to come soon!

He who builds His lofty palace in the heavens

and sets its foundation on the earth,

who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out

over the face of the land--the LORD is His name.

Amos 9:6

1386. a night out to see THE HELP

1387. Grammy's extra set of hands

1388. a very long game of hide-and-go-seek

1389. the combination of laughter and bubbles

1390. a super quick and easy blood draw for L

picture me {im}perfectly.in the kitchen

i like to bake.

i like it much better than cooking.

but this doesn't necessarily mean 

that i am good at baking. 

(actually, i think i could be good at a lot of things

if i only did those things one at a time 

rather than too many things at the same time.

but that is not my life right now.)

over the weekend, we celebrated Auntie B's birthday

and the kids and i picked out 

a glorious, glorious cake

that would be simply perfect for the occasion. 

(from this beautiful little blog)

isn't it lovely?

well, i messed up while making the whipped cream

(i know, like the simplest thing one could make).

i made a silly assumption

(note to self: don't ever, ever 

make assumptions while in the kitchen)

i didn't have enough heavy cream so i thought i'd 

just add a little whole milk.

and then a little more powdered sugar. 

and then when that didn't work, 

i put it in the freezer for an hour.

and it was still runny. 

and so, we had the cake

just minus everything else.  

yeah, it was pretty sad looking. 

but it did taste scrumptious.

and i don't think Auntie B minded at all.

but then again, she didn't see the photo 

of what the cake should have looked like.

now she's going to mind.

be sure to head over to

Julia's blog

because i simply loved her 

vulnerability and honesty 

from her linked-up post last week.

picture me {im}perfectly

is a weekly project to reveal that we don't have it all together.

i will post a 

picture me {im}perfectly

blog post every wednesday 

where you will be able to link up to your blog

revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,

your kids are not picture perfect,

your house is not picture perfect,

your crafts are not always picture perfect,

let's 

encourage, 

inspire and 

remind 

other women 

that none of us have it all together.  

<a border="0" href="http://capturingmotherhood.blogspot.com/search/label/picture%20me%20%7Bim%7Dperfectly" target="_blank"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_TEajznl6Lw4/TTTZOgmZkqI/AAAAAAAAHAw/NH8EssqyeZc/s144/pictureme8.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />

add my button to your blog post

and link up to your direct posting

and feel encouraged. 

1381. playdates with Katherine Wolf and her son

1382. chocolate cake

1383. having photos to edit

1384. having time to edit photos

1385. pandas on shirts

the artist.

this little man loves art.

any and every type of art, he loves.

he said that he is going to be an artist when he grows up.

and sometimes, he likes to be his own pallet.

this is what he looked like after doing some pastels. 

oh my.

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as 

craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn

and fine linen, and weavers--all of them master craftsmen and designers.

Exodus 35:35

1376. both of my little men

1377. really enjoying my desk

1378. kids who fight over who will empty 

the silverware from the dishwasher

1379. ordering birthday gifts from amazon 

and having them show up on my doorstep

1380. the big boy teaching the little boy how to do art

i'm linking up with the sweet housewife:

young and old.

we generally know how to have a lot of fun.

case in point.

who wouldn't want to ride on an electric scooter,

or "electric chair" as my grandfather used to call it.

i was thinking of trying to sell this photo 

to the retirement home where my grandmother lives.

young and old,

electric scooters.

what more could you ask for in a place like this?

this little love watched his older siblings 

chase golf balls all over the green.

and there's always time for a good song or two.

with my grandmother, it's almost as if you 

are living in a musical.

she knows a song about everything.

it's pretty fantastic.

yesterday was the two year anniversary 

of my grandfather's death at 92 years old.

he lived a grand, grand life.

1371. remembering

1372. family walks

1373. rest time for everyone

1374. staying out way too late

1375. a sweet sewing friend

praying specifically.

do you know what always happens to me?

i get in a rut and i don't know how to get out.

i try and i try and i try and 

i fail and i fail and i fail. 

and then

(and only then)

do i realize that i will always fail.

because i am a failure.

we all are.

for all have sinned and

fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

and we cannot,

i repeat, cannot

do this life without Him.

but the thing is, we think we can.

and that's how we find ourselves in these ruts.

"You can never learn that Christ is all you need, 

until Christ is all you have." 

Corrie Ten Boom

this morning, i sent up an 

honest, desperate, vulnerable plea to Jesus.

that He would rescue me.

that He would help me get all that needs to be done, done.

and you know what?

He answered in the 

most incredible and specific way.

not two hours later, 

i received an email from a college friend 

that i haven't seen since graduating

who offered so much. 

so very much more than she could ever imagine.

and i know that it was totally and completely from the Lord.

Auntie B always reminds me to pray specifically. 

and you know what just clicked for me today?

(you have probably already figured this one out)

i know that God knows what is going 

to come out of my mouth before even i do:

acknowledge the God of your father, 

and serve him with wholehearted devotion

and with a willing mind, 

for the LORD searches every heart 

and understands every motive 

behind the thoughts.

1 Chronicles 28:9

but i think that He wants us to pray specifically 

so that when He answers that request, 

we know that it is from Him.

and nothing else.

and no one else.

but from Him.

and Him alone.

so that He may get the glory.

because He gives specifically and He gives generously.

for Jesus said: 

Ask and it will be given to you; 

seek and you will find; 

knock and the door will be opened to you. 

For everyone who asks receives; 

the one who seeks finds; 

and to the one who knocks, 

the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8 

we had a playdate at a new friend's house 

and made these fabulous prayer rocks.

aren't they so awesome?

why, yes.

yes they are.

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. 

He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, 

and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, 

and the earth produced its crops.

James 5:17-18

1366. specific prayers answered

1367. seeing laundry dry in the sunshine

and blow in the wind

(the first time i have ever, ever done this)

1368. sitting at a new desk

1369. sunshine pouring in the windows

1370. a sweet little boy (L) on a trike