picture me {im}perfectly

picture me {im}perfectly.art on the wall

i recently found these beauties 
on pinterest.


they are incredible.
truly, truly.
the ideal situation is to have the kids 
work on them while you make dinner.
and let me tell you, it works.
oh, how well it works.

there was one tiny problem with them though.
i think it confused our K. 
because she was told that she could 
draw all over this new placemat 
and the marker would easily wipe away, 
i think she thought that would work for all locations.


including the glossy, white walls surrounding her bed. 
yes. 
she went wild during “rest time.”
once i found the “artwork,” 
i took this photo and texted it to B.
he immediately came home with magic erasers in hand.
that did the trick.
luckily.

(fyi – i have found that wet erase markers 
seem to do much, much better 
on laminated surfaces than dry erase markers.)

please, please head on over to 
by the lovely marisa.
  
she helps us all remember what 
this blogging thing is all about. 

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.  

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged. 

The LORD is good, 
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him

Nahum 1:7

1451. sand in little shoes
1452. L feeding the dinosaur
1453. surviving three different schools
1454. great first days
1455. 90 minutes to myself.

picture me {im}perfectly.what is to come

the stress level has hit a new high around here. 
mostly in anticipation of what’s to come. 

we are about to embark on a 
crazy, 
wild 
(hopefully) fun and 
unchartered journey.

three schools for three kids. 
every moment accounted for. 

i even just emailed L’s speech therapist 

to see if she had any 6:30am 
(yes, in the morning) 
slots open.
i’m just trying to cram it all in.
all that needs to be done.


i have a constant struggle.
i really don’t want my life to become 
scheduling, 
rescheduling, 
cancelling and 
going to therapy with L. 
on top of regular, 
real life as a wife and momma.

that cannot be my life. 
i am always trying to figure out
what the healthy balance is 
between giving my family what they need 
(without being a robot) 
and doing what I love.
i love so many things and 
photography is one of those things.
that i love.
so is this blog.


B thinks i will always struggle with doing too much. 
and he’s probably right. 

the struggle for me is figuring out 
what needs to be done and
what i want to do.

the problem is, i love being this person 
to every person. 
i love to give thoughtful gifts 
and plan nice parties and celebrations. 
i get a little high out of planning ahead
and it’s starting to take its toll on me. 

it’s time for a good old fashion re-prioritizing of life.
isn’t it nice that the fall naturally brings that? 
it is nice.

so all this to say, 
i will now be updating my blog more like 3-4 times a week, 
rather than 5x a week. 
i know.
this is major news.
not really,
but there are a few of you 
who will worry about me 
if i don’t update this little blog every day.
so for those couple of people, 
this announcement is for you. 

head over to mallory’s blog
 
and see how her life so relates 
to yours and mine.

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.  

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged. 

1431. a last beach day
1432. cooler temps to come
1433. a clean porch
1434. sweet yellow flowers in the sand
1435. D’s little collection from the beach 

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.  

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

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. 

layer after layer
(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
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.  

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

picture me {im}perfectly.where to start

i’ve been in a bit of a funk lately.
do you ever get in those?
sure you do.

i have been so 
completely
totally
absolutely
utterly
overwhelmed by life.

and i think it’s growing 
as we get closer and closer to 
the big kids going to school 
(in less than a month). 
little K is off to preschool 
(for the first time).
and my sweet D is going to kindy.

man oh man.
how did that happen?
not only how is it august, 
but how is it that my first child 
is off to school?
real school? 
all day school?
how did that happen so quickly?

i get overwhelmed thinking
about all the things that need to get done.
there’s so much to do.
all the time.
and i have such a hard time balancing it all.
and getting it all done.

our schedule is changing by the minute 
and what i once thought our fall 
was going to look like 
is actually going to be very, very different.
i think.
i still don’t have a clear picture 
of what it’s going to look like. 
but that’s okay 
(as i tell myself over and over again)
because i don’t need to worry about tomorrow. 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, 
for tomorrow will worry about itself. 
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34


(my to-do list that’s more like a to-do pile.
oh, and K’s pink golf ball.
obviously.)

but, i decided that yesterday was going to be different.
yesterday would not be filled with the never-ending lists. 

sometimes i just need to change the course of my day
and when i take photos, 
it usually does the trick.
yesterday was no exception.
yesterday i decided that i was going to
take it all in.
soak it all up.
not let the worries of the world get to me. 
and that is what i did.
and it was great.

i know that God is working all of this out 
in my heart 
because i am a planner to my core.
and this kind of stuff just throws me for a loop.
but it certainly forces me to cling to Him 
and cling to the now 
and not to the tomorrow.
as much as i so desperately want to.


so while L was in class,
the bigs and i got donuts.
and not just any donuts,
but the best donuts in the entire world.
yes.
the entire world.
Katherine Wolf says that 
this is one of her favorite places, too.


(always something on her nose.)


yum.
as i’m typing this up,
i’m wishing i would have gotten a second one to go.
my favorite is the maple bar.
just in case you were wondering.
because i know you were.

i am so so thrilled that 
so many of you have linked up!

head over to erin’s blog
and read about her day. 
because we all have days like that
and it’s so refreshing to read about it on the internet!

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.  

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged. 

Cast all your anxiety on Him 
because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

1356. running into a nurse of mine. twice!
1357. donuts
1358. new kids’ scissors
1359. freeing up computer space
1360. seeing D’s eyes sparkle 
when he spends 
one-on-one time with his dad

picture me {im}perfectly.monsters

my children are monsters.
it’s that plain and simple.
they are monsters when they 
smell,
see or 
taste sugar. 


do you want to guess 
how many hershey kisses K ate?
one.
one hershey kiss.


D’s face is a little cleaner
but see that wild look in his eyes?
he’s morphing into a monster. 

birthday parties become a real struggle for us
because if my littles haven’t eaten anything substantial 
before the sugar consumption, 
their monster side comes out.
and let me tell you, it isn’t pretty.

i know that not all children are this way but mine are.
oh boy, how mine are.

head on over and check out sam’s blog.
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i related to her truth so very much. 

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.  

add my button to your blog post
until next wednesday
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged. 


and this got me all riled up. 
i hope it gets you riled up, too.

1391. babies who snuggle with their owl buddy at night
1392. not one but two visits to tj’s in one day
1393. a little L who loves to share
1394. a great new dish
1395. a clean table

picture me {im}perfectly.not mary poppins

i try to be like her.
you know, 
every kids’ dream.
every mom’s dream. 

mary poppins.


but you know what? 
i stink at being her. 
and lately, i’ve just been too worn out 
to even try to be her.


we did finally make homemade crayons last week
like i promised we would.
months ago.

the truth is, i have all of these ideas.
grand ideas, really.
but i rarely (why, oh why is it always so rare?) do them.
we’re still a bit in survival mode here.
but i wonder if maybe we are stuck here,
in survival mode.
forever. 
we might be. 
we might very well be stuck here. 
in survival mode.
i think i might need to change my mindset then. 

i am again blown away 
by all the fabulous women 
who linked up last week.
hooray for showing the internet 
that we aren’t perfect 
and we don’t strive for perfection, either.
that living life is much more worthy 
than creating a perfect life. 


kaylee’s post and her blunt honesty 
rang so true for me.
 
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.  

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged. 

As it is written:
There is no one righteous, not even one.
Romans 3:10

1366. free lollypops for the kids
1367. the sunshine pouring in our windows
1368. L sleeping 13 hours
1369. getting to sleep in
1370. tj’s coffee

picture me {im}perfectly.recognizing His blessings

someone sweet that i know
emailed me last week
because it bothers her 
when i talk about my imperfections 
on my blog. 


which is all fine and dandy 
but i know that she doesn’t blog hop.
and she doesn’t see
perfect life after perfect life 
being cultivated and broadcast over the internet. 
when i read those perfect life blogs,
i immediately compare my life to theirs.
and then i feel like my life is lacking.


but do you want to know something?
when i read what Ann has experienced 
in her incredible 1,000 Gifts book
and her response to the life she has been given,
i was moved, 
i was encouraged, 
i was charged 
to find those blessings in my life, too. 
those blessing everywhere around me.
those blessings just perfect for me.
Ann was so relatable 
because she proudly proclaimed her imperfections
and the trials that she has endured in this life.
because the truth is,
we are all imperfect.

for all have sinned 
and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:23


my intent is not to be self-deprecating 
but to reveal to all of you lovelies 
that my life is not perfect and neither am i. 
nor do i try to make it perfect
or make it look like it’s perfect
(my husband is really good at 
reminding me about that one). 


B and i had some really 
great, deep conversations 
with some dear friends over the weekend 
(which was a blessing in itself 
because there were five children, 
five and under demanding our attention).

one thing that we talked about was
recognizing God’s blessings in our lives. 


sometimes it’s easy for me 
to look at my life and see 
trial 
after trial 
after trial 
instead of 
blessing 
after blessing 
after blessing.

but just recently, 
i have started to clearly see 
the measureless blessings 
that have been poured upon us.
and i am choosing to recognize them as
pure gifts from Jesus.

i am so undeserving of any of these gifts
but God has redeemed my life
from what it used to be.
as one of my favorite verses says:
I will repay you 
for the years 
the locusts have eaten
Joel 2:25


i will not let satan steal God’s joy.
steal His perfect gifts.
i will only give credit to the Lord.

what would my life be like?
what would my walk be like?
if i recognized every gift as a blessing.
gifts only from God.

If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, 

Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
Psalm 130:3-4


and holy moly,
did you check out 
how many lovely ladies linked up last week?
it’s blowing my mind.
you really ought to visit each and every blog
of those brave women who linked up.


it was so hard to pick just one to feature 
but here it is:
Kara’s blog

really touched a nerve with me. 
i, too have been humbled by the love of my children
when i have been oh-so undeserving of it. 


just like the love of my Savior.

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.  

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged. 

1341. berry shortcake
1342. fresh pineapple
1343. ice cream in a cone
1344. rich conversations
1345. hearing about where God is working in people’s lives

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