February Fun!!

 This winter has been very unusual. I'd really been hoping for a bunch of snow, I'd been planning to buckle down to more school during our cold, snowy days... well... we have had the most incredible weather and have had lots of playdates, passing out flyer days, and "just living," as Pollyanna would say. While it's not what I would have thought or planned out, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love every day.

 The day we had Brooke and the twins over to play, when they dressed up and played sooo very well together. When we had sunshine and no coats on in the beginning of the month. When we went to the library together. It was a priceless day!

 The day when McKenna wrote ALL OF THIS in school. Showing how she loves her friends, showing how much she's learning. I was so pleased. That is one smart cookie and I am blessing beyond measure to be able to spend my whole days with her. I couldn't imagine sending my little sweetness away for hours... Sigh...

 The day we got our Foosball table and we laughed SOOO hard playing as a family. Wow. It was incredible! I love any "Daddy time" that we get! These kids are so precious and LOOOOVE their Daddy more than anyone else. He is so good to us all. He works very hard and always plays hard with us. It's perfect! 

 The days when I'm able to Skype with my Shonie, my best friend in Australia. My sister. My amazing example and encouragement!! I look forward to and love our talks together!! Looking forward to whenever we're able to be in person again, but soooo thankful for technology!!

 I

 The funny, incredible moments with my babies. They make me laugh so hard. Their giggles, their belly-shaking laughs are THE BEST sounds in the whole world! I can't describe the happiness I feel when they come running into the room I'm in just to hug me and say, "Kawa, I love you." =)

 My Sunday afternoons at my 2nd home here, my Leonards'. And especially that day when I wore my new (and one of my favorites) shirt: THINK HAPPY! Where I can just live, where I can be myself. Where I am busy, happy, and loved.

 And... THEN! There were the couple days of SNOW! I loved it! We played, played, and played!!

 It was one of my favorite days ever. I love that it can all be so special, even though there are just a few of us together, even the ones who spend all their time together. It doesn't "get old" to be together. <3 <3

 SNOW ANGELSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

This was our adorable little snowman-- AKA-- McKenna's best friend. (What I found so funny was her telling Carter the following day after he said that a lego dinosaur was his best friend, "Carter, THAT cannot be your best friend. It is NOT alive." =)

So everyday. No matter what you're doing. No matter where you go. There is goodness, there is happiness, if you will let there be. There is joy in all the things when your heart is full of SONlight! I love you all!

My 21st Birthday!!!

Every day with my sweethearts is a good one, and getting to share my birthday with them was no different...

They bring so much sunshine and joy into every day. I am blessed over and over and over to have their love touch and change my life. I would do anything for these sweethearts, and look forward to loving them for the "rest of my life," as McKenna tells me. =) Not only was I able to share my birthday with my babies, I was able to share it with...

MY MOMMY!!
I'd tried to call her a couple times that day, but she didn't answer. Darren got home early, without having told me before that he was gonna do that. The Hecks were out running errands when I got home... I didn't think anything was going on a at. I just started scrapbooking and then Alyssa called me. She and Christina talked to me for a while, then Daddy, too. Moma never came by the phone and said hi, but, I just figured she was busy. My Hecks got home, all came into my room, and THERE WAS MY MOMA! I was so surprised that I screamed, and then cried, cried, and cried... and then HUGGGGGED her!! What an awesome surprise!!

Aren't they just beautiful!? I got them from my best friend. It was such a fun night together getting to catch up and talk and talk and talk. I'm so blessed to have so many dear friends in my life who help me be the best that I can be and to focus all that I am on living for GOD!

My birthday dawned dark and cloudy, but turned out being lovely! We got to sleep in, go for a walk as a family, then I went to pick up my babies and head towards Higgisnville for several hours. I love that place; so many friends in one spot! I'm lucky to share my special day with my "grandparents'" anniversary. We had lunch together and enjoyed visiting. I love seeing my babies love them and call them "Grandma and Grandpa." The bond that we all have is lovely and perfect-- and it's all because of the CHURCH. 

My Abs!! I've been able to spend 3 birthdays with her and hope to spend many more, and FINALLY got to spend MY day with HER! It made me soooo happpy!!!! She gave me a super cute ~21~ ballooon, which I love. But what she gives me every day as one of my very best friends, as someone who makes me try harder every day to do what is right, and as someone who can always make me laugh, is priceless!!

McKenna really wanted to be in this pic, can you tell? ;-)

Seeing my Moma and my Stacy in the same place= Happpppiness!! These are two of my very favorite ladies, ones who help, encourage, and guide me in all their ways. I am extremely thankful for their beautiful examples in my life. And aren't they both just gorgeous?!

After our fun afternoon with my Higginsville families, we came home to Skype with my GA family-- with my Moma on THIS side of the computer! Woot! We had fun laughing, sharing presents, and talking together. I can't wait to have them all out here sometime. I love it when they're able to come see "my life" and understand why I love it so very much. I also really miss life there and just love to "eat it up" while seeing my house again over Skype and getting to say all the old funny things and tease in a way we only can understand. I love family!!

My beautiful, talented, happy, sweet, awesome Missouri Sisters. I am soooo blessed to have so many incredible sisters and brothers!!! :)

I love bein' a Country Missouri Girl!

I was very excited to get Tangled!! =)
And opening sweet presents from my wonderful family is made so much more fun and special by all the lil helpers who are super adorable!

I love my cousins, my sweethearts, my nieces!!! They all spent the night for my b-day, and it couldn't have been more fun!!! =D

This was the birthday of flowers for me. I looooooved it! I got these from my wonderful aunt and uncle and girlie girl cousins!

"I thank my God every time I think of you."
My Missouri Family.
I. LOVE. YOU. ALL!

God is so good.
God is so good.
God is so good.
He's so good to me!

Dream Come True! =)

You know those places you've been that you just LOVE?!

And then you know those places that have set get-togethers or parties or holidays... and you just always wished that you'd be able to be there for them... but never really thought that you would?!

And then you know that AMAZING feeling when you DO get to be there for just the event you wanted to attend?!?!?!

Yep. Yeah. Uh huh! That's what happened to me this month (and for many months in a row now...)! I got a DREAM COME TRUE!

Know what it was? It was being at MY Leonards' for the 

January Homeschool Get-Together!!!!!!!!!

It was an evening of smiles, hugs, happiness, laughing, fellowship, prayer together, food galore, reading, legos, tackling, flag football (in the cold!), squealing, dress up, sliding in a box, and did I mention HAPPPINESS?!

There is nothing better than the feeling of being in a safe, wonderful, God-centered HOME filled of Christians!!!

And the best, best, BEST thing about our HOMESCHOOL GTGs? They're not just once a year, not even just once a month... all of these people live CLOSE together and we can fellowship together every week-- often more than once a week, even. This is a place where we can be strong, stand together, and LIVE for Christ. I am blessed every day by the bond that has been shared with me here in MO. 

I. AM. THANKFUL.

Snow and Fellowship!

January has been a very busy month!!!!

And it's had lots of funnnnnnesssss in it, too!

One of my very favorite things was that it finally snowed!!! Granted, for people who've grown up in MO, this was not much snow, but for this GA girl, this was pretty "normal" for snow, and that means, it hardly ever happens and when it does happen, you drop everything, you dance in the falling snow, you run around in it, you play in it right then... and you LOVE it! :) Soooo... That's just what I did!

And what my babies did with me. We had a blast! (And btw~ My Baby Boy is lookin' WAYYYYYYY too big!!)

Especially sledding. Oh. It was a GOOD. DAY!

Her giggles when going down this little hill were fantastic. I can't wait for it to snow bunches and for us to really get to go sledding! I love that we ending our swimming days during the summer with cups of hot chocolate, and that during the winter, we come in and sit in front of the fire with hot chocolate still. I love having little buddies to share my favorite snacks with! =)

One of the things that I just LOVE about being out here are all the Bible Studies that happen once a month that are open for the study and growth and fellowship! 

 

The Young Adult Nights...Where I am encouraged to really STUDY my Bible. Where I get great advice and see good examples of people bringing up their kiddos in the Lord...

The Teen Devos... Where we come together in a wonderful home to encourage one another to no end with praises to our GOD! Where sweet young kiddos' voices blend with the teens', and the parents'...

And Monthly Singings... One Sunday morning this month I went to Higginsville to hear one of my dads preach-- he was AWESOME! That lesson will stay with me forever. And then what fun it was to make and have lunch together! I love it when people let me just "be at home" with them, meaning like I'm not company... just part of the family. Working together with the girls in the kitchen reminded me of being at home with my sisters and mom when I was younger... and it made me happy! <3

Our Monthly Ladies' Class... it is a joy every month to spend an evening with the ladies from several congregations studying deep, meaningful lessons, praying together and for each other, fellowship and laughing and hugging. It is a night that I look forward to all month. And it was extra neat to get to "host" this Ladies' Class, thanks to Darren letting me use the house.

So, you see, it's been a very busy month, a very Bible-related month, and a very blessed month!! If this is any indication of what the rest of the year will be like... BRING IT ON! =D

"I love my children, too..."

I have no words to fully describe the awesomeness of the total, complete, overwhelmingly-trustingly given LOVE that I receive from my two little darlings!!

 It fills me with such joy!!

 Makes me smile all day long!!

 Keeps the sun shining even on the rainy days!!

 Makes me feel like a princess!!

 Makes me wanna dance and sing!! (And I DO!)

 Makes me have to have tickle fights and kiss wars!!

Makes me continually focus on what is TRULY important in life: Living in a way so that I can go to Heaven and help as many others get there, too, as possible, most importantly my kiddos!!

And keeps me not only able to "LIVE IN THE SUNSHINE," but trying to "LIVE IN THE SONSHINE!"