Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and her 5 minute Friday to write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt: "Story” with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

Its kind of fun to sit and think a little about your story. Here is my story.

I’m a working mama of two little dollies and wife to my handsome Mr. in brown who after 7 years still gives me butterflies.  Our blend, in our eyes is perfect! I don’t care for laundry.  I dream of a life where I have time to exercise, bake stunning frosted sugar cookies, sew pretty things, knit cute little hats, and photograph our life along the way. I struggle with where and how to spend my little free time, and fear that I will miss what gods purpose for me is.  I love sweet nature and the sound of the rushing river, the smell of rain, curling up with a good book and chips to snack on for Sunday football, high heels, aprons and cookbooks. I love chocolate malts and am a sucker for a big plate of nachos! I have a HORIBLE habit of twisting my hair…that maybe someday I will beat. I swoon over the color aqua. I worry lots.  Lastly, I really wish I could persuade my hubby to splurge on a cleaning lady because maybe that would help my lack of organization in this dash for life!

So…what’s your story?

What Women Fear

I have decided to join a book club with a group of ladies on Wednesday night this summer. This is a group of ladies who are leaders within the church. Many of them study the bible in various ways together, year round.

As I was reading the book before our first study last night, I realized this book was a great fit for me. The author Angie Smith is a woman of great fear. She admits that fear, worry, being afraid or betrayed are a major part of her testimony. Angie talks very openly about her daily struggles with fear.

I felt fear just saying I would join these ladies who all seem to know the lord and each other very well. Fear that once again, I may be over committing myself to meet each Wednesday. Fear of acceptance in the group. Fear that I don’t know the bible as they may. Fear that maybe I don’t pray right (if there was a "right" way). Fear that they would judge. 

I came out of last night’s first meeting feeling that all of those “fears” I had about joining these ladies were more than silly. 

I am excited to share with you a few things that go through my mind as we read through the book this summer. 

In the introduction of the book, she talks about life being a balancing act. The book reads:  situations come up and cause us to tip a little, and we cry out in fear. We often feel like just as we get it figured out, the wire begins to shake and we have to adjust it all over again. We (mistakenly) believe that at some point we are going to find the solution, learn how to balance the pole exactly right in every moment so that we don’t ever tremble anymore. 

That is so true.  To put it into perspective, great example of that would be finally hitting a goal in your savings account only to have the car break down.  Worse yet, having the car break down and no money in your savings.  Many of us know just how an example like that feels. How easy it is to let something like that tip you. 

It is so encouraging to read through the book and be reassured in the group that God is not unaware of our fears; this is where we need to fall back on him. Falling back on God, coupled with the balancing act in our way of thinking will help steady us when things get shaky. 

One of my biggest FEARS is fear of acceptance. I want EVERYONE to like me.  I think this is the base of many of my fears. I also fear death to someone close to me. If something were to happen to my husband or child could I go on without them? If something were to happen to me will there be someone there to take care of my young children. Would they be loved and cared for like I love and care for them? Would they know how much I loved them? (remember I told you that is a A HUGE  reason for this blog) You see how real and legitimate our fears are and how easy it could be to let them consume you.

What are some of your daily worries and fears? What keeps you awake at night?

Welcome back...

I have started this post many times over the last several months. Wondering, because I have been away for so long, should I pick up where I left off or start a new blog. It has been a year since I have blogged.

I decided that I have put work into this blog in the past and why not jump back in. 

I truly had no idea anyone really was reading my blog until recently. I had several people tell me they miss my blog. Hum well, come to think of it, I do too! I found that, although I may not be a great writer, the more I wrote the more comfortable I got writing. I also found when I was blogging, I may not be a stellar photographer, BUT I love photography. Blogging encouraged me to take more photos of my family doing the everyday things in life. Over the past year I have realized how much my camera that used to ALWAYS be around my neck, has sat in the closet. So it is time to break out my camera again and start documenting our lives.

This is a blog is about my family. I like pictures, and I like stories and it feels really valuable to me to have some of this kind of stuff written down. I devote time to this blog from here forward so that some day, when I’m not around anymore, this will be a safe place of peace for my family. They can look back and see how much I loved them {to the moon and back AND…more than all the fishes in the sea}. Ask my kidos how much their mama loves them, I guarantee they will reply with that their statement. 

 I may share things with you that put myself out there, I’m not perfect, and you may think I’m crazy. I don’t always have a clean house that smells like fresh laundered clothing, bake cookies, remember to bath my kids, change diapers on time or cook home meals. Your about to get the raw version of a working mama of two!

Did I just say a mama of two?!? That’s right folks! In the time I have been away we welcomed a baby girl into our family. Meet Tennyson Hadley Grider, she was born n January, and as a family we are sooo in love! 

So welcome back…