Whew!

We have been SICK. For almost a month. And I am SOOOO happy and thankful it's finally passing! Upper respiratory/summer cold junk. Exhausting. Not at all fun. Kept us home. Hacking coughs. Ick. Lots of play time upstairs.  

A few weekends ago we made a trek to the beach for a long day with my college roommate!!!

It was SO good to see her and her sweet family! Love and miss y'all SOOOO much!!!

And on the way home, we took in an absolutely stunning sunset. The children were mesmerized. It was glorious, indeed. The handiwork of God...breathtaking.

I've been sorting clothes. Oh the blessings! And, too, something snapped once more. I did a MEGA purge a few months ago. A purge that began on one end of the house and continued to the other end and then I went upstairs and started again. We had a HUGE yard sale. And I've been purging...again. And it feels. So. Good. Our home feels like it can breathe. There is space. There are places to put things. To play. It is good.

Oh summer days...

I love you!

I was pumped to open House Beautiful and spot this! Hmmm...familiar?

And in other news, I have a sort of love story to share. There are times when God so clearly provides for us that my heart is in my throat and I can scarcely take it in. These times, I am sure to so many others, seem like mere coincidences... happenstance. But I happen to know that my Heavenly Father is intimately involved in every single detail of life. From drapes to death. He is sovereign over all. 

And so...many of you know we are die hard Dave Ramsey fans. We jumped on board about seven years ago and haven't looked back. Four years ago, we wanted a larger vehicle for our growing family. The Lord provided what has been for me, my dream car. When I say He provided, I mean we were able to make a cash sale on our old car and combine that with savings to pay cash for a '96 Land Cruiser. Sure, she was old and beat up some, but oh man, I was THRILLED! Literally, a dream come true since high school!

She's aged gracefully, but has been frequenting the mechanic a little more lately than we'd like. Mr. Mechanic told us he hates to tell people it's time for a newer vehicle, but now would be a really good time to sell. I cried at this news. Silly. I know.

The Engineer asked Mr. Mechanic to keep his ear to the ground for us. So...long story short, Mr. Mechanic put us in touch with an older gentleman who had a newer vehicle, perfectly suited for our family, with low mileage. We went and looked. My heart wasn't in it. I wasn't thrilled. I really liked our Land Cruiser. And he was asking more than we could pay. And we were committed to paying cash. So we left and began praying. And God began working in my heart. Sadly, teaching me, reminding me, that my identity is not in what I drive, but in Christ. ('Cause truthfully, I struggle with that.) And last Monday, the phone rang. It was the elderly gentleman. He was calling to say he really liked our little family and wanted us to have his car and was willing to knock quite a chunk off his asking price...which put it EXACTLY, EXACTLY in our price range. A gift from God? Most definitely. 

Friday afternoon we drove up to meet the gentleman. He and his wife visited with us, shared a bit of their history with us, stuffed our children with candy, and we made the transaction. And as I drove home, my heart sighed with contentment. Not in a new to us vehicle, but in God's tender mercies and attention to details. In the fact that He knew our need, even before we did. In the fact that He worked out all the details. He holds the king's heart in His hand and directs it wherever He wills. He worked in my heart and He obviously worked in that gentleman's heart. I am so thankful and I feel so loved by my Heavenly Father.

And last night we got a call from a local guy...who is very interested in the Land Cruiser. He's familiar with older toyotas and doesn't mind making his own repairs. I really want to sell her to someone who will enjoy her. She's been such a blessing. This whole thing has been a blessing and a very tangible reminder of God's goodness and care for His children.

And in other news, the grands stopped by on their way home from vacay...they just happened to stop on my FIL's birthday. A party was in order. Even if he did buy his own cake. Oops. 

Note the number 64 in the earlier photo...

That would be a four from Little Man's last party and a six from Sister's last party. Grandpa J got a kick out of it. 

We all laughed and laughed. 

He's really 55. I think. 

It's only taken a few days of summer to convince me of the necessity of chores. Work is, after all, a gift from God. And so...each day I have something new I'm assigning the children. 

Yesterday, they vacuumed. Today, they will wash the car. And each day, our home is a little cleaner.

Happy Hot Summer Days to you!