JOY...in the many sense of the word

Last weekend we stayed home for the first weekend in a LONG time (below are some of the projects that got completed during that time).  It's been a busy and difficult season of life! Between Thanksgiving, 2 Christmas weekends, and my grandma's funeral we've been traveling a lot!  Add on fairly demanding full-time jobs and Chad's dad battling stomach cancer and this season has been (is) hard on us all, even Eli.  Who on top of the lack of routine, has been growing and learning a TON, getting close to walking, gotten 4 new teeth, and is experiencing separation anxiety and just overall clinginess...which has caused a lot of nighttime wakings and very early mornings for mom and dad.  Oh the joys of parenthood :)

But in all seriousness, it is a JOY!  Life has been hard, but I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am and how thankful I am for sooo many things in life!  I have a merciful savior who is ALWAYS by my side, a loving husband (who isn't quite to Jesus status, but he's pretty good, lol), a healthy happy baby boy, and an amazingly supportive group of family, friends, and coworkers!  I've been thinking about joy a lot lately...that was my grandma's name and she really did have joy in her heart as she battled Leukemia, even till the very end!  I love you grandma Joy and will miss you terribly!

I read a simple verse the other day that nearly brought tears to my eyes and encouraged me greatly! Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." This verse really spoke to me and I think it can be applied to many situations.  Ultimately it means to not give up doing good to others and sharing God's love in order to reap souls for the Kingdom of God!  However, personally it is a good reminder to persevere...all things in life are just for a season (even if you suffer through something your entire life...that's only a glimpse of time compared to eternity!).  As a mother I can seek to not become weary in doing good in order to reap the harvest of healthy, God-honoring children.  As a teacher I seek to do the same; guide my students not only academically, but socially and spiritually as well.

I'll take off my preacher/teacher hat now...here is the domestic/creative side of me.  I have wanted to put up a collage of pictures on this wall since we first moved into our apartment in August...it just got done!  I also want to give props to my wonderful hubby who endured the process of picking out pictures, then nearly an hour in Hobby Lobby trying to decide on frames and other wall art and then helped me hang them all!  He also spent at least 30 minutes in JC Penny with me trying to decide on curtains...so many options and so hard to imagine how they will look once you actually get them home!  I feel like we did a pretty good job and it all matches while still having a somewhat random feel that I was hoping for! :)

Random collage of family photos - This is a wall i've wanted to fill since we moved into our new place in August!

Side-by-side of my big preggo belly with our wedding rings on it & Elias's little feet holding our wedding rings...Love it!

Our living room finally coming together...these are our new curtains, with some wall art and pillows that used to be my grandma Joy's!