Tuesday, August 27, 2013

What I learned over summer vacation.... By Tiffany Lewis

1. Summer time makes us all HANGRIER than usual!

2. Having Claire (the rock star nanny) for a month of the summer was delightful and was THE WAY to enjoy summer vacation!!

3. We missed Claire during August!

4. My summer bubble was wonderful and empty by my choice. And after I stopped checking my email and phone like a mad woman, I was able to slow down a little and enjoy the nothing.

5. I get lonely when my bubble is empty. (It's not a perfected process). Two more months of summer and I would have it down.

6. Even if you get up early ALL summer to work out and sweat, you can still get the summer suppleness.

7. I hate the summer suppleness.

8. If my children do not have food in their mouths at 11 and 3, ugly things will come out of their mouths.

9. Their momma also needs said snacks at said times for the same said reasons. ;)

10. I like being tan.

11. I especially like when my tan is for a week in Destin with my whole family.

12. Tennis is a new sport that our family enjoys. Especially for combatting #7 and supporting #10. Also, I don't feel as dumb wearing tennis skirts since I played 3 whole times this summer.

13. Katelynn's bucket list includes: red buckets, green buckets, blue buckets, and pink buckets. (Spelled bukets). She may not understand what a bucket list is. We may not have explained it to her because we thought it was so funny.

14. Giggling with my family is my favorite summer activity.

15. Just being with my family is my favorite place to be.

What did you learn over your summer vacation??

Joyfully full of it,
Tiff

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Loving on me

My family has "acts of service" the heck out of me this week. Just when I needed some love.













Free car wash! And after I dried it, it was lovely and clean...

But before this, my handsome husband acts of serviced this for me....



BAM! A deck to sit on and hang. He even strung Christmas lights in the tree so it's lit up.

So, in the midst of my temper tantrum because of my children's less than acceptable behavior, I was still so very much loved.

How have you felt or seen love this week? Soak up the hugs and kisses and clean cars you can. (And remember them when the sarcasm is spoken freely)

Joyfully full today....whew!

Tiff

Monday, August 19, 2013

But sometimes they don't....

My kids make me smile...but sometimes they don't.

I have picture to post of the 3 1/2 minutes that they haven't argued today but I'm just too exhausted to even try to start uploading the pictures.

How many days until they go to school? Don't get me wrong, I will cry and miss them and be sad that summer is over....but today...I'm not feeling that sadness...at all!

Are you feeling this way too?

Oh good. Solidarity sister. We can make it. The stress and excitement of the new school year may be overloading us. Or maybe we can only handle 69 days together before we totally lose it. Whatever it may be, I hope that you are able to stop yelling for a few minutes during this last week of summer...

 And remember that moment when he said he loved you....
 And she made a squirrel face with a 3 fingered peace sign....* I have no idea what she is doing.
And then remember that most of the time they do make you smile.

Maybe not today....

Striving for Joy and grasping at peace for 6 more days.
Tiff

Thursday, August 15, 2013

A "Ditto" Post

I think it's okay to "ditto" a post if it's a relatives. More than ditto, it's an AMEN post. Don't know how my sister is the pretty and smart one, but such is life. (She's the one in pink)

You can read her beautiful words here.

Here's a teaser quote:

"Lord we gather because we LOVE you and for no other reason, please help us to not disintegrated into irrelevance over the addiction to comparison.  Help us to continue to grow and reach those that want to know and love you more."

The Ellis/Lewis/Blount Family 2013

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Admitting Defeat

I started the summer just like I did last summer...with high and mighty plans of education and structure.

Does that make you laugh? Well, it should.

And now that we are in August and the home stretch toward forced structure and education, I've letting go and admitting defeat.

There will be no more rules of the road that include reading or workbook pages.

No, we won't sit and read a book instead of watching TV.

No, we won't play outside until lunch.

No, we won't gain any ground in our reading, writing, or arithmatic skills. (I'm leaving the misspelling of arithmatic to prove my point, and because I have no idea how to spell that fancy math word).

We will embrace the genetic tendencies to sit and watch TV all day. (Like thigh biscuits, the Ellis side of the family is notorious for TV watching expertise).

We will spend our time in the car playing our DS's. (Instead of fighting...please dear Lord).

She has a new game that is taking care of a puppy. Never mind that our kittens were out of food and water this morning..... Her virtual dog is well fed and walked.

He is playing another Lego game. It's the same one we have on the wii but I get to watch TV while he plays this one. My parenting excellence know no bounds.

And we will spend afternoons at the mall. (Do you hear the "How I met your mother" song "Let's go to the mall, today?" Because the Tyler mall has the best invention ever...the bouncy things. And my children love them.

The athletic ability of my family should impress you. Look how high she is...almost 9 feet.

He is just a little higher. And he wasn't giggling as much as her, which may account for his height.
Actually, we won't be going back to the mall unless it is to jump. Because let's be honest, I'm not 16 and my friends don't hang out there. (But if you are heading that way, call me and Let's go to the mall, Today...")

Also, I got a new watch and I am in love with it. Thank you Accessory Dash!


Embrace the laziness before the school storm.
Joyfully full of it,

Tiff

Monday, August 5, 2013

Out to pasture

Hello Beautiful,

This summer has been challenging for me. Please don't read that the summer has not be most excellent, oh my, it has....but challenging. I have felt beat down and have been struggling with, well, I really can't put my finger on what had me down. Please note the past tense HAD.

I told y'all that Melanie Shankle from the Big Mama blog was coming to Tyler. I could barely contain my excitement before and after the event. She spoke and I swear her words were directed to me! I had been praying for God to give me something...like a Psalm 257....dear Tiffany... To help me out of the ridiculous funk I was stuck in.

Well, he gave me Big Mama's words. They were so sweet and wonderful. I "know" this beautiful lady from her blog and the book I just finished.






It's a wonderful book about being a mom and loving even the hard times. She's funny and frank. My two favorite adjectives!

So, here's what she said. (Shared with permission...yes, I actually talked to her!!! I'll tell you about that below.)

From the Pasture to the Throne

1 Samuel 16. This is the story of when King David was called by God to be the next king of Isreal.

The Lord said to Samuel, r“How long will you grieve over Saul, since sI have rejected him from being king over Israel? tFill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, ufor I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, v‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. wAnd you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city xcame to meet him trembling and said, y“Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. zConsecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they came, he looked on aEliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, b“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, cbut the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called dAbinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made dShammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, e“There remains yet the youngest,1 but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, f“Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in.

I tried to paste it in and it looks funny, but the point is that Samuel went to Jesse to find the next king. He went through all of Jesse's sons except David...the one he left in the pasture with the sheep... Left out in the pasture. If God can find David in the pasture and use him, he can surely find you amongst the dirty clothes and floors.... Right??

Stay the course when the crap piles up around you.... Remain in Him... Let (Melanie) tell you why...

1. He is absolutely calling you to something. (Jeremiah 29:11)

2. Everything in your life has been preparing you for what God wants you to do. (Your history is a part of your story....it makes you the perfect you)

3. There will always be obstacles in your way. (Your whole life is more than you can handle so that the only way you can make it is with Him)

4. The path won't always be clear. (Our hero, David, asked God if he was sure about choosing him in 2 Samuel)

5. We are called to leave the comfortable and familiar behind.

6. You will make mistakes. (God's grace is bigger than your mistakes)

7. Others won't understand. (2 Samuel 6:21 David danced in the streets.... Like a crazy man.)

8. You will be blessed beyond measure when you walk out what God has for you. There will be peace and contentment, you will not find it.....IT'S HIM!

Ephesians 3:20 He has more than you can imagine for you.

Take a deep breath and let it soak in. You are beautiful and amazing and a masterpiece.





See, she knows my name....





And my face.

When I walked up to her for her autograph, my heart was pounding. I was blessed by her words and had defaced her book with my notes.... And she was funny and gracious. I told her that I was thankful for her and that I wanted to seem classy, so I took out my toilet paper book mark before I walked in the building. (She agreed that was classy!)

Please be encouraged. If you are struggling, pray for Psalm 258: "dear you
" or writing on the wall for direction or the hug that you need today.

Be loved beautiful.
Joyfully full of it...whatever it is!

Tiff