Brothers

So back in MARCH. I started working on Alex and Liam's shared bedroom. It will still be a while before they start sharing, but I wanted it to be ready, well mostly ready. So many of my projects had gone so smoothly, and then I hit the snag...

On pinterest I had found the cutest sign that  had a quote by Marc Brown and said "Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero". I knew I needed that for the boys room. So i bought a big canvas and started trying to measure out the size of letters I was looking for. I really wanted stickers, so I couple place them and paint over them, but I was not finding letters the right size.

So I eventually went back, chose the paint color I wanted to the canvas to be and bought some stencils. After multiple attempts and cover ups I learned two things.
1. I can't stencil.
2. I can't paint freehand letters.

I used up a whole little bottle of Martha Stewart Wild Blueberry paint fixing up the canvas after wiping white paint letters off the top.

But thanks to those multiple mess ups I had a brilliant idea yesterday--use the fabric squares and stencils to cut out the big words and paint the rest. So cutting out the letters was the easy part, but after messing up the letters again. It was back to Michaels. A bottle of white paint, another bottle of Wild blueberry, and two packs of stickers later...

a product I am finally satisfied with! I am really happy with how the brother and superhero words turned out! It was super easy to decopauge them to the canvas, and there are some little threads that give it some texture. Now that the main art for the wall is finished I can finally figure out where to hang stuff up!

Katie: Maternity Leave!!

I am sitting in my chair, feet up, watching Alex and Will play with huge bubbles out on the front steps...also noticing how badly the window really needs to be clean. Add that to the long list of to dos on the house. That may or may not get one before Liam makes his appearance.

You know the feeling when you always feel like you have to save your energy because there is still so much ahead of you. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. That is how this year was for me. EXHAUSTING. Between a rough group of kids at school this year, a lot of other stuff going on at school, a rambunctious toddler, and the million and one other things that came up every day, I never felt like I could fully relax because there was something else that would be nagging me at the back of my mind.

Until Now.

The beautiful feeling of knowing that all I have to do now is wait for our new little one to come is such a relief. The fact that now I only have to focus on home makes life feel so simple and sweet.

One of my favorite chapters has always been Isaiah 40. Maybe because I have a tendency to work myself into complete exhaustion, and this chapter always puts God into perspective for me. As the years have gone on, I have learned to lean on God for rest and also the importance of saying NO. :) I remember one sermon I heard on vs 31 specifically.

but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

one of the points the preacher made was the order of the verbs--soar, run, walk. We often start off soaring, but tend to slow down. Even so the Lord still give us what we need. Strength. 

This spring I had been crawling. (besides the fact that Liam makes it hurt to walk) Just when I thought the Lord had given me all the challenges I could bear, another one seemed to come up. It is so good though that we can still crawl to the cross and know that the one who created the heavens and earth will let us find rest in Him. And he brought it to me just in time.

Even though life will get crazy again with a newborn we have the whole summer ahead of us and God going before us. It is going to be a good adventure.