ONE YEAR

     In just TWO days, Lucas will officially celebrate his first birthday. :-)  And, I get to celebrate an entire year of NOT being pregnant, lol. Earlier this week the kids and I headed outside to do a photo shoot for little man and needless to say, we had a blast. Here is a peek into our shoot:

     Enjoying peace and quiet for the first time in what feels like an eternity...and the first thought that pops into my head, "IT'S TOO QUIET!!"  I'm sure you've guessed by now that the kiddos aren't here, lol. Noah and Hales are spending the night with my Mom and little Lucas is snoozing away. I already miss my babies like crazy but am thankful for this little break. And then tomorrow, Caleb's Mom is picking the kids up and watching them for the day while we go get our health screenings done. :-)
     Not too much excitement has been going on around here. I did officially start preschool with Noah and Haleigh. We kicked off with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, then Dr. Seuss and this week we have focused on The Farm. :-)  I try to incorporate as many fun things as I can; for example, when we did our Dr. Seuss theme, we didn't just read Green Eggs and Ham...we ATE it, lol.  And yesterday I took the kids to a local produce store where they had a chance to learn about different fruits and veggies...and the greatest part is everything was grown just a few miles from there.
     Lucas will officially turn ONE in a month and five days and I'm like "Where did the time go?!?"  That little man has stolen my heart and I fall more in love with him every single day. I sometimes marvel at the ability the heart has to grow and grow to accommodate so much love. I couldn't thank God enough for my beautiful family; an amazing hubby and three precious kids.
     I'm hoping to start a new bible study today so I'm going to go and do that before Lucas wakes up. Hope each of you is having an amazing Thursday.

This and That

     Today is the first day in over two weeks that all the kids have taken a nap at the same time. I was pretty shocked when Noah picked up his blankets and headed towards the bedroom; guess we wore him out this weekend. I'm just thankful to have a little downtime because I woke up with a horrible migraine, which thankfully, felt a little better after taking some medicine.
     Not too much has happened around here recently. We did find out that my Hubby has a week long business trip coming up in October. The positive side to this is that I am able to tag along. I think we will take Noah and  Hales too, since they can really enjoy the beach. Poor Lucas just tries to eat the sand and I'm not sure I can keep up with all three of them while Hubby is attending business meetings during the day. We are blessed with great friends who have volunteered to watch Lucas, though, so VERY thankful for that.
     Well, my break was short lived...my little Noah Bug just walked downstairs, awake from his nap. :-)  Hope all of you has a blessed day!!

Living Lighter

     I spent my morning going through all my clothes and ridding myself of anything I haven't worn in a year or more. I have a habit of holding onto everything...especially clothes. But I feel surprisingly "lighter". Like a weight has been lifted and I can enjoy all the extra space that I now have in my closet. The challenge will be getting my Hubby to agree to do the same, lol. He is just as bad as I am about not wanting to part with anything.
     I feel like I've finally got my photography business up and going the way I have always dreamed about. In the next week, I have THREE photo shoots and am praying for more bookings to follow. I truly feel this is the direction God is leading me...to be a stay at home Mom AND pursue my dreams of photography. God is so good and I know that He will guide me regardless of the plans in store. For anyone in need of photos, please visit my website www.photographybyraquel.blogspot.com when you get a chance.

gods at war

     Truly enjoying our new study called gods at war, by Kyle Idleman. It's main focus is on the heart and how there are false gods at war within all of us. The reason that we aren't following Jesus as we should is because we are focused on the little g gods; for example, entertainment, sexual desires, food, work...you name it. If it's taking your focus off of God, then chances are, you have formed it into an idol. Not to say that these things are bad, as God created each of them for our enjoyment. It's just that when we replace God with anything, it takes our focus off of eternal life and puts the spotlight onto wordly things.
     After reading half of the book and delving more into scripture, I'm actually quite surprised at how many "idols" I've set up in my home. When reading the Bible, or when hearing someone mention the word idol, images of bronze monkeys with big bellies or statues of two headed women come to mind. But think of it this way...Idleman tells the story of a friend he knew who had visited another country for a mission trip. The family he was staying with (along with most families in that country) had an idol placed on what we would call a mantel. Every piece of furniture was arranged to face (and worship) this idol. When I first read it, I just shook my head and thought "that's horrible...what a sad life". But then as I read farther into the book, Idleman makes a good point...what, in our American  homes does our furniture face? TELEVISION!! And then I thought, we don't have just one tv in our home...we have three. :-(  And then I started thinking about the amount of time I spend watching pointless shows, feeling bored and how little time I've spent in reading scripture and seeking God's face...and how sad that made me.
      This week, I'm making an effort to fast from several things that I've set up as idols in my home. There will be less tv, less junk food, and by far...less computer time. I will spend these hours with my family, enjoying their company and learning/teaching scripture. I am so thankful that the Lord has opened my eyes to my wrong doings of idol worship.

ABCs and 123s

     Can't wait to officially begin preschool with the kiddos next month. :-)  I've slowly been building my teaching collection and can't wait to put it to use. I've got workbooks galore, new boxes of crayons and colored pencils, coloring books, flash cards, and bought a bulletin board today. The kids (and ME) are so excited to be learning at home. I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with the opportunity and ability to stay at home and teach my children. I'm not saying that every public school is bad, nor do I look down on those who choose public school for their families...I'm just saying this is the right decision for us, based on our thoughts and beliefs. And the cool thing about this is that the majority of my friends will also be homeschooling, so the kids will have the social interaction that's needed for their ages. :-)
     Please pray for us as we embark on this new journey. I blinked and Noah Bug turned into a little boy on me, lol. It's hard to believe that our son will be starting Kindergarten next year, but I can't wait to see all that he accomplishes. If anyone has any homeschooling/preschool advice, please send me an email...I'd love to hear from you. My new email address is rljohnston26@outlook.com

New Glasses!!!

  

     I got my new glasses in the mail today. I am so thankful I came across the Zenni Optical website because for some majorly expensive glasses, I only paid $40. I'm still kind of bummed my optical condition won't allow me to wear contacts, but at least I have an awesome website to order from that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. :-)
     An update on my PMDD...my meds are working out GREAT! This is my first full month back on them and I am so thankful I made the decision to discuss my mood swings with my doctor. I've felt WONDERFUL the last couple of weeks and am back to my old self again. Hubby is super thankful for that since I'm not biting his head off over every little thing these days, lol. I'm currently only taking 50 mg for the first two weeks of my cycle and 75 mg for the luteal phase. If for some reason I revert back to the inability to control my emotions, worst case scenario is we up my dosage. I'm just praising God that I was born in a time where these types of conditions are well known, publicly discussed, and able to be treated.
     Off of here now to finish up Season 2 of Pretty Little Liars. My sister in law got me hooked on it and now it's impossible to stop. Sooooo thankful the kiddos are taking their naps today because it's going to be nice to have a small break.

RUBBER DUCKY

    Woke up this morning feeling better than I have in WEEKS! Apparently I had a vitamin B deficiency so after taking supplements for a few days, I really do feel great. I've spent this afternoon planning my youngest son's FIRST birthday party. I can't believe almost a year has went by, but time does seem to fly when you're having fun. :-)
     I decided on a rubber ducky theme for his party. I've been browsing Pinterest (only my most favorite website these days) and have come across so many adorable ideas. Thoughts of little duckies floating in punch bowls and pitchers decked out with yellow polka dotted ribbons keep going through my mind, haha. Can't wait to celebrate with all of our friends and family. Also, we have decided to rent a bounce house for that day, which should be fun. It's mostly for the older kids but I'm sure Lucabear will have a blast too.
     Any who, hope everyone is enjoying their day and will write again when I have a bit more time...which is rarely.

A Shout Out to all my Mom Friends

Vacation in Photos