Hello June

I love this picture below because it reminds me of Lake Michigan :)  I can't wait to get up their this summer and spend time with family and friends at the beach!  Emma is 4 months.  She is doing great!  She just started to take the bottle and paci (which has helped in the car A LOT). She is such a smiley and happy baby.  I could just eat her all up!  I have been trying to be intentional about trying some fun summer activities with Quinn.  We went strawberry picking with our playgroup and it was so fun!  We made strawberry pie the next day with all of our strawberries.  I couldn't believe how much better they tasted than store bought.  Our normal routine has really gone out the window.  It all depends on the weather.  If it is sunny, we have been getting swim suits on first thing and playing in the sprinkler/kitty pool outside.  If it's cloudy, we do errands or make a stop at the library.  I'm enjoying our relaxed summer days!

The Shaping of a Christian Family // Part One

I recently finished Elisabeth Elliot's, The Shaping of a Christian Family.  Whenever I finish a book, I can't help but share what I learned from it.  For some reason, I just can't keep it in!  You can read a quick bio about Elisabeth here.  (Your might remember her story from the movie, End of the Spear.)

"A mother is a chalice, the vessel without no human being has ever been born.  She is created to be a life-bearer, cooperating with her husband and with God in the making of a child.  What a solemn  responsibility.  What an unspeakable privilege--a vessel divinely prepared for the Master's use."

I had breakthrough moment when I read this because sometimes I feel like it is so unfair that women have to give up so much to be mothers.  God revealed to me that this was part of His design for us from the beginning.  I need to accept it, celebrate it, and be open to experiencing the beauty in being a mother.

"When parents receive a child from the hand of God, they receive a life to be shaped and molded--most of that shaping and molding taking place, psychologists say, during the first seven years (and some say by far the most impressionable years are the first three)...The One who fashioned the child and gave him to these two people is ready to give the wisdom they know they lack, if only they ask."

Ummm...that's a little daunting, isn't it?!  I love the second part where she acknowledges that parents know they lack wisdom.  Instead of panicking about how I have no clue what I am doing, I started the habit of asking God for wisdom in each situation.  This has been life altering.  I have read a lot of parenting books, but nothing can compare with God's wisdom.

Hope these words might be encouraging, and a good reminder for me in the future!

SPRING WEEKEND

Even though we didn't have any big plans for this weekend, it turned out to be very pleasant.  I really like it when we have nothing major planned and we can just go with the flow.  Matt took Quinn out to dinner at the mall for a daddy-daughter date on Friday evening.  The exhaustion from the week hit me all at once on Friday and I needed a break.  Needless to say, Quinn had a wonderful time with her daddy.

Saturday was cold and rainy.  Everyone slept well so we had a lazy morning.  French toast has become a new favorite.  It's so easy and yummy to make (3/4 cup milk + 1 egg + 1-2 tsp. vanilla + dash of cinnamon, stir, dip bread in mixture and put it in the frying pan!).  Saturday evening, Quinn had a babysitter so that Matt and I (with Emma in tow) could go out for dinner.  Dinner went well, but the car ride there and back was a little painful...non-stop crying from Emma.  Why do all my babies dislike the car seat?!  I did end up buying this super comfy "OHIO" shirt while we were out though.  Yes, we ended up at the mall two days in a row...

The work on our patio/deck started this weekend too!  I can't wait for the space to be done.  I've been looking for ideas on how to do flower pots outside (I've never done one before!).  I found a picture I like from Joanna Gaine's instagram (from the show Fixer Upper on HGTV). 

I also found a little time to read this weekend.  Maybe I will share my thoughts about what I'm reading in a post.  So, that's about it!  Hoping for some warmer weather this week so we can get outside.

By the way--I only have one child at home at the moment  and it still took me about two hours to finish this post between the nursing, rocking, diaper changing, laundry, and warming up my coffee (3 times)!  That's just how things get done with little ones at home :)  I'm still determined to keep posting though!

SPECIAL VISITORS

We had some extra special visitors last weekend.  My sister visited with her oldest two kiddos!  They were excited to meet our little Emma for the first time.  It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but packed with fun.  We had a picnic at the zoo, played outside in the sunshine, grilled out, and had a movie night!  Quinn was the happiest girl on the planet.  She LOVES her cousins to the moon and back.  They are so sweet to her and did a wonderful job of playing with her.  

HELLO!!!



I found the inspiration to get things going again on our blog!  I didn't think it would happen, but here I am!  Like the picture?  It pretty much sums things up right now ;) 

I changed the title of the blog from our family name to something a little more anonymous.  Why "The Lemon Bee"?  Well, most of you know that I had an etsy shop (lemon bee studio) open for a about a year or so.  I closed it in the fall before the birth of our second daughter, Emma.  It was a really great creative outlet for me but quite time consuming.  So, I thought I would stick with the name, Lemon Bee, since this blog is another form of a creative outlet for me! 

It's a fun way for me to reflect on the journey of making memories with our family, and be able to share it with out friends and family too!