Our Snow Day | Video

Earlier this week I spent hours cleaning off thousands and thousands of pictures off my computer.  In the process I came across a video that I made for Colby for Valentine's Day a couple of years ago.  It was a silly video with a several pictures and a lot of slow-motion video clips from years past.  Colby and I watched it on Wednesday of this week and we were reminded how much we love that video.  So I suggested that we make a video for our "snow day" the following day!  He agreed and I prayed specifically the next morning that Colby would show me grace as I kept a camera in his face for the rest of the day.  I AM NOT GOOD AT MAKING THESE, but it seemed like a fun project/challenge that documented our day in a different way than just still frames.  

Yesterday was a dream, ya'll.  We got up and read Bibles and books.  Colby did some work from home, while I lit candles, turned on Pandora and did some wifely duties.  Then we played in the snow and saw our nephews and fixed perfect winter lunches.  We built an Olympic snowman and built fires and indulged in fresh pumpkin bread and coffee.  Seriously, it was a dream.

So while Colby continued to stoke the fire, I threw this baby together last night...

Click to watch our snow day HERE.

PS.  Colby & I celebrated Valentine's Day last night considering we thought he was going on a hunting trip this weekend (which got postponed.. go figure!).  Colby bought us Country Mega Tickets for the rest of this year's celebrations and holidays (not including anniversary!)  -- #tightbudgetprobs #myhusbandisunbelievable. 

Valentine's Day is suppose to be about romance and telling people not just that you love them but WHY you love them.  So we ate supper in front of the fire place, put a little Boyz II Men Pandora on and we wrote on index cards that I made.  Each card had a different line on it.. for example, "I love it when you...", "I feel loved when you...", "You look best in...", ETC.  We both wrote on our set of cards and then exchanged.  SUPER CHEAP & effective I'd say.   Simple, nothing crazy.  Yes, we should say these things more often.  But sometimes a written note about what your husband loves about you or what you do for him is a super tangible reminder of why you should keep doing those things... BECAUSE HE LOVES IT.  I wrote the date on the back of the index cards and I hope that this is a tradition we continue to do for Valentine's Days to come!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Now go tell someone WHY you love them!!

The gospel according to John & Will

So I have been wanting to blog about several things as of late.  Like the perks of unemployment... and also the pits.  Like my makeshift Christmas decorations.  Like the book I am currently reading and have vowed to give as gifts from here on out.  Like life as of late.

But this weekend, John and Will came to spend a night with us.  So I'm gonna blog about that today.

 

I am always surprised about how the gospel in revealed to me when those boys are around.  I don't know why I am always surprised.  Their mother is woman of unbelievable faith and every lesson, punishment, conversation that she has with her boys is drenched in scripture.  When we said our bedtime prayers on Friday night, Will, the 8 year old, prayed so specifically - something I am trying to be more aware of in my own life.  John pulled out my chair for me, while thanking me for fixing him supper, at the dining room table a couple hours prior that that.  And that respectful gesture was the gospel revealed to a 23 year old from a 12 year old.

 On Saturday morning, Colby and I took the boys to a park near our new home.  It was freezing cold but the boys ate it up.  Colby and I love the outdoors but these boys like looove the outdoors.  They freaked out when they saw a little island of cedar knots and they could honestly look at a waterfall for hours.

We wandered off beaten paths and crossed bridges.  I snapped pictures, they skipped rocks.  It was incredible.  Yes, it was cold, but we were outdoors, in the heart of the world that man cannot compete with.  This is all God.  Trees and creeks and moss and dirt.  Cold winds and cracking tree limbs.  Cedar knots and smooth rocks.  I mean this is it.  This is the stuff we are suppose to be in awe of.  God is way cooler than Van Gough.  Are you kidding me?  He MADE TREES.  And lots of them.  The whistling of wind and the crunching of leaves under your feet is nature's music.  Mozart, who?  

I have no doubt that their sanctuary is the woods.  Not a building with a cross on it.  The woods.  Where simplicity, sanctification and restoration for the heart resides.  I bet their alters are fallen trees.  And communion cups are those that John whittled out of acaia wood.  I bet you that they are baptized by waterfalls and their joy comes from the warmth of the sun.  I believe that whole-heartily.

And I also believe that is the gospel according to John and Will.

Rainy Summer Week

Last week was just a good week, especially the latter part of it.  

Due to this rainy weather Colby got to come home early one day.  However, Colby is the epitome of a hard worker.  Rain doesn't stop him.  He came home around lunch and got straight to work around the house.  I am so thankful for his work ethic.

 

Another good part of the week was the Fourth of July.  When I woke up, I made a mental list of the things Colby & I should do on this day.  I wanted to throw softball, eat hot dogs for lunch and watch The Patriot.. all before we got together with family to grill out and watch fireworks.  Well it was rainy, we didn't have any hotdogs in the fridge and The Patriot wasn't on TV as it usually is.  So we stayed in our PJs til noon, had a Breaking Bad marathon and Colby made us a pizza pie for lunch.

 

Later, I helped my sisters-in-law with some patriotic Pinterest ideas that were much harder than expected.  We grilled out and engorged ourselves with burgers, potatoes, country vegetables and an array of blue and red desserts.

 

And the grand finale: fireworks at the local ball park with the rest of the community.

On Saturday, my family invited Colby & I over for a meal of fish tacos and a corn hole tournament.  We ate outside (where it began pouring the rain as soon as we sat down) and devoured these fish tacos that my sister made.  She tried to make them like the restaurant Cabo Fish Taco in Charlotte and she nailed it.  They were spot on... well done, Ash!  And then later, we played two corn hole tournaments.  It was a sweet night of good food and sweet company.

And lastly, to conclude our ridiculously good weekend...  Colby & I tried a new church and had the best lazy Sunday afternoon ever.  Ahh, I am so thankful for this past week and summer nights in our small town.

Kayak Crazy

Two Wednesdays ago, Colby came to me and said "Babe, I want a kayak."  That following Friday, Colby & I went to Bass Pro to pick up two kayaks. Was it an impulse buy?  Absolutely.  Do we regret it?  Nope.

   

 Since we have bought the kayaks and all of the necessary equipment such as life jackets and paddles and anchors, we have been on a pond or river every chance we gotten.  For example, this past couple days went as follows: Thursday, Colby & I went in a pond to fish; Friday, we paddled up and down one area of the river; Saturday, Colby & I went on a three hour trip; and Sunday, Colby, myself, my brother, his girlfriend and his buddies went on a two hour trip. 

 

I think it is safe to say that the Scott's are officially kayak crazy.