EastCoastLove

Hey y'all! My sis and I have started a 'book club' back at the start of 2020! Its so fun chatting with her about the characters and what we loved or hated about each book! She lives in VA so it's a fun way for us to 'hang out'. She is an avid reader and I am picky. She will research all things before she is interested in, or makes a decision, I sorta wing it.  It all started with the Outlander book series. She got me hooked and I anxiously await the 9th book. I've had friends who read constantly and widely and admired them. I usually just stick to movies or music. But during all this time at home due to COVID, I was able to read a few more, while adding more to my read list.  I reread the outlander book 5 of course cause its my favorite :) with a couple more sprinkled in. Here are three books that I adored and totally recommend.  On a recommendation from a friend we read "The Alice Network"by Kate Quinn.  A beautiful historical drama about a women ...

5 things about jack you should know 1. His facial expressions have been his greatest form communication since he was like 6 months old. He could raise his eye brows before he was one! His sweet little emotions are all over his face!  2. He loves to make his brothers laugh. Asher is his biggest fan!  3.  Still wants to hold my hand when we walk out in public! Still snuggles and lets me hold him when ever he isn't running wild :)  4. Always talks about motorcycles, dirt bikes, racing go carts, playing soccer, running and driving tractors. There is nothing this boy doesn't want to do. The world is his oyster.  5. Lastly he loves our cats something fierce and they love him too!  Happy birthday Jack! We love you!!

Interior design is something I have been into since I took an class back college. HGTV back in the day was my jam. Watching all the Design on a Dime, Love it or List it, and Sarah's house and of course recently Fixer Upper. Helping you create your own space that fits you and your budget. Now that we are in our forever house I always have a design plan running in the back of my mind.  Can't believe its been six years since we have built and moved out here in the country. We are so thankful we did it and having a blast. Our first house was 2400 square feet and this one is a 1200 square foot home. Talk about down sizing :) We didn't do much of decorating or building except for the boys beds and some small DIY stuff but really we just hunkered down and used whatever furniture we had at the last house. Which of course was too much and too big lol  before: We had this beautiful rectangle table from World Market that Kimmel and I picked out when we first got married. It had 4 chai...

Sitting in the grass of our back yard after my dad's funeral in September of '89, I remember feeling great comfort and words from God. He said I will be your provider and earthly dad.  Psalm 68:5-6a A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.  Years passed. I finished high school and headed off to college in '96. I got involved in a local small church and instantly connected with Karen the pastor's wife. Her husband Rick was the first man I remember being like a father in helping me make decisions, talk through big life questions and just be silly with. This family was so essential in my life. Even part of the reason I headed out to Texas for grad school, at Southwestern Baptist.  Big move to Texas alone at 21 was scary. I remember crying in a professors office, first week of school, after he asked me if I was doing ok. It surprised me and him! lol My roommate said she wanted to check out a church the n...

So when I thought I would start this blog back up I had no clue how strange it would feel to start it all again. Didn't think I would have a lot of voices in my head making me hesitate. It also is at a time when lots of voices are being shared and criticized on all forms of social media, it can be crippling. I have probably written three or four different posts and haven't shared any yet. Pictures are always so much easier for me. I am not good with words. I say the wrong thing too often.  I feel like I have to do a post and rip the bandaid off to get back into the swing of it. So here is a post about me feeling insecure about starting this journey back up.  This verse, Joshua 1:9,  has been an encouragement for me a couple big times in my life. I remember when I was feeling the nudge to leave a job for another, this was the verse God laid on my heart and gave me the strength I needed to take the plunge.  When I saw this sign at Hobby Lobby I had to get it for our bo...

There is only so much rough house and wrestling this momma can take before I loose my mind! With all the rain we had last month I had to get some puzzles and games for these wild boys! We don't want the screen time to go up just cause its raining, even though that's the easy answer. We try to let their imaginations fly and create but sometimes they need guidance. I am not a crafty person. The thought of glitter makes me twitch. So thankfully we can find these puzzles and games to help us through the wet days. I even saved up toilet paper and paper towel rolls for them to build with. They built eye glasses, spy glasses, binoculars and telescope. As well as boats and floats they tested in the tub which failed and ended the fun. When COVID restrictions hit Kimmel and I got some new games to try and entertain them. We have lots of fun playing all of these and even a few they can do on their own!  The newest one we tried is Scrabble Junior. I saw a family on insta...

Hello family and friends! It has been a minute since I have been able to sit, formulate a thought and write on this blog. Now having two in school and one almost there I feel like maybe I could pick this back up again. Shepherd is 8 now and finished 2nd grade! Asher finished kinder and is excited to start 1st in the fall! Jack will go to Pre-K at FBC Sanger, like the other two did, this fall. We finished strong with the distance learning thing and wonder what the fall is going to look like. Ironically I had ordered desks from IKEA for the boys that first week their school closed and FINALLY arrived 2 weeks back! when we finished. lol When I saw this months ago before the COVID I had to snag it and bring it home! I love being at home. Its my happy place. I love people and social things but I definitely recharge at home with my family. I am thankful to say that all five of us feel the same way. Shepherd has said a few times now that he will live with us when he is older while his ...