Thoughts on Thursday

Where do you find your strength?

It's a question that has been posed to me by fellow bloggers, my devotional, and friends. There is a saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." But where do they go? I can't speak for everyone, nor would I want to, but I think it's important to know where one's strength comes from so that when your hope is running low and your faith is temping luke warm, you'll know where to run. You'll know the reservoir in which to plunge.

Everyone has at least one battle they're facing. Some find comfort in sharing their struggles while others resort to dealing with things alone. A couple years ago my husband and I were facing the same battle that we are facing now...a long, undesired stay in the Land of Infertility. I promise not to bore you with our woes. Instead, I want to share with you the well from which we drink.

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Long ago, though at different ages and miles apart, my husband and I gave our lives to the Lord. We asked forgiveness for our sins and trusted the Lord with every aspect of our lives. As we grew in age and faith, our faith was tested, our dreams were realized, and our lives took unexpected directions along the way.

As I came closer to graduating high school I knew the course I was on. God had made things abundantly clear. Upon entering college various situations tested my faith, toyed with my anxiety, and made me question my choices. Did God once leave me to wander? No. While there were times it seemed as though He was absent or sitting silently, truth be told, He was waiting with open arms. Each time I came to Him with my fears, questions, or frustrations, He was there to guide me. These things led me to working at a Christian camp for 3 summers (where I met my amazing husband), a change in my college major, and a giant leap of faith that resulted in a big move.

When I sit back and look at my journey thus far, it becomes clearly evident that God's hand was in everything. It is still in everything. Even in our struggle with infertility.

It has rarely been easy to see the "sunny side" of things while dealing with the side effects of my medication. The countless pregnancy and birth announcements, while thrilling to my heart, also sadden it. Yet, never once has God not gone before me.

As we face this journey again, the time tables have been laid out before us. The "ifs" far out weigh the certainties. I've been thinking lately about how I can change this way of thinking. I'm trying to make a conscious effort to cling to what I know is certain.

I am certain that:
-God loves me
-God has the best for me
-I will face failure and trials
-I can't control circumstances but I can control my responses
-My life is filled with wonderful,  miraculous things
-I can contribute to the Kingdom
-I matter

While my heart still feels the ache, my stomach still sinks and my head tosses the past and future around constantly, I've also been continually reminded about God's goodness.

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Back to the Well. We here in the country generally rely on our wells to provide the water necessary for our everyday needs. It is a life line if you will. Take that literal image and go a step further. There is an account in the Bible of Jesus speaking to a woman at the city's well. There are many reasons why this was against reproach, but Jesus never shied away from tending to those who needed Him. This woman was no exception. At one point in their conversation He directs her to the Living Water that He offers. He offers Hope, Eternal Life, and a Promise for the future.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4: 13-14

Read the full account in John 4.

This same Well is where my strength comes from. While there are times of desert and drought, my soul is forever quenched by the same Jesus who shared His love and wisdom with that woman so many centuries ago.

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

The Lord provides more than just scripture. As humans, we are tangible beings. He has provided me with a wonderful group of friends who, regardless if they understand our circumstances, pray for us. They send texts, emails, and cards at just the right time. I can't tell you how many times a random act of kindness has been just what I've needed to get over the hump of a tough day.

So when someone asks me where my strength comes from know that while I will have moments of weakness and I will shed tears of grief, I have hope. I find my strength in the Lord. He is my portion forever.

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Thanks for joining me for this week's Thoughts on Thursday. I hope you'll link-up with myself, Annie, Natalie and others. I look forward to seeing what's on your mind!

A Great Find in an "Irregular" Place

A couple weeks ago we took a family vacation to Williamsburg. One afternoon we hit the outlets. There's nothing we actually need so that made browsing and dreaming our primary objective.  We wandered into Hanna Anderson...and it was here I found a gem of a deal.

There was this clear plastic tub sitting on top of one of the turn styles. Written on a piece of copy paper were the words "Irregular Bin-50% off lowest ticket price." My bargain minded brain made a beeline (while trying to appear nonchalant).

We browsed through the various items in the bin and ran across this adorable owl preschool backpack.

There were no tags and I could not find a thing wrong with it. This was unlike the other bags with holes, a missing zipper, etc. I had seen similar bags in the store for around $30.

While I couldn't justify spending that amount on a bag for a one year old, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask the price. The nice sales clerk went to the wall with the same type of packs and came back without an immediate word. I was preparing myself for the full-price-mistakenly-placed-in-the-bin speech. Instead she pulled out her calculator and punched a few buttons. She looked at me with a smile and said, "It'll be $6.50. Do you want it?"

Ummm...yes!

I walked away a very happy girl. This pack is a perfect carryall for short trips. While I was not compensated in anyway to share this post, I can't help myself. We enjoyed our experience at this particular store and it just goes to show that great deals can be found in unexpected places.

Family Vacation-Williamsburg, VA

Several years ago I traveled to Williamsburg for a fun weekend with friends. I've since returned multiple times with friends and my husband to get my adrenaline fix at Busch Gardens or to whisk myself back in time by touring Colonial Williamsburg. Last week we headed out with our daughter for her first trip to Williamsburg.

We enjoyed many of the sights and sounds of the area, with the exception of some late night disturbances. I thought I'd share some of our favorite spots and activities*. It's a place I'm sure your family will love.

Some of our favorite "eats":

Aromas-I adore this café. Their food is always tasty and their coffee...YUM! My personal favorite is their Aromaccino.

Stephanos-I insist on stopping by this local pizzeria whenever we're in town. If you go for nothing else, go for the Cheesy Garlic Bread. I of course recommend their pizza, and quite frankly, all of their food is delicious.

Duck Donuts-Heavenly. I don't know how else to describe these donuts!!! They were recommended to me by a friend and wow. We were not disappointed. We enjoyed them so much we visited twice on during our 4 day trip (and of course we brought some home). This was a definite calorie splurge and while there are only a few things worth 20 miles on a treadmill, these fit the bill.

 

 

Extraordinary Cupcakes-We always seek out cupcakes in the areas we visit. We're repeat visitors to this local cupcake shop. Yum!

Some of our favorite spots:

Family friendly activities are really important to us. We had plans to go to the local water park but with G being so little, we couldn't justify the cost. We opted for some alternatives.

Mid-County Park-This park was a blast. We visited a few years ago with friends and it has since been torn down and redone. To their credit, the park is wonderful! There are two play areas to accommodate all ages. The older section even sports a zip-line! G loved the swings and the slide.

Virginia Living Museum-You can read my re-cap here. This was a great place to take our little one. There was fun for all ages.

Local Antique Shops-My husband and I love antiquing. We found several good finds and got a jump start on Christmas.

Christmas Mouse-My hubby and I purchase an ornament to commemorate all of our family trips. When in Williamsburg we always stop by the Christmas Mouse. There are oodles of ornaments to choose from. There is truly something for every occasion.

Williamsburg Premium Outlets-While I'm not a major shopper, I enjoy strolling around and browsing. My husband is a jewel and always makes the best of it. I think he secretly enjoys it.


We look forward to going again in the future. The older G gets the better it will be.

Do you have any family favorite vacation spots?

*I was not compensated in anyway to promote these establishments.

 

 

 

Virginia Living Museum...Family Fun!

We recently took a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia. We had a blast! Aside from less than restful sleep, the trip was absolutely wonderful. One of our favorite outings was our trip to the Virginia Living Museum.

If you've read anything about our prior trips, you'll know that we scope out zoos, aquariums and cupcake shops whenever we travel. While the VLM is not an official "zoo" or "aquarium" it is a great little mix of both. If you are in the area, I hope you'll take advantage of this family friendly gem. Here are a few highlights.

Digging for Fossils

This exhibit was so much fun! It has an area that caters to both younger and then to older children. The older kids dig through the dirt to unearth fossils. They then take them to the identification station where they can identify the fossils they've found. They get to take these home. For the younger kids, they have a sand pit that contains real whale bones. The bones are covered in sand and the little ones get to brush away the sand to uncover the bones. G loved it!

Animal Wellness Play Center

This was one of my favorite parts of the museum. The kids get to come in and either put on an Animal Keeper or Vet vest. There are different stations that they can freely play in. There is an adult worker that helps with any questions the kids have. Otherwise, they have full reign and can explore at will.

Keeper Kitchen (where the animals' meals are prepared)

The Lab (animals are weighed and an electronic magnifying glass can be used to see the details of fur and feathers)

Care Station (animals can be checked out and treated)

X-Ray Department

Animal Housing (animals are kept here to get well)
Each cage has a label identifying the type of animal and a label with the type of food each animal needs to eat. Stuffed animals are housed in the cages.

The Animals

They had multiple outdoor and indoor exhibits. The animals appeared to be well cared for. The exhibits were clean and the outdoor boardwalk was very stroller friendly. All of the exhibits are reflective of the various environments found in Virginia.

The otter loved showing off for us and according to our daughter, an otter says "meow".

A view of the museum from the boardwalk

The Dinosaur Exhibit

The museum currently has a dinosaur exhibit. It houses robotic dinosaurs with facts about each dinosaur displayed. There was also a fossil dig in the exhibit but the fossils had to remain at the station.

She was not a fan of the T-Rex

I was not compensated in anyway to share my opinions of this establishment but I do encourage you to visit if you get a chance. More to come on our trip soon!

Oh Hey Friday!!!

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In less than two weeks I’ll be diving full force back into teacher duties. I have a training the 7th and 8th (which cuts my summer two days short…but I’m not bitter [insert sarcastic eye roll here]) and then our teacher work week begins the 11th. During G’s day at the sitter this week I took a large part of the day to do some more lesson planning. I’ve been working on little school related projects here and there. It’s always such a bittersweet time. I feel like I’ve not accomplished nearly what I had hoped to over the summer. I still have a huge list of home projects that have not been done and summer bucket list items that will not get checked off. It’s easy to focus on these things and with the beginning of the school year you’ll often hear a lot of negative attitudes about being back at school. I say, “be grateful.”

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I’m looking forward to my new students and being with my wonderful co-workers again. I love my job! While there are things I know I’ll miss, I am so grateful for what God has allowed me to be a part of this summer. With that in mind, I thought I’d focus this Oh Hey Friday on some of the things that I have been grateful for over this summer.

OHF 1

First steps. I was so worried about missing G’s first steps. Being with a sitter who has a few other walking toddlers, I thought for sure she’d walk closer to 12 months. Fortunately, she didn’t take her first steps until around 14 months, which allowed me to see her make her move. As a working mom I know there are things I will miss but this was a biggie and I was really hoping to be a part of it. I was one happy momma.

OHF 2

I was able to see G grow two more teeth over this summer (we’re up to 8!)

OHF 3

I was blessed enough to spend some quality time with my precious family. We took a few trips, both near and far, and managed to throw in a few play dates.

Our trip to Williamsburg (trip details coming soon)

Our trip to visit Granna in Georgia

OHF 4

Girl time. I got to have some much needed girl time with some of my closest friends. With crazy work schedules, it’s almost impossible to do at other times of the year. The other day my friend and I sipped coffee at a local coffee spot we had both wanted to try. We talked for 3 UNINTERUPTED hours!

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OHF 5

Quiet time. Time with the Lord is essential and during the school year I feel pressed to balance everything. I’m not proud of my inconsistency and it’s an area I continually try to work on. I have been able to spend some much needed time in prayer and study with my Savior. He’s been helping me find hope. He’s been reminding me the importance of worshiping during the times of waiting. He has brought a lot to light and I am eternally grateful for the moments in which He has revealed and reminded me of important truths. Ultimately, this is an example that I need to set for my daughter. I want her to know the importance of spending time with God. I honestly don’t know how moms survive parenthood without a relationship with Him. 

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I hope you’ll take some time to reflect on what you’re grateful for. I also hope you’ll link up with myself, Karli and Amy for this week’s Oh Hey Friday!