Spring highlights/lowlights

Ah well, once again I have missed several months of updates, and it would take multiple lengthy blogposts to truly catch up. Instead, let's hit some highlights and lowlights of the past few months, shall we?

Highlights:

Hamilton, the musical: I had heard about it, but had not listened much to it. It kept reappearing in my Facebook feed, and then I saw the cast performance on the Grammys. And then Nathan started listening to it on Spotify. And then on our way home from Memphis one night we downloaded the soundtrack and, well, the rest is history. It is fabulous, fun and even a bit educational! Give it a listen, you won't be disappointed. And if someone would like to buy me tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway, I would not turn them down.

Memphis, the city: For our 15th wedding anniversary we took a trip to Memphis. Honestly, it took a long time to get to the place where Memphis was "okay" for a big anniversary trip. What I really wanted was a trip overseas, but our time, money and resources are not lining up for that trip to happen any time soon, if ever. Instead of some elaborate exotic getaway, we spent three days exploring the fabulous city of Memphis--and it's only an hour away! Because N and I didn't fly anywhere, we spent more time "on the ground", eating really well, and splurging even on a night at the Peabody Hotel. It was delightful, and even better-- it's close enough for us to visit again and again.

Georgia, the big: This spring, Georgia has taken up violin lessons AND has started her first stage of braces. She loves the violin and is taking to it very quickly. To my utter amazement and pride, she performed in her first recital just two months after beginning lessons, and was even the first person to play. She has a natural confidence and ease that is a joy to see develop. Georgia also started her first phase of braces, and she has been so excited and proud of that. Instead of seeing them as an obstacle, she is embracing them.

Baxter, the brilliant: Baxter struggled a little bit at the beginning of our time at Faith Tutorial this year, pushing his boundaries and testing the teacher multiple times a week. To be blunt--and this does not excuse his disobedience--he was bored with a lot of the work. Change occurred with him in two major ways. We shifted our focus more from punishing his acting out to praising his good behavior, and I began working with his review work more directly. That second part shows my inexperience as a teacher:-), but I didn't review with him much early in the year because he knew EVERYTHING. Once I started reviewing even the stuff he "already knew", Baxter began acing all of his phonics quizzes and little tests, and that changed everything. He loved to brag on his scores of 100, and it bugged him if he didn't make it. Baxter's a competitive boy, and once he knew what was within his grasp, he went after it like a champ.

Eleanor, the reader: That Eleanor is five years old now, and wants to read like her siblings. We have been slowly working through Hooked on Phonics (just like I did with her siblings!), and she is catching on very quickly. Stop the clocks, people. I need my girl to stay little.

Fuller, the superhero: Fuller turned three in April and his birthday was filled with superhero surprises. Hulk is still his absolute favorite, so when his Aunt Ruth sent him a Fuller-sized stuffed Hulk and an Avengers sleeping bag, his life was made. He has been sleeping with both ever since! (I had to insist on removing the sleeping bag, because it was making his bed so hot). Next up for this guy: potty-training. Pray for us.

Gallbladder, the saga: Nathan had his gallbladder removed in April. The surgery went very smoothly, his recovery was easy, and he has felt marked improvement ever since. However....

Lowlights

Gallbladder, the saga: Before we knew that Nathan had gallbladder issues, he spent several months battling severe pain, indigestion, stomach discomfort and many other symptoms. Praise the Lord, the doctor listened to Nathan's complaints and quickly scheduled tests to determine the root of the problem, but he still spent weeks in pain. It was a physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining time for everyone in the family. I am thrilled to be on the 'other side' of this story, and I pray our time in those trenches of regular, severe pain give us more sympathy and empathy for those with chronic pain, illness and disease.

Cancer, the killer: We lost two friends to cancer this spring. Both were women who loved Jesus, who now see Him face to face and worship at His feet and feel no more pain and suffering. But these women leave behind husbands and children who love and miss them, and friends who ache and struggle. It's hard. There is more that I could write, but suffice it to say: we long for a better world, one without disease and illness, death and brokenness, pain and suffering. Maranatha.



There is so much more I could say and write, but perhaps if I leave that off I will actually write another blog post. Ha! Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment about your spring highlights (or lowlights too).

January notes

*The Finnlings' new favorite snack (and honestly, Nathan and I like it too) is this  fruit tape from Annie's brand. It's better than any Fruit Roll Up you've had, I promise. My grocery store doesn't carry it (Kroger), but my not-a-super-Target has it in their snack food aisle. Yum.

*The Farmer Restaurant in Memphis is quite possibly the most amazing food I have had since we moved to West TN. We spent part of a day in Memphis on the weekend of our anniversary--it involved shopping at Teavana, Whole Foods, and Anthropologie, and having dinner at this delicious restaurant. It will NOT be our last time there, and it honestly served for inspiration for our spring getaway trip to Memphis (more on that later, maybe:-).

*Sometimes, as a grownup, as a parent, when you do not have your children with you, it is fun to simply walk around a grocery store together. Hence, our visit to Whole Foods mentioned above. Yes, it is also where we spend our "whole paycheck", but still. I have rarely been disappointed by a visit there, or by something I purchased there.

*I have never owned a long cardigan, mostly because I have never seen one that I liked. I am not at all up to date on fashion, so they may not be in style that much anymore, but I found one that I love and I am wondering why it took me so long! It looks great over a variety of things, and the one I bought is super soft and comfy too. Go get yourself a long cardigan.

*Alan Rickman's death was so terribly sad.  I loved him first as Colonel Brandon, I will be honest, but his portrayal of Severus Snape through eight Harry Potter movies was brilliant. 

*We joined a wonderful church here in Jackson in late December (First Baptist Jackson TN ), and in January the kids started attending Awanas. We have never been involved in a church with Awanas before, so I must say it is a bit daunting for the parents! However, the Finnlings ADORE it. They have so much fun, they look forward to it weekly, and they count their Awanas bucks almost daily. I'm grateful for a ministry that seeks to pour biblical truth into my kids' hearts.

*Last tidbit: if you are desperate to watch a television show that you can't pick up with your antenna, purchasing it through Amazon Prime Video is cheaper than iTunes. Ask me how I know (Team Flash!).

Favorites/ Highlights of 2015

Just for fun, I thought I would post a few of my favorite discoveries of 2015. 

Color:

Seasalt -- Sherwin-Williams paint color

This is my favorite color of the year, as evidenced by the fact that my entire house (minus the kitchen) is painted this color. Fair warning: it probably won't show up gray on your wall, but more green-blue-gray. I love it:-)

Music:

Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors -- They aren't a new band, but I have fallen in love with them this year. Their folksy Americana sound (please, do not mock me, as I am not a music critic) has been the sound track of my year. My husband gave me a perfect Christmas gift by enrolling me in Drew Holcomb's Magnolia Record Club (see: record player below)

Psalm 23 by Shane & Shane https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxLlpViTcic -- I first heard this song at the SBC, and it quickly became "my song", which sounds like I am in junior high. It can be found on Shane & Shane's new release, Psalms 2. Listen to it. It's lovely.

Books:

I read over thirty books last year (list coming soon!), but my favorite was All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It is a captivating novel set at the end of WW2. It looks like a dense book, but the chapters are short, so it is completely manageable. 

Television and movies:

The Flash-- Nathan and I started to watch this show in December. It's a good-heartened, fun, enjoyable superhero show. It is not dark like many other shows, the lead is winsome and engaging (and can sing and dance!), the cast is diverse, and did I mention Jesse L Martin? We love it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- it was all we had hoped for, and definitely worth seeing in the movie theater! It is, above all, a lot of fun, and a good continuation of the original series.

The Martian -- we saw this movie on a whim and found it delightful.  It holds your attention from the beginning, is genuinely funny, and has a happy end (spoiler!)

Other:

Hot tea -- Nathan developed chronic heart burn this fall, and one of the homeopathic remedies he uses is a glass of hot tea every night with a drop of peppermint oil. It has become our evening tradition to put the kids down and promptly brew the tea. We like a variety of tea flavors and types, and look forward to trying more in 2016!

FAITH Tutorial http://faithtutorial.com/ -- This homeschool tutorial offered here in Jackson has been such a blessing to our family. It allows G and B two mornings a week to sit under someone else's teaching. It gives me a structure and lesson plans to follow. It helps Georgia drill her math by reinforcing it with someone else's teaching style. We love the friendships we have been forming through this tutorial as well!

Record player -- Nathan gave me a record player for my birthday. I love it so very much, and am completely hooked on vinyl! I grew up listening to records, and even logged many hours listening to recordings of classical music in college, so it feels like coming home. 

What were some of your favorites from 2015?

Things I Learned in August

*moving is hard. emotions and struggles hit at random moments, sometimes simply feeling a sadness, other times something reminding you of "home" so suddenly you can't breathe. My oldest had a couple of days where she simply felt sad and wanted to cry a lot. I understand, sweet girl, I understand.

*Faith Home School Tutorial has been a huge blessing to our family. The two big kids go to the tutorial twice a week in the mornings. Their teachers cover English, Science, Art and Math (G only), and at home we work on assignments, handwriting, history and spelling. This structured classroom setting challenges my kids--and that is SUCH a good thing! 

*Moody Sisters-- I've talked about Moody Sisters before, but I tried their new eyeliner in August and it is fantastic, with intense pigmentation that is creamy and smooth without smearing.  They have new powder foundation and liquid foundation (can I buy everything??), and their new scents are fabulous (I love the new lavender citrus scent).  If you have never purchased anything from Moody Sisters, you can use the code LFINN to receive 10% off. Trust me, you'll like it!!

*starting fresh is good. After months of prepping our house to sell, selling our house, moving to another state and settling in, Nathan and I needed a major reset to our eating habits.  We started the 21 Day Fix in August, and couldn't be more pleased with the results.  The 21 Day Fix is an eating plan with accompanying workouts that is produced by Team BeachBody. No calorie counting, and no cutting out everything you love--it's simply eating clean, whole foods in appropriate portions, and exercising daily. I followed the 21 Day Fix workout videos (7 days of different exercises), and Nathan used cardio equipment at the gym. We also drank Shakeology drinks most of the time as part of the Fix. Shakeology is a protein drink that is packed with super foods, vitamins and nothing artificial. True confession: it took me a little while to adjust to the taste, but we like it now:-) Most importantly, as a family we want to be good stewards of the bodies we have been given, and eating more vegetables and fewer carbs is the best way for us to do that! I'd be happy to answer questions you might have about this, or you can poke around this website.

*my oldest boy made a huge jump in reading in August. He went from reading a little bit, as needed, but not motivated or enjoying it--- to TEARING through books now. Baxter is reading chapter books with ease, and is so proud to show us when he finishes. His current favorites are Magic Tree House books, Magic School Bus books, and Lego or Marvel graphic novels (the kid versions, I promise). I often find him walking around with his nose in a book, and I love it (though sometimes I've given him instructions to do something else:-).

*speaking of books, Journey by Aaron Becker is a new discovery. It is delightful picture book that will capture your heart and imagination. It is spellbinding, which is a high praise considering that it contains no words. Don't worry-- you will be able to tell the story, and it will captivate you!

The author/illustrator has recently released a sequel called Quest. We just checked it out from the library this week and have already read it several times!

*I leave you with a few fun pictures from August. Thanks for checking out what I've learned recently!

**Affiliate links are included, but all opinions are my own.**

Things I learned in April

Here it is, a brief recap of April. Forgive me for not elaborating more, but perhaps that will come later!

-waiting stinks. I thought I was good at it, but I have learned this spring that I am not. More to come on that later.  Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14

-audio books help housecleaning go more quickly. Seriously. I get much more accomplished while listening to audiobooks. Audible is a wonderful way to get audiobooks for cheap. You can also check your local library to see what they have available in their download library.
Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

-moody sisters mineral makeup is terrific! I already love their skincare line, and now I'm a big fan of their makeup as well. Find it online here: Moody Sisters Mineral Makeup

-foyle's war. amazing. Christopher Foyle is a man among boys. Check it out on www.netflix.com

-mythbusters are awesome. Seeing them live on stage was a treat.

In these pictures, they are shooting paintballs at a kid in armor.

The catch was the paintball gun was a semi-automatic weapon.

No one was hurt in this segment.

-karen swallow prior is great. We had a fabulous time when she visited the SEBTS campus to lecture for the Center for Spiritual Formation and Evangelical Spirituality.   Her book Fierce Convictions is an inspiring biography on Hannah More, a reformer who helped bring literacy to the British people and who worked to end slavery in England. I highly recommend it if you have not read it.

**some of the links above are my affiliate links**

Things I learned in March

A couple of my friends regularly do a 'monthly round up' where they discuss what they learned in that month. It's a nice way to review highlights of the month, get glimpses into their lives, and see what lessons God is teaching. I decided to join in for the month of March (linking up to Chatting at the Sky).

In no particular order:

1. My oldest girl is both growing up rapidly and yet still needs me and her daddy. G is pre-pubescent already (gasp!), and is very interested in assuming more responsibility and having more independence. A couple of nights ago she woke up in the middle of the night sick to her stomach--and she took care of herself all on her own and told us the next day! (Now, this involved her not being able to get out of the room because her door was stuck, and her younger sister finding a bag for G to use as a trash can, and then she went back to sleep until morning. No small feat!) On the other hand, G longs for snuggles with her parents, still plays with dolls on occasion, and when she fell off her scooter and hurt her hand, nothing could console her like her daddy.

2. Back Alley Roasters coffee, especially their organic Rwandan, is amazing. Nathan and I love this coffee, and love that we know the roasters personally (a professor at SEBTS). We probably discovered this particular coffee from Back Alley in February, but I am counting it as March. It's our new favorite.

3. Speaking of coffee, in March I discovered how much I love sipping coffee in the quiet of my house before my children wake up. I usually drink coffee with breakfast, and since I don't like to drink more than one cup in the morning (most days), I do not want to have coffee before breakfast. Lately, though, I have been savoring the hot cup of (Rwandan) coffee over my bible reading and prayer, in the quiet of my living room. Maybe I'll drink juice with breakfast.

4. Give me a fireplace and a stack of books and I'm a happy camper--and might never leave the room. Nathan had the wonderful opportunity to preach a men's retreat at The Cove this month. I was able to go with him, and I curled up by the fireplace with a large stack of books and was quite possibly the happiest person on the mountain that weekend.

5. You have not because you ask not. I have been challenged by this idea this month. We needed childcare for our weekend trip  to the mountains (see above), and I assumed certain people could not watch my kids because x, y, or z. But I did not ask them. Finally two weeks beforehand I swallowed my pride, set aside my assumptions, and asked--and our church family and friends stepped up. It was quite the juggling act, but our children were well-loved, well-fed, and well-played-with that weekend by many different people. All because I asked.

6. Asking applies to many areas. I am raising funds for 4000 Steps, the walk for life to benefit First Choice Pregnancy Solutions. Like many people, I post on social media that I am raising funds, but I often neglect the common courtesy of asking people to give. A good friend pointed this out to me, telling me that she did not want to just know about what I am doing, but she wants to be asked to support me. Announcing is not the same as asking. Ouch.  So, dear blog readers, would you consider supporting me as I walk for life on April 11? You can donate online at www.fundeasy.com/m/2149995

7. Next time I buy a 600+ page book, I need to purchase it in hardback.  For our weekend getaway in the mountains I bought a few books, one of which was Warmth of Other Suns. I read 50-60 pages of it while we were away, and I look forward to finishing it this month. But I made a mistake in purchasing it in paperback. It is too thick and cumbersome to hold up well with paper covers. Next time, I'll just splurge for the hardback.

8. I wanted to end with seven, but eight just has to be shared. I am addicted to these Whole Wheat Raspberry Bars that I can buy at The Grain Mill of Wake Forest. They taste like Nutri Grain bars grew up and started using real ingredients. Are they as healthy as they can be? No. Do they contain only five ingredients? (thank you, 100 days of real food) No. Are they amazingly delicious and perfect for munching? Yes. I'm trying to ration them out to one a day, but it's hard. Trust me.

Thanks for reading my rambling!

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