picture me {im}perfectly

i’m going to start doing something
a little different
with these picture me {im}perfectly posts.
something a little simpler.

so if you feel so inclined,
link up with a photograph
revealing your {im}perfections.

(click here for more info on
picture me {im}perfectly).

B and i just returned from a
quick little getaway.
(more on that soon).
it was much needed.
(aren’t they always?
yes. yes they are.)

and this is how
our room has sat
since returning to real life.

Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
Proverbs 4:25

2691. L’s bed head
2692. a fantastic breeze in the family room
2693. the bigs starting gratitude journals
2694. being so inspired
2695. spending the morning outside

i don’t know what it is
about thank you notes
but it takes me
forever
to get them written
and to send them off.

and when they’re from the kids?
oh goodness.
just add many, many days to that.

and believe it or not,
but i am just now getting D’s thank you notes off.
from december.
of 2012.
i know.
awful, right?
awful.

head over to Jen’s blog

where i’m sure you can empathize
with her children arguing.

picture me {im}perfectly
is a weekly project to reveal
that we don’t have it all together.

i will post a
picture me {im}perfectly
blog post every wednesday
where you will be able to link up to your blog
revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,
your kids are not picture perfect,
your house is not picture perfect,
your crafts are not always picture perfect.

let’s encourage,
inspire and remind other women
that none of us have it all together.

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add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you
this testimony for the churches.
I am the Root and the Offspring of David,
and the bright Morning Star.”
Revelation 22:16

2681. clarity
2682. heading to a park
2683. only one meltdown
2684. a big morning out
2685. a signed IEP

so my big kids
are almost done with school for this year
and i’m sort of freaking out.
actually, i’m really freaking out.

i want this summer to be fun
and intentional
and filled with so much joy
and not filled with a ton of therapies and doc visits.
(but we all know that all of that is way out of my control).

and my biggest goal?
to stay neutral.

with the dishes.
and the laundry.
and the messes.
oh, the messes.

this is a lofty goal.
i recognize that.
but i know that it will make for
a much more pleasant summer.

i’ve been asking dear friends:
how do you stay sane during summer?
how do you get anything done?
how are you not freaking out?
because i am!

i long for moments like this for our summer.
where they are all working on the same project.
it’s rare.
oh, so rare at our house.
but how i love it.
how i long for it.

and head over to Jen’s blog

where she shares about
an unusual night her family had.

picture me {im}perfectly
is a weekly project to reveal
that we don’t have it all together.

i will post a
picture me {im}perfectly
blog post every wednesday
where you will be able to link up to your blog
revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,
your kids are not picture perfect,
your house is not picture perfect,
your crafts are not always picture perfect.

let’s
encourage,
inspire and
remind
other women
that none of us have it all together.

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:17

2691. feeling prepared
2692. hearing D’s prayer
2693. being moved to tears
2694. an understanding sister
2695. a hot lunch date

it’s really easy for me to go
and go
and go
and to keep going
and not to stop
and intentionally rest.

because there’s always more to do.
always.

but i am realizing just how essential rest is.
and am forcing myself to rest.
because i need to.
i just can’t keep going at this pace.
my mind
and my body need to rest.
i must rest.

and once i get my stubborn self to rest,
i so love it and
am so blessed by it.

the sweet davi from
little band of brothers

has a fabulous post on
picturing her {im}perfectly
(and check back tomorrow
for more from davi!).

picture me {im}perfectly
is a weekly project to reveal
that we don’t have it all together.

i will post a
picture me {im}perfectly
blog post every wednesday
where you will be able to link up to your blog
revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,
your kids are not picture perfect,
your house is not picture perfect,
your crafts are not always picture perfect.

let’s
encourage,
inspire and
remind
other women
that none of us have it all together.

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged.

By the seventh day
God had finished the work he had been doing;
so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
Genesis 2:2

2681. night jasmine smells in the car
2682. purple flowers raised up high
2683. a really good night’s sleep
2684. a cleaned off desk
2685. hearing a sermon on just what
B and i were talking about. again

(and i’m so sorry this took so long to post!
i was having some bloggy issues but all is fine now!)

all the children came with me
to try to mail
two simple packages
that have been wrapped for weeks now.

and we arrived
one.
minute.
late.

totally my fault.
and totally lame.

please picture me {im}perfectly.
because i am absolutely {im}perfect.

head on over to my dear real life friend,

who always writes such
beautiful and vulnerable blog posts.

picture me {im}perfectly
is a weekly project to reveal
that we don’t have it all together.

i will post a
picture me {im}perfectly
blog post every wednesday
where you will be able to link up to your blog
revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,
your kids are not picture perfect,
your house is not picture perfect,
your crafts are not always picture perfect.

let’s encourage,
inspire and
remind other women
that none of us have it all together.

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<a href=”https://www.capturingmotherhood.com/search/label/picture%20me%20%7Bim%7Dperfectly/” rel=”nofollow”>
<img src=”https://www.capturingmotherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pictureme9.jpg” alt=”capturing motherhood” width=”200″ height=”200″ />
</a>
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add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged.

For this reason he had to be made like them,
fully human in every way,
in order that he might become
a merciful and faithful
high priest in service to God,
and that he might make atonement
for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 2:17

2666. good good books for D to read
2667. clarity
2668. wrestling with the littles
2669. sitting in the backyard
2670. smelling the night jasmine through the kitchen window

our garage.

B was working in it
for a long while
but now that he has a job
that he has to go to,
it has become quite cluttered.
and since i can just
close the doors and walk away,
i wasn’t putting it anywhere near
the top of my to do list.

so last saturday,
my incredible mother-in-law and
the most amazing, Auntie B
came over and helped B and me
clean it out.
top to bottom.
every.
single.
thing.
was.
touched.

and this.
this photo
is just a tiny glimmer
as to what mess covered our patio.

so before you incorrectly assume
that every inch of my house
is spotless at all times
please, please remember
that it is not.
ever.

we got rid of
a lot of unnecessary things
we were holding onto
and it got much, much messier
before it showed any signs of
being neat and tidy.

and please head over to
the lovely Gabe’s blog
where she shares about having mercy.

picture me {im}perfectly
is a weekly project to reveal
that we don’t have it all together.

i will post a
picture me {im}perfectly
blog post every wednesday
where you will be able to link up to your blog
revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,
your kids are not picture perfect,
your house is not picture perfect,
your crafts are not always picture perfect.

let’s encourage,

inspire and
remind other women
that none of us have it all together.

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<a href=”https://www.capturingmotherhood.com/search/label/picture%20me%20%7Bim%7Dperfectly/” rel=”nofollow”>
<img src=”https://www.capturingmotherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pictureme9.jpg” alt=”capturing motherhood” width=”200″ height=”200″ />
</a>
</div>

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged.

Will he find delight in the Almighty?
Will he call upon God at all times?
Job 27:10

2656. D reading on my bed
2657. planning for our big anniversary
2658. hoping in the Lord
2659. a little patch of orange poppies on our walk
2660. watching a hummingbird in the garden

so i have been a bit cranky lately.
L has been waking hours before the sun has risen
and is ever so happy to start his day.

me on the other hand?
i am tired.
i am worn out.
i am exhausted.

i have been
pulled and
stretched and
life has been challenging.
very challenging.

when i try to do it all on my own,
we have a very
sad and cranky household.

but, when i give
every last ounce
that i have
up to God,
He is able to do
so much more
with these last drops of me
than i ever,
ever could on my own.

(this was just a random water spot
i found on the sidewalk)

His kindness and
His patience and
His love
flow through me
and over me
when i just want to have the children
go to bed at 4pm
so that i can close my eyes.

my rest is from the Lord.
He sustains me.
i just need to choose to rest in Him.

head on over to Jen’s blog

where she bravely reveals the truth
about her clutter.

picture me {im}perfectly
is a weekly project to reveal
that we don’t have it all together.

i will post a
picture me {im}perfectly
blog post every wednesday
where you will be able to link up to your blog
revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,
your kids are not picture perfect,
your house is not picture perfect,
your crafts are not always picture perfect.

let’s encourage,
inspire and remind
other women that
none of us have it all together.

<div class=”capturing-motherhood-button” style=”width: 200px; margin: 0 auto;”>
<a href=”https://www.capturingmotherhood.com/search/label/picture%20me%20%7Bim%7Dperfectly/” rel=”nofollow”>
<img src=”https://www.capturingmotherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pictureme9.jpg” alt=”capturing motherhood” width=”200″ height=”200″ />
</a>
</div>

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23

2631. a great OT session for L
2632. a little girl who works hard at everything
2633. D’s leaves floating in a puddle
2634. remembering a due library book
2635. a not so late night out

thank you to everyone who linked up last week!
i just love how you are
so freely revealing your vulnerabilities
in this world of pretend
all-put-togetherness.

there’s a lot going on in our home.
always.
and i think it’s safe to say
there will always be a lot going on.

and the truth is?
i get easily overwhelmed.

when i don’t focus on just one task.
(because, seriously, when is that ever possible?)
and the thousands of little endless
bits and pieces of things are constantly waiting.
just waiting
(sometimes not so patiently)

for me to handle them next
and it can be quite suffocating at times.
and sometimes, i do feel suffocated by them.

and then i struggle with
the sometimes feeling of being a robot,
just going from one task to the next
or wonder if i should just stop being
a (semi) productive person
and just run for the hills.
so there are my thoughts on that.

head on over to Kara’s blog.

her words are so powerful
and i think essential
for every blog reader to see.

picture me {im}perfectly
is a weekly project to reveal
that we don’t have it all together.

i will post a
picture me {im}perfectly
blog post every wednesday
where you will be able to link up to your blog
revealing that:

you are not picture perfect,
your kids are not picture perfect,
your house is not picture perfect,
your crafts are not always picture perfect.

let’s
encourage,
inspire and
remind
other women
that none of us have it all together.

add my button to your blog post
and link up to your direct posting
and feel encouraged.

In him we were also chosen,
having been predestined
according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity
with the purpose of his will,
in order that we,
who were the first to put our hope in Christ,
might be for the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11-12

2616. time
2617. a deep breath
2618. finally introducing B to our new snow cone place
2619. quiet music
2620. happy kids on a long drive