Erin Akin Carroll

I feel a little bit like Steve Martin as “Navin Johnson” in The Jerk when he gets all excited about the new phone books!

But this is better than the phone book because… The new Erin Condren Life Planners are here! It’s time for Erin Condren mania again, friends!

We need to PLAN WELL and PARTY OFTEN!

Are you a fan of ErinCondren.com on Facebook? If so, you probably saw this message yesterday. So exciting! The new Life Planners are available for pre-order today at 12:00 noon PST. Be sure to “like” ErinCondren.com on Facebook so you don’t miss any of the announcements!

It’s so exciting! There are so many great new features on the new 2012-2013 Life Planner to tell you about!

• When you’re shopping, you can choose an 18 month Life Planner or a 12 month version for those that prefer a lighter weight book. There is a small price difference between the two options.
• You can choose the start month for your Life Planner! How great is this? My current Life Planner goes until December, but I’d really like my new one to start in August. But I want to order it TODAY. So I can choose for it to start in August!
• The best part… the new Life Planner has laminated tabs!
• There is a new “snap in” page holder that can act as a ruler.
• The new Life Planner has a stronger, aluminum coil that won’t pull or bend when you put it in a bag or take it out of a bag.
• And there are pens! Erin Condren pens!

As you count down the time until the launch at 12:00 noon PST, you should definitely watch the fun new Life Planner video featuring Erin Condren and her neighbors!

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. I just love Erin Condren and wanted to spread the word to my friends!

Two posts in one day? I just really wanted to get these vacation photos posted before time gets away from me. (No pictures of mommy, once again. I gotta remember to change that next time.)

We spent last week at Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms in South Carolina. We were about fifteen minutes from Charleston and about two hours from our house.

We used vrbo.com to find and rent our house and we were really pleased with it.

I posted the photos from our first few days and Hudson’s birthday already, so this is the end of the week. We had a lot of rain on Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday. The rain on Wednesday was loud and wonderful. The house where we stayed had a tin roof and I was able to just listen to the loud rain all day long.

But we were really eager for a truly beautiful day after that. And we got it!

We rented bikes on Thursday morning for a couple of hours. We put Hudson on the back of Todd’s bike. Hayes stayed behind with his grandmothers. My dad, Todd’s dad, Todd, Hudson, and I all went out on bikes and biked around the resort for a couple of hours.

Hudson kept asking Todd to go faster. He looked like such a big boy in his helmet!

The weather didn’t get above 85 and it was really perfect. And having the nice breeze in our faces was so relaxing. I could seriously do this every single morning.

We spent a lot of time on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday hanging out at the pool. Thursday and Friday were just so perfect. The warmer weather heated up the pool and Hudson had so much fun.

He would squat down, do this big “Tarzan style” yell and just launch himself at Todd in the pool. Hayes thought the pool was way too cold and he just doesn’t love the bright sun right now, so he didn’t stay there long. That’s the beauty of having so many helpful grandparents around. Some people could be inside while some were outside. It was such a great vacation.

We saw a deer standing on some of the dunes and Hudson was so excited about seeing her there. He just stood there and watched her for about five minutes.

He is becoming such a big boy. I can’t even handle it. My baby.

On Thursday night we drove into Charleston to have dinner. We had to wait for a little bit so we strolled the boys around while we waited. Hayes liked sampling the hush puppies while we waited.

Hudson was upset because he was sleepy, but he cheered up soon after that. I’m pretty sure the hush puppies are what did it.

Hudson has loved eating lemons and limes since he was a little boy. When he had just turned one, he pitched a fit in a restaurant because he wanted my lime. So I gave it to him, thinking he’d hate it and stop crying for the lime. But he didn’t hate it. And now he wants to eat everyone’s lemon or lime when we go out to eat. Goofy kid.

On Friday morning we got Hayes back out on the beach. He didn’t love it the first day. He just walked and walked and kept eating sand. And then he’d cry because he didn’t like the sand in his mouth. But after a couple more tries, he liked it better.

He really just walked around and didn’t stop. I normally make him wear one of those swim shirts because I’m so afraid of him getting a sunburn, but he spit up on his swim shirt about five minutes after we got outside. So we covered him in sunscreen and he did fine. He only stayed outside for about 45 minutes.

I can’t even stress how much of a blessing it was to have all of our family with us. The boys had an amazing time. They love their grandparents so much. Todd and I had so much fun being with everyone. It was also really nice that when Hayes needed to go inside, Todd and I could stay out with Hudson while the grandparents played with Hayes inside.

It was truly a week to refresh. I intentionally limited my access to technology and social media. We didn’t even really watch TV. Just lots of family time, time outside, lots of reading and lots of cooking. I’m already excited about next year!

We can’t say enough great things about Wild Dunes.The house we rented was the perfect distance from the beach. We didn’t have to cross any streets. I just wish we could have seen the ocean from the porch. The pools were great, everything was clean. The boys had a great time playing golf. We loved all of the playgrounds and activities for kids. It was a true vacation. We hated to come home.

Note: I had hoped to do a recap of Hudson’s birthday and to tell you all about our amazing week at the beach. But I am teaching VBS this week and we still weren’t ready to officially be “back” from vacation, so those things will have to wait.

But I am so very excited to introduce all of you to the wonderful Courtney DeFeo from Lil Light O’ Mine. Courtney has a huge heart for children, families, and especially the Lord. Courtney believes that we can raise up a generation of children that light up the world and shine their light for Jesus. She is the creative genius behind the Lil Light O’ Mine ABC scripture cards I mentioned in a vlog recently.

Courtney is a beautiful writer and I asked her to please share some words of wisdom with all of you today. Please chime in and see what surprise Courtney has for you today! 

One of the biggest blessings of becoming a mother is seeing a TINY GLIMPSE of how God must see His children.

Have you ever just stared at your children as babies or 5-year-olds and just cried? I know I have when they are sleeping or just in a zone playing and I just watch.

Pinch me – this angel is MINE.

I could close my eyes and tell you every trace of her. I know exactly the spot where she has the tiniest freckle near her belly button. I know exactly where her arms and legs are the most ticklish. I know which hairs are going to get curly with humidity and which will turn blonde with sun.

She is the prettiest human – but I’m her mom. Don’t we all feel like that about our kids?

She was sitting in my room the other day and had my “destroy face with tweezers mirror.” You know, the up close one that reminds you that you’re not 21 … and was just staring at herself.

She said, “Mom, I really like me and just how God made me.”

OH MY HEART! It almost melted and then it sunk. Because I know the time is coming. I have to let her out of the house and off to school and the reality is she will begin doubting her beauty. Ads, other kids looks, others comments, what I SAY in the home, magazines and more will all communicate there is a standard of beauty that she isn’t meeting.

She’ll never see herself the way her heavenly Father sees her and the way her parents see her. I don’t want to settle with “oh well, that’s life.”

So, what do we do as parents? I don’t know the answer – so please chime in below!

I have a few ideas and thoughts.

• HIDE TRUTH DEEP. We say this verse A LOT. I have to do my part in helping her heart grasp the OUTWARD APPEARANCE is not the source of her beauty.

• We try to catch ourselves from complimenting only their looks – they are smart, courageous, funny, creative, imaginative, fast, etc.

This was a fun “spa day” we did the other day for fun. DO NOT try the shaving cream on the mirror – go with a shower or tub. Holy cleaning for days.  We wrote what makes us pretty (matters of the heart) on the mirror.

• We try to say those things FIRST to other kids over “how cute!” or “I love that outfit” – notice something about their character and affirm it.

• We’re going to pray protection and confidence over her heart diligently. It’s brutal being female and we know it. I’m begging God to make her so comfy in her shoes yet humble.

• Teaching them to encourage others and never ever speak unkind words to others. I don’t want to assume my kids won’t be the ones to speak the hurtful words or mention someone’s differences (i.e. Ella’s glasses). They need to understand even the smallest comment might stick with someone for life.

 

 

I am so thankful for the truth of God’s word. It guides me as a mom. It gives me comfort and our kids unbelievable comfort and security to know the TRUTH. To know they are made in His image.

Tell me your thoughts on BEAUTY and how you will teach your kids about this issue. (or how you’ve faced this in the past if you have older kids – or not a mom).

If you do, you’ll be entered to win ONE SET OF ABC SCRIPTURE Cards!

Giveaway ends on Friday at midnight.

Random winner announced on Saturday morning.