Erin Akin Carroll

going green!

Mar162013

This morning we participated in one of my favorite events that Columbia does every year. We have a really great St. Patrick’s Day celebration in 5 Points (an area of Columbia, for those that aren’t familiar). We used to live really close to this area, but since selling our house we’re a little farther away now.

But it’s still fun to go down for all the festivities. Our favorite part of the celebration is the parade. It’s a small parade, but it’s very family-friendly, and it runs down my favorite street in town.

We all put on our green this morning and headed to meet some friends at the parade.

Hayes did a lot of running around, but he had his moments where he would sit and watch. I told him to sit down, so he did, but he didn’t realize he was facing the wrong direction.

Hudson was really into asking for candy and beads.

Ainsley and sweet little Oliver. Ainsley’s other son, John, is Hudson’s best little friend.

Hudson and John are pretty much inseparable. It was fun watching the parade with them today!

Hayes would have been content to march in the parade with everyone else, but I think he’ll have to wait a few years for that.

I love looking back through my blog at all the years we’ve gone to the parade. You can see the 2010, 2011, and 2012 parades.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend!

lately

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Mar152013

I wanted to give a big, huge THANK YOU to everyone who linked up for Build ‘Em Up, and to all of you who read the posts and left encouraging comments. I absolutely loved reading all of the posts and I’m already looking forward to the next installment. You’ve all encouraged me so much.

Once again, I’ve let the posting on my blog slide. But life is just full right now. Full of fun, obligation, beautiful weather, singing songs, speech therapy, Bible study, and playing soccer in the backyard.

Here are some pictures from around here lately!

Grandparents Day at school was a couple of weeks ago, so KK came in town for that. She got into town around the boys’ bedtime, so we let them stay up to wait for her. We ended up ignoring bedtime for a long time because they were all just having so much fun!

We celebrated Todd’s 33rd birthday on February 26. His parents and Nana went with us to a Japanese steak house. Sweet Hudson loved celebrating his daddy’s birthday.

A very rare picture of the four of us!

At Grandparents Day at school, the 3, 4, and 5 year olds did a little music presentation for the parents and grandparents. It was so cute! In this picture they are singing the “Baby Shark” song. Hudson is in the middle in a blue shirt (and his watch that he loves so much) screaming his little head off!

My dad wasn’t able to make it for Grandparents Day but he came back the next week with my mom. But RC, Nana, KK and PC were all there for Hudson and Hayes’s Grandparents Day celebrations!

And even Hayes’s class did a little something for Grandparents Day. My boys absolutely adore their grandparents. I think nothing would make them happier- not even dinosaurs, milkshakes or Lightning McQueen- than being with their grandparents all day, every day.

We’ve been attending a lot of baseball games lately. Todd’s firm has a suite/box for the games, and every few games we’re able to attend. We have loved having our friends and their kids join us for games. And Cocky has even stopped by to say hello!

Todd’s parents took us all to the circus last weekend. Todd’s dad is friends with one of the veterinarians for the circus, so we were able to go behind the scenes so Hudson and Hayes could see some of the animals. Hudson wasn’t so sure about this sweet little pony.

But both boys loved the circus and had the best time!

We’re looking forward to a great weekend celebrating Nana’s 91st birthday and attending some of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities here!

Build 'Em Up: Bringing Faith to Life

Filed Under: build em up

Mar122013

*This is the first post in a new link-up series called Build ‘Em Up. I’m participating with Kelly from Kelly’s Korner, Jennifer from Life in the Green House and Courtney from Little Light O’ Mine. I want to encourage you to visit their blogs today, too, to see how they’re encouraging you and to write your own post and link up with us. If you link up on one of our blogs, it will show up on all four blogs.

I was raised in a home of believers. My mom and dad instilled in me a very firm foundation for my faith. I committed my life to Christ at a young age, and as I grew older, I became distracted. My faith was always there in the back of my mind, but unless I went on a mission trip or to church camp, I wasn’t always right where I needed to be.

When I became a mother, I realized more than ever my deep need for my Savior.

As I was faced with lonely days and temper tantrums, I realized I couldn’t get through these days- the good and the bad- without drawing near to the Lord each day.

And there has been nothing quite like motherhood to show me how my “fruit” needs strengthening each day. I lose my patience, I’m not always kind, I don’t always show self control, and my words are not always loving.

I’ve been given this gift, and this incredible responsibility, of raising two precious children who were created in God’s image.

There will be days when I will fail. I pray each day that I can always show them and teach them as much about Jesus as I can. And I recognize that they will learn more about Jesus through my actions rather than my words.

For me, this means daily efforts (and I do mean a LOT of effort) to remember to have my quiet time so I can start or end my day in conversation and in communion with my Savior. It’s taking time to reflect, to listen, and to praise Him.

It also means doing my best to surround myself with friends who build me up.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

I try to show my kids as much of Jesus as I can through my works and my actions and my words. But the biggest thing for us is just how God comes into our family and our decisions. Todd and I know that we’re responsible for showing our boys what faith means.

We let our boys hear our prayers in the hard times and the good times. We read them Bible stories and try to bring those lessons from the stories into our every day life.

For me, it takes effort every single day. In the midst of laundry, tantrums, cooking, running back and forth, kissing boo boos and breaking up fights, I have to remember to stop and be in conversation with the Lord.

People often ask me about different books, Bible studies, ways to pray, etc. And the truth is, those things are useful and are all little seedlings along the way to growing in that relationship with the Lord. But being a Bible scholar or having the most eloquent words in a prayer aren’t the things that matter to Him most. He just wants my heart.

My faith comes to life through my family as we look around and see the many blessings we have and thank Him for never leaving us or forsaking us.

Many days go by when I don’t get to do my quiet time. Sometimes I do all of my daily Bible study “homework” all in one night because I didn’t make time to do it every day of the week. Some nights I go to bed and beat myself up over the rotten day we had and the way I reacted, and then realize that I hadn’t been in prayer at all that day.

But I give myself grace, and talk to Him the way I would talk to a friend. Because those reminders that He is with me through each little moment pull me closer and closer to Him.

And those little seeds are sprouting in Hudson and Hayes. Their nightly prayers, their compassion for others, and their young love for Jesus encourage me to keep doing what I’m doing. No matter how imperfect it is.

I’d love to hear how you are bringing your faith to life. What does that look like for you?

(If you are interested, my favorite daily devotional is Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. We also read Jesus Calling for Kids to the boys, though it’s a little over their heads right now. Hudson loves The Beginner’s Bible by ZonderKids.)

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brain dump

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Mar112013

1. We are officially all set to start the building process on our house. Officially! We moved out of our house in November and moved in with Nana, and really never imagined that this is the decision we would come to, but we’re so excited! If all goes well, we’ll be in our house by September. Fingers crossed!

2. We told Hudson that we were building a house, and every single day he has asked if he can help. He wants to get bricks and tools and hammers and wood and get started. It’s so cute! I can’t wait for everything to get started so we can take him over there and he can start to understand a little bit.

3. Have you been watching The Bible on The History Channel? We’ve really enjoyed it. I know they’ve taken some creative liberties and they’ve left out some pretty big stuff, but I really like seeing so much of it come to life.

4. Hudson’s soccer season starts tomorrow. His practices are on Tuesday nights and then he has games on the weekends. I took him to buy cleats and shin guards yesterday, and he has been so excited to wear his “soccer shoes” every day since then. So many of his friends are on his team, and I know the whole thing is going to be so much fun for him.

5. The start of Daylight Savings Time is always bittersweet. I’m so excited about the longer days and being able to be outside with my boys more often. But the mornings and our schedule have just been thrown for such a loop. I know we’re not the only family struggling with this. It has been nice for our boys to sleep until 8:30 in the morning!

6. Celebrity Apprentice is back on. Todd and I love this show. We get such a kick out of these celebrities and most of the time find it to be really ridiculous, but we think the challenges are fun.

7. I started doing Pure Barre about a month ago. My schedule has been so crazy in the mornings that I haven’t been able to go consistently, but I really love it when I can go. I try to go on the mornings that both boys are in school. Have you tried it?

8. I’m planning a joint birthday party for Hudson and Hayes. Their birthdays are exactly one month apart and I just thought it would be easiest on all the attendees and on us (since we’ll be having it at Todd’s parents’ house) to just have on big party. Have you ever done a joint birthday party for siblings?

8. Don’t forget that the Build ‘Em Up link up starts tomorrow, and the topic is “Bringing Faith to Life.” I know that we are all so excited for you all to share your hearts and your experiences and link up so we can all encourage each other! (There will be a button you can grab from our blogs tomorrow morning.)

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