valentines or opposite day.

we have a long running joke now that goes something like this...

we'll be talking or i'll think of a show/movie/band that i was really into in, say high school or college and every single time i ask jared if he liked them, he'll say something like "oh, yeah, they were my favorite in 6th grade." we're only a few months apart age-wise and although he has older siblings, he's also seemed to be one (or ten) steps ahead. 

we met in college, art school to be exact. it probably wasn't until the end of high school that i realized i wanted to do something in the art field. up until that point i had thought about social work or something that fit better with my "i like to memorize facts" mind. jared had been drawing since he was little boy and making videos with his friends all through school. he's always known what we wanted to do. 

i really like to follow rules and get a little panicky if i know i'm breaking one. even those small, probably shouldn't be a rule rules (i know, it's annoying.) jared has more of a rules are guidelines approach. he's honorable and does what is right, but doesn't let the rules of how things are supposed to be done stop him from what he has his mind set on doing. 

i tend to be careful and analytical and in my own head. i like to think through the 352 ways something could unfold (go wrong) before i move forward. jared is quick to respond and react and doesn't get worried or stressed over most anything.

and sometimes it feels like it would be easier, if we started out more on the same page, if we were maybe a little more similar. 

but the Lord knew what he was doing, imagine that. because i know that i've grown so much more as a person and a wife and a mom because of the way that my husband does things differently that i do. he challenges me to see things differently.

so, today, i am thankful for my early adopter husband that let's me pretend i have any clue what song/band/movie he is talking about (also, thanks Jesus for google, i can pretend i know what movie or person he's tweeting about.) i'm thankful the Lord knew that maybe he'd need a little help grounding himself and i would need a lot of help getting out of my shell and my head. i'm thankful that the Lord can take two really different people and make something beautiful.

and jared, your four girls think you're the best. thanks for making my life and their little lives an adventure. 

west elm thanks + giving pop up

back in march of this year, i had the opportunity to sell for a day at west elm during a west elm + etsy pop up shop and it's happening again!

this time, it's called the thanks + giving pop up shop and it helps to benefit the st. jude children's hospital. if you're a charlotte local and are free on saturday from 4-8pm, head down to west elm for live music, local vendors and holiday treats. it's going to be great. 

see you there!

love week 2014

love week has officially come and gone, but the impact on our community and our family is far from over. love week is a week in our church where we go above and beyond the other 51 weeks of serving and giving. there are events practically around the clock for over a 100 different outreach partners.

teaching our girls to looking beyond themselves and help others is super important to me. i still remember one christmas, my dad hearing on the news that toy donations were low, took our whole family to toys r us for a shopping spree. we went in, went on a toy shopping spree and left them in the donation bin.

i want my girls to have memories like that and that means it has to start with me. to raise them to be generous and compassionate,  i need to be generous and compassionate. and really, they may not fully grasp everything we're doing, but that's okay. at this point in their lives, i figure if nothing else, they are learning that helping others is just part of what they do (even if we have to have conversations about why they can't take the toys home for themselves.)

one of the first events we helped with was packing little care kits for the homeless in our city. things like nail clippers and granola bars and band aids are a practical way to give someone hope. the girls loved being helpers and collecting everyone's finished bags.

probably my favorite kid friendly event was one our group hosted and i was able to do a few times throughout the week. it's a ministry called bright blessings and it provides homeless and transient children with a birthday celebration. they say that they've found a huge number of children they talk with have never had someone celebrate their birthday. and bigger than toys and cake, having someone celebrate your birthday means you're seen and valued. it gives them something to look forward to.

families and young kids can volunteer by wrapping presents, decorating wrapping paper or placemats (great for really little ones), putting together party favors, and so much more. if you want to volunteer during the year, you can check out events here.

it was a really incredible week, but it doesn't have to stop. we can carry the same love and generosity all year, whether at a planned event or not. i know i always feel challenged at the end of love week to open my eyes to the ways i can love and serve the people around me.

and because it's sometime just easier to show you (and because i am a big fan of the team that created this ;), i'll let you see for yourself. 

The Sights and Sounds of Love Week from Elevation Church on Vimeo.