refrain from allowing your kids to be ruined or spoiled by your tiredness.

Cypress-in-Fog, originally uploaded by Joe Josephs.

peace.

i feel it coming.

reaching for it.

steady.

always be be a first rate version of yourself,
instead of a second rate version of somebody else.

-judy garland

staying to true to oneself is never easy… trying to convince others that you are valuable as you are can preoccupy our thoughts far too much.

moments of stretching and finding out what makes you, you will bring a smile to your face every time.

our princess, originally uploaded by the carltons.

thinking about this girl right now.

beautiful soul.

blessed to be her mom. truly.

one of the many pleasures of living in colorado is seeing the beautiful trees change their colors.

walking our neighborhood this weekend &  just loving it!

it’s beginning to feel like home.
found the closest everything…
a replacement for in-n-out burger (it’s called five guys & it’s REALLY good!)
great shopping places for the girl & me.
still need to find a local barber shop… no supercuts for the man & boy!
a little rhythm and flow happening here.
fresh flowers from a local farm stand… wonderful.
ordering new furniture & goodies for the house… always fun (at least for me, not him).
still lots to do, but that’s okay.   at least i know where the closest starbucks is…

love this painting by sara larson.

this is how i feel today… so many things flying in and out of my head.

trying to be a mary… not a martha!

Handsome boy- Summer 08, originally uploaded by the carltons.

this boy… that’s what we say sometimes say about mr. david carlton.
he is just beyond words. such a blessing. such a wonderful person.
so talented. so willing to smile. so intelligent. so much fun.

full of personality! introverted? no, just a still reserve when unsure.
wonderful boy… all boy. bright future. young man after god’s own heart, so named boy.

such a boy!

we are so blessed to know him… now for 11 years.
we simply cannot wait for what’s next.
love him.

girls are gonna melt!

Snow hearts, originally uploaded by ~aspidistra~.

i married my sweetheart this day 15 years ago.

best decision i’ve ever made.

love him even more today.

, originally uploaded by andres kal.

Having a purpose to your life:

Purpose does not mean having a job.
You can have a job and still be unfulfilled..

A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be.
Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you.

By remembering that what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation.

Fulfill your dreams! You only have one life to live…when its your
time to leave this earth, you want to be able to say, ‘I’ve lived my
life and fulfilled my dreams, Now I’m ready to go HOME!

When God gives you favor, you can tell your haters, ‘Don’t look at
me…Look at who is in charge of me….’

‘A woman’s heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man
should have to seek Him first to find her.’

~Maya Angelou