Choosing JOY (even when it's HARD)....

So, when my kids were little I was a crazy woman about scrap booking, journaling, and all the like.

As they have gotten older, I have had to put it aside and just relax in the moment with them, and do my best to jot things down when I can.

I started this blog 5 years ago, to make it easier for me to do this. So, over the years I have posted some belly laugh stories about my two little darlings. They never cease to make me smile and laugh the MOST.

Today, I decided to interview Presley. My friend Erin has been doing this the last few days...and I think it is a fabulous (and easy!) way to sear these memories.

 We had a really, really rough morning. Tears, kicking, screaming, throwing, more tears. (and I was the one doing most of the stuff just listed!) Shame on me. 


The funny thing is, I was JUST trying to encourage my friend (who has a newborn) at bible study last night that "things would get easier, blah blah blah..." and here I was pitching a crazy momma fit in my kitchen!

Wow. The irony.

So, today we walked in late to school. I checked her in and walked her to her class. It was my mentoring day (some mentor i am after this morning!!), so I went to go and get my sweet little second grade mentee.

She was getting ready to go on a field trip. Shoot.

I walked back down the hall past Presley's room. I stopped, motioned for her to come to me, hugged her, and told the teacher I was taking my girl to breakfast.

I am pretty sure she was thinking, "Umm, you just got here."

Oh well. That's how we are rolling today. :)

We had breakfast at Chic-fil-a and soaked up our time together.

i really wanted to show her (and myself):
that you can turn a BAD day into a GREAT day!
CHOOSE JOY!
every single day.

After breakfast, we started to head back to school.

I quickly turned my car around and changed my mind. We were having a "home" day.

She is in first grade. It really doesn't matter, right?

It's one day. One day of she and me. Me and she.

she is catching up with me!

Here is my little Presley in her own little words.

Unedited Presley Jane:

• How old are you? 7 years old, and I will be 8 in December.
• How much do you think you weigh? about 50 lbs.
• What is your favorite time of day? Afternoon!! Because I come home from school and get to eat my snack!
• Who is your favorite teacher ever? Mrs. Chamberlain and Mrs. Nation
• If you could wear any outfit to school what would it be? (I told her to go and put it on...here it is)

• What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? crafts!
• What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? lay down on the couch together.
• What does Mommy like to do? Run and text.
• What does Daddy like to do? look at magazines while on the potty.
• How much does mommy weigh? 150
• How much does daddy weigh? 150
• What is your favorite thing that mommy cooks? chicken fried rice
• What is your favorite thing that daddy cooks? hot dogs!
• What is your favorite dessert? orange sherbert
• What makes people married? kissing, what's the word--not a funeral--oh, a wedding!, babies sometimes, sleeping together in the bed, getting a house together.
• How long should marriage last? 30 years.
• What happens after that? you die.
• Tell me how you want your husband to be? to love God and Jesus more than he loves me, handsome, reading the bible, christian, for him to have a nice family, blue eyes, blonde hair, and to look like my daddy.
• What do you think that mommy does all day? clean
• What do you think that daddy does all day? work!
• Do you think mommy and daddy love each other and why? yes. y'all are a good couple. y'all look alike. y'all both read the bible.
• How many kids do you want? 2 a boy and a girl
• What do you want their names to be? Joseph and Presley
• What do you want to be when you grow up? a dancer and an actor
• If you could have any other name besides Presley, what would it be? JULIE! 
• What is your favorite holiday? umm, Christmas and my birthday!

This concludes our interview. Back to making memories.

forever my girl,

jill