Back From the Beach

Alright. I'm back. And I'm so sad. I think I've been in denial a bit. I've tried to pretend that I'm still at the beach. But there's just something about Winder, GA that doesn't really lend itself to a beach state of mind. Seriously. That was one of the best vacations we've ever had. Now, I am scheming to figure out ways to be on a permanent vacation on Isle of Palms! If you've never been to Isle of Palms, SC then you owe it to yourself to go. It's about 30 minutes from Charleston. Typically, I am a Gulf girl. But the beach where we were staying was incredible. Very warm water. High afternoon waves. Sandy white beaches. Very family friendly, and not touristy at all. I could honestly make this a yearly beach destination. It'd been two years since our last beach trip. Hopefully it won't be so long the next time we go.

We went with a bunch of old friends. It was great catching up and meeting the newest additions. Going with a group of friends and splitting the cost is definitely the way to go. Very affordable and a great way to go on vacation and not feel guilty about it afterwards.

My kids were great. Really the hardest aspect of the trip was the travel to and fro. But they absolutely loved everything about the beach. Definitely a requirement for a Buckland!

Most of all, I am so impressed with my husband. He has such amazing patience with the kids. More than I do, I'm afraid. These were my friends that we were vacationing with, and he fit right in and was such a trooper the whole time. The best part of the whole trip was getting to spend so much time with him and my sweet kids. And the best part about coming home was knowing that I get to keep them and bring them home with me!

Happy Days

So we officially sold our hold house on Monday. Tomorrow we leave for the beach. And my springtail friends are diminishing. I'm happy. Life is good. I'll return in a week! Needless to say, I will NOT be blogging while I'm on vacation. Peace out.

Newest Members of the Buckland Family

First off, let me settle any hysteria by saying that I am NOT pregnant again. And no, we didn't pick up any stray dogs...or cats...or bunnies. Or any other conventional pet for that matter. About a week ago, I noticed these very tiny, almost microscopic gray-brown bugs crawling around in my sink. Several of them. They're about the size of a grain of sand. I cleaned out the sink with bleach, washed them down the drain...and they were back the next morning. I started to freak out, but, as always, thanks to Google, I am now an expert...on Springtails. Apparently, they're quite common, especially in warm, humid areas. They are about the same size as a flea, and they jump when you try to touch them. So far, they just seem to like my sink. I've also read that it's probably the drought that has forced them to come inside. They like wet places. I've cleaned my sink out several times, and they just keep coming back. They're either coming up through the drain or the window sill. They carry no diseases, don't bite, and pose no threats to humans whatsoever. They're just taking up residence in my sink. The bug man is coming on Friday, so hopefully he'll have an answer for my growing Springtail colony. But for now, I am kind of getting used to them. I think of it as a sink full of free sea monkeys. I'm in the process of naming them one by one. They're not bothering any other area of the house. Hopefully it will stay that way. I've never even heard of these bugs before now. Anyone else ever had this problem? If so, please contact me for all your Springtail questions and concerns. I'll be here all week. Seriously. Then I'll be going to the beach. For more Springtail info, this is probably the most detailed site there is on the subject.

What, Me Blog?

I am still alive. Just busy. I am happy to report that we will be selling a house that's been on the market for 2 years this Friday. Yes, you read that correctly. 2 frickin' years. 2 years of paying 2 mortgages. These next 6 days cannot go by fast enough.

Life is good. God is good. I love my hard-working husband, my great, sweet, smart kids, and I'm going to the beach in 2 weeks. Oh, and did I mention that my house is selling this Friday?

There's so much I could write about right now, but won't. It's late. I'm tired. I promise to write more soon.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

So my daughter, Josephine, who's 2, sat on the floor today flipping through the pages of the Bible that she received the day of her baby dedication at our church. As she turned each page, I heard her declare, "He disobeyed God, and he disobeyed God, and he disobeyed God." I found it very amusing, and somewhat true, but then I found myself thinking, "What on earth are we teaching this child?!?!" I think we'd better expand our Bible lessons! But then again, I guess the world of a two-year old revolves around the question "to obey, or not to obey?" I'm afraid it's usually the latter.

Happy 5 Months!

I must give a "shout out" to my little man, Oliver. I cannot believe he is already 5 months old. He is at a very fun age. We are enjoying him immensely. He's such a happy little guy. His personality is really shining through, and he has the most expressive face. His expressions are hilarious. These are two of his cutest pictures to date. We simply adore our baby boy!

Under Pressure

Ren and I were just talking this morning about how much pressure we've got going on in our lives right now. We're dealing with some stress. I know everybody deals with varying degrees of it at different points in their lives. So it's nothing new. As Peter says,

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.--1 Peter 4:12-13 (Msg)

As I look back, I realize that the most trying times in my life always preceded some major breakthrough in my life. Some major work that God was trying to do in me. Then I read this in my devotional this morning.

Pressed beyond measure; yes, pressed to great length;
Pressed so intensely, beyond my own strength;
Pressed in my body and pressed in my soul,
Pressed in my mind till the dark surges roll.
Pressure from foes, and pressure from dear friends.
Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends.

Pressed into knowing no helper but God;
Pressed into loving His staff and His rod.
Pressed into liberty where nothing clings;
Pressed into faith for impossible things.
Pressed into living my life for the Lord,
Pressed into living a Christ-life outpoured. --author unknown

I think Paul sums it up well here for us, too.

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.--2 Cor. 1:8-9 (NIV)

Thank You, Father, for giving us strength to make it through whatever is pressing us today.