holy guacamole

once you have homemade guac, you just can't eat the prepackaged stuff. a friend of mine brought this recipe to our 10 year (ugh) high school reunion and i HAD to get the recipe. every now & again i get this craving for it...will make a big bowl...and munch on it for days. side note: i don't measure anything. i just constantly taste test. also, you could always add peppers or corn or whatever, but i particularly love it just like this.   

just to keep it real...

here i am. 

standing on a stool.

taking still life pics.

and this guy comes along.

"what are you doing, mommy?"

"oh, just taking pictures of this food."

...he doesn't even question it anymore. 

i really should have recorded him saying, guacamole. it was too much.

hashtag happy mail

who doesn't love a good mail day? letters and the occasional card are the best! but does anyone even do that anymore?? i remember i had a pen pal once. and it was awesome...

...anyway, i now jump for any mail that isn't a bill or anything that may come in any shade of cuteness. and these cuties are from my favorite children's brand mini boden. loyal customer for 10 years. there stuff is unique, bold, trendy, simple but with a twist, well-made & well, british. and yes, i love the british part especially. and when i say "well-made" i mean like when one sister wears something for a couple of seasons, then passes it down to her sister 4 years laters and then she wears it for a couple of seasons, too. yeah, like that. 

boden is a UK, web-based company who has fantastic customer service and some lovely perks for returning customers. i have purchased a couple items for myself through their women's line in the past, but especially love their kids and baby lines. they run some great deals and i love checking their clearance items for the kids next years sizes. that way i can maximize my purchases while minimizing the expense. something i always have to think about with buying for 3 littles. 

and there really is a lost art of letter writing. 

4 choices when cosmically disappointed

{no person, not even the best one, can give your soul all it needs}

our women's sunday school class has been reading Counterfeit Gods by timothy keller. in chapter 2 he quotes c. s. lewis (who always has the best quotes, am i right?) saying,

"if i find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that i was made for another world [something supernatural and eternal]."

dude's right. i was not made for this world. and you weren't either. we're all born with this god-hole in our heart. and we're always trying to fill it. and if we don't fill it with God, then it will never be filled! cosmic disappointment and disillusionment is there in all of life. soooo, there are four things you can do when this happens to you:

1. you can blame the things that are disappointing you & try to move on to better ones (idolatry/spiritual addiction)
2. you can blame yourself & beat yourself up over it (self-loathing/shame)
3. you can blame the world itself (making yourself cynical/hard/empty)
4. you can reorient the entire focus of your life toward God

i've attempted every one of these options. but i'm most thankful that (finally) i gave up & went with #4.  things finally made sense. life could actually be fulfilling. i could have peace & joy in the face of unhappiness. in life, we are always seeking redemption--nothing less. and no human partners, careers, money, makeup, clothes, travel, vacations, music, etc can give us this. he is the true bridegroom. he is the husband of the husbandless. he is the father of the fatherless.

i pray my sight is of his love for me. i pray my heart can grasp the magnitude of it. i pray your heart feels his pull. the sight of his love for us...God sacrificing his only, perfect son--the best heaven had to offer...should detach our hearts from any other would-be saviors of the world. we, only then, can stop trying to redeem ourselves through our pursuits and relationships, because we are already redeemed.

...thank you, timothy keller, for that spiritual slap in the face. i needed it.

quick thrift

february's almost over. and we're definitely over the snow. and cold. and always having to wear a coat. and the kids never going to school. the thought of longer days, sunshine, sandals, tan faces, reading outside and open windows makes me sigh. reality check: the weather report just said the polar vortex (aka the never-ending winter of 2014) is returning next week. sooo...that is completely justifying my quick thrift of today of adorable, vintage, knitted, winter goods.

a girl & her blog

yes, it has happened. ya know, the whole dream coming true thing. hubs actually surprised me (he can't stand not to tell a surprise) with a sweet, brand-new MacBook Pro...especially for blogging (I've wanted to for so long now). you see, I got hooked on Instagram (@littlerivermama) a few years ago but  now i finally have the tools to blog, except that I have NO idea what I'm doing. THANK GOODNESS for Youtube tutorials.

anyway...I am SUPER excited to share a little with you about my little nest...my adventures in stay-at-home mothering/momming?; the trials of raising our 3 kids in a conservative, Christ-centered home; protecting my marriage in today's fast-paced world; looking cute on a tight budget; scoring great finds for my home (often through thrifting); and just sharing some real talk about Jesus and what he is doing in my life. if you're familiar with my IG account, then y'all know what I'm talking about. super glad to be here & can't wait to become besties.