reading list

Well, there's been a lot going on in this house but almost too much that we haven't captured many pictures lately. Mark's been sick ... again, Izzy & Luke have been playing non-stop with their Gaga & Papa & I've been staring at a computer screen trying to do prep work for the remaining 8 volunteer teams of this year & the 14 teams we've got on the calendar for next year. I've also been trying to organize & print Isabelle's preK curriculum which we hope to begin this fall. Oh yeah, AND a team of 14 from Kentucky arrived yesterday!

I have been dreaming of finding time to actually finish a book this year. I am SO very bad about setting aside time for myself to read a book. I read plenty of books to the kids & read plenty of blogs & Twitter updates but I rarely ever read an actual book. I found the following quote on a blog & realized it's not as hard as I make it out to be to finish a book. I just need to be more disciplined & actually do it!!

"John Piper has this encouraging word on reading (He is referencing D.A. Carson’s book A Call to Spiritual Reformation, which is 230 pages long), “If you read 15 minutes a day for one year (just 15 minutes, say just before supper, or just before bed), you will read 5,475 minutes in the year. Multiply that by 200 words a minute and you get 1,095,000 words that you would read in a year. Now the average book has about 360 words per page (that’s what Carson’s book has). So you would have read 360 words into 1,095,000, or 3,041 pages in one year. That’s 13 books the size of Carson’s book, or reading his in 21 days. All that in 15 minutes a day.”

15 minutes!! That's it!! So this is my summer (& fall & winter) reading list that I will probably never get around to actually reading but hope I really do ...

 

1. Radical 

I know that everybody & their mama has read this book & I am way behind but I'd still like to read it nonetheless. Who doesn't need to be challenged in their walk?

2. Adopted for Life

Again, I know I'm way behind on reading this one, too. But this is a VERY important subject for our family & our future &, therefore, a VERY important book for me to read!

3. Prayer & the Knowledge of God

 

This is more of a "where I'm at in life & where I need to grow" kind of book. If it's any kind of book like I'm predicting, I'll probably only make it through about 2 pages at a time during my 15 minutes a day!

4. Organized Simplicity

 

This is more of a light read but still an issue that I think I need to consider & need help on. When I am surrounded by poverty & with people who have so little, it forces me to ask myself, "Do I really need all this junk? How can I live more intentional with the things in my home & live a more simpler lifestyle?"

5. So Long, Insecurity

And, honestly, what woman does not deal with insecurity?! I am definitely not immune to it living on the other side of the world! I'm very excited about reading this because I admire the author immensely & have heard so many good things about it from friends.

So that's my reading list for the rest of the year! I'll be just as surprised as you if I get it done before December 31 but here's to hoping! I have a long, long list of books I want to read but these are on the forefront!! 

I love that my husband is such a reader & he can down a book in no time! He's already read a half dozen (or more) books this year & likes to alternate between an "easy" read & a more heavier book. I'm not sure what's on his future book list but he just finished this book ...

 

& is currently reading this book (a gift for Father's day) ...

 

& this ...

 

& I know has plans to read this book ...

 

And I'm pretty sure he'll have both those finished before I finish typing this blog!

As for the kids, we read lots of this ...

 

& many books by this lady ...

 

 

& lots & lots of other fun books like this ...

 

 

 (well that's one just for Izzy!)

So, what about you? What's on your reading list? What about for your kids?

the equation we need

I'll give y'all one guess who is arriving today in Niamey!! Anybody? Anybody? It's ....

 

GAGA & PAPA!!

Yes, sirree ... these crazy kids can't get enough of their crazy grandkids! And, well, we are just so excited that they decided to make the trip here during one of the hotter times of the year. (Luckily for them, the rains have finally come & the temps are cooled down just a bit. We're still way above 100 every day that it doesn't rain but it's definitely not the "hottest" part of the year anymore. Let's just pause & celebrate that we've made it through hot season!!)

Izzy has been beside herself that G&P are coming. She's been counting down the days for the past 2 weeks & today she walked into our room & said, "It's ZERO days, Mommy! It's ZERO days!" Why yes, dear, it is ZERO days! (She was also hoping that a certain GB & BeBe would be on the plane, too! She thinks her grandparents come in one nice package. She likes to say their names all together at one time like it's one BIG name: GBBebeGagaPapa ... or vice versa!)

Gaga & Papa are coming at the perfect time on the calendar ... in our books, at least. In 10 days, we will welcome 2 dear friends of ours from college & twelve of their college/high school students!! I cannot imagine trying to host them all & manage our humble abode. I'm so thankful that God saw it fit to allow G & P to come at this time so that they could help with the kids while we host this team!

Their time here fit perfectly into the equation we needed ... someone to watch the kids + mommy needing to cook for & host the team = gaga & papa coming to niger!

There are also a few other equations that will work out while they are here that we are excited about ...

     someone to watch the kids + gaga & papa = much needed date night with my man!

     kids need to be clean + gaga & papa = 3 weeks of not having to give baths!

     dreaming of sleeping in on a saturday + gaga & papa = dream becomes a reality!

Yay for grandparents!!! And don't call before 11 tomorrow because this little lady is going to be sleeping in!!!

sick & tacky

Well, the Phillips crew had a good long streak of being healthy ... until this past week. It started with a double ear infection for Luke followed by a bacterial infection for both Mark & Isabelle. Fortunately, I was spared from any illness but I was just as sick watching my family suffer. It was no fun for anyone.

 This is what life looked like around here for a few days. Everyone just trying to take it easy & lots of snuggling!

 But when everyone started feeling a little better, it meant only one thing ... tackle Mommy! That's what I get for taking care of them!!

 And on the first day back to health, Izzy thought it would be fun to just be tacky for the day!! I think she gets her sense of style from her Daddy!!

 And Luke thought he looked pretty sweet in Izzy's pink shoes! 

 Oh, my tacky crazy kids!

Grandy thought he'd join in on the tacky, crazy show too!!

then & now

I'm copying this idea from a multitude of other mommy bloggers out there but it seemed like a good time to do one for our kiddos! They are growing by the minute & so crazy fast!! So here are just a few pictures to give you an idea of what the month of June looked like for our kids since 2008 ...

June 2008

Izzy was 3 weeks old in this picture & we were still in Senegal. I believe we had just completed a trip to a wildlife park but the child already had a passport & was ready to make her first flight! Itty bitty & so precious!

June 2009

Izzy was just over a year old & had just recovered from an awful stomach bug that had left her dehydrated & anemic. As soon as she recovered, she was back to her wild, crazy self ... toddling around & getting into too much trouble!

We also found out that I was pregnant with Luke that month! So here's his first picture ... about the size of a rice grain in my belly! Ha!

June 2010

Isabelle's first summer in the States was spent in South Dakota. She loved, loved, loved going to the Storybook Land park in Aberdeen & riding the train! She had just started potty training & was beginning to show exactly what 2 year olds are made of! But we had SOOOO much fun doing SOOO many fun things with her at that age!

And Luke was just cute as a button & chubby as all get out as a precious little 3 month old! He was just along for the ride & such an easy & content little baby! This was the age when he didn't care who held him!

June 2011

 And here's our big THREE year old & the most precious little girl on the planet! She has shown us in the last few months that the "terrible 2's" definitely don't last forever. She is smart as a whip & constantly keeps us on our toes but she makes us laugh so hard & is so sweet!

 And Lukey Pookey!! My precious, precious baby boy!! He is becoming such a sweet boy & such a charmer. He's quickly growing out of his baby phase & moving into toddlerhood. It always astounds us how much a 15 month old can pick up on at such a young age. He definitely understands the word "no" & "Come here, Luke!" & he is definitely choosing to listen & obey or not! But more times than not, he is an obedient little boy & makes our hearts so full!