But by faith...

Nervous

Excited

Confused

Overwhelmed

Hopeful

Courageous

All of these words (and many more!!) describe my feelings and emotions about the decision to Home School.  I had only done a teeny tiny bit of research into it.  Had only asked a couple friends about what they did or what program they used.  I was so CLUELESS about how big of a subject Homeschooling is, that I just closed my eyes and jumped in...and starting swimming for dear life!

We made the decision to home school for various personal reasons.  One of which, is that being a Preacher's Kid, my son is subject to the most bizarre random schedule and "a bed time" is more of a general idea rather than rule of thumb.  Jon attended public school from Kindergarten until 2nd grade.  Like a brave soldier, he'd endure the ride home from church, arriving as late as 2 am (or later!!!) and getting up the next morning and going to school.  I felt like a dog.  My brave little guy would get up, go to class, come home, play hard, and never made a big scene about being "too tired" to go.  Some days, we would keep him home if the trip had been especially long or tiring...but usually, he went.

Now, before you all assume that we attend church 30 minutes from our home, and just like to party and chat and wile away the hours fellowshipping while our kids grow more and more tired, weary and cranky...you have to understand that my husband is no ordinary preacher.  He not only pastors a church in South San Francisco, he evangelizes full time.  This means that he travels to various churches for different services, sometimes several nights in a row (but mostly on weekends--Sunday is our "big day").  Some of these churches are as far away as 4 hours--ONE WAY!  And like a good daddy, my husband would get there, get the job done and then get on the road ASAP so that Jon could get up and go to school.  On occasion, we (me, Jon and Ella) would stay home and still, Trent would make the drive home in order to be able to get up and take Jon to school the next morning since I still work a full time job.  Truly, if you knew how much my husband sacrifices for his kids...you'd give him a hug...and a medal.  He is an amazing daddy. 

So, we begin our journey into home schooling.  This means, a more laid back schedule for Jon.  Doing school work in his PJs with messed up hair and being able to spend the day with dad. 

We are on week 2 and so far, I feel GREAT about this decision.  Jon is breezing through all the review work they do at the beginning of the year and has nearly memorized the entire portion of scripture (Hebrews 11:7-10) that is required for them to learn the month of September (and we are only 5 lessons into the month!!!).  I am super proud of him and so thankful that we are giving this a chance.  I think the biggest advantage so far is that he seems to have increased self-confidence.  Had I known that would be a perk, I would have had MUCH less hesistation about making the change.

Oh, and little Ella is getting home schooled too.  I have been working with Ella in the evenings with phonics.  So far, she's learned the "E" sound: "eh".  Everytime she sees "E", she says "eh, eh, eh".  She is learning to count to 5, number recognition and ASL.  And...she is only 21 months old.  It is QUITE possible that I will have a little reader on my hands BEFORE Kindergarten.

So, we began this endevour, unsure, unaware, and unknowing...and, as Jon's memory verse states..."But by faith...", we are going to succeed. 

If you are a homeschooling parent, and on Facebook, please join our home school group! 

Hug Me, I'm Homeschooling

Be Anxious for Nothing

We've all said it.  "I can't wait!"  Which is a big fat lie.  Yes, you CAN wait...because you have no choice.  Not one of us has a time machine that can jettison us back and forth across the calendar to all the fun events and skip all the not fun ones.  We are all subject to the ticking of the clock and the turning of the calendar page.

What we should say is: "I am so excited about (fill in the blank), that I am anxious for it to arrive/start/open/etc."

Our whole lives are made up of many waiting games.  You wait when you are a child for mommy to get your lunch ready.  You wait when you are a pre-teen to turn into a "real teenager" so you can drive a car, date, or start college.  As an adult, we wait for vacation, doctor appointments and tax season.  HA!

The point is...we all WAIT.  Whether we want to or not.  We can't change that, no matter what.  But...there is one thing we CAN change.  It's how we wait.

Years ago, when I was 16, I had made plans to attend my first UPC Senior Camp in Oklahoma.  I was scared to death...but so excited/anxious because I was ready to make new friends and find my place within the UPC OK District Youth.  Prior to that, we had been in the ALJC and now I had to "start all over" and make new friends.  I remember a conversation with my dad about a month prior to camp.  We were talking about packing and getting ready and my dad asked me why I was worried about it so far in advance.  Well, I wanted to be prepared!  I didn't want to forget to pack something and basically I was wishing it were happening the next day so I could just BE THERE ALREADY.  My dad kind of shook his head and chuckled.  At the time, I figured it was because he was a guy and just didn't "get" how "important" these things were. 

Looking back, that conversation was a launching point into my own journey with worry, anxiety and waiting.  I think of it often.  I cannot recall a single detail about my first Senior Camp though.  Not one.  Oh sure, if I see pictures, I remember something, but I don't remember any details.  Funny, huh?

Too often, we get caught up in the worry, the prepping, the planning, the scheduling that we forget to LIVE.  How many of those days in between that conversation and camp did I waste writings lists, picking out clothes, working on hairstyles, etc...only to never even remember it. 

Now that I am older, I actually ENJOY the wait.  Yes, it's true.  I don't mind all the mundane routine and LIFE that I live in between the good stuff.  Why do you think the good stuff is so good?  It's because we have to wait for it! 

This past June, my sister and brother-in-law came to visit us in CA.  We took the whole week and toured Southern California.  It was an EPIC vacation.  We laughed and ate and stayed up late and saw Mickey Mouse and rode rides and ate and laughed and went to the beach and ate and laughed and stayed up late and toured a big ship and ate and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed.  It was AWESOME!  And now...it's over.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot make time stand still, or fast forward it.  When we hurry through the wait with worry, we mar the memory of the FUN. 

In my experience, stress begets stress.  The more I stress and worry...the more I stress and worry.  It is VERY hard for me to be relaxed about things.  I am a semi-perfectionist.  I am a first born.  I am a redhead.  It is in my nature to micro-manage ALL things.  But the older (and grayer!!!) I get, the less I worry. 

This has been churning in my brain and heart for over a week now.  And like a child tapping mommy on the leg to get her attention, God has been tapping me telling me to "Be anxious for nothing!" over and over...and I think it may have sunk in.

In fact, just last night, we were on our way down to Gilroy in traffic.  I could feel myself getting ready to go into "PANIC MODE".  Trent and I called each other to make sure we were meeting in the right place and before he got off the phone, he said: "Be careless!"  And I answered "Always!"  That may seem like a funny thing to tell your wife, but it was just God reminding me of the scripture I'd been hearing over and over in my head for days now...  Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)   Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;.  Another translation reads "Be careful for nothing..."or, as my husband reminded me "be careless".   So, I began saying: "Be anxious for nothing, be anxious for nothing, be anxious for nothing"...and what do you know.  I relaxed.  I calmed down.  Ella had already fallen asleep and something I was dreading (driving in rush hour down 101 S) turned into a little quiet peaceful (stress-free) time for me.

I am learning that part of the fun of this journey called life is the waiting game.  We can worry through the wait (whether good or bad) or we can live through it.  And by live...I mean LIVE through it.  I am going to do my best to LIVE from moment to moment, day to day and year to year.  Time comes quickly enough and doesn't need to hurry or slow down any more than it already is.

After all, God's timing is always perfect.  He is ALWAYS on time, never late. 

MoMoMod Feature!

Several weeks ago, I posted about being selected by Chandra of MoMoMod (More Modern Modesty) to be featured on her blog.  Immediately, my head began to swell to the size of Texas.  No lie.  I was SO flattered!!

And in case you missed all the fuss on Facebook, here it is for you to review. 

Chandra does an excellent job of posting tips and tricks about dressing modestly (and frugally) on her blog.  I have been inspired by her SEVERAL times over.  A true modest fashionista.

Thank you Chandra for your post.  It really made my day!

You can find Chandra on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

A rose by any other name...

My family and I had our photos taken recently with Urban Rose Photography.  Deanna is not only a talented photgrapher, she is also my friend.  She has this amazing talent of capturing Jon smiling.  I honestly have no idea what kind of spell she has cast on him...but she is the only person he will smile (naturally) for.  YAY DEANNA!!!!!!  You are AWESOME!!

My favorite part about this session is how relaxed and casual we are.  This is the "real" us.  Okay, so we are not really "beach people"...except Ella, but we don't always look perfect, have perfect hair/clothes...and yeah, sometimes our feet get dirty.  I really love how natural we are in these photos.  Thanks Deanna for shooting the Gilliams "as is" and making us look so great!  (and skinny!)

You can follow Deanna's blog or become her friend on Facebook or Twitter.

Here are a couple of sneak peaks of our last session:

c/o Urban Rose Photography

I am having this made into an 11x14 canvas.  Aren't we STUNNING?
Thank you Urban Rose Photography!

A Vintage Find for my Sweet Pea

It is no secret that I am thrift store nut.  I LOVE shopping at the thrift.  A treasure hunt each and every time.  And sometimes you don't even know what kind of treasure you have until you bring it home.  Well, during the Best. Weekend. Ever., I thrifted a vintage Polly Flinders dress for Ella.  It was a gorgeous gold color and a size 4.  I thought I would have to save it until the fall/winter, but I am so glad I went ahead and made her wear it last weekend.  It barely covered her knees!  And looked ADORABLE on her.  THIS is how little girls should dress.  Totally classic, girly and the PERFECT coloring for her.  :)  Ella is wearing a vintage Polly Flinders Smocked Dress, Black Mary Janes from Payless, and a Black Flower Clip from Princy n Paris.

I had a mini photo session (with my iPhone) of her wearing her dress in Modesto, CA.



Jon and Ella (wearing vintage Polly Flinders)

A (rare) sweet moment.

Jon's expression is KILLING me.  HAHAHA!

Apparently, he was coaxing her to FLASH the camera.  BAHAHAHA! 



What can I say, I make beautiful children. 

Me and my Sweet Pea. 
I'm wearing an INC dress, Carlos Santana heels (not shown) and a NY&C headband.

Using Instagram 1977 finish to make the dress look more authentic. 
Jon's (Target) plaid shirt could be vintage too!



Best. Weekend. Ever.

This past weekend was my birthday celebration weekend.  Every year for the last 4 years, my friend Kay-Kay and I get together to celebrate our bdays since they are a week apart.  This year, we added our good mutual friend Tiffany to the group.  Her bday is July 9th and we all celebrated last weekend.  We got a hotel in Sacramento, had dinner at Pete's (a local restaurant) and then walked the scary .4 miles to Rick's Dessert Diner--which was the highlight of the evening.  It was PACKED out.  Bodies everywhere.  A crazy twisting line and desserts galore.  I am pretty sure just inhaling the sugary fumes we gained at least 5 pounds. 

Part of the display case.  It was too crowded to get a wider angled shot.  :|

Happy Birthday to US!!!

Red Velvet Cake, White Chocolate Fudge, Lime Torte & White Chocolate Brownie--FATTIES!!

We stayed up and chatted until midnight.  Yeah, we are SUCH partyers...  And then got up the next morning for some MARATHON thrifting.  How lucky am I that I have friends who love to go thrifting?  Very very lucky.  I know.

With Starbucks in our bellies and a little caffeine jolt to get us started, we hit the first store.  And two hours later we emerged.  VICTORIOUS!  I managed to find a little ride on toy for Ella.  It's a giraffe and she squealed with delight when I brought it home to her.  :)

The next stop was HOT.  As in melt your face off, no air conditioning hot...but we endured for about an hour or so.  I managed to score a new with tags Coach scarf.  Ca-ching!

After that we went to lunch.  Elephant Bar!!  We had the coolest server EVER.  She was so friendly and open.  It made lunch even better.  The best part--besides the fact we all got dessert--was Tiffany was able to invite her to church and she genuinely seemed interested in going.  I am praying Jesus blesses her real good. 

We each got a little dessert!

After that, we had to say goodbye to Tiffany so she could go celebrate her bday with her family and friends.  But me and Kay-Kay weren't finished finding treasures.  We were planning on just ONE more store and then calling it a day.  On the way, we found this little thrift store and low and behold, the entire store was 50% off.  WOOT WOOT!!!  I scored a Peg Perego stroller for $17.  I have been wanting one of these strollers since Jon was a baby...I could just never afford one.  But, I can totally afford $17. 

Finally, we made it to our last stop and I lucked out and found a pair of brown Stuart Weitzmans that appear brand new for $10.  YIPPEE SKIPPEE!!!!

It was a most successful and fun day and I cannot WAIT until next year.  We are already making plans!

Oh, and I should mention that the three of us happen to be married to the greatest guys ever.  All 3 of our boyfriends kept the kiddos for us while we partied and played.  The Best.Weekend. Ever.  Indeed.  :)

34 and Metamucil

I meant to blog yesterday on my BIRTHDAY, but time got away from me and I was not able to.

Yesterday, I turned 34.  That's right...THIRTY FOUR.  I have to admit, I had a bit of anxiety about this birthday.  I'm not sure why...

I remember turning 30 and while most people seem to dread it, I was so EXCITED to turn 30 because in my mind, it meant I was FINALLY a grown up.  Well...now that I've been a grown up for 4 long years...I am thinking it's not all that it's cracked up to be.  The older I get, the harder it is to do stuff.  It takes me longer to do the simple things and my memory is going going going gone!!!

But, typical me, I decided that 34 could be another rock star birthday...if I wanted it to be.  So, I just decided that it would be.  :)

I don't feel old, but sometimes I act old.  Trent makes fun of me sometimes because I'd MUCH rather stay home in comfy clothes lounging around the house rather than running the roads, shopping and hanging out.  I like to go to bed by 10:30 every night and I've become SUCH a creature of habit when it comes to my breakfast now.  I have to have an egg every single day.  Or else...I get REALLY cranky.

The last doctor I saw (for reasons that shall go unnamed, but you could all take a wild guess and probably be right...), told me I had to start taking Metamucil.  Yeah.  Right before my 34th Birthday...so you can see where the anxiety came in.

But come on!!!  How bad can Metamucil be?  (I still haven't bought any...)  Does it come in flavors? 

So, regardless of how much fiber I have to start stuffing myself with...this semi-geriatric 34 year old will party like a rock star all year long!!! 

Here I am the day before my birthday.  I still can't help but get a little excited...

Say Bye-Bye to 33!!

And here is my super most awesome amazing birthday present from my most fabulous precious husband.  Honestly, he spoils me totally rotten.  I probably take him for granted WAY too often, but I love him like crazy (and like a crazy person--there is a difference). 



Dooney & Bourke Flourentine Satchel--She needs a name!

*raising my glass of Metamucil*  CHEERS, Friends!