Day 52: Missions

The first year my husband and I were married we made a vow to ourselves and our family that we would be committed to going to the nations, teaching our children about the world, the cultures and the people and serving them with all that God has blessed us with. We decided then it was biblical to take the first year of marriage off and then every year after we would send someone or everyone on a missions trip every year. This year it's Phil. He is going on his first over seas mission trip to Tanzania, Africa. I'm so excited for him to experience Africa, the people, the beauty and the culture is an amazing blessing. I have only been to Kenya, Africa so his experience will be new and exciting for all of us. Our church, Freedom International Church, is sending a team of 6 to work at Treasures of Africa, a Christian Orphanage, and to minister to the Masi tribe. Phil will get to meet a Pastor that has killed 18 lions! So cool!! It is an amazing blessing to be used by the Lord to minister to people and I am so excited Phil gets to take part in this.

Phil will be gone April 29-May 10. If you could please pray for him and the team that would be such a blessing. Pray for us here at home as well, we will be missing him so much while he's gone.  If you would like to help in any other way please let me know and I will tell you how to do that.

Today I’m grateful we have committed our family to ministering to the nations.

Day 51: Accomplishment

Today as I was doing the laundry and cleaning the baby’s room an epiphany hit me, I could finally put my finger on why this new job of mine (CEO of the Hinton Household) is a little hard at times, mundane some and even frustrating a little. Maybe as a mom some days you don't feel very accomplished. I finish the dishes, but then there is more that same afternoon, I do the laundry but then there is more that evening, inevitably there are endless diapers to change and mouths to feed and especially with two I often feel as though my life is stuck on the repeat button. I never really get to check anything off the list and walk away feeling accomplished. This was huge for me! It is amazing what the Lord reveals when you ask Him. Now I know, now I can make a plan to have some things in my life to check off my list and feel accomplished.
We had a major accomplishment as a family. We finally finished our patio. Phil and I wanted to make our patio a place we could entertain and enjoy together as a family and make a safe fun place for the babies to play. Phil, Dave, Joyce and I painted, got new patio furniture, made new cushions and put up a fence to keep the babies out of the pool. It's really an incredible space now that we really love hanging out in. I hope you can all come over for a bbq we would love to have the company.

Today I'm grateful for things accomplished.

Baby's play area

Cola was locked out she got in trouble...This is now doggy jail.

Our Avocado plant we are tryoing to grow.

Day 50: Photography

Today I spent the babies nap time editing some photos and it was so much fun. I love this art. I love how I'm getting better and better at it. I love learning new things about my camera and editing. I love the way I feel when I look back at these photos and relive the memories. It will be so fun giving my children the gift of their life in photos. I'm so grateful for this creative outlet to express myself. I'm always down on myself because I feel like I'm not good enough, but today I realize it's not about how good I am it's really about my passion. I'm passionate about this art. I'm passionate in photographing my kids the best I can. I'm passionate enough to keep learning. I'm so excited because I have been given such a wonderful gift. My incredible in-laws are sending me to my all time favorite photographer, Amy Wenzel, workshop. This is so amazing because I believe this will be a launching pad for me in photography. I think it will boost my confidence and teach me so much that I will finally take the leap in starting my photography business. YEAH! This has been a goal of mine for a couple of years now, but I could never take the step before. It's so exciting! I think I'm gonna do it!


Today I'm grateful for photography!

Super Chase dropping drool bombs!

Day 49: My Best Buddy

A friend that sticks closer than a brother is the biggest blessing a person can have. Kelli has shown me that as she has blessed my socks off the last 12 years. She actually has proven time and time again that she's sticking closer than a sister. I will never understand Kelli's love for me or her loyalty because believe me I have tested it a time or two, but instead of trying to understand it I just have learned to rely on it and love it. Kelli is really the first person in my life that has chosen to stick around for the long haul. Family and friends have faded away but my sister has stayed around and for that I am forever grateful. I believe she is part of the reason I can believe in peoples love and begin to trust again. She not only is just an all together great person, but she makes me laugh, she lets me cry and she always listens.

The craziest thing is in our 12 years of being friends we have only lived in the same city 5 of those 12 years, but somehow the knitting of our hearts has kept us close. She now lives on the other side of the country and our time together is limited, but it doesn't matter because she is my sister. I don't know why we click the way we do. We're as different as giraffes and elephants we like different things, have different hobbies and are just different. What the Lord has done is a blessing I will never stop being grateful for.

Today I'm grateful for my friend, my sister, Kelli!  Happy Birthday Kels!

Playtime Outside

Day 48: She's Found Her Voice

Since day one I think Chase has been talking.  He is so verbal with all different kinds of sounds and loud too (hmmm...I wonder where he got that from?)  but Zaya has always been so quiet just making a peep here and there.  Not this week though she has found her voice.  She's Ms. Talky Talkerson in true girl fashion.  Her talking is so funny too, it's like this long drawn out sound.  Sometimes it sounds as if she's yelling at you.  It's really funny!  Chase when he talks sometimes it's like a whisper like he has a secret for you, but not Zaya she has an announcement to make and the world will hear it.  She is no longer taking a back seat to her brother she is standing up for her right to be heard and I love it!  I could talk all day to them...oh wait...I do.

Today I'm grateful Zaya found her voice.

Day 47: Only a Cold

Last week both of the babies got sick for the first time, nothing like putting a first time mom over the edge. I took Zaya's temperature and found out it was a little high and immediately fumbled around searching for my phone to call the pediatrician. I didn't know what to do. My baby was sick and I was heart sick for her. The pediatrician asked, "Did you give any Tylenol?" I said, "no, I called you!" I think I heard her giggle then in a very calm voice she instructed me to give her Tylenol and watch the fever. I watched it alright. Zaya didn't leave my arms all night. 2 days later Chase started coughing a horrible sounding cough. This put me over the edge so I took them in to make sure everything was alright. It was and it is. It's just a cold. I watched my babies suffer from this stupid cold all week coughing, not being able to breath, having to take medicine and get squirts up their nose. It's a horrible thing for mom's heart to see her babies suffer. I couldn't imagine if it was something worse then a cold.


Today I'm grateful it's only cold.

She's even cute with a snotty nose!