my highlight reel?

Last weekend at church the message was about our highlight reels.  How we, as a society, tend to only share the highlights of our life with most people and purposely leave out the dysfunction reality.  Evidently this is especially true on social media.   
Amazing pictures = amazing life!?!

I feel like the opposite of that.  I feel like what I share on social media is complete dysfunction.  My sorrow, my anxiety, my fears, my sadness, my loneliness.    Not exactly my highlight reel.

Here's some insight into my latest highlight reel - or not...

I have been complaining all Summer about only having one car (my 10 year old suburban bit the dust almost two months ago).   So we have been sharing my husbands minivan.  A minivan that I do not like.  A minivan that I do not feel safe in (I was in two serious car accidents before and only feel safe in big trucks).  A minivan that he promised that I would never have to drive (it was supposed to be his car).  And now guess who's spending hours a day driving kids to sports?  Oh ya...and just to let you know how much that minivan loves me driving it...broken cooling system, flat tire, new battery & broken automatic door.  It was completely FINE until I started driving it!

Four of our kids are involved in high end competitive sports.  Sports that are extremely expensive and time consuming.  So much money that we have had to change our lifestyle.  We re-worked our entire budget and many line items were removed.  Car payments were one of them.  So we are still sharing.  Committed to living within our means and committed to allowing our kids to do what they LOVE.  Even when we have to do without.

WOW that sounds like something on a highlight reel...I'm such a wonderful mother that makes sacrifices for her children.  NOT!!!  My attitude is crummy.  Ungrateful.  Needing an adjustment.  BIG TIME!  All I can think of is how I want that new Suburban.  The 2015.  The fancy one with a backup camera that we waited for years to be released but ended up being WAY over our budget.

I know that we will figure it out.  I know that God will honor our commitment to be wise with what He has given us.  I know...
 
I do have amazing highlights.  I really do.  

I do have a good life.  I am grateful.  Truly.

Highlights are just that...reality is the 24/7.

My struggles in life will never be as difficult as others.   There will always be someone worse off.  And who am I kidding...driving my husbands minivan is not really a difficulty.

Seriously...someone needs to smack me over the head!

My favorite...

JULY!

Ahhh, we finally made it to my favorite month of the year.  The 4th was super fun -- just wish that the day never had to end.  

And the rest of the month has lots more fun stuff planned:  County Fair, Vacation, more beach days afternoons, more pool days afternoons (Brady is almost swimming), and hopefully a relaxing day or two somewhere this month (crossing my fingers).

Life has continued to throw us some curve balls lately.  I don't know if it's getting older or the difficulties that I've had to face but I can see how my perspective has changed.  This type of stuff used to send me spinning....not in a good way.  I was angry, frustrated, defeated.  Now...for the most part...I can tell myself that God just has a different plan for our life.  I can look back now at the situations that had me spinning and see the path that God had laid out.  I'm know that He won't leave us now.  I know that He is working on something.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what He does.  Looking back a few years from now and seeing that clear path that is a blur right now.

Faith.

I can see mine being restored...

Summer Vacation...

two of the BEST words in the English language!!!

My twins running to my car just after the final bell.

 PURE JOY!!!

We just finished our first week of vacation.
Not relaxing...at ALL!  But...

 so glad that school is off of the schedule and we managed to squeeze in a couple of beach/pool afternoons (along with a soccer tournament and wedding anniversary).  

I have SO many things that need to get done this Summer and it's only 9 weeks this year(shortest vacation ever).  I need to be very deliberate so that my list gets checked off AND most importantly...we have some fun!

Happy early 4th of July - MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR!!!!