Life as Mrs. Emerson

On Monday Elijah started taking swim lessons at a local high school.  They are actually much cheaper than taking lessons through our gym where we have a membership.  I like the fact that they are everyday for two weeks instead of once a week for two months.  They are also an hour long instead of a half-hour.  I am interested to see if Eli will progress more quickly by swimming every day.  So far Eli is doing great and having a blast!  My youngest sister is also taking advanced swim lessons so my mom and I are taking turns taking the kids to their lessons.  On Tuesday we enjoyed a fun Emerson Family tradition where we dressed like a cow for Chick-Fil-A Day.  If you’ve never participated in the past then you need to mark your calendars now for next year because it seriously is an absolute blast.  Each person who is dressed in full cow attire is rewarded with a value meal or kid’s meal of their choice.  Not only did we enjoy the fr...

When I turned the page to mark the beginning of a new month in my planner I almost panicked when I realized it was July!  How can summer past by so fast?   I'm hoping to write a couple of posts in reference to my goals for the second part of summer.   Today's post includes my summer reading goals.  Here are the books I hope to finish by summer's end.  To see books I have already read this summer visit here .   The Blender Girl Smoothies by Tess Masters A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph Love Idol by Jennifer Dukes Lee Talent to Treasure by Marcia K. Washburn The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo Managers of Their Home by Steven & Teri Maxwell What about you?  What are you reading this summer?  Have you read any of the books on my summer reading list?  

Eli had a blast playing Twister at the Art Museum.   Our summer of fun is in full swing.  Can you believe it is already July?  Here are a few of the ways my family saved money last week.  Most of the things we did were also incredibly fun!   I cut green onions that I had growing in a pot on our front porch. I used a bunch of leftovers to make a delicious Ham, Spinach, and Mushroom Quiche. The kids and I had a blast at our local Splash Park.  At only $3 per person (ages 2-12) this makes for quite a fun, frugal outing.  I also appreciate the fact that there isn't a pool there so I don't have trouble wrangling two wet kids by myself.  We packed a fun picnic to enjoy while we were there.  I hope we can squeeze in a few more trips before school begins! Before heading to the Splash park we stopped by Aldi to load up on groceries.  Since I took my large cooler along we were able to visit the grocery before the Splash park which work...

Hooray for summer!  We have been having a blast as a family soaking up the days of summer and squeezing in quite a lot of reading.  I am glad that we were able to get back into the habit of a family read aloud this month.  I hope to make reading at least one chapter book a month a family tradition.  I have such fond memories of my mother reading books aloud to myself that I really want to pass that on to my children.  Here is what I have been reading in June:  Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin: Ever since I can remember I have been a very scheduled young woman who thrives on organization and habits.  While marriage and becoming a mother has radically influenced my habits and my "productivity", I still delight in my routines.  My sister-in-law was so excited about this book that I think she could have sold me a copy on the spot.  :)  I knew I could borrow her copy next month but I just couldn't wait to read it.  I'm so glad...

A funny photo from our trip.   Two weeks ago I had the awesome privilege of tagging along with the happy hubby on a business trip to the SBC Convention.  It was wonderful.  We were in sessions most of the time but it was so much fun just hanging out as the two of us.  I thought I would enjoy attending the conference with Brandon but I was actually REALLY surprised by how much fun it was actually being at the convention.  I ran into a handful of friends that I attended school with back in the day before Brandon and I were married.  I did attend the convention six years ago when it was in Louisville, KY but I spent the majority of my time racing to the nearest restroom since I was expecting Eli.  This convention was so much better! This year the convention was held in Columbus, OH which is only a few hours from our home.  Hooray for a nice short trip!  This marks our fourth trip to Columbus together.  We have attended the amazing Oh...

If you have been reading this blog for a while or are a personal friend of ours you know that as a family we travel a few times a year to visit family.  What you might not know is the fact that I hate road trips.  I don't hate all road trips just the long ones.  Once you pass the five hour mark the trip takes on a more serious tone.  Don't get me wrong I really do enjoy the trip once I get there but it is just hard for me to have a great, cheery attitude the entire drive there. That isn't to say that I haven't tried.  Seven years ago my sweet hubby proposed marriage (after I had already taken two long road trips to Arkansas with him).  The first couple of trips we took to Arkansas were a lot of fun but they were also about four hours shorter.  We lived closer to Arkansas at the time and we didn't yet have children.  Since that time I have watched youtube videos and have read numerous blog articles about ways to have a fantastic road trip...

Love the Home You Have by Melissa Michaels:   I could not wait to read this book on decorating from a fellow pastor's wife.  Unfortunately the book really wasn't at all what I expected.  I love the premise behind the book to fully embrace and love your current living situation.  In my 6.5 years of married life we have lived in a variety of homes from owning our own home to our current living situation where we live in lovely church parsonage on 7 acres.  I just did not find the book that inspiring.  (If you follow her blog The Inspired Room then you might feel differently about the book.)  I was hoping that she would have included more commentary about her life as a pastor's wife and how her husband's ministry influenced her home. The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis:   Every time I read one of Lewis' books I never really know what to say about them without giving away too much of the book.  I really enjoyed reading this book and would rec...