details.

 sure, i've known about it for months, but of course, here it is july 1, and i'm just now getting around to switching over to bloglovin'. 

in true shannon fashion, naturally. 

so, if you haven't done so already, my faithful followers, you can find me if you just click on this link right here:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

 and because who wants a blog post with just silly information like, 

"hey, go follow me in a new place"??

some pictures to catch you up on life lately and some thoughts on how God shows himself in the details of every day life.

we finally got our pool opened.

we were really holding our breath on this one because that pool has some type of curse on it or something. 

we gave up last year after it collapsed twice & i just prayed that this year would be the year that we wouldn't have issues so that eli would be able to enjoy it. 

God cares even about small details like being able to be refreshed after a hard workout & seeing a smile like the one above light up our little boy's face.

another project that has been looming over our heads for several months now.

these bookshelves.

friends, today they are finished!

i put the last coat of paint on this morning & they are now ready to be styled.

which honestly, it's kind of an intimidating task to me.

there's a lot of shelves & i really want them to look cool.

i might need some help in this department.....

i'll keep you posted!

i wanted to share another blessing that has happened recently that shows how God shows up in the details. 

if you remember, mike & i have been on a journey to a healthier lifestyle which includes participating in crossfit 3 times a week.
{it's been AWESOME, by the way!}
recently mike aggravated an old injury which was impeding on his ability to do crossfit.
so, our coach called up a chiropractor who used to work out there to see if he would be able to see mike.
not only did he say yes, but he's been seeing him every day after working out for the past 2 weeks FOR FREE!
{we don't have health insurance right now, so HUGE BLESSING!}

 we are about to enter into month 3 of our journey & just within the last probably month or so, i've really tried to change some of my eating habits.
i am a sugar fiend.
there, i've said it.
i absolutely cannot keep sweets in the house, or i will devour them.
and this is one of the major changes that i have made.
i have cut out sweets, save for one cheat day throughout the week.
even on my cheat days, i've done pretty good & haven't gone buckwild with the desserts.
but saturday i was craving a donut &, i can't believe i'm going to say this, but (insert shamed face here), i totally ate two of them!
oh my gosh, they were so good!
{and i definitely took the opportunity to do the extra credit workout today at the box!}

 mostly, though, i really do try to keep things healthy!
see, grilled chicken!
{and if you have a trader joe's near you, you definitely should try this soyaki out! yum!}

 what i'd most like to say about life lately is that i am truly amazed by how much this little boy is growing & changing day by day.
the other day i made a list of all the words he is saying & it was somewhere near 75.
how is it even possible that almost 2 years ago i was heading into the hospital wondering what life was going to be like as the mom of this little boy?

we have been beyond blessed with this little one & with how God has ordained our time in this season of life.
 just the other day mike & i were thinking about how decisions we've made to trust God when it just didn't make much sense have led us to where we are now.

not long before he took the job with the paper, he was actually offered another job with another paper.
most people suggested he take this because it was a job offer & at the time, after over a hundred  applications, it would be stupid not to.
but deep down, i just didn't have a peace about it.
i felt like he wouldn't be happy in this position & i felt like, if we held out for just a little longer, God was going to lead him to the perfect job.
{you can read more here.}
because of this job, he gets to spend his days with us.
we get to spend family time doing things during the week when places are not crowded like they are on the weekends.
 we like this. a lot.
 he & i have been able to embark on a life changing adventure doing cross fit, together.
this is huge to us because we are each other's biggest fans which makes toughing it out during a grueling workout so much more enjoyable!

and maybe they seem like such inconsequential things, but to us, they speak volumes of the way our Lord loves us & takes care of us.
it reminds us to not take these things for granted.
they are gentle reminders of His hand at work in our lives, weaving the pattern of His plan & His purpose for our lives.

bragging rights

i'm not really one to boast & brag, but if you'll allow me a few minutes, i'd like to do just that.

today's subject: my hubby.

the summer leading up to eli's birth {2011} my hubby began a job search so that i would be able to quit my job to stay home. 

his job search concluded in august of this year when he landed a position as a sports reporter for our local paper. 

yes, that's 15 months of searching & praying for a full time job.

120 job applications (no exaggeration, he kept track).

tireless hours of writing resumes and combing indeed.com.

he literally applied for any position he was even remotely qualified for.

people, he applied to be a 911 operator!

if you know my husband, you know this would've been an epic fail!

the man has to leave the room at the mention of blood or guts. 

he gags when he hears the cat throwing up. 

he would need the paramedics to come to the 911 dispatch office if he received a call from someone in a real emergency because he'd be passed on the floor with the first "help me, i've been stabbed & there's blood gushing everywhere!"

there weren't too many jobs i would discourage him from being hopeful about.

this one, though, i suggested might be best on the decline list.

bless his heart, he was so willing to do anything so that i could live out my dream of being a stay at home mom.

during those 15 months, we had no idea what God had in store for us, but we knew to just trust Him. 

we knew His timing would be perfect.

 and right when we needed it, he opened the door for a job that mike would describe as one of his dream jobs. 

{first being full time children's ministry director, of course. still waiting on that prayer to be answered!}

here is someone who holds no degree in journalism, has never taken a journalism class, with limited journalism experience having been offered a job as a sports reporter.

recent graduates of major universities who have received rewards & literary honors, who are willing to move to remote parts of the country, cannot find jobs, and yet, my husband has been given the opportunity to do something that he loves.
hang out at sporting events & write about them. 

that, my friends, is an only God thing!

to hear him say that he loves his job, makes my heart smile.

to think that he might've had to actually take one of the hundred plus jobs he applied for, only to be miserable, would've broken my heart.

recently, he was given the opportunity to work on a feature story that ended up being published as a front page article.
he put so much time & heart into this article & tonight i finally got to read it.
the topic of this article was certainly not an easy one to write about. 
a local high school quarterback whose father committed suicide.
that's heavy stuff!
he did an amazing job!
{you'll have to read it for yourself to see!}
 the feedback he's gotten has been remarkable & i'm just so proud!
 i love his ability to connect with people on the most genuine level.
that he cares deeply & honestly.
that he is sensitive, & therefore, people's needs grip him at the heart.
God has gifted him in the area of relationships like no one else i know & He is allowing mike to use this gift as a sports reporter for the evening sun. 

i'm so beyond thankful that once again God has provided for us & provided beyond what we could have ever asked or imagined.