Hello Old Friends

I know I have seriously neglected this blog and for that I feel terrible. It has been a crazy time in our family and our schedules have only accelerated since the beginning of 2015. If you are reading this blog, I thank you for your interest in my sweet, but lively life. I apologize for my delay in postings and will catch you up on our happenings. 

First off, Charleston turned ONE in December and we celebrated his birthday with a Snowman Wonderland celebration at the Ladybugg Bakery in Hernando. It was quite a treat and were blessed to have such an awesome turnout of friends and family-despite it being smack dab in the middle of Christmas break and arguably the busiest month of the year. Check out a few pics.

Secondly, God is good all the time and blessed us with an opportunity for me to return to teaching. It is amazing how He always provides. I had a calling for something different and within weeks there was a knock at the door. Amazing!  So, with that said, I have been teaching third grade at Southaven Intermediate and I am loving it. Teaching is the hardest job, next to being a parent. 

Third, I have been enrolled at Mississippi State since the fall and hope to graduate by the end of the year with a Master’s in Community College Education. I may be up to my ears in student loans and debt, but I don’t lose sleep over it. I feel it is important to purse higher education and pass a love of learning on to
Charleston. Take that Fedloan! 

Lastly, my brief summary includes us finding a church home and pursing our faith and stories as Christians. We are so blessed to have been lead to Life Fellowship Church and welcomed with open arms. Ben and Lindsey Piper selflessly answered our, often silent, call for help by extending an invitation that has truly changed my life. I have found this church to be a place of sanctuary and healing. We even stepped out of our comfort zone and had Charleston dedicated during the December Baby Dedication. I felt so proud of my family and I want so much for Charleston to know, trust, and love Jesus. 

 Overall, Charleston has returned to a wonderful school and we are moving forward with our lives and enjoying the many blessings and lessons that 2015 has shown us so far. I look forward to this year of weddings, babies, class reunions, and, hopefully, BIG moves. 

With love, JB

Oh, Margaret.

This Iron Lady and I share a birthday, which is pretty neat; even though she was born 61 years before I was, but that doesn't matter. I still like to think we share some similar talents. As of right now, I have no ambition of becoming a Prime Minister, but it sure sounds tempting to put some men in there place like she did. (That must feel really good to do.) What a powerhouse woman and a great role model to have. 

(If you have never seen the movie, The Iron Lady, I highly recommend you do.)

It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

As if I don't have enough on my plate, I decided it would be fun to grow pumpkins; yes, pumpkins. Somewhere in my mind I wanted to make farming look good. (I know, I have issues.) So after a little begging and pleading, Cody said yes and a few months back we planted pumpkin seeds in our garden. Were hoping with a little nurturing and love, and lots of seven dust, our pumpkins will make their grand entrance in a few weeks. How fun! October is right around the corner, so these pumpkins better get busy!

SAHM Inc.

As most of you know, I have ventured off the beaten path and officially become a "stay at home mom." I feel so blessed to be given this opportunity, but I severely underestimated the work it takes to be a “full-time” mom. Seriously, how do these women do it?  
I quickly realized there are no quiet drives to and from work; there is no planning period, lunch breaks, and adult conversation with fellow teachers. This new job starts anywhere from 6 to 8 am and continues until Cody gets home. Oh by the way, I appreciate you now, more than ever.
 It is a tough job, but I love it.
Instead of receiving a monthly paycheck deposited into my account, I instead am payed with morning pajama parties, Micky Mouse Clubhouse TV shows, and warm smiles and giggles from a blond headed little boy.

 I love planning out my day’s adventures and knowing my buddy will be tagging along. I treasure the moments that I am present to watch Charleston’s talents unfold. I feel very blessed to have this time.

I would like to give a shout out to my husband for being gracious enough to give the go ahead on this new chapter. I know this is a short season of our lives and I thank him for being supportive. 

Simple Thanks

I would like to take some time out today and thank you guys for reading this blog and keeping up with the simple things that happen in my life. It means so much to have your support. You are the reason I keep this blog going and I truly appreciate your friendship and unwavering support. The Bunyards are so blessed to know you. Truly. 

Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world.

John Evely

Soup for the Soul

Bluum Box

Okay, friends. I know I am very behind on blogging and I promise I have a Starbucks receipt somewhere with a scribbled list of topics that I hope to sit down and write soon; however, I just had to quickly share this link to this awesome website that is so nifty. I love, love, love getting happy mail and I hope Charleston feels the same. I am anxiously awaiting his first box from Bluum. Check it out!

Shine on Me

Carpe Diem

It is a great blessing to have wonderful friends who help keep me grounded and gently remind me to not take myself too seriously. Sometimes a busy mom needs to let her hair down and spend some much needed time with her very best friends.

Alex Ladner

Car wash anyone? I may need a second, or third job in order to finance my love for Mississippi art. I recently picked up a new piece from artist Alex Ladner. I think it is safe to say that I am impressed and slightly obsessed with his work. (I"m ready to buy my next piece!)

 No, seriously. I enjoy filling my home with artwork from local artists and fellow Mississippians. It makes me feel good about supporting them and their work. They receive funding for their talents and I get a good feeling for my purchase. It is a win-win in my book.
 

Coffee and Scripture

 I am thankful for many things, but two that are close to my heart on this Sunday morning consist of my first cup of really good coffee, in my favorite mug, and the ever faithful and powerful words and stories of Jesus. Now I give a lot of credit to coffee and its miracle workings, but you just can't beat the healing and fulfillment you receive from the bible. Good stuff.

Rainbow Baby

 

Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue- 

and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. 

 After every storm there is a rainbow of hope.

Thinking of my sweet Boston today and thanking him for sending us the perfect little brother. 

I know they would have been quite the duo. 

Erin Condren is great, but..

Reverting back to my previous post about being more in the moment and living each day for what its worth, I feel this simply explains it all.
Despite the pressure from my Erin Condren planner to plan, plan, plan,- I am making the up most attempt at living for today. I have been given another day to be a wife to Cody, mom to Charleston, friend, mentor, daughter, learner, and teacher. What an amazing gift!

Keeping Up With the Jones's

I had the extreme pleasure of being invited and helping with preparations for Rebecca and Brandon's wedding. I must say it was absolutely stunning and one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever attended. Rebecca, a fellow teacher, is such a sweet and kind person. I had high expectations for what her wedding would entail. I can say she did not let me down. There was no detail overlooked and it was obvious the amount of love and preparation she put forth into making her and Brandon's day perfect. I loved the design of her ceremony and reception and appreciated hard work through incorporating her unique ideas and creativity into the little details of her weddings.

I think it was great how this couple incorporated their dog, Ezra, into the ceremony and I feel we are kindred spirits in how we have a heart for our four-legged friends. It takes a true dog lover to let your pup stand with you at the alter! 

It was also great to see Lisa Chapman, who is one of my favorite photographers. I am so impressed and in awe of her work so far, and I know the rest of the pictures will be fabulous. I was thrilled to hear the news that Rebecca chose to use Lisa for both her engagement session and wedding day photography. I think it is safe to say that she will not be disappointed in Lisa's work.

I wish you two many years of marital bliss and I look forward to hearing of your next adventures together!

Tough Critic

As I sit here and drink my coffee, I'm reminded of the harsh words I had to have with myself this week. It seems that I've put things off and justified them by doing "more pressing" chores, if you will. When really I should acknowledge the items at the top of the list and move on from there. ( I so sound like my mother.) So basically I had a Come to Jesus Moment with myself, and that's always real fun. I believe you are your own toughest critic and I need to be reminded of that sometimes.

Watch out world! I'm working on my to-do list. 

I was recently driving around and had an epiphany. (Why do these moments always seem to occur in the car?) I was reminded that I have a certain standard for how I want to live my life and the only person stopping me, is me. Whew! I feel like I should say an amen after that statement!
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this yet, but I'm off for the summer and will not be returning to work due to finishing a master's degree. So why not now? What is my excuse? I clearly have ample time and I need to cease the "I'll do it later" mentality and adopt a better since of urgency when it comes to those less appealing chores. I understand chores are not fun. If they were, they would not be called chores. Duh!
Obviously, this is not an easy conversation to have with yourself, but it’s better than hearing it from someone else. I’ll admit it is tough to acknowledge the fact that your procrastination is not only leading to disappointment with yourself but also those around you. Ouch. Those can be harsh words to hear, but sometimes necessary.
You know that cliché saying, don’t put off for tomorrow what you can today? Well, it is not so cliché after all.
So whether it is keeping the laundry caught up, trimming the bushes, or just simply completing a sewing project, I vow to try to be more in the moment and live for today; and not for tomorrow.
Yard work anyone?

Charlie Brown Knows Best

"Oh, hey mom. I am just doing a little reading before bedtime. 
 This Charlie Brown Christmas Story is really neat!"

Christmas should be celebrated year round. #christmasinjuly #sixmonthstogo

A Wrinkle in Time

You may have noticed a few changes happening around here; meaning the blog itself. After much thought, I decided to update my blog, other than its general aesthetics. Since its inception five years ago, my blog has been focused on being a new bride, the adventures of marriage and pregnancy, and, overall, the beginnings as Mrs. B.  Still, as Father Time would have it, those stories have been filed away in the past and I have found myself in a new season of life; a slightly more exciting and complex season.
All that said, I feel that Charleston is the next BIG journey of my life and my blog should reflect this. So why this title? Simply put, one of my favorite moments occurs in the very beginning of the day, the morning. I love to hear the stirrings of a sweet little boy coming from the monitor and feel the excitement and blessing of knowing we were given another day together.  I smile at the thought.
There have never been more precious words spoken in our home than, "Good morning, Charleston."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Throwback Thursday

Oh goodness. I could shed a tear at the sight of these pictures! Look how small Jasper was at his first birthday celebration. (yes, we had a party and no, I am not ashamed to admit it.)
This curly-haired Maltipoo sure does hold a special place in our hearts and I am in disbelief that he will be five years old this summer.

Bookworm

I think Cody and I both agree in that as parents it is extremely important to model the love of learning and appreciation for books and literature. We were very blessed to have received so many wonderful, timeless books as gifts and Cody has since created a mini library for Charleston's room.

I can remember the excitement when my parents bought me a new book or gave me money to shop in the school's annual book fair. (You know you did too.) While my friends were buying posters, erasers, and other trinkets, I was agonizing over which which books to put in my basket and which ones to leave on the shelf. I wanted to take all of them home.
It is my hope that Charleston will experience the same excitement and seek the knowledge, solitude, and comfort that books have to
offer.

Wild Thing Philosophy

Sometimes I am amazed at the knowledge and revelations that are hidden within a children's book. I believe they are life's little treats- just waiting to be unwrapped and enjoyed.

These simple words are so relevant now that I have a little person in my life. I often find myself in complete awe of Charleston and it is a feeling that I would consume, if possible. I view children to be tiny pieces of heaven, in which they give us a glimpse of the goodness and unconditional love that is eternal.

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3