and the world spins on

Hi. It's been so long since I've sat down to write here that I actually forgot my log in info. But here I am! I've been busy trying to keep up with the holiday whirlwand in the shop, chasing my 3 guys + even doing a little redecorating in my little home sweet home. Here's a little recap of life as of late...

in a phrase or word- Take my heart + let it be, ever only all for thee.
I'm dreaming of you- day drive up north with my love. It's nice to run away even just for a day.
music on repeat- The Brilliance.
gotta write it down- {An inch of time is worth an inch of gold. But you can't buy that inch of time with an inch of gold.  +  Only one life which will soon be passed. Only whats done for Christ will last.}  <<< remember this every day!
lesson learned- I need to stop constantly thinking about everything I do wrong + focus on who God says I am >>> Ephesians 1:4-8.  + Make sure I'm doing what is important to Him--not just what is important to everyone else. 
looking forward to- eating a big bowl of black olives + green bean casserole. My Thanksgiving day favorites.
picture to frame- A couple recent favorites...

 

My little guy is going to be 6 months already! 

weekend to do list- Hanging with my favorite guys in the world.

{I rarely find a quiet moment to catch up on here but you can follow my daily happenings on Instagram if you'd like: @colefranke.}

wake up early, stay up late

This is our routine most days. It seems like there are always a million things on the to-do list. I can't remember the last time I actually sat down and watched (not just listened while working) to a TV show. A friend reminded me a few weeks back to stop + enjoy my time with my boys while they are young. I get caught up in all the busyness and forget that they are more beautiful than anything I'm ever going to craft. My time with them is the most important. I need to not be in a hurry for a season to pass. I need to really soak in this special time with our little guys.

 

This past week we hit the road and took a beach trip with the family. Micah turned six. The boys experienced Disneyland for the first time. We enjoyed 5 whole days of nothing but having fun with them. It was the perfect end to the summer.

No matter how crazy things get, I need to remember to focus my efforts on today. Sow my best today, reap the blessings tomorrow. These boys are going to play a big part in God's next generation. I'm so happy that He let me be their mommy. That I get to love on them, teach them and watch them grow up to be amazing men. I don't ever want to take that for granted.

A call to all my blog friends...

Over the past two years, you all have been some of my biggest supporters with my little handmade business. You've helped me spread the word, have purchased items from me and some of you have even spent nights cutting hundreds of petals with me. I can't thank you enough for everything. It's been one fun adventure so far.

Two weeks ago I decided to enter the Martha Stewart American Made contest for fun. I didn't actually think out of the thousands of designers/creators entering that I actually had a shot. But guess what...

I'm completely in shock! God is SO good. I can't believe all the surprises He throws my way. I'm just plain giddy over here today. To win this award would mean being honored at the American Made Awards, winning $10,000, and having an appearance in Martha Stewart Living magazine.

Would you please consider helping me spread the word about this contest and asking some of your friends to send a vote my way. Starting today until September 24th, you can vote once per day for the creative entrepreneur of your choice. I would be so so grateful. Thank you friends so much!

Vote for Nicole Franke here ---> 

http://americanmade.marthastewart.com

bring life to my stale love

I admit it, I was kind of in and out of a funk for awhile. That's mostly the reason for my lack of writing over the past several months. (That + 3 boys in the house) I was constantly feeling worn out, busy-ness was my top excuse for pushing my time with God down to the bottom of my priority list. And when I'm away from Him I become really apathetic. You would think that I would have learned by now. Which is why I'm hoping to start writing here more. This is my journal, my little reminders + encouragements to self (+ whoever happens to stop by too).

Finally it came time to shake the dust off and get back on my feet. I can't bring glory to God by being run down all the time. That's why I'm here, to know Him + make Him known right? So I ran home and was welcomed back with open arms. I'll never understand why God is so good to me. I have felt so much joy in the past couple of weeks and seen some pretty miraculous things happen. I'm also realizing that the more time I spend with Him, the more I start to genuinely care about other people. Not just love them in my head, but really love them like He does. Not just old, stale love. Hopefully you know what I mean. It's exciting to spend time with God. Really it is! I'm excited to see what He's going to do next.

{My prayer for today}

This morning I was reading the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. I read the part about the seed on the stony places, who hears the word + receives it, but it doesn't last because there's no root. That's been me. Then I read about the seed among the thorns who hears the word, but the desires of the world choke the word and he remains unfruitful. That's been me too. Finally it talks about the seed on the good ground who hears the word and understands it and bears lots of fruit. I really want to be this one. Jesus says several times when he's telling these stories, "he who has ears to hear, let him hear!" When I read that I just want to shout, "God let me hear it + get it!" I want to bear fruit and I know that the only way that's going to happen is if I stay close to Him.

{Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.}

Jesus said apart from me you can do nothing. I don't want to be apart from Him again. You can't know Him without spending that alone time with Him. So I want to make the decision every morning to know my savior.

I like Friday

 a quick weekmonthly recap because this busy mama is a horrible blogger... 

in a phrase- one day at a time
I'm dreaming of you-  29 days until I'm sitting on a beach
music on repeat- needtobreathe + of monsters and men
gotta write it down- {Jesus isn't looking for converts, He's looking for a bride.} -from father of lights I love this! Sometimes I get overwhelmed with everything else and forget this. It's really all about love. About relationship. About being a light in the world on His behalf, because of that intimacy.
lesson learned- I really shouldn't have waited this long to change my business name. Procrastination is never good.
looking forward to-  reading Darren Wilson-Filming God + Christine Caine- Undaunted. I'm also starting a new Beth Moore study with my mama. So need it + looking forward to it.
highlight of the week- Acting like a kid with Stephen + Micah, throwing hundreds of ping pong balls up in the air and at each other. + My shop had a birthday! Two-Years-Old already.

picture to frame- he just gets cuter every single day.
weekend to do list- to be decided. I hope it's a lazy one.

{I rarely find a quiet moment to catch up on here but you can follow my daily happenings on Instagram if you'd like: @colefranke.}

soaking it in

I used to be a much better blogger.  Now this space has really just become a way for me to collect memories + thoughts that my 27 year old brain has a hard time remembering. I don't want to forget one moment with my guys. I love that later on they can come here and read my inspirations + all our happenings.

Right now I'm enjoying this calm. We've adjusted pretty nicely to life with 3 boys in the house. My little handmade business is growing rapidly and I feel like I'm finally able to juggle it all again. But things never stay quiet for long. Something big is on the horizon and before life completely changes directions (tell you about that later) I'm just going to soak in all the blessings in this current season of life.

Mr. Madden is 2 months right now. He weighed in at nearly 16lbs at his 1 month check up. 

To say he is a big boy is an understatement. I'm enjoying every second with him. 

My mellow, sweet baby. Can't get enough of him!

Big brothers are obsessed with this guy. He's not mama's baby, he's Skylar's baby. 

That's what I'm told everyday.

 

 Micah + Skylar are best friends right now. Lucky mommy. 

I hope my boys are always each others best friends.  

We're off to a good start.

 

Recently... (Sorry if you've already seen these on FB or IG)

 

I'm sitting here typing this feeling so grateful for God's goodness to me. I've been thinking about all the dreams I've watched God fulfill in my life in the past 6-7 years.  And now He's still at work unveiling new, maybe a little scarier dreams. I learned a few years ago that when you ask God for something big, make sure you really mean it because He who promised is faithful. I'll just continue soaking all this in until He leads me to bigger dreams.

life currently...

in a phrase- "to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun."

I'm dreaming of you- big scary exciting adventures
song on repeat- rend collective experiment-desert soul
gotta write it down- "Sometimes we are educated way beyond what we are willing to do. Obedience brings breakthrough not mere knowledge." - Joyce Meyer
lesson learned- {God doesn't move according to our schedules + deadlines. We can't give up on the dreams He's given us because they didn't happen when we expected them to.}
highlight of the week- My baby is 3 today!

picture to frame-

weekend to do list- Escaping the heat for a few days with my husband, babe + a few close friends. Pretty mountains here we come!

Happy Independence Day!

I like you

I woke up this morning feeling good. Last night was the first night in a really really long time that I slept for 6+ hours. My husband is out of town and after 7 years of having him sleeping next to me, my brain has things programmed to where I don't sleep on nights he's away. So I woke up squished in with my boys feeling super thankful for some extra rest.

I woke up thinking about how good God has been to me, even when I feel like I don't deserve it. I'm so thankful that He loves me + fills me up when I feel empty. {The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever flowing spring. Isaiah 58:11} I love this verse right now. I'm finally feeling some strength in these bones again.  I'm reminding myself that I go from empty to full, find joy +  feel fully alive when I stay close to the source. So thankful He always guides me back to Him.

It's been awhile since I made a list of things making me happy lately...

Turning 27.  Having time to do some fun reading. Friends that bring me brunch when I'm afraid to go anywhere with 3 kids by myself. ha! Getting back to the workout routine. Mr. Madden turns 1 month on Friday.  Starting fall wedding orders. I love fall wedding colors. Having a sleepover with a best friend + our kids. Being able to hike again.

 

 Washing my cell phone not a favorite moment this week but finding old videos like this one on my temporary old phone was kind of nice. Micah + Sky were so small! The last second of this video cracks me up.

Online shopping. Does it mean your old when you buy yourself a door mat with your birthday money? Getting paint crazy again. Dreaming up some home DIY decorating projects. Husband don't be scared.Vacation planning. Sky's 4th of July birthday around corner.

What are you thankful for/liking this week?

hey, June

It's been forever since I did one of these. My life currently...

in one word or phrase: New beginnings
I'm dreaming of you: a road, camping or beach trip. I'll settle for any fun place out of the house.
music on repeat: Lovelite- Heart starts beating
{Deep in the dust
You call us out from our sleep
And we run to You
Your death awakens me to life
And my heart starts beating}
gotta write it down: "A joyful heart is good medicine and our broken bones can be re-membered when we remember to thank a good God." Ann Voskamp
lesson learned: In the 2 years I've had my shop open I had my first awful customer. She said the most hurtful things + maybe it was the timing (days before baby) but I let it wreck me. I let every negative remark completely consume my thoughts + eat me up. Then after finally giving the situation to God, He helped me to remember that I get to stay home with my boys every day and do something that I LOVE. I still have 313 other happy customers.  I am still very very blessed. Have to focus on the positive. Like the quote above says, remembering all that we have to be thankful for brings back the joy.

highlight of the week: Micah is a kindergarten graduate! Hello 74 days of summer vacation. So proud of him.
picture to frame: Who says newborns can't laugh. Love this guy so much.

weekend to do list: Celebrating 7 years of being Mr. + Mrs. Franke. Another top of the list thing to be thankful for. My husband is pretty unbelievably wonderful and he and I make some pretty stinkin cute babies together.

Happy Friday friends!

nothing sweeter

Madden Daniel 

May 22nd, 2012

11 lb, 1 ounce

22 1/2 inches

Yes I did say 11 lbs! He's actually the largest baby ever born at the hospital we delivered at. Seriously. And yep all boys for this mama. We are so overjoyed to be home with this little guy right now. After a long, is this ever going to end pregnancy, Mr. Madden made a quick + unexpected appearance early Tuesday morning. Today is day 3 and I just can't believe how much joy this little boy has brought us. He is such a precious gift and I'm so thankful that I get to be his mommy.

meeting his family

 

Excited to start this new beginning with you love.