Macro Way Of Life

First day of 10th grade for E and M today!

Time… how did this happen? Weren’t they just in kindergarten? 🥹

I’m so grateful they’re back at The Potter’s Academy, where they’ve not only excelled academically but have truly thrived in such a supportive environment. It’s been a gift to our whole family.

Here’s to another year of fun, growth, learning, and accomplishments! 💙💛

Yesterday we had the joy of celebrating one of the most beautiful humans I’ve ever known. Over 100 people came together to wish Papa a happy 90th birthday, a day filled with love, laughter, family, and friendship.

Having Papa in my life has shaped me in ways I probably don’t even realize. He has loved me unconditionally, been a safe place to land when life has knocked me around, and reminded me to find joy in what’s right in front of us. He’s truly a gem. A gift right from the Good LORD.

Happy 90th birthday, Papa! I love you BIG MUCH!

Six years ago today was a big day for Jacob and one of the most special days of my life as a mom.⁣

His dream of making it to the CrossFit Games wasn’t an easy one. It took three years of relentless effort, a coach who believed in him, a gym that supported him, a whole community cheering him on, sacrifices most teenagers wouldn’t make, and good old-fashioned hard work. But he did it-even with a heart defect.⁣

Saying I’m proud doesn’t come close to capturing how I feel. I am honored. Honored to be his mom. Honored to witness three years of discipline and determination pay off. Honored to see him never waver in who he is, and to watch that integrity shine on the competition floor. Honored to watch his relationship with Jesus deepen as he grew stronger as an athlete. That week is one I will never forget and will never take for granted.⁣

Jacob had the time of his life competing at the Games. He gave it everything he had, cheered on every athlete, made lasting impressions on people we’d never even met, stayed true to himself, and gave God the glory every single step of the way.⁣

These memories bring tears, but they also make my heart overflow with gratitude. I will never take them for granted.⁣

Love y’all💜

I’m reading Isaiah 44, and it’s so easy to judge the Israelites for worshiping man-made images.

They worshiped the created instead of the Creator.

How foolish, right?
Easy to judge.

But then I was reminded of a Sunday school class years ago. I was a young, new mom at the time. The teacher handed us three scraps of paper and told us to write down the three most important people or things in our lives.

Then he asked us to narrow it down to two.

And then one.

Naturally, as a Christian wife and mom, I wrote: Jesus, Keith, and Jacob.

Letting go of one wasn’t easy, but Keith was the first to go.

Then it came down to Jesus and Jacob.

And deep down, I knew: Jacob was the most important to me.

It seems understandable, but he was still the created. Invaluable no doubt, but he is not God.

Where your heart is, there your worship is.

And only God is worthy of that.

Here’s what I’ve come to realize:
When the person or thing you hold highest is no longer there, you’re faced with this truth… The only One you can place your full hope in is the One who does the creating, not the created.

The created can be here one day and gone the next.

So love those you’ve been given in this fleeting time we’re in.
Love them well.

But always remember…

your worship, your hope, your deepest trust…

belongs only to the One who made them.

He alone is God.
He alone deserves our worship.

“This is what the Lord, your Redeemer  who formed you from the womb,  says: I am the Lord, who made everything; who stretched out the heavens by myself;  who alone spread out the earth;”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Love y’all 💜

Happy 249th Birthday, America!!! 🇺🇸🎆

Grateful for the freedoms we enjoy, the sacrifices that secured them, and the people who continue to protect them. Here’s to liberty and justice for all!

God Bless Our Troops 🪖🎖️
God Bless America 🇺🇸

❤️🤍💙

LOVE makes a family 🥹🫶🏼💖

Update on Malachi 💚

We were admitted at Arnold Palmer around 1 a.m., and Malachi has been such a trooper. No surprise, every nurse adores him. He’s pretty adorable.

They ran additional labs and swabbed for more viruses, and everything came back normal. The doctor said they have more accurate labs than the CRP, and those came back normal too. She’s not even convinced he has pneumonia—the other doctor diagnosed it from an X-ray, but she doesn’t hear anything concerning.

I’ve also asked them to recheck his liver bloodwork from his recent surgery, since it was elevated and flagged by his primary care doctor.

It looks like we’ll be able to go home today. I think the urgent care team was just being overly cautious, and I’m completely okay with that. Especially with my kids, who don’t always feel pain like the rest of us and can’t always find the words to explain what they’re feeling. I’m so relieved that he is doing better.

Thank you all for the prayers and love. We are surrounded by the most incredible tribe. You’ve walked with us through some of the hardest seasons, lifting us up with prayer, love, and so many tangible acts of kindness. We love you, and we thank God for you. It means more than words can say. 🫶🏼

Update on Malachi 💙💛

Malachi had his post-op appointment today, and the doctor said everything we were hoping for happened!

He’s healing well, he is still a little swollen, but that’s to be expected.

And the best news of all…

The biopsy came back clear—NO cancer! 🙌🏼

AND it was the type of cyst that won’t return!!!

We’re praising God and so deeply thankful!

Thank you all for the prayers and love… it truly means the world to us. 🫶🏼

Love y’all 💜

Freedom Isn’t Free

Never Forget

Missing you always, Dshaw.

Take some time this weekend to remember, we’re not here by accident. Real men and women gave everything so we could enjoy this free country, and three days off work.

Their families, our Gold Star families, go to bed every night carrying the weight of that sacrifice. The ones they love never came home, and yet they carry on.

That’s what this weekend is about.

So before the cookout or the beach, take a moment. Be still. Say a prayer. Honor their memory.

They matter. They always will. 🇺🇸

Update on Malachi 💙💛

Malachi’s surgery went well. The doctor removed a large cyst, quite a bit of infection, a good amount of bone, and an impacted tooth that likely would have never come in on its own. He said the infection was much more extensive than expected. It had spread close to his nose and sinuses. If it had reached those areas, things would’ve been a lot more complicated. Praise God we got this taken care of before that!!

He’s pretty certain Malachi was in significant pain, but this kid never once complained. Not one single time. We would’ve never even known something was wrong if his amazing dentist hadn’t caught the abscess during a routine cleaning.

Thankfully, because of his age, the bone will regenerate. Bodies are wild.

He’s doing great, better than we expected, honestly. He’s still swollen, but he keeps telling me, “I’m fine!” with no complaints of pain. I can’t help but wonder if the pain from surgery is actually less than what he had been living with all along. I just wish we’d known sooner. That’s one of the harder parts of parenting a kid who’s incredibly tough and not fully verbal—he simply couldn’t tell us how much he was hurting.

Malachi is one tough little warrior, and he charmed every single staff he encountered. If you know him—you know 😂

We should have the biopsy results at his post-op follow-up on June 4th. Please pray that it’s not the kind of cyst that can come back.

Being back at Arnold Palmer wasn’t easy for any of us—Malachi included. He kept talking about Jacob and saying he was scared. He remembered Jacob’s time there. Even so, there’s no other place I’d want my kids to go. We are so thankful for Dr. Holly and the entire Arnold Palmer staff. They are exceptional.

Thank you for all the love, prayers, and check-ins for our not-so-little little guy. We’re grateful.

Love y’all 💜

Tomorrow, we’re heading to Arnold Palmer for Malachi’s surgery.

If you pray, would you please keep him in your prayers?

The doctors believe the mass in the roof of his mouth is a large cyst, but they won’t know for sure until surgery. They’ll biopsy it to determine the type. There is one kind with a 70% chance of recurring, so we’re praying it’s NOT that one.

Malachi is in good spirits, although he’s told me more than once that he cannot miss school, and if he has to go to surgery, he’d like us to take him straight to school after 😂 What can we say… he loves school!

We’re so grateful for your prayers. We feel much more at peace with the new doctor, and I’m thankful for a mama’s gut—our last doctor just wasn’t the right fit.

Love y’all 💜