I have recently been blessed to join a group of women who all started out as rejects.
Yep, rejects.
5,000 of us applied to be part of a launch team for a new book coming out in August by the one and only, Jen Hatmaker.

Why yes those are halo's above our heads! HA! Just kidding y'all!
The sun was streaming into the Sprint Center at Women of Faith KC in 2013. 

Here is the thing...the launch team could only take 500. Meaning 4500 of us were left out.
And so we formed our own group! We were hell-bent on helping to promote the book anyway, and by grace, learned that we had a lot more in common than being rejected from the launch team.

Yes, we love Jen (and the entire Hatmaker clan for that matter).
Yes, we love Jesus.
Yes, we all got rejected from the original launch team.

And then Jen herself scolded us (in the sweetest & best way possible!). She reminded us that we are not the B-team. We aren't the rejects or unworthy or misfits. We were still called and chosen for a purpose. That we didn't need a title to belong.

We realized that we were moms and wives and sisters all nodding our heads at each thread in our group. Saying "me too", "I thought I was the only one", & "yes, I need prayers for that too". We battle anxiety, depression, divorce, fostering & adoption, kiddos with special needs, crazy family members, cancer, doubt, fear, shame, guilt, and of course, feelings of being unloved or unworthy.

As our group of the 4500 grew, we started some sub-groups. And the craziest one (with the most amazing collection of women) started their own ministry. Dauntless Grace Ministries to be exact. We desired a place to be real, vulnerable, and most importantly to share truth with each other. God's truth. We pray for one another, share our stories, and just love. Cause that's what we were asked to do.

Truth also heals.

"Healing only occurs when Truth is brought to the surface. We will not allow each other to stay in the place of brokenness. John 1:15 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not over come it." Grace pulls us out of our muck and sets us on a new path." -DGM

If you could use some encouragement, some light shone into dark places, or a place to be real...check us out. I am so proud of my friend Megan for obeying God and taking on this new venture. It's going to be amazing. Won't you join us? Click the link above or join us on our facebook page.


Also, be sure to check out Jen's new book, For the Love, coming in August.

And then there were 5...

My son Jackson turned 9 this week. 9!!! 

We are halfway to 18 folks!

(I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...)

Jackson with his cousin on his birthday

We did a small family party on his actual birthday and he invited four of his friends to spend the night last night. FOUR!! Yes, we are insane parents. We sent Brooklyn to spend the night with her Mimi, and did our best to keep them all from making us absolutely crazy. 

Since the night went so well, I thought I would share with you a little bit about how we handled survived it. 

(With some help from our favorite Hy-Vee grocery store.)

Having five boys, all 9 years old, all in one house requires a lot of activities that use up their energy. 

We started with a silly string war turned water balloon fight. I may have spent a ridiculous amount of time filling water balloons yesterday, but it was worth every second.

Since the boys play baseball together, this was also a great activity to help with their hand-eye coordination.

I think J was just a tad excited to throw one at daddy! 

Next, we let them chow down on pizza, and headed to the pool.

Between the cannonball competition, 500 game, dive stick races and general horeseplay, they had a blast! Also, I really need to invest in new dive sticks for the pool. Five just wasn't enough. Word to the wise, have plenty of dive sticks/rings for them to play games!

We came home for cake & ice cream and poor Jackson just couldn't get the sparkler candles to go out!

The boys had a blast playing with the new toys that Jackson got. I am forever thankful for thoughtful friends who provide my kids with gifts that help them learn as well as play. I have never seen them so excited about a marble run! After an attempt at watching a movie, we sent the boys to bed. It took a while but they finally settled down by midnight.

Of course they were up at 6:15... Which is why I am so thankful for my local Hy-Vee. I was able to get everything I needed for an easy, delicious breakfast for the boys, without breaking the bank.

This Bisquick pancake & waffle mix is a snap to mix up. The boys had a blast decorating their waffles with the berries and whipped cream. Of course, nothing goes better with waffles than Shatto chocolate milk! 

I love that we have easy access to local milk that is bottled in glass.

I didn't take pics of the waffle making process because it is really simple.

 (and lets be honest, my kitchen is kind of a disaster). 

Whisk together the dry mix, water, and oil, then pour into the preheated waffle iron. 

Quick tip for a big batch of waffles: turn the oven on low (the lowest mine goes is 170 degrees), and place the waffles on a cookie sheet to stay warm. Usually I will turn off the oven after its gotten hot, that way the waffles don't dry out too much. Serving them as individual triangles allows everyone to grab the amount they want as well as making it much easier to plate. 

We were ready to eat in about 30 minutes with very little clean-up! 

I am very proud of the young man my son is becoming. It's been a pleasure to get to watch him grow up with such awesome friends. I am also very thankful that we can provide memories like these for him. I hope you found some fun ideas to share with your family! 

Thanks for following along with our crazy life. 

*All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for any items or opinions. All photos are owned by me and are not to be used without permission.*