turning a corner?

Ah, friends.

  

Things are getting done around hee-yah! I have neglected to show you the impeccable work that our friends, the Buss' helped us complete. They came for the weekend and lit a fire under us. The boys were able to dig and place all the posts for the fence around our 1/2 acre yard....whew! That was July.

KJ has since wrapped the posts with livestock fencing and built gates. Eventually there will be a
middle rail added, but for now, it's doing a great job keeping all our critters in.

I've finished some long-lingering projects.

My current color palette: gray with touches of turquoise, yellow, spring green, and orange...loving that combination. {hello, ubiquitous gray sweater and turquoise beaded bracelet}

Now, our visitors have seen that light fixture in our entryway...U.G.L.Y. Metal pieces are brass and the angled outer piece is oak. I wanted to pitch it as soon as Sweet Man hoisted his sweet behind up the sweet ladder and took it down. But Mrs. Buss helped me brainstorm a fix for it. I still kind of want to pitch it, but it has a bit of a reprieve with a little silver spray paint and left-over curtain fabric.

Our split-level entryway...awkward! There just isn't enough room for much. I left it bare for several months, but mail and keys and shoes were being left on the landing anyway. So, instead of beating them, I'm trying join them by placing that old mosaic table Sweet Man and I made years ago.

                                                  

I hung pictures! The pictures that I took down before we left for Houston, y'all. Most of them are pictures of my babes, but caught up in the project I printed new pictures, y'all! Like memories from 2010. Progress! {Ignore the wonkiness, please.}

And now a sweet story: We're in the market for a couch or sectional for the living room...there are no cushiony spots for our sweet behinds upstairs. I spotted a lovely green beast for a song on Craigslist, being sold at a weekend yard sale. I showed Sweet Man and we made plans to whisk our babes out of bed Saturday morning to be there at opening. 

Wah-wah...the sectional was already sold...apparently a popular item. But we stayed and gazed at some beautiful French country/vintage/handmade items. Our host, Cecelia, happens to be a prolific artist who was preparing to move to Oklahoma. Not seeing anything of interest to them, my family stepped outside and I found myself in a room with Cecelia and an older woman...both lovely ladies. The older woman turned to me and said, "I'm going to tell you something, woman to woman. You make sure that you are doing something for yourself every day so that you don't end up like me. I see you taking care of your husband and kids, but you need to take care of you."

Now, gentle readers, I do puh-lenty to take care of my own needs, downright selfishly sometimes. Not a problem for me. But I was touched by the sharing of her story in that moment. Mother of 4, heartbreakingly burying two children, surrounded by possessions laced with memories that remind her of pain and heartache. She has just recently realized that she was too busy giving herself to those around her to have anything to mark moments for herself, projects or momentos. She captured Cecelia and me in that moment with her wisdom. With tears in our eyes, we asked some gentle questions. She confirmed that she is living with the hope of Jesus, allowing Him to heal her heart, teaching her to live. She spoke for a few more minutes.

I hugged her and thanked her for her precious words, that speaking them gave purpose to her pain. And giggled as I remarked that obviously I was not there to get a couch, but to get a word.

I didn't leave empty-hearted or handed...I bought this perfect piece for our entryway. I love it for oh, so many reasons.

You know you are all welcome here...even if we don't have a place for your sweet behind to sit...and we won't necessarily put you to work.

Happy Birthday, Jellybean!

No party for her this year...or at least that was my plan. We opted for a low-key (ha!) sleepover and a family gathering for pizza (her choice) and strawberry cake (you guessed it, her choice again.) 

]

So many wonderful presents!!! 

Two of her friends joined us for a cold winter's night. We all did really well...just enough giggles and talk until 10:30 or so and then everyone settled in. I actually had a good night's sleep which rarely happens without guests.



She's six!


P. S. Just in case you're wondering, I'm experimenting with a comfortable way to continue this blog. So, I've invited you to read...which, of course, is completely up to you. I was feeling the urge to journal our lives again in this place because these days are slipping through my fingers so quickly. I mean, she's six, for goodness sake...I can't get over it. I thank you for your support!

yarn along

I'm joining Ginny over at small things in her loves of reading and knitting.

My knits and my reading are out of the norm for me, but both enjoyable.

For Christmas, my kids received the movie "Despicable Me" from cousins. We watched it as a family and it was so cute. Since, we've quoted these little guys and giggled every time we see them. I found my pattern for them on Ravelry.com...and my little minions will find them in their Easter baskets.

The book: Choosing to See. We've always enjoyed listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's music and friends sang "I Will Be Here" at our wedding ceremony. I remember learning of the tragedy his family had endured and crying for them. I wanted to hear Mary Beth speak at Women of Faith, but couldn't get there last year. 

Her book is raw and real. I think I can attribute some of my own tenderness recently to being in the midst of their story. Their family has allowed God to redeem their heartache and now they share it with power and grace. 

And the last pic is a little project we tackled today from Family Fun magazine.  Silly and fun. Bug's have cheeks because the "dye-vers" are holding their breath. And Bean's have eyelashes, of course.

seven

I kissed a six year old boy goodnight and woke up with a seven year old. His balloons were lightly bumping around in the vent current when we all woke up. 

Oh, me...another year. 

This momma wasn't even gonna try to make a cake in a hotel, so we ordered...he picked out the one decorated like a football field and wanted his name in Steelers colors...we/he/we are not pro-football fans...I had to google to find out who was playing. Super Bowl...Shmuper Shmowl...but he has shared his birthday with the national hype a few times in his short life.

Just like his sister's day, we paced his presents. The first was presented early, during the great snow-in. In the spirit of teaching the histories of government coups and the instability of political borders, we gave him Risk. I realize this may be a controversial parenting move. Thank you for your concern, but it's very entertaining, especially as the wind howls outside. Even Bean is in on it...lying in wait for her turn to attack! 

After church, and with an appropriate lunch break, he opened his other gifts one at a time, throughout the day. Legos, legos, and a couple Kindle books {original Hardy Boys} from Opa and Anne and {gulp} a Gameboy DSi {oy vey...swept up in the riptide of technology. Will we drown?} Oh, and he received a real life tool kit as a Christmas/birthday gift from G & G Johnson.

Been watching Long Way Down today. Love those boys and their adventures...both Long Way Round {their first trip} and LWD are available on Netflix...wink, wink. Another controversial parenting move: there is some saucy language, so you may not want to watch it with the young ones. Speaking of which...here is a great post on that very subject...ugliness of the mouth/ugliness of the heart stuff. Wise, wise, Jesus-loving women out there on the interwebs. I want to be one when I grow up...can't believe I have a seven year old boy. {Oh, Bug, this post started as an account of your birthday and I veered into other things...I'm off to write you a birthday letter, FYE, only.}

Mermaid Partay!

She wanted an Ariel party...I balk at princesses, remember...and mermaids in bikinis...so, we compromised on a mermaid/under the sea party. Ariel did make a few appearances, however.

Her girlfriends looked so cute in their new crowns. 

{I don't really know what crowns have to do with mermaids...and yes, there's the princess thing. I am consistently inconsistent...but it was a fun project for me.}

Not the prettiest cake in the bakery, but again, I had fun making it. 

{See that purple bikini? Bean first handed Ariel to me without it... but cake toppers cannot be topless.}

Will she remember my lack of activity organization? 

The frenzy of corralling 11 little mermaids? 

My sweaty brow during the party?

I have sweet memories of my 4th birthday party...and I hope she will remember only the magic of her 5th. 

Jellybean's birthday ramble

She woke up this morning and knew. In our house, balloons next to the bed signify a birthday. Finally, she said. 

Bean's birthday. She told Sweet Daddy {who is home after 2 weeks for too brief a visit} that she thinks her arms are longer today and she can jump higher...you know, now that she's five.

Her gifts were opened leisurely throughout the day...no frenzy, no tossing aside. I finished her skirt in time to have it wrapped...and I can tell you, she will be able to wear it for years...yes, a generous fit.

Her big brother, whose birthday is 3 weeks away...was extra sweet today...letting her choose what games to play, her choice of a show at screen time, helping with presents, singing to her at random times.

At bedtime, she wanted to hear about the day she was born. I'll tell her magical story as many times as she wants to hear it. {Perhaps I'll blog about it.}

I made an effort to relax and enjoy her...and play Pollys' or Elefun.

{But the messes...arghhh...most of them mine...piles I've ignored, books, projects in different stages, food to prepare, cakes to bake, Daddy's travel stuff. How did we fill this empty house up again? Ah, yes, one necessary trip to the store, one irresistable yard sale, one generous gift...at a time. It's time to start taking bags out of this house. Please remind me to stop scurrying and sit...how can she be five already?}

Somehow a shirt that says Daddy's little princess stowed away in one of those bags and ended up in her clothing pile. Honestly, I have no idea how it got here. I have nothing against princesses per se...but the attitude that comes with the title...I can do without. We've discussed selling the shirt away or making it into a nightgown dress. She'll have none of it. She will keep it and she will wear it out in public.

The concept is stuck. Tonight as she whispered her wish before the candles...I want to be Daddy's princess.

From the day you were born, Mimi described you as enchanting.
Oh, Jellybean, we are enchanted by you. Happy birthday, sweet and spunky girl.

in cognito

ever want to pretend you're someone else for a little while?

there's been a bit of that around here

an eagle preying on a fairy

the fierce pirate

Wall-e and our southern belle

lead singer and drummer in a bluesy, funky, raucous band

can you see us, Sweet Man and me? 

{just kidding...it's needtobreathe...
Sweet Man and I were able to see them live last Saturday!!!

if you haven't heard them...

run to Pandora or grooveshark and plug in their name...

then pick Washed by the Water, Stones Under Rushing Water, or Lay 'Em Down, really anything...
they rrrrr-hock...
and I must raise my glass to Miss Abi for turning me on to them in the first place...thanks, Ab!}

Santa Maria

My laptop's back...hence the photo heavy posts.

How are you going to celebrate Columbus Day? Did you know that there is a replica of one of Columbus' ships right here in central Ohio...of course, you did.

I had never been and since we've been reading about the New World explorers {the height of controversy, I know} I could see a field trip coming together. By the by, The Story of the World: Vol. 2, (Bauer) covers all the explorers {as far as I know}: Leif Erikson, Columbus, Vespucci, Sir Walter Raleigh {props to the folks in NC!} and the Jamestown settlement, and certainly the recognition of aboriginal people who had been here long before with their own rich, but a bit more mysterious history.

Anywho, I talked Sweet Man into a day trip and we invited a few homeschooled cousins to come along for the ride. I had a blast...I hope the rest did. The tour was good...although I don't think the tour guide was enjoying himself so much. We learned so much about life on a ship in the 15th century...not fun, I assure you, but impressive. Thanks, Ferdinand and Ysabella!

And in travel news: Sweet Man has received an assignment in Illinois. He was supposed to leave next Monday, but the trip has been moved up and he departs this Wednesday. Bummer...since we had big plans this weekend and I don't think I can pull it off as a single momma. Another time, perhaps.... 

I am excited to hit the road and travel about 6 hours away. We'll be staying in a lovely place and I think we'll be close enough to come back home, here and there. 

Sunshine daydream

Missing Iowa...and Sweet Man. He's back there while the kids and I sink our roots in at home. And it's good to be home for a while. I think. I hope.

The calendar is becoming full and there are fun days ahead, but I have been daydreaming a little about our favorite playground in Cedar Falls. Well, actually it's a few miles south of Cedar Falls in charming Hudson, IA. If ever you need a new hometown, Hudson would be a good pick. We discovered its park on a rainy day's drive to a dairy farm and vowed we would come back to play.

We visited several times but one afternoon in particular comes to mind.  Lulled into sunny relaxation as I knit and the babes played, I looked up and had to shake my head a bit to wake up from a scene that seemed surreal.

From my bench in this block-sized park, I watched people pushing strollers, walking dogs. The bell from the school across the street rang and students streamed into the sunshine. Kids on bikes yelled for each other from one sidewalk to another. In one corner of the block, the local high school's concert band was setting up for their spring show and tuning instruments. Ladies were decorating a shelter for a reception after the concert. A pick-up basketball game had started. A little girl called for more pushes on the swings...usually that's my little girl but this day it was someone else's. My kids spun 'round and 'round on the merry-go-round taking turns with newfound playmates. All under a bright blue sky to contrast with the lush green of spring in full burst.

I half expected Mr. Rogers to sit down next to me...won't you be my neighbor?

It sounds like I'm making this up, doesn't it? I promise I am not embellishing...but it was too picturesque to quite believe. Such a nice moment. It felt a little like we were not just visitors and that somehow I'd been there before.

It  took a minute for me to realize I recognized this scene from the pages of a silly little flap book I used to read to the kids...Welcome to My Town. The only thing missing in the real life version was an ice cream truck ringing its bell and stopping for customers *snap.*

I'm thankful for that afternoon. Have to wonder if those moments are rare. Or is it just rare for me to recognize them?

Weekend Update

In Myers-Briggs testing, my results have consistently labeled me an ISFJ...which may not mean much to you. I won't go into the shpiel...'cause I still don't understand it, but the first letter I designates me as an introvert. 

In most cases I agree...I can function socially, sometimes comfortably, most times awkwardly. I love people and I just might grill you about your experiences if you sit still long enough. On the flip side, I'll tell you just about anything you want to know about me...veering into TMI territory...yep, awkward.

There is a limit to my socializing...to fill my tank again I need to withdraw. Each day, I yearn for some me time...read a book, veg in front of a TV, go for a walk, take a power nap...whatever it is, I like to do it alone. I've been known to craftfully manipulate a schedule to fit solitude in. 

But in our travels I have learned that I prefer to vacation with others. Introversion does not apply. Our little family's trip to Florida taught me a lot. It was nice...not thrilling, but nice. We had some fun in the beautiful sunny weather. But I still really wish we had just saved our money and the travel trouble and gone camping with friends somewhere. It's really all I want to do.

So there is my vacation groove...I love the community of camping...the I'll watch your babes on the playground while you clean up your breakfast dishes...Let's chop the onions for dinner and cry together...Hey, you have s'more ooze dripping off your face...and should you really have eaten that third one? 

I don't seem to need the me time so much when we are surviving the wilderness together. 

We did more than survive this weekend...we had rub some spit on it - laugh 'til you're red or is that sunburn - stay up too late - everyone throw a proper tantrum but sleep like babies  fun.


We'll be camping a lot this summer. I wish I could live this way all the time.

I think the kids had fun, too. Be warned...there are lots of pictures to follow.

Dazzling day

                                           

Where are we, you ask? 

Happy May Day!

Captain's Log:: Cedar Falls, Iowa

LONG drive to get here. Why didn't anyone warn me? Oh, yeah, you did. 

I used a new navigator, one much more accurate than my last which used conservative, downright generous time allotments. Note to self:: when my Google Maps app says  it's a 7h 57m drive, I will drive every bit of 7h 57 min. Leaving at 1pm is not advised...unless, of course, that time is spent with a 5 day old bundle of joy sleeping on my ample chest. (I may share photos, but forgot to get the verbal waiver from his mom and dad. Update: Got it!!!) By the by, I was no help whatsoever to my sweet friend and her family. They fed us Wednesday and we brought our own drama to the mix. Help, hrummph...I'm a hindrance.

Yesterday, our road trip became a bit harried with the I'm soooo bored...can we watch another movie?...what can I eat? Not gonna lie...I yelled...a few several times. People heard me yell...which means I. had. had. it. 

Much like our drive to Kansas last spring, the views were beautiful, albeit very flat. We passed many, many farms, some of them turf farms...so green through Indiana, Illinois, and into Iowa. We live in a lovely country...especially this time of year.

Today:: cozy hotel room, many smiles, cuddles, books, rain, less yelling. May go exploring this afternoon but it is so nice to just be in one place, for now....

And of course, we will celebrate our Sweet Daddy on his birthday. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa J for raising such a good, wise, curious, calm, crafty, hard-working, zealous, intelligent, silly, strong, tender man.

And here are more pics of the new sweet boy and his adorable big sis and gorgeous momma.