Little Moments

Saw a bear today crossing the road on our way to get cookies. I think I was more excited than the kids. It was big.

Watching my children develop a friendship at such a young age takes my breath away. What a blessing!

Our ten dollar plastic blue pool and a jar of bubbles makes for two happy babes and one happy mama. Early baths and sleepy children.

Beautiful women who write beautiful words and share them....so grateful for those blogs.

Babies coming home from the hospital, new beginnings for precious friends.

2.13 miles

Parenthood....can't wait for it tonight.

Proud

I've been thinking about the things that have been making my heart swell up with pride lately. Not the bad, egotistical pride, but the kind of happy pride that makes you appreciate and recognize achievements.

*Little guy has been talking so much. (about 15 months, 3 weeks) He clearly says/shakes his head for yes and no. Loves to say, "choo, choo", "go", "cuppa" and so much more. At bedtime he whispers, "shhhhhh" when I rock him and will gently turn my head back to face him if I look away. Loves to make many animal sounds that include frog, fish, dog, dinosaur, snake and recently (after playing with the Burt's Bees soap container), BZZZZZ!

*Big sister is writing a ton. SHe'll leave notes (of guilt) around the house for us. Her favorite and most frequent is, "I NEED A DOG NOW"!!! She is patient and kind with her brother, and loves being a mother hen. She loves being with people and interacting will everyone. Love her personality.

*I'm happy for my dearest friend who is getting ready to embark on a new adventure (a few actually) and will hopefully have a bit more peace from the added space.

*I'm happy for a friend who is moving forward with her life in a wonderful way. I'm proud of her attitude and example for her children.

Feeling so thankful today for the people that God has dropped into my life. I am continually amazed with His timing....

This and That

We had a wonderful morning with an old friend. With little ones underfoot, our conversations are fragmented and random....but lovely nonetheless! She is about to double her nest...so exciting. My little ones are eating and growing....new shoes were a must today. A sure sign of getting bigger. Water shoes for both, sneakers for my girl who was still wearing a pair 2 sizes too small.....how do their feet grow so incredibly fast? The weather finally smoothed out, and it was perfectly warm and beautiful today.

I am often amazed at how God orchestrates the details of life. I don't believe in coincidences....I do believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reasons of why things happen don't reveal themselves until we need to know, and sometimes we never know why things happen the way they do. I'm ok with that. It's nice not to have figure everything out.

Shades of Gray

Charcoal and dove. Damp and chilly. One of those nearly below 50 degree late spring days, when all I crave is warmth. I realized today that I think of the seasons as a continuum, not a set of 4. I think of late May as the bridge between spring and summer. Lightning bugs in random places in the house to get out of the dampness, yet haven't seen one blinker outside yet. Proof of what is to come. I thought about BBQ sauce, sunscreen, red, white and blue, sunshine, garden beds and warmer nights. I like the transition of the seasons....they inspire me.
Here is a summerish cake I tried using mostly fruit to color the layers, and fresh whipped cream for the icing.

On a completely different note, I think constantly about perspective. I want to write about it more at length another time. It impacts me everyday, on many levels. Usually when I go grocery shopping, I take both children. Undoubtedly, I get stopped by onlookers....and the comments they make are usually sweet and kind. Within five minutes of my trip today, a woman nearly growled at me because I was blocking the potatoes she wanted. I pulled up to the potato section, one little one standing next to the cart, the other strapped on me. I began bagging the potatoes I needed, and this woman pulls up and starts to heavy sigh. She proceeds to wedge herself between me and my cart/little one to get to her Idaho's. I think I heard her growl! LOL! Seriously, I feel so bad for those who feel the need to act like that. And so, I graciously excused my crew and cart, if for anything to show my children how to accommodate others. I walked away annoyed, and wondered how people could act so snotty. We moved on and I was a bit annoyed. About 5 minutes later, over by the ice cream section we get the stare down again. But this time, the woman comes over and asks me, "doesn't your back hurt?" She then tells me that my children are beautiful, gives me a wonderful smile and tells me how blessed I am. I agree with her, kindly smile back and walk away.
I am so grateful for the sweet words, especially when I doubt others' behavior. I think it is so important to lend a kind word, to smile like you mean it, and to be gracious when you can. You just never know how the smallest gesture will impact someone else. It may make or break their day. I am thankful for the kindness of those I pass, and I pray for those who were grumps today:)

Faith

Faith can be defined many different ways. It's something that is hard to explain and teach. I've been thinking a lot about having faith, both in my God and Jesus Christ, and in other aspects of my life. So much of faith is believing in something/someone when there is no proof (at least not always immediate or visible). One of the questions that non-believers, skeptics and even one that I ask myself sometimes is how do I believe in something that I can't always see or know for sure to be true....and the answer is always the same....it's a matter of faith. I've reached a point where I feel like my overall Christian faith is not questioned....it's the little, everyday things that I question. And yet, I am constantly reminded that God is FAITHFUL, and that He will always provide. I am reminded when I see the perfection of a newborn...LIFE!

I am reminded when I hear the baby birds chirping in the nest on my deck...LIFE! I am reminded when I see the sun come up and go down EVERYDAY! I am reminded when God provides for me...DAILY!

I pray for a stronger, more steadfast Faith. Believing has alleviated so much stress in my life and has brought abundant JOY! God tells us not to worry, but to believe in Him. It amazes me how easy it is to have faith in earthly things....like having faith that my car will start each morning and that my lights will go on when I flip the switch. Through experience, TRUST, time....we gain faith. When I was going through pre-marital counseling as a prerequisite to getting married, the subject of faith came up. I remember asking the Pastor about defining faith. He asked me, "how do you know that a chair is going to hold you up before you sit in it?" It's not something that you really think about before you sit each and every time, is it? You just believe, or have faith.

Where have I been faithful? When do I need to be faithful? How can I show my children what being faithful looks like? Faith opens doors....

The Importance of Rest

I sensed the ball was going to drop, despite my every effort to prepare her. I had a plan, we discussed it, but in the end she began to unravel. I needed to either hold my ground, be consistent and follow through or give in. Sometimes disciplining little ones is really hard. Giving in can be so much easier. We loaded back up into the car, tears pursued and I held steadfast. I was upset because I hate seeing my children upset. Within minutes, they were both asleep. Sound asleep, snoring.

I began to think about how the Lord asks us to be obedient, just as we ask our children to be. We want to protect our children, teach them, and show them love....so sometimes we must discipline. I thought about the times when I feel most undisciplined and disobedient as I watched them sleep. It's when I'm tired. I don't want to take care of my body and exercise when I'm tired. I want to eat junk and pick up crappy food for dinner when I'm tired. I am cranky and unproductive and lose my patience when I'm tired.

I began to see the correlation between being rested (both body and mind) and being able to be most disciplined and obedient. I realize more and more that if I'm not deliberate with taking the time to unwind, to have a few moments to myself to clear my head, or to even look at life's moments (like the one today) with some sort of understanding....it just adds to my tiredness.

When I pulled into the driveway, she woke up and was a whole different little girl. Happy to have me make her pasta for lunch, grateful to be home to play with her new stuffed dog. In that moment, I felt like the hard decision to discipline her was worth it. In the end it was her exhaustion that made her act out....and I'm grateful for God's grace that made me see that. My children teach me so much about life. Our relationship with them is so much like our relationship with God. I began to question the kind of "daughter" I am. I have little eyes watching my example all the time. What do I want them to see? What will they learn from my example? Do I use my tiredness as an excuse or start the process of finding the rest I need? I am so grateful for this lesson today. I am thankful for God's illustration played out so clearly, taught to me by Him, through my children....a blessing.

Taking the time out to rest our bodies, to rest our minds, to clear out the cobwebs....in the end is essential. Everything is so much better when we do.