this is monday morning.

Me, showered but undone in the makeup or hair department, doing our lesson planning for the week, since our weekend was far too busy to allow for it. Reveling in the thrill of a brand-new pad of list paper, and all the promise and potential therein, and enjoying the much-needed cup of coffee my sweet sister brought me when she came home from her morning shift.

Rosalie, still in her pajamas and yesterday's ponytail, happily tracing shapes and humming snatches of songs to herself (much to her sisters' annoyance).

Emma, also undone in the hair department but still cute, on the computer doing her math, clicking away on the mouse and keyboard like an old pro. She claims she hates it, but I think she secretly likes doing it because using the computer all by herself makes her feel grown-up. Anything that makes math more fun is a thumbs-up in my book.

Annabelle, concentrating on her grammar workbook, which as of now is one of her favorite subjects. Curly hair all wild from the night's sleep and glasses perched smartly on her adorable nose, I look at her working independently and think how much older a second grader seems than a first grader.

Bennett wanders around the house in a t-shirt and diaper, seeing what he can get into, every once in a while climbing on top of things like the computer desk from whence I  must rescue him. His toys of choice this morning are a pancake turner and a potato masher, which he wears on his arm because he figured out he can.

And Violet the dog sleeps soundly on top of forgotten pillows upon the couch, and the breakfast dishes sit on the counter still because I somehow haven't gotten to them yet even though it's 11 in the morning. I'm ok with that. Some things can wait. They'll get done sometime today, as will the laundry and the picking up of scattered toys.

These are just unedited pictures from my phone. I like it that way, because these moments, these snapshots from this Monday morning in September, aren't necessarily anything special or spectacular. It's just life; the normal, imperfect, messy, sometimes crazy or frustrating or exhausting, simple and beautiful and wonderful kind. And these are the moments I want to capture, because they are NOW; but someday they won't be, and I know I will miss them and cherish the sweet remembrance.

december, as told by my phone

Since I have rather recently become one of those super-cool people with a super-cool phone, I give you 25 camera-phone pictures of some of our December moments. Thank you, super-cool phone, for helping me to capture such sweet memories.

 

there was lots of hot chocolate drinking. also, I am a sucker for retro packaging.

we played piano for the old folks and loved every minute of it.



too many sleepless nights, making an exhausted mama and a tired baby boy.



decorating the tree, hanging all the ornaments in that one spot.

playdates of all sorts, some in our pj's on a cold winter morning. dear friends. (thanks to miss Lorie for this one)

 



feeling festive and fancy, breaking out the red lipstick to spend an afternoon playing piano at a lovely Christmas tea.

dancing in the living room to Christmas carols by the light of the tree.

a wee bit of crafting. actually finding the time to give a few homemade gifts, even if they weren't incredibly original, felt good.

a sleepy pup who loves to be cozy as much as we do.

happy baby boy "helping" his mom wrap presents.

shopping for presents and food, food and presents, with this little lady. no, we did not buy this huge bear. yes, I was tempted. I mean, just look at that smile!

a birthday/ family Christmas celebration at Grandma NetNet's house.

beautiful birthday girl, seven years old!





 





Bennett, wearer of bow ties and melter of hearts.

 

cute/silly Christmas cousins.

 

aftermath of crazy days, of present-wrapping, project-making, four kids and a mommy in holiday mode.

baking, lots of baking. cookies and bars and cinnamon rolls, and holiday bread, oh my.

beautiful chalkboard art by miss Emma.

attempting to take a picture of all 6 of us on Christmas day, in front of our tree...

...and succeeding!

thankful for these days, thankful for my family and friends, thankful for my Savior.

and, I must admit, glad that the craziness is over. :)

now, back to our normally scheduled lives.

whee!











a holiday hello

'Tis December (has been for twenty-one days now!) and the holiday season is full upon us, with Christmas only days away. And my poor little corner of the internet here has been sadly neglected. If only you could know the many posts that have been written in my head as the weeks fly by. They were rare gems of wit and wonder, filled to the brim with wonder and delight that would have astounded. (what? They're imaginary, they can be as amazing as I want. You don't know.)

This might not be news to you, but I have discovered that I am not one of those people who can keep up a charming and regular blog when life gets extra busy. I really admire those who can! But no, me, I cannot. And right now, life is definitely extra busy. Every year this time rolls around and every year I always feel like I'm more behind and last-minute than I should be. Except this year I also have a 5 1/2 month old who is no longer sleeping through the night and a 3-year old who has a stubborn streak in her a mile long, who fights me on every little thing. Truth be told, I'm worn out, and sometimes it's hard to find the desire to want to do all the things that should be done, much less to do them joyfully and make them fun.

But. The things that need to be done will get done. And if they don't, Christmas will still come. That is exactly what a little old lady said to me last Saturday when I played piano at a retirement home and was taking some time to visit afterwards. She looked at me as she sat there in her polyester pantsuit bedecked with poinsettias, shook a little wrinkled finger at me and said "Christmas will come this year again no matter what, and it'll come again next year, and we'll probably grumble and gripe about all sorts of things, but since it's going to come anyway, we might as well just enjoy it."

"...we might as well just enjoy it." Hmmm, that seems simple enough, but I know from experience that for some reason this time of year-- when our rejoicing should be  positively flowing out of us as we remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior, when there are so many good and lovely things surrounding us in our homes, when we are with the ones we love, when we are blessed with gifts both material and immaterial in so many ways--it is so easy to lose our joy.

I'm reminded almost daily, especially after the horrible and tragic heartbreak in Connecticut last week, to just slow down and take things in a little bit. Or, if I can't slow down, to at least have a joyful and thankful heart no matter what. So, in these days ahead leading up to Christmas, as I look at my to-do list that is still longer than I'd like, I'm going to do my best not to stress or snap, but to spread joy and share love, to rejoice minute-by-minute in God's mercies and graces, and to simply appreciate the amazing things around me, be they big or small.

Here are just a few of those things.
gingerbread toffee flavored coffee in a brand-new holiday starbucks mug.
the paper snowflakes that spin gently round as they hang above our bar.
rocking my son to sleep as he grips his blanky tight and I sing him Christmas carols.
watching White Christmas with my girls as we fold laundry by the light of the Christmas tree.
my girls spinning and dancing and twirling all over our living room to Michael Buble and his amazing Christmas music.
my sister filling the house with the smell of molasses cookies and the sound of Phil Wickham (yet another amazing Christmas album)
a sweet friend who willingly took all four kids so I could (mostly) finish christmas shopping.
stopping in at my husband's work on said shopping trip just so I could kiss him in the middle of the day.
mail that is chock full of happy smiling adorable Christmas cards from loved ones far and near.

...and I could go on. I could go on! Joy. It's there. :)

This holiday hello turned into more of a post than I really meant it to, but I'm glad I could take the time to sit down and write just a bit of my heart. That's another grace right there.

And to you, Merry Christmas, dear people. May these days be merry and bright and sparkly with a million joys, imperfectly wonderful and surprisingly lovely.

"God bless us everyone!" 
 That tiny Tim really knew how to put things.

days like this

waking early in the dark to feed a sleepy baby boy
a long before-breakfast walk with a best friend, conversation in the cold to start our day
morning snuggles on the couch with girls in pajamas
blueberry bagels and cream cheese, time with my Bible as I ate
the very rare occurence of a mid-morning nap on the couch with my boy while my girls played nicely and quietly
gray skies and rain outside, cool air through the windows, autumn everywhere
schoolwork with no rush to get done as the day lay before us, unhampered by scheduled things
a few episodes of Planet Earth with lunch, which totally counted as our science
yoga pants and a sweatshirt and undone hair instead of skinny jeans and a scarf and makeup
two cups of coffee, just because it sounded good
playtime outside with a little red-haired neighbor boy
lots and lots of coloring and drawing, papers strewn across the table and floor
the happy prospect of soup and biscuits for dinner

not a perfect day-- there were many poopy diapers, moments when Bennett screamed and wouldn't be quiet, melt-downs from Rosalie, fights and squabbles between the sisters, too much mess throughout the house, things that didn't get done, moments of frustration and weariness.
the kind of day one might refer to as "perfectly imperfect".
the kind of day that makes me thankful...
...for my four little ones.
...for autumn.
...for God's goodness and graces, big and small
...for peace, and quiet, and love, and the joys in our life.
...for home.

days like this are so good for my soul.

a woodland tray.

This was a fun little project I did this morning. It's cheap, easy, and cute. And if you ask me, those three things are the crafting trifecta.
I snatched this up at Goodwill for $1.50 on one of my thrifting trips:

But the problem was, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it. I knew it had potential to be something, but I just wasn't quite sure what. So, it sat in my closet for about two months, getting even dustier than it already was (sad).
I've learned not to rush into projects until I really know what I want them to be, from past experiences (hello. I've painted my coffee table three times now in as many years. I'm indecisive.), and I'm so glad I waited to do something with it until I actually had a good idea.

A good cleaning, a coat of primer, a couple coats of spray paint, some stressing, hot glue, and a package of sheet moss turned that ugly dirty thing into this:

A mossy tray, to be used for creating woodland scapes or whatever your little creative heart desires.

Ideally, if I would have had the time, I would have loved to have turned this into an actual mini landscape-- sort of like a terrarium on a tray. Someday I think I will. But, as I was short on time, I just used a few things I either had sitting around the house or that I had recently bought to simply set on there and make it look "natural-ish" and sort of woodsy. I'm so taken by natural and botanical things of all sorts, lately. Perhaps it's because of all this sunshine and spring-like weather we're having. Or, perhaps it's simply because, when it comes to beauty, you can't top the things we find all around us in creation. I love things that mimic that beauty in my home.

I found these adorable ceramic mushrooms on sale at Michael's. Mushrooms are delightfully quirky, I think. This little brown birdie has been a friend of mine for some time now, and he was more than happy to be put to new use.

Michael's also had lots of beautiful butterflies and spring flowers on sale. I should not be allowed in that place. TOO MUCH GOODNESS.


This latest project of mine now cheerfully resides on our coffee table, and it's just what the living room needed.


(and now, join me in hoping that a certain little toddler can leave my mushrooms alone.)

done and done.

Today was a very busy day. (as are most days, these days. Le sigh.) I think this is literally the first time I've sat down!

And yet... and yet....as I type this, my kitchen is a mess. There are towels sitting on my floor needing to be put away. There's laundry waiting in baskets to be folded... and it's been that way since mumble mumble monday mumble. I didn't get to those dishes sitting in the sink that needed to be washed today, and I'm pretty sure that I spotted four cobwebs in a corner of the living room earlier.

Sometimes, as a stay-at-home mom, it's hard to feel accomplished. So much of what we do is constantly being UNdone, and needs to be done again and again. Or, our day is taken up by tasks which can't be "checked off". We chase children round and round, trying to keep them entertained and out of trouble. We clean up one mess only to discover another, even bigger, mess in a different room. We wipe snotty noses, kiss bumped heads, change diapers, read stories, fix meals, fix snacks, discipline and teach lessons, praise artwork and accomplishments, listen to little voices tell us endless tales of important things in their world. Meanwhile, other things get pushed aside, time speeds by, the day ends, and we look around and think "why do I feel like I got nothing done today??"

On one particular day, a day where I felt especially behind, I decided to make an "already-done list". Sort of like a reverse to-do list, where instead of writing down what I had still to accomplish, I wrote down everything that I had already done that day. And you know what? It helped. It made me see that, even though my house was a mess and there were many things on my to-do list that didn't get crossed off, I had in fact accomplished much. The day had not been a waste, and I had done my job to the best of my ability and filled my time wtih good and necessary things, even if it was simply taking care of my children. The fact of the matter is that God only gives us so many hours in a day, and sometimes there's just no way we can do it ALL. And that's ok.

(You should try making a similar list sometime. I highly recommend it.)



And so, even though, as you can see, my house looks like a tornado ripped through it, I'm not going to bemoan today or what I didn't get done. I'm going to look on the bright side, and be happy that I...
.....finally got the vacuuming done (and the dusting too!).
.....got through a full day's worth of schoolwork with Emma, and even made time for some artwork, which she LOVES.
.....showered and got ready, including make-up and cute hair (please realize that this totally counts as an accomplishment, especially when one has a teething toddler).
.....taught four piano lessons.
.....cuddled and comforted the afore-mentioned teething toddler.
.....washed all the towels.
.....washed all of Rosalie's laundry.
.....washed the pillows on our couch, which had been looking sadly dingy for quite some time.
.....hung a few new things on our walls.
.....made my girls laugh when we had kissing wars.
.....tried for the first time ever, and succeeded at, baking shepherd's bread (my husband's favorite kind) from scratch. Hurrah!

and now, I'm going to eat some m&m's, watch a little bit of tv, and maybe fold some of that laundry.
Maybe.
Today's work might be done.
There's always tomorrow to fold those clothes.
And put away those towels.
And clean the kitchen.
And wash the dishes.
And get rid of  those cobwebs. oh, I hope I don't forget about the cobwebs!

:)

What's your "already-done list" for today?

The Evening Cookie Club*

*Like the Breakfast Club, but much less angst-ridden. Also, we really do have cookies, unlike those poor teens who were never served one bite of breakfast.
*We don't actually call ourselves that. I just made it up right now for the sake of a title. Lame.

Let me paint you a picture: it's a Friday night. The house has been (mostly) picked up, the kids are not too far off from being in bed, and there are cookies baking in the oven. Soon, our house will be filled with guitar playing, singing, talking, much conversation, and lots of laughter.

It's all thanks to this group here:


This is what our weekends look like now. I say "weekends" because not only do they come on Friday nights, they come on Sunday nights too. One night a week just didn't cut it, what with all the fun we have.

It all started with band practice (my husband plays the drums in a band) being held here at our house on Saturday afternoons, which turned into a few of them staying late one night after practice, which turned into Sunday night get-togethers for hanging out and recording, which turned into Friday night get-togethers just for fun and Sunday night get-togethers for recording (but they still have fun then too, don't worry).

I'd be pleased to introduce you to the gang. They're a lovable bunch.

This is Ryan. He's the one who actually started up the band, and is a piano-player and singer extraordinaire.... really, he has a gift. It's amazing. And, most recently, he is also Emma's piano teacher. So exciting! He's kind-hearted and friendly, humble and sweet, and we like him lots.


Here's Zack. I chose this picture of him, because it's just so very Zack-ish. He keeps us all laughing with his dramatic flair and funny ways. His guitar playing is wonderful to hear, he's a connoisseur (totally had to look that word up to know how to spell it) of many things, and he's always handy for a good quote from Chesterton or C.S. Lewis, a deep discussion, or a Jason Mraz song, depending upon your mood.


Meet Jake! We met him when Zack happened to bring him along one Sunday night, and now we couldn't imagine our get-togethers without him. He's thoughtful and appreciative, laid-back and funny, sweet and generous, with an obvious love for the good things of life.


This is Ryan too! He's the newest addition to our little group, so I don't know quite as much about him yet... but he's great to have around, and is yet another talented musician. Let's hope we don't scare him away!


This lovely girl is my Ashlei. She and I go way back, back to the days before I was even married. I was her piano teacher, she was my Little Chica. She's my dear sister Lydia's best friend, our families are very good friends, and we share a sister-in-law, a niece, and a nephew. Really, she feels like a sister to me. She's clever and beautiful and altogether fabulous, and I'm so glad I get to hang out with her more now. 

Plus, it's good to have a girl around! You know, someone with whom I can snuggle a bit.


I'm pretty sure you all know Jeremy. I'm married to him. He's quite good-looking if I do say so myself! (and I do say that. All the time, actually.) I snuggle with him, too.


These young people are strong believers in our God, and it shows. They're passionate about their faith. It's inspiring to be around that.
One of my favorite things is how they fill our house with such wonderful music. There's almost always someone playing a guitar or on the piano or singing.


And all I have to do is bake some cookies or something! I'm definitely getting the best part of this deal. :)


It just makes me so happy when our little home is filled with people, enjoying themselves and the blessings of great fellowship. I love that they want to stay until the last possible minute (it's been years since I've stayed up past one in the morning this frequently!) and look forward to coming back when they do leave. It's a privilege and a blessing for Jeremy and me, and I'm always humbled by how truly grateful they are.

I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for each of these amazing people, and how He will use this time together in each of our lives, for our good and His glory.


Our door is always open for this crowd. And I'm certain there will always be a good time to be had!

our door is always open for YOU too, friends. just come and see! :)