The bright orange pumpkin

a poem by Emma Joy, age nine

On a bright summer's day,

I opened my cupboard

Just to find a bright orange pumpkin,

Round and fat and broad.

I asked, "Ms. Pumpkin,

What might you be doing here?"

She said, with a voice like honey,

"I have come to say that autumn is near."

I looked outside, and before my eyes,

The trees, oh my! The trees!

What a beautiful sight that met my eyes!

'Twas red and orange and gold.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "'Tis the perfect time for pies!

I shall make pumpkin, apple, and cherry pies.

But I won't use you, Ms. Pumpkin,

For I think you are quite nice.

Most pumpkins that I've met before

Are rude and cold as ice."

And from that day

And up till now,

Ms. Pumpkin is my friend.

I think that you

Should meet her,

When you see me again.

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.

oh, just life.

 

 Autumn has finally arrived in Bakersfield, praise be! Autumn makes me ever so happy. Ridiculously happy. I only need to feel the breeze blowing in through a window, or step outside into the autumn sunshine ("autumn sunshine" is defined as that type of sunshine which does not roast, bake, broil, or fry you in a matter of minutes and is a very delightful thing), or wake to a chill which requires me to pull the covers closer, or detect the smell of rain in the air to be sent into a state of pure bliss and contentment.
The skies even seem a cooler blue, a deep and restful blue, made over with pleasingly fluffy clouds that float along calmly and contentedly. And the roses in my garden are finally back in bloom, with a vengeance, as if they also were just waiting for the too-hot days to disappear before venturing to come out and breathe in the air.

 



 Let's look at some pictures and see what we've been up to lately, shall we? ok then!

We've been spending lots of time outside in this glorious weather, playing and imagining all sorts of things. And even though it's not summer anymore, sunglasses still make us look really cool, so we wear them.



 Bennett-boy loves to be outside too; it makes him very happy! He hangs out in his swing or bumbo on the patio and watches his sisters play, wide-eyed and content. I'm sure he's dreaming of the day when he'll be right there with them, running around and getting into all sorts of trouble.



The little mister can't spend all his time outside, of course, so in his spare time he makes friends with Pooh bear,

 and charms us all with huge smiles and lots of wonderful sweet baby noises.

This kid, he's a little heart-melter.

We went to the beach one afternoon, to visit Uncle Elijah and soon-to-be-Aunt Lindsey. It was Bennett's first time at the beach! I think he liked it. He sucked on his fist the whole time and kept Mommy warm.

 As always, Emma and Annabelle had a grand time, running about and building walls with their uncle to keep us safe from the sea monsters. Of course.

This picture is so blurry, but I love it. It makes my heart happy and captures dear Annabelle just perfectly.

 When schoolwork for the day is done, the girls often play together, whatever fancy has overtaken their imaginations, and it almost always involves dressing up as something.
Rosalie's getups, which are many and varied, are quite wondrous to behold and always make me laugh. You never know what this child will choose when it comes to her outfit.

 

 This particular one consists of an old skirt of mine, a sash from a flower girl dress, a sleeping beauty ring, her old brown flip-flops, and a colorful headband. Perfection.
Speaking of dressing up, these old glasses of mine make a lovely pairing with that cute toothless smile and crazy curly hair of Annabelle's.

 As for Emma, she is becoming ever more the helper to me. Her latest accomplishment is changing diapers, and she begs me to be allowed to do it. Sure, why not?? I do not object to offers of diaper-changing.

 Really, life is simple and sweet these days, even though busy and full.

We're just hanging out.

Sometimes with puppy dogs on our cute lil' booty.

 

you know, the usual.

Oh! I actually decorated something:

The wall above my piano is finally filled, something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. I was just waiting for the right combination of things, and I found it in old pieces of sheet music, this bike I've had forever, a fun metal sign purchased at World Market, a greeting card I found in a drawer and framed, and a charming little print (seen below in full detail since my camera captured too much glare) from the lovely Molly.

It's a very random assortment of things, and perhaps a bit haphazard, but it's fun and colorful and I like it.

(oh looky, that statement perfectly describes this blog post too. heh.)  

 

my soul does sing! God is good!

 

*the end*

 



in this moment too, you are blessed.

I woke this morning in the dim light of an overcast day to a small child crawling into my bed and a puppy excitedly greeting her. My first thought was "too early!"...sleep has been scarce of late. Not because it evades me, oh no. When my head hits the pillow, I am away to dreamland. But when your head hits the pillow in the wee hours of the morning, the moment for waking always comes too soon.

Even still, waking can be sweet, when the things that greet you are beloved. My husband, up for work and smelling deliciously of cologne (just one more hug, darling, I want to breathe you in and melt a little more). Fall, which has suddenly appeared in gray and beautiful glory. That puppy, tail wagging in pure unadulterated joy. That small child, willing to cuddle with me in my still-sleepy state. A new day.

I'm glad for the chill in the air, finally, and I pull on over my bare legs the new polka-dotted knee socks my dear friend gave me. Rosalie laughs. "Yook, mommy, poke-a-dots! You silly, mommy." Silly? me? never.


Emma and Annabelle are up by this time, and our day truly begins. Breakfast, clothes, teeth-brushing, piano-practicing, a quick shower for me, bible and prayer time, and we settle in for school. As we work, gathered around the kitchen table, a breeze and the scent of rain to come blowing in through the open window, curly heads bent over books and crayons, I am struck by how grateful I feel. This morning has nothing "big" in it, no moment that would stand out to anyone else, no spectacular revelations. Just a steady realization all over again of these simple and astounding everyday gifts that are mine; a quiet joy to be found in the ways God has blessed me, in the graces of our commonly extraordinary lives.

I brush Annabelle's hair out of her eyes and take a sip of the tea that warms my hand. The drops dot the window as the rain begins to fall, calm and steady and beautiful, like the thankfulness that fills my heart and puts this smile on my face.

"how precious is Your loving-kindness, O God!... in Your light, we see light."
from psalm 36

fall fashion! day four.

The beautiful fall weather this week has me happy sigh-ing and skipping merrily about, so to speak. I simply adore it. Autumn is glorious.
Yesterday was no exception. It was so beautiful and perfect that we just had to spend some time outside enjoying it. Now, one thing you should know about me and my girls is that we rarely wear shoes. I mean, of course, we wear shoes whenever we go somewhere... but if we're at home, you can pretty much be sure we're barefoot. Even when we play outside. Down with shoes, I say!

 This is why it wasn't until half-way through my mini photo-shoot with Emma (she's becoming my little photog) that I finally realized I had completely forgotten to put on shoes. But, instead of running inside and choosing a pair for the sake of these photos, I decided to just embrace the bare feet. It felt right. Beautiful weather always calls for bare feet, I think.


Pumpkins and a happy (although messy) baby are always a wonderful addition too.

shirt: vintage, from one of my favorite antique stores, $4
belt: thrifted, $2 (yes, you've seen this one before. I wear it alot. It's just such a perfect belt!)
jeans: GAP, $30

The detail on this shirt is so sweet. I love the pin-tucks (or are they pleats?), the buttons, the little bit of brown piping, the slightly puffed sleeves. I'm not even sure what decade it's from-- judging by the tag, maybe the 60's or the 70's. I was thrilled to find it!


By the way, I would like to officially say hello to the newcomers to my blog who have left such lovely comments for me this week... Hello!! :) I'm having such fun discovering new bloggers myself, and I love when a new face comes here to my little corner of the internet. I do hope you'll stick around.

Rosalie and I (and Emma and Annabelle too, even though they didn't make it into today's photo) wish you a very happy rest of your fashion week, and a most delightful autumn!

fall fashion! day one.

Hi friends! I am quite excited because this week, for the first time ever, I am taking part in "Fall Fashion Week"!

 

The lovely Emery Jo-- who always looks amazing and has some of the cutest looks I've ever seen, and who is also currently pregnant with baby # 3 and is so adorable it kills me-- has been hosting fashion weeks for some time now... but this is my first time actually taking part in one! whee! 

Before I jump right in, there are three things you should know about me:

1. I'm really not any sort of a fashionista. Creating a look that is unique and flawless, pulled-together just so, like something out of a magazine... well, that usually eludes me. Fashion boggles my mind a little bit, I'm not going to lie. There's just so many choices one must make! So many different looks out there! How do I know which accessory goes with what outfit? What's in and what's not?? Mind-boggling, I tell you. And sometimes, I just don't care. If you knocked on my door on a lazy stay-at-home day or ran into me buying milk at the store, chances are you would find me in my yoga pants, a tank top, and a hoodie, my hair held back with a ponytail and a headband. Just keepin' it real. :)

2. That being said, I do LOVE clothes. I love feeling "put-together" and stylish, and I feel that the older I get, the more I'm finding my own style. I'm discovering the things I love and the styles to which I keep coming back. I'm realizing what makes me feel happy and cute when I wear it, and what works for my lifestyle as a busy mom with three young children. And fall clothes?? They're simply the BEST. That's why I was so excited to take part in this fashion week.

3. I am awkward and never know how to pose for pictures. Sorry. hehe.


teal dress: ross dress for less, $6
belt: thrifted, $2
lacy tank: kohl's clearance, $2
leggings: wal-mart, $1.
sandals: kohl's clearance, $15

Be sure to check out Emery's blog for today's other fabulous participants! There's a lot of them, and I can't wait to click around and see who else is out there, stylin' it up this week. So fun. And... if you'd like to join in, it's never too late!! There's a Forever 21 Gift Card at stake here, my friends. You know you want to.

I'll be back tomorrow for another "look". happy fashion week!! :)

hello, Wednesday.

my brain is fried today. I think it's a combination of lack of sleep (thanks to Rosalie who did not sleep well AT ALL last night), and this heat we are currently experiencing. Oh, this heat. One-hundred-degree weather in July or August is one thing. It's summer, and it's expected. We can embrace the heat, using it as an excuse for trips to the beach and carefree days in the swimming pool. But 100-degree heat now, at the end of September, when October is nearly upon us, and autumn has been teasing us with the promise of cool weather and all the delights it brings... well, it's just offensive, that's what it is. I realize that the good Lord knows what He's doing, but...have mercy. If we don't get cool weather soon, I'm going to cry. Or, move. Preferably, somewhere with a bracing chill in the air and crunchy colorful leaves underfoot and hot chocolate aplenty.

sigh.

So, since my brain is fried, and I have no actual writing capabilities, what you get from me today is some would-likes. "Wednesday would-likes", if you will. Wonderful and willy-nilly with a hint of whimsy and wistfulness. Wow, watch out, world, I'm on a woll! ...er, ROLL.

to be fair, I DID tell you that my brain is fried. This is the sort of thing you should have been expecting.

Also, I'm sprinkling this post with random pictures of autumn that make me catch me breath and sigh in longing. It's both wonderful and tortuous at the same time...

Here we go. finally.
I would like...

...for autumn to GET HERE ALREADY. Oh wait, I already mentioned that once or ten times. Moving on.

...to be a more patient person.
...to have unlimited travel funds so I could see all of the dear friends and family I miss so much in far-away places.
...to go on a date with my husband. Or, better yet, a get-away of some sort. I think a little bed-and-breakfast in Cambria would do the trick. Yes, indeed.
...to spend a day simply making things. I miss crafting and being creative...I need that every once in a while.
...to become a better musician.
...to love others better and more often.
...to eat pumpkin bread.

...to spend more time in prayer with my Heavenly Father.
...to gather all of my amazing girlfriends up in one place (including many of you!!) and have a girls' night like no other.
...to feel caught up. (does anyone ever really feel caught up?)
...to count my blessings. But I don't think I actually could, because there are far too many!

...to cuddle up with a good book and do nothing but read all day long.
...to cuddle up with my children and do nothing but watch movies all day long.
...to be more disciplined.
...to be surrounded by trees and nature and beauty and to simply wander in it all day long.

...to have our family pictures taken again. (Hi, Lorie, I'm going to call you soon!)
...to learn how to make donuts. And then, I would like to eat them.
...to surprise people in thoughtful ways.

...to know, dear friends,
what are some of your "Wednesday would-likes"?

tonight, i am...

...absolutely and completely in love with the weather. It's cool and breezy and teases of autumn. Which makes me quite excited.

...really looking forward to wearing scarves and cardigans again, speaking of fall.

....dreming of delicious and warm coffee drinks in red cups. More autumn/cold-weather fever.

...playing hooky from choir. It was the kids' first night back at Awana and today was definitely a rush-rush-rush sort of a day, so I decided to stay home. And get in my pj's before 8:00. I love choir, but tonight I love my pj's just a little bit more.

....a wee bit sad because I'm almost done watching season 2 of Pushing Daisies (an episode here and there when I can has been my fun little me-time lately)... and then, that's it. There isn't any more. Why-ever did they stop making that show? It's so fun and imaginative and quirky and colorful. I want more of Ned and Chuck and Olive. boo.

...thankful that our first week of school is going well... it's so good to be back in a routine! (and yes, I do plan on blogging about it, have no fear!)

...thinking how silly I am to be sad about the fact that I only got six comments on my last blog. Long-gone are the days of comments just pouring in on a post. Like I said, it's ridiculous to be sad, but seriously, I'm giddy when I receive comments. I know, I'm pathetic. But I can't really complain, because I myself am not nearly the comment-er that I used to be, now that life is so busy... and I know it's the same for everyone else too. So as long as you all still have a place in your heart for little ol' me, I promise not to take it personally. Because I still love you, readers. I just felt the need to say that, I think it bears repeating. :)

...wishing for a visit from my family. I miss them, ever so much.

...itching to sew something. Methinks I'll have a date with my sewing machine this weekend!

...loving the music of Andy Kirk. His songs are so great, so full of worship and praise. If you haven't heard of him, do yourself a favor and look him up!

...rather thrilled that tomorrow holds Emma's first piano lesson, with our good friend Ryan who's an amazing pianist. I can't wait to hear her play songs and watch her learn something I love so much.

...wondering what book I should read next. I just finished Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. So endearingly odd and amazingly imaginative. I really enjoyed them both.

...done being on this computer and am going to go cuddle with my children and smooch on my hubby. In my pj's. Ah, lovely night.

Farewell, daaaarlings, I hope you had a most happy and wonderful Wednesday!!

A very pumpkin-y sort of post.

The delights of a pumpkin patch in the fall are something of which everyone should partake. (especially when it's an ADORABLE pumpkin patch, with rustic old wagons loaded to the brim with gourds of every size and shape, a little wooden bridge over a pond, fall leaves everywhere, and twinkly lights galore.)

So, this past Friday (aka One of the Most Perfect Days Ever), Jeremy and I and the three girls made our way to the pumpkin patch-- which, by the way, is all of 5 minutes from our house. That's right, folks, we live 5 minutes away from The Cutest Pumpkin Patch. Not bad.

We went after the kids woke up from naps, and it happened to be perfect timing. Still light enough to squeeze in pictures, but late enough that as we were there dusk fell and the twinkly lights came on in all their charming glory. Don't laugh at me (or do. whatever.), but sometimes I get a pleasant little ache when certain surroundings are just so homey and delightful that they make me all nostalgic and happy inside. And that's how I felt about our pumpkin patch visit. It just felt like FALL. And I was there with my family. What more could a girl want?

The girls, of course, loved every moment and came away with the perfect little pumpkins after many such exclamations of "ooh, look at that one! And that one!" Pumpkins are delightful.

The only downside is that there wasn't quite the chill in the air that I was hoping for... but I pretended anyway, as I dressed us all in our jean jackets and wore my new yellow hat. We may have been a bit warm, but it was worth it. One simply cannot visit a pumpkin patch at dusk while wearing a tank top. I refuse.

Accquring pumpkins aside, our REAL reason for going to the pumpkin patch was, of course, to take pictures. And take pictures we did! (or, more accurately, my sweet hubby took pictures... thanks for putting up with me and my whims, babe)

I didn't even realize I had dressed Emma and Annabelle to match until they sat down for this shot. True story.

It's cliche'.... but I have to say it.... my three pumpkins. AW. (so glad I got that out of the way)







Be warned, your heart may melt when you see this...













Love this one...

Little sidenote: when we were looking through these pictures together at home, Jeremy told me that I reminded him of Kate Winslet in this one. I wanted to make out with him a little bit. (because hello, she's GORGEOUS. I don't really agree with him, but way to score some points, honey :)) Anyway. Moving on. Look at my cute children!!!

This series of pictures makes me smile. Have at it, Rosalie!







I love my dear little family. And I love pumpkins. The end. :)