Sunday, May 31, 2009

Birthday Giveaway

Check out this birthday giveaway! This girl makes some of the cutest stuff! And she's generous too! This is a giveaway you don't want to miss!

Consider the Lilies


This weekend I've been in a funk. I've been off of work for nearly 2 weeks and Monday is the day I return. It always gets me. I should be ready for it. Armed for battle.

When I have vacation time I get a glimpse of what it would be like to be a full time stay-at-home mom. I revel in it! I feel more relaxed around the kids. I enjoy keeping our home. I try new recipes. I usually feel highly motivated. Everything about it feels right. I think that's why I struggle so much with the looming work week. I worry that I'll never be able to stay home full time- to fulfill that deep longing.

Praise God I only have to work part time for my benefits, but I'm not the kind of woman who wants to have it all. If it weren't for the insurance I would've quit 4 years ago when Lucas joined our family. We tried to get private insurance a while back, but because of a couple bad years of health issues our family we were denied by EVERYBODY!

So, there I was moping in my room with tears in my eyes. I had been punishing my husband with my attitude when my eyes fell upon a bouquet of peonies I had placed on our dresser. I have always loved peonies. They are one of my favorite flowers. They have a wonderful scent. They possess a delicate, old fashioned beauty. To me it is a graceful flower full of the handiwork of God. I stepped closer to get a detailed view, to breathe in their fragrance when these words came to mind, "See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin...". Ah, Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus' exhortation to never allow worry to have a place in our lives.

I wish I could say my attitude changed immediately. My stubborn, sinful heart continued to cling to the "what if's". Then I went to church. Our pastor has been doing a series on the Fatherhood of God. Guess what passage he spoke on. You got it! Thank goodness for God's continual gentle proddings. Here are a few things our pastor shared:

  • Anxiety is an assault on the Fatherhood of God.
  • Worry is rejection of:
  1. God's care for you.
  2. God's better wisdom for you
  3. God's provision for you.
  • Strategies for defeating worry:
  1. Get your focus back onto Jesus Christ.
  2. See worry for the sin it is.
  3. Align your priorities with his Kingdom and God will provide what you need to get it done.
I believe God will provide us with a private insurance policy when the timing is right. We have enough health history that it would be foolish for us to go without, but God knows that too! I don't know why it hasn't worked out so far, but my goal now is to focus on Him and how He wonderfully provides for us at just the right time.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Mama's Helpers


The faucet in the back of our house is out of commission for the summer, so the kids and I are bringing buckets of water from the front yard to the back yard. I hope we get a lot of rain this summer!
I love this little dress. So light and airy... and a great bargain at Target on a clearance rack last summer.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Baby Quilt


This the quilt I made for my friend's shower. It measures almost 2 1/2 feet square, so it's perfect for a travel quilt or a wallhanging.

Here is the fabric she chose for the bed skirt and bumper pad. I love the rich colors!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Happy Fourth Birthday to You!


There you are! Always looking to make others laugh- so silly! You are sweet and compassionate and you find joy in the little things in life. You are helpful and encouraging!

Lucas, you've grown leaps and bounds this past year! What a joy it has been to see your speech and personality really flourish. It is a delight to spend time talking with you. You make us laugh everyday. Your hugs and kisses are a treasure.

You captured our hearts 4 years ago, and being your mom had been the greatest blessing. You have helped me mature spiritually and emotionally. You have stretched and honed the weak and sinful places in my life. I am so, so blessed that God chose to place you in our family.

I love you more than words could say! Happy Birthday, Bud!

My Farmer

Last week, Lucas' class learned about farming. One day they had the kids come dressed as farmers. I tried to be creative with what we had here at home. I think he looks pretty cute! He can plant my corn anytime!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Our New Neighbors

Three little robins nestled next to our house in the crook of our downspout.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Busy, Busy!

My posting has gone by the wayside lately. Last weekend the kids and I visited my parents out of state and then I worked Monday and Tuesday. Since then I've been playing catch-up. This list may be boring, but seeing a list of my accomplishments is so encouraging to me! So far I've:

  • Tidied up the main living area and all the regular everyday chores.
  • Grocery shopping. I'm loving the challenge of clipping coupons and matching them to sale prices to see how much money I can save. It's fun! Last week I got mayo/Miracle Whip for free and this week I got Kraft dressing for pennies and BBQ sauce for free. Excellent!
  • Planted a few a flowers.
  • Birthday shopping for my soon-to-be 4yr old.
  • Mopped the kitchen and bathrooms.
  • Thinned out and weeded one of my larger flower beds. (lots of flower pics to come.)
  • Roasted red bell peppers (it was easier than I thought it would be) for this great recipe. So refreshing and yummy!
  • Met a friend to pick out fabric for her baby's bed skirt and bumper. She want to hire ME to make them for her. I'm really excited to see how they turn out! I'll post a pic soon of the travel quilt I made for her shower. The quilt inspired the color them for the baby's room so she's going to use it in his room instead.
  • Pulled the carseats out of the car and washed the covers. I finally found where the pee smell in the car was coming from. Gross!
  • Made rice milk concentrate for the kids. Bless this woman who figured out such a great recipe! It has definitely been cheaper than store bought. We go through 11 cups of concentrate every week!
Today is a full day too! Hopefully, I get a chance to socialize with some girlfriends soon!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Garage Sale Goodness

Pretty little ruby slippers for Lydia. Brand new: $2


A little bike to end the fights over the Big Wheel: $5 (This little idea backfired on me. This is now the coveted mode of transportation.)


Scary bird picture: $1

A lovely little trick to play on Brian. I let him believe I bought because I wanted to hang it above our fireplace. I actually bought this canvas to use for the kids to repaint. I was completely inspired by this idea.

I found it comical that the ladies at the garage sale kept commenting how cute they thought this bird painting was. As in, "I can't believe Edna is selling this painting! He is adorable!" Yet they did not snatch him out of the sale for their very own... and they let him go for 50% off. Take a good look, because he won't be around for very long.


Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!

(Lucas brought this gift home from school on Thursday. It's already doubled in size.
A sweet gift!)


Happy Mother's Day to all you moms! Whether through a personal relationship or through blog contacts it is wonderful to have a community of moms come together to spur one another on to greatness! Thank you!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

It's a Mystery

Several weekends ago I attended a mystery quilt weekend with the local quilt group to which I belong. It's a fun group of women from all ages and stage of life, but the one thing we all have in common is we LOVE to play with fabric.

We were given the fabric requirements and were told to pick out 8 fat quarters from 2 contrasting color-ways. You can't get more contrasting than orange and green. One of my quilting friends told me it looked like a pile of sherbet. I like that idea!

Some of the women are sewing whizzes and had their quilt complete. Not me. There were a lot of points and intersections to line up, so that slows me down a lot. So, here I am 3 weeks later with a pile of cheerful, vibrant fabric waiting to be assembled. It will get done eventually. Seriously, it happens in micro-moments. Fifteen minutes here, 10 minutes there. But I love the process. It's my escape. I love seeing the beauty unfold.

I hope in the near future you will catch another glimpse of this quilt. And I hope this time it will be done!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Soulful Bird

A few weeks ago during a cold, rainy day I was washing dishes when this little bird landed on the tree outside my kitchen window. It hunkered down for a while to stay warm on such a dreary day. I couldn't resist snapping a few photos.

I have always loved Mourning Doves. They take me back to childhood memories. I remember laying in my bed as the light streamed through my curtains listening to their soulful call. The best alarm clock nature could offer.

Through the years I've enjoyed watching them nestle down in my flower beds to rest. Their soft hues and gentle eyes have always seemed peaceful. Their presence reminds me of sunny days, warm breezes and quiet, reflective moments.