Rest

Originally uploaded by fofurasfelinas

I have a confession. I cannot rest without feeling guilty. I've been feeling pretty run down lately and when I look around at all that needs to be done or that I would love to accomplish I feel a small panic rising in my chest, thoughts of "I can't do all of this!". I struggle quite often with feeling like the condition of my house/yard/meals etc. is the measuring stick for my worth as a mom/wife. It makes me grouchy and short with my family and then the guilt just increases. I don't know why I have such a difficult time with letting things "go". I'm well aware that life is only about to get crazier, which is good, but a bit scary for me.

After crying out a quick prayer of help I sat down to read my daily reading from "Jesus Calling", by Sarah Young. What the Lord had to say to me just confirms that His timing is perfect and that He loves me even if my house is in shambles.

"Lie down in Green Pastures of Peace. Learn to unwind whenever possible, resting in the Presence of your Shepherd. This electronic age keeps My children "wired" much of the time, too tense to find Me in the midst of their moments, I built into your very being the need for rest. How twisted the world has become when people feel guilty about meeting this basic need! How much time and energy they waste by being always on the go, rather than taking time to seek My direction for their lives.

I have called You to walk with Me down paths of Peace. I want you to blaze a trail for others who desire to live in My peaceful Presence. I have chosen you less for your strengths than for your weaknesses, which amplify your need for Me. Depend on Me more and more, and I will shower Peace on all your paths."

30 Weeks

A dear friend who recently moved to the West Coast just reminded me that I had not taken any belly pictures of this pregnancy. With Lucas I carefully captured each passing month of my pregnancy. I guess it's true each successive child gets less pictures :)

So Stacie... these are for you:) Our baby will thank you!

(Please pardon the cropping of the pics... I was using the timer on our camera and I couldn't quite get it
positioned right before I finally gave up.)

I think we all have those weeks we're certain we'll never recover from, right? Well, this was one of those weeks. My wagon is draggin'! There are so many things I would love to accomplish (nesting, anyone?), but there is no energy to get it done. Thank goodness the baby won't really care if it gets done or not... and neither will anyone else.

Hope you are all having a great weekend. It's a beauty!

Early Christmas and a Little Mishap

I tell ya, I'm having a hard time making time for this little blog. Between work, homeschooling, yard work, house work, family time, being in my 3rd trimester and trying my darndest to maintain friendships there isn't much time left.

But there are some things that are so cute (to me, anyway) they must be shared....
even if it is over a week later.

We recently decided to take the kids to get bikes. We've given Lucas several opportunities up to this point- even going so far as to take him to try out a bunch of bikes- and he always turned us down. Not this time. So long story short we came home with two smokin' bikes for the kids. They were so excited!

Brian and I decided since it ended up costing more than we anticipated we would consider the bikes a big chunk of their Christmas gift. We will still get them a few things in December, but this takes a lot of shopping pressure off of me. This brings much relief to me since our babe will be joining us during the Christmas season.

Here are a few pictures of the kids first time out:

Aren't they cute? Of course, I think they are absolutely adorable.

The unfortunate part is right after the last picture was taken Lydia cruised on by Daddy, veered left and bit the dust as her training wheels dropped off the pavement. A certain somebody was caught up in the moment of "capturing the moment" and didn't realize Lydia didn't quite have a handle on using her brakes. I felt so bad!!! Her little knees were so scraped up and she seems quite intimidated by her bike now. I am hoping that this will resolve itself or this momma will feel awful.

The Little Things

The kids and I recently went on a nature walk and as we were walking we started noticing the small detail of nature that we sometimes miss...

A doe silently observing us...

The spiny texture of a seed pod...

Tiny green, glossy leaves on a petite plant....

Time etched in the root of a tree...

Tiny orange flowers....

The way the light sparkles and plays among the leaves and water....

Happy and content hearts!

M is for Monster

As I venture into the realm of homeschooling our pre-K children, I have tried to come up with ideas to reinforce the letter we are studying that also let me to release some of my bottled up creative energy.

This past week we studied the letter "M". What better way to remember this letter than a plush creature to play with! I let the kids guide me in making their monster the way they envisioned. They chose all the colors, shapes and placement of the details! I'm so pleased with the way they turned out! They are so much better than if I had tried to guess what they would like!

These monsters were made with stuffed fleece, fabric scraps, buttons and glue, and minimal sewing. But you could make these with felt or construction paper as well.

The kids with their best "monster" faces. Lydia said she is a happy monster!
(P.S. Not all of our projects are this elaborate!)

A Call To Recess

"When [children] are bored or just tired of being alone, they instinctively head out for recess. And a few seconds later, Mom or Dad feel a tug and hear the words, 'Will you play with me?' This question has traditionally and incorrectly been thought of as an interruption. It's not. It's an invitation to recess. Whenever possible, even if it's just for a few minutes, accept your children's invitation to recess." Parenting at the Speed of Life: 60 Ways to Capture Time with Your Kids by Rick Osborne

For more thoughts on cherishing time with your kids read this touching post from MckMama.

This Week's Favorites

This week has been filled with pleasurable moments. I just had to share! I hope your week had shining moments of its' own!

NATURE:

**God's creative color combinations.

**Cooler days that beckon for open windows.

**Big, fluffy clouds in deep, blue skies.

FOOD:

**Blueberry Lemon Squares- (recipe to be posted soon) I had forgotten about this childhood favorite until my mom happened to mention it as she was sorting through her recipes. I'm so glad she did. How could I forget this delicious scumptiousness?

**Fresh fruit plate with cottage cheese. This has not been visited since I left home,
but this has been baby's #1 request this summer. Love it!

**Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches topped with Sweet Creamy Coleslaw (with some tweaking of my own) piled on top. I always thought this sounded gross, but I've seen several recipes for it this summer and, again, the baby insisted I try it. This is a definite keeper!

**Chocolate Banana Bread- this may be the "go-to" recipe from now on!

PLEASURABLE READS:

**Kaffe Fassett's Kaleidosciope of Quilts- I love the use of vibrant color in bold patterns!

**The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule

**Jesus: 90 Days with the One and Only by Beth Moore

FAMILY:

**Watching the kids "read" newly acquired library books to each other.

**Days at the park or in the back yard swinging.

**Brian getting a break in his 13 hour days for 3 whole days in a row.
His big project is almost done! We finally got a chance to eat dinner together again! Woohoo!

**Impromptu arts-n-crafts with the kids.

**Laughter and singing from the backseat; precious questions about God and Heaven.

All great gifts to be treasured!