Wishing For Pine Needles

Life Is Beautiful

Isn't life truly a beautiful thing? 

(Celebrating Sanctity of Life Sunday ~ January 22, 2012)

"Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die."
(Proverbs 31:8)

 

(I'm joining Ruth at Gracelaced today.  Come and visit!)

Babies Don't Keep!

Growing up, my aunt had this poem in cross-stitch form hanging up in her bustling home.  I'm not sure why, but it stuck with me even as a young child.  But now, with this fourth little one, quite a lot of bustling of our own, and little experience under my belt, I finally really get it. 

Happy Day to You!

Babies Don't Keep

Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

 

 

a Decade

A decade ago today, I made a promise before God and those I love.

And a promise to the man I love.

Here I sit a decade later reflecting on these past ten years, amazed how in some ways each year seems to run together like drippy watercolors but in other ways seem so very distinct and separate, like fresh paint squirted onto a palette.  So many vivid memories jump right into my mind, but the days in and days out seemingly fade into that twilight zone of the past.

There have been beautiful times, cozy times, hard times, fun times, sad times, just plain mad times, lonely times, tired times, growing times, scary times, silly times, family times, just-the-two-of-us times, forgiving times, and humbling times...just to name a few.  Two imperfect people coming together will certainly have a jumble of imperfect times.  But because He is so gracious, God has also blessed us with plenty of amazing, wonderful times in between.  Times when it felt good to be us!

I think about myself ten years ago and am grateful for how very much I've learned, grown and matured, and am so completely thankful that, my husband, the one who loves me most, has been my committed partner along the way.  Likewise, it has been a true blessing to watch him do the same, and to be the one who loves him the most.

I can only imagine where the next ten years will lead us.  I approach this decade differently than I did the first, perhaps with more realistic expectations, a  more generous sense of humor, and a realization that this decade, too, will bring its own set of difficulties but hopefully not without a great many joys surrounding them.  I do know that I have much more to learn and continue to strive to be the godly wife that my sweet husband deserves.  And I am glad to do it.

And I am proud to be his wife.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dan!  I Love You!

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

Fall-ish

 

 

 

 

What makes you feel Fall-ish?

changes - part two

I can barely remember where I left off on this page.  The initial task of preparing a house to sell has been elevated to a whole new level by our packing up and moving into a small rental property in the meantime.  This, combined with the keeping up of our normal daily schedule, has launched us into craziness that we have not known until now.

We have decided to move for a variety of reasons, but probably the biggest is so we could stage our home for the sale...decorate, clean, remove furniture and de-clutter - to have the type of house that would be nearly impossible to live in, but that would look great in a magazine.  Or to a potential buyer who may walk through.  After all, it is their market right now.  (Yikes!)

So we've moved south to a teensy-weensy river town - one that has no traffic lights, no pizza place, one corner store, one gas station, and no postal route.  (Really?  No postal route?)  That's right - we are now the proud owners of a P.O. Box. 

But ah...redemption is a great (and necessary) thing.  There is a library, a playground and a post office within walking distance.  The people are friendly.  And it's only a few miles from where Dan works....finally!

We've only been in the rental house for a few days.  It's old, charming, historic, and beautifully rehabbed.  It is also very small and open and not especially conducive to a napping baby.  (The girls are tired of being 'shushed.')

Although there have been moments where I am so homesick that my stomach hurts and I utter prayers that our house won't sell and we can go back home, there are also moments where I know "I can do all things though Christ who strengthens me."  This, combined with knowing that the five of us are together, no matter the size of the house, is all I need to know that everything will be alright!

changes....

I have been purposely putting off writing this post, because there is no easy way to say (or even type) that we are putting our beloved house on the market.  Yes, in just two weeks, there will be a 'For Sale' sign in our front yard.

As with any major life change, there are several factors that weigh into this decision.  But one of the main reasons is to be closer to Dan's place of work.  For almost three years now, he has driven 2 solid hours a day just to get there and back.  Through rain, snow, early mornings and sometimes late nights.  And we all would much rather those 10 hours a week be spent with us instead of in the car on a very long stretch of highway!

And, with any major life change, we are hanging onto an emotional pendulum that swings back and forth, back and forth, on one side bringing an utter sense of melancholy knowing that we will be leaving behind a community that we adore, but on the other, feeling a spirit of adventure and purpose and discovery.  As for the people we adore - the many family and friends that are here?  Although we will no longer have physical proximity to them, I am comforted in knowing that we have something far stronger in the lifelong relationships, connections, and love that we have for them all.

The tree that sits outside our bedroom window.

At this point, we are going through the crazy motions of getting a house ready to sell, but feel peace in having left the process in God's all-knowing and all-powerful hands.  Maybe our house will sell quickly or maybe it won't sell at all or maybe somewhere right in the middle.  He knows what is best for this little family and we trust Him completely and are fully prepared to accept His will for us. 

The balloons that our dear friends and neighbors decorated our lamp post with the day we brought Hans home from the hospital.

Because we're carefully twirling so many plates in the air right now, I will be posting less over the next couple of weeks.  Mothering, homeschooling and house staging are the three plates I most need to make sure don't drop, so sadly, blogging and my other hobbies will have to wait their turn.  (Good thing they're patient!)

Stay tuned (and check back) for more of this 'moving' story.

Ha!  (Dan and Dave, that pun is for you :)

resolutions...better late than never

In no particular order...

1.  Meal-planning.  This is one area that has been trumped by homeschooling.  (And I just don't have that much fun in the grocery store these days!)

2.  Couponing.  Again, trumped by homeschooling.  And fairly tedious.  Blahhh.

3.  Exercising more.  Isn't this on everyone's list?  (It just makes me feel better to think that it is.  Or are their really some people out there that actually have a regular exercise schedule?)

4.  Early-rising.  Goes against every fiber of my being, but a really beautiful thing and a great way to take control of the day.

5.  Earlier-to-bed.  Also not my natural bent, but wow, do I feel better already!

6.  Regular dates with my husband.  Why does this become so hard when it's so much fun to do?  Wait....I think I figured it out.  Their names are Rylen, Marianne, and Hans.  (love ya, kids!)

7.  Eating more fruits,vegetables, and beans and less meat and starches.  This one is fine with me, but I'm not so sure about the rest of the gang!

8.  No more Diet Coke.  It's expensive and I'd rather have my coffee.  I've dealt with the harsh reality that I don't need both.

9.  Financial freedom.  We're trying hard!  (Stay tuned for more on this...)

10.  Playing more with my kids.  After all, they really don't care if the floor is swept and the dishes are done.  They just want me to play with them!

11.  Baking more.  I like to bake in a way,  but in another way I think of it as being one additional time I have to clean up the kitchen.

12.  To learn more about photography, both for this blog and in general.  Some of the bloggers I follow are next to professional!

13.  More sewing and crafting.  There is always room for this.

14.  Daily study of God's word.  And I do believe this is the most important of all.  (My BSF group has been great for this.)

So, there you have them.  And here I posted them.  Now I'm accountable.  Oh my!

Enjoy these little glimpses of the resolution-making in action!

Simpler - Part 2

Maybe part of my increasingly strong desire to make things simpler is because there is so much all around me; so much that sometimes I feel as if my senses are too quickly becoming overloaded.  There are new things to experience - to see, to hear, to touch, to taste and to smell everyday.  Interesting, wonderful, and sometimes very appealing things!  But I have come to realize that as enticing as some of these things are... I simply cannot do them all. 

There are a lot of things in this world, good things, that I will have to say "no" to.

Will it always be like this?  I hope not.  I am a doer.  I love to do, try, learn, and seek to understand most of what comes my way.  But, right now, with a house full of wee ones, meals to cook, (mounds of) clothes to wash, lessons to plan, you-get-the-idea, is just not my time to participate in all that life offers me.

And, I am OK with this.  Some of our very favorite moments have come when we have politely said "no, thank you" to something else.

We are all learning (though mainly me) that the word "no" can be a beautiful thing!

A week of 'not enoughs'...

Have you ever had a week where there is simply not enough:

1.  time

2.  writing of blog posts

3.  groceries

4.  home-cooked meals

5.  time

6.  tupperware containers

7.  sleep

8.  patience

9.  hours in the day

10.  time

Well, we just finished one of these kind of weeks here.  Phew.

But even in the midst of our shortages, we managed to find one thing that we have plenty of...

 

LEAVES!

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful season and what you have plenty of.  (And managing your own 'not-enoughs' gracefully!)

We Won't Forget

I remember where I was, as clear as a bell.  Don't we all?

I remember who I was standing by.  I remember the complete and utter silence in the room while we watched, open-mouthed, as the second plane flew into the tower.

I remember the lump in my throat for days to come.

Who would do this?  And why?

I was glued to the TV.  I watched eagerly, hoping they would find more people alive amongst the debris and rescue them.

I wanted to do something to help.

I wanted to be with my family.

I was newly pregnant with our first child.

Many lives were lost that day.  All of our lives were changed that day.

Our first child - she's 7 now.  The time has gone incredulously by.  Time is the healer of all wounds.  But even though the lump in my throat is gone, I still remember vividly that week of my life.  Of all of our lives.

Time will continue to move forward and we will continue to heal.  But here, in our house, we won't forget.