Our week

I had big plans this week.  Then the week started, or maybe I should say last week continued.  My kids were both feeling lousy last week and were just finally both over it on Tuesday.  Then I woke up on Wednesday morning.  End of story, at last count I have taken three (or is it four now?) naps today...following the exact same pattern they did.  Ugh.

I was planning to participate in Project Simplify with Simple Mom.  This week would have been drawers & closet....I want to cheat and just link to a recent organization of my closet, but that isn't spring cleaning so I won't.  And for drawers -- I have two in my house.  One holds my 2 hot pads and 6 dishtowels, and the other our silverware...not much going on there.

Instead, we had a couple sledding outings, LOTS of moose in our yard, and many hours of work.  We were having Ali withdrawal's on Wednesday, so I checked with my sister-in-law and requested her yesterday.  We love our Ali, she is such a sweetie.  My kids absolutely love having her come; I am adult on duty, but otherwise un-neccesary when she comes.  She loves to see moose, she thinks we can beckon them on command.

The following are pictures from the last week.  None of them are cleaning, organizing, or crafting.  But they are all about loving children.  Which is really what my job is.  This week I have made deliberate effort to get priorities more defined and straightened out.  It's been a good week.

Getting ready for a race down the driveway.

Sledboarding 

 Looking for moose down in the garden.

 Ali loves coming to our house, but she has a special love and devotion to Vince.

We actually did have to come in the house because there were two moose in the garden,

just beyond the snowbank we were looking over.

 Ali was very proud to be wearing the same green 'Alaska Grown' shirt as Vince.

 We finally got Hickory into his kennel, and us inside.  Can you see the two moose?

They are small ones - but they are HUGE.  The whole time we were watching the moose, Ali kept saying "moooshe, moooshe.  April, see moooshe".

{notice the attire addition -- pink is her favorite.}

She got to stand on top of my bookshelf under the window for 15-20 min watching "the moooshe".  Just to the right and down from her sweet little hand, you will see Hickory.  

He.is.so.stupid!Would not stop barking!! 

So the moose started to run, it ran towards the house, then turned and charged towards the kennel.  The moose are not new to Hickory, and Hickory is not new to the moose.

Girls & dresses

Last fall one of the first youth group activities my daughter had was a tea-party.  The idea was for them to dress up in fancy dresses {unless they didn't want to}.  Christine has always loved dresses and has usually had a few to choose from.  This fall was different, she's decided she doesn't like skirts or dresses - I'm assuming this is an age thing even though it makes me sad.  Anyway, we searched for something she liked and then one day we went to a bridal store.  This bridal store was selling demo dresses for $25.  A demo dress meant it had the company name stitched in the back and a hole cut or poked through all the layers.  They were from a company the store was no longer going to carry.

I have to say it was really strange to be in a bridal shop while my daughter tried on bridesmaid dresses.  In the end we found a dress that was a really pretty green and a style she liked that more or less fit on top.

As you can see it was rather long and "old" for an 11 year old.  {yes, you can also see my bedroom is painted dark - three dark brown walls, and one avocado green wall -- I LOVE them.  I've lost track of how many years ago I painted them, it's been at least three-possibly as many as five}  So, we went to work with fixing it to be age appropriate.  She wanted the bottom to have pick ups - this was a perfect way to easily shorten the dress the foot+ that needed to come off.  :-D  I just shorten the most interior liner layer to the correct length then I used big multi-colored button to pick up the other layers.  I sewed through all the layers to the lining.  I started at the bottom and work my way up not putting any on the bum so it didn't look like there was a bustle.  Because the top is just spaghetti straps, mom took her on a different day and got a women's 2x Nordstrom, dark brown, t-shirt and I made a bolo jacket she could wear over it.  She wouldn't let me take pictures of her with it on, so you'll have to trust me that it looked better on her than it does hanging on this hanger.

 

It has been really fun for her to have a "fancy" dress.  She wore it for the Sugar Plum party mom had for the girls at Christmas and again for the father-daughter banquet our church had for middle school girls.  She has slimed down since adjusting the dress and making the bolo jacket, so she wore a t-shirt or tank under it and a different little jacket over it (dead of winter, it was cold out).  One of her youth leaders took her as a substitute little sister with her and her dad.  It was very sweet.  I don't have permission to put their photos up - I will ask tomorrow at church and then edit the post :-D.

Today mom, Christine & I had a fun day.  We went thrift store shopping.  We ended up in the same store location, but it is now a consignment store.  The three of us hadn't been shopping together since that time last fall when we got this dress.  Today I was trying hard to get Christine to look at skirts or dresses for Easter Sunday.  We don't put much into new clothes for Easter, in the past it's been more of an excuse to get something springy, whether it was new or just pulling it out of the "to grow into bin" - but she wasn't having anything to do with that idea.  I don't have any clothes for her to grow into, or seasonal put away; I have to admit I'm tired of the same pair of jeans & zip up sweatshirt - every week.  However, in the end she allowed me to get a women's size 16-18W peasant skirt - to make her a dress out of.  The skirt is from apostrophe.  I'm super excited :-D!  I love that she is consistently resisting ready made dresses/skirts, but will still let me make them for her.  We also went to Jo-Ann's and got some beads; this evening I had the fun of making six necklaces for my mom!  Now off to bed...It's 11:30pm, but I loose an hour of sleep.

I hope you have a wonderfully rest-full day tomorrow.

Was your day Rest-full?

Mine was.  I thoroughly enjoy reading through so much material I just haven't been able to get to, lots of business thinking, processing, dreaming.  No action, that felt too much like work. :-D!  However, I will be sleeping on the couch again.

My plans include getting to be home all day tomorrow.  Projects here we come!  After church I got the jars and freezer paper I've needed to finish up a couple organizing projects.  Also, I will get my sewing stuff all put away nicely so I can get to my bed.

Today was really a relaxing and rest-full day.  My last stop before getting home I found my new favorite coffee shop.  I got to come home with a hot cup of coffee and enjoy sitting on the couch with a book.  I was grinning for a long time - the really-fun-not-so-good part is that I will drive past it about 75% of the time I leave my house.  Hmm, I will be needing to exercise some self-control big time.  I pretty much always like a good cup of coffee.  When I'm home I only drink my one cup of french press each morning, but there is something about going from point A to point B with a hot cup of coffee in my hands.

I did get my nails done by my daughter today.....I bought the color of polish, so I deserved it....but I'm a clear polish kind of girl.  Here's an iPhone photo as proof.

One problem, she was tired of doing it after one hand.  So...nail polish remover to the rescue.  I don't know if I've ever used as much remover as I did today.  Then a couple coats of a little less intense color went on - both hands - but they're still pretty scary.  But I figured since I'm just home tomorrow I'll take it off at the end of the day.  Until then I have OPI's 'Not like the movies' on my finger nails....this is a color I bought for toes.

Today....

Today made me think of this book.

{source}

Have you have heard the version for preschool moms?  I think it's worth repeating so here it is.

If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it. 

She'll pour herself some. 

Her three-year-old will spill the coffee. She'll wipe it up. 

Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks. She'll remember she has to do laundry. 

When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots 

and bump into the freezer. 

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper. 

She will get out a pound of hamburger. 

She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger.) 

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. 

She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow. She will look for her checkbook. 

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old. 

She'll smell something funny. She'll change the two-year-old. 

While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring. 

Her five-year-old will answer and hang up. 

She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee. 

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. 

She will pour herself some. 

And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, 

her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

by Kathy Fictorie

based on "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff

The first time I heard this version my children were preschoolers.  Today was just like this for us though, except they are middle-schoolers and they were right along with me.  But we got lots done, much more than I anticipated.  With cheerful hearts and lots of laughing too :-D!

My to-do list for today:

 - Coffee

 - Bible Study

 - Blog

 - clean out sewing area after a month since last project

 - SEW!

What my day held instead:

 - Coffee

 - Bible Study

 - Blog

 - Phone call with a sister-friend

 - taught my daughter how to make wise choices in music

 - exercised that decision making by dissecting five songs

 - purchased some new music based on findings of music dissection

 - son totally made dinner on his own

 - have foot high piles of organization of sewing stuff on my bed

 - hung pictures on the wall that have been waiting years - seriously, yes.

 - due to pilot light going out on stove...

 --- cleaned top and under stove top - GROSS

 --- cleaned oven - Gross

 --- cleaned out broiler -- Gross

 --- pulled out refrigerator and cleaned behind, on top, and under - REALLY GROSS!

 - washed dishes six times

 - ate yummy corn chowder,  not made by me

 - cleaned up kitchen and washed dishes again

I do not have the energy to finish my sewing area cleaning project.  My bed is buried.  I will be sleeping on the couch tonight.  We will see if tomorrow after church brings the needed desire and motivation to finish up.  If not, I will blissfully read or do hand projects in the living room and sleep on the couch again tomorrow night.  

My one rule for Sundays: Don't do anything you don't want to do.

It is a day of rest and enjoying what God has given us.

Sometimes "rest" comes in the form of getting laundry done, or finishing up a project; but if I at all feel like I "have to get this done".  I say 'no'.  It is not so urgent it can't wait for Monday.  (If it's that urgent, I should have done it on Saturday :-D.)   I'm stating this as a little challenge to you as well.  In today's culture and society "down" time is not valued highly enough.  God made us to need rest.

I hope you have a rest-full day in Him!

My girl turned 10 today!!

I don't want to believe my baby is 10! I am in serious denial of how fast time is flying. It is NOT okay with me, not even in the littlest bit. (Okay, now that is hopefully out of my system....) As I mentioned in my previous post, my prayer for my children for many years now has been:

Jeremiah 29:11-13

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

I will be found by you."

As a single mom I am counting on this, He is faithful and I am thankful.

6 months

For the most part you really were a happy baby.

At 2 you loved to be the center and dance. In this photo I can still hear you saying "Me?!" You were so pleased to be noticed. (this is at Matt & Samantha's wedding, ignore the bad lighting - it's a photo of a photo in a frame)

At 3 - you have a wonderful smile and bright eyes.

You really are a joy to have around.

This was the summer you turned 5.

You have always wanted to do what your brother was doing. He was fishing and you wanted to fish so badly too. He found wire, made the shape of a hook & put licorice on the "hook" - you fished for hours by his side and you were so proud.

At 7 - I love this photo of you! You needed to be wearing pants and rubber boots for life - but those didn't twirl, so you wore a dress too...and a sweatshirt and vest - even though it was not cold. But this is you, in your mind it made sense and there was no changing. I was just happy it looked cute on you!

When you do something, it is usually very thorough and with your whole heart.

This is one of my favorite photos of you. You didn't want your face in the water - but you needed goggles on. It took you a while to get all of this situated, but once you did you were so content!

You can enjoy the most simple of activities as well. This is you just watching the bubbles float into the sunset and the surfers on the beach.

You are not too proud to love your baby doll, express yourself, or enjoy what is going on at any moment. I was at a moment of heightened stress traveling from Arizona to Alaska (you can read about the day here.), but when I turned around I could find you at a glance and I so appreciate the memory of your laid back, positiveness.

At 8 and a half.

You are beautiful my girl! You still love everything girl, but will go play in the mud in your dress up clothes with no hesitation too.

At 9 and a half...and then there are the times you know you know exactly what you want, and you don't want to back down or give it up. It took forever to actually track down this pink cowboy hat - but you did come home with it. Our first trip home from Arizona was with the pink tiara, second trip home from Arizona you wore the pink cowboy hat and security still seems to stop us every time! As if they really take me as a serious threat?! These are 10 of my favorite photos of you that each have special memories attached and so thoroughly show who you are.

(more updates later, but this is just too sweet to not put here tonight)

10:30pm tonight....You were a girly, girl all day, then added the camo face paint after 9pm - you are such a goof - a total dork and we love you just the way you are.

You want to serve, you work hard, you are thorough, and truly helpful.

Here you are at the end of your special day. I believe today is a day you will never forget. You will never go back to single digits, you received so much love I believe your heart was filled to the brim.

My little girl, you have always been blessed to have good, God-fearing guys in your life.

Bumpa and Uncle Matt had gone to bed, Uncle Zach is in the Philippines and Jeremy was busy. Your birthday was a full and blessed day, you were tired and didn't know what to do with yourself - so you climbed into Uncle Nate's lap.

CJ's Birthday

Can you tell we might be a little partied out around here?
This is the birthday girl & she looks like I'm making her celebrate! :)

This is better - her table decorations & a pretty smile.

A glittery card from a glittery Bumma to a glittery girl.

Can you say 'Fancy Nancy'? This is a saying in our family, those of us who aren't 'fancy' say it frequently. As far as mom & CJ are concerned there are many things that can't be too fancy. We don't even like tinkerbell - but look at her grin because 'it's glittery'!

I think the gift Christine will remember for all of her life....Bumpa gave her her own fishing pole, a good pole. But wait - it's HOT PINK?! and there's more - it LIGHTS UP when you reel it!!!!!!!!!! Vince considers this a disgrace to fishing, but CJ could not have been happier. (Can you say, seriously 'fancy nancy'?!) :)

For Christine's birthday last year dad gave her a 'fairytale cottage' cake mold... He apologized to me last year because he knew it would involve me. Yes, I made it last year. The non-frosted gingerbread house version shown on the picture. I cleaned it well & tucked it away - hoping, hoping, hoping she'd forget about it or for sure at least not want the same cake 2 years in row. Not so, last week she asked where the mold was & said she wanted a pink and purple cake. My only thought was "Yuck - the house again and it had to be pink & purple?" I put it off & avoided making it until today, hoping she'd change her mind at the last minute. Nothing doing, so here is the 'Shabby Chic' ugly-not-so-fairy-tale'ish cottage, and it's pink with purple trim (the green things are 4 large trees on each corner of the house). By the time I got done with frosting this thing my thoughts were running along the lines of "What a horrible, mean person to think up this idea of 3D molds? Why didn't they have any thought or consideration for the poor mothers who'd get stuck frosting these things! ... or, Ugghhhh, the Bumpa's that fall for the gimick and buy these horribly-cute-in-the-picture-only things?!..."

(yes, you are seeing 3 different outfits. yes, all these pictures are today. these are just the ones when I took pictures, there were a couple others-besides the 3 sets of jammies in all worn today. it was her day, so I said nothing -- to her...)

I can not believe my baby is 9! It is weird to think I have 2 school age children, (not just school age but 1/2 way thru elementary school!) they are no longer preschoolers. Yes, I know they haven't been preschoolers for a long time, but my mind still has them there. I want to keep them there. I wanted them to grow up with a daddy, not with just me as their parent. I have had a lot of thoughts about my kids not growing up with a dad in their early formative years and what repercussions the 3 of us will have the opportunity to live through as a result. I can't control the outcome & I have to work at not letting these thoughts overwhelm me. I'm not to live with a spirit of fear, but I also want to go forward with my eyes open, with some idea of what to do. I like a specific list of what to do. There is a verse I read a couple weeks ago & it has stuck with me.

Ps 138:8 "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands." This has been very confirming & comforting to me - He will fulfill his purpose for me. It goes well with a passage I've been hanging onto for 9 years now. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." (Jer 29:11-14)

• He will fulfill His purpose for me. (Each of us.)
• He has a plan for me. (He has a plan & He will fulfill.)
  
• A plan to give me hope and a future. (Is there any better hope than knowing our future includes spending eternity with Him?)
• Then I will call upon Him, pray to Him and he will listen to me. (He listens & hears me!)
  
• I will seek Him with all my heart and He promises I will find Him. (He promises I'll find Him when I seek Him)

WOW! The God of all creation, the ruler of the universe, my Heavenly Father, my Saviour has promised He has a plan for me & He will fulfill His purpose with me. My part, seek Him first.

This is huge - I don't need to 'do something' to make certain things in my life happen. I seek Christ first and all else will fall into place. This doesn't mean I don't act responsibly or do my best- but it isn't up to me! Thank you, Heavenly Father for this provision. A provision I've taken for granted, not fully understood, still don't fully understand. You have a plan & You will fulfill your purpose. Use me. I want my actions & words to glorify You & You alone. Thank you for being the father to the fatherless. Thank you I do have my dad & brothers in my kids' lives. Thank you they are men who desire to live for You. Help me to teach the children You have entrusted to me to walk in Your paths, to seek You first, to rest in You.