Thankful Thursdays

A reading too, cross country skiing with, talking too, 

praying with my children Mormor. My Mom is a blessing to my children. And to me!

Snow days where pink and orange get swallowed by 

knee deep white.

Invitations from friends to let us play with their toys.

And three year old rag curled beauties.

It has been a very blessed week.

Why You Shouldn't Have A Pinterest Birthday Party

I really enjoy Pinterst.
The organizing, the ideas, the recipes, the beauty . . .
It is sooooo much fun!
However there is the certain pressure that comes with the perfectness of it all. The hair primped, table scape's, and fancy decor. (Who ever heard of table scape's anyway before Pinterest?! Really, we just always set ours with our best for a party and made a centerpiece.)
Then, here comes the real kicker, 
parties for princesses and princes. 
I am speaking of our children. These parties encourage you to invite many guests, have a theme that runs your whole house, prizes and favors. Guests bring gifts that cost over $20 each. These parties can cost hundreds of dollars! And often the children would rather just play in the mud. (Actually, mud playing is a top priority here.)
I have determined to not have these grand events. One, we can't, (ahem, don't want to) afford that. Two, while it is lots of fun, I see my children becoming greedy and wanting so much more each time we try to "outdo" the last party. So we have decided as a family to keep it simple.
This year for Mary's third birthday we bought 2 colors of streamers at the Dollar Store. Each child picked out two gifts from there as well. My eldest bought party favors and on her own decided to make a paper pinata to get them with. Each person had their own bag with shapes on them so that everyone knew who was theirs. She chose to do shapes so that the little girls could find theirs and chose separate bags so that no one would be greedy and some get more than others. She wanted everyone to be happy. 

 My son made a pin the tail on the moose. (Couldn't quite get a donkey down, but we all agreed a moose was way better!)

Mary requested a lemon cake so we made lemon pound cake served with vanilla ice-cream. 

Norma and Hazel both made a Happy Birthday banner to complete the decorations.

The presents were simple. A favorite was sent from Grandpa. She won't go to bed without it. <smile>

If I had done things my Pinterest way, I would have planned the whole thing myself. Wouldn't have let my crew make things for fear of it "not turning out". They wouldn't have had the opportunity to be creative, to put others first, to think of others wants outside of their age bracket and to have a whole lot of fun!

While many things entice me on Pinterest I am glad we had a true children's birthday party.
Oh, and happy birthday my sweet baby turned big!

Seasoned With Salt Saturdays (Posted on Sunday)

2Titus 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Thankful Thursdays

My big boy still holding my hand while we read Swiss Family Robinson as a family.

A husband who still loves me.

Running water. 
Seriously, sometimes I just pause as I do dishes and think . . . sometimes people live without this luxury. I am so blessed to have been born here, in this country, in this time.

Jamie Grace's CD blaring while I dance with all four of my babes.

A re-purposed Christmas tree. I mean why throw it out when you can chop it up and make a tepee out of it?

I may only have one son hanging around this house but he is the coolest one I have ever had the privilege to know.

Wise Owls and Mischievous Monkeys

I have called my children little monkeys since birth. They were so cute and had a mischievous twinkle in their eye from day one. It has been a term of endearment for a very long time.
When we arrived back from our short stint in Kentucky, I decided I wanted to redo the children's bathroom. Now two things you must know about me . . .
#1 I am cheap.
#2 I am really CHEAP.
I hate to spend money. (Husband applauds loudly.)
But I REALLY wanted to do this, so while staying in a hotel waiting for our home to open back up, my oldest and I set off to buy bath mats. (We had thrown ours away in the move. They were old. Still hurt to throw them away though.)
While in Ross we saw the cutest monkey shower curtains. "Oooooh!" Norma said. "We should get those!!!!" The price was right so I put them in the buggy.
Then we saw the cutest owl bath mat. And the price was right too.
"Let's get both!" Norma replied with a wide grin.
"No, they don't match," I replied.
Then we debated back and forth.
Monkeys . . . . Owls.
Owls . . . . Monkeys.
Then it dawned on me. "Norma, what character qualities do monkeys have?"
"Well, they are kind of naughty."
"And what character qualities do owls have?"
"They are wise."
"Yes honey, you are right. You children are no longer my little monkeys because you are not naughty. You are my wise owls because you are becoming so wise."
And the bath mat was bought.
And a matching shower curtain.
However, I got a wee bit tired after moving in and the bathroom redo got pushed to the side.
Until a week ago when creativity got a hold of me!!!!!!!
Let me show you my "wise owls" new place to get clean!
I used two colors of paint. One reason, I like variety, and the other reason . . . I had both bought on mistints for $7.50 total.

A Full View.

The darker green.

What started it all.

My Friend Made This For the Room.

These are homemade for about a dollar. Tutorial to come!

I made these to remind my children every day how wise I think they are becoming and because hiding scripture in our hearts is so important. And I made them because, well, they were fun and I think my children are pretty cute! (Now don't fret, I think your children are really cute too. I mean aren't they all!)
So there it is folks. A project complete.

Do you have terms of endearment for your children?

Staying in the Word Saturdays

Psalm 61:2-4
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

Thankful Thursdays Posted on Friday

OK  Y'all! I am posting this little bit of nonsense.

It still fits. I'm just saying . . . :)

Kindergarden Quandries

"Hazel, I want you to find the two pictures that start with the 't-t-t" sound."
She looks at her book, wide eyed and determined.

"See Mommy, Here is the t-t-turkey and here is the t-t-pamato."
I reply with a grin, "The what again?"
"The t-t-turkey and the t-t-pamato. But Mommy, I really don't like pamatos though."
At this point I can't help laughing out loud.
I really do like t-t-tomatos. Or pamatos as the case may be.

It's OK to Enjoy

I love to work.
My hands messy, my brow dusted wet,
I love to work.
To see progress, production, order.
Idleness drives me to inches of insanity.
But lately, I have been realizing something,
that the work, the purpose, the cause,
is never satisfied.
It is never done.
And I am tired.
I am tired because I am missing the beauty.

I used to be creative.
I used to write till my hands cramped balls of fire.
Used to piece pictures till stories bled forth life on a sticky page.
I used to sing meadowlark music that wouldn't stop chirping no matter the hour.
I used to paint. Pictures that were pathetic but expressions of my pain and of my passion.
I used to think it was good to make things beautiful.

But lately, in the vaccuming, in the dusting, in the dishes and the daily,
I have forgotten that God is not just a God of order,
but one of Creation.
He does not just set down rules to follow but paths to ponder.
He wants us, He wants me, to live out my days in order and in reveling of His beauty.
And so I am challenged, to balance,
to believe, to boast, that it is OK to enjoy the unnessecary.
Like a freshly painted bathroom, in bright teal green blue,

like an apron sewing party when aprons aren't needed,

like a blog that hardly is ever read but writes in my mind daily.
It is OK to enjoy. To create and to be created.
And I breathe, again, soaking in my freedom.

A Disengaged Smile

"Don't do that, " I sort of heard my son say.
"It's ok. Mom said it's ok," five year old beauty replies.
"Mom didn't say it was ok," he shoots back.
"No, but look, she's smiling at me so it's ok."
Eyes roll into blue eyed boys head. "She's always smiling. You had better ask."
I snap out of Mommy fog and engage the situation, not really caring what 5 year old is destroying.
"You think I am always smiling?" I ask, in awe.
"Pretty much."
Wow. W-O-W.
Me, high strung, year of grief ridden, self doubting, always tired, vacillating and contemplating, low self esteeming, not doing the dirty dishes-ing Mom,
is. always. smiling.
Ain't God good?!