These are my days...

Sometimes it seems as if joys

are covered over with the heavy cloth of life's struggles,

blinding one from seeing the goodness all around.

I forget to enjoy,

to look up,

to breathe,

to smile

and enjoy this day,

my awesome children,

and my dear husband.

I am missing it.

Missing life.

My life.

My wonderful, simple, sweet life.

Lord, help this girl to notice the many graces in this life.

My wonderful, simple, sweet life:

A whole-family-all-together dinner:

 These two boys building a garden:

and a waterfall made with clay pots

which this momma preferred over last week's project

of exploding soda bottles filled with dry ice.

 Afternoons at the beach together:

These are my days...

Down the street:

In my kitchen:

 

In process for my Dear One:

 

In the snow:

Simeon's Quilt - Loved

This boy and his momma made a quilt:

He made all the different shaped doggy squares.

You can see this boy was a tiny bit younger when this project he began:

I put them together:

****

I always take another quilt of the desired size and lay it on my bed. Then I arrange the squares on top. It's my small-house version of a design board. Simeon had a big say in the design process here. After arranging them, I cut and pieced in the brown negative space, or sashing. A lot of up and down from my machine to the ironing board, then to my bedroom, and back....

You can read more about our process here.

****

The back of the quilt is simple.

  A dog house on two of the corners,

One for Beau and one for Maddie, 

was sweetly insisted upon by this boy 

who misses his doggies so:

 for once upon a time, 

buddies they were:

 

 

An Adventure Was Had

I love my boys. 

I love my days with my boys.

Not too long ago

this boy and I went on an adventure.

Adventures are great.

Adventures are wonderful.
Adventures are memories that last forever.

This adventury day was especially delightful

because it was an adventure had together.

Just the two of us
heading to the big city
with all it's charms
and the best charm of all
his sister and new brother
so greatly missed.

After leaving behind
our car filled with sleeping-over goods

not too far from this boy's sister's homey home,

I pulled out a well-worn piece of paper from my bouquet bag.
Reading these detailed directions

written especially for moi,

by my dear one,

who knows me oh so well.

She knows I am

her silly momma who really

practically hardly ever knows
how to get from this place to that.

This boy and his silly mama 

read each street name. 

We stood at this corner...looked to the right...turned left...

passed streets...then right...

to wait for the bus here:

After reading more signs and landmarks from my listy list,
getting off at the right stop....

walking up stairs...turning left....past a little pastry shop...

we arrived at the steps of the illustrious De Pietro Todd:

 

Being her model on this adventure filled day

getting a fresh hair cut was a long awaited pleasure.

 

A few shared moments with my daughter.

Just being there.

Seeing her face.

Feeling her touch.

Hearing her voice again.

A peek into her artsy talented world

of accomplished instructors 

and kindly fellow stylists.

Sneaking in a little mother-daughterly-ness while chair ensconced.

But, not too much.

Shared moments for brother and sister

while brother spins in his fancy chair

along side this momma and her Dear One catching up.

Alas. Our time, to an end, finally comes.

This boy and his momma's adventure

goes on through Chinatown:

with its many odd sites:

 

attacking birds:

and beauties:

 

We spied a shop for the serious fisherman,

later finding out this is where many hair stylists get their supplies

of pink feathers and such 

for the artful up-do:

We ate some rather ordinary snacks:

Then met up with my Dear One's Love

at Union Square:

Journeying back

we picked up my Dear One

when her long day was done:

Then being the kind of momma that I am

and always will be,

upon arrival to their homey home

put away my camera,

and with my adventured boy's help,

cooked up a tasty dish of lasagna goodness

so my Dear One and her Love

can come home to good food

the remaining days of their week,

for being so far away

I can no longer bring

cookies

and pies

and other such lovelies

whenever this heart desires.

So this will have to do.

For a while.

Till adventures to the city continue

with the next boy

who already can hardly wait

for his sister and newly brother to see.

Some Favorites and Some Hopefuls

The first of the year has become the distant past

and the traditional season of 

happy new-year-making resolutions

and grandiouse-goal setting

has  ceased.

We like setting goals.

We like setting our eyes on the high and exciting

and dreaming,

of a better ... everything,

for this is how the great rise to their potential,

right?

Usually, yes.

Well, a rather good Lead Man 

and his wifey wife - that's me

were going to set aside some timedy time 

for grand list making of our own

in hopes of making it a grand year, indeed. 

Alas, we have given up. 

Now, a bad thing it is not, I think. 

This couple of 28 goal-setting seasons

resigned to 'going with the flow' this year, 

which in all honesty of honesties, 

is what really happens each and every year in spite of our nicely enumerated high-hopes. 

This man and his wife remember the life dreamed of

sitting on a grassy hill.

Together.

Teenagers in love.

Hand in hand.

There we knew the names of our first 2 children,

and knew we would spend our lives as one.

We knew an adventure lied ahead.

An adventure 

from beginning to end

lead by our God.

Our goals set on that grassy hill

though simple, occasionally have been lost sight of,

due to things that matter not

to this wife and her man.

However urgent thingy things appeared for a while,

urgent they were not,

for insignificant they were.

Back to the simple,

or for us, the foundational,

again we return.

On that grassy hill...

we decide to grow old together.

To be the grandparents 

who tell stories of God's faithfulness,

of the wonders of God's grace in their lives.

We choose to make it to the end

together.

On that grassy hill...

we decide our family is our center.

Our primary purpose.

It is.

It will always be.

Only thingy things that 

are for the good of our family

will be paths we take.

Is it a distraction?

Or will it encourage our children?

To love?

To grow in their gifts and build character?

Will it show them more of who their God is?

If not, we say "fare thee well",

great pathy path of things not for us.

On that grassy hill...

I decide to be an encouraging wife.

College for me a goal was not.

A good friend and support 

to my Lead Man in his endeavors

this is what I want to be.

This rather imperfect wifey wife

thinks a college degree would have been a simpler feat,

but moment by moment 

an encouraging wife I still aim to be.

On that grassy hill...

he chose to provide

so I could be a home school mom.

A good provider he has always been

though some of our days have been lean,

this man puts his head down in determination,

and patiently presses forward out of love.

So for all these things I choose to pray.

That God's blessing would be

on this simple family

and our days

in the year ahead

as we pursue His purposes.

So what about 2010? 

Some of my favorite things past:

Favorite quilt - Levi's.

Favorite quilt, ever. 

For many reasons. 

God answered prayer. My friend is well.

Favorite scary thing conquered:

Driving to SF and taking the transit to Hannah's work.  I have become very thankful for smart phones when I am not.

A favorite realization:

I've learned that I really don't enjoy making things with the purpose to sell, but truly enjoy making things for those I love. I'm comfortable with not having a cottage business. My goal for this blog is to just put myself out there in hopes that from time to time it might encourage others in some meaningful way. I'm thankful for a husband who makes my comfy sweet life possible.

A favorite event:

Nerf gun war with the whole family Christmas evening.

A few favorite additions:

A real camera, a real sewing machine, and a tent trailer. When one doesn't have babies any more these become considered as 'additions'.

A favorite read-aloud:

Heidi. I read it to my oldest two quite a while back, and now to my youngest two. Being boys, they thought they could not possibly enjoy a book with a girl's name as the title. Within a few paragraphs, their mind's were changed. We loved every page of it. Even the parts where mom teared up. Last time through, I remember handing Hannah the book to let her continue the reading when I would get weepy. This time I just kept reading, weepy or not. Sometimes they snickered at me. Sometimes they smiled at me. Somewhere near the end of the book, they said they would always fondly remember mom tearing up during story-time. 

Hopefuls for 2011:

I'm not sure if this qualifies for a hopeful, but my neighbors and sons are threatening to teach me to surf. Eee gads. I find I'm just sitting on the beach a lot with no babies to chase anymore, which basically boils down to...no more excuses.

Grow in artisan bread baking skills - My oldest son just gave me Tartine's book.

Amazing. I'm determined. My youngest son is joining me in my journey. We read the book together and are awaiting the purchase of a food scale so we can begin. My middlest son thinks it's pretty cool that the author loves to surf and has persued his passion for bread. All this leads to another hopeful:

Walk to Tartine with my Dear One to buy a loaf of bread fresh from their ovens in the city.

Improve camera skills, if only slightly - It's pretty far down the priority list, after family, fun, teaching, trips to SF, being involved in the lives of those around me. But, my camera and I pretty much do all these together, so it would be a great advantage to spend time reading up on the how-to's. And maybe even a little Photoshop or Lightroom. Here is a group of pictures that I captured while doing some second shooting at a wedding with my friend Julie.

Being a professional photographer, she touched up my pictures making them look amazing. This  shows me there is soooo much I can learn about such things. I don't make a good wedding photographer, either. I prefer capturing the unusual or personal, rather than wedding party people.

A practical hopeful, be more affectionate. I didn't grow up around touchy people so it doesn't come naturally. But I'm so far from those growing up days, that there are really no more good excuses for that one either. Time to show a bit more of what's inside.

See how many miles we can bike with the kids in a year. What I am really really really hoping for, is to try some new trails. Lead Man and I are such creatures of habit. So far...about 6 miles, one iced tea, a latte, and 2 frappes.

Take the privilege of praying for my husband and kids more seriously. I've been focusing on this a bit more lately,  and plan to continue throughout the year.

My hopefuls are pretty simple and coincide with our original on-the-grassy-hill goals. I'm pretty happy with my uncomplicated life. If any big stuff needs to change, I'm sure we'll figure that out along the way. Life has a way of leading forward.

I would love to hear some of your favorites and hopefuls, too! We are all different, with unique gifts, personalities and purposes. May your families and lives be blessed this year as you walk in your own adventure ahead.

These are my days...