Slow Mornings!

I love Saturday mornings and snow days. I love having nothing much to do days. Though I think in the back of my mind I should be cleaning, I'm going to sit and enjoy nothing much. I'll enjoy an extra cup of coffee with my best friend, I watch my kids create fun from nothing, and I'll sit. Sometimes I get up to eat something (well, I do that part a lot).

I love a slow day. Maybe I'll craft something, maybe I'll find the bottom of my laundry room, maybe I'll finish reading Jeremiah, maybe I'll finger paint with the kids. Who knows.. Nothing pressing on my time today. It's the best kind of day.

10 inches of snow, bring it!! You know, I may create some food from the pantry for lunch. Maybe make biscuits with the kids.... Who knows. It's cold outside, but under my quilt, I'm content as content can be! My baby just brought me her Christmas party dress to put on. For her it's a party day.

Amazing Milestone

Harper Joy Sonnet,

Dear sweet second daughter, everyday you bless my heart. I so enjoy your spunk, and quiet friendly ways. You are silly and shy, and you have been so excited about reading for such a long time. I have a little secret... You have been able to read for a long, long time, but your dad and I slowed you down a little to give you a good foundation in phonics. I love how excited you are about reading!

I pray you grow to love reading as much as your daddy and I do. My prayer is that you love God's word and that you make the time in your day to love and learn from the word of God. I pray that the word changes you and deepens you.

Harper, I love you. I love hearing you read. You are a very bright and energetic young lady. It is such a blessing to be your mother. It's an exciting time for you. I love how you are growing in such grace sweet girl.

Mommy

High Calling...the morning routine

Some mornings I fail at the high calling of loving my children well. The first step to doing morning well is me being the first one awake. When I take the time to spend time with Jesus, I am much more on the ready to love my babies well.

This morning as I woke my children to get ready for their days, I observed four very different personalities. One woke kind and motivated to get going. Another woke crying and struggled at every turn. The next, jumped out of bed and started running, eyes not really opened, but running nonetheless. The last woke clingy, needing touch. I can look at the list of my waking children and it is evident which personalities lend themselves to be easier to love. But like I previously stated, as a mom, it's not my calling to love only the lovable. Interesting to that, if the Lord didn't love me in my unlovable state, where the heck would I be. Truly, I have the more difficult kind of personality in the morning myself.

So, how do I speak the gospel into our mornings? How do I bring gentleness to my crier, and love to my clingy child. How do I slow down my rusher, and also, how do I take time to love on the self-starter. I realize writing this, the easiest to love is sometimes the one that goes unloved, as the others are so adept at being needy. Golly, love is complicated.

I have another chance to start the day with my kids tomorrow. May I depend on the grace that is provided...

1.1.11

Happy New Year! I just read Psalm 61. It is my prayer for this year...

Hear my cry, O God,
Listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.

Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of
your wings!

May I walk near to you in this coming year. May I take refuge in the shelter of Christ.

The Cottage Home: Laptop / Kindle / I-Pad Sleeve Tutorial

The Cottage Home: Laptop / Kindle / I-Pad Sleeve Tutorial

I so so so want to make this! Autumn...think we can?

Love Today!

You know the days that just feel too full of peace. Too much goodness in the simple, I'm feeling very undeserving. I'm enjoying the quiet of my home, as I watch my kids play pretend out in the back yard. Jason moved the spent Christmas tree into the yard and Lake is pretending he's cutting it down. The girls and I have been reading Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace, and I'm sure they are recreating the scenes from the beautiful story.

I'm cooking for a fish fry with friends (family) tonight, and also for a day with old friends tomorrow. I'm thinking about this moment, this delicious moment of peace and I'm so thankful.

Tonight I'm making cookies, salad, and evil dip that is going to cause me to gain 5 pounds before next weekend. And I'm cooking spaghetti for a favorite family of about 10 that will come down the mountain from Asheville tomorrow. They are the best, but the boys have gotten so big, so I'm cooking loads. My favorite thing about them is...well, one of my favorite things, is that they like strawberry jam on their garlic bread. I made sure to stock up.

I'll pass on this amazingly simple evil recipe given to me by one of the college girls in our church. It's pure college food, and I told her we can't be friends now that she introduced me.

Evil Dip

Hunk Cream Cheese (the whole hunk)
Can Chicken Breast
1 Cup Ranch Dressing
1 Cup Wing Sauce

Serve with tortilla chips, are just pour it down your throat.... Ugh, it's too good. I love it all mixed together cold. She said you can add cheese to the top and serve it hot. Not me, cold...

Happy Little Nest

Having all the kids home is such a sweet gift. I love the moments with each child, hearing them play with kindness with one another. Reading books, watching movies, going to a museum, cooking, snow, snuggles, sleeping a little, it's been a ball of a break. I don't want the kids to go back...

2010 has been a Christmas break that will go down in history as one of my very most favorites!