we survived summer 2013 {part 1}

So, how have you enjoyed my big bloggy comeback? I know. Sad. My girlies have asked me to start blogging again. Several times, actually. I need to. If nothing else, so we can look back and determine what we actually did each month. My memory fails me when it comes to the details, if I don't write. it. down. right. when. it. happens. *sigh*

In other news, I almost forgot how to navigate through Blogger, in order to write a new post. A sign it's been too long... or I'm getting too old, but that's another post. 

Much has happened this past year. Much of it taking my wit and energy (read as: my ability to put 2 cohesive sentences together in order to blog). Motherhood became more on-the-go, yet remained fulfilling. Honestly, there's no way to describe motherhood before it happens to you. Best full-time-tiring job one can ever have. Ever.

On to our summer. I feel as though I need a t-shirt that says, "I survived summer 2013." No joke. With a hubby who traveled most of the summer and 2 girls who had me running on different sides of a very large concrete jungle, I nearly became unraveled a couple of times.

Nator auditioned for a professional theater and they saw something in her as the character of Annetta Bell in their Anne of Avonlea main stage production. Here she is all dolled up in her costume. Also, this is what cloud 9 looks like.

Backstage, there was much fun with the cast between scenes. Since there were hardly any costume changes (thankyoujesus), the kids were mostly found making crafts (rainbow loom, anyone?): jumping rope, reading books, working on creative writing, or simply chatting.

Several theater friends and family (Granny & Aunt C) came to view the performance... as well as, friends we didn't get pictures with. So blessed.

The final goodbye at our main-stage was bitter-sweet.

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Then it was off to a very popular outdoor stage in our area for mic checks, in preparation for our last performance.

Our director was super sweet and we were privileged to be a part of her inaugural main-stage direction. Also, backstage never looks as glamorous as you imagine. ha!

Final bows are always a tad emotional. Even after 16-17 performances. Tired from the journey, but sad to see such a positive experience come to an end. 

Of course, we are always in the works for what comes next...

Soon, I'll share the other performance that coincided with this one over the summer. Never a dull moment around here, y'all. ;)

simply thankful

my mantra last year, 2012, was supposed to be simplify... i heard that snicker.
i had good intentions.  really.  in motherhood, though, i think we can all agree that things get complicated.  it's a title that makes us feel as if we're running in circles, all the while hoping we are going somewhere rewarding.  which, i'm sure, we are.

let's be completely honest for a moment.  maybe you've pinned 379 projects on your pinterest board during insomnia spells, but by a realistic day's end, you're thinking that the fact that you've kept the children alive, schooled, relatively fed, and somewhat clean is quite the accomplishment, right? 

i'm right there with ya.

so, where have i been these past months?  {has it really been that long?  geesh.}  well... i've been fully engrossed in the lives of a busy hubby and 2 purdy girlies.   come day's end, my body literally hurts and the idea of putting 2 sentences together gives me a headache.  not to mention the fact that my kids are getting older and sometimes i think they might not want me talking about them on such a public forum forever, you know.

however... guess who's missed the ol' bloggy?  yep.  the girls.  {hi, girls!  mama is trying to make a come-back.  just don't pay attention to the improper grammar, mkay?}

sometimes, one needs to be reminded as to why one started a blog in the first place... without getting lured into the temptation to compare one's life with others online.  or feel obligated to market the blog for money making.  *sigh* 

i mean, honestly, how many truly genuine blogs reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly?

{this pic cracked. me. up.  obviously, hubs, nor i, held the remote for this pic.  hmmm...}

i asked my hubs how one would catch up on everything since one's last post??  he said, "you wouldn't.  just start from where you are now."  such a wise man.  nevertheless, he married a picture hoarder.  so, i might just try to go back and highlight a few memories.

however, today, i will simply post a thankful heart.

life gets messy.  crumbs gather under the table, endless mounds of laundry stockpile, uncomfortable conversations sometimes need to be had, the kitchen table gets flooded with junk mail, feathers get ruffled, life disappoints.

but, through it all, we have each other. 
that alone brings us joy. 
and even makes this mama thankful for the crumbs underneath the table.

someone i love put them there. 

so, we give these little people neck-pie.
because we love them much more than the crumbs.
then ask them to help clean up the mess. ;)

truth is, i kinda dig these people.

truth is, i started this post a month ago. 

truth is, i'm still striving for simple.
maybe the answer to simplifying is to simply find the joys in all of life's busy during the busy.

truth is, i've had many distractions this evening and now i'm too deliriously tired to proofread.  i apologize for any misspeltings.

april-may ~ week 18 {life's a beach}

sometimes, i get so caught up in the logistics of what needs to be done before we can leave our home - even for a few nights - that i'm tempted to think it's not worth the effort.

our schedules have been a lil' on the hectic side, especially hub's.  he doesn't get paid enough for what he contributes to his team.  there.  i said it.  i shall leave it alone now.  i'm sure that was a bloggy sin.  anyone else tire of all the unwritten rules of blogging?  anyone else maybe in need of some chocolate?

needless to say, we yearned to get away.  don't get me wrong.  we love a good stay-cation as much as the next person, but sometimes a person needs to escape the projects at every turn, begging to be finished, in order to truly relax.  our house is feeling like that about now.  things are beginning to fall apart.  dishwasher, anyone?  things need to be organized, painted, and repaired.  mama needs a new {to me} vehicle.  something dependable, while hubs is out of town, you know?  whine much?  pass the chocolate, please.

hahhhh... things are looking better already. ;)

so this week started with school.  again, i will say that i wish that i'd been educated like this.  we are continuing to breeze through the middle ages in history.  we love learning about this time period, but so much of it was flawed... and, dare i say, still quite barbaric?  eek.



relaxed learning. 
totally.
at home, or on the go.

i've been listing older curriculum to sell online to help pay for our much anticipated curriculum, sonlight.  the girls are chomping at the bits to order.  makes me happy to see them eager to receive books for school.  i plan to go through the house to see what else we can part with to raise funds.  wish me luck!

beau's favorite spot?  under my feet. 
right in front of the oven.
waiting for turkey bacon to fall from heaven?

 

theater.  dance and piano lessons.  

you know, the usual.

singing do-re-me harmony with my lil' maria.
dragging my child to the gym.  she has book in hand, snack and ipod within reach.  clearly, she was suffering, while not pedaling.

post-juice veggie massacre.  best multi-vitamin evah.
long-legged jasmine.  she fits in our family, yes?
gracie singing the sound of music upside-down.

a pic of my headboard.  because my 'must-do-before-we-leave' chore-list made me feel overfatigued... and old.  it's where i collapsed.  long enough to instagram a picture, that is.

on our way out, we picked up chili's.  because mom didn't put "cook dinner" on the to-do list. oops. {note sarcasm}  but you should have seen my list! 




when younger, i was a fish.  you couldn't get me out of the water.  this trip, i only craved time spent in a good book.  gracie craved email at the end of the day.  sometimes, she makes me desire an amish lifestyle.  it could be good for her.

we packed food for our three free nights in the condo on the beach.  hubs made most of the meals. lord bless him.  why does a grilled turkey and cheese taste better when someone else cooks it?

he was also the parent that was first to go in the water with the girls.  and build sand castles.  he's pretty awesome at it.

no worries.  mom got her feet wet, too.  searching for shells is what i like to do.  gracie and i collect them.




our closest beach is normally quite murky. brown water. brown sand.  but we're thankful for it.

even if we happen to pick the time of year during the annual seaweed invasion.  it's for the health of the beach, so i guess we can't complain. 



except when a huge batch of it wraps around your leg and you think the loch ness monster is about to eat you alive.

however...
if you stay out of the water to read a good book,
listen to the sound of the ocean, 
enjoy your kids nearby digging to china in the sand,
soaking in the salty breeze,
in the shade,
it's heaven on earth.  
or as close as we'll get to it where we live.

then, all of the work it took to get here, 
suddenly seems worth it.



until you get pinched by a crab.

{due to our science lesson, we were able to determine that this little guy was, indeed, a boy crab.  just thought you should know.}

the end.

the post that will never be and spilling beans

most of my {favorite} online communication often comes through email.  there, it can be made more personal.

remember quite a while back, i mentioned posting a Q & A regarding the emails i'd received from people related to ministry?? institutional church ministry, to be exact?   i know.  it's been a while.  it's okay if you don't remember.  honestly, i was hoping you'd forgotten. ;)

truth is, i just haven't been able to put words to the heart of this matter.  it's a delicate dance, this subject of church.

truth is, while i do my best to share words of comfort with those who've been wounded by the institutional church, {hear come the beans...} it's not the reason our family has not regularly attended a church in nearly three years.

i heard that *gasp*.

it's okay.  just a handful of years ago, i would have gasped, too.

truth is, we are all at different places, asking questions, and making sense of theology passed down.  many have their own interpretation of biblical standards.  i'm not here to say who's right and who's wrong.  only... i'm there, too, asking questions.  we only know that what we do {after 20 yrs of institutional church ministry} works for our family.

besides... sometimes, i wonder if the lord must grieve or giggle at our seemingly elementary theologies and judgmental thoughts {sometimes... backed with criticism}.

{to know me is to know that a critical conversation tires me more than doing a full afternoon of laundry.  i'm pretty sure, anyway.  let's not test that for the sake of this post, mkay?  ;)  you know... we shouldn't call out the toothpick in someone's eye when there's a 2x4 in our own.  agree?}

the older i get... *ehem*  in all of my studies, and more importantly, in listening to my heart, the theology that makes the most sense to me is that god is a god of love.  we've barely begun to scratch the surface of his unfathomable love.  and for that, i am eternally grateful.  {a scene from toy story just popped in my head. sorry.}

living love is more powerful than a sermon.

{the following video is not suitable for young viewers...}



may i always be willing to see people with {unconditional} love.  loving people where they are and not where i think they should be.

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

Mother Teresa

thoughts?

still gonna be my friend?  ;)


{oh... recently, i deleted my personal facebook account.  *heartpalpitations*  it was my last connection with several people we knew from our days of pastoring.   it was time.  but... i opened another one under my blog name.  *nevermind. i just deleted it*  you can  visit me on twitter.   twitter friends are better than google search.  just sayin'.}

bedroom makeover {revealed}

it recently dawned on me that i had completed a project...
and completely forgotten to fill you in.

that's a bloggy sin somewhere, i'm sure.

my master bedroom.  my poor-poor master bedroom.
it's the room that fell victim to piles of paperwork... and laundry waiting to be folded.
it's the room that we collapsed in each night.
the exhaustion was the only thing that kept me from becoming a complete basket case from having to look at said piles each evening.
that... and the hope that it would one day be as i envisioned it in my head.

it's supposed to be the most relaxing room, right?

*insert uncontrollable laughter*

for years i've wanted new bedroom furniture.
why, you ask?

feast your eyes on this...

i should warn you.
it's brutal.

and the mess?
i forgot to take a good 'before' shot, so this is a 'middle' shot.

middle is always worse, right?



you feel my pain now?

i should also tell you that i'm fighting back every urge to run these two pictures through photoshop to edit them black and white... you know, so they would look... ummmm... less messy?  and brassy brown?
i fight the urge for your viewing pleasure.

we needed something budget friendly, so buying all new furniture has not really been an option.  the used furniture i searched through was too expensive for the quality.  so i sanded, painted, and placed polycrylic on my own.  updating the hardware was a must.  oi.

so after a lot of good ol' fashioned elbow grease...
enter our new {shabby-chic} relaxing room.



these are sooc {straight out of camera}, so please excuse the poor lighting.
mama is a lil' busy this week.
ah!
but i think i adjusted the wb {white balance} in camera enough to display an accurate color.



as you may remember, hubs and i made the headboard with used cabinet pieces bought from habitat for humanity and painted them, along with the remaining lumber that was needed.  there are several websites which give instruction on how to make headboards out of doors or cabinets.



ummm... excuse the dust.  it shows up better on dark furniture? ;)

the vinyl was bought on clearance at tarjet.  i cut some of it to come from behind a picture over our bed.



excuse the doggy bone.  jazzy hasn't learned to pick up her things, despite my best efforts.

silver platters found at the salvation army.

i had several frames that were not being used, so i spray painted them white, and put a coat of polycrylic, as well.



my sweet little bird came from hobby lobby.
in their clearance aisle.
i love that aisle.

keeping the glass in two of our white frames, hubs and i can write messages to each other.
using dry erase markers.



yfa.
yours for always.
it's part of a song we sang to each other at our wedding.
this acronym has followed us ever since.

i splurged on curtains and a duvet, buying them a little at a time
@ bed, bath and beyond.
don't you just love the smell in there?

my curtains smell yummy.
i sniff them every now and again.
clearly, i have issues.

i bought a yummy smelly thingy there, too.
technical term, i'm sure.
my room smells like the store now.
hahhhhh...
relaxing, indeed.



my bedding was pieced together.
marshalls, kirklands, and target.

i made the bedskirt.
that's why it's extra long.
don't laugh.
i was going for the 'draped' look on purpose. ;)

this off-white frame was given to us at our wedding...
18 years ago.
gracie made those signs when she was practicing for dance competition.
"if you fall, get back up."
it's a good rule to live by, yes?



plates were an overflow from our kitchen.
personalized in permanent ink from a 9 and 11 year old.
"yfa" frames came from hobby lobby half off.
i love half off.
and accents of zebra.

if nothing else, jasmine is clearly impressed.
even her bed matches the room...
but sometimes the floor looks relaxing, too.
when you're a dog.

it's now my favorite room.

confessions and wonderings

hubs and i are in the final planning stages of our alaskan get-a-way and we have no activities set in concrete.  yet.  i'm super excited.  on the inside, i'm jumping up and down like a squeal-y school. girl.  on the outside, i'm calm-cool-and-collected.

what would you want to do in alaska?  so many choices.  the squeal may come bursting through soon.  yes, i'm that giddy.

i'm also nervous about logistics.  of which there are many.  i will miss my girlies.  if it weren't for my hubs, i'm not sure things like this would happen.  i'm a home-body at heart... with a flare for the adventurous.

we were hoping it would work out to surprise the girls with a trip to disney by the end of the year.  we wanted it be a surprise in case it didn't work out... and to get their reaction on film.  you've seen those commercials, right?   note to self:  one should never leave tweetdeck open on computer when one has sent direct messages to a friend about said trip.  11 yo may read it.  and cry because she realizes she shouldn't have.  oh well... surpriiiise!!! maybeeee!  ;) 

i'm wondering how long a cat can stay home alone?  you know... before retaliating against parents for leaving said cat for an extended amount of time.  i don't want any presents upon return... if you know what i mean.  i think said cat will be fine.



even with doses of melatonin, my body has seemingly found a loophole.  once awake, i'm up.  not cool.  so i find myself googling other things to try here during crazy hours of the night.  i think my next step will be taking L-tryptophan, an amino acid.  it's supposed to help your body produce melatonin on its own.  or induce funny dreams.  i don't know.  don't listen to me.  i'm sleep deprived.



gracie's camera ready "cheeeeese" smile and nator's sweetness.  kills me every time.  doesn't nator's expression {on the left} make you *giggle* just a little? ;)

i'm wondering why i ever thought short hair was a good idea on me.  these are the flattering pix.  really.  the others.  not so much.  i'm sure it had something to do with having small children.  if a third had come along, shaving the head may have been next.

there was a window of one year in which hubs and i were on the same page in having a third child.  it didn't happen.  infertility is not fun.  the other years, one of us talked reason into the other.  we took turns in that role.  sometimes i still wonder what one more may have been like.  *sigh*

i have been on the verge of old-picture-induced tears.  can these girlies pause growing up for just a little while?  please?



old cameras with cute babies are a crying shame.  cameras have come a long way, baby... and these are sooc.  the quality of older photos makes me seem much older *cough* than what i actually am *cough*.

i'm sure i have more to confess, but i'm off to see if this second dose of melatonin will sneak me in a couple more hours of age-defying sleep! if there are any grammatical errors or messpeltings, i blame it on the melatonin.

oh... and also, i don't like 'labeling' my posts.  i have too many labels. ;)

okay.  i'm done.  night-night... or good morning.

no beiber, nor baby fever here

Today, I'm joining Joyce from This Side of the Pond for her weekly hodgepodge random.  Joyce does random well.  Even when she has a lot going on.  Falling icicles.  Crazy weather.  Airport drama.  And all.  She has two beautiful daughters she loves spending time with, and a hubby who travels a lot.  Maybe our husbands have met on a plane.  If not, maybe one day.

1. What is more important-doing what you love or loving what you do?

Maybe it's late, but I don't see the difference??  Or maybe I'm just under the influence of dark chocolate... I may or may not have just eaten.  So my answer is... yes.  :)  I'm not even making sense to myself... and I'm only on #1. 

2. Do you like bleu cheese?

No.  And no offense to those who do, but to me... it simply looks like left-overs that have been in the fridge waaaay past expiration.  A Science experiment gone bad?  Not that we've done that, you know. 

3. What is the most difficult emotion for you to handle?

Wow.  That's a loaded question.  Ummm... I've experienced a lot in my lifetime and I would have to say that grief would be a tough one.  Losing someone really close to me.

4. Fresh flowers or a box of chocolate? 

I'm guessing this is a Valentine's Day question?  Honestly?  They say that love is in the details, right?  If you want to give me 'warm-heart-fuzzies', do something out of the ordinary.  Flowers and chocolates are nice {and appreciated}, but something that shows sentimental thought goes a lot further than the 'expected' gifts.  And makes the best memories.  ;)  A planned date.  A surprise item I happen to mention in conversation.  Time spent together.  A letter... 

5. What's a song you love that has the word 'love' in its title? It doesn't have to be a 'love song'. 

Again, I'm cheating a bit.  Hubby sang "I Will Be Here" {Steven Curtis Chapman} to me at our wedding.  It doesn't say love in the title, but it makes me feel loved.  An instant tear-jerker.

6. Are you the person you wanted to be when you grew up?

I am certainly doing what I envisioned myself doing when I was little.  Wife and mother.  I like the sound of that.

7. Any special Valentines Day plans?

We will probably spend a quiet evening at home with our girlies.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

First, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to Heather @ Faith, Family, and Fun for this Stylish bloggy award...  Me?  Stylish?  *giggle*  {Thank you, my homeschoolin' friend!!} 

Secondly, if you are reading my bloggy for the first time {or for the 2 of you who've been here 48 times - hi, hubs}, please don't linger in the archives {long}.  It makes me nervous.  Why?  I forget much of what I write.  One day, I could be having a bad-mama day... and the next, I could be having 'baby-fever'.  Not that I am.  There are no 'baby-fever' posts that come to mind.  Just an example, you know.  This mama is getting too old for that kind of talk.  Maybe if I were younger.

{Speaking of fever... have you seen this lil' 3 year old with a major case of Bieber fever??  I'm speechless.  Wow.}

Surely, I'm not the only blogger who feels this way??  About the 'reading of the archives', that is.

Thirdly, and lastly, {I hear that *sigh*} thank you to everyone who has been so kind regarding these silly vlogs lately.

Maybe I've gotten a bit too comfortable with you guys.  I mean... no makeup, nose and mouth shots of me most of the time {because I'm not always able to see what's being filmed - i'm driving}, squealing girlies, lots of conversations with my dog.  Crazy.  But I'm just keepin' it real, you know. ;)

All that to say... You know how to make a mama feel special.

(((((hugehugs)))))

Late night Ponderings

Mama is tuckered out, so I apologize for the non-picture post.  I'm allowed those occasionally, right?  I keep backspacing to correct my tiredness, or sudden dyslexia.  I'm not sure.  Did I mention I was tired?  

I've had a lot to blog about, just not the time {lately} to put two sentences together, so before I forget, I wanted to jot some things down. 

Here are a list of night-time ramblings of a tired, mom-taxied-out, over-scheduled mama of two sweet girls that keep me running... I really do love this season of life. ;)

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I would never want to be a single parent.  The responsibility of what I do, combined with everything DK does would be... Well, I don't even want to think about it.  God bless those who do it!  Seriously.  Your crown in heaven will be great, I'm sure.

 

This is our first week of {all} activities we've been planning for the fall.  Lord. help. me.  4 dance lessons. 2 piano lessons. 1 theater rehearsal. each. week.  Sounded great on paper.  There are also 2 more try-outs the girls want to shoot for.  I'm afraid one of those may not happen.  I mean, what if they make both?!  More rehearsals on the calendar.  I don't think I have it in me.  {Sorry girls.  Love you.  Mean it.}

Oh yeah.  And we re-joined our old gym.  Apparently, the grass is not greener on the other side.  Although cheaper, other gyms couldn't duplicate that Cheers-everybody-knows-your-name-feelin'.  Some things you can't put a price on.  AND the girls 'get to' workout with Mama on the cardio equipment.  Yay!!  So far, they like it.  So far.  Their abs were hurt this morning.  Mine would, too, going from 0 to 40 {full-inclined} sit-ups overnight.  Ha! 

Have I expressed my approbation of my hubs?  I believe it's been a whole month now.  He's been waking me up getting up at 4:30 a.m. each work morning to drive to the gym.  So. SO. proud.  And taking his vitamins... Be still, my beating heart.  ;)

As I type, Nator is watching Annie {ah, sweet nostalgia} and Gracie is watching the cartoon network.  I'm eating raw almonds with dark chocolate M&Ms.  I know.  I'm a walking contradiction.  

 

My favorite M&Ms are the chocolate colored {probably because of that line in the movie, The Wedding Planner.  You know, when Matthew McConaughey says the chocolate ones may have less artificial coloring "since chocolate is brown anyway."} and green {probably because the green one is a girl, so they say}.  Yeah.  I wouldn't try to understand my logic either.

 

I've been in hibernation {you know, between sprints in the mom-taxi}, putting together workboxes for the girls.  If I don't see a laminator {or a pair of scissors} for a long time, it will be perfectly fine with me.  I know I don't mention it often, but home educating is a full time job.  Thankfully, I love my job. ;) 

Once in a Khol's dressing room, I overheard a woman speaking on the phone about her opinions on homeschool.  She said, "I would never recommend anyone homeschool... It only leads to someone living on welfare..."  I mostly felt sorry for her after I got over the impetuous urge to jump over the wall and give her a piece of my mind.  She'd obviously been misinformed, but I felt any attempt to defend this avenue of education would've been an impervious attempt. {deep breaths, hmama, deep breaths}

Do you ever wonder about blog safety?  I have and do.  I'm always scanning my pictures for little details that would give our exact location away.  Blurring license plates, Jasmine's collar info, real names, etc, etc. Yes, I give away some location destinations, but I figure no one knows how far we had to drive to those locations from where we live. As a bloggy friend, would you please {PLEASE} let me know if I missed anything in a picture that would be considered dangerous in giving away our location?  Wonder why I'm pondering this even more tonight?  Read this post by Mama's Losin' It.  I don't think we could ever be too careful.

I'm ready for some fall scripted reality TV.  Completely mindless, as it should be.

The messiest room in my house is the master bathroom.  I'm learning to accept that it may always be this way.  The counter was meant for stacks of clothes, right?  {Sorry, hun}  I'm not sure why I felt compelled to write that.  Confession is good for the soul?  Too much chocolate?  Deliriously tired?

Okay, before I collapse turn on some mindless TV, let me leave you with a few quotes from our girlies.  Thoughts that are much more coherent then my own, at this hour, I'm sure.

 

********************************

 

The ponderings of an 8 and 10 year old...

 

Nator:  "Sun rays look like God is bringing someone to heaven because it's so beautiful."

 

Gracie:  "How much do you imagine I love you?"

Me:  "Ummm... Hopefully past the universe."

Gracie:  "No.  I love you more... More than you can imagine."

{M&Ms not melting.  My heart?  Yes}

Gracie's friend speaks with a lisp.  When she spends time with her, I notice a slight lisp in Gracie's speech.

Me:  "We need a speech class for English."

Gracie:  "I know how to speech English."

 

{We speech English fluently.}

 

As Jasmine was snoring underfoot, Nator was typing away with Mavis Beacon, and Gracie was working on math.  I said {in a very muah-ha-ha voice}, "I LOVE the smell of learning!"   Nator said, "It smells like dog."  Haha!  Just for the record, I'm not sure what learning is supposed to smell like.

Pandora thought I would like Sweep Me Away, by Kari Jobe.  Toward the end of the song, it repeats the words "covers me". 

Gracie:  "Colors meat?!  Is that all she's gonna say?"

Nator:  {Bonked her heel} "I don't know if I'll be able to do chores."

Me:  "Oh, no!  We have a handicapped child?"

Nator:  "Hey, we don't know if I'm paralyzed yet." 

{And I'm taking them to a weekly drama/theater class?}

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Dare I hit 'publish'?

Are you still there?

Hello?