the opposite

Today... I want to be creative.  I need to make something.  I need to take hold of some idea and bring it to life.  

The trouble is... and this is going to sound funny.  It is that my garage is a disaster.  Yes, I know.  But that is where all of my crafting items are.  And they are in disarray.  Major disarray.  So I actually need to clean the garage first, or at least my area of the garage.  But that is not very inspiring.

And there is where the problem lies.  Organize.  Then create.  But the two seem so opposed.

And I do not even want to clean the garage today... so my solution.  is...  Do what I don't want so that I can eventually do what I do want.  Yikes.  I see a life lesson brewing.

Didn't I just tell the Kindergartners that yesterday?  Why are these simple lessons so hard to learn!!?

Well...

the cold wind from last week has definitely calmed.  It was been hot!  Actually, Friday it warmed and since then we've been warm, even at night!  It feels like summer. 

Abigail made the plan in her head at school yesterday that when she got home, she would have ice cream.  She had a cookies n cream ice cream cone.  Then at her softball practice, her coach brought more... her second cone of the day.

And we brought OtterPops to Bella's game... Abigail had 3.  I'm thinking she's getting a little spoiled with the icy cold treats!  Ah well.  It's not every day, I tell myself.

But we are having fun.  We are loving it. Tonight we'll BBQ and I am going to make lemonade.  So summery!  

I love Spring.  It's spring!  Don't you love it?  AND it must be strawberry season.  The air smells like strawberry jam... and the truckers are lining our streets.  Shipping the strawberries all over the world!  And we got some fresh picked ones in our veggie subscription yesterday!  Yummy!!

OK, now I am rambling.  Hope you have a great week!   I hear this weekend is going to be WARM and SUNNY back east!  Enjoy it!!  :)

another day

Thursday, and almost the end of Spring Break!  This has been a week of staying home and cleaning house and being together.  Mostly it has been great- minus the fact that somehow the house is still a mess and the girls are weaving in and out of getting along and fighting like crazy. 

We are on to the upstairs,  moving around the sleeping arrangements and (hopefully) getting rid of stuff we don't need. (We have SO many toys!)

And I am making a wintery split pea soup to warm us up since the cold strong wind has been blowing us over all week!  

And by the way... I removed the music player!  Are you glad?  I am.  I hate it when music loudly starts on a page because my volume is turned up... and before my player had the autostart option turned OFF, which is way better.  So anyway.  Music player gone.  I can hear you already saying (good riddance!).

painting fun

We needed a little creativity today.... or at least I did!!  So we got the paints out!  The door made a perfect canvas (I hope it comes off?)  I totally saw this in an H & M catalog.  So fun!!  :)

life journal online

1 Samuel 17

David and Goliath

 ¹ Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ² Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. ³ The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

This little excerpt is from my reading today from the life journal online.  (I love that it's online and I can just sit here at my computer with my coffee and read the Bible for the day!)

Anyway.  This is the first sentence of the passage of the "David and Goliath" story.  I can't get past the locations.  The names remind me of places from "Lord of the Rings" or "Narnia" (I know the authors of those books were bible scholars...).  It is crazy to me that it is so very detailed and particular.  It makes me want to find some ancient map and pinpoint the exact location.  To visual exactly how the armies were lined up when this story took place- an imaginary painting in my head of the battle lines.  I am sure it makes a difference that Socoh was in Judah and that the Philistines camped half way between.  I think there is so much to miss in this simple passage- so much more to learn from the details!!

I want to see it.  I want to see a photograph of the modern location- and imagine the ancient armies out there in all of their glory.

So off I go to Blue Letter Bible and Google search.  I mean, someone knows, right?  Or at least think they know?  And Yes!  They do!  The top photo is the Elah Valley, where the battle happened.  The middle is the brook where David probably found his stones.  The bottom is the view the Philistines might've had as they made camp at "Ephes Dammim".  Crazy, isn't it? Just crazy!!

And I can see it.  For 40 days and nights... big 'ol Goliath with his 125 pound armor on.... yelling and taunting the Israelites on those long days!  In the middle of that Valley!  All of the Israelites hiding for fear.  Until little David comes with the heart of a warrior and full trust in God!  And not with heavy armor, but picking up stones on his way- doing what he knew, what he practiced tending his sheep!  And he defeats the giant with a stone from that creek.  David with his sling shot against the 15 pound end of the spear that Goliath held with ease!  

The story comes alive for me when I can see it- picture it not in childhood cartoon notions, but in the real!  I love that I can just google it!!  ...And now you've seen the nerdy part of me!!  I love maps!  And the tangibles.  It is so interesting to me!

Easter

we found this flower crown on the way to the restrooms.  on the way back we ran in to the girls who were making these beautiful creations, braiding together daisies. isn't it amazing??

Bella found the golden egg!  she got a giant basket of treats...

Evie and candy! (One egg was plenty at the easter egg hunt!)

Emma was super excited to get a diego easter pail.  she said "Mom! you got this for me?  Mom.... you're so cute!"

 and coloring the eggs!

be loved

"...He is jealous for me.

Loves like a hurricane; I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory- 

and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so.

How He loves us, 

How He loves us so.

Yeah, He loves us!

Oh how He loves us!

Oh how He loves!!

We are His portion and He is our prize,

drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes-

If grace is an ocean we're all sinking.

So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss 

and my heart turns violently inside of my chest.

I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about

the WAY HE LOVES US!"

I am obsessed with this song by John Mark McMillan, to the point that Abigail likes to tell me to STOP SINGING that song!!  But the point is.  He loves us.  HE LOVES US!  So.  SO.  He loves us.  And in the light of that love, all other things sort of fade away.  All of the afflictions, the grief, the fear, the regrets....  They fade in the light of God's great love for us.  It's playing on my music player right now... be loved!!

first installment

We were so excited to get home and find a Trader Joe's bag overflowing with fresh veggies.  We ordered a subscription from my favorite blue house lady- organic produce grown just a couple of blocks away!!  So exciting.  It was like opening up a treasure chest... and best, the girls are so excited to try everything!!  Green & red leaf lettuce, green onions, cauliflower, strawberries, spinach, parsley, kohlrabi (which I had to look up- a combo of cabbage & turnip), fennel, carrots, radishes... and more!  So so incredibly fun!!

the latest