...from here

Another

2011-04-29T13:45:00.001-07:00

In case u didn't notice, my blogging skills are lacking!! If you miss me, you can check in on me at Facebook: Annie Moore, on Pinterest, or at www.makestuffcute.tumblr.com :) I can't promise I will or won't update one or any of these social media sites!! Even this one might get an update if the genius falls! ;)

Have a great day!

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Sushi

2010-12-17T12:29:00.001-08:00

Have I mentioned how much Emma loves sushi? She LOVES it!! I got some especially for her the other night and she ate it up!!

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shine.

2010-12-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

Our family was watching "The Nativity" the other night when I realized.... My girls have a heart for justice. When they saw the images on the screen- actors portraying women being sold and exchanged for taxes.... children being murdered in the streets for the sake of power, their hearts screamed out. Tears spilled. They know, as children.

This year our CFL theme for the season has been "Shine". We kicked it off with our annual event, Soup for the Soul, where many of the humanitarian efforts we contribute to as a church where highlighted. A few of the them where: writing a letter on behalf of a wrongly imprisoned Pakistani women, our many city outreaches, the now annual Ecuador trip to assist in Christmas parties for some of the poorest of the poor, the trips to Rancho Santa Marta, an orphanage in Mexico and even supporting a company from Cambodia that is made up of exploited women rescued out of human trafficking.

It seems like the world is a very large, very crazy place.... so much wrong to right. Yet, here we are- doing something. And my kids also get to be a part of it. And in the coming years, they will get to participate even more. But I love that they SO WANT to be a part of it.

Which brings me to yet another one of Jewel's songs that I have been loving and humming and praying this year, from her Christmas album. Hands. I love the part that says "I won't be made useless, I won't be idle with despair, I will gather myself around my faith for light does the darkness most fear" (much of the world may be big and bad- but guess who has overcome the world?? That's right, Jesus!) And I love the part that says "We'll fight, not out of spite for someone must stand up for what's right- Where there's a man that has no voice, there ours shall go singing" (Like that lady in Pakistan, the world spoke up and it may make a difference of life or death) You know how I love songs and lyrics.... so here it is :)

Hands

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these

I won't be made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear

Poverty stole your golden shoes
It didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn't ever after

We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing

My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
I am never broken
In the end only kindness matters

I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray

We are never broken
We are God's eyes

God's hands
God's mind
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's heart
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's eyes
We are God's hands
We are God's hands

SHINE. (And they even let me paint the walls! :) )

music speaks

2010-12-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

A few years back I got the Jewel Christmas album. It's pretty mellow, nice for a quiet evening of relaxation or background music while crafting.

This year, a few of the songs have really touched my heart. This one below- so beautiful. I love the part that says "so take my hand and knowing
with it i also give my heart
wanting never to be separate again". And the part that says "
if you were flame i'd allow myself to be consumed completely, were you wind i would wish you pass through me". I love it because it reminds me of our relationship with Jesus... and how when we give our hearts to him, we give completely, and we are never separate again. Isn't that an amazing thing to remember at Christmas?? His gift of life to us.... that is what we are celebrating! :)

"Face Of Love"

until tonight
my heart was just half full
i'd never known the fruit which fed the soul
but now i see what may put to rest my longing

for i have seen, the face of love
the grace of god, the face of love

in silence i feared my heart
would remain words unheard
inside a separateness of skin
but now i know that the skin just veils the soul

for i have seen, the face of love
the grace of god, the face of love

so take my hand and knowing
with it i also give my heart
wanting never to be separate again
let eternity begin

if you were flame
i'd allow myself to be consumed completely
were you wind i would wish you pass through me
but now i know that the skin just veils the soul

for i have seen, the face of love
the grace of god, the face of love

tree trimming

2010-12-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

This year the girls decorated 100% of the ornaments on the tree.... My only job was the lights and ribbon.... then, I sat back and let them go at it. As you can see, they did an amazing job of not putting all of the ornaments on the bottom front of the tree :) I will post a finished product later! :) :)

Rancho el Chorro

2010-10-08T23:39:00.001-07:00

We got to go on a field trip today with the school. Here are some pics. :) it's late.... Goodnight. :)

It is a tarantula. And next, some sweet class friends...

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Picture day

2010-10-07T07:56:00.001-07:00

The girls all dressed up super cute for picture day. I didn't get all of them together but we did get em and evie. They were soooo adorable.

It was Todd's idea for them to wear flowers, so em grabbed the giant red one- it was as big as her head! But it does look pretty sweet so we just went with it :) I can't wait to get them back so I can see how they turned out :)

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She's 3

2010-10-06T16:35:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics from yesterday. We had a sweet little party for the eve-ster. She wanted a princess party. :)

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You knew I'd love it!

2010-10-01T10:45:00.001-07:00

The rain!! Today it is raining! The girls were so excited when they woke up- it reminds me of when I was a kid and it would be snowing when I woke up! So funny.

They found a rainbow in the sky and came running for my camera while yelling "Whoa! It's a.... it's a.... full on rainbow all the way! It's starting to look like a.... Like a... double rainbow!!". (if you're wondering, click here) They are a crack up!!

It was a really beautiful morning!! Some people hate rainy days, but to me it is like a breathe of sweet relaxing fresh air! :) :D

This is the photo they got.... you can kinda see it! :) :)

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Home again

2010-09-27T11:49:00.001-07:00

Back to life! We had such an amazing weekend! Todd was going to a worship conference, so we all tagged along. It was a great getaway. In the evenings we got the privilege of attending The Fathers House worship conference- Brian and Jenn Johnson led worship... It was so good! I felt like I was home again, quiet and loud in God's almost tangible presence. While Todd attended the day sessions, the girls and I stayed in our *really nice* hotel- we enjoyed our 3 room suite and indoor pool. It was so relaxing and fun. We were staying about halfway between Napa and Vacaville, so it was hot! :) We ate our lunch in the courtyard and had sweet naps in the afternoon. And then we toured the JellyBelly factory!

And on Saturday we headed over to San Francisco where we hit the awesome IKEA. The little girls played in the play place for a bit ( till we heard- to our fear over the speakers, "Will Todd Moore please come to the childcare area" ... Uhhhhhh!! But they just missed us!) and we all had fun buying home accessories (well, mostly me ;) )

We drove over the bay bridge... Drove along Fishermans Wharf, headed toward the Golden Gate bridge- which Bella was excited to see because her teacher had just been teaching about it. We then headed to Chinatown and saw the dragon gate and walked and shopped. The girls had a blast.

....of course the Golden Gate...

....And the Dragon Gate...

....Cute Chinatown :)

....And the Bay Bridge! A fun and great adventurous day :)

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love IS a superpower.

2010-09-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Abigail has this thing where she dreams she is a superhero. How cute is that?! It has happened since she was about 3 or as long as she was able to communicate to tell me about her dreams.

Last night she told me she had another one. This time, her superpower was love and her friend's was rainbows. They fought the bad guys and then rode home on a rainbow. Doesn't that sound fun?

I told her it was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard. I wish my dreams were that sweet!

New-ness

2010-09-07T21:25:00.001-07:00

We've taken a break from STOP for a while... Tho now it is desperately needed! Man. But! We did some fun new stuff in our living room. Thanks to my friend Lalena and her great ideas, I am really starting to love the living room- even with it's blue carpet and yellow walls. Well, minus one now :)

Yep, red to match the dining room. It looks totally good. And then we printed out the super cool pic of the girls running from the waves from Costco. Fun new shelf thingy to put stuff on :) ... (And Todd on his iPhone! )

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More learning....

2010-09-01T23:45:00.001-07:00

True, true, true. I really like that I can take a pic of a quote instead of typing the whole thing out. ....is that lazy?! Eh, I say efficient!

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It takes a village

2010-09-01T22:26:00.001-07:00

You know that saying? It takes a village to raise a child? Who was it who said that? Like Hillary or something? Or was she just quoting someone else? Anyways, it doesn't matter, I guess! Just saying... That phrase came to me today as I was thinking about this unorganized house!! It takes a whole village to clean this house!! Lol. No, but really. One project does lead to another, right?!

Today's projects consisted of painting a wall, sanding a table, washing the couch covers, steam cleaning, vacuuming and fluffing the cushions... Washing the windows and hanging different curtains. Sheesh.

And in the meantime, the girls are dreaming of new and fresh ideas for their room. Bella has these crazy ideas for painting and rearranging. Since we can't quite get to all that now, I thought I'd give them their own little project- so after school they went to it. Painting an old bookshelf purple to put in their room. They worked together and for about an hour and a half on it, but still will need to do more tomorrow. I was pretty proud of myself for allowing this could-be-a-disaster... I even didn't try and go back over their paint strokes or constantly tell them to do it this way. But that was also partially because they were doing so great, so I'm proud of them, too. :). I have created monsters!!

On the list for tomorrow... Grocery shopping, picture hanging... More painting... And maybe organizing a little more in the living room. I might try to tackle the toy/book situation. It makes me tired to even think about it!!!! Yikes! I am sure you are all enjoying reading about my cleaning process every day! But hey, it's life ...from here. :)

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My add.

2010-08-31T20:45:00.001-07:00

Today I did finish the entertainment area. But it was very distracting/ADD!! It was less like STOP and more like S.... Oh but I need to clean the patio and pull out that honeysuckle vine..... T..... Oh but I must finish that painting for my friend and also take it to her.... O... And I need to go to the bank and the post office.... P... And the laundry room needs a few labels posted on before I forget, along with a couple loads of laundry.

Somewhere between all of that, picking the girls up and so on... The entertainment center was complete.

The thing about organizing is that I want it DONE!! But it is a journey, and I am reminding myself that continually.

By the way, I have relayed the STOP sessions in the wrong way- it is Sort, Toss, Organize, Put Away. The Sort step is the one where you decide whether to store, donate, toss or keep. Small details which I just thought I'd correct :)

And, just for fun, I thought I'd show you what cleaning looks like at my house. Why does it always get worse before it gets better?!! Lol.

And just for fun again maybe you'd like to see my finished painting (except for that one little spot I missed) for my dear Hoyos friend.

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first STOP.

2010-08-30T14:48:00.001-07:00

My STOP session lasted longer than 20 minutes, but I still had to end the session before the project was finished. Which is actually good because I can come back to it tomorrow with energy to get it completely done. Just like the book says!! So smart!

Before:

And so far:

It might not look that different, but believe me it will cut down on tons of clutter. I got rid of all of the CDs- we never use them! They were just taking up space since all of our music is on mp3 now. I moved all of the old board games to the closet, we don't use them that much, so some will go to goodwill and others will be stowed safely in the closet top until needed. All the Wii accessories now have a spot for functional use and the games and DVDs are also stored so that the ones we use the most are the easiest to reach (hot zone)... And stuff that we don't use all that much ( like home movies or old DVDs I don't want to get rid of) are more in the back (aka 'cold zone').

So I only got half done. And it took like 2 hours. BUT, I did stop! Which is a huge plus- bc ordinarily I just want to start and finish a projet on one afternoon. But now I can get to other things.... and my family might get dinner tonight. Plus I have a project waiting for me tomorrow. A project to finish!

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beginning.

2010-08-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

So today is the day :) I am starting the STOP sessions from HouseWorks. I am sure you are all super excited to know that! These are short, 20 minute sessions of focused clutter control. I chose the first area- the Entertainment Center. Right now it is clutter with Wii accessories, DVDs, video cassettes, board games.... photo albums. Seriously! All that!! And I am trying to remember that it's not about decor, but about functionality. I mean, I want it to look nice, but more than that- I need it to work for our family!! That is a tough one for me :) Sooo. For STOP, I go through it all, choosing what to put in Storage, Toss, Organize or Put Away. I am excited to have this space cleaned from clutter and more useful!

Let me just tell you about a typical day. Wii accessories scattered, white wires..... DVDS out of case and sitting, face down on any flat surface.... games, taken out but not put back (because it is too hard for the kids to maneuver the games back into the small-geometrically-figured-cubby that makes them all fit!) Finger prints.... dust.... ah, mess and clutter.

SO. It will probably take more than 15 minutes. But, maybe not too much more. :) More to come :)

My husband must read my blog

2010-08-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

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Just so you know, I'm not crazy

2010-08-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Just going through my HouseWorks book... Look at what I found...

See?! Label!! It's a critical step in having an organized home! Its probably even more important to have labels that STAY STUCK!! (Don't ever buy those "removable" labels... FYI!!! They are removable all right!) ;) So I'm not that crazy! Just so you all know. :D

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Labels, please!!

2010-08-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Another day of *wishful* organizing. I know that organizing is not about buying stuff..... But I still feel like I really need a label maker. Therefore I am stuck... Because my brain likes to do things in its very certain order and if I don't purposely make the decision to move on and come back to the step that is blocking progress.... I just don't move forward. Wow. Organizing REALLY IS like life! Lol. So... My sticky label aren't working, which was my temporary solution so that I could move on and return later. I am going to Costco ASAP for that darn label maker!! If only my budget agreed. :) I must wait a few more days.

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The journey begins

2010-08-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

I guess getting organized is like life, a journey.

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Day 4

2010-08-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of school and me n evie are chillin and relaxin... :)

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Viva la First Day of School

2010-08-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

We went to Santa Barbara last weekend to celebrate Fiestas and learned about cascarones- eggs full of confetti that you smash on a special person's head. It was so fun that we've been saving our eggs to make our own. Today seemed like the perfect occasion!

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And k

2010-08-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

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2+4

2010-08-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

First dayyyyyyyyyyyyy

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summers gone!?

2010-08-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Wow! this is the last week of summer?! Where the heck did it go?! It flew by! With all the stuff that goes on and 4 kids to keep track of, sometimes it seems like life just speeds on through. But we're ready to head back- even more after a pre-first day visit to the school office to turn in emergency cards. The girls are excited... Evie will be in shock... Schedules will be.... scheduled. So it will be nice to get back into a groove.

School shopping! Emma got the cutest little clothes... Abs got some sweet dresses... Bells got some fun accessories and things that say "bff" and "lol" along with more skinny jeans and a fedora. She's crazy. There were some cute things out there.... the one newest thing that cracks me up are the "jeggings" Jeans/Leggings. Wow. They're so funny and remind me of like 6th grade. Baby doll dresses and leggings.... ikes! As long as the kind with the little loop at the bottom to go under your foot don't come back around ;)

Other than that, not too much. Summer is past! 4th, 2nd and Kinder await!! CrRRRRRAaaaazzzzZZYYY! Right!?

summer fun...

2010-07-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

You might know that Abs made All Stars this summer.... which by the way, is pretty cool because she is a young player for her division- and was one of the youngest on her team. It was a good learning experience for her! And we made some fun new friends! Here are a few pics of the craziness we've been doing all summer!

This was our 3rd fundraiser- car wash!!

Evie made a new little best friend, Lylah! They were inseparable and even cried when they couldn't see each other!! They will probably be playing Tee Ball together in a few years!!

Miss Torey, our favorite new babysitter!! She convinced Abigail's team

that she was her big sister!! And taught the girls new cheers.

And this is the team banner we had hanging at all the games....

Our love

2010-06-09T12:54:00.001-07:00

I'm just posting this to see how much data it takes to post to my blog. To see if we really need the unlimited data plan or not ;) gotta love AT&T and iPhone usage......

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With Everything

2010-06-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with this song in my head... and the phrase (actually it was a book title from the dream I was having....) "Let Love Rise". That's a pretty cool way to start the day!

lunch conversation

2010-06-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Emma: Evie, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Evie: Uhhhhmmmmmm. A Dinosaur!

Emma: A Dinosaur? Oh. I want to sit in the front seat.

If only..... ;)

Photo second

2010-06-05T17:22:00.001-07:00

Wow! It is such a beautiful summer day! Sitting at the gas sation, looking out at the palm trees lining the parking lot... Ready go get a bite to eat by the beach. Oh, the moments. Love it. :)

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Bonita Zoo Trip

2010-05-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

THIS moment.

2010-05-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

Thinking lately.... pondering something I can't get out of my head. It is a little clip-ette from The Truth Project.... I wish I could find it for you. Well, I probably could... but it would take a really long time. :)

Anyway, it was just this little part of a larger message... the part that struck me... wasn't even the point the speaker was making. He did this little illustration... where he said the present, the moment... is like a narrow line moving along in time... turning the future into the past.

Which got me thinking. And thinking. And thinking. My present.... my now.... this moment- IS my past, in the making. And really, DETERMINES my future. Which is obvious.... BUT. Think about it. It really mean that every moment matters. Every one. And thinking how this moment impacts.... my kids.... my family.... my friends... my world.

It makes me want to LIVE.... to LOVE.... to GIVE.... big.

confessions of a hipster

2010-05-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know this girl, but I like her! I saw this on another blog... she has a whole series of funny, satirical, opining v-logs. Funny stuff... and why I love college age people.... so creative, so much energy.. so much potential! ...ey, hope this font isn't Arial.

Kid-Sized

2010-05-06T11:35:00.001-07:00

I was just at Target, which by the way... I love the garden section of any store on a day like today. Beautiful warm sunshine, soft breeze... Just gorgeous! Anyway, I was in the garden section at Target and I wandered a little from my cart, caught by some flowers just a couple more rows down. Plus Evie and Emma were looking at one of those fountain things and so were preoccupied.

Just a few seonds later, a lady (she was one of those all-business-skinny-white-haired-ladies.... You know the ones?) shoots over to me: "Are these your children?" (o lord!) Immediately my mind went into defensive mode, like what-the-heck-lady-my-kids-are-FINE-and-mind-your-own-business!!!
"She is standing up!" she says, you know, with that tone that exclaims 'take care of this and why aren't you watching them?!!'.
In my mind I raced, almost blurting out "oh, they are fine, for goodness sakes!!" Yet instantly remembering that she probably has the best intentions, doesn't want my kids to fall, remembering that she is also loved by my King and is worthy of respect, I say, "Thank You" and smile, still taking my time though I maybe should have raced over to 'help' them not fall. I know if you have little kids, you have been there.

The thing is, my kids stand up in the cart from time to time. Or climb over the back, which, yes, is dangerous. But I would drive myself crazy if I got on the everytime- especially when their trying to SEE the amazing water rushing around in those cool fountains. And I figure, if they fall, then they'll learn... but they are honestly pros at it at this point.

Then I got to thinking- way back when (like on the old TV shows) the kids always behaved so well. But why? Because the parents were more strict? Or did they just take their kids to less places? Today we stay home less, so are our kids just comfortable being out and about? Therefore, less frightened of being a little nutty now and then? …And now there are taxi-cab carts, and carts with cool seats, and stores that cater to little kids by having kid-sized mini-carts, they hide stuffed animals for kids to look for as their parents shop and handing out cookies. (Trader Joe's rocks!) Its like the world is friendlier for kids… in one sense. Maybe because in the other sense, it isn't as safe. When we were young, our moms would let us stay in the car while they ran in the store. Remember that? My friends would tell me they would be in there… with their siblings, listening to music, climbing on the roof, having a ball. Wouldn't happen today- in fact, I think it's illegal!

So anyway. I try try TRY to be nice when the ladies speak. I am sure they are just trying to help. I am sure in that moment the lady ACTUALLY thought Evie was about to topple out of the cart! Truly, though, I almost always feel like they are clearly yet also secretly telling me that I surely WON'T be voted 'mom of the year' (as a friend used to say ;) ) and that I really should be more attentive to my kids.

The truth is, none of us are perfect. We can all be better. So next time the ladies say something- I will remind myself that my kids are amazing, they are loved and cared for, and I will say thanks with a smile, believing the best... Will that help? What about you? Any ideas? What would you do? Or have you been there? On either end?

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little cutes

2010-05-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

The girl loves music, like most kids. Here she is singing her very own song. Enjoy :)

I Shall Believe

2010-05-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

In my car this morning, on my way to errands, grocery shopping- Costco, Trader Joe's... the trophy shop for softball end of the year parties, the bank.... suddenly, I was taken aback. We were listening to KLOVE and this song came on. Do you ever hear a song and then almost instantly with the melody come all a troop of memories, tagged with emotion, from a time past? I know you know what I mean. It is the power of music!

So today I heard this... and it reminded me of God's FAITHFULNESS to me. God never gives up on us. And even when everything around us is falling apart... and when everything we do to try to fix it just makes it worse.... He never gives up! That was us... a few couple years back. And I remember listening to THIS song, but the one by Sheryl Crow. So I was shocked to hear it here on KLOVE. I was surprised that I wasn't the only one who thought this song was like a prayer to God!! So there I was, driving to get groceries.... and began the tears! Hear his cry "Please say HONESTLY you won't give up on me- and I shall believe". The bible says time and again that "He will never leave us or forsake us" It is the truth! And I know it! Looking back I see... looking forward I know. He is always ready for us, always ready. And He never gives up.

And the other thing is.... people need to hear this! People need to know that God NEVER gives up on them. Never. And people in my world need someone here to believe in THEM. I am so excited to be that person. God, make me a person like that. amen.

un-cluttered

2010-04-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here... in my VERY unorganized bedroom.... feeling a bit overwhelmed at the clutter that is filling up all of the closed spaces around me!! The closet, the drawers, under the bed... the file cabinet, the garage... the kid's "game" closet... all of the baby stuff Evie has outgrown, yet I still squish into the overflowing drawers. The uneasiness is turning into irritation... that will ultimately turn into a desire to DO SOMETHING about it... which will be fueled by the motivation to be ....un-cluttered. And it IS Spring... so there's the whole new-season-for-Spring-cleaning thing.

But I'm not quite there yet. I am still in the irritated and overwhelmed phase. Because I am not quite ready to dive in and get rid of the stuff that I don't need anymore... but I am so so SO tired of seeing it all just laying around.... taking up space.

And then I've been praying... God, un-clutter ME... un-clutter my heart.... so in this new season I have room for what You want to do in me. And I think I might still be in the irritated phase of that as well. Because it is hard to let go sometimes. But it reaches a point where it's actually harder to carry the things... and I want to move forward.

So I think I'm going to go get some boxes now. Pack away the blankies, rattles... baby burp clothes and lil booties... maybe take them to Goodwill. Maybe sort the files... or at least the box full of papers that need filed. And I am going to press on... no shrinking back... no hiding out.... no stuffing the stuff back in the drawers! Forward in faith!!

green "lights on"

2010-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Changing my light bulbs today made me think....

The old "idea-light-bulb" just wouldn't be as cute with the new energy saving bulbs. Can you see it? An illustration with the new earth-friendly light bulbs above a head? No way! ... (... well actually, I can TOTALLY see an artist/cartoonist doing it... old school meets new school.... green is cool.... etc etc ....It has actually probably already been done! ) Anyway.... Would it be really bad of me to stick with the old kind of bulb just because they are way way way more inspiring? They are!!! And cuter, too. :)

un-hidden

2010-04-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

I was going through an old book journal the other day, looking for a quote I was trying to remember. Which, as a side note, is funny... because I probably have about 10 journals laying around... all with like the first 15 pages filled. The rest empty. It's almost like I get sick of the notebook itself, wanting something new. Which, again another side note, resembles me most of the time.... ready for something new. Anyway.

I was looking for this quote, which I found. The beginning says:

Whatever form art takes, it gives outward expression to what otherwise would remain locked in the mind, unshared.

I was thinking about that quote because my mind was full of ideas. Ideas about paintings, scriptures, dreams. But they were locked in my mind, unshared. When I finally poured them out on to paper, they were gone. And my mind was clear again, as if the ideas wanted out. Not that I shared them with anyone... because I didn't in all cases. But it was as if that painting wanted painted or that devotional wanted written. It actually took me by surprise how clear my mind was when I finally just let them all out! I know, I KNOW! It sounds kinda weird.... and it was!! But cool, too. :) The rest of the quote goes:

One individual personality has definite or special talent for expressing in SOME medium, what other personalities can hear, see, smell, feel, taste, understand, enjoy, be stimulated by, be involved in, experience reality in, find refreshment in, find satisfaction in, find fulfillment in, be agonized by, be pleased by, enter into.... but which they could not produce by themselves.

Art in its various forms expresses and gives opportunity to others to share in and respond to things which would otherwise remain vague, empty notions.

I love it!! I love it when someone says something that I TOTALLY can relate to. It's always so neat- wow, someone else feels that exact same way! Wow, I am not the only one! It makes us relate in a more free way, right?! It is cool that we all have something like that to give. We all have the ability in some form to express what others may be feeling but have never expressed.

This quote is from a book by Edith Schaeffer, wife of theologian Francis Schaeffer. In it she talks all about art in it's various forms and expressing oneself through those things... painting, writing, cooking, decorating, music, words.... doodling... blogging....(OK, she doesn't officially mention blogging!) ...but anything, really. It's pretty cool. OK, it is a little 50s-ish... even though it was printed in the 70s. "The Hidden Art of Homemaking". But it is good. Really, it is. ;)

Schhoooll

2010-04-15T12:18:00.001-07:00

Minimum Day... Waiting for the girls....

-- Post From My iPhone

Avila

2010-04-08T20:11:00.001-07:00

Beautiful day at Avila...

-- Post From My iPhone

After genchurch...

2010-04-08T01:13:00.001-07:00

Game night after Gen Church goes late into the night ...and on spring break the girls get to join.... So fun.

-- Post From My iPhone

On the go!

2010-04-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

Waiting in line at the bank drive thru... always chaotic!!

-- Post From My iPhone

...from my iPhone?

2010-04-05T13:52:00.001-07:00

Let's see how this works.... If I can blog from here.... Like literally from here, from my iPhone, then I really have no excuse!! So I downloaded an app and I'm trying it!!

-- Post From My iPhone

true.

2010-02-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

Having fun with paint today...

the mirror image on my web cam made it backwards. :P

And Emma's back there watching TV! Nice, right?

She WAS painting with us... just so you know. :)

friends are great

2010-01-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

Check out my scores from the garage sale today! CFL people have great junk! Yes, it's Amy Butler fabric! And 4 craft books. Yes, yes. And the basket! Yay!

Today was an unexpectedly really great day. One friend totally organized and put on a garage sale to bless another friend- and lots of others helped, raising 1,800 dollars! Wow!!

And there was another friend working on their new house with more friends....

And a new friend...

And then some more friends....

I love, love having so many cool people in our lives!! ...and also great garage sale buys!!

the coolness of snow...

2010-01-28T23:20:00.000-08:00

There is just something about the snow that makes my heart happy...

and something about the thought of it that makes my heart leap for joy.

(The bible says "the coolness of snow refreshes the Spirit")

My favorite thing to do in the snow is, after climbing the sledding hill,

to just fall straight backwards,

landing in a perfectly formed bed,

and just laying there for a while to catch my breath.

I love that.

this is from the porch of the lodge where we had dinner. (wuksachi)

this is the crazy beautiful sledding area. see me with the red coat down there?

big, old trees.

and chains.

I guess I'm not a "fanboy"

2010-01-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

Blogs are so funny. I so often think they are so self-indulgent. A little page of mine... just an outlet for something I might have to say. But you don't have to visit, so I won't apologize :)

So I was thinking...

I waited for the Apple live-blog-announcement yesterday. Mostly because I am considering getting the iPhone, but what if a new and improved version comes out this summer? Some people are saying so! I thought MAYbe there would be a hint. I should have known better, since we all knew they were announcing a NEW product. So no new iPhone news, and the newest (try-to-get-everyone-hyped-so-we-all-need-it) apple product: The iPad. Which brings me to something I read... I went to this blog today and was totally impressed by the simple, yet true statement in the short 22 words. It reminded me of apple "fanboys" ...which I am apparently not. :)

(Not that there are not some probable great uses for the iPad, I am sure it will be pretty cool in some scenarios... and I wouldn't refuse one, just in case... you know.)

day trip

2010-01-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

Day trip to the snow... to see the big trees with uncle Jimmy.

That is a big tree!! :)

prime

2010-01-21T09:44:00.001-08:00

We accidentally subscribed to Amazon Prime for the next year... ah! Tricked by the you-can-cancel-after-the-1-month-free-trial, which we, of course, forgot to cancel. We get free two day shipping now for the next year.... I guess I better take advantage of it!! :P (clicking over to amazon....)

rain in CA

2010-01-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

lightning... I'm awake!
thunder makes me dream a wooden benches slamming on the ground
power goes out, no phones, no lights, no vacuuming
power back on.... storm is gone
roads are closed
I get lost on the way to pick up kids from school b/c of closed roads
forge flooded roads b/c no road is open to get kids
hail!
flash of lightning and.... power out again
dark
power on and storm is gone!

putting on love

2010-01-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to Emma screaming "You're SO STUPID!" (at the television) with very loud Super Mario Brothers music playing in the not-so-background... and Evie poking me in the eye while saying over and over "juice? ah juice? ah juice, mommy!? MOMMY! AH JUICE, mommy!"

OK, I admit.... vacation has lasted an extra long time around here and we are all very settled in to this pattern of staying up late & sleeping in and pretty much doing whatever we want. But this is getting ridiculous.

So after grumpily getting out of bed to scold the foul-mouthed Emmy, finding water soaked new Christmas books... and the house that was semi-clean last night torn to pieces....

I am attempting to put on love this morning.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you forgive. And above all these, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your heart... And be thankful."

Todd likes to tell me that the word of God is a fire-starter for my soul. And this morning is proving him to be true. So I will. Put on love. And be thankful. And then, this is helping too... yes, again. :) :)

cleaning up and the idog

2010-01-13T10:32:00.000-08:00

Today we have the music going and I have declared no TV or video games... we need to tackle this Christmas/Birthday mayhem! We have new toys everywhere! And it's not just the kids :)

We might get a little done. In the meantime, the idog is grooving to the music.

(there was going to be a video here, but I have little patience)

7

2010-01-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Abigail's birthday this last weekend provided the opportunity for another giant slumber party! Painting nails, watching movies, giggling laughter into the wee morning hours. They had a great time!

yes

2010-01-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

this year I am going to learn. it has been decided. :)

i miss the snow :)

2010-01-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

new things for 10.

2010-01-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

Todd said something the other night that made me think. This is a new decade. In this decade, Bella will turn 10. She will also turn 19. Within the next 10 years, we will have 4 teenage girls instead of 4 little ones. That is crazy to think about!! What an exciting next 10 years!!

making stuff cute: the tourist edition

2010-01-07T00:11:00.000-08:00

When we are out and about, I always have my camera in hand. Although I am not a skilled photographer like my friend, friend, friend or sister...... I still like to try to capture the cool things I notice and the way I see things. Sometimes it works... sometimes not so much.... A while back, we explored Port San Luis. It is AMAZing. Ocean life, sea culture... fishermen, pelicans, crabs, sea lions, dolphin... so much to take in. And the pier itself is super cool, too. These photos are my attempt at 'making stuff cute: the tourist edition'.

christmas is over

2010-01-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

We took down more decorations today- this time at the church. It was not quite as sad as taking my own down. It wasn't really sad at all... and it went fast, so that was good. While we were there, Evie stole almost all of Aubree's Red Vines and Emma made some paper carrots for the horse in her office. They love her. :)

For the record, I still have one more Christmas tree upstairs to take down.

first post of a new year.

2010-01-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

I took down all of the Christmas stuff today. It was sad. BUT.... it does feel good to have our house clean and uncluttered again. It always fun to kinda start fresh at the start of a new year. Yay!

avila valley barn

2009-10-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

aka. the craziest, busiest place on the central coast during the month of october!!

we went with ben & kristen & avery and chris & melissa!

doin' homework

2009-10-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

today & the b-ya

2009-10-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here's Evie doing her famous (at least at our house, thanks to Bella) "WHAT?"

She is as silly as they come.

And here's Em the Grace, making a face, which she is also famous for, while playing

"the pacuter" (one of her very favorite things to do.)

....lately!

2009-10-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Once again, it's been forever since I've posted! I am so sorry, especially to the grandparents and fam who always check in for the latest photos! We love you! I am going to get better at sharing our pics!!! :) So here are some of the latest....

Emma the Tiger/Lion (is it a Liger!?), she helped do a skit

for Kids Church of Daniel and the Lion's Den

Evie's B-day, she turned two & got lots of baby stuff! She is a little mommy now :)

And here's a little pic of Ab's cast. I need to get a better one before it comes off in a week!

Bella at school, she was advanced on her proficiency test last year,

so she got to participate in a little award night

Port San Luis

2009-09-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Isn't it incredible? This is a great place to live.

cute fabric

2009-08-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Aren't these cute fabrics? Not that I have them in my hands.... I found them on a "Stuff from Japan" etsy site. Still only like $9 a yard which isn't too bad! I was thinking the girls would look pretty cute in a green elephant skirt... or maybe a little tote for all their goodies. Hmm. Might need to place an order!

The "OK-I-haven't-blogged-in-ages" post.

2009-08-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Is anyone still here? I am a blogging bore this month. It so annoying! But life has been busy... and then there's facebook... oh, and twitter. Micro-blogging seems to be more my style lately! But I think I might start blogging again. Maybe. I always need the first "OK-I-haven't-blogged-in-ages" post to get the ball rolling after my vacations from blogland. So here is said post. I think it might work... I think it might. Just maybe.

your team wears dirty socks

2009-07-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of softball mania. They played 3 great games, ending in the championship. They took second overall and we all had a hot July day full of fun. The best part is that Bella got a hit! She'd been freezing at bat the past couple games, but when she swings, she hits!! She even batted in a run. So exciting!

All night we've been singing softball cheers and making up our own words. Here is my favorite:

"Your team wears dirty socks (How'd ya know?)

I saw you take 'em off! (How'd ya know?)

You put them in a tree (How'd ya know?)

You killed a bumble bee (How'd ya know know know know how'd ya know!)

Our best lines were:

Your team wears dirty socks...

We saw you take 'em off...

You threw them in the sky....

Those socks make babies cry!

And this one that Bella made up:

Our team wears clean socks...

we all just took them off...

put them in the machine...

our socks are squeaky clean!

Pretty pretty funny.

Here they are:

and here are some of the rug rats, aka lil siblings (Emma is sad b/c someone just hit her- aren't I a great mom? I'm all it's OK, Emma, smile for a picture!!):

And another trophy for these awesome girls!!

She really wanted the big trophy, but this one is good, too. :) With dad's glasses.

and done

2009-07-17T16:06:00.001-07:00

jam and muffins... all in about a half an hour!! Yay! Now off to softball!

on the list

2009-07-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

...of things to do today is to make some muffins from these bursting-with-juice berries we picked at the barn yesterday. Looks yummy, right?

Berry picking yesterday was like a treasure hunt because, I don't know if it has something to do with the dryness of the winter or some other reason- but the berries are not exactly ready yet, and when we did find them, they were few and far between. Nonetheless, we found enough for a recipe of Olallieberry Muffins and maybe even (yet another) small batch of jam. I can't wait!

peachy

2009-07-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Whenever I think of making jam, I think work. Tons of fruit or berries, lots of jars, giant pots of boiling water.... but last week, my beautiful friend Yensi gave me a great idea. She brought me some peaches from her garden, just enough for a small batch of jam! I just boiled the peaches with some sugar and it only took a little bit of time! Now we have a jar and a half of yummy peach jam to throw in the fridge. Just enough! It feels great to make something special and yummy with such little effort. And it's so cute! :)

Goleta Tournament 8U Div 2 Champs!

2009-07-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

They did it! It was a crazy game! Santa Maria vs. Ventura! It began with "Blue" making a REALLY bad call, when the girl was a foot from first on (what should have been) the 3rd out and the ump called her safe!! Meanwhile, another girl scored- one to zero.

Another two runs from the other team in the next inning put us at 3-0. With 2 outs and just one inning left, we were feeling a little sad! Just then, our last batter made a base hit!! And then they just kept swinging! They scored 3 that inning!! We tied it up 3-3! After extra innings and doing the "International Tie Breaker" rule, putting a runner on 2nd, we scored to win!!! And it was a great play! (Don't you want to hear it?!) There was a girl on 2nd and one on 3rd. The batter hit a base hit, they threw it to home to get the runner out, then tried to throw it to first to get the hitter out! Meanwhile, the one who started on 2nd scored!!! It was so exciting/nerve-wracking in the stands. The parents were SO into it! And they won!!! The girls were so excited. And they are happy with their trophies!

funny girl

2009-07-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Evie got herself all dressed this morning in Bella's uniform- including the sock! She came out of the bedroom all proud of herself. Pretty pretty funny.

full

2009-07-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

This week has been a whirlwind of grace and hope and love- mixed with the chaos of life. We had such an amazing time on Wednesday night with our college group at GenChurch- and my girls had such a fun time hanging out with the 30+ people who came over after. Jesus promised full life- that's what we've signed up for, and that's what we have. After this crazy week of bonfires, softball practices, dentist appointments, piano lessons, laundry (it's all done!!), dishes (they were all done yesterday!), goodbyes, youth group, out-of-the-blue coffee with friends, parties... tears, hugs, hope and healing.... I am feeling full.

And now we're off for our tournament-filled weekend! 3 days of games in lovely Santa Barbara! I really hope we WIN!

accidental gourmet

2009-06-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Basil Chicken, Mixed Grain Quinoa with Kale, Roasted Root Veggies with homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette. I like to call it the "accidental gourmet". And my kids like to call it gross. Well, they liked the chicken.

snips and snails....

2009-06-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

I unloaded all of the fresh veggies from our CSA subscription (btw, you can check out their blog on my sidebar, Blosser Urban Garden!!) onto the counter and went about to prepare dinner. We get turnips each time and I guilt-ily throw the greens away every week, though I am sure they are good to eat or at least use in Veggie Stock. This week, I decide I may keep them! So I was busily cutting the turnips, when to my surprise, I find a visitor on the greens!!

I guess this is what you get with an organic farm veggie subscription!! A large snail munching on my counter!! I screamed and the girls ran in to see what it was all about. Abs rescued him out to the yard and I am pretty sure I will be tossing the greens.... even though I know that these little guys probably crawl all over them when they are growing in the ground. I just don't need to see it!

And the turnips are actually smelling really good as they are cooking up right now in the oven. Of course, it may also just be the smell of the Balsamic Vinegar!! Mmm.

This week we got a great bag of stuff. Strawberries, Lemons, Artichokes, Potatoes, Zucchini, Lettuce, Carrots, a very large onion... along with the irregular regulars: bok choy, turnips and kohlrabi. We'll see what kinds of yummy things we come up with!! The girls tried artichokes the other night and they loved it!!!!

three. more. days.

2009-06-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Every day this week I have tried to come up with some reason that my girls need to stay home from school. Or get picked up early. The truth is, with only a few more days of school, everything in me wants to just be DONE already. And they are ready too. Abigail was in tears the other day, ready for vacation- and I am missing them more and more. I am counting the minutes until I can pick up Bella today so we can come home and have some fun together on a non-school night. Do we really have to send them for the last 3 useless days?! But then there's something about closure. And saying goodbye to friends for the summer.

Some days I really miss homeschooling. I miss the family time, the family-focus. I miss being a team 24-7, on the same team- with an outward focused goal. I miss the projects and the lessons, the outings and the free time. I am hoping that summer will shake me back into reality- that we will get our fill and be ready for the new school year. Nonetheless, we are ready for summer! Here are some things I've been stewing over:

* Weekly beach day with some of my favorite people.

* Sewing projects are floating in mind (dresses... for me! and maybe the girls too).

* Re-vamping the AMEN blog and going craft-blog crazy.

* Mac projects! Movies, podcasts... (regular updates from the girls!!).

* Decorating!! (I need some change, I need ideas!!)

* And thrifting. I really want to get back into this, one of my favorite past times!! :)

So many things to do! Too many. But I am expecting that after our long-awaited vacation the week after next, we will be in full summer mode, and ready for some fun projects. Am excited!!

Abigail likes to sing.

2009-06-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

a little music

2009-06-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love Over the Rhine songs. So creatively inspiring.... and beautiful.

dun dun da-da-da-da dun dun da-da

2009-06-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

(that was a circus song... if you didn't get it :) Last week we went to the circus! It was really, really, really, really fun. If you can't tell, we had a great time! The girls LOVED every moment, especially laughing like crazy at Alex the clown. And he was so so funny. I love the circus! It wasn't even spooky which I was expecting a little. It was just magical and sweet and amazing. Thank you, Carson & Barnes!!

once in a blue moon....

2009-05-31T21:28:00.001-07:00

We had a nice and restful weekend. Saturday began with a first scrimmage for Bella's new team (which is no longer called "Santa Maria 8U All-Stars but is now officially called the "Santa Maria SHOCK" - yes, like a lightning bolt). She was tired and unimpressed, sleepily meandering in the outfield. But it was still fun, and she did great. And it was fun for us to see her new team in action and meet all of the parents. (More on this at a future time)

We then hit In-n-Out and were complimented on the well-behavedness of our girls (which- it's always nice for people to notice & mention it at that moment... never letting the pride set in for the readiness of the fall. But it is amazing for those precious times when we can really appreciate our awesome kids).

After that, we went home for FAMILY NIGHT! Our kids get SO excited for family time. We all cuddle down on the couches, make popcorn and watch a movie we all enjoy. (Pretty normal but, oh so enjoyable!) I went old school and made popcorn like my mom used to, on the stove and with real butter. I had to ask the guy at the store where it was though. Here I am: "Do you have popcorn? Like, the kind you actually pop?" Nice :) And we watched Bedtime Stories, which is so funny. Of course, it wasn't really night, because the movie had to be over by 5:30 since the Cavs game was coming on. And they lost, so sad.

And then today. It was another great and relaxing day! We went church, came home and ate lunch, then to the barn, fed the animals, ate some samples, played with some old fashioned toys... went to Pismo, walked through the stores, stopped & got coffee, got some Mo's BBQ sauce... came home and BBQ-ed, relax, relax, relaxing. And now it is 9:30 and the house is quiet.

Once in a blue moon we have a completely plan-free weekend, and this was one. And we made it proud by fully enjoying it. Now, we're ready for a busy week, hectic weekend of first tournament, and then the last couple of weeks of school! And then summmmmmmmmer!

Softball Update

2009-05-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here are the coaches for the Bad Girls! Someone was behind on laundry, or Todd would be in "uniform". This was our last game of the year!!!

Emma has enjoyed my team mom duties as she gets to hang out in the dugout and try on helmets or catchers gear or whatever she can get into!

Here are the Bad Girls! Plus or minus a few.... Jaida, Emma, Angel, Alexia, Gizelle, Abi & Kristel.

Bella's up to bat, Bella's up to bat... If I were you and you were me I'd scoot my booty back, I'd scoot my booty back! (Those cheers are really catchy?!)

Paying close attention with her teammates: Cristina, Makayla, Andrea, Jailynn & Alina.

Closing ceremonies are this Saturday! It went really fast this year! Abigail is already ready for next season! She'll move up from TBall to the next division- that will be crazy. And also, Evie really wants to play too! She walks around the house with a helmet on, holding a giant bat and carrying a ball. I have to remind her she is not even 2 yet! Pretty funny!!

bucket o' inspiration

2009-05-03T00:23:00.000-07:00

I have a friend named Eva. And we like to be creative in agreement... to collaborate on projects and just hang out. Coffee is our main ingredient and around midnight, the creative anointing likes to fall. And we have this bucket. This bucket is full of our favorite stamps, pens, ribbon, ink- whatever is our favorite, it's in there... "The Bucket o' Inspiration" is what we like to call it. BUT. During craft fair season, we used it to keep all of the essentials: the receipt book, the rubber bands, the safety pins... you know, the pens, business cards. Things we'd need quick as we're setting up shop or making sales. (Yes, those things require red spray-painted safety pins).

It kinda turned from "Bucket O' Inspiration" to "Bucket of Not Very Inspiring and Kind of Draining". If you get the picture. BUT. And it has been a long time, BUT. (drum roll, please) The bucket has made a come-back. Thanks to my newly cleaned garage (thank you, very much) and the scourging of the craft fair mayhem, the bucket has been liberated from it's essential duties and is free to inspire once again. And I can feel it.

There is a cup of inspiration brewing... and I am ready for it. So, to get it started (as I like to tell my girls... just get it started! I say) So. To get it started. I linked up a new blogroll. Bucket of Inspiration, Part 2. So some creativity can rub off of these highly creative people onto lil' ol' me. And maybe you. Check some out, over on the sidebar. And then. Get it started!

funny things said.

2009-05-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

I was on the phone with my friend the other day, when she paused to talk to her boys. "Hey, can you please get the Steamroller off of the bed?" and later "No! You cannot be a Gorilla. Please leave your clothes on!". These things make me laugh all of the time. I have said some funny things while on the phone also, and I was thinking... I wonder what could be done with these funny quotes- besides blog about them? ...Make a list? ...Scrapbook them? And then my partner in handmade-crime told me about a blog she saw on (almost) this very thing. Check it out on Amy Karol's blog- she has put together a couple of pretty cool sewing & craft books. Her idea for funny things said, handmade (on your computer) cards!! Go See!

I love handmade.

2009-05-01T14:39:00.001-07:00

Buy Handmade Video from Etsy on Vimeo.

the opposite

2009-04-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

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!!?

2009-04-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

"...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

2009-04-07T00:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

truth nugget

2009-03-31T12:17:00.001-07:00

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11

God spoke this verse to me today, on a day when I needed to hear it. His heart of love for us is great- and he carries us close. He is ever-leading, ever-loving and all-knowing. Just thought I'd share.

work play think

2009-03-24T10:04:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! Todd started a blog of his own, so if you'd like to visit, here is the link: Work Play Think.

3- thanks mandi!

2009-03-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

3 jobs I have had in my life:

case worker

art exhibit "explainer"

payroll coordinator/do-whatever-is-needed-office-worker

3 places I have lived:

in a house

in a tent

in a garage

3 shows that I watch:

LOST

the office

3 places I have been:

walmart

starbucks

7-11

(were these supposed to be exotic?)

3 places I have been this week:

cfl

trader joes

tacos

3 of my favorite foods:

tacos carnitas w-onions & cilantro

chicken marsala

falafel & hummous... and stuffed grape leaves. mmmm.

3 places I'd rather be right now:

in my bed

chilling with the girls, watching a movie

on vacation with the fam

3 things I am looking forward to in 2009:

summer break

pismo in june

summer summer summer

Happy cows?

2009-03-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

Do you guys remember those California Cow commercials? Because cows in Cali are so much happier than cows in cold weather climates? Those commercials are so ridiculous! But the other day when we were going to the beach- I found them! Look at that cow! It is on a pasture right next to the beach for goodness sakes! So.... maybe happy cows do come from California?!

the tooth!

2009-03-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Abigail lost her first tooth last night!! It's been loose for a few weeks and it was finally ready! I can hardly believe it! She is so excited to show all of her friends at school!!