Archive for December, 2010

Bella accompanied me to Starbucks this morning while I worked. She created art and made friends with the barista. We sipped our hot drinks and talked about aliens, God,  and other big things. It was lovely.

Have a great weekend!

xxoo
sara

Round and round and round.

I love mail.

So it’s only natural that receiving holiday cards ranks right up there with my favorite thing in December! And, like previous years, I am asking for yours! I LOVE seeing your family…putting faces with names…it all makes me so very happy. And so, my friends…if you want to send some greetings our way, send them to:

The Janssens
103 Rainbow Dr. #340
Livingston, TX 77399

Can’t wait to open the big envelope full of your love!

*Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons // Sporkist

I was reading Mothering Magazine awhile back and came across some parenting advice that I’ve never forgotten. The advice was to “say yes”.

Say yes when she wants to make pancakes.
Say yes when she wants to flip them all by herself.
Say yes when she wants to wear mismatched clothes.
Say yes when she wants ice cream for breakfast.
Say yes when she wants to hold Lucy for the tenth time.
Say yes when she wants to make forts in my newly cleaned room.
Just say yes.

Even when it means sacrificing my own silly agenda or preferences…I want to say yes. And no, I don’t think that saying yes is being permissive or allowing her to manipulate me. I obviously still use my discretion and every day isn’t a yes day…but it has saved our connection with each other so many times. It causes me slow down and be a better mommy.

By saying yes, I’m giving her permission to experience life. On her own terms.

Community…who can survive without it?  A community of  like minded souls who accept you exactly where you are…without judgment. It’s a critical component of a fulfilling life.

Last night I experienced an atmosphere of beautiful community at The Birth Circle in Des Moines, hosted by my dear friend and midwife, Cosette. Each month, they gather. Walking up the stairway one by one, they enter with expectation. Trusting each other with the intimate details of their lives…to help each other thrive instead of just survive. Different backgrounds. Different faith journeys. Different stories. But they are all mothers. They are all the same.

Candlelight.
Soup.
Bread.
Wine.
Laughter.
Handmade truffles.
Heartfelt sharing.
Connection.
COMMUNITY.

As I left this sacred space,  I looked back and felt such a connectedness…such a glow from the night’s revelation and inspiration. And I was thankful.

Tell me about community in your life.
Where do you find connection?

*see last year’s Birth Circle DPP photo here

Matt and I love watching movies together…and tonight we decided to kick it up a notch and use my parent’s projector/screen (usually reserved for business meetings). The Twilight Saga: Eclipse seemed liked the perfect choice.

My brother Scotty stopped by and joined in our movie night too. It was the first Twilight movie he’s seen…and although he didn’t seem too interested in the beginning, within 20 minutes he was sucked in. You can’t fight the Twilight

I love steel cut oats…so chewy and comforting. I like to top it with walnuts, almond butter, almond milk, bananas, and cinnamon. Paired with a steaming mate latte, and it’s the perfect start to any day

I don’t remember the last time I sat and put my feet up. When there are so many things on my to-do list, it’s hard to MAKE myself stop moving…both physically and mentally. But after being sick off and on for several weeks now, I had to take a break today. It wasn’t for long, but it was enough to take a few deep breaths.

Drumroll…..

The winner is Briana! (email: homeschooled4christ (at) gmail (dot) com). Congrats!

For those of you who didn’t win this time…take advantage of the 20% discount at Texture through Monday!
Enter the discount code “HAPPY20″ …or just tell Santa about the discount