Archive for the 'December Photo Project' Category

We spent some time at Cheek’s house today. At some point in all of our visits, the kids end up in the homeschool room. And somehow my little natural leader ALWAYS ends up as the teacher

In the other room, Natalie and I had a great conversation around creating space for art in our homes. In an effort to get more ideas…I would love to hear from all the homeschoolers/unschoolers out there.

Do you have a dedicated space for art/creating in your home? How do you keep it organized & inviting?

 

 

If you’ve ever had delusions about my house being in a perfect state of calm at all times…think again. This was my kitchen today around 4pm. A busy morning of catching up with work, computer stuff, and Christmas plans gave way to lunch, and then naptime, and before I knew it…WHAM! It’s almost time for Matt to get home and it looks like we had a small earthquake in the mountains.

I can’t take the credit for ALL of this mayhem.

Until I had children, I couldn’t even fathom the magnitude of destruction that they could hold in their sweet little hands. If I don’t stay on top of their exploring, pretend play, forts, and transferring of goods from one room to another…I tend to go insane. I enjoy a serene, uncluttered space as much as the next mama. But it does take a lot of attention and mindfulness to keep it that way…and sometimes I have to just let it go.

And before you go on with the comments of “Oh! But they are only young once!” and “Babies don’t keep!” and “Housework will always be there!”…you have to remember that in order to feed my family, I have to be able to WALK through the kitchen I am not one who can “let it go” for too long…because especially in a small home, it takes over everyone’s space. And that makes them crabby. My girls love order and spaciousness…and I want to provide that for them.

The majority of the time, I try really hard to have the house in a state of calm and welcome for Daddy when he walks in the door. Music playing, candles lit. A wife with clothes on that were not worn to bed the night before. Teeth brushed…you know Luckily, if this hasn’t happened for the day, I have a husband who sweeps in and immediately starts doing dishes and cleaning up. And I love him for that.

As I type this, the entire house is clean. Not a dish is dirty. The toy room is spotless. Laundry is running. Children sleeping. Mommy is showered. And it’s good. In the midst of the chaos this afternoon, it was hard to see a way out. Hard to muster the energy to keep going. But my fervent prayers sent up at 4pm were heard…

“Oh Lord! I don’t have the strength to do this on my own.
YOU are my strength.
YOU are my supply.
Please walk with me through it…”

I am so thankful for a God who hears my desperate plea…and answers.

“He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” *Psalm 18:19

Daddy is home.

On the way to the airport today, we saw about 40 cars parked on the side of the road just south of Boulder. It seemed a bit odd because it was 6:45am on a Saturday morning…but hey, it’s Boulder. You never know what people are doing A few miles down the road, we looked back at the mountains and realized that something was a bit different. The moon was lit from the bottom!

It didn’t take us long to figure out it was a full lunar eclipse in process! And it was SO beautiful over the snowy Rockies…a wonderful surprise from our Creator this morning.

Growing right along at 22 weeks…everything is right on track. Feeling great with the expected aches, pains, and heartburn I’ve had several requests lately about my previous post about pregnancy, so I’m linking it again below. Have a great weekend everyone!

A Journey Into Pregnancy & Birth

While I adore my Kindle, I also love the feel of a “real” book in my hands. Here is what I am reading right now:

An Altar In The World: A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor
I’m just getting into this and I love her perspective on how to bring your faith into all parts of life.

When Women Long for Rest: God’s Peace for Your Overwhelmed Life by Cindi McMenamin
A super practical book for when you’re looking for ways to slow down and find peace.

Let Prayer Change Your Life by Becky Tirabassi
A classic that I go back to over and over. I have recommended this so many times over the years. If you want a kick start in your prayer life, read this!

Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton
Just getting into this one as well. I’ve had it for quite some time, but after Natalie told me how much she loved it…I pulled it off the shelf again.

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt
Love his thoughts on how “stuff” can clutter our life and how Christians can respond to materialism.

What are you reading right now?

“The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.” *C.S. Lewis

Thai food.
Coffee.
Twinkling Christmas lights.
Quiet moments, laughter, and wisdom shared with a dear friend.
Happy birthday Natalie! Love you friend.

We’ve had a couple of big snowfalls lately and the temps have been in the single digits. I finally got myself some Sorel boots…and now I am WARMER! Well, at least my feet are warmer.

Bella captured this sweet moment during my midwife appointment at our house today. Usually Lucy is too busy to nurse during the day, but when something new is happening…I’m glad she knows she can come to me for comfort and connection. Love my little Lucy Mae.

 

Grandpa and Grandma Janssen just got an iPhone…and of course, that means Facetime! It’s so fun to be able to connect with our families in this way. While I do love traditional forms of communication such as letter writing…technology is pretty amazing!!