Knitting

Disclaimer: I know I'm a dork. Keep that in mind as you read this post.


I've been knitting a lot lately. Like the "calluses on the tips of the fingers, hands cracked and dry but can't use lotion because it gets in the way of knitting" type of a lot. But what can I say, I love it! No matter how long or how much I knit, I'm always amazed at the end result. Think about it. Wrapping a piece of string around two sticks creates something wearable. Then wrap that same piece of string in a different direction to get a completely different look. This is what I mean:

Take these yarn skeins

Wrap it around these

And get this

Or how 'bout this mess of yarn

Add these again

Plus this cable needle

And get this

Seriously, how cool is that?

But not as cool as these three little models:

Christmas Nail

Ahh, tis the season for decorating! I don't tend to decorate for Fall, Halloween, or Valentines Day, but Christmas is a different matter. Christmas is a season to celebrate.

Tonight we put up our tree and got out the ornaments. It's fun to spend some time reflecting on the memories this box of wacky little knick knacks brings. We have a Star Wars Naboo fighter jet, snowmen, rock-climbing Santa, and a few baby's first Christmas'. But the most significant ornament is one we hang towards the back of the tree, in a spot less pronounced. It is our Christmas Nail, and it reminds us WHY we celebrate Christmas.

The story of the Christmas Nail:

"Years ago, in a Colorado town, snow began to fall on a young couple contemplating the approaching Christmas season. As their thoughts meandered from the stable manger to the shopping mall, they knew that their meager wages would prevent them from purchasing costly Christmas gifts. Therefore, they set out to make their own that year.

Later that month, while the young man was in a local hardware store, he spotted a very large nail. It was nearly ten inches long and very heavy. Seeing such a nail, his thoughts were drawn to the crucifixion of Christ. How large those nails much have been- how wicked their purpose. As he wandered around the store, he could not keep the sobering thoughts of that nail from his mind. He decided to buy one of the nails and show it to his wife.

When she saw it, her response was exactly the same.

'Wasn't he born to die?' they asked each other. What better time than at his birth, to recall His reason for coming and the gift He would give.

Those thoughts stayed with them the rest of the evening. Without Christ's death and resurrection, there would be no celebration of Christmas as we know it today. No one would recall the intricate details accompanying the birth of just one more good person. No starry night in Bethlehem would mean anything today if it were not for the end of the story.

Then it struck them- without question or hesitation, this nail would be an ornament- hung on the tree itself. It was weighty and would pull down any normal branch. Therefore it had to be hung deep inside the tree near the trunk. They worried that such placement would not allow it to be seen as all ornaments are intended.

Slowly, a powerful realization washed over both of them. This ornament, like the Savior himself, would not be like any other. It would be obscured, just as Jesus had been obscured among the trappings of the stable and it's animals.

This ornament would become a private devotion for those who hung it. It would serve as a silent reminder each time they looked at their tree, that it was a tree upon which Christ redeemed the world."

Life Water

If life is like a box of chocolates, than Jesus is like a Brita filter...

I learn so much about God from trying to explain Him to my kids. One day, while talking to Jonas about the significance and importance of Jesus, this is what came out:

Let's say you're on a hike and (if you're like me), you forget a water bottle. You see a lovely, clear stream. The water looks clean. You want to take a drink, but we both know what that means. If you drink that water, it will make you sick. First, you must filter out all the unseen bacteria. Only then will it become drinkable and life sustaining.

We are like stream water. We make look like we have it all together on the outside, but inside we are being eaten up by sin. It is only through the filter and sacrifice of Jesus that we become clean, useful, and healthy.

Beauty

Over the course of the last month or so, I've been reading a book called Captivating: Unveiling the Mysteries of a Woman's Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge. Yesterday, I finished a chapter in beauty. Oh, such a hard chapter for me to grab hold of. I see the beauty in every other woman, but struggle to find what is beautiful about me. But...the concept might be starting to sink in. I know there are more beautiful, stunning, drop what your doing women out there. But that's not what God sees.

"Every woman has a beauty to unveil.
Every woman.
Because she bears the image of God."

Wow! Really?

After letting that statement sink in for a bit, here are some thoughts I came up with:

As a mother, I look at my boys, and my heart wraps around them. There are no other boys who are as handsome, talented, witty, cute, and crazy as mine. I see them through a parent's eyes. Other children are great, but when it boils down to it, mine are the best.

God sees us with his Daddy eyes. He sees our beauty even when we don't. He says, "You know that sunset over there? The one everyone had to stop their cars to get out and admire? Yeah, it was pretty nice, but it doesn't compare in beauty to you, my daughter." He groups us as a whole to say nothing in creation is as beautiful as His precious daughters.

Our beauty does not come from what the world sees as beautiful. It comes because GOD says we're beautiful. Why is that such a hard concept to accept? Why can't we, as women, recognize and feel God's heart wrapped around us? I think we are too busy comparing ourselves to one another which, in effect, tears each of us down. HE LOVES US AND THINKS WE'RE BEAUTIFUL!!!

If we are looking to the world for our worth we will always be bitterly disappointed.

Furniture Woes

I have the perfect desk. I bought it at a garage sale for only $5!!!

I was able to sand it down, paint it and put beautiful new glass knobs on.

It's stayed at my mom's for the past few years, but she's wanting to trade it for another desk I have. I can't let it leave the family.

I have no room for it, or purpose either. I had always had the dream of being a Writer, but have now truly given up that route. I just don't see "writing" in my future. But I love this desk. I love the lines, the drawers, everything about it.

But where to put it? We have a 1,400 sq ft house that's already packed to the max with all the necessities to support a 5 member family, and 15 gazillion pets. As I see it, I have two options:

A) Make our house bigger (not likely)

or

B) Wait for boys to move out

If I'm going with option B, I'd really like Isaac's room. It has beachy white wood planks on the walls and ceiling. He also has a view of the water (in the winter-time when all the tree leaves have fallen). Most likely this room will have the least amount of pets residing in it from now until....then.

Yes, I think his room will work. I can place the white desk in the white wood walled room, with the original 1935 pine floor, and sit looking at the water. I'll have my Little Red computer with me (actually by then Little Red will sadly be long gone). (And yes, you did catch that. We name our computers. I have Little Red and the "house" laptop is Big Blue. Our kids were so fortunate to not be named Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes...)

What will I be doing at my desk? Not quite sure, but it will be pretty.

I'll even let Mark have one of the other boys' rooms so he can play guitar. (I know, so generous of me.)

There we will be in 15 years. Me pretending to write, Mark strumming on his guitar or bass. Sounds like a plan to me.

In case you're wondering, this is the desk my mom is trading for.

She loved the green glass knobs and all the drawers.

A weekend of fun!

Every once in awhile, a weekend gets packed to the max, and it leaves me wondering, "What were we thinking?" Last time we were crazy busy, I had planned a yard sale on the day we poured our concrete driveway. That was interesting...this weekend was just plain fun (and a little exhausting).

First up on the list was our friends visiting from Oregon on Friday. Catching up with them was a great start to the weekend. We are trying our best to make it a yearly tradition of getting together for a few days. They have 2 little ones, and it's so much fun to be around their young family (and hold their 3 month old baby as much as possible).

Saturday was Elliot's birthday. My big 7 year old got a nice big bike.

Comparing the old bike to the new one.

Then we had his very first "friend's party" at the bowling alley. We were lucky enough to have a joint party with our good friend Ivy.

If the day had ended there, it would have been a full day, but oh no, we were headed to another party. Mark's 20th high school reunion was in just 2 short hours. Barley enough time to go home, pretend to get all gussied up, drop the kids off, and go socialize.

My parents house makes for a gorgeous background.

It felt a little like taking pictures before a dance.

The official photo.

The reunion was so much fun! I found a great group of wives to socialize with all evening while Mark was free to reunite with old pals.

But the fun doesn't stop there kids. On Sunday, after a farewell lunch with the Dotsons, we geared up for a "family" birthday party for El.

I'm not a baker, but I saw this idea for a cake and knew right away that I had to try it.

Just in case your family isn't Lego crazy, that's supposed to resemble a Lego block, and three little "studs". I'm not sure exactly what the little ones are called, but on Lego-Star Wars, they are referred to as studs, thus they have taken on that name in our household.

How many boys does it take to fill a gumball machine?
Evidently 4!

Whew, we made it through and not just by the skin of our teeth. Mark and I were very tired at the end of the weekend, but also happy to have done all that we did. It was a good time of friends, family, good weather, oh and Legos!

Time

July is a busy month for us this year. We have 2 birthdays, Mark's 20th reunion, movie nights, ice cream eating, pools to play in... where does the time go?

This year, Elliot will turn 7. SEVEN! I remember when we had been married 7 years and thinking that was a long time. Now my baby, my last, my little boy is 7. Please bear with me as I sit with that thought for just a minute.

Another milestone is my 35th birthday. When I turned 30, it wasn't that big of a deal. I'd felt 30 for quite a few years already. My number was finally catching up to my mental age. Now though, 35 seems old. I look in the mirror and see a few more wrinkles, a little bit deeper dark circles, and (gasp) those dreaded gray hairs.

But here's the thing: my husband looks at me and sees the 16 year old girl he met those long years ago. He sees our life together up to this point, and our many years to come.

So, I guess I have to ask myself, What's wrong with the extra smile lines? What's wrong with the dark circles? I know I don't look 25 anymore, but that's okay. I wouldn't trade that time for anything!

Elliot so eloquently put it this way, "Mom, do you want to know your future? You will have good boys who will grow up to be good people who love you."

Superstars

Have you ever walked with a teacher when school is being let out? I have. No matter what teacher I walk with (and I tend to bend the ear of many a teacher- go figure), I feel like I am walking the red carpet with a celebrity. Not a sentence is completed without a shout of "HI Mrs...." or a random hug around the knees by a passerby. These aren't mere teachers that roam the bus loop, they are counselors, they are roll models, they are super-heroes!

Teaching goes far beyond what is presented in text books, we all know that! How many of us have the patience and endurance to take a room full of other peoples kids, and guide them for the majority of the day? How many of us can evaluate a child's mood and give them the appropriate encouragement? I know I can't.

To all the teachers that have taken our boys in and not only taught them, but loved them- THANK YOU! Mark and I appreciate all you have done for our children. We willingly lend them to you and know they will return all the better for having you as their teachers. Good job teachers!

Computer Time

I've been trying a little experiment this last week: turning off the computer for 3 days. It sounds so easy (it's not even 3 days in a row), and yet I have really been challenged by the lessons I've learned.

Lesson 1: The world (facebook and my etsy shop mostly) still runs without my supervision. Before trying to break the fierce grip my computer has on me, I found myself going about my day only to have my own mind interrupt normal activities to suggest checking facebook. I'm not sure what I thought I'd find there, but all of a sudden, I would turn my back on my life to see what other people were doing RIGHT NOW.

Lesson 2: Without the resources of email or messaging, I had to actually call my friends. Connecting with another person through real life conversation is so much different than thinking of the perfect one-liner, spell checking it, and then posting it only to wait and see if they respond at all. (Maybe they'll "like" it or even comment back.)

Lesson 3: Facebook has been a great place to re-connect with old friends and even make some new ones, but I can't rely on my online friends for the acceptance I desire. My computer screen doesn't smile back at me, or give me a much needed hug. My computer will not hear the way I speak my words and may not completely understand my sense of humor. My computer will not look me in the eye and be glad to see me.

Of course, as I sit and write this, I'm on the computer! But...I slowly feel my creativity returning. I don't want you to read this and not be my friend anymore. I really enjoy all facets of the friendships I have made. I just am learning balance. Isn't that what life is all about? Balance between spouse, kids, chores, friends, and self?

I'd like to go from this:

to this:

Update on Elliot's Room

It's amazing what a little encouragement from a big brother does (not to mention Jonas' great organizational skills):

One Square At a Time

Elliot's room...sigh...has always been a challenge for me. It's not like I'm super duper strict on put-awayness. If you happen to stop by my house unexpectedly (which I love by the way), you will most likely find clothes-clean and folded- on the piano waiting for their owners to put them away. You will also find a pile of mail on the kitchen table, and probably whatever project I'm working on taking up communal space, but I do have some standards. I know he's only 6, so I try and keep in mind what his organizational abilities are. BUT, I do like to see the floor, not just spaces he has cleared out for footfalls. I prefer to have at least a somewhat clean path from the bed to the door for those in the middle of the night emergencies.

I have tried to help him create some method in the madness of toys. There are boxes (3!) for Legos, a box for Hot Wheels, drawer for Tinker Toys, drawer for Pokemon/Bakugan, and a whole toy box! I have sat in his room during cleaning days and asked where each specific toy goes. (He knows where they all belong, that's not the problem.) I've threatened to clean it all up and give toys to someone who needs them. I've even promised a fish if he can keep his room clean. Nothing has worked.

While lying in bed one night after another frustrating tuck in time, it dawned on me that he's overwhelmed with it all. I can tell him to pick up the K'Nex and as soon as he thinks they're all picked up, he'll find more and get discouraged. What if we took a different approach? What if we broke it down by sections?

The next day, I took painter's tape (one of his favorite inventions) and made a small square on the floor. I sent him to quiet time with the goal of cleaning up just that little square. I told him I would take a picture of the square before he got started to make sure items weren't relocated to just beyond his area. Here's what happened:

 

Even the dog thought this was a good thing:

Then the next day, another square

or two:

And more progress...

 

 

He still has more to do, but some improvement is better than none. Do I expect it to stay clean forever? NO, I know who I'm working with, but maybe, just maybe we can clean one square at a time.