Helping others

As I’m putting my last child in the van after shopping at the store, an older man (NOT an employee) comes toward me and says,

“Please, may I take your cart?”

“Yes, sure. Thanks, that’s helpful to me, too,” I say.

“I need something to do,” he says.

Then he returns my cart to the cart corral and walks into the store. He didn’t need a cart, just wanted to help me. And asked “please, may I” help.

Wow. Thank you again.

(Check out Chatting at the Sky for more Tuesdays Unwrapped.)

Kitchen carpet

Well, we all made it home from camp – no major injuries, but many bruises, scrapes and sore muscles! Oh, and lack of sleep, of course.

So as soon as we got home, I jumped right back into trying to get our house ready to move into – really the only thing I wanted was to get the kitchen floor refinished before putting appliances in.

But it might not happen because the kitchen carpet was glued down. And now I can’t get the glue off the wood.

I’ve heard you can get it off scraping with a putty knife if you have six months to do it. Or you can use nasty-sounding chemicals on it, but I don’t actually know anyone who’s done that.

So, any suggestions? Or do you wanna come help me scrape … for the next six months?

Hopefully, I’ll get some pictures from camp posted soon, or at least some kids pics!

Camp Rock

We are at camp this week! Josh and I (and Daniel) brought four high schoolers to Camp Rock this week for a mission trip. The kids are serving as dorm leaders, helpers and VBS teachers. I am mostly supporting the high schoolers, helping where ever I can and taking care of Daniel.

It is so fun to be back here as both Josh and I grew up coming to camp here every summer. And when we were old enough, we worked here. I know what I learned here at Camp Rock was an important part of my spiritual journey. Many of my lifetime friends were made here.

Oh, and I met Josh here. (But for many years I was better friends with his sister.) My first memory of Josh is the summer we were twelve and he and his friend, also named Josh, did a rap for talent night. I can still see those two skinny boys in their white t-shirts rapping for all of us. Everybody knew they were cool.

Of course, over the years I saw many other things I liked in Josh – his love for all people, his sense of humor, love for God - I could really go on.

But I knew someone like him would never be interested in someone like me. So I never even considered liking him in “that” way … until my senior year of college when HE brought it up!

Crazy how things work out. I’m so glad God worked in my life – partly through Camp Rock – and I pray that He is working in all the campers and workers this week, too.

Thanks to junior high home ec …

… I can sew! And some credit also goes to my mom and grandma.

Anyway, I’ve been sewing more lately, partly because a neighbor who is moving gave me several bags of fabric that jump-started my imagination! Also, the blogs SouleMama and Little Birdie Secrets have many projects (some similar to these) and ideas I’d like to try!

Here are several recent creations. (All I’ve had to buy for these projects are a little thread, elastic and interfacing, oh and the “vintage” pillowcases - maybe $5 total. All other fabric I had or was given. So these projects are cheap and green!)

Here’s a pillowcase dress (from a 50 cent pillowcase) that fits both of the girls:

Some super-cute burp cloths (made from cloth diapers I never used as diapers and fabric scraps):

Some more pillowcase dresses and a spiffed up onesie for the boy:

  

 

And finally, a shirt for the mama (from another 50 cent pillowcase, and sorry about the funny angle – I took the pic myself in the mirror while trying to avoid you having to see my armpit!) :

So this crafty sewing has been my fun lately to cheaply and greenly add something new to our summer wardrobes.

A Tiny Sunrise

When I woke up this morning, I noticed two things:

First, it was quiet except for the birds singing – usually I’m woken by a crying baby or a hungry toddler.

Second, I could see small rectangle of blue sky with pink streaks through the open front door. I blinked sleepily, enjoying the luxury of lingering in bed, and watched more streaks appear, then turn gold and orange.

As I watched, I thought about what a small piece of the whole picture I was seeing. And how life is like that – I almost never get to see the whole picture, and if I do, it’s later.

Lately, I’ve gotten to see a few beautiful glimpses into the lives of people where God is working. And I can’t see the whole story.

At least not in this life. But until eternity those tiny bright ”windows” into God’s work make it worth it.

Worth it to persevere in my seemingly mundane days.

Worth it to persevere in chasing God.

Worth it to choose joy in the tiny sunrises.

(Go enjoy more Beautiful Life at the Inspired Room.)

What is it?

What do you get when you take this …

antique doorknobs

and this

a carved mantel

and these

stained-glass windows

and this

original woodwork and vintage wallpaper

and this

a butler's pantry

and this

a gazebo

 

… and put them all together?

 

 

 

 

 (keep scrolling down)

 

 

 

 

Our new house!!

Our new house!

(Note: I’ve had this post written for over three months! There have been so many things that have almost made this NOT happen, but today we signed the papers! I am SO excited and feeling SO blessed – this house is much more wonderful than I ever dreamed.)

Of course.

Of course when the girls go to bed easy and early, the boy stays up for three hours.

Of course when he sleeps all night, the girls are up way earlier than usual.

Of course the mama thinks she needs more sleep.

Of course she can still choose the kind of day she wants.

Of course she still has to feed the kids, keep them safe, entertain them, discipline them, clean, cook and wash.

But she can choose to do it all happily, willingly, servingly … or not.

I hope she chooses to smile and thank God for messy kids, dirty dishes (thanks Grandma) and repetitive tasks knowing that serving her family is NOT an unimportant venture.

That’s what I want.

What will you choose?

(This is being counted as a gift today at Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky.)

Just the kids.

Three years, three months.

Three years, three months. That’s how long my body supported another life either through pregnancy or breastfeeding (first Megan and then Daniel).

But now it’s over. Daniel hasn’t nursed in several days. I’m sad because breastfeeding can be so sweet.

However, it was NOT an easy thing for me. (Click here to read my first post about my saga and here for the update.) Shortly after my update two months ago where I was again pumping day and night and taking herbal supplements to increase my milk supply, I realized it wasn’t going to work, it was too much to do those things and try to breastfeed a baby who was simply too inefficient at breastfeeding to get enough.

So I dropped the pumping and then a bit later the herbal supplements and was just breastfeeding a few times a day and giving bottles the rest of the time.

And my already content, cute baby became my super happy, super chubby baby! (He’s still packing on about a pound a week – at this rate he’ll catch up with his sisters in a couple months!)

I knew we were on the road to complete weaning and that was OK. I cried a few bitter sweet tears – I wish breastfeeding would have worked out for Daniel and I bit (or a lot) longer, but I know I did all I could and though the result isn’t my ideal, it is a very good option and one I’m glad to have.

Now he hasn’t breastfed in several days, and my body feels different. Not pregnant. Not breastfeeding. Sort of more my own. (Except for the three kiddos who expect things all day long!)

I still get many hours and minutes every day cuddled into my rocking chair with my sweet baby boy while he eats and I have more time for reading to my girls and playing outside and watching Daniel learn to crawl.

Life is good.

PS. Here’s a summary of my breastfeeding each of my three kids (or just one more way each child is unique):

March 2005 – Kate is born and I breastfeed for two and half weeks before switching to formula. Kate survives, even thrives.

December 2006 – Megan is born and I try again, get better help and breastfeed her for 17 months.

October 2008 – Daniel is born and we again work at breastfeeding – even seeing a breastfeeding specialist (like with Meg) – but only make it 7 1/2 months.

PPS I’m linking this to Beautiful Life and Hooked on Fridays.

Happy Mother’s Day

Yes, I know Mother’s Day was, um, two weeks ago. Or so.

Anyway, all I wanted was a picture with my sweet children. And I got one. Or two or seven, but here are my favorites!

I am so blessed with their smiles every day.

And someday I will see the blessing in the tears and tantrums, too.

I am trying hard to enjoy all these moments that speed by too fast.

(Go check out Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky for more little things to enjoy.)