I am not one of those women who have their house decorated in their minds before the walls are even up. I have a hard enough time deciding what to put on the walls once they're actually there and painted! Add to that the fact that the first weeks of living here i didn't feel good and i won't even bother making excuses about still having bare walls! I'm finally getting in the mood to do things like that though, and this morning i actually made something happen on a wall....amazing! :) this picture is a beautiful cheap thing that my sister gave me one of the first years i was married. The frame got wet sometime while in storage and warped :( so, last night when chris and i went to town on our "date" i looked around at frames and found...nothing. Then i looked at cheap pictures and found a perfect frame! Took the 2 apart, ironed the wrinkled print and put it in the new frame! Pretty
pleased with the accomplishment :)

"I shall take a brace. And if I can't look cheerful, I shall look as c heerful as I can!" (Susan in Rilla of Ingleside) :)

Ever look around at your life suddenly and say "Yikes! How did I get here?!?" There's something about your oldest turning 10 and finding out you're expecting your 5th (5th!) that does that, at least to me! Somehow the sound of that doesn't match who I think I am. I'm supposed to be young married, the mother of toddlers and just hold on, how did I get here? What if I don't wanna be here?? People w/ 10 yr olds expecting their 5th (5th!) are supposed to be sensible, staid, getting-on-toward-middle-age folks. The ones who look at youth sagely and don't think a volleyball game would be a fun evening activity. The moms w/ slightly messy hair and a patient smile, the dads who used to be great ball players but would now just as soon prop their feet up w/ a newspaper. I'll admit I've felt a little sad and rebellious and a lot like digging in my heels and demanding a rewind. I'm not really sure what I think that will accomplish! Life will go on...and on...and if this is who I am than I better be it the best way!

The Secret's Revealed

I'm not sure what the blogging dry spell is all about. It's probably partly a change in circumstances. I have a house to take care of now instead of way too much time on my hands to think and write! It's also probably partly because, face it, when life feels the most difficult is often when we find ourselves leaning the hardest and finding the most inspiration from God. Not that life is all easy street these days, but having our own space diminished a lot of stress. Still, it's more than that and there's a simple explanation. See, about 6 weeks ago I suddenly became a different version of myself. It started slowly and painlessly and gradually increased in an alarmingly downward spiral. I became a tired, unmotivated version. A lay on the couch all afternoon and drag myself off to do essentials version. A white crackers for snacks and "Honey I *need* some cottage cheese could you please bring some home?" version. Yes, this might explain the lack of blogging inspiration. You see, we are expecting baby #5!

How they grow...

Why is it that the mention of doing dishes brings groans and sighs from 8 and 10 year olds, but suggest the idea to 3 and 4 year olds and you get big, sparkly eyes and "could we?!" in excited voices? I'm not that great at letting the bright eyes turn sparkly by saying "yes, you may!" to be honest, i don't usually suggest the idea. Usually i'm hoping to quickly get it done myself before any little eyes have the chance to get bright with big ideas! Tonight 8 and 10 escaped the house before i got them put to work. 3 and 4 were planning to go out and i was thinking up excuses for them to stay in when i hit on the suggestion that they should wash the dishes. Oh the enthusiasm!! Bright eyes turned sparkly, and surprisingly enough, the drainer filled with clean glasses, bowls, plates, all neatly stacked! O the simple joys of being young...no wonder jesus said we should become like them...

Happy birthday

Someday when i'm a real, grown-up mom, i won't wait until the day of my child's birthday to do everything. I'll pick up the perfect gift a month in advance and hide it away for the big day. I'll call grandpas ahead of time and invite them for cake and ice cream. And, if i have the bright idea to make something other than a regular rectangle for a cake, i'll make it the day before and tuck it safely away. All of this would lend itself nicely to a relaxed, fun birthday! Oh well, until i reach that milestone, we'll settle for gifts for gifts snatched at walmart the afternoon of the birthday and ice cream w/o grandpas since they already had plans and a rushed afternoon (again, of said birthday) trying to make purse cakes that should have been chilled and look like they might fall over. She still turned 3 quite happily so i guess that's what matters...who cares about early grey hair anyway?

Best Way

I heard a message once, long ago, that came to my mind this week. The speaker worked at a place where they shipped books. On the order form was a place to bubble in which mode of shipping the customer wanted-overnight, ground, air, etc. There was 1 slot that said Best Way. If this slot was chosen it gave the company the liberty to see where the items were going, how many, etc and choose the best means of transportation. He then drew the analogy that in our lives God wants us to bubble in "Best Way" when we can't understand why or what's going on. This week was supposed to be a lovely week off for Chris. A week of finishing up projects on the house and enjoying each other. Monday he started w/ an earache that landed him at the Dr Tuesday and he's still not up to par. Our nights have been rocky and our days draggy, not at all the plan! But I had to think of this message and say "Best Way God!" That doesn't erase the disappointment and stress but it does allow me to rest in God's all knowing perspective!

What goes around...

I am the youngest in my family of six, with two brothers next to me in line. As anyone with brothers can imagine, this was cause for many opportunities to scream and run tattle taling to mom. (They used to call me Hettie, you know the little sister in the Caddie Woodlawn books? I probably told mom that too!) My mom spoke these words of wisdom to me on more than one occasion, "Just ignore them and they'll stop. They just want to hear you scream!" True words, but Oh, so hard to follow when all you want is to get that teasing big brother in trouble!! Guess who's mouth those words are coming out of these days? The other day, in the midst of brother teasing/little sister screaming...again...I suddenly had to smile to myself. The old saying is true, I guess. "What goes around comes around!" I think I'll start praying for a brother/sister combination for each of my children so my mom's words of wisdom can be passed down through the generations. "Just ignore them and they'll stop..." They make perfect sense now!