the very sweet things

In the midst of the weekend, and a birthday celebration, and ballet rehearsal I noticed some very sweet things. They're the moments of joy shown to me by the ones I love. Little things, perhaps, and yet the most beautiful.

1} In the summer one of our traditions is to have strawberry shortcake for dinner. Just that. Nothing else. Every year as the kick off to summer I'll make shortcake -- with heaps of strawberries {and sometimes raspberries and blackberries} piled high with hand whipped cream. Hannah published a beautiful photo journal of our kick-off to summer shortcake *here* including this most yummy looking photo. Of course, this was a very sweet thing.

2} This year I had to make gluten free shortcake. I used the gluten free Bisquick recipe {for convenience}, and it was good, but not amazing. I'm going to be searching for a more "almost tastes like it has gluten in it" recipe. Ideas?

3} Samuel loved the strawberries. He'd stand in the kitchen, look up at me with those puppy-eyes, and say, "mo-oh" -- he kind of sounds like he's from Boston when he says it.  How could I say no?

4} My Chloe is so creative. She found this app for her ipod touch that lets you make old silent movies -- and then adds the piano music. All weekend she's been choreographing various movies. And finding props. Including this old table top {it used to have tiles in it} to use as a mock tv screen.  I'm going to have to beg her to let me show you one  -- I just love them.  :)

5} And speaking of Chloe -- I was using her ipod touch {which I'm known to do -- love the Scrabble App and Words with Friends} and hit the google search and saw a gluten free search still up. That she did. For me. For something she was going to make as a surprise.  How sweet is that?

6} I was trying out Hannah's new lens on Friday and Elijah told me he wanted to be "part of da pitch-ure, momma."  Remember -- he's three. For his "photo shoot" he decided to run from the fence, hang from the swing, and to just sit and stare.  Too cute. And sweet.

7} And of course, I should end the post with a picture of my birthday girl on her birthday. I absolutely love this picture of Hannah and Samuel -- my oldest and youngest. The bond between my children is priceless.

Have your own miscellany?  link up with my dear friend Carissa and do share.



Hope your Monday is fabulous! And speaking of fabulous -- remember -- I'm looking for some gluten-free fabulous and sweet shortcake ideas. And remember to enter my give-away {thanks to blogher and gatorade} for the $100 giftcard to Dick's Sporting Goods. {The giveaway button is on my sidebar.} I want one of you to win it! :)

~rachel

the crumbs can stay

I saw the kitchen needing work. There were breakfast dishes piled high in the sink, and a floor needing to be swept and mopped, and counters sprinkled with cereal crumbs and smears of jelly. It was late. Our morning jobs -- which should be done before nine -- hadn't even been started.

I felt myself getting annoyed.

Didn't the chores come first? I could feel the aggravation rising as I walked through my half done and not so spotless kitchen.  I was ready to get everyone working on what I thought needed to be done.

Until I saw this.


The dirty counter didn't matter -- in fact, it seemed awfully petty all of a sudden.  So what that we're a bit behind schedule. That didn't matter.

The relationships matter.

The bonds between a 13 year old and her 3 year old brother make life impressions.

Those daily duties? Yeah, they'll get done, in time. And you know what? That kitchen will get messy again -- within the day. But, today, at this moment in the morning, I'm glad -- I'm grateful -- that my sweet Chloe chose to say "no" to the work and "yes" to her brother. That matters.

Humbled. Again.

Taught by my own.

the marsh road

Several days ago Chloe and I drove home from ballet the long way.

Intentionally.

We took the Marsh Road.

At least that's the name that we've affectionately given that back road.  It's a little two lane road nestled between marshes and lakes. Farms and homes cling to the shore, perched just feet above the water.  In the spring it turns even more amazing -- the snow melting causing swollen creeks to rise even higher.

In life it's easy to keep driving the same way.

Doing the same things. Repeating. Over and over. Get up. Make coffee. Check emails. Unload the dishwasher. Start a load of laundry. Pick up toys. Read a book. Make lunch. Drive here, drive back. Over and over and over.

We need breaks. 
A different view.
Slowing down.

The Marsh Road starts less than a mile from our home.  We just needed to keep driving. To purposely take a little bit more time.  Taking ten minutes and making a loop on the normal way home changing it to a day far from just normal.

Time where we got to laugh. 
To talk.
To breathe.

Chloe and I just stared in wonder as our car moved slowly down the road. She took pictures with her ipod touch (these pics are all hers)  marveling as the world changed from the frozen grip of winter into springs melting glory. It was her and I. On our own break from the Monday morning ballet drive home.

Do you have your own Marsh Road? 
Do you need to take a Marsh Road?


Perhaps it's not a literal road.

Maybe it's switching the schedule a bit. Or announcing that for morning snack we're going to have ice cream sundaes. Or deciding to take a walk when math or laundry or naptime is next on the schedule. Or ignoring the morning dishes and opting to read for a moment instead. Laughing. Enjoying the gift of time in the now. Looking outside. Watching the water. Breathing deep. Living grateful.

and saying

good bye winter

hello spring.

if you are interested in reading my post from yesterday about my strategies for dealing with a sick child and doctors please click here

oh where oh where oh where oh where oh where?

does TIME go?

I am now the mother of two teenagers.
Make that fabulous teenagers.
(I love these years -- I am so honored to walk besides my kids)

Happy 13th Birthday 

Chloe Laurella!!!

I love her.  She was born exactly one week after my grandmother -- named Laurella -- died.  She was balm for an aching heart.  Where there was sorrow she brought joy.  One of the sweetest pictures I have of her when she was first born was of my grandfather holding her tightly.  He had been married to my grandmother for over 60years.
Beautiful.

Chloe

you are kind

serving

very funny

love this pic so I had to share it again

a joy to be around

you think of others so often

tender

giving
loves to laugh

creative

a chef

a beautiful dancer
a coffee lover like your mom

a daughter of mine like coffee?

radiant

helper

a lover of the Lord

listener

teacher

sister

chloe with Elijah

daughter

granddaughter

(chloe and hannah on the trip out west with my parents)

niece

cousin

an amazing person

and 

my friend.

I love you.

Happy 13th Birthday

my sweet, sweet, girl.

Drop a comment
and
Wish my sweet girl
Happy Birthday!
Thanks!!

the rat king will be no more

After 3months of driving to ballet almost 6times a week the day has arrived.

Finally.

The Nutcracker performance is today.

I've joked how I'm exhausted -- but it's my daughters -- Hannah, Chloe, and Grace, that are the real exhausted ones.  Well, exhausted and running on adrenaline.  Sheer adrenaline.

Pictures will be coming.  Until then -- think of us -- and especially my ballet beauties. Would you pray that they are healthy and have stamina?  And that they enjoy the fruits of their labor? They worked hard. Very, very hard.  I am extremely proud of them.

Here's a teaser pic -- from last year. :)  Now I'm off to put buns in, pull out rag-rollers, and apply some make up.  Here we go!

Hannah

Curious where my girls dance? We love our classical ballet studio -- North Ballet.  Here's a little teaser video. If you look really closely you might find my daughters. :) In fact there's a scene with just pointe shoes, and a back being adjusted, and a dancer turning -- that's my Hannah. Enjoy!

got any nuts??

as my free time (what there is) has been spent making this -

ahhh...the mask...

Hannah, Chloe and Grace are in a production of the Nutcracker Ballet next week.  Their company needed a nutcracker mask, and I volunteered (I'm still wondering what on earth compelled me to sign up for that part!).  Let me tell you -- making a mask of this size is no easy task.  I had three trial run masks before this one and ended up wanting to make one more after this one.  My family emphatically told me no.  I listened. :)

Chloe outside before modeling the mask
(photo courtesy of my Hannah)

Here are the details -- read with caution. :)  Paper Mache mask - three layers.  Base is made from molded plastic (from a cut up milk carton).  Nose is plastic.  Face is built up with foam and covered in plastic before the paper mache was applied. I painted it with acrylic paints.  Beard and hair is faux fur from Joann's.  That part is very messy -- I vacuumed numerous times and in fact, vacuumed the head to pick up the free hair.  (It still looks like we have a dog with black hair here.) Crown is layers of gold poster board painted with acrylics.  And the red part was a hat that was existing that I attached.  That part still needs a teeny bit of work....  The mask attaches via an elastic band and then the crown/hair attaches over latching with screws and then being tied under the chin.  Ignore the imperfections in the mask -- you need to remember that this will be on stage and no one will see it up close.

Chloe modeling the mask.
She is the Nutcracker next week. :)

************

Have you discovered that I might be a wee bit of a perfectionist?  And now you know why I write on not being too much that way....

Want to know how many hours this took?

12 hours.

Want to know how much it cost?

$32

Want to know the song I belted out when I was finished?
That would be the Hallelujah Chorus. :)

Now I need to start making cookies....without nuts...

(feel free to leave any "way to go" and "you did great" or "you're nuts" comments....hee hee hee...sometimes I crack myself up...)

not by sight

Last night I had one of those WAKE UP moments.  You know, those times in life that diverge from the norm?  Maybe it's as extreme as a tragedy or as minor as a near accident -- it's those moments where you get snapped from the normalcy of everyday and can see life from a different perspective.

part of the road to ballet on a normal day

My moment came when I drove my second daughter, Chloe, home from ballet.  Normally, this would be a minor deal.  We'd drive over a bridge, and over some hills, while we joked about life or talked about ballet or sat in silence.  But last night was different.  It was snowing.  Very, very hard.  So hard, in fact, that the back roads -- from the infamous "road to ballet" -- were not plowed.  At all.  And this is a hilly, back-country road that I take.

I couldn't see.

I could hear the nervousness in Chloe's voice when she told me she couldn't see the road.  I calmly told her that I saw it -- even though I didn't at all.  I had to stop. In the middle of the road and clean my wipers -- the snow was falling faster than even those little wipers could keep up with.  But, then right after I cleaned them,  I had to keep going.  I had NO choice. Deep down, I knew the road.  I knew it was there -- I'd driven it almost every day for 18 months.  I couldn't see it.  But, I had faith.

Isn't that like life?

We're on these roads and at times we can't see the road.  We ask the Lord, "where's the path?  Could you just show us the way?  Guide us?  Give us some direction?" And yet, we are as blind to the path as I was last night.  Yet, we keep moving.  Last night, it was simply faith that I knew the road.  But, in life, it's faith that our loving Father knows the road before us.  So we move. By faith.

the road uncovered

And sometimes, it's scary.  Or hard.  Or the path seems clouded.  Yet we keep moving, keep trusting, keep believing.  We might have to stop to clean our wiper blades -- refresh our view -- but truly, we keep moving knowing that we have a Father who loves us and care for us, and ultimately knows the road underneath all that snow.

"For we live by faith, not by sight"  2 Corinthians 5:7

************

On another note, I'm wanted to share with you that I'm  now a contributing writer for  5 Minutes For Faith.  I was honored to be asked to join their team, and have already been blessed working with them.  I'm sharing with you a link to an article I wrote titled -- Missing Pieces -- and no, it's not really about puzzle pieces, but more about pieces that we cling to and try to make sense of -- when we really should let them go. And, really it should only take you about 5 minutes to read it.  Get it?  5 minutes?  and 5 Minutes For Faith?  (okay. Now i'm just silly.  It's waaaay to early for me.)

I'd love for you to check it out -- and when you pop over there, would you leave me a comment?  (Click on my link the title Missing Pieces -- their link is broken)  I'd appreciate it -- as I'm the newbie. :)  But, don't leave without commenting here okay, okay, okay you DON'T have to.  I just like hearing from you so I thought I'd try the direct approach. Ha ha ha! -- I am, however,  SO blessed by your comments and notes of encouragement.  Thank you for taking your time and leaving them.

Blessings!

the domino effect

It's one of those days.

Last night, my Chloe felt awful before bed.  Gracie was already sick.

This morning my family fell like dominoes -- Hannah, Brennan, Caleb, Elijah, Chloe, Samuel, and myself.  We're coughing like there is no tomorrow.  The only one that feels okay, be it slightly?  Grace and my husband, Todd.

Sigh.

This is one of the reasons I don't like winter.  But, I'm not going to grumble anymore.  Nope.  Instead I'm going to list some beautiful benefits of dealing with a sick family.  Not that I ever want them sick, mind you, but if I looked only at everyone being sick, and feeling sick myself, I would end up in overwhelm.

So therefore, I give you some silver lining moments from this bout of illness.
 Twenty reasons to be exact. :)

1) I get many more hugs.
2) I get many more "I love you, Mom's"
3) There isn't any racing around our main level.
4) The fighting level drops drastically.
5) Many books get read.  (and yes, more television viewing...I've got to be real, right?)
6) I get a nap. Maybe.
7) It is not a vomit sickness.
8) It is not a vomit sickness.  (I had to type that twice.  I am SO grateful to have dodged that bullet)
9) My house stays clean.
10) We all realize how much we love each other.
11) We all realize how great it is to feel well.
12) I get to blog at 8:30 in the morning versus 5:30 in the morning or 11 pm at night.
13) Now, I get to go down in my family room, snuggle under a blanket with Eli and watch Curious George.
14) We learn about science when we discuss the benefits of a fever.
15) I finally can use the massive amount of Kleenex tissues that I bought at Costco
16) It is not vomit sickness.  I know, I know, I know.  Just had to mention it one more time.
17) The amount of running around I do in the Suburban will drop down to nothing.
18) We'll save gas money.  And food money -- since we're only eating chicken noodle soup
19) It only seems to last several days and Samuel's has NOT developed into croup.
20) Hopefully tomorrow we'll feel better - then I'll write a new list -- a list of health!

extra snuggle time

Do you have any "getting through the sick time tips" to share?  If so, please do.  I'd love to know.  Feel free to list your silver lining moments as well.  So often it's perspective, isn't it?

Blessings and health on your day!

memory strands

4 hours.

2 daughters

27 degrees and dropping

3 pairs of gloves 

6 extension cords

100's of twinkling white lights

1 glorious cup of coffee

3 red Rubbermaid Totes with green lids. 

7 thrown away strands

and

1 me

Why?  Why do I spend an entire afternoon stringing (and throwing -- while hoping it catches on a lone branch) Christmas lights outside? It's not for me.  Well, that's kind of not true -- some of it is for me.  I do love the peace and silence -- once my body goes numb with cold.  I love the beauty when I'm done. I do love the laughter with the girls.  And I love having lights outside -- it's so festive -- the lights twinkling against the sparkling snow.

I put lights up for my kids.

It's about memories. Tradition.  Sentiment. Excitement. Joy.

My little ones will stand in the living room and stare out the window in wonder as strand after strand lights up the yard. (Just a tidbit of info -- I only use strands of lights -- no blowups, plastic things, signs, etc -- just simple strands.  There are probably over 2000 lights out there.) With each light that goes up you can see the excitement rise.  My little Elijah excitedly exclaimed --  it's Christmas outside! -- as his little eyes glowed with glee as he watched me work.

My kids start asking in October if I'll put lights up.  How could I not?  Do I regret that day, the time outside?  Not in the least.  Someday my sweet little ones, and not so little anymore, will be grown.  And they will remember.

They'll remember the lights.
They'll remember their mom outside weaving the lights on bushes.

They'll realize how much I love them.

Because I really do.   Christmas is not about the stuff.  It's about Jesus. And family. And traditions. And memories. One little light at a time.

(love the pics?  They're all taken by my daughter - Hannah - who you can find here.)

too many choices

That would be my daughter, Chloe, standing posing in front of the Edy's Ice Cream.    I had just picked her up from ballet, driven home in a crazy-wicked wind -- I'm talking gusts up to 50+ mph -- had almost got home when she asked sweetly for some sparkling juice.  So I turned around and went to the store where we got some Ice Sparkling water.  And a bit of ice cream.

5th position in front of the ice cream

I love that girl.  She really doesn't care what anyone thinks -- in a great way.  She can walk into the grocery store with wind-whipped hair, which is still in a ballet bun, a cute fall jacket, with shorts and ballet tights, and big brown, fuzzy, clog slipper shoes.  And, between you and me, she pulls it off perfectly.  Then, while we're in the store she'll pose, with perfect ballet hands, in front of the ice cream.

Beautifully.

Life has the moments that you can grab -- like laughing with my almost 13 year old in the aisles of a deserted grocery store.  Or later the same night, when I had my daughters come stand outside with me in the freezing wind -- the gusts could knock you over -- that wind was a rarity, a maybe once or twice a lifetime strong wind.  I wanted them to remember.  To remember a mom who laughed with them, enjoyed life with them, and loved them.  It's those little moments.  Those are the memories.

Miscellany Monday

Phew....what a busy weekend.

Wedding.

Birthday Party

Cleaning.  Massive Cleaning.

Baptism

Confirmation

Party

Gardening.
Re-cleaning (is that a word?)

Thank goodness it's Monday!

And with it being Monday comes another totally random edition of 

Miscellany Monday.

1. Chloe was confirmed yesterday.  My mother purchased 1/2 sheet cake.  I thought that it would be way too big.
I was wrong.  Terribly wrong.  Buttercream frosting paired with an exceptionally moist cake will not last in this home. 

start

10 minutes later

2) This is a picture of some of my favorite things. 

Iced coffee (it's close to 90 with high humidity)

Garden Trowel

Gloves

3) These are my irises. I used the above stuff to plant them.
(last year)
I love them. Love them.

4) Yesterday I put in a huge raspberry garden.  I'm talking over 30 plants.  Later that night I took a shower -- I was covered in mud.  Then with wet hair I went to bed.  This is what my hair looks like in the morning after sleeping with wet hair.  (This is not what it looks like after I straighten it.)

can we say curly?

crazy hair

I am not straightening it today - not with ultra high humidity.
The world will just have to deal with my
big hair.

 5) Samuel did not like me taking pictures of my hair.

enough pictures!!

5 seconds later

Thanks, Carissa, for putting together this meme.  As a random person -- this helps me get those thoughts out!

Link up -- be random!

Love the button? 
-- my Hannah designed it --
her momma's proud!

the noise...noise...noise!

Have you seen the Grinch?  Or read the book?  You know the part in the book where he puts his hands over his head and yells, "noise, noise, noise?"  Now, this is a little known secret, but they actually modeled that after me.  Not the green, unattractive creature, but the words...noise.  Well, not really, but that is how I feel right now.  And I don't like excess noise.   Crazy, I know.

how I feel

I know I have seven children....and four of them are boys.  I expect noise.  But, let me tell you, it has been raining here for the past three days.  And it's cold. So my wonderful, energy-filled boys are cooped up in my home.  And their volume is steadily increasing.

The noise, noise, noise!

my boys

I've decided that before I pull any more hair out of my head, that I need a strategy to deal with the noise.  At least today.  Normally, it doesn't bother me...much.  Here's my plan (hmmm...this reminds me of the family agenda post from two days ago).

Step 1: have Caribou Caramel Latte in hand
Step 2: thank God for these boys.  Remember that they are all blessings.
Step 3: repeat step two.
Step 4: Turn on Leap Frog's "Letter Factory" for them to enjoy (and learn just a bit) while I write and develop a strategy
Step 5: Write.  Think.  Decide. Act
Step 6: Repeat second word of step five (I'm a bit stuck)
Step 7:  Pull out Five in a Row book (more on this amazing book tomorrow.  If you have young kids you need this book).  Turn to study/activity on the book - The Story About Ping.  Decided to spend rest of morning reading Ping and doing several projects.
Step 8: send the boys outside (dressed warmly) to look for worms (I know gross, but they love it)
Step 9: rejoice that naptime is only 2 hours away!

I've got a plan.  Sometimes it just helps to process it out.

___________________________

With regards to yesterdays family agenda...it went lovely.  When I was reading with Elijah he just nestled into me.  It was so incredibly sweet.  Chloe's testimony is complete.  She talks about her fear when Todd was sick with cancer, and how our family leaned on Jesus.  Then she related it to her verse:

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart
and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him
and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

I drew with Brennan for almost 30 minutes.  I didn't do water-colors with Caleb, but I did end up taking him out to lunch with Todd.  He asked us,

 "if we could do this everyday...because it's the best day ever!"

a very full Caleb

I chatted with Hannah about blog design and life.  And I lost (miserably) to Grace and Chloe to another game of Qwirkle.  I rocked Samuel.  So sweet...and so fleeting.  All of you mamas with young baby's--take time to revel in their baby-i-ness.  Time moves fast.

Dinner was made.  And no grumbling calls left my house.  Now, did I get that nap?  nope. (I did fall asleep very quickly after watching The Biggest Loser that I recorded on our dvr.) All in all?

It was a good day.  Make that a great day.

_______________________________

One last thing (I promise...I know this post is long)

Barbie at A Freshly Brewed Life is hosting a give-away.  The prize?

A Complete Blog Design (worth $65)
 (who doesn't love a make-over...especially in the spring?)

Will you take a moment to check it out?  It's very near and dear to me.  Why?  I think Barbie's amazing.  She's a prayer warrior (trust me), has a kind spirit, and an awesome blog.  Second?  The blog makeover is being done by my daughter Hannah.  She's done mine (notice the new header) and many others through her blog design business Vivid Design Studio.  The Lord has blessed her with an eye to see the world and His beauty.  So click on the link---and enter!