Sometimes I Crack Me Up...

My sweetie and I are intentional about the way we parent. In fact, we call it "intentional parenting." What does this mean? So glad you asked. It means that we choose what we say, the activities we participate in, the books we read, what we watch, etc. with the goal in mind of equipping our children well for their lives. It also means that we find ways to weave truth into conversations about everyday things and try not to miss opportunities to connect with the little stinkers.

Take, for example, our dinner conversation tonight. I made waffles and bacon. Who doesn't like to come home at the end of the day and, instead of finding a nice casserole or a hearty stew, finding the table set for breakfast? Back to the conversation. Since there is an excessive, and I do mean excessive, amount of candy in our home at the moment, somehow the topic of taking care of your body and putting good things into it came up (which, of course, is why I chose to reinforce the point with waffles and syrup because everyone knows that syrup isn't your regular kind of sugar, it's breakfast sugar which is altogether different...). Back to the conversation. The kids started to ask why people don't always take care of their bodies, take pride in their appearance, etc. My sweetie told them that if someone doesn't feel good about themselves, they might give up on some of the external stuff and then feel bad about that, which leads to a vicious cycle of self-deprecating thoughts and a twisted view of being made in God's image and all this perfectly lovely stuff that you should say when you are intentional about your parenting. Never missing an opportunity to make a point, I piped in with this knee-slapper:

...and if you ever look in the mirror and not find anything you like about yourself, that's the time to look yourself square in the face and say this out loud: "Hey, at least I've got really great parents."

Okay, it was a good one. Even Miss O had a chuckle and that is a rarity when it's a response to her own mother's ramblings.

Here's the thing...

I've thought about this blog thing for a long time. I enjoy reading what others write and I enjoy writing as well. There are some excellent blogs out there. There are also some that are a bit...much. Where is that line between an appropriate level of sharing and putting it all out there for the world to see. I was at a workshop this summer talking about connecting with the uninvolved in women's ministry. The speaker made the comment that the reason that so many (and she was talking specifically about young single women) put all their information on facebook or their own websites is that they just want to be known. I've thought about that for a good while. Sad to me.

I am known. My husband knows me. Too well at times for his liking, I suspect. My children spend every day with me and see the good, the bad, and definitely the ugly. I have a few close friends who I share my heart with. Most of all, I serve a God who knows my innermost thoughts. The One who has known me since I was formed in the womb. Can you ask for more than that? What, then, is the purpose of blogging? There is no void in my life that this exercise can fill.

Maybe, perhaps, it's not just about me. Maybe there is a wee possibility that I can encourage one person. That in sharing my own triumphs and struggles one reader will see a reflection of their own life, examine it, and make a change for the better. Maybe it's just a creative expression because that's how God wired me. Maybe not everything needs to have a grand purpose but can still be profitable in the long haul.

Maybe I'm back. I have a lot of photos worth sharing over the last (almost) year since my last post. I've been growing and learning and trudging along as I seek to follow Jesus in my life. I've acquired a few battle scars along the way and there are more to come. There's joy too. And it's worth every hit.

Blessings on your day if there is anyone out there. *wink*

Seriously?

How did I not post for all of October and November?

Was I too busy setting the table?




Or laundering pink clothes?




Or snuggling up some cuteness?




More than likely I was just a bit taken up with the needs of these:

Sticker Shock and Other Things

Renovating. I've mentioned our basement renovation which is actually going quite well. All walls are in place and we're making our way towards soon pouring self-leveling concrete to even out the floor. My designer backed out but I think I have a replacement that will likely work out better in the long run. I'm excited about that.

I've spent the last week or so getting estimates on some major outside work: siding, windows, eaves, redesign. This is where the sticker shock comes in. The construction market here is hot and you really have to book well in advance of when you want the work done. I'm looking at scheduling this for the spring and need to make a decision in the next few days, if not today. I'm waiting for a contractor who is 25 minutes late for our appointment. Not a good sign. My first choice at this point is pricey but highly recommended. Seems like such a grown up thing to do.

Football season has come to an end for this household. I think this photo will give you an indication of just how well things went:

I'd post but...

I'm too busy with our new little dude, Caspian Beary.

This little cockapoo comes from the home of some dear friends. Their daughter is the same age as my daughter and they are tight. Like, one Sunday morning they were explaining to me that they are twins. I digress. Little Miss G was pretty sad for her friend, knowing that our puppy was leaving a bit of a hole in her friend's heart. She cried off and on for a couple of hours after they left.



She managed to hold it together well enough to snuggle up with her happy siblings for this shot:



We're using our timer to make sure everyone gets a proper turn to cuddle:



This girl rarely smiles. She must be very happy indeed!



He is so cute he almost doesn't look real. But he smells like a dog. Good thing he has this face to see him through:



I'll return once a bit more of the novelty wears off. Or he sleeps through the night. Whichever comes first.

Confessions of an Un-Morning Person

I'm going to come clean. I like my bed. A lot. We have a good mattress, a wonderful down duvet, and a peaceful bedroom. We frequently have a late-night visitor climbing in between us in our warm cozy bed, but it's a pretty nice place to be. Another confession. I tend to stay up way too late. I used to think I didn't require a lot of sleep but I'm rethinking that one. The post-bedtime hours in our home are quiet and enticing. I seem to start projects late in the evening and get caught up in creating or laundering or reading or anything else that is more enjoyable in quiet or that I've put off doing in the day. Years of getting up in the night with a baby or two and grabbing every bit of sleep until the first child awoke in the morning conditioned me to get up only when I absolutely had to. I used to think I was rather enterprising, still finding time for hobbies even with little ones around. Now my littles are, well, not-so-little and sleep is a bit more predictable around here. Now it's simply a matter of personal discipline.

It's no secret here that I love the Word of God. Day after day and year after year I grow only by exposing myself to God's Truth and my relationship continues to grow. I've made time for this at different times of the day, out of necessity, and that quiet time has come in the late morning, afternoon, or late at night. I've been convicted lately of my need to seek God in the morning before my day starts.

You see the challenge. If I'm not up before my children, I'm not going to have time for reading and prayer in a quiet room. After eleven years of motherhood I sleep through the alarm clock without hearing it. How am I going to consistently find that morning time if something doesn't change?

After six weeks, I can tell you that I have consistently had a good half-hour in the mornings to spend with the Lord. No, I'm not waking up to an alarm. No, my husband isn't waking me up. No, I don't make my children sit quietly in their rooms until it's time for the noise of the day to begin. It's been a very simple solution, quite honestly.

I started praying six weeks ago that God would wake me in the morning so that I could have that time with Him before the children get up. And you know what? He's been totally faithful to do so. It hasn't been the exact same time every morning but within a twenty minute window. I wake up and anticipate that time. Heading for the sofa in our south-east facing living room, I grab a warm throw and settle in with my Bible and journal. I shouldn't be surprised that God would wake me consistently but it is just so obviously not something I am doing on my own that it excites me. These times are fulfilling and quenching and intimate as I seek Him.

Maybe I'm becoming a morning person after all.

Sunday Night Musings

Returned home a short while ago from our annual church picnic (rescheduled to today after the initial June date was rained out). Neat to catch up with a few people and enjoy a wonderful afternoon/early evening outside. Fall is settling in, with a crispness in the air and the changing palette of the leaves. I love this time of year but am often disappointed by how short this season is here. I wonder if there are "season chasers" similar to "storm chasers"? If there are, I would love to spend a year chasing autumn around the globe, crunching in leaves for days on end, and enjoying the mastery of God's paintbrush dotting the trees with the wonderful colours of fall. Perhaps I wasn't made for the Canadian prairies after all?

Last week was tough. After months of a more leisurely schedule, returning to a full week of activities, lessons, teaching seemed a bit of a blow. I am struggling with impatience within and am repentant for the ways this has spilled over in my dealings with my family. I have the same 24 hours to do my work as everybody else and I find that I get overwhelmed, let it pile up, and feel sorry for myself. Not a good cycle, huh?

Still plodding through my valley, working through some old hurts, and trying to get real life done well on a day-to-day basis. As you can tell from the previous paragraph, I'm failing sometimes. Miserably. And yet I know the One who is faithful to heal and restore and bless and I continue to chase after him.

Forget chasing seasons. I'm chasing after eternity.