Living Seasonally
Pumpkin patch, creating Halloween costumes, hearing the geese flying South, cooler afternoons, jackets, fire bowl on the patio, pumpkins on the porch and of course the endless rows of colorful trees. Fall.
Giving Thanks
1. For indoor plumbing. Especially when it works!
2. For friends.
Dawn and her magnificent 7 graced us with a visit yesterday. These days so many friendships are created and nurtured online. It’s always such a joy to get the real flesh of your online friends, hear their voice and hug their necks.
Look at the cute madness!
3. For God’s good gift of marriage.
4. For 9 years with Phil.
Thinking Deeply
“A woman’s happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor the art of ruling it not as a queen, but as a wise wife and mother.”
Turning Pages
On Wednesday nights Phil is late getting home so the babies and I have been reading together before Daddy gets home. We’re almost done with Happy Times In Noisy Village. I was reminded of our cousin Kristina when the children in the book talked about the “Finnish bath.” I had to explain to the babies what that was and we got to talk about “Uncle Wes and Aunt Kristina” as we call them. I also told them how much their Daddy LOVED him some sauna while we were in Finland!
I picked up Understood Betsy at the library this week. We’ll try to start that this Wednesday night.
In my free time (that 10 minutes in bed before my eyes refuse to stay open any longer) or while folding the mound of laundry I’ve been enjoying these books:
The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains audio version
House of Living Stones
Children At Play
Establishing Rhythm
This week I finally decided that the routine I’ve had for the last 7 years is probably going to have to change. My mornings are no longer the time I can squeeze in a few chores. Neither is early afternoon or evening for that matter. I’m still trying to figure out what will work in order to maintain the lifestyle we enjoy, that of being just on the edge of complete squalor but not totally in it.
My day sputters away while I run back and forth putting out one fire after the next (not literal fires this time thankfully.) Before I know it it’s lunchtime and I’ve just finished my morning coffee.
So I’ve got to rethink some things.
Cultivating Simplicity
We love having more opportunities for our family in the larger city but we’ve been reconsidering some of our time commitments. 3 evenings a week and Saturday mornings are just too much. We’re beginning to feel the need for more time with our babies and the openness to use our time as we please. We haven’t decided but might step a way from Saturday morning German lessons.
Creating Beauty
It is one of the feminine virtues I’m sure that leads women to want to make things pretty. I’ve felt this in a big way since we moved into our new parsonage. There were so many bare walls in this house that call to me….”put something on us!” I have heard their cries and have begun to answer. It is a work in progress.
But alas, I am an indeterminate home decorator. I agonize over hanging a picture, of actually deciding which picture to hang and where it will go.
As much as possible I like to add things to our home that confesses something. Lately I’ve been on a mission to be purposeful in displaying home decor with a messages for my babies and good reminders for me. We pray at our table “Come Lord Jesus, be our Guest.”
In the nursery a good one for me, “For we walk by Faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
I have always loved the decor in your home, especially the way you give clear confession to your faith and the love for your family. You’ve done a marvelous job thus far!
Thank you Kristi, it’s been fun!