all dressed up...

There is dress-up and role playing on a daily basis around here these days...

img_1172img_1215img_2612img_2588img_1240img_2609

... and its a good thing we can use our imaginations to take us places because the reality is, we're all dressed up, but we've really got nowhere to go.

That's not to say there haven't been some fun days out in the past few weeks... Ivory had her much-anticipated Valentine's Day party with her Sunday school class (pictured above), and we've done a few Sunday afternoon drives to Fairbury/Forrest for family stuff. And I got to spend the day with Luann, Michelle, and Heather last Friday shopping in Aurora, and that was most definitely a bright spot in my February.

But to be honest, there's also been an awful lot of staying home here lately. And that has been good. We've found more than enough to work on, and some great reading material, had a few visitors pop in, and, this week in particular, nearly drained the bottle of children's Tylenol. :)

img_2611img_2603img_1271img_2590img_2584

I turned the calendar and March is going to be a good month. :)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

loved

Image
I have prayed, as all mothers do, that God would give me opportunities to help me teach my children what a real and deep relationship with Him looks like. I am ashamed to admit that when the answer to that prayer showed up as anxiety in my oldest, I wasn't overly thankful - nor did I recognize it as the answer to my prayer. As I think through our conversations over the past few days, I see now that she is sorting through the good and the bad and every little comment is only touching the surface of many deep thoughts, feelings, and questions. And I am thankful that she is feeling deeply and asking questions because that is the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Jesus. She had preschool graduation this morning and I'm not one to get emotional but there must be something about 'Pomp and Circumstance' that brings it out in me. Happy endings, new beginnings, and celebration... I suppose all of it is definitely worth getting emotional about. :) ...
Read more

edelstein: before & after

Image
It was still pretty cold in April of this year - I distinctly remember because we closed on this house that we planned to remodel and rent out, and then we walked in the door and I set an infant car seat down on the floor and realized that none of us was wearing enough layers to stay warm, and the place did, in fact, still smell like cigarette smoke. However, the previous homeowner had left a gift for the kids, and I was moved to tears by her generosity and thoughtfulness. Truly, what a gift from her and from God - to realize that this was exactly where He wanted our family for this period of time. The dust started to fly and the overwhelm did not abate but the grace abounded and with lots of good help and expertise from many sources, 2823 W. Main St was transformed into a habitable place. We're honored and excited to be renting it to three sweet girls who keep it sparkling clean and photo-worthy at all times... and since that's the best way to tell the story, here a...
Read more

tending

"This is the work of tending - and it is the work that makes up most of life. To tend is to make small, frequent, repeated actions without immediate results, but with long-term payoff. Tending is the language of habits and rituals. It is hard work, because it is usually menial and persistent. It is embedded in diligent process instead of fast and easy results. Tending is hard. It is often monotonous and seemingly insignificant. As I tend to my garden each day, there is little evidence of change. I cannot see my plants growing in front of my eyes. But I continue to water and fertilize, stake and weed, because I know that the cumulative effect of these small, consistent interventions will be a harvest." ( Daughers of Promise, "Tend" , p. 7) For me, at this stage, parenting is tending. It is hard work, tedious, monotonous. I say the same things, at about the same times, every day. Over and over, we have to re-learn to be kind, respectful, and use our words instead of...
Read more