shhhh

Christmas crafting has begun!

transport

I would like to be transported here today:

My soul desperately needs a dose of this:

saturday

Big breakfast:

A little tv time:

Fabric shopping for Christmas projects. Groceries. Crafting. Writing a book.

Cooking. Cleaning. And a family dinner with crazy kids to finish it up.

uggh

Ugggh! That was my first thought this morning. Not a great start to a Friday morning!

I didn’t get to sleep until sometime after 3:30AM (girls night + accidental caffeine intake + brain swirling). Fortunately, the kids slept in (did you hear the angels singing?). I lingered in bed as long as possible until I was finally dragged out by shouts of “Mom come quick. There is an entire container of soy milk spilling on the table and floor!”. Good times! At least part of the kitchen floor is super clean now.

Somehow I’ve got to slip into GO MODE.

The kitchen looks like this:

The back hallway like this:

(Just keeping it real folks. It happens to the best of us occasionally. And if your counter has never looked like that then you either have a maid, don’t sleep or have achieved the level of organization I strive for!)

It’s a PD Day and I’ve got a to do list a mile long. Plus, this arrived in the mail yesterday and is calling to me:

(And yes, darling husband, I do promise to not buy any more fabric until my projects are completed!)

A cup of tea (cause coffee gives me heart palpitations), some loud music, 6 feet of paper and fresh paint to keep the kids occupied and I’m off!

Find joy in the little things today and don’t forget to have fun along the way!

dream

I like to dream. I always have. In many ways, dreams keep me going. They propel me forward and give me hope. I find inspiration in my dreams and a sense of promise for the future.

Last week I realized that as well as dreams, I’ve got a lot of fears. That surprised me. I’m not what I would describe as a fearful person yet in many areas of my life, I am afraid. I’m afraid every time I head out for a run. What if I can’t do it? What if I’m the slowest and hold everyone back? What if this never gets easier? I’m afraid when I meet new people. What if I say something stupid? What if they don’t like me? I’m afraid to step into one of my dreams and call myself a photographer. What if people don’t like my work? What if I disappoint? What if I can’t live up to my own RIDICULOUSLY high standards?

My fears are heavy weights to carry. They hold me back and drain the hope from my dreams. God has planted dreams in my heart. He has given me gifts and abilities but I don’t really know how to use them because too often, I have been afraid to try. To risk. To step out. To look foolish. To disappoint someone - to disappoint myself. That’s not how I want to live. I don’t want to wade in the kiddie pool when there is an ocean to swim in. I don’t want to tell God that the dreams he gave me were just too darn big! I don’t want to live a safe, boring life and end up wondering what could have been.

I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way He loves me…
(from How He loves by Kim Walker)

The winds of change are blowing in my life. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

chart

I love this chore chart from Mod Eco Kids.

Found via Wide Open Space - who happens to be celebrating her blogs first birthday today. Happy birthday!

sick

so sick. The flu has grabbed hold…

rambling

Random thoughts for a Monday morning:

1. I started Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred today. Yowza! I am FEELING it ALL OVER my body! I’m PUMPED about it though. The exercises are simple, easy to follow and totally do able plus I don’t find her annoying which is a major bonus! I’m hoping this will help me get back into shape and feel good on my sister’s wedding day.

2. Allergies + buffet at sister’s engagement party + sneaky child = MAJOR behaviour issues for the next few days. NOT fun!

3. Sometimes I would like to rewind the clock a little bit to the day before the BOMB dropped. I miss Mr. T’s smile, the sound of his guitar and hanging out with him in the evening.

4. Beauty and I have a date every Monday morning to do all of our gluten free baking for the week. I’ve been experimenting with different flour mixes and think I might have one I’m happy with. Once we get our recipes perfected, I’ll post them here in hopes they help someone else on their journey through the world of allergies.

5. Lately I have been feeling like I’m not giving back enough to our community. I want to change that! I’ve made it my goal to do one nice thing a week for someone outside of my immediate family. I’ll be starting tomorrow by bringing my very pregnant friend and her husband dinner. They moved into a new house on the weekend and she is exhausted!

6. There is something about spring that makes me want to get rid of stuff! I’ve been holding on to all of my kids clothes since they were born. I lend them out but they always find their way back to my basement. Since we are not able to make babies any more, there is really no need to store 10 rubbermaid bins of clothes! This morning I brought them all up to the living room to sort. I’m keeping Tuck’s clothes for Mr. Baby, a few items that have sentimental attachments (eventually I plan to make a quilt/blanket/keepsake of some sort out of those clothes) and then I’m giving the rest away! I feel 10 pounds lighter already!

stolen

There’s something about stolen treats that make them taste so much sweeter!

christmas magic

The most magical thing happened to my daughter this Christmas. She met Santa (the real one) on Christmas Eve! Yesterday she told me the whole story. I wrote it down so we will never forget the Christmas she flew over the rooftops while the rest of us slept.

Well, I was sleeping and I heard a cracking noise and then I woke up and said, “is it morning?” then I jumped off my bed and ran to my window. I saw Santa! Then I ran downstairs and the reindeer were there. I called them by reindeer names. I went “Dasher, Prancer, Blitzen, Cupid, Comet and Donner and the famous reindeer is Rudolph and then I sang the song to them. You know, the Rudolph one (and then sings the whole song at the top of her lungs including the line ‘laugh and call him names like hukadouka’). And then Santa shouted, “Hello, girly!” and then when he was on the roof he rushed down the chimney and saw me waiting for him. And then I jumped up and gave him a big hug. I helped him collect all of the presents under the tree. I saw him get the air hockey table out of his sack and he asked me to help him carry it because he isn’t all that big. I was actually almost as big as him. So I said, “Sure” and then he lifted the left side up and I lifted the right side up and then we put it down right there (points to fireplace) and I said, “A little bit closer to the rug” and then he put it on the rug. Then I showed Santa the present that I gave to Mama. I tiptoed and opened your door and got it to show to Santa and then I put it back. Then Santa ate the cookies and milk how I eat them and then Santa said to me, “Want a sleigh ride?” and I said, “Yes!”. And then I went for 3 sleigh rides and then it was time for Santa to go so he dropped me off at home and I gave him a big hug and even a kiss and then he went “Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night” and I went blooming down the chimney and I was like, “whee!” and then I went to my bedroom and told it all to Susie-Bloozie (her favourite doll). I had all the treats in my belly from Santa and I ate too much treats so I had a tummy ache and then I went to wake up Daddy and I climbed into your bed. Then we went downstairs and opened all of our presents.

After she recounted this entire story, I whispered in her ear, “Did you really see Santa?”. She looked at me with a sneaky little grin and said, “I saw him. I really did!”.