Loaded down with blessings

Life is a whirlwind right now. In the past, I would have freaked out by now. TOO BUSY! MUST STOP! JUST CAN'T DO ANYMORE! But somehow at  the end of each day, I turn to Micheal and say something along the lines of, "I can't believe I'm still going." School takes a large chunk of our day, and cleaning up afterwards. Meals are constant along with the driving to and fro for sports practices and games. Trips have been planned and gone on. Relationships are being formed and deepened. 

It's all absolutely great. I love my life. I love this stage. I love the crazy. 

I have not always been able to say that and maybe I won't be singing this same tune in 3 months time.
 But for now, I will enjoy the ride and choose joy and thankfulness. 

You see, I have loved my time at home. The quiet of our days. The beautiful and steady routine. It's been a most lovely 12 years. Yes, we have done plenty in those years. Lots of activities and running amok, but this is a different season. I realize I am entering into a new span of time. A time of going, exploring and being out in our community. Things are opening up for me personally and us as a family that we have never been apart of in the past. And it's FUN!

Also, we have now been at our current residence for 2 years. We are settled. It feels like home. Oh, dulce domum, such a wonderful place. 

We have friends and with that comes some of life's most terrific blessings:
                   Laughter! 
                           Dinners! 
                                   Encouragement! 
                                           Tears! 
                                                        Conversations full of challenging and sweet words. 
                                               
I realized a couple of months ago that I have a fear of people. I don't really know how that fear got there but now that it has been shown to me, I have the power to deal with it. I am a very transparent person but with people you can get hurt, so there is a vulnerability with relationships that is terrifying. I have been going back and forth with myself and God and a couple close friends about these issues. I have been working out what exactly to do about these feelings. I have been challenged to step out and be a friend. A good friend. The kind of friend that I want. It's tough sometimes! I am such a homebody, I could be home all the time and be happy. But really, when I'm honest with myself, being a part of my community in the small ways I am right now give me great joy also. I am becoming more and more comfortable out in the great, small place I call home. I am not allowing myself to go over and over the stupid things I say when in groups. Really, I am getting over myself and seeing the gold in others. 

You know what I am finding? 

There's a lot of gold. 

I'm rich and loaded down with blessings.

A.M. / P.M.

The table holds the memories of the morning; breakfast dishes, open poetry book, Bible stacked on our history book, legos.  

                                                             Morning time is done! 

 

Outside holds the memories of our afternoon; flowers budding, hummingbirds, sprinkler on, trampoline, bare feet running, laughter. 

                                                                                                Afternoons of fun! 

Stop and stare

In a world that screams for our attention this way and that, all day, every day, I say, "No."

Life is made of a million little choices mixed with a few big ones. One of my big life choices was to move to a small town up in the mountains. We live here with next to no neighbors but for a few months of the year. It is quiet. It is brimming over with wildlife. It is beautiful every season of the year. But still, we can fill our time with activities, ignoring our surroundings and feeling the stress of the world. We can fill every hour, leaving no time for the wonderfulness of just being; resting and seeing and listening.

We must be intentional if we want to be rested, truly rested. We must take time to feed our souls with truth, beauty, and goodness.

Leisure for me, those things that really make me feel at peace and content, are Sunday morning worship with fellow believers, reading a good book, and being outside with my family.

We turn up the music at home and sing together but there is something so magical that happens at church when a group of us sing to the Lord and sit, receiving the Word of God in harmony. The Spirit of God meets with us and there is nothing like it.

This poem had me contemplating life's gift of leisure:

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care, 

We have no time to stand and stare. 

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows. 

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. 

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night. 

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance. 

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began. 

A poor life this is if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare. 

William Henry Davies  

First Saturday of Spring

After a bit of school this morning, we headed to our picnic spot. Spring is a wild and crazy ride! You just never know what the weather will do. Today was sunny with a touch of warmth. Yeah! We will take it!

Can you spot the little people?

 

Thankful for these days of slow living.  

Saw:

Buttercups

One bumblebee

Elk poop

Pine cones from multiple years

Tree roots

Heard:

Pine cones falling

Buzz of bumblebee

Kids telling stories

Soft breeze

 Chips being crunched ;) 

Felt:

Rough grass

Pokey pine cones

 Sun's warmth

Kisses from the Lovers

Tasted:

Turkey sandwiches

Chips

Tomatoes

Apples

Water

Smelled:

Fresh air

Elk poop 

Not a Fail

This may surprise you, but I see myself as more of an "indoorsy" girl. When I started to learn more about Nature Study, through the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education, I was challenged. But also inspired. 

 We live in a beautiful place. We are surrounded by nature. We literally can open our front door and be on our merry way to seeing, observing, hearing, and feeling all sorts of lovely plants and animals. But really, just about anyone can. 

This morning we woke up late -not surprising!- and my sweet niece was all ready for her first nap. Instead of trying to make all the rest of the kids be quiet, we quickly got our shoes and jackets on and plodded down the road. 

It was slow goings. The little one didn't want to walk. Two others were on bikes and the other two were in their own world playing a game they made up. 

 We weren't observing. 

We weren't listening to the birds. 

We didn't stop and wonder.

One of the kids on a bike rode home by herself. My one pointed question was, "How many earthworms can you find?" They looked for maybe one half of a minute and were then sucked back into their own game. 

BUT, we were outside! We were in nature! We might not have consciously noticed any minute detail, but we weren't inside with our faces zoned in on a screen. And for that I say, "We did not fail." 

This whole nature study thing is becoming a habit. It's getting us in a different atmosphere and changing the rhythm of our lives, and what my brain is thinking about. It's not always idyllic, with us drawing or figuring out the Latin name for lichen, but it is idyllic in the sense of it becoming more of what makes up our days and how it is forming our thoughts of creation and the world we live in. 

I am thankful for nature study. I am thankful for the beauty that this Earth is made of. I am thankful that my kids are still young and we can do this together. 

Remember (mostly talking to myself ;) ), it doesn't have to be perfect to be able to be enjoyed. Taking steps, DOING, is so rewarding. 

We chose adventure

A few nights ago, Micheal and I were talking about our next order of business on our little cabin in the woods and he reminded me that "we chose adventure!" Yes, we did! And this weekend's adventure was putting me to rest by taking a tree down. A huge tree. A huge, dead tree. Right behind our house.

Our house was built with one side basically right up to the side of the hill. While we love the idea of a hobbit sauna, we wanted our home to have a walkway around the whole thing, so naturally we dug it out last Summer. And quickly thereafter, saw that one of the trees was dying. We had chopped apart one of it's main roots. Every time a gust of wind blew, I would lie in bed and fret over that huge tree killing my whole family.

A friend of ours is in the "Hey, I climb trees, and fall them" business, so he and another friend and their two awesome wives came over this weekend and helped us out. 

With boots on and snatch blocks set to go, up the tree he went!

This was super fun and nerve wracking to watch. He cut the limbs off as he went up and the crew would gather them up in a pile. Then he chopped the top 1/3 off and then the rest.

There she goes! He expertly fell the tree in between all the others, missing anything and everything. Truly spectacular to watch!

I am relieved to have this behemoth down and happy to have one cord of wood for next winter already.

This was the beginning of this years home projects. We have SO MUCH to do but are enjoying the process. Next up is a new kitchen!

Nature walks

Our side of the mountain is soggy, heavy, wet. 

The rivulets race down the hill. Who will win? 

Little feet jump the puddles. Over and in. 

Mud is caked on the soles and tires, ready 

to be washed off by the steady rain pouring 

down, down, down. 

 

As my 3 year old's narrative is shared with the hundreds of birds, mine is internal. 

"How has homeschooling shaped who I am?"

"Would I be interested in all this if not for homeschooling?"

"I am embracing my PNW side, here, walking in the rain."

"Look at that floating mountain!"

...........

 Spring in almost upon us! We are outside more and more. There is so much to explore right outside our front door. We don't always investigate what is what. Mostly we walk and jump, stop and look, talk and show. Then we head home. 

This weekend the big kids went with their Dad on a little road trip to see family. Liam and I weren't feeling quite up to it, so we stayed home. We took walks, watched movies, read books, swam and snuggled. It was lovely. It was quiet. It was just what we needed.

In the last few weeks we have been walking more. At first the little lovers would whine and cry, and ask to be carried barely into the walk. We kept telling him no. We took our time. We aren't running races. ;) This weekend, we took three walks. Once we walked 3/4 of a mile to the pool, swam, and walked home. He didn't whine once! He explored. Poked mud. Ran! It's been so, so lovely. I'm not the type to strap my baby on me and hike so this has been a long time coming. 

Now, we rest. He will sleep well tonight!

Holy Spirit, talk...... I'm listening

When God puts something on your heart to do, you better believe He is going to provide a way for it to happen. 

It's been a great winter here in the mountains, but as with any winter, it gets long. And we do live in the mountains, somewhat secluded from others. Sure we have neighbors, but most of them don't live here all year. 

And we home school, which means we are HOME most days. ;) 

So, as 2015 was ending and a new year beginning, I felt God whisper, "Community."

 "Okaaaay." 

Sunday comes along. I sit in church and hear a lovely friend talk about the need for help in the Good News Club she leads. She approaches afterward. I know where this is going. I say, "Yes." 

Now the kids are in basketball and we have committed to GNC and I think all is well. Well, it is going well. I am being stretched but enjoying it. We are getting all the things done and feeling pretty excited about it all. 

Cue Monday morning phone call. 

Tuesday's piano lessons are canceled. No problem. We can make them up.

Cue another phone call. 

Tuesday's story time at the library needs someone to lead it. 
  
 "Hmmm. I get it Lord." I say, "Yes," again. 

So, there you have it. Listen to those whispers. It is the Lord fulfilling something and it's pretty fun to be apart of! 

This week

Outside this week. 

In nature. 

Walks. 

Cleaning the front room. 

Kids making a house. :) 

Jumping in melting snow puddles. 

Finding lichen and realizing it's not moss. 

Finding more lichen! 

Drawing lichen. 

And pine cones. Those are hard! 

Reading Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver.

Thoroughly enjoying those poems. 

Daughter entering art into an exhibit for kids. 

Selling one of her pieces. 

Playing basketball. 

Piano lessons. 

Cabinet maker came to measure kitchen. 

Cooking dinner with husband while listening to French cafe station on pandora. 

Drinking tea with honey. 

Nap on Sunday afternoon. 

These are the things I am thankful for this week. 

I count them and remember. 

I am humbled by this life filled with such things. 

I am happy. 

No, I am more than that. 

Content. 

Joy overflowing. 

 

Delight

"Push pause!", I called out. 
 "Come outside with me, the sky is gorgeous." 

Living in the mountains, surrounded by tall Evergreens doesn't provide the best sunsets, but we still try to take in what we can. 

One of the things I have tried to fit into our homeschooling days this year is nature study. I got us all notebooks and we really do attempt to draw what we observe, even if it's out of a book or off a computer screen.  

Tonight the sky was beckoning to be seen and enjoyed. The pinks and oranges were beautifully reflecting off the slow, wispy clouds. It changes so quickly. One minute you are in the middle of a light drenched forest, the next moment all the light has flitted past and darkness is fast approaching. 

August grabbed his notebook and colored pencils. Grace and I snapped a couple pics. The rest just took it all in through their naked eyes. 

It was a lovely few moments together.