Off to Adventure

....a week in the motorhome.

Mr. Wonderful has work 2 hours away,

so we are all going along,

hoping to make some (good) memories!

See you next week!

Recent Knitting

*fingerless gloves for Braden, from my own hand-dyed yarn *matching hat for Ian

Yes, it's the end of May,

but in my defense,

it's been pretty chilly around here this last week.

Secret Signal

As unlikely as it appears,

this is the secret signal that Ian and I share.

Sometimes he starts it, sometimes I do....

but it always means

"Smile, I love you!"

Birthday Golf

My Mr. Wonderful

is really wonderful.

He gladly finds things to do

on his special day

that include all of us,

his family.

I love that about him.

He rarely, if ever,

leaves us behind

so he can have fun.

It's his birthday month,

and we are celebrating!

Maria

My heart races, choking on my tears as I read of this heartbreak for the Steven Curtis Chapman family! Pray that God will hold them..........

Happy Birth Day

Nathan welcomes cousin Brogan with a tender kiss....
my brother is a daddy!

What's Helping?

1. taking photos of my rosy cheeky boy
2. listening to worship music via Pandora Radio (thanks Becky!)
3. extra family time.....Mr. Wonderful had yesterday off and we celebrated a birthday!
4. phone calls and e-mails from dear friends and family
5. Being reminded by the Holy Spirit to read Hebrews 12. Realizing that the depressed feelings are just another chance for me to surrender to the Lord. Am I going to be trained for His service through this, or am I going to pout?

So far, this is what's helping this week. A little better.... thank you for all your prayers!

Style Maven

Can I be 3 again?

Spring Cleaning

wildflowers from Mr. Wonderful

"The reality is that for all of us, whether we live in a cottage or a castle, whether we shop garage sales or at the mall, space and time are limited. Having a tidy and pleasant house requires that we recognize those limits and live within them.......The fact is, there are a lot of lovely and useful things in this world, and our houses and our lives simply do not have room for most of them. We have to learn to say no, and to say no not just to things we don't need or want but also to things we might very well enjoy." ~Margaret Kim Peterson Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life

..........

Is grief a form of self-centeredness? I am really struggling with what many would call “depression” and I hate being like this. It seems so selfish—-after all, my Ellie is happy in heaven, right? So what’s wrong with me? It seems as though I can’t function at all, I have forgotten how to live—-how to do the basics of life. After two months since my girl went to heaven I am just trying to keep my head above water.

My head tells me that God is good, and that I have much to rejoice in…..but most days my emotions are on a completely different track. Thank the Lord that my feelings aren’t the barometer of His love and grace, which I know is sustaining me this far.

Cheer

My boys take joy in bringing me all the *flowers* they can find.....what an colourful display of love!

Quiet Heart

Things have been silent around here lately. Not in the literal sense of the word, as I do have three very noisy boys who love to play loudly with their very noisy daddy.

But spiritually and emotionally, it's just quiet. No raging torrents of tears, just a few quiet ones slipping down my cheeks today as my mind was taken back to remembering God's goodness to me on that day, in the form of my doctor, who loves the Lord with me, who held my hand and cried with me. Thank you, God, for her.


It's quiet happiness, too, in the form of my first Mothers Day breakfast-in-bed. Sweet notes of love and appreciation from my big boys, and tender hugs (complete with patting on my back) from my little boy.


May your Mother's Day be filled with lovely quietness in your heart, as we praise the Lord for all his gifts to us in our children, whether we are holding them here on earth, or learning to live by faith in our Loving God without them.

Pray for Ethan

This little man and his family need our prayers----join me in fervently praying for Ethan's healing, and if his healing is the kind that brings us parents the severest pain, that God will carry them through, and that their faith will be refined, and his glory will be revealed in them.

As I struggle with my own grief, my heart cries deperately for my God not to waste this. Let this be for a greater purpose, let this be amazing, let this reach someone, keep me from being so self-focussed that I forget others who are suffering.....

Children's Rooms

This is my new nursery art, from Sarah Jane Studios. Sarah's work has been on my favorites list for over a year now.


Below are some photos that inspire me, gleaned and added to a folder over the past year, which remind me that good decorating doesn't forget the occupants of the room, and reflects their age and interests, without resorting to cartoon characters.

New

Fun new bits come together with old things to inspire this nesting theme.........