Weekending:: in the quiet

This weekend was a real treat. We had no where to except dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday.  It was the quietness we need and togetherness that we love.

This weekend:
grocery shopping
journaling
crafting
lots of book reading
coffee at home, coffee at our favorite place
preserve eating
exploring herbal recipes
discussing lent
playing with friends
eating great food
learning to make Tennessee Tea (use lemonade instead of sweet and sour)
snuggling
laughing
soothing little ears (poor Truman)
a trip to the co-op 
a wintery road trip back home


How was your weekend?



Joining Amanda for Weekending.

40 Days of Diligence: Resources

We got nine inches of snow yesterday. Nine. Needless to say I finally got to use my Christmas-given snowshoes. So awesome!

I was crunching along from my work the 1.4 miles gave me a little time to think and process my day. Earlier in the afternoon I had been traveling down a set of stairs in the knee deep snow and I took a hard fall. But here I was hours later in waist deep snow in some places gliding above it. The only difference was the equipment. I was fully equipt-- the regular coat, hat, gloves, boots. But added to that snow pants, head lamp, face mask, snowshoes. With all the proper equiptment I was warm and I could journey on towards home with ease.

And that got me thinking about Lent. It waas so much easier to journey thorugh nearly impassable snow with the right fittings. Shouldn't I be practicing diligence with some resources too? With some encouragement from Henri Nowen, Richard Rohr and Ann Voskamp, among others.

Just like we wouldn't venture into deep snow with out equiptment. Or into freezing temperatures without warm clothing. Let's not go into lent without a guide book.

 Ann Voskamp from A Holy Experience has an Easter Devotional download. 

Praying Lent with Creighton University

Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent by Richard Rohr


Show Me the Way: Daily Lenten Readings by Henri Nowen

<div align="center"><a href="http://theyellowdoorpaperie.blogspot.com" title="The Yellow Door Paperie"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6923912665_782f3fa803_z.jpg" alt="The Yellow Door Paperie" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

On Being Diligent

This year for lent, I decided to give a few things up. And like I have for the last few years, I am trying to refocus and hone in priorities. This year my mantra is Be Diligent.

Whether that is at home, with my husband, at work, with friends... and the list goes on.

Be Diligent. Do well.

And lately, even when I make the smallest decision, I've added Be Diligent to the end of my thoughts and they magically transform into asking the question, is this best?

Does diligence mean I'll leave my clothes on the bathroom floor? Or do I move them to the laundry room? Does diligence sleep in instead of getting in some quiet reading alone? Does diligence mean that I'll make a choice that feels more inline with our family values than the easier option?

The question has come up so often, sometimes I have to choose what to be diligent towards and there in lies my priorities. So after writing my own mission statement of sorts, I'm now moving forward to see what that looks like.

I have taken small steps since then. I've made big changes in a few areas of my life. And they all point me towards being diligent to my priorities.

Then I thought, this is going to be tough. Perhaps we as a community could do it together? 


Will you join me? Let's be diligent and see what things may come. Every Thursday let's link up together and see where this life of diligence is taking us. You can choose things that you personally feel you need to be more diligent at or you can take a whole life approach too. Whatever feels best to you!

I've made a little button you can grab for your own posts/blog. Email me so I have a list of those who join and I'll put you in my side bar-- theyellowdoorpaperie {at} gmail {dot} com. And you don't have to have a blog to join. I'd love to hear from you in the comments if you feel so lead. We can be stronger together!

<div align="center"><a href="http://theyellowdoorpaperie.blogspot.com" title="The Yellow Door Paperie"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6923912665_782f3fa803_z.jpg" alt="The Yellow Door Paperie" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Lines and Shapes

I've been focusing on lines and shapes lately. Organic flowing lines. Forms in nature, random and orderly. Negative space.

And the more I look for interesting, the more I see the beauty. The morning drop off has become this space of contemplation as the little ones eat the end of their breakfast or draw pictures or say their gratitudes as I wonder at the beauty of it all.

Some mornings I just happen to remember my camera.

Little Face...

I have a tiny friend who loves to get her picture taken. And since I love to take pictures, we've made a little friendship.

Her mama and I spent a Saturday morning chasing the light through the house moving this little lady from one sunny spot into another. And drinking coffee.

See, so many things I love. Friends. Pictures. Coffee. It's so good.

And then look at that face. Oh and toes... EEeeek. I love babies.

Sketchbook Sessions

This weekend I took sometime each day to delve into my sketchbook. I feel like it's been quite a while since I've done this, so I put some peramiters around what I was worked on. I wanted to make some look like stained glass windows. Or completely change my normal perspective/approach to sketching.

It felt so good to stretch my creative muscles. And to encourage my kids (and friends!) to join me. The kids played playdoh and painted during my sketchbook sessions. And it was beautiful.

After Dinner Lights

After dinner we try to take a little walk. No matter the temperature. However, our little man (oh please don't tell him I called him little) does not like getting cold-- so sometimes that means dragging him along. But, usually he gets a bit of crying out of his system and then he joins us for the walk anyway.

We've found something that seems to make it a bit easier to get him out the door--  headlamps.

Because flashlights make the world better, you know?

I was contemplating this and thinking about the things I love. And those things are what bring light to us. Even a simple candle at meal time. It helps us calm and focus. So headlamps don't actually calm. But it does add a simple way to excite little ones to take a VERY cold walk on a VERY cold night.

Hot chocolate helps afterward too (unless you don't like hot chocolate-- oh that little man).

Exploring Winter

This winter has been different than any I've experienced in my life in Iowa. And I've been here for 10 years now (oh good lord, TEN YEARS). My first winter, I thought I'd never be warm again. I slept with an eletric blanket, I coundn't fathom eating ice cream in the winter. And I know I wore flannel pants under my jeans more than once.

But this year. We've been out in January and February in sweatshirts and fleeces on some of our walks. Hello?!? Winter, are you there???

Not to say that the Californian in me thinks this is AWESOME!

But the Iowan in me thinks it's just a bit strange. And I miss late night walks down alleys in my snow boots. Plus, really, this is the winter the year I finally get snow shoes?

Well last weekend we took off to our favorite trail to collect things for our nature table. And we came back with lots of pictures, specimens and thoughts about what makes winter. That will be in an up coming post.

But here are a few photos of us exploring this winter. Since it is so different from what we've dealt with before.

Always with caution, but an adventurer none the less!

Isabel collecting thoughts via drawings in her journal.

Truman loves to beg, 'let's run!' Of course!

Off the beaten path exploring the depth of snow with her walking stick.

Yarn Along: Vests and Authenticity

This week, thanks to a wonderful book. There has been much more reading than knitting. But I am still working on this little project. And it's been really nice to do most of the project in garter stitch so when I do have a minute or two I grab it out of my bag and work a few rows.

And it's been pretty cold in our house so snuggling under a few blankets on the couch (or soaking in the bathtub) has been the best way to enjoy a new book!

I picked up the book, An Unquenchable Thirst by Mary Johnson at the library and I can't put it down. I'm about half way through it. And it's such a unique look inside her experience as a nun in the Catholic Order-- the Missionaries of Charity. It's a realistic look, not sugar coated and not blasphemy, but a healthy dose of honesty and humanness. It has been wonderful to see the depth of devotion and sacrifice given to God but, it is also facinating looking into a world I'm not super familiar with.


What are you reading? Knitting? If you want to see all the books I've finished this year, I'm trying to catalog them here.

Making: Roving Dolls

Isabel drew this face herself!

Over the last week or so Isabel has been begging to make dolls. She loves to draw pictures of something and then we'll make it into a "stuffy" (stuffed animal). This usually takes an evening and we send the boys somewhere then we put on a movie and get our creative mojo going. BUT, midweek this kind of creativity is a bit, um, time-consuming.

We made these this summer! From left to right: Astronaut, Olivia (our friend), Isabel,
Margo (our little friend), Cowboy, William (from the Olivia books),
Olivia the pig, Truman.

So I thought about ways we could have the same creativity but with more hands on time. And Truman could join in too.

I collect large wooden beads from the thrift store (macrame beads seem to always get left without a thought), they are perfect for making wooden dolls and now for rag dolls. And we cut up some delicious wool roving. It was a bit heart breaking to do that, but things that are not used aren't being loved either.

 

I tied them into a basic structure. And then the kids embellished them.

This little lady has a friendship bracelet and is getting her hairs done!

Isabel had to make them more fancy. Friendship bracelets (out of pipe cleaner)! Golden Hair! Faces! Scarves! Some out of scrap palm tree fabric instead of roving!

Robot Monster!

And Truman took creativity to a whole new level. A robot monster with a scarf, hair and a kite tail-- out of a dixie cup. What a smartie.

After about an hour. We cleaned up, had time to get in our jammies, brush teeth and read books. And they slept with their new dollies.

I think we all had a great time!

*Also, I'm over at What am I Cooking? today. I made Almond Milk!

Daily

This morning, I woke up next to a little lady in warm but still crisp cotton sheets. I didn't realize it was her. Usually, it's little man that breathes in and out next to me in the wee morning hours.

When I asked her why she was in our bed this early, she said... "I was cold, Mama." Sigh. And then, "and now I'm warm."

She is a lady of few words in the morning.

As I laid next to her in the darkness for a few minutes, I stroked her hair and asked her quiet questions that went largely unanswered.

But that little window of time together granted me with grace for the day.

I said small thanksgiving prayers. Thank you for this warm bed, this happy marriage, these little children, running water, tea kettle, coffee, bathrobes.

I think I should start all my days this way.

What are you thankful for today? What normal, daily thing are you so grateful for?

What's In Store for the Weekend

This weekend, I am really looking forward to relaxing with our little family and to some celebrating this weekend.

These are the things I'm planning on (in no particular order):
Snow! (mmmm... is this coming???)
Hot Chocolate
Some snowshoeing? (see #1)
Celebrating new babies and soon-to-be babies
Dinner with Friends
Jalapeno poppers for the Big Game
Folding an amazing amount of laundry (YAY ERIC!)
Making Valentines Decorations (to replace the Christmas Decorations that are STILL UP... o boy)
Lattes
Meal Planning
Baking Bread
Painting some small paintings
Clean out the car
Reading Isabel's library books
Sew a little something
Knit a bit on my project

*2-6-12 Note: I think I did good on my list. But there is still more to go. I wish we would have gotten snow!

Project Life: January 2012

I love the idea of project life, but doing something daily or weekly seems a little too much for me. Plus, I LOVE the supplies. Well designed and systematic. And I know I'd go a bit crazy on them. In an effort to memory keep in a sustainable way (and save a bit of money)-- I thought I'd do one 12x12 page a month and share it with you here. So I can keep a record what joys we've had, perhaps at the end of the year I'll print them all and make a scrapbook.  O my, did I just say that?!

make believe: The kids went on a "date" pretending to be Eric and I. Isabel wore 'more jewelry than mom usually does' and Truman told her that their date was important, "makes us better mommies and daddies."

weekend visit: The four of us traveled up to visit Kerry and her beautiful family. There was lots of love, conversation good food and coffee. Next time, perhaps, Truman will sleep. That will make it waaaay more fun!

date in omaha: Eric and I took 24 hours to ourselves. He surprised me with a night away, a new outfit and my nails done. Then dinner at our favorite restaurant. I think this is where Truman heard the speech about dates making us better mommies and daddies. It's so true you know.

on a walk: In the first week of January, we took a walk to visit Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa John. It was very cold so Isabel decided to wear everything she could fit on her body. She loves layering you know. It makes Truman's wardrobe of hat, gloves, coat, scarf seem so... simple.

snow play: Eric and Isabel made their first snowman together. Truman and I stayed warm and baked chocolate applesauce muffins. Then we made faces as they threw snowballs at us.

ready for bed: One night we cut Isabel's hair before bedtime. This photo of Truman clowning around (:

garden planning: Sketchbook Saturday Morning a few weeks ago, Isabel decided to plan the garden for next year. So she drew everything she would like us to grow. We're going to have to think about bananas and plums. I'm not sure we'll be able to have a exotic orchard in the back yard.

grand arrival: My bestest friend had a beautiful girl. And they sent us their Christmas video. What a treat. Oh I cried when I saw that new little bundle. Truman kept kissing the ipad screen. I can't wait to see her in March!

adventure: We were on our way to Sketchbook Saturday Morning looking for patches of snow to stop in. And half melted puddles to jump in. What a good combo for a 4 year old adventurer.

sketchbooks: We love our Sketchbook Saturday Morning. A few hours of relaxation, coffee, books, coloring, knitting.


This template is from Rebecca Cooper, a month in photos. I've made a few edits to it.