For Today

the lumineers album. every. single. song. on. this. album.

lattes. we've been making them almost everyday. and when we don't make them ourselves. we visit Erin and she makes them for us. so spoiled.

the weather. negative temperatures makes all of us want to be home and in the big bed reading books. i love being home.

wool socks. mom got me these beauties for my stocking. loving my growing smartwool collection and my tootsies are toasty.

simple mittens. i am almost done with mitten no. 2. this video really helped with the thumb gore.

girl scout cookies. they are tasty and i do not have to coordinate the sale this year. this is a win win. carmel delites now come stress free. (on sale from today to march 17th... wink wink)

husband. he came home with teacher appreciation chocolate bars + an extra for me. truman wrapped it up along with my favorite-daily-used pen. "i knew you would love the pen. since i KNOW you love that pen." nice thought, Truman! even if he did have to borrow it from me-- to wrap it up and give it back.

this book. this documentary. this show (so dramatic!). this video.

What makes your week happy? What things are you loving?

Joy is...

Joy is homemade lattes in the morning, kids making it to the bus, wearing my favorite yellow dress and finishing an epic book.

Joy is a husband who does dishes, reads Winter in the Big Woods to a bath tubbin' little boy, roars like a monster, practices math flash cards and helps freshly washed babes into pajamas.

Joy is a special lady loosing her front tooth! Finally! We've been calling her Nanny McPhee.

Joy is sunsets and sunrises, for birth and death. For new beginnings, brimming with abiding joy. For a long earthly obedience and life everlasting.

Joy is a cleaned house. A wise woman once stood in my kitchen and loosely quoted Thich Nhat Hanh, it's not about how clean your house is... it's just about the process. Joy is scrubbing floors on hands an knees. As Grandma Eunice would say, "I'm thankful I am able to do it."

Yarn Along: Wild and Simple

This week while I was at the Library looking for Adventure books for Truman I stumbled upon Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (for ME to read!). This book has been making it's rounds in the blogging world and in Yarn Along for quite a few months (here, here, here). And Gretchen Rubin interviewed her about happiness, here.

I finished the book this evening... I loved the imagery of the trail, the scenery, her determination and the fact that she was a woman who took on the wilderness and came out to tell about it. And the idea that hard work and natural landscapes can -in fact- save you from yourself and offer prospective. 

I did kind of feel like I was flashing back to my childhood a bit, our parents believed in exposing us to State and National Parks and we spent a good chunk of time every summer careening through forests and setting up tents. Most of the stops on the map we had camped at, walked through or drove by. I was so sad that she had to bypass Yosemite, Tuolumne Meadows and a greater portion of the Sierra Nevada's, I would have loved to hear a story with those touchstone places as a backdrop.

I was not disappointed by the book. It is not the book for everyone, but I liked it just fine once it finished.

On the yarn front, I just cast on for these simple mittens. I've decided that I need a pair of mittens in some sort of beautiful yarn that I got from my friend Hannah. And these mittens just might be the simple quick project I need to bring me out of the knitting rut I've been in for quite some time.


As always, I'm joining along with Ginny for Yarn Along.

Out of Chaos A Sanctuary

When we got home tonight, let's just say things were a bit off kilter.

We left work later than usual. Eric had to rush to a chiropractor appointment.

Truman was in a funky mood. Isabel was in a weepy mood.

I was in a just fine mood until I got cried at and hollered at. And the dog got mud on my favorite dress.

The chicken didn't thaw for dinner.

Then, the kitchen table broke, again. Which is not the table's fault. It's so beloved. And it's been so loved for so long. Sometimes the screws fall out of the particle board. Then we find a new spot and screw the legs of the table back in. And it's good as new, waiting to be loved again.

Then the dog bellered while she was in her kennel for breaking the table.

Then when she was out, she nipped at a shoeless foot and got put back in.

And finally we were sitting around the table eating dinner. Breathing together, telling each other about our days. We embraced the good parts and embraced some heart breaking parts. And then we gave kisses and smiles. The world is righted around a beloved table with beloved people.

Ohhh, this was better.

Izzo and I took a quick walk to the library. Hand in hand, heart in heart.

We came home to the boys on the big bed, starting reading time.

We took over the little couch in our room and had our own reading time. Isabel read to me out loud, I read along side her and then when we were ready, they padded off to bed warm and safe.

This night needed to be pushed through. Warm nourishing food, a quiet walk, some quiet books, star gazing and hundred year old quilts. As if the things we know can pull us back deeply into our rhythm, into the beating heart of our beautiful little home.

This Moment: Date with My Little Man

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
--Amanda Soule

Live Into

My goals this year seem simple. But after 8 months of feeling crummy, I am making large strides towards feeling better. And I hoping to continue to make my health a serious priority in the coming year. Being well not just in my body but in my soul and in the souls of my little family as well. I want to encourage us to stop everyday and be thankful for all that we been given.

Over the next year, I hope to live into each piece of the motto above. Learning how to live well, create well, love well. Will you join me?

You can do this in your own way. And share in the comments. I'm planning on doing good work in our little family in 2013, what goals do you have for this new year?

Yarn Along: Have Patience

Yesterday while getting dressed, Isabel was in the bathroom singing "Have patience, have patience" and I had forgotten we used to sing that song all the time. It has been on repeat in my head ever since.  Especially in regards to knitting.

A few years ago when my nephew came to visit from California he begged me to teach him how to knit. We sat down and I tried to explain how to hold your needle, how to cast on, how to make knit stitches. He did ok, but it was hard to explain in terms he'd understand. I don't think either of us had much patience.

So last year, I gave him a knitting book, needles and yarn for Christmas. Hoping that it would spark some creative exploring on his own. And it did, he had gotten pretty far on a project... but he abandoned it and forgot how to start again.

One night while the rest of the family watched TV, we sat a ways back in the room. And again, we worked together on knitting. He caught on quickly and since I started him out on size 15 needles, the project grew quickly. And he spent much of the end of the trip knitting!

It felt so beautiful to pass on one of my great loves to him.  In a patient and enjoyable way!

photo

Last week I finished the book, The Pillars of the Earth. So. Good. It took me 41 hours to listen to, so I'm not sure I'm ready for the sequel (or another audio book... to be perfectly honest). It followed a web of connected people for most of their adult life, completely interesting and a bit of a Medieval soap opera. But well crafted and well worth the time.

All is Calm, All is Bright

It's New Years day and the family started their journey home. I am sitting in a quiet kitchen with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee while the kids are at their own activities. I've already vacuumed the living room and I'm about to start a load of sheets. Folding up the blankets was a quiet reminder of the people who only a few hours ago, filled up this space with laughter. The house is markedly quieter--a bit empitier.

This trip was so lovely, I was amazed at how well the kids played together. They spent their afternoons crafting, playing in the snow and piling in the tent (set up in the playroom!) to watch movies together.

I was blessed by lots of crafting time with my sister in laws.

My heart was fulfilled by watercolor painting with the nephews and nieces and teaching my oldest nephew to knit. Pots of tea, carafes of coffee, jelly belly beans, homemade tamales, holiday meals... all of it shared with so much love.

This year our theme is going to be "All is Calm, All is Bright." I think we are already off to a great start.

From Our Family to Yours