Occupied

On Christmas day, I found all of us, busy with something that needed our attention.  I got a glimpse of our future and I think I like it.

Alone and focused, but very together.

All is Calm, All is Bright

Every year, we choose a guiding theme for the upcoming year, usually I take the theme from a Christmas carol and use it on our Christmas card, but I try to keep it in the forefront of my mind as we live out our daily lives. 

For 2013, I chose All is Calm and All is Bright. 

It seemed fitting, because who doesn't want to be calm, quiet and full of light? 

Unbeknownst to me our guiding theme became my mantra as we passed through some of the darkest times of our family life and marriage. And claim those words as glorious truth through some of the most adventurous and beautiful times in our family life and marriage. 

I read recently though I can't remember where, that adversity gives birth to hope. Without struggling through adversity, you can be left with an unshakeable hopelessness. And though, I don't know about unshakeable hopelessness, I do know that our hard fought adversity has indeed given birth to hope. And more than that we are now thriving. 

We've learned a lot. Basically, practice radical honesty, ask for help when you need it, take a step back and seek out the good and the beautiful in life. Even if it seems like nothing is beautiful. Be on the watch for it, it will find you. 

And this all sounds trite and hocus-pocus, but looking back on this year, I wouldn't trade any ounce of it, because of the place we're in now.

And remarkably, as we enter 2014. We're entering it Calm & Bright.

So we chose for this years theme, Repeat the Sounding Joy.

Because, we could all use a joyful year to recuperate. (Hows that for honesty!?)

Snow on Snow, Snow on Snow

Today, the snow is falling softly and steadily. And I woke up and crept into the kitchen to make coffee and I found two little boys in the dark watching Robots. So beautiful to have cousins, aunts and uncles, Grandma and Grandpa here.

The way the flakes fell quietly, it reminded me of a walk we took long ago. My little lovies have grown so much since this day.

There's a flurry of snow related clothing: so many pairs of snow pants, boots, hats and gloves. Grandmommy and Papa got us sleds for Christmas. And we've enjoyed using them indoors as much as out! While inside they've been sled beds, boats and sleighs. Ethel, our new puppy said a polite, "no thank you" to starring role as Rudolf, even after the small boy handed her the pull rope and yelled "MUSH!"-- she's got to draw the line somewhere.

Merry Christmas season to you and yours. Wishing you soft, quiet snow, warm sled beds and cousins to snuggle with.

A quiet morning, Christmas Miracle

I've been begging myself to write a mission statement for a while. But those four or five little guiding lines of text seem so daunting. I want something big, grandious, enveloping more than five lines of text.

Monday morning, the day after Christmas, I was awakened by a little lady with tears that would rival Alice in Wonderland, she could in fact have quietly cried her self an ocean. Leg cramps.

What do we do for leg cramps of this magnitude at 3:15 in the morning?

Throw them a party, of course. 

Snacks and warm milk. Soft blankets, Christmas tree lights and two hours of Shaun the Sheep. We ended the early morning with our hearts righted, our legs warm and pain free and snuggling ourselves to sleep.

Isabel woke up at regular time but my old lady body (and brain) needed a bit more time to sleep. Eric snuck away with the kids on an adventure and I woke up, not fifteen minutes after they're departure to an empty house.

And I escaped three houses down to our favorite coffee shop for some thinking, writing, reading and a few of my girlfriends showed up for quick hugs as they grabbed their cup of joe.

And so in three pages in the quiet corner of the coffee shop, a Christmas miracle occurred-- a mission statement. Not a mission 'statement'-- really. What was it? A mission story? Mission bullet points? Mission land-use-planning-manual for my own life?

I named in those pages, the things I'm grateful for, the things I know make our days easier, I named the things that make life not easy. And I took an inventory of where I'm at. Spiritually, emotionally, physically and now I have an easy way to remember where I'm going.


It seems for me every season needs a manifesto. Perhaps if mission statement can be more than that. A life manifesto.

Do you have a mission statement? Some guiding principles. Things you know that help you on your journey?

*Photo captainmcdan

Corner View: The December Holidays

It snows here all the time, and we say, "eh, snow." It's just the thing that happens, and we love it. We love playing in it-- exploring in it. Painting it and making candy in it.

We however do not love scooping it, getting stuck in it, driving in blizzarding conditions.

But when snow falls in big beautiful flakes on Christmas morning (in Alabama-- first Christmas snow since 1968ish) on a house full of cousins. It is magical. And when it's warm enough to play outside in your light coat with too-big-borrowed gloves on-- lobbing snowballs to your hearts content. It's mind-blowingly wonderful.

How were your Christmas holidays?

For more Corner View's visit here. 

In the Book Basket: Wintertime Books

My favorite part of Christmas is not the gifts (even though they're nice!) or even the food (but it tastes so good!), it's spending time with family. And now that I have my own kids, we are carving out our own traditions. And one tradition we have is gathering up all the Christmas books and each night we choose a few to read together. We pile onto the couch, under quilts and blankets... and I revel in those quiet moments together.

In our book basket this year, we've got some oldies and some goodies.

Here's a few of our favorites:

Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Red sings from the Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman

The Velveteen Rabbit By Margery Williams

Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel

What are some of your favorites? Maybe we could add them to the basket for next year!

We are in full swing...

 

Christmas season is just revving up for us-- last night we finished up the last of our christmas shopping. Our new tradition of shopping together but seperate. 

Eric took Isabel to go get secret things for Truman and I and Truman and I shopped for Eric and Izzo. It worked out perfect except that Truman doesn't understand the words "Top Secret."

So for now,  he's the only one who doesn't know what he's getting under the tree. 

This weekend we'll decorate and wrap gifts (and I'll disappear for the better part of a day to study for my final). And I have lots of sewing to do! 

Wishing you a healthy and happy holiday season!

If you want this awesome Rock Bridge Tree with Rustic Star... I found it on etsy.

Christmas Tag Templates

As an early Christmas Gift to you, I've designed just a few sheets of Christmas Tags to add to your gift giving goodness.

I print mine out on sticker paper, but you could on any paper, really!

Thank you for such a wonderful year, I have appreciated the notes and encouragements from a wonderful group of people who have a special bond-- whether it's through knitting, crafting, green living, parenthood, rhythm of life or family. I hope you all a blessed season.

You can find them on my flickr photostream. Here's a link to individual pages,

Oh, My Deer!    Happy Tree.    Green Sleeves.    Awesome Ornaments.

I'd love to know if you use them!

Fun to use, please do not sell. For personal use only.

I love, love, love

It seems like this week has flown by. I’ve been fighting a cold (I know, I’m sick again... Grr). My companions have been earl grey tea, honey and lemon water (delicious), a warm quilt and going to bed early.  I felt worse when taking Claritin-D (stuffy and flakey— I don’t need any help in the flakey/distracted department) so I’ve opted for my body to just fight it out. Go cells! 

In the midst of my week, it snowed! The kids and the dog went out last night to ‘help’ Daddy shovel, they came back in red faced and giggly.

Isabel made snow pies, and proceeded to eat it. When asked how it tasted she said, “Cold!” Awesome. Truman wanted to take his still-dry pants off, right away when he came in. I’m still not sure why.

We ate dinner, did our candle lighting and advent reading and that was about it for happy memories from the evening. We spent most of it disciplining and talking about attitude changes. I’m hoping for a better night tonight. 

 :::::::::

There are a few things that I can't help but show you.
Number one, my friend Katie made this pumpkin crisp for our bible study the other night. I ate one piece and took another one home it was so good. I even refused to share with Truman (I know I'm a bad mom sometimes).

AND blogging friend Heather from Shivaya Naturals is now an founding editor of an online magazine, Rhythm of the Home. They have some great natural parenting articles and activities. A must read!

Then there is habit, I've had a love affair with this site since the day Molly introduced it. So many unbeleveable women in the same place. This month is their year anniversary. Potentially 35 women giving you a glimpse of their day. Beautiful.

Grace opened her new shop yesterday afternoon. Handmade waldorf dolls. They are just lovely.

I just finished a the book Farm City by Novella Carpenter, it was a fast read, but was super informative. And it proves the point that anyone can make a more sustainable life, just in your own backyard (or vacant lot). She has a blog too!

I think that's enough for now. Have a wonderful December weekend! I know I will.

First Sunday of Advent

Advent is my favorite time-- preparing for Christmas, for me it was always this magical time. Growing up we had little construction paper wreaths, my twin sister and I made in 1st grade. The purple-ditto transferred readings were rubbed off, and it was fading (pre-xerox copiers, my friends). But it was put out every year. Most Sunday nights we would gather around for the advent reading, and put some straw in the manger. Sang around the lit Christmas tree. We had a little wooden manger, we would prepare it for baby Jesus. Who always came Christmas morning, nestled in front of all the presents.

I want my kids to have clear memories of Christmas, like that. The things we did every year— I love my mom, but I don’t pack up 90% of my house and replace it with Christmas (thankfully, she doesn’t do this anymore). It took a bit of time to put up our tree last weekend, Izzo requested it for decorations for her birthday. Even though it broke my rule— no Christmas stuff up before Thanksgiving. But I can’t say no to seasonal birthday decorations. Actually, I really enjoy taking the first Sunday night of advent to decorate. And this year, that’s what we did.

Truman loved putting up the ornaments. He’d say, “I need otherone, Mimi!” before the previous ornament left his hand. And of course we had to redistribute a bit as all the ornaments were... um... two feet up from the floor and hanging in one spot. Isabel wanted to put up mostly snow men, and any Disney ornaments we had. “Oh, is this another Cinderella one?” (No.) It took all of about 30 minutes, finished off with hot chocolate and reading the Luke account of the Shepard's and angels— since we had put up our nativity I was able to relate to the kids better the pieces of the story.

For now I’m going to pretend we didn’t trade in vintage Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer DVD and watch Barney instead. But we did--the kids insisted. But it was the family time and the snuggling that was so worth it, Barney or no Barney.

What are your plans for advent?