Weekending

This weekend was the most wonderful mix of relaxing and hard work. Good conversations and great coffee. And of course, Halloween candy!

We started the weekend off super pumped for Trick or Treating. The kids jumped off the bus ready to get into their costumes. We drove over to pick up milk for the shop, they had to be in full regalia. They wanted to trick or treat by themselves but only made it a few houses away from us, but they loved the idea of being on their own. We ended the night with take out and the Great Pumpkin with our favorite friends.

On Saturday Eric woke up super early and worked at the shop and I took my regular afternoon shift.  

It gave me plenty of time to hang out with the kids and reinstate our ritual Sketchbook Saturday Morning. The kids reveled in their jammies: painting, playing, reading and hanging around. It was thrilling-- it had been a long time since we'd taken an at home day. We finished the day off together, snuggled up on the couch watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 

Today, we woke up early and enjoyed our extra hour. We went off to church and spent the afternoon having great conversations with the Room for All community at the shop. What a joy to be exploring inclusive community and becoming a safe place for ALL.

I hope you had a lovely weekend as well! Did you do anything fun?

New Rhythms, New Adventures

I do this every season don't I? I stop, look and listen.

And then we adjust our rhythm to fit the needs of now.

This new space, season is so different from the rest of our life changes because we took a leap. We tried to be brave and we took an opportunity that seemed like the hand of the divine was holding it out for us.

With our glorious friends, we bought a coffee shop. The coffee shop.


It became our joy and responsibility. And, for a bit there it took tons of energy and passion to get it up and going. But it was all out of love. And the passion and energy are still going.

This place, this coffee, this community, the deep conversations, the continuing connection-- it's what life is about.

So, if you've wondered where I've been. It's been here. A three house walk away from our own backyard.

Our beloved coffee shop is now a place we too call home... well you know, it kind always has been.

What's in Store for the Weekend: Home Style

When Isabel woke up this morning, she asked me what we had planned for tonight and I said, "nothing!"

"And in the morning?"

"Nothing"

"And on Sunday?"

"Nothing!"

It was quite unbelieveable to me too.

But we do have quite a few things planned. But they are all based out of our cozy little home.

We will probably have Sketchbook Saturday Morning, but we'll be around our own table. In our jammies.

I am going to make a few of these awesome and easy fabric baskets.

I will be watching a drawing class from the uber-talented Lisa Congdon.  

We'll walk to our local fair-trade store for some equal exchange coffee.

I'll be making wedding gifts for my little sister! So exciting.

A big pot of Abondigas soup, meatballs and veggies in a beautiful bone broth.

I'll be investigating fermenting Green Tea and Honey.

And I'll start this little project, small but smart knitting!

Isabel has been begging for carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Or maybe, a gluten free version of this is in order. 

Maybe, I'll finish reading the Perks of Being a Wallflower, I'm almost done!

I hope you have a happy weekend! I am sure we will!

Weekending: Instagram Style

This weekend started early in the week. We've been soaking up the summer and visiting all of our favorite places. You can follow our summer adventures here.

Summery smile!

Front yard baseball season.

Quiet morning painting, reading, crafting, pbs watching.

Eric's breakfast creation.

Kite flying.

Kitchen table studio.

Sketchbook Saturday Morning

Dock jumping.

Sunset swimming.

After church brunch.

Visiting Bob's Drive Inn, playing old maid.

weekending:: dirt + robots

What a lovely weekend. It was simple and sweet. The skies were grey but the grass is vibrant, eager and promising. It was misting a bit as Isabel and I walked home from a birthday party on Saturday. I took deep, gulping breaths of spring wind. We both agreed we loved the smell of dirt.

Tonight, Isabel and I walked home from our beloveds John-John and Bon-Bon's house-- we were  dancing robots, we skipped, we tried to walk as a three legged race, then we spent the last block humming an empty conversation. I hummed a tune, then she hummed one back. It was more elaborate with every mumbling question and answer. Buzzing lips-- a wild tonic in the rain. We laughed and laughed.

When she was getting her jammies on tonight, she said, "Yeah, but Dad, I have NO IDEA what we even said to each other. But it was nice." It shows you sometimes, you just have to be present and dance like a robot down the middle of town.

 ++++++

We spent our Sketchbook Saturday Morning time around the kitchen table. We took out the paints and brushes plus, we made robots out of butter boxes and hot glue. I started a little embroidery, read a bit of a book and I drank a latte while we watched it rain.

Today, a pot luck at church and a trip to the swimming pool. After we put the kids to bed, I folded laundry while we watched The Bletchley Circle. The drama, suspense and costumes. So good!

Even though, we had lots of little things going on this weekend, I felt like we got to spend a lot of time together, together.

What were you up to this weekend?




Joining amanda for weekending. 

What's in Store for the Weekend?

This weekend, I hope for:

A backyard bonfire, with s'mores
Kiddie pool time
Read Aloud books on a soft quilt in the grass
✓A trip to Paulina for a swim
Writing letters
✓Reading books and a Magazine
Sleeping in (a girl can dream?!)
✓Lattes
Gardening
✓Getting a good run in
✓Sketchbook Saturday Morning

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.

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.

Yarn Along: The Rhythm of Family

We've been in need of quiet family time. This weekend we took some time just for us. My goal for comfort + joy and together, togetherness has been pounding in my ears and deep in my heart. So loud I couldn't ignore it anymore.

I've had to stop, listen, adjust our lives and go out on a limb-- I can let life take over and I have to remind myself so often what is important. My little people are important, good food is important, spending quality time together is important, playing outside, good food! Remember I'm in the middle of making my manifesto work. And it is hard work, rethinking, retraining my work-a-holic tendencies so that I take care of my children, my husband, myself, my body.

I ordered Amanda's book a while back and it came in the mail in a divine envelope, meant for that moment in time. My ears are open, my hands are open and I am listening.

I also found this from Ida's blog, there are lots of little tiny babies in our lives. So I'm knitting away!

Sketchbook Saturday Morning

There is something that our family loves to do. We call it Sketchbook Saturday Morning.

We sit around a table, mostly at our corner coffee shop-- we bring our sketchbooks and a pile of art supplies. Then, we spend an hour or two in conversation and giggling, drawing, coloring or painting and eating baked goods, drinking coffee (or hot chocolate).

It's a precious time during the week. It's technology free (we are most of the time anyway) and just a time to connect to each other. The conversations that we have while our hands are similarly occupied are at times deep and knowing-- but at others silly and wistful.

On our camping trip, we spent our Saturday morning at the picnic table drawing with Mommy's special pens (THEY WERE SO EXCITED)-- until it was too hot and we moved to our chairs in the shade.

It is a surreal feeling having the kids sit next to me drawing and painting. Learning to enjoy the things I love.

Do you have a technology free day/activity? How do you like to share your passions with your children?


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A special Thank You to Kerry for her lovely post. Go visit her to get a code for 10% off Revisiting Sanctuaries.