Simple 2014.

My resolution this year is to simplify.

Redundant, cliche...possibly. Yes, probably. We hear it all the time because we are constantly needing to be reminded of it. Simplicity is just so hard to maintain amidst the busy clutter that life constantly hands us. Things to do, places to be. Going, going, going.

But, I'm going to try. I'm going to try to wedge some peace into the chaos. To nudge some grace into the stress. To peel away the unnecessary layers that produce unnecessary frustration. Each personal situation presents its own challenges and I know that the things that may give me stress may not produce stress for someone else--or, someone else's stress may not happen in my life. But we all experience it on some level and I'm going to try to get down to the nitty-gritty of its existence in my life.

My first step is my home. To declutter, to finally sell the stuff I've been meaning to sell and to give away the rest and throw away the trash. To see smooth surfaces and open spaces, rather than filling every nook and cranny with stuff. To decorate intentionally, for my walls and shelves to wear the photos and words that represent us.

My second step is social media. I give up Facebook at some point every year, and this year I've already hit that "some point". Despite good intentions, I find myself once again mindlessly scrolling through my phone when I could be engaging the actual reality happening around me. It's my own failure at self-control and sometimes, the best way for me to regulate it is to discontinue it. I have no idea when I will start it back up again, but the few days I've been away from it have been liberating. Isn't that odd? (It just means I was on it too much.)

The third step is relationships. To strengthen the strong friendships. To invest in the ones who need investment. To give feet to my love and turn it into action, better.

My goal this year is a Simple 2014. I am praying that God will continue to show me the cluttered areas of my life and to give me the grace to refine them.

So. That's what I'm up to.

Have a lovely day!

Decked Halls!

The house is decorated for Christmas! I am apologizing now that this post is a totally random mix of pictures from my phone, Instagram, and my good camera. The fact that I've carved out enough time to write a post in the first place is a bit of a Christmas miracle, so let's all rejoice and read on!

We did something differently at our house this year when it comes to our Christmas tree. My in-loves gave me their old tree after purchasing a new one, and y'all, this tree is HUGE, roughly nine feet tall and very wide. After trying to figure out how to fit it into our living areas, I suddenly had the idea to put it in the dining room. The dining room is round and its window faces the front of the house, so the tree's twinkling lights would be visible from the street. Bam. I moved the dining table into our piano room/playroom and set up the tree in the dining room. 

(You're welcome for the messy straight-from-the-phone picture, taken about sixteen minutes ago, after getting home from running last-minute errands. Yes, we actually live in our house, ha.) I was worried that the chandelier would create an issue resulting in bruised foreheads, but it's actually almost high enough for us to walk under, and so far our heads have been spared. And, oddly enough, it blends in with the tree really well when you're looking at it ... to the point that you forget it's there. Again--good thing it's high!

It's been so fun to have a "Christmas Room" (as my kids lovingly refer to it...seen here with pics from my good camera). We lay on the floor at night and read Christmas books under the tree, and all of our Christmas cards are displayed on the hutch. It's perfectly cozy. 

The tree started out as a mix of snowflakes, icicles, and glass bulbs mixed with browns and golds, but, since having kids, we now have homemade reindeer and cardboard bulbs slathered in poster paint to accompany them. I wouldn't have it any other way.

And, about the dining room table (and back to pictures from my phone)! After moving it into the piano room, I covered it with a sparkly "snowy" tablecloth and used it as the display for our little Christmas village. We started the village when Cub three, buying one new piece each year. A good friend of mine has older kids and did this when her youngest was born, and now her village is big! I'm the kind of person who would rather see it all at once ... :), but it's been so fun to collect one piece at a time. The kids really get into it. And, who are we kidding, I love it, too.

(The first piece, the church.)

(Second piece, the "spinning windmill!")

 (This year's piece, a music-playing conveyer-belt spinning twinkling cookie factory, complete with movable icing tubes. Clearly, any other piece paled in comparison to this one. Sigh!)

And, lastly, a (Instagram) picture of our mantle, when I decorated it a few weeks ago. It's changed a bit after having a baby shower for my friend and moving the mirror into the "Christmas Room"! But, this was the picture I had, so, here you go! Love.

There you have it, friends!

Have a lovely day!

Advent 2013.

Last night, we lit the first candle of our Advent Wreath, the "Promise Foretold" candle. My Dad made our "wreath" this year by slicing a piece off of a fallen tree on my parents' property and boring holes in it for candles. I absolutely love it. Despite the absence of evergreen, the tree itself still represents life, and I love it. 

As we settled down to light the first candle, I suddenly had a moment of panic. I couldn't find our Advent book anywhere! If you've followed me through any Christmas, you know that I love Advent, and that little book is a huge part of our tradition. Printed in 1994, it was the same booklet of readings that we used when I was a kid, given to us by our church. I'll admit, I was a bit frantic trying to find it. Our peaceful Advent moment was quickly turning into one of those Mommy's Gone Crazy moments when I suddenly remembered that two years ago, I had typed out those same readings on this blog. I searched the archives and, sure enough, there they were! I'm not kidding, I may have wiped away a tear or two. I treasure these readings and this tradition, especially now that my kids are at the age where they are beginning to really understand it. 

I wanted to link the readings here, in case you are in need of some easy, kid-friendly Advent readings. Even if you missed yesterday's candle lighting, you can start today. If you don't have an Advent wreath, they are easy to make--really, just take a fake wreath and stick some candles in it. Bam. In the midst of the increasing glitziness and shimmer that shroud the Christmas season, it's great to remember the importance of simplicity, especially with our kids. They will remember the tradition, the quiet readings and the flames in the darkness, regardless if the wreath is big or small, or if the candles are straight or crooked or mismatched. Each reading highlights a different part of the Christmas story and includes questions to get our kiddos talking.

There is a reading for every Sunday in Advent, hence, the four candles. In our tradition, we include a candle in the center of the wreath, the Christmas Candle, to be lit on Christmas Day.

The Prophecy Candle

The Angel Candle

The Shepherd Candle

The Faith Candle

Enjoy!

Have a lovely day.

Random Stuff and Stuff.

Here are just a few quick pics of random things that we've been up to!

1) Homemade Caramel Apples

I tried my hand at making caramel for the first time. It was so good! We didn't have corn syrup, so I used pure maple syrup instead ... um, yum. And sticky. The kids had fun rolling the apple slices in sprinkles after I dipped the slices in the (very hot) caramel. I used this recipe, with a few adjustments.

Naomi was especially a fan, even after the other kids had moved on. :)

2) Giving

We participated with Operation Christmas Child this year and I had fun being in charge of it for our class at church. We collected a lot of boxes and the kids had fun picking things out for each box. This is one of our favorite traditions, for sure, and I love that it starts the Christmas season by pointing our kids towards giving, not getting. 

We also did Thanksgiving Baskets (tubs) at church. Cub had fun helping me load ours.

3) Lydia Is Getting So Big.

She is. She'll be two in January. TWO. Sob. The End.

4) Annual Family Christmas Trip

We love to go to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, before the Christmas season begins. We go with my husband's family and it's always a great chance to get away and enjoy our time together in the midst of an inevitably busy season. This year's trips definitely ranks up there as one of the best so far and I think it's for the simple fact that we really all just enjoyed being together. I cherish our time together. 

5) Half Marathon Number Two, Done!

It was 23 degrees and frosty, but, I did it! Yay! I really thought last year's race would be my first and last, for the simple fact that it was a random one-time goal in the midst of what was arguably the craziest year of my life, after the birth of my third. But, the running bug actually hit me again this year and I found myself training and doing this race again! I think I've decided that I like running because it causes me to constantly challenge myself in something that is separate from my daily grind. I love my daily grind, but I've found great satisfaction in challenging myself personally in the midst of it. And who would have thought that I would decide to start running after having three kids? Not me! But wow, what a trip it's been! I crossed the finish line at 02:03:07, seventeen minutes faster than last year. It felt great.

There you have it--some random updates!

Have a lovely day!

Mother Knows Best.

While vacuuming cheddar bunny crumbs underneath the breakfast nook table today, I realized something:

When it comes to my kids and our house, I think I'm always right.

Let me back up. So, on Saturday, I found myself getting a little ... bossy? with my hubby. It was a great day, really. We went to a Children's Museum, perused the Christmas trees at Hobby Lobby, and had lunch together, before naps and dinner with friends. The kids did great and it was, for the most part, a happy day.

But, my husband and I just weren't, um, "clicking". We couldn't seem to connect--like we were in a constant state of misunderstanding each other. Everything we said seemed to get lost in translation, amidst a big kid riding his scooter around the kitchen and a baby girl helping herself to cereal bars in the pantry. Constant movement and me moving right along with it.

By the end of the day, I was frustrated. I felt like he wasn't listening. I sat there, pouting, when God, in His good and gracious and always-timely wisdom, brought this proverb to my mind:

"Better to live on the roof than to share a house with a nagging wife." Proverbs 21:9

Oh boy. As my mind wandered through the events of the day, I could see the parts where I rushed my hubby, barked orders to help me get the kids ready and out the door, complained that his guitar and amp and other superfluous speakers were crowding our den .... nagging. Nag, nag, nag.

And my frustration and pouting quickly turned to remorse.

I imagined our roof and my husband perched on top of it, enjoying the PEACE AND QUIET. I laughed out loud. Oh, the poor guy. Apologies quickly followed my revelation.

The next day in our Sunday School class, we discussed how humility precedes wisdom. We have to humble ourselves before we can ask for it. I knew that my Naggy Saturday had been full of I Know Better Than You pride. No humility, therefore ... no space to ask for wisdom. Had I taken that pause and considered my attitude, I can guarantee my actions would have been different.

I fall into this trap easily. Since I stay at home, and all of our kids are home most of the time (Cub is in school two days a week and that's it), I feel that I am more entitled to make decisions concerning our household. Does that make sense? I don't even realize that I'm doing it (until I envision my husband on our roof, apparently) because throughout the day, it's just how we roll. Our home is a ship and I'm the captain of the crew. But, when my husband comes home and is home, it's okay for me to mosey on over to First Mate. To give him the opportunity to lead, to relax (oh man, I'm bad at letting him relax at home, eek), to take charge and navigate our day.

Before I find him clinging to the crow's nest.

My thoughts on this Monday. Naomi is crawling in my lap, asking for snowman pictures to color .... time to go!

Have a lovely day!