A Weekend Of Thanks

"Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.”

~ Harry Ironside

 

Well, a little late -- but no less thankful! We had a big family dinner with Derek's side of the family then headed to the lakehouse in Shell Knob, MO with my parents for a long weekend. It was cozy and peaceful (well, as peaceful as it can be with 4 kids 5 and under) and lovely. And I was thankful.

Thankful for my little pilgrim and Indian.

Thankful for golf cart rides in the woods to explore and pretend.

 

Thankful for time at the water to throw rocks and share kisses.

Thankful for tickling/wrestling matches to help burn off 5 and 1 year old energy.

 



Thankful for glimpses at a future fierce sister friendship.

Thankful for all four kids in our bed in the mornings. And the way the 'big kids' love the 'little kids'.

Thankful for bedtime stories with the greatest man I know.

Thanksgiving may be one of my favorite holidays!

Keva Planks

On a recent trip to Exploration Place we got to play in the new KEVA exhibit. Keva planks are 4 1/2 inch long wooden blocks. That's it. So simple yet endless fun for kids. 

Busy bees.

We didn't make that one.

We did make that one.

Go check them out! You can even pick some up for Christmas presents. I love gifts that don't have batteries.  : )

How To Drink Milk {A Tutorial}

Step 1: Push a barstool across the room to the island.

Step 2: Pull out all mom's measuring spoons.

Step 3: Use your sippy cup and your determined face to shake small drops of milk into a spoon.

   Step 4: Look up and melt mom's heart with a smile.

 

Step 5: Enjoy! 

Random Is As Random Does

After school snuggles.

The cuteness may kill me.

Why do I feel like this is a glimpse of 16 short years from now?

Fish caught at Nana and Papa's pond.

She's such a goof in the evenings.

Our blessings. Be still my heart.

I just want to squeeze them all the time.

Brecken leaves surprises for me to find later when putting dishes away.

Who doesn't love Freddy's fries?

Thankful: for an openly Christian principal in a public school.

Look who is standing on her own!

Love him, Love her.

Soggy babies are the best.

More practicing.

Still her favorite activity.

Please tell her to stop growing.

The end.

Motherhood

 

"Don't be lured away from the plan of God to the ways of the world

where motherhood is belittled,

femininity is decried, and the divinely established

role of a wife and mother is mocked.

 

 

Let the world go its way.

 

 

You follow the plan of the Lord for the greatest measure of true,
eternal achievement and the fullness of happiness." Richard G. Scott

 



She Found Love in a Clothing Place

"Hi."

 

"Oh! Who's that girl?!"

 "I love her."

Lori Danelle

So I've got this cousin. And she's pretty great. She's a part of so many of my childhood memories. We spent hours playing "house" in grandma's dress-up clothes, creating imaginative worlds under the large blue-berried pine tree outside grandpa's house, annoying our parents to death singing a little ditty about a China Doll for hours on end, and cheering for each other through grade school, high school, college and now "real life". 

Lori is a cousin, sister, daughter, wife and mommy to two beautiful little girls. If that weren't enough she's also an artist and one of the most driven and creative women I know. While her talents and creativity cover many areas of her life, a passion that she's really excelled in is paper cut art.

If you follow Ashley Ann then you've seen her "Bittersweet" work here (towards the end of the post). If you love unique and out of the ordinary gifts you've seen her here. If you've been to my house lately you've seen her here:

I was so honored to get this extra special piece from her...

Lori has a special place in my heart. So do flapjacks. : ) Flapjacks were a special treat growing up. A recipe (while really not unique to anyone) that I hold near and dear due to the sweet family that it came from. My great-grandma made them. My grandma made them. My mom made them. And now I make them. And, judging by Taryn's ecstatic reaction anytime I say I'm making them, she'll be making them for her kids one day too.

Hand-cut precision work. That's a lot of hours with an exacto-knife!

Very delicate. So special. Makes my heart happy every time I look at it.

On my dream wish-list for someday is this amazing piece of art:



Of course, I'd probably get our names. : )  Those are personal, actual, individually unique finger prints! You send one in. She blows it up. Then painstakingly cuts them out. I'm in awe.

Since we're making a wish list go ahead and add this one:

Oh, ok, this one too:





Stunning!

If you can't tell I'm crazy proud of Lori and all that she's accomplished and can't wait to see where the Lord is taking her and her family through her pursuit of her passions. It is a joy to see her go after her dreams and to stand alongside her in prayer and celebration.

Go visit her site here.  Make sure and pin your wish list items!

Now I'm hungry for flapjacks....