Yea, we know how to do it here in Monroe.

Last week had it’s ups and downs, just like our crazy Northwest weather. Unruly children and rainy days meets well behaved angels and sunshine. I’ll take the second option any day, thank you very much. By Friday I was exhausted, like I usually am EVERY Friday, but the good Lord blessed us with AMAZING Springlike weather that day, so we took utmost advantage. In the morning, we visited some friends who just adopted some new little friends, baby chicks. We held those little furry yellow balls of fun, played outside with our friends, and then headed up to the park to feed the ducks at the lake, where we met up with even more friends. I love that the sunshine here seems to bring everyone and their brother outside. When the sun makes it’s presence here in the Seattle area, even when it’s in the low 50′s, you’d think we all live in the tropics. Out comes the capri’s, chacos, and sunglasses.

Because, like I said… that’s how we do it here in the Roe.

Home we went for lunch and naps, although I had half a mind to pack a picnic lunch and eat outside soaking up even more Vitamin D, but I think we all would have been frozen by that point.

And, then later that evening, I surprised the kids by telling them we were going on an adventure. And by adventure, I really meant .99 cent slurpies at 7-11, a walk to our local feed store to see even more chicks, and a stop off at the train tracks to train watch.  I’ve learned that with any child, when you use the word “adventure”, no matter how small and insignificant it seems, it is the equivalent to us as loading a private jet to the French Riviera, yachting with the rich and famous, and having unlimited amounts of pasta and wine and gaining not one pound.

Which should remind me… Note to self:  Act more like my two and four year old when it comes to the word, “adventure” and life will be more surprising for everybody.

Because, let me repeat myself again… that’s how we roll here in the burbs of Monroe.

G-mama was in love. Even more sweet goodness of tiny yellow fur balls.

When was the last time YOU had a slurpee?

Yea, he gets a little serious about his trains.

Hope you all had a great week and a restful and ADVENTUROUS weekend!

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It’s been a “thick” month for us here. “Thick” is what Jeff refers to when the kids are wild and life seems crazy and unpredictable and we are weary.

And, that is what I have been. Weary. Fighting to stay afloat. Searching for the gratitude that often comes so easily for me. Lately, it has been difficult.

Part of me is chalking it up to the dreary, long, dark Seattle rainy days we have had most recently. But, the other part of me says that there has been a break in the true source of strength I so desperately need on a daily basis. Quiet time with my sweet Jesus.

Today, we sang in church…
“On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.”

Tis true for me. I just CANNOT do it without my Father’s help. I CANNOT be the wife I want to be to my husband. I CANNOT nurture my children with steadfast patience and grace. I CANNOT be the woman that I was made to be. Cannot do life without my source and help.

I had several different opportunities to share my weariness with some close friends this week. Being vulnerable is difficult for me. It shouldn’t be so, but it is. I like to be the helper to others. The cheerleader. The listening ear.

But, this week I had to share.

And, you know what. They jumped to help me. Offering up questions to me to aid in what I am going through. Cheering me on by sending different texts throughout the week with encouraging verses. Listening. Really listening and not just offering up an easy “this is what you SHOULD do” recipe to feel better.

I am thankful for these types of friends in my life.

And, by the time Friday came, they even brought sweet treats to my doorstep. Because really? Really. What can be better than a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles?

And, yesterday… that quiet solitude I was so desperate for came and my soul took a breath. A deep breath. And, do you know what I heard?

Two words…

Choose. Joy.

Choose joy. That is what I intend to do. As this wise woman so aptly states, “And when I remember to give thanks in a fallen and broken world, this is what re-members me and I am put together again.”

And to you, my dear friends… that you would know true friendship. Joy. And the gift of cupcakes this week.

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Bananas and nutella on graham crackers were this week’s snack of choice. And, I enjoyed playing with my little man as we “got back to the basics” this past week.

Sorry for my lack of post last Sunday, if you follow my little blog. We spent a week in flu-land and were recovering last weekend. And, we watched a ton of T.V.. Do any other mammas out there feel as guilty as I do when you turn on the tv for your little ones? We had gotten into a funk and I lost my mamma mojo for a bit {probably the flu that threw us for a loop}, but we are back on top and back to normal this past week. And, I have been determined to get back to the simple things with my littles this week. Play.

So, I spent some time doing just that with my four year old during the end of his rest times. Just him and I. We played cars and trains and he told me all sorts of things about tractors and we made up silly stories and I snuck in a little education and we ate bananas, nutella, and graham crackers and we colored with crayons and he told me all about Finn Mcmissile’s secret spy gadgets and I gave him way too many kisses.

I went to our school’s Kindergarten info night this past Thursday. Kindergarten? When did he get so big?

Have a beautifully simple week, my friends.

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There are days when I wonder if I am doing ANY good in my kid’s lives? Those are the days when I usually end the day snuggled up next to them, asking them for forgiveness when I raised my voice out of frustration or impatience earlier. Talk about eating a big fat piece of humble pie.

Often, I overhear my kid’s chatter and smile at how funny the things they say sounds. I laugh because it sounds just like what Jeff or I would say.

For example, in the car driving through our neighborhood, when I hear Ben say, “Seriously, Mom. That car over there is cool.”

“Seriously?”

Seriously. That word. I say it all the time.

Or, when G-mamma imitates Jeff when I walk into the kitchen lately, “Heeeeeeeeeeeeello Mommy,” she howls. And, she knows it gives us all a chuckle, so she keeps on.

All of these things are funny, yes. But, what worries me somedays, are the negative things my kids pick up from us as well. The things that will unintentionally stick into their little brains and someday surface themselves in unhealthy ways.

I know. I know. We are only human and we ARE NOT perfect. But, I SO want my life to be a reflection of kindness and gentleness to others and have it wear off on the little people that follow me around daily.

Which is why these photos warm the cockles of my heart, so. Because, I believe imitation is the best compliment. Really. Truly.

And, girlfriend be imitating kindness and gentleness to this baby doll of hers.

Makes me think, she must have learned that from someone.

Thank God she has picked this up and not the bad word I dropped the other day in the car.

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It was a nice week here. Busy, but not crazy busy. Relaxing and productive. Challenging and hopeful.

How was your week?

A couple of updates, in case you are interested…

Potty training. Still working on it with the Diva. We have about a 60% success rate during our days, which I think is because we are out and about during the day and she forgets and I forget to remind her. I know that I should stay home for a week and try and knock it out with her, but I just don’t want to give up some things right now. I’m not stressin about it though. She’ll get it and we’ll keep at it. No pressure here.

Gettin my groove on. Still moving it here. I was at the gym four days last week and then on Saturday. I am enjoying my time alone with my ipod, sweating out the stresses of the day. And, this week’s tune stuck in my head while I run has been LMFAO. I know. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that. But, if you have listened to the song, you know how catchy it is and how you could understand it would stick in someone’s head.

Onto my simple things for the week… I have three actually.

Shoes.
Jeff and I had a much needed date night last night and date night for us is quietly browsing in a book store or walking through Target. So, that we did. And, oh can I just tell you how nice it is to browse through Target without screaming kids? Pure bliss.

I happened upon the shoe section and found these bad boys. Perfect for my Spring attire. I’ll have to wait till pay day though. And, maybe they’ll go on sale.

Spider rolls and spicy tuna rolls. Catching up with my man across a candlelit table at our favorite sushi restaurant was exactly what my heart needed. Love that guy.

And, lastly… morning snuggles while watching Saturday morning cartoons.

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I feel like I lived in the gym this week. Running, biking, zumba, weights. My bod is sore, but my soul feels a bit refreshed. It’s been awhile since I have worked it this hard.

Don’t get me wrong. I hit the gym on a fairly regular basis, but I often bring a book with me and do the multi-tasking thing on the machine, so I can get some reading in. I don’t really get a good sweat going. A bit of a heart rate increase, but nothing crazy.

This week. For some reason. Was different.

Something inside me snapped. Like a fierce machine. That told me to run and move and burn. And, it felt dang good. It was like solitude. Me and my ipod. Jammin to Pink. And, a little old school Snoop Dog.

We’ll see if I can keep this up. Maybe not on such an obsessive basis. But, keep on keepin on.

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This week found me running after a very feisty and opinionated two year old, fetching candy corn rewards from our kitchen pantry, and doing the “pee-pee dance” around our commode.

Ah… yes. Potty training at it’s finest began at our house last weekend. Much to my surprise. The plan was to finish off the last of the diapers we had and THEN start, which would have bought me another month to mentally prepare for the task at hand. But when I unknowingly threw a box of pink princess pull-ups into our shopping cart at Costco last Saturday and my girl’s face lit up like the 4th of July, I began to wonder if I should take that excitement and run with it now. Our Costco trip was followed by a spontaneous trip to Target where she picked out two packs of “Minnie Moz and Dowa underwear” and instantaneously clutched them to her chest as we walked back to check out. She was showing some serious signs of readiness.

So, we went with it. And, half way through the week, amidst the few pee-pee accidents I cleaned up on our family room carpet and the dance moves I busted out and cheerleading moves I sported when she made it, I began to wonder how crazy it is that my life has now become centered around a two year old’s bowel movements.

So, this has been our week. Keeping a very active two year old on the pot while reading Dora books over and over and over again.

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Things just stopped this week.

Most everything.

In my natural state, and I would venture to say, in most EVERYBODY’S natural state, we are accustomed to ritual.  To habit.  To schedule.

For me, that looks a little something like this:

Sundays = church, rest, reflect, and plan for the week ahead {meal planning, plugging in crafts and gym times, sticking in appointments and errands}

Mondays = B’s school, grocery store, gym

Tuesdays = Nanny a 3rd child, zumba

Wednesdays = B’s school, volunteer in the classroom or run errands, clean house, work

Thursdays = playgroup craft time, zumba, bible study

Fridays = Mops, laundry

Saturday = Play

This is the jist of it, although there are many weeks when the schedule is different and/or things are moved around.  But, the point is…  there IS a schedule.  I like to have things planned.  For myself.  For my family.

So, what happens when things just stop unexpectedly?

This happened a couple of weeks back when I got the flu.  Threw my WHOLE week off!  I didn’t get a chance to make it the store Monday morning, so all of my meal planning was off, hence, ordering from the pizza place and Thai place for quick dinners that week.  I wasn’t able to make it to my appointments.  I was “forced” to lay on the couch and “rest”.  And, I didn’t love it.  Without my “schedule”.

Why is that?  Why is STOPPING so hard sometimes?

And, this week…  Snow.

Lots and lots of snow.

STOPPED everything.

We watched each day unfold, with emails and phone calls canceling or closing all of the “stuff” we had planned.

And, this threw me off a bit too.

But this time, I embraced it.  Have we gotten a bit stir crazy here at the end of the week?  Well, yes.  We are only human and at some moments I think my kids might kill me.  But, we made the most of it and I think it has made for a very pleasant week.

We found the sweetest hill to sled down.  If you are friends with me on Facebook, then you might have seen the video of Ben and I flying down this said hill on our sled.  We made a snow fort and snowmen in our front yard.  Later in the week, we had a little playdate with some friends and we made a snow slide.  We had snowball fights with the next door neighbor boys.  We played cars and hide and seek.  We watched a LOT of movies.  Jeff and I saw THIS movie one evening.  Loved it!  We drank a ton of hot cocoa.  I started THIS book.  We colored on our sliding glass door with window markers.  We had some more friends stop by and we made cotton ball snowmen and THIS snack with the kids. It was a HIT!  I baked.  Then, I baked some more.  THIS cookie recipe {sinful by DELISH}, THIS bread recipe {a success}, and THIS cinnamon roll recipe {not so successful}.  And, I was lazy.  I mean, seriously lazy.  And, it was good.  {an example:  our laundry pile started in the hall and stayed for a day, then moved into the garage {where our laundry room is} for another day, then cycled through this weekend, then finally got put away today}.  Does anyone else hate doing laundry?

And, then we headed out for a late afternoon walk.  We got half way out of our cul-de-sac, when I realized that we most likely wouldn’t make it very far with G-mama walking on her own.  And, the snow was just too thick to push a stroller in.  And, because she is a diva, she didn’t want to sit in the sled I was pulling with Ben.  So, on a whim, I thought I would grab the one pair of snowshoes we own, strap them on, and stuff her in our backpacking pack, which she LOVED.

So off we went.

And, I was feeling a bit bad-ass.

Little G on my back.  Me pulling Ben in the sled.  And, Chase {our lab} pulling me.  Ben thought it was hysterical when I swung him around in the sled as we walked.  I sweated off all of the baked goods I had eaten throughout the week and G was happy as a clam, perched on my back.

Have you ever been in wonder about how quiet it gets when it snows?

Almost like God tells us to stop.

And, because I am all cozy and warm and filled with spiced chai tea and candles lit on this night, I thought a little Frost would be oh so suitable…

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

Robert Frost {1923}

Pictures taken with my iphone.  I figure this still counts, yes?

Our backyard. We must have gotten a foot of snow.

Snow clothes pile in our living room. We are getting really good at layering in a flash now.

Ben Harper Photography

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Well, I missed last Sunday’s Simple Things Sunday. My apologies if you are keeping up with our little life. You didn’t miss much… the last couple of weeks have been pretty uneventful and quiet, with the exception of a little bug that came hoppin around our house, early last week. This little bug, called the flu, which pretty much kicked my butt. I haven’t been “that” sick for awhile and I was thanking my lucky stars for a husband who took some time off to help care for the kids for me, while I slept and got better.

I think that bout of sickness threw me for a loop, though. Things seemed out of order and I felt in disarray for the rest of the week and I am only now catching my breath. Although, I feel better physically, my soul feels a tad off. I am feeling a bit uninspired at the moment. And, a bit anxious for the year ahead. Do you ever feel that way?

HOWEVER, this big fat dump of white that we got here in the Pacific Northwest yesterday and today, gave my heart an extra beat and I am thankful for that. I felt inspired to pick up my camera today and snap a few pics.

If you live in our area, did you get out and enjoy the beauty today? Did you play?

We sure did.

We ate snow. Lots of it. And, not the yellow kind.

We made snow angels.

And snowmen.

We ran in mismatched puffy snowsuits.

We threw snowballs.

And, this all made for one happy kid.

And, happy kid #2.

Have a great week ahead!

kelly
xoxo

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Shine.

Kind of our word of the year. Or rather, our word for this year. Or rather, just our family mantra.

We read about it to our children…

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you SHINE like stars in the universe. Philippians 2:14-15

This verse is scribbled on a note taped to our fridge.

I have it pinned to Ben’s backpack and when I scurry him off to his pre-school class in the mornings, I whisper it to him as I hug him goodbye…  ”Shine bright,” I say.

We have it written in our Family Rules…  right smack dab in the middle in capital letters, hung in our kitchen nook.

And, it sits staring at me…  as a glaring reminder on my kitchen window, as I wash dishes, or cut veggies, or grab a cup of coffee in the morning…  whispering…  Shine, Kelly. Shine bright.

What does this mean, you ask?  To shine?

Well, I am not at all perfect at it, but if I could sum up what it has meant for me this past year, it would look a little something like this…

To embrace life more.  To stop.  Look.  At the beauty RIGHT in front of my face.  In the magic of the moon in the evenings to the colors in one single bubble, as I scrub the soaked plates.  To not be so hurried.  To get down on the floor and play.  Really PLAY with my children.  To serve them.  To serve my husband.  To not wait.  To LISTEN.  To really listen. Which often means to STOP talking.  To lead in this way.  And, be confident in this.  To remember All.  Is.  Grace.

Some of the above may sound familiar if you’ve read THIS book.  If you have, then you can give me an Amen, sista.  If you haven’t, then I highly recommend picking it up this next year.  The words in this book have been like medicine to my soul and I needed to hear them.  I intend to carry these precepts into 2012 with me.

Or they may sound familiar if you’ve followed my blog over the past several months.  I have written about some of these things every Sunday, through my Simple Things Sunday posts.  My photos and writing have been intended as an anchor for me throughout my week.  As reminders for me to pay attention to the little things.  The things I am thankful for. And, this too, has been a discipline that has challenged me to remember all of my blessings.  ALL of them.  Week after week.

I hope that I can continue on like this into this year…  and, I hope that you continue to stay and read along and join in as well.  Thanking God for all of your gifts.  In whatever way suits you.

So, dear friends…  let me ask you.  Have you been reflecting lately?  Are you looking forward?

I pray that you would also seek to SHINE bright this next year!

Thanks for reading!  Happy New year to you!

I don’t really want more time;

I just want enough time.

Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy…

I just want time to do my one life well.

Life at its fullest is this sensitive, detonating sphere -

and it can be carried only in the hands of the unhurried and reverential –

a bubble held in awe.”

~One Thousand Gifts:  A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are {Ann Voskamp}

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