Hi everyone. After an epic trip from the East Coast, Erin and I made it to LA in the wee small hours of Saturday morning.
We spent the day yesterday at the LA Farmer's Market, the Grove, and we did a little look-but-don't-buy shopping on Rodeo Drive (did you know that a Louis Vuitton umbrella costs $500.00?)
Last night, after dinner at In-and-Out, was spent talking, laughing, and crying a bit with old friends. God is so generous.
In an hour or so we're off to church.
I can't post any pictures right now, but please be assured that you will be inundated when I have the chance :-D.
6.28.2009
6.25.2009
Michael Jackson
"Black and white, male and female, rich and bankrupt, genius and punchline, private and public, innocent and deceptive--everything seemed to be jumbled up." Justin Taylor offers an insightful response to Michael Jackson's death.
Yule Be Glad You Did
You may hate me for bringing this up right now, but I'm just passing it along as a resource that helped me last year.
I subscribed to this last year when I felt like I was drowning in a newborn and a new school year and struggling to get to know people in a new church, and I was anticipating the holidays with great trepidation.
The RSS feed plunked down in my reader a suggested activity every day for each of the hundred days leading up to Christmas. Lest you think this would dampen your autumnal joy -- a joy I very much understand -- many of the activities were ones like, "plan a pumpkin picking trip," or "enjoy your family on a walk today." The point is that if you're thinking far enough in advance about the holidays, you can take time to smell the roses on the way.
It really helped me, and I probably only did a third of the stuff they suggested. Considering I still had a little baby, I was more organized with gift-giving and card-sending this past year than I would have been otherwise. I still have a lot of room for improvement, but this was a helpful tool!
The official countdown starts on September 16th this year. Today marks the halfway-to-Christmas point.
I subscribed to this last year when I felt like I was drowning in a newborn and a new school year and struggling to get to know people in a new church, and I was anticipating the holidays with great trepidation.
The RSS feed plunked down in my reader a suggested activity every day for each of the hundred days leading up to Christmas. Lest you think this would dampen your autumnal joy -- a joy I very much understand -- many of the activities were ones like, "plan a pumpkin picking trip," or "enjoy your family on a walk today." The point is that if you're thinking far enough in advance about the holidays, you can take time to smell the roses on the way.
It really helped me, and I probably only did a third of the stuff they suggested. Considering I still had a little baby, I was more organized with gift-giving and card-sending this past year than I would have been otherwise. I still have a lot of room for improvement, but this was a helpful tool!
The official countdown starts on September 16th this year. Today marks the halfway-to-Christmas point.
6.24.2009
Off With Her Head!
Sandra McCracken tweeted this today...it looks very interesting to me!!
Tim Burton's Trippy New Alice in Wonderland
What's the Best Gift You've Ever Been Given?
This next week ranks pretty high on my list.
Beginning Friday, my husband has given me time. In about 48 hours, I will board a plane bound for the west coast.
He is staying home with the children. For a week. Taking time off work so I can be footloose and fancy-free.
That's rather wonderful, wouldn't you say?
Lord willing, I will see this family. And this one. And this one. And many, many other faces that I love and have not seen in five years (five years? Has it really been five years?!).
Time...to read on a plane.
Time...to walk around in the sunshine and not worry about someone wandering away.
Time...to visit with a newborn, come to his family through adoption.
Time...to sit in a unique church, a little oasis in Oxnard, California.
Time...to drive up the coast of California, the Pacific Ocean on my left and a sweet traveling companion on my right.
Time...to sip California wine and talk late and long.
Time...to ride a cable car and cross the San Francisco bay, taste sourdough bread and see the crookedest street in the world.
Time...what a gift.
Beginning Friday, my husband has given me time. In about 48 hours, I will board a plane bound for the west coast.
He is staying home with the children. For a week. Taking time off work so I can be footloose and fancy-free.
That's rather wonderful, wouldn't you say?
Lord willing, I will see this family. And this one. And this one. And many, many other faces that I love and have not seen in five years (five years? Has it really been five years?!).
Time...to read on a plane.
Time...to walk around in the sunshine and not worry about someone wandering away.
Time...to visit with a newborn, come to his family through adoption.
Time...to sit in a unique church, a little oasis in Oxnard, California.
Time...to drive up the coast of California, the Pacific Ocean on my left and a sweet traveling companion on my right.
Time...to sip California wine and talk late and long.
Time...to ride a cable car and cross the San Francisco bay, taste sourdough bread and see the crookedest street in the world.
Time...what a gift.
6.20.2009
6.19.2009
Phriday Photos of Our Phabulous Phloors
Here are some pictures of the new floors...
Tile in the bathroom
Same tile in the kitchen. I think it looks so pretty against the stainless.
And here are the hardwoods
Living room
This is a shot of the entryway to show the texture...it's weathered so if the kids are rough with the floors it won't show quite so much
Messy schoolroom/entry
Dining room
Another shot of the dining room
Tile in the bathroom
Same tile in the kitchen. I think it looks so pretty against the stainless.
And here are the hardwoods
Living room
This is a shot of the entryway to show the texture...it's weathered so if the kids are rough with the floors it won't show quite so much
Messy schoolroom/entry
Dining room
Another shot of the dining room6.18.2009
Photos for Adoption
If you would like the chance to own a new piece of artwork for your home AND support a baby's homecoming from Uganda, check out the photography Jason and Shawnda have to offer here:
Photos for Adoption, Part One
Photos for Adoption, Part Two
The digital representations are wonderful but the real things are breathtaking! Jason is very gifted! Go forth and purchase.
Photos for Adoption, Part One
Photos for Adoption, Part Two
(I posted this one because it's on my wall in my living room!)
The digital representations are wonderful but the real things are breathtaking! Jason is very gifted! Go forth and purchase.
6.17.2009
Pole Night
Here are some photos from our adventure at Lowes Motor Speedway. I am happy to report that we all emerged with our back hair intact.
The lineup, waiting to qualify for the race
tickets...tickets...want tickets got tickets
Smile for Grandma and Grandpa, everyone. Toyota Racing!
Andrew was not so sure about the noise
Everyone with their earplugs (next time I will remember to buy CHILDREN'S earplugs for the children. These were not so good.)
The amount of people and equipment transported for this sport is staggering.
Them cars are fast.
The lineup, waiting to qualify for the race
tickets...tickets...want tickets got tickets
Smile for Grandma and Grandpa, everyone. Toyota Racing!
Andrew was not so sure about the noise
Everyone with their earplugs (next time I will remember to buy CHILDREN'S earplugs for the children. These were not so good.)
The amount of people and equipment transported for this sport is staggering.
Them cars are fast.Happy Cow Creamery
A couple of weeks ago we went on a field trip to a dairy in South Carolina. The farmer had an interesting tale about how he went from one of the top commercial producers in SC to almost losing his farm to reinventing his operation as a completely organic, pasture-fed dairy.
This shows the name "High Hopes Farm," but it's now called "Twelve Aprils Farm."
on the wagon ride
Maddie in her strawberry bonnet
Since the farm went completely over to pasture feeding practices, they didn't need the silo anymore. So they built the creamery inside the silo. Here is where they bottle their milk, buttermilk, and chocolate milk (which was HEAVENLY!).
This is a terrible picture but it shows the award for sustainable agriculture they won.
butter...mmm
This shows the name "High Hopes Farm," but it's now called "Twelve Aprils Farm."
on the wagon ride
Maddie in her strawberry bonnet
Since the farm went completely over to pasture feeding practices, they didn't need the silo anymore. So they built the creamery inside the silo. Here is where they bottle their milk, buttermilk, and chocolate milk (which was HEAVENLY!).
This is a terrible picture but it shows the award for sustainable agriculture they won.
butter...mmmAll in all it was a fascinating trip! David and I both had doubts about traveling that far (two hours plus) for a field trip to a farm, when we could have gone somewhere closer. But we were delighted to be proved wrong!
Twelve Aprils Dairying
Twelve Aprils Dairying
6.16.2009
Overheard
(Admission: I have a lot of catching up to do on the blog! Here's a funny one to tide you over.)
Right now, Jonathan is using the past tense of "make" as "mook."
"Mom, I already mook my bed."
"Mom, Maddie mook a mess."
I was giggling and scratching my head at this until David realized that he's using the pattern set by "take/took."
Kids are clever. English is strange.
Right now, Jonathan is using the past tense of "make" as "mook."
"Mom, I already mook my bed."
"Mom, Maddie mook a mess."
I was giggling and scratching my head at this until David realized that he's using the pattern set by "take/took."
Kids are clever. English is strange.
6.10.2009
Oh, Hello there.
Hi.
Are you still there?
I'm still here.
We had our downstairs floors redone this past week, so I have been a little preoccupied with keeping the children out of the floor guy's way. I was successful most of the time.
Fortunately, we had a very understanding and patient floor guy. One that even took time out of his day to catch a lizard for the boys to play with.
...And then made it to the kitchen before me (I was up to my elbows in a messy diaper) when the boys almost (sort-of) accidentally released said lizard in the house.
Oh, there are stories. And pictures. And they're coming. But right now I have to dust.
(Thanks for still reading!)
Are you still there?
I'm still here.
We had our downstairs floors redone this past week, so I have been a little preoccupied with keeping the children out of the floor guy's way. I was successful most of the time.
Fortunately, we had a very understanding and patient floor guy. One that even took time out of his day to catch a lizard for the boys to play with.
...And then made it to the kitchen before me (I was up to my elbows in a messy diaper) when the boys almost (sort-of) accidentally released said lizard in the house.
Oh, there are stories. And pictures. And they're coming. But right now I have to dust.
(Thanks for still reading!)
6.01.2009
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