first experiment

I have been wishing and hoping...and waiting for this camera to arrive.

I took a few shots to experiment.

I am so excited to have a light weight camera with a serious sensor.

I think I am going to LOVE it!!!!!!

bloom

The pot is a beautiful turquoise...with a chalkboard spot with the word "bloom"

the blossoms are scattered, random and perfect.

Friends that give beautiful pots of flowers inspire me to be a better friend~

thank you M and B...

you made my day!

to know you is to love you~

"'Have you ever imagined what it must feel like to be divinely beautiful?'

'Well now, no, I haven't,' confessed Matthew ingenuously.  

'I have, often.  Which would you rather be if you had the choice---

divinely beautiful or dazzlingly clever or angelically good?'

'Well now, I---I don't know exactly.'

'Neither do I.  I can never decide.  

But it doesn't make much real difference for it isn't likely I'll ever be either.'"

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

I was reading Anne of Green Gables last night to Ellie and Kate.  

As we read this excerpt I posed the question to my girls...

Which would you rather be:

divinely beautiful

dazzlingly clever

angelically good???

They both answered without pause or reservation-

Ellie:  dazzlingly clever

Kate:  angelically good

I thought that it was interesting...they are both so different.

Isn't that an amazing aspect of human nature...our uniqueness!

I have loved and interacted with each of my daughters in a very similar way--

yet they have been their own people from the very beginning.

Completely unique.

I also LOVE that they really chose...of the three options...who they already are.

Isn't that wonderful about children?

They aren't trying to be someone they aren't---

just exploring and growing...

just the way they were made...

exactly who they are---

dazzlingly clever & angelically good.

dear spring break,

the view outside as i post this...

Dear spring break,

You haven't been what I expected...or hoped for.  But it hasn't been bad.  Most of us have remained inside of our four walls, protected from the rain and snow.  Maybe you knew best.  At least we had sunshine on Saturday...we raked and raked.  I LOVED IT!

Dear Ellie,

You were outside reading in the sunshine...and you didn't even want to stop reading to come in for lunch!  That is a first!  I felt SO happy for you---we went to buy you the next book in the series that afternoon!  You stayed with your great grandma for a good majority of your break.  When we asked you if you wanted to---you were giddy and excited.  You packed paper dolls, your American girl doll and a new book.  I think you liked the idea of being old enough to be away and on your own with grandma.  You love many of the same things:  dolls, working, flowers, books...  I am proud of you.  What a special experience to spend time with your great grandma on your own.  I never met any of my great grandparents.  Do you know how lucky you are??

love you!

Dear Kate,

You are in the other room right now playing "school/cheerleader" with Sophie.  I love listening to you play.  I also loved sitting next to you during the movie last night.  Your laugh was so genuine and contagious.  I loved every minute of it!  I am so sorry a frame fell on you as you were dancing down the hall.  You were so brave we when we took you to instacare.  I am glad that it was "dermabond," and not stitches, they had to put on your nose.  I hope you never stop dancing down the hall.  Next week the sun should shine again.  I promise to take you on a bike ride next week.  You asked me everyday of your spring break, "Mom, can we ride bikes today!?"  Rain or shine :)

love you!

Dear Sophie,

We had so much fun having your sisters with us this week.  You played and played...and played!  Thank you for always sharing your smile.  Thank you for always inviting me to play---even when I am not very fun at all.  :)  I try.  I promise.  Thank you for wanting me to be with you no matter what.  I want you to remember us playing together...me playing house with you...and reading on the couch.  We will have plenty of practice next week when your sisters are in school all day!

love you!

Let's see what we can make of the rest of the week/weekend!  I am loving that my girls are loving hats.  They are such a good protection from the sun...and so cute for pictures.  I am glad they pulled them out this week!!!!!  Have a happy weekend!!!!!!!!!!

S & S

We had the chance to have my niece Sage over...

she has the sweetest voice and demeanor.

Watching Sage and Sophie together made me want to be a little girl again:

their play, enthusiasm and sweetness

had me reminiscing of dollhouses, playing house with my sister...

swinging high in the air and practically living outside!

love them <3

easy to be busy~

This photograph attempts to capture a piece of my favorite minutes of today.

It was late morning.

Sophie was working on her checklist

(a list we have created-we all have one-of the most important things for her to do in her day: 

reading a book, practicing violin, listening to her Suzuki music, set the table, make her bed and clean her room)

Reading was what she wanted to do.

Usually we read one book and hurry to what might be next.

She wanted to read on her bed.

I sat and waited while she grabbed 4 books 

(Ruby the Copycat, Pinkalicious, Goldilicious, Catalina Magdilena Hooopenstiner Wallindiner....).

We read and read and read.

Snow was falling outside.

We were warm in her room---Charlie curled up next to us.

All of the worries I have carried around this week were melting away.

"Let's be honest; it's rather easy to be busy.  We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules.  Some might even think that their self worth depends on the length of their to-do list.  They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meeting and minutia---even during times of stress and fatigue.  Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives."

I was reminded of this by my friend Bianca this week: here.

I have been thinking about it since then.

I want so much for myself, for Danny and for our girls.

There is so much I want to learn.

There are so many ways I want to improve.

There are so many opportunities I want to give to my girls.

My thoughts have been obsessed with this balance.

I have been going over and over again in my mind---

how I can fit in more...

Extracurricular activities,

learning over the summer,

their school work,

my responsibilities....

music lessons and teachers...

Every empty check on our checklists have felt a bit like failure.

I had reached a point this morning---

something had to change.

I was squeezing out all of the joy.

My answer today was to be still.

I spent my first moments of the day reading from Matthew in the New Testament.

I usually read a chapter and go on to the next thing...

This morning I just kept reading.

Then---I was still.

I didn't move.

I spent time just breathing in and out.

Breathing.

I let the girls sleep in.

I received an answer....

Let them sleep.

That was not a solution that I anticipated.

Once the house was quiet and it was just Sophie and I-

we received a gift.

Snow falling.

Our world was quiet.

Have you noticed how quiet it is as snow falls around you?

We were able to focus on the best things.

Those things of value.

We enjoyed being together.

I was excited when we would all be home together in the evening.

I am grateful for these words.

Being busy is easy....

Slowing down will be a challenge,

but I am up for the challenge.

"Let us simplify our lives a little.  Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship- the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness and peace."

a violin recital

Sophie had her first recital.

She was not nervous in the least little bit.

She stood up as if no one else was in the room.

She loved every minute of it.

We love Mrs. Grover.

The patience she exhibits---

and the way she motivates them for learning inspires me!

(Just look at those four in the front...Ethan, Isaac, Sophie and Lucy...they are all is Sophie's group!)

our lil' magnolia

Kate danced in Romeo and Juliet.  She and her class were magnolias.  She LOVED every single minute of it:

getting dressed, wearing lipstick!, her costume, family coming to watch, spending time with friends backstage, the anticipation...and finally----

being on stage!

She has come a long way from her first dance recital where she covered her eyes with her hands and froze like a statue.  (A "if I don't see them they wont see me" manuever!)  It was the cutest thing ever! 
I love to see how happy she is on stage now.  It is sometimes hard to get her off the stage :)
We love this lil' ballerina!

you say it's your birthday....

It was a birthday weekend!!!!!!

Friday (your actual birthday):

breakfast of your choice (blueberry muffins)

a carpool celebration...drive-thru frozen custard cones after school!

a little photoshoot!

the Lion House (your choice) for dinner

a tour of the Beehive House

go to Build-a-Bear with your sisters

Saturday:

sleep in :)

get ready

you helped prepare vegetable trays...and loved it

perform at your piano recital!

a family gathering with you as the birthday guest of honor!

My favorite memories:

doll your great grandma gave you that she made her self!

the smile and appreciation you showed to Sharon for the card and special words she gave you

cuddling with you at church and reading on the couch Sunday evening

watching you play in front of family, friends and strangers the songs you had practiced so well

just being together as a family the night of your birthday

We love you Ellie!

I CAN NOT believe you are already NINE years old!!!!!

I hope the next nine years will go by more slowly than the first nine :)

violin in your hands

Dear Sophie,

You were two years old, riding in the back of the car.  Your sisters were asking you what instrument you wanted to learn.  Your immediate answer was, "I'm going to play the violin when I am four."  I was surprised to hear you say that.  The only exposure you had of the violin was on Little Einsteins.  I thought you would surely out grow that idea and stick to an instrument we have at the house (piano or guitar).  Well, you didn't.  You said it anytime instruments were brought up.  You mentioned it to friends---as one of your topics to strike up a conversation with bigger kids in our car.

I have to admit...I wasn't terribly excited about it.  Violin played well is BEAUTIFUL...but I had heard enough bad violin...I assumed that good violin wouldn't come from your violin very quickly. :)  I finally asked a friend who was really familiar with violin.  She recommended a wonderful teacher...and here we are---playing violin.

I didn't know that my learning to play with you was part of the Suzuki method.  You know what?  I really enjoy it.  I love playing with you.  I love going to your private and group lessons.  I love it when you want to play without being asked.  You had friends over this week---and you got out your violin to play for them...it brought a big smile to my face.  I love it when you want to practice.  You learned your very first song last week "the monkey song."  After you learned something that had been hard for you...you earned a reward (Squinky).  You danced around the house and shouted with glee (@ the top of your lungs) "This is the best day ever!!!!!!!!"

This hasn't been easy, but anything worthwhile rarely is.  That is one of my favorite things about learning to play an instrument.  It teaches you over and over again that you can do hard things...and when you work hard at them...they become easy things.  Thank you for being on this journey with me.

I love you~
Mom