Happy Sunday

I am 40. If there's one thing I'm by grace figuring out, it's that sometimes life happens to me, but a lot of time, I also must make life happen. A springtime sun and deep snow calls to my memory sleigh riding as a child. Those bugs are on the snow, my cheeks are red, my feet get wet, and the snow tires me out as I make my way through knee high and even thigh high depths. "Off the couch," I say to my reading boys, a dear friend and her boisterous crew join us, and we trek through our Narnia woods and enjoy my neighbor's beautiful sledding hill.

But of course first, boisterous children + boisterous husband Jeremy= snowball fight.







And here is the beautiful hill. Isn't it lovely?
And 40 year old moms one of 6, one of 8, decide we also shall try the hill today. But it likely won't happen with speed and tackling like these two.
With bravery like this one.
Perhaps a joyful smile like this one.
Some slowing down with caution like this one.
Definitely not with this relaxed, ain't no thang, look of this one.
Here goes Maureen!
Uhhhhh....

Oh wait, there you go!

Whoops!!

Ok, my turn! (Maureen looks a little too happy doesn't she?) and Cotter against my wishes had a sense to take pictures of my run.





Ouch.
Bella just sitting quietly in the snow.


Spring is almost here. I can feel it in the air!

Winter Sunrise to Sunset

A Picture is as Good as a Thousand Words.

Remember the apples we soaked in lemon juice and salt? We finally made little mice out of them. Fabric, beads, chenille stems and glue.


From my stash of pictures fell out an old picture of a statue made by Jake built out of tinker-toys. I guess I've always liked the products of their hands. :) I was excited to see Abby build a snail out of blocks. Isn't it cute?!

And another picture was one found by Abby. Bella saw it, and we tried to explain that it was Hannah as a little girl, but she kept saying, "No, it's Daddy and Bulllla!" So, here are a few with her favorite person, Daddy.




And lastly, Bella was a bit shy when first hanging out with her Uncle Chance. He sits. She smiles. He says, "Hi Bella," and she flips over to hide. And then....
well, this.

Beautiful Dreamer

The family on the other side of the creek is packing up and getting ready for their move. We've had the cousins over for some playtime. I like to watch them play. It's usually about the dolls and dresses in the dress up box.

*picture of Adriana my niece

*picture of Sophie

*picture of my niece Elena

Here he goes! All those dreams I've collected in my heart over the years to decorate, design and nest, he smiles and thinks how to get it done. He's really good to me. This is our bathroom remodel in its baby/beginner-steps. In the wings we have beadboard, a claw foot bathtub, sienna colored floor tiles, and me with pictures of the romantic/rustic nature. This is nothing to show you yet, but the before. It's going to be so pretty!



Some of this week's blessings from the gratitude journal:
~Bella saying, "Mommy, me, you and Daddy."
~Grady's excited way of taking hold and resting on other little children.
~freshly fallen snow
~arts and crafts (making a Brambly Hedge play house with mice) and my helpers
~a cleaned, organized house after an hour of undisturbed work
~apologies and forgiveness
~birthdays
~my friend Nancy who comes with balloons, baked goods, and a merry heart that dances with the kids
~Bella seeing the sunrise from our bed and saying, "Mommy, look the clouds are beauuutiful..."
~warm sunshine
~melting snow and mud pies
~an afternoon rest I took and listened to beautiful music and took the time to enjoy the pictures on my wall
~Sophie and Grady playing legos
~friendship
~Bannon reading to girls
~Bannon writing his own songs
~loud guitar music, teens looking forward to a youth event and open mic
~Jeremy getting up early, early to get the fires going
~thinking about the genuine growth inside the hearts of my teens since they were small. Their God given personalities are so evident as they've been growing.