"Believe in Spring"

The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.
When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here. - Author Unknown


*Believe in spring* sings Nick Jr. TV. How silly, but in my world, that simple song cheers me up whenever I hear it right now. We are *under the weather* in a couple of different ways. ;)

I pray for my loved ones.

I give the fluids, require rest and medicines with strong Mama influence knowing it will make them better.

At the risk of sounding selfish, I also know that there are certain things I need to keep my vision fresh and correct.
If I'm empty, I have nothing to give.
If I focus on the need, the needs fill my mind. If I focus on the Provider, I remind myself...joy comes in the morning!


I visited Warm Pie Happy Home this morning and this post I linked to ended in such an encouraging way. While I can't handle heavy housework right now (so I had to overlook all the pantry organizing), I can stay renewed and clean up this heart of mine as I focus repeatedly on His life giving Words! The truth is, there's a couple of verses I'm grasping to embrace right now...and winter's winds distract me. So I'm reminding myself to just keep doing what I need to do.

Today's a day of catching up with putting away the laundry, dishes (broken hot water heater), and vacuuming. But as I do it, I have some precious promises to think about. :)

Be still and know...

(Portion taken from Psalm 46 verse 10 Message version) "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything."

More tomorrow. :) or the next.

My *Whatsoevers* for 9 month landmark

True: *He holds my every moment and calms my raging seas*

Honest: Imperfect but forgiven, always learning, needing to rest and not strive

Just: Letting the guys who have the desire to grow in ability and skill, the time, space, and resources to do just that.

Pure: Memorizing scripture verses to keep my thoughts running along the paths that matter most.

Lovely: Sitting and rubbing lotion on small people's feet and hands. Pink nail polish. Flower stickers.

Good report: I've decided contractions are best thought of as *hugs* to help bring out one lovely little person to hug in real time.

Virtue: Proverbs 21:9 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

Any praise: Recognizing afresh the means of grace through others' many giftings is a blessing.

Phillipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Did I see?

last year's notebook

Notebooks. When I was little, I had an ancient, yellowed book of empty pages I glued in pictures from magazines. A hobby. As I became a homeschooling mom, I started to write in a composition notebook the things we did for the day, people I had to call, recipes, what to make for dinner, and appts. I wasn't consistent every day, but I've saved them, and love them.

I know my dear friend Maureen has faithfully plugged away in her little notebooks. I've also found that my 96 year old Grandmom plugs away at a notebook writing who has visited, called, and what she has done...and sometimes how she feels. My daughter Hannah is an active journaler, and when she was small she kept a sticker notebook too.

A while back I read about how some people have added pictures and stickers to their grown up notebooks. I read some entries on how they did it, and tried to be more daily engaged in my own. All those things I tried to notice the kiddos did, a special quote, a dream, a plan, I tried to give more to the written pages. I wanted to upgrade my notebook to a sketchbook, but told myself to first fill a notebook. With the help of some scribblers and bigger people ripping out some empty pages for their own notes, I filled it, and now bought a sketchbook from Wal Mart! I've saved magazines, and bought a few from an antique store for a dollar a piece that I'm taking pictures from.

One of the writers that shared about doing one was Ann V. at Holy Experience. Here she recently published more in detail about bringing in the beauty as she does it. I tried to find an article I read once of a woman who cancelled her Twitter acct to write her "tweets" in her notebook. Obviously I couldn't find it, but it did make me think about what I was putting on Facebook and my blog might be served better for some memory if I wrote it down, and it made a complete picture of my day.

"Notebooking" has helped my to slow down and notice things more, and Jeremy and the big kids also like looking at it.

When we became three

First there was us. Two young dreamers. I followed him to the mountains where he had his first professional job. We were mostly alone, with his family nearby, and we welcomed our firstborn Hannah.

So exciting. So new. We spent our days together. Before cable. Before internet. It was just us in the quiet mountains. And how much we loved her!

We spent our moments with her, holding her...

Hiking with her...

Pulling her along in a sled...

On her first birthday, she was rewarded with her first taste of chocolate. She LOVED it!!!

and then she became a sister.

Now two babes to love. Her happiness continued to bless our days.

Always dressing up...and dalmatians were her favorite...

gathering her goods to practice being lovely...

and having a brother to practice being loving...

Daddy took them fishing.

And she learned that patience has rewards.

What beauty and blessing she brings to us.

Artsy and a romantic.

A dreamer of big things.

Blessed to have people who love her.

And we are blessed by her loving us.

Happy 16 years of growing, and learning, and laughter Hannah!

Man shall not live by bread alone

Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Multitude Monday

11. Permission to take my days slowly. I do better in the slow lane :)

12. Budding readers who enjoy sharing storybooks with each other...even if they mispronounce the words.

13. A 1 and a half year old who is so wild and wildly happy. She tears up the house and my quiet with her antics, but she is so much fun!

14. A daughter who shares my love of musicals, Anne, Little House, and Christy.

15. Guitar music and fish tanks

16. A *too good to be true* moment that I wait for :)...very soon now.

17. Grace sufficient, power pefected in my weaknesses.

18. Peanut butter. Crunchy. With apples and bananas.

19. Wood fires.

20. The hearts of women that reach out with love and point the way to the Truth, the Light, the source of true Love, the Way, Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.