simply me

relevance

2007-12-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

our pastor sent this out last night for the beginning of advent. i find this so appropriate for me, my family -- right here, right now. i wanted to share it with you. God's truth is so evident here -- something i have read a hundred times before, piercing to the heart of matters so appropriately. God's word is relevant today, in my life.

2 Peter 1:1-11

¹Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

²May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
³His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. ⁵For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, ⁶and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, ⁷and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. ⁸For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. ¹⁰Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. ¹¹For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

the day after...

2007-11-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

today is the day after thanksgiving. we gave thanks to our God for good family, good friends, good health and a good life. God is truly good. mom and dad came over to celebrate with a lowkey -- but very delicious -- meal.

i was talking with a neighbor today about how people stand in line for hours waiting for the hour a store will open so that they can get the best deal. why do people do that?

i have a friend who goes out on this day @ 5am to do such things. i don't know... i kind of prefer the last minute because i will spend less and will be less likely to change my mind about the items i wish to give. i think this year though i will shop via internet. the theme continues... simplicity!

back home

2007-11-21T21:36:00.000-08:00

we are back home now and hitting reality. i learned so much from being away and i am excited to apply what i have learned if only the "LA way" doesn't overcome me again. everyone is so busy and can be so uptight. in shasta they have a saying, "RELAX." i don't know if it's for the locals or those that come to visit but it's a good philosophy to live by -- we need the saying down here!

i am enjoying being with my girls and my son, raking in their youth and the specialness of them all. i realize now i was too busy before, holding it all together on my own. i need my Jesus and my family and friends, taking appropriate time for them all. i am off to bed now to RELAX and read a good book before peacefully sleeping in anticipation for thanksgiving. we are having my folks over for a simple meal. no hubbub or scurry. we are taking it easy!

funny...

2007-11-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

last night, mckenna and avery came running upstairs.
avery: "mommy! there's a spider in the sink and it's this big!" [shows a 2" measure with her fingers]. mckenna: "it looks like it could hurt somebody."
avery: "really!"
mommy [after looking in the sink]: "it was big. i washed it down the sink."
mckenna: "can we brush our teeth now?"
mommy: "yes. it won't get you now."

castle lake

2007-11-12T22:36:00.000-08:00

yesterday afternoon we went to castle lake, a beautiful crystal clear lake that is 120 feet at its deepest point formed by a glacier. we have gone there several times [upon Avery's request -- it's her favorite place] since we have been up here in Shasta... but on this visit it was exceptionally beautiful [probably because it was at its coldest at 37* and the water most still]. the pictures of God's beautiful creation will speak for themselves. truly magnificent and evident of the majesty of our Creator. i have many more but cannot post so many here!

the girls, baby boy and i hiked the castle shore trail and ended up at this sandy beach area, far from civilization. so amazingly beautiful and peaceful. probably one of the most beautiful spots in a mountain setting i have ever been. it was very cold but totally worth the hike along the water's edge. i wore Ian on my back...
what a little trooper! this little guy can hang with the weather and mom's often uneasy gait while hiking... after this shot, he had a little milk and went night,night... and by the way, we call that the "marshmallow suit"!
the girls and ian. we went to the end of the trail. we watched fish graze from the water's surface and threw rocks as far as we could toward the middle of the lake, both causing a ripple effect. [aren't those reflections amazing?]
we could see brian far in the distance from where we had come from and he found his favorite spot to fish... a little dock used by UCDavis for research. a peaceful setting, to say the least....and the fisherman on the family was victorious with a final catch count of 4 -- yes, 4! -- rainbow trout, caught all within the last 45 minutes of our time there. we were the last ones to leave the lake and it was dark and COLD. all of us had numb hands, feet and noses [except ian, of course, who was snug in his marshmallow suit!] but hey... anything for the fish!

thank you God for creating such a beautiful place to experience You and your handiwork. we will enjoy it for years to come.

day trip

2007-11-09T22:34:00.000-08:00

today we ventured to klamath falls, or. we thought we would see falls... waterfalls... but there are none. there used to be some in the center of town (?) but the town got rid of them... kept the name. confusing. the city was different than i thought it would be though i don't exactly know what that was... just different. a lot more quaint, i guess.

anyway, we ventured to upper klamath lake and the girls played at moore park [a very cool playground there] but it was so windy and cold we had to leave.... mckenna was bummed because the park had 'spinners'! she loves to spin. avery didn't mind so much... she was rolling a small ball up and down the slide to her heart's content.

after this, we took hwy 140 to medford and did some grocery shopping for the weekend/week. nothing too exciting but we got to see lots of new places and things.

john muir

2007-11-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

last night i investigated john muir. i figured since we are up here in this beautiful country that he explored and wrote about, i should find out about him and see what some of his writings were like.

we read his biography this morning and mckenna was in awe that this man walked 1,000 miles from indiana to the gulf of mexico [no car!] and travelled the world -- every continent. what a full and very exciting life!

well i must say that i was pleasantly surprised by his writings. here a few of the beautifully written quotes from his story about Stickeen [a recommended riveting read]:

Though capable of great idleness, he never failed to be ready for all sorts of adventures and excursions. One pitch-dark rainy night we landed about ten o'clock at the mouth of a salmon stream when the water was phosphorescent . The salmon were running , and the myriad fins of the onrushing multitude were churning all the stream into a silvery glow, wonderfully beautiful and impressive in the ebon darkness.

What a psalm the storm was singing, and how fresh the smell of the washed earth and leaves, and how sweet the still small voices of the storm! Detached wafts and swirls were coming through the woods, with music from the leaves and branches and furrowed boles, and even from the splintered rocks and ice-crags overhead, many of the tones soft and low and flute-like, as if each leaf and tree, crag and spire were a tuned reed.

At such times one's whole body is eye. and common skill and fortitude are replaced by power beyond our call or knowledge . Never before had I been so long under deadly strain. How I got up that cliff I never could tell. The thing seemed to have been done by somebody else. I never have held death in contempt, though in the course of my explorations I have oftentimes felt that to meet one's fate on a noble mountain, or in the heart of a glacier, would be blessed as compared with death from disease, or from some shabby lowland accident.

Never before or since have I seen anything like so passionate a revulsion from the depths of despair to exultant, triumphant, uncontrollable joy. He flashed and darted hither and thither as if fairly demented, screaming and shouting, swirling round and round in giddy loops and circles like a leaf in a whirlwind, lying down, and rolling over and over, sidewise and heels over head, and pouring forth a tumultuous flood of hysterical cries and sobs and gasping mutterings.

mckenna's chocolate chippers...

2007-11-06T21:52:00.000-08:00

well, she did it! mckenna made an incredible batch of chocolate chip cookies on her own. we read over the recipe together, cleared a working space, gathered all the ingredients, discussed measurements and off she went!

concentration....

the dough is made...

cookies on the tray....

ready for the oven....

"hey, av! let's taste the dough and lick the utensils!"

out of the oven...

they're done!

it was so cool to see her excitement as she did this project herself. she even talked about making a batch to submit in the los angeles county fair contest!

hooray for you, mckenna! they're yummy!

domestication

2007-11-05T22:16:00.001-08:00

since being here in shasta i have domesticated myself even more.... what i mean is, i have baked [and wanted to] more than ever.

why, you say?

because it's cold outside and the smell of oven-baked goodies is grand. because it's a good homeschooling tool with a great reward at the end! and because i have a kitchen aid mixer and a bread machine at my disposal. oh, i am so spoiled! it's so much easier than doing everything by hand.... i am truly enjoying it.

i have made chocolate chip cookies, date nut bread, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, caramel corn, brownies, white bread, cheese bread, and 100% whole wheat bread. the girls have helped me a lot in the kitchen. avery likes to wash the dishes and mckenna likes to do the tasting.

i think tomorrow mckenna may make a whole batch of chocolate chippers by herself :0 [me supervising, of course].

all i can say is, "oh, honey! christmas is coming!"

for every mom

2007-11-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

my mom emailed this to me and i thought it was great! this chick has super talent.... :)

halloween

2007-10-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

tonight was halloween. we drove into mt. shasta city and haunted the shops there for a bit of candy [the girls ad matching orange shirts] but since we are in a fairly 'kid-desolate' place, we decided to stay in tonight. the girls were dressed up as princesses [complete with hats] and played inside. mckenna is still sporting her british accent [thank goodness... at least that way i know when she is pretending] and calling herself "miss elaine" [say it like you mean it, friends]. avery is following suit with the accent. gotta love it.

we had a fun fall meal of pulled pork sandwiches, salad and sweet potatoes. for dessert [instead of all that yucky candy] we made caramel corn... yumm yumm. mckenna said it was even more fun than last year's make-your-own-pizza party and trick-or-treat fest at our house last year. [that's quite a compliment coming from her].

i think we may have found a new tradition for the evening :) at least the halloween fairy won't have to come over!

autumn leaves and shakespeare

2007-10-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

yesterday we drove to ashland, or, and had lunch at lithia park. it was so beautiful there. the leaves were every fall shade imaginable--oranges, yellows, reds [even pinks and purples]. i am sure my family is getting tired of my constant commenting about the leaves and trees and how beautiful they are though avery and mckenna comment about them a lot too
! i am convinced that fall is my favorite season because there is so much eye candy in nature. here are a few photos from our day trip....

...the girls by the park sign [brian and ian (in pack) to the right]. notice the array of color...

...there were piles of leaves like this everywhere though this was the most beautiful. note the size of the leaf avery has -- there were leaves bigger than ian -- no kidding!

...our monkeys on this cool climbing structure...

...daddy holding ian -- what a big bubble!

...someone offered to take our photo, so i took 'em up on the offer...

oh, and if you love shakespeare [lia, i thought of you :) ], this is the place to go. the town is known for it's shakespearean festival and has an outdoor elizabethan theatre, modeled after will's own globe theatre in england. check it out here. i think we'll be back summer 2008 just for the experience.

something i have always wanted to do

2007-10-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

mckenna is learning how to sew and quilt. yes, this is a secret desire of mine... something i have always wanted to do [or at least learn how]. our friend janette is teaching mckenna on a sewing machine how to do these things. now, maybe instead of taking every rip and tear to Grammy to fix, she'll be able to do it herself... ha! ha!

janette says that mckenna is a natural and is remembering every step with ease. janette says it, asks mckenna to repeat it and she does... almost word for word.

so now i guess i'll have to have mckenna teach me how to piece a quilt and run a sewing machine :)

Beauty

2007-10-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

we are on retreat in Shasta and it is so beautiful here. just wanted to share some photos from our trip...

...the mountain as seen from a country road....
...our girls at Mt. Shasta city park. the headwaters to the sacramento river are here... just about the purest water one can get from the earth...

...one evening we spotted about 10 or so deer and there were three bucks in the herd! amazing...

...we also spotted this "little bear" making mischief in the trailer up at the property! oh, it's just our little guy...

...a photo of the mountain at dusk. such a beautiful sight...

the smile of a lifetime

2007-10-16T23:56:00.001-07:00

my son smiles from head to toe all the time... literally. i love it. i could get lost in his sheer joy as he looks at me, gets his diaper changed, studies his daddy's face, stares into nothingness [i could swear that an angel is hanging from the light in our bedroom making him laugh], or laughs at his sisters' silly actions. he brings my heart great joy and truly does reflect his name's meaning... God's greatness and goodness.

i can hold him while he is awake or sleeping and he is the calm in the storm that can surround my life. i praise God for the blessing of my son... every day. thank you, my God and my Jesus.

our many jobs...

2007-09-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

so, lisa emails me and a few others asking us moms to think of all the roles we fulfill and jobs we have. here's a list [with cute comments added by those who contributed] that we came up with though i am sure many more can be added! keep in mind that these are from moms with kids of all ages. feel free to add more comments if you are so led....

Detective--"hmmm, who did this?"
Mediator/Lawyer--peacemaking with little kids is hard work:)
Dental Hygienist- when do kids get good at brushing their little teeth?-which leads to...
Tooth Fairy
Plumber--like when your two year old flushes all the wipes down the toilet and then flushes it repeatedly, causing it to overflow.
Circus Master--"free back rides anyone?"
Fashion consultant "yes honey, the colors do match, but you cannot where stripes with stripes."
hair stylist
animal rights activist (went out of my way to save a snail from doom)
chef/cook
gardener
speech therapist

teacher
storyteller
songwriter
monster (whenever they start arguing I try to take something I'm doing (like washing dishes) and become a monster that will "get" whoever is arguing (with soap bubbles, for example)
desparate prayer warrior (please help me before I lose it! and more thoughtful prayers too...)
activities and event coordinator
censorship department head (no, you may not play on that website!)
maid
cook
waitress, more than cook--PBJ isn't really cooking...but I do deserve quite a hefty tip for all the things they ask me to bring them!

financial adviser (do you really want to spend your birthday money on ...)
butt wiper
Fashion designer (dressing our 20 inch paper doll-like Barbie to be the mom while playing with Liv)
Event planner (making invitations for Gage's 1st Birthday)
Chef
Hair stylist (bargaining with Allie before her bus arrives)
Spectator/Cheerleader
Entertainer (morning walk with Liv and Gage)
Maid
Educator
personal squeegee [wiping off water, mud, various foods and drinks :) ]
Lego tower engineer
Librarian
Barista
Health inspector ("sticky goo on the pavement stays there")
Social coordinator
Dental hygienist
Secret admirer

computer technician (i CAN'T get this website to work mommy!)

surgeon (the belle refrigerator magnet was violently ripped in two along the shoulder by an impish little boy...she needs immediate attention!)

vegetable chopper (our garden is overflowing with romas!)

tour guide (walks around the neighborhood)

storyteller

life coach

body hair manager (not yet but will be...Kevin started back to school and needs me to pluck his eyebrows, shave his neck, etc.)

architect (a.k.a. fort designer / builder)

menu planner

garbage man (a.k.a. peanut butter and jelly crust eater)

sanitation inspector (a.k.a. tush wiper)

personal shopper

playground supervisor ("push me higher, mommy!")

stylist (looks FABulous, dah-ling! just needs a little hairspray)
professional organizer (put away in a designated spot or purge!)
activities director/coordinator
chauffeur
referee
costume designer (how many styles of dress can one make out of a wrap?]
photographer
etiquette minder (making sure my girls behave correctly in social settings and correcting them gently when they don't)
janitor
gardener
chef
PE teacher
mechanic
nurse
music teacher

doctor
counselor
referee
art teacher
maid

God rich blessings to all us moms out there!

our new baby boy

2007-07-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

we have blessed by the birth of our son, ian tobias. what a beautiful child and an amazing little human being. i love being the mother of a newborn infant again. i am reminded how innocent we all have been at some point in our lives. small, helpless, beautiful, trusting, unjaded.

i remember after mckenna was born and i went back into teaching, i had such a tough time with the kids i was assigned to teach. about halfway through the year i realized that they too had once been small, cute and innocent like mckenna was. it gave me a whole new perspective on life and on those kids who were one step away from criminal. even now i think of all the drama with those adult and teenage stars who are struggling to find who they are and making huge mistakes for the public to see along the way. they too were once infants, trusting mom and dad to care for them and show them the way.

that's the parent i want to be. i want to be the one to care for my kids and allow them to trust me to show them what is right and what is wrong. i pray that God will make me a better mother -- the best one i can be -- and that i will have wisdom beyond measure when it comes to interacting with my children on the many different levels that I, as a parent, do each day.

thank you, God, for blessing our family and making it complete with ian's little life present in ours.

being tired

2007-02-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

well, it has been almost a month since i posted anything. i have been so tired with this pregnancy that all i really want to do is sleep! i make it through the day and get the girls in bed and i truly am not far behind them. within a 1/2 hour i am conked out as well. just last week i thought i had turned a corner on being tired but after the past few days, i don't really think i have. well, maybe i have but it has been a stressful week and stress/emotional energy can make anyone exhausted.

valentine's day was great. the girls and i were invited to a friend's for a homeschooler's valentine's day party. it was complete with friends, crafts, jumper and every red food you can imagine -- all of the girls' favorite things! we had a great time... thanks lori!

the next day, the girls were getting to each other so i decided we would postpone chores, etc. and head to the park. there was a homeschool day there with other hser's in the area so it would be fun... the girls and i would play with familiar friends and make new ones -- great! well, not 15 minutes there and mckenna comes running toward me crying. when she arrives in front of me, her mouth is completely bloodied. she's crying hysterically, blood spewing everywhere. the moms who were there helped me with paper towels, water, gathering my things, helping us to the car, and taking my other daughter avery for the afternoon.

well, what happened was she fell off of a teeter totter, hit her mouth on it and then got hit in the head with it. she cried all the way home and at home; she bled for almost an hour. after finally clearing the blood away, i realized she had knocked out 2 teeth and split her lip a fair amount [a gash on the inside and out]. she looked like she had gotten into a fight [i told her that if anyone asks, she won :)]. she is completely toothless in the front [as she had already lost one of her front teeth on its own].

i took her to the dentist and she had x-rays. evidently part of one of her teeth is lodged up in her gum [pretty far]. i am just praying that her teeth/nerves/roots are okay and that this won't cause any further damage.

so needless to say, that's exhausting for me. i hope no mother reading this has to ever experience her own child in an accident like this. it's rough.

trivial minutia #2 - north america and then some

2007-01-19T12:27:00.000-08:00

The state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%

The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

happy new year

2007-01-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

well, it's another year. 2007. i cannot believe how time flies. i look at my girls and think, "you're how old? when did you decide to grow up?" i guess they didn't decide. it just happened and will continue to happen as long as they are here on earth.

we are ultra blessed to be expecting another little bambino in our midst in mid-July. brian and i are hoping for a girl, while everyone else around us [including our own two] are hoping for a boy. frankly, it doesn't really matter as long as the baby is healthy and happy.

i am ready to get back into the swing of things now that the holidays are over. more on this later as i'm off to get my hairs cut. thanks becky!

funny...2 by mckenna

2006-12-18T22:42:00.000-08:00

mckenna to avery: "what are you doing on earth?" [should be: "What on earth are you doing?" :) ]

mckenna to mommy: "avery hit me in the face with her nickels!" [should be knuckles!]

mommy has very funny girls!

my "family recipe"

2006-12-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

i wrote this awhile ago for a newsletter i was editing/publishing and decided it would serve well on my blog! i have edited it to fit where we are now. enjoy the surprise it may hold!

Start with an eternal Foundation. Take one pregnant homeschooling mama with on-going patience; one artistic designing papa with a flair for the particular; one lovable Bug-a-boo [sometimes called GaGa] with a passion for bugs, amphibians, dress-up, ballet and anything pink; and one busy squeezable "horsey riding" Bean with a tendency for multiple clothing changes and breaking out in song or spontaneous sillyness [the latter two make for a pair of perfect princesses who flutter around with a pearly glittery glow about them]; tie them together with an inseparable bond.
Put them all in a small, drafty, yet cozy, pink and white abode in the artsy village of Venice with equal parts of love, faith, prayer and future uncertainty, tossing in a founding father’s ingredients for a well-educated individual, acknowledging the past while blazing a new trail still looking to what’s ahead.
Season with hugs, kisses, bright smiles, tickles, laughs and occasional tears, squelching the whine when necessary. Watch the chaos because it may ensue but will dwindle when seeking downtime.
Mix in a few past acquaintances and make them friends, adding a new batch of acquaintances every now and then while waiting for them to rise to the occasion.
Add a dash of creativity and amazing ideas [occasionally sharing with others at the rate and intensity of a fire hose putting out a fire] on a regular basis while using Apples to find new networks, new information and great (i)deals. Throw in a few temper tantrums and visits with in-laws for flavor, as well as some surfing and the occasional business venture for variety.
Serve up with dedication and kindness, adding a movie or two as a garnish.

**Note: Be careful not to let the ideals overtake the reality as the reality can be deliciously sweet!

what's YOUR "family recipe"? please share it here!

a lesson learned from the butterfly

2006-12-09T23:19:00.000-08:00

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

-author unknown

*the above photo is of a gulf fritallary butterfly that mckenna reared from caterpillar stage.

chicken enchiladas

2006-12-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

this is one of my favorite recipes and an easy one at that... that's why it's a favorite! this is yummy and good grub!

1-28oz. green enchilada sauce
2-10oz. cans of chicken breast
1 c. sour cream (add more if desired)
1-11oz. package corn tortillas
1-8oz. package shredded jack cheese

*i always add more sour cream to give it some more goo. i like it that way.

Spray inside of crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
In a bowl, mix together chicken, enchilada sauce, sour cream. Layer in crockpot, a 1/4 each chicken mixture, cheese, tortillas. Repeat.

Cook for 2 – 2 1/2 hours on low. Serve with rice and beans. Enjoy!

yay!

2006-11-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

cold weather has arrived. i am sitting in my drafty abode and loving every minute of the wind waltzing the leaves down my street. i can only imagine how amazingly clear the sky must be over the ocean right now with the moon glistening over the water as if marking a path for angels to follow.

52* and loving it! expecting the low to hit 44* sometime tonight!!

i love fall!

what an idea...

2006-11-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

“Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” Jim Elliot

i first heard this quote when i was in college and was listening to a radio program about jim elliott and the other men who were killed in ecuador while working with the quechua indians and reaching out to the violent huaorani indian tribe.

what an amazing idea lies in this quote... being totally present wherever I am and going at something with passion. this is how i long to be as a wife, mother, daughter, friend. believing i am in a moment for a reason and tuning in to what God would have me do there and then.

i'm so glad i was reminded of this today. it will help me to think differently about my thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.

trivial minutia #1 - autumnal factoids

2006-11-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

An acorn in your pocket brings good luck.
An abundance of spider webs in the fall means next spring will be warm.
Boston was called Pumpkinshire before Beantown.
The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

fall

2006-11-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

"autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
--albert camus

"for man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. for nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."
--edwin way teale

today the girls and i walked about our neighborhood gathering items of nature fallen from trees and plants and bushes. what a meditative time of taking in all that God has created, the beauty it holds, the amazing processes plants/trees go through, all to create another life. another season, another cycle.

mckenna has been collecting things from nature for over a year now. anything interesting she picks up and says, "i'm going to keep this!" then one day she got a brilliant idea... to create a "museum" with her collection. then, after i spoke to my dear friends at a mom's night for the eastside/westside commons, it morphed into something even better.... an art show! what a magnificent idea!

so from this idea we are compiling her items to create an art show. we will have an "opening" in our home and host our friends and neighbors. we will even have some items for sale -- mom & dad getting in on the action too. i will be contributing my nature photos [making them into cards or prints in frames]. the collection from our walk today have been made into art pieces for hanging or shadowboxing. so fun...

what a fabulous homeschool project. we are really excited about it!

america and our education

2006-11-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

i am a little concerned. after the elections this past week, i fear more than ever that the american people are losing their thinking and discerning abilities. there were many propositions on the california state ballot that i fear people did not fully read, and therefore, they passed [or not]. whether on one side of an issue or another, for some initiatives that did not matter. it was awareness that needed to happen. for others, the facts of what was really going to happen with the passing or not was not fully read or comprehended.

as a parent i am concerned for the future of our nation for my children's sake. i hope that i can rear my children to become discerning voters and to investigate all facts before placing their futures in the lives of politicians and the laws they create.

you may know i homeschool, and until now have not posted here exactly the type of homeschooling we do as a family. no, we do not lock our children in the closet and feed them bread and water under the door, as most people may think of those who homeschool. we are leadership educators, educating our children by reading the classics and studying our past to make right decisions for our future. we can learn from the past and we need to start going to the sources that are provided for us written by those who have gone before.

i'll post more later about my home education choices.... as for now, i am praying for america and our educational system.

my birthday

2006-10-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

my birthday was a couple weeks ago and it was truly great. 2 of my dear friends kidnapped me and took me for a day of pampering at the glen ivy day spa in corona, ca. they even planned childcare!
it was so relaxing. pools, mud, a 2o minute massage and 50 minute body scrub/wrap. the treatments were amazing. i felt like i needed a vacation from my birthday outing though. my friends and i were trashed the next day. it's probably because we rarely relax, so when we do, it's almost too much to head back into the reality of our motherhood.
i felt really blessed by my friends and thankful that i have such ones that care about me.
prior to this event, though, my husband and friends planned a surprise party for me! wow, it was truly a surprise and it was so great to be surrounded by a community of love. my friend ryan even drove up from san diego to be there! we had amazing food [carne asada tacos, chicken enchiladas, rice, beans], good drinks [margaritas and beer], a totally delicious cake [thanks sal... i need that frosting recipe!] and a jumpin' good time on the trampoline [i laughed so hard i almost peed my pants!]
i feel loved and appreciated. warm fuzzies all around.
definitely a birthday to remember!!!

breakfast on a sunday

2006-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

this morning we went to breakfast with friends... two single parents with three kids between them. set up via text messaging at 6:45am, it was a pleasantly leisurely time together and it felt good to be in the presence of those caring about us and we caring about them.

casual conversations about all things good in life and breakfasting over cinnamon toast and matzo ball soup at a family friendly place in westwood. all five kiddoes got along amazingly well and we weren't a crazy scene in the restaurant! :) the two of us moms thought about the zoo for breakfast, but i don't think they serve our sort of animals...

it's been a long time since we've been out with friends on a sunday morning for breakfast or lunch. i must say, i love it! thanks katie and company...

funny

2006-09-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

my 3yo daughter avery asked me this morning... "have you put your insects in yet?" i said, "you mean contacts?" "yeah, i mean contacts."

wouldn't that be a trip to have insect eyes to see with? just thought it was funny :)

more decluttering

2006-08-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

tonight i went through three more boxes and literally only kept and handful of items and a blanket that holds the memory of the historic neighborhood we once lived in. it amazing how less important things become as time goes on. a lot of my teaching materials i probably would have kept a year or so ago, but now with a shift in the direction of my life and interests, they don' t really matter anymore. i am looking forward to this new project of making a room out there. my hubby is beginning to hone down his wares as well [mostly stuff for work] so it's coming along, slowly but surely!

smiling as i sign off--

heidi

idea #1

2006-08-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

put a map of your town, state, country or world under a clear plastic tablecloth that finds its home on wherever your family gathers around often for meals, games, crafts, etc.
kids and adults will learn geography if by nothing else than subliminal messaging :). actually this idea has immense possibilities... learning: constellations, plants, animals, the human body, family photos, architecture, landmarks, design elements, old magazine covers of world events, etc.

something big...

2006-08-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

...at least for me it is. as a former high school english teacher, i must tell you that i have moved 2 different times and taught at at least that many different schools, each time lugging with me those things from my classroom. years of materials, boxes and boxes full of paper and ideas that i accumulated or developed, as well as a bunch of other stuff nearly forgotten about.

well, i've finally done it... i have begun purging those things from my garage. i filled up an entire recycle bin for trash pick-up a week from today. i am a bit sad at all my work thrown away, but at the same time i feel completely liberated and on to something i desire a whole lot more than that "stuff". we are wishing to convert our garage into a room for practical use, so the excavation of clutter and unused unimportance has begun.

i have been hanging onto these things for when and if i decide to go back to teaching, but, you know, i don't think i ever will. it was good for a time. it fulfilled a need in me to do something with my life, i guess. but i believe God has brought me to a realization that there is more... bigger and better in store for my energies. teaching was just a part of the continued journey i am on now. it was filled with joys and sorrows, and i look back upon certain memories with fondness, others with regret, and still others with disdain. i am so pleased to have met and interacted with all that i did. if any of you who had me as a teacher or knew me as a colleague are reading this now, each one has made my life full or more rich... thank you for your fingerprint.

in case you are reading this and have things you're hanging onto for that "sometime in the future" that may never come, live richly and be free of the burden! i know i certainly was loaded down by it all. and the bright side? i found some "treasure" buried deep in those boxes... photos of life lived long ago and the memories that go with them. they have made me who i am today.

so i am off now, my mind a bit freer.

here's to decluttering more tomorrow--

heidi

the beginning

2006-08-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

my first post on a blog for the public to read and join in on. i feel a daily purging of my mental thoughts may help me to go to bed earlier than i do and share with those who are interested a bit of what i think about. so, here it goes...