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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

thankful tuesday, 3/29

"that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (john 15:11)
  • celebrating wes' birthday - even if did mess-up the carrot cake (knew i was missing something...oh right...baking powder)
  • cherry blossoms in dc
  • that overwhelming patriotic feeling when in our nation's capital
  • junk sculpture (love that pickle jar with crayons)
  • book club and chatting with the girls
  • chocolate chip banana muffin mornings and the kids' delight
  • celebrating a friend's new job
  • sunday's sermon, a message of obedience - calling - compassion.
  • ella's first "gymnaskits" class
  • that sense of spring when you hear the rem-dog and don orsillo on the tv
  • a chilly day at the beach
  • watching soccer with my hubby - and missing our flirting days years ago on the soccer field
  • jelly beans
  • ella singing sweet lullabies to bennett
  • sand filled little boy shoes

Saturday, March 26, 2011

summer reconnaissance trip

our original plans for the day fell through - so we thought we'd take a reconnaissance road trip down to duxbury to check-out the beach. we've got a drive-on pass to this beach for the summer - and looking forward to many summer days in the sun at this beautiful spot! today - was a wee chilly to say the least - but warms our heart to think of the fun to come in the months to come.
 
now off for more summer reconnaissance - making our own ice cream!  we got an ice cream maker for wes for his birthday - how fun!

Friday, March 25, 2011

junk sculptures

i saw this great idea on one of my favorite blogs- and thought yes!  
we've got to start this tradition as well
so, voila - the inaugural defoyd kid junk sculpture! 
on display for a limited time only, before making its way to the medway dump.
 

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

happy birthday wes

a most happy birthday to my love!  here's a list of 31 things we love about you on your 31st birthday. of course we could go on and on and on - but 31 on 31 it is! love you so and happy birthday from your adoring family! 

  1. a most loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend
  2. your steadfast faith 
  3. the serious coloring and bead skills you share with ella
  4. not rolling your eyes at romantic comedy movie nights
  5. your kettle corn
  6. intense play with your niece and nephews
  7. above and beyond patience
  8. creative lunch box packing
  9. impressive train track configurations
  10. go-to-reliability...always
  11. your pancake breakfasts
  12. avid sports fan - even during the lows
  13. consistent kitchen clean-up 
  14. how you sing to the kids
  15. your almost never late
  16. flexibility even when things are stressful 
  17. our tag-team efficiency
  18. your pulse on the lastest news (keeping me informed)
  19. rambunctious horsey rides and living room play 
  20. our intense scrabble, cribbage and settler's game nights
  21. your internet research skills - finding even the most obscure
  22. handyman skills
  23. wagon rides and bike rides with the kids
  24. your stubborn nature - and when you get over it
  25. all your snow removal this winter
  26. competitive spirit
  27. our prayer time
  28. your chili and cole slaw
  29. how you remind everyone of your dad
  30. planning our vacations and adventures together
  31. knowing and loving you for the past 15+ years

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

thankful tuesday, 3/22

 
to give praise - to feel joy!
  • this little beetle family that ella, bennett and i made earlier today
  • feeling better after a week of strep
  • kicking my diet coke habit (getting sick was good for one thing!)
  • first swing rides of the season - and the kids' giggles and wees
  • wes doing all the laundry - literally all of it except the clothes we were wearing
  • saturday night's beautiful moon
  • our potted seeds have sprouted - and the kids' excitement
  • green sprinkled waffles on st. patrick's day
  • receiving a package in the mail from a dear friend
  • mom's impromptu visit and babysitting
  • adoring grandparents
  • a few days of no coats
  • dinner and a movie with my hubby
  • ella's excitement over keeping a secret (her dad's birthday present)
  • bennett's first zingo win
  • visiting and playing with family at calvin's birthday party
  • a sweet card from a co-worker
  • needing strength and finding it in god's word
  • news of my cousin's new baby - welcome sweet margot
now off to do some birthday preparations with the kids for wes' birthday!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

happy birthday calvin


celebrated our nephew calvin's 3rd birthday today with the family. a wonderful day of playing outside in the beautiful sunshine.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

garden fairies

while we wait for some color outside - ella and i made these happy garden fairies as brother napped. i gotta say - ella has some slick hot glue gun skills. i kept reminding her that mama needs to do that part.  her response,  "mama, i got it, i got it." yes you do my love, yes you do. some design skills too - maybe a dress designer one day?

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

thankful tuesday, 3/15

honestly the week is sort of a blur. i've been down for the count. yet the week's been full of sweetness just the same.


  • look at that laughing happy boy
  • smoothies for dinner
  • my brother's safety after getting lost in the woods at night on a snowboard trip
  • praying for japan...and mourning for them
  • daily lent reflections
  • ella, bennett and wes taking care of me
  • blooming crocuses
  • longer days
  • new sidewalk chalk
  • season's first chalk drawings on the patio
  • hats on really bad hair days
  • wes teasing me
  • playing under the dining room table with bennett (his tidmouth shed)
  • ella's renewed love for playing with her baby dolls and being a little mommy (i was getting sad that she had outgrown it already)
  • news of 2 friends welcoming babies (welcome sam and sophia)
  • motrin and penicillin

Sunday, March 13, 2011

on the sidelines

or on the couch - that's been me the last 3 days.  flu - the icky yicky wipe-out flu.  the kind where you can't do one stinkin' thing. the kind that makes you feel completely useless. the kind that makes your daughter ask,  "mama why are you still in your jammies?"  the kind that makes your little guy tell his sister, "mama sick, mama sick."  the kind that makes you fall in love with your husband all over again - because he jumps right in and does it all and more. sweet wes.  sweet babies.

it's not fun being on the sidelines. we had so much i was looking forward to this weekend.  from a couple friday playdates. to visiting a maple sugar house on saturday morning. to having friends and their sweet baby for dinner on saturday night. to church. to running around with the kids at the sunny playground.  to sewing with some girlfriends. to baking and some spring cleaning.  it was a weekend with a plan. a good plan.

nope - sidelined. but the view from the sidelines has had its sweet moments as well. of wes and the kids playing and laughing. of 4-5 different train track configurations on the living room floor.  of french braiding ella's hair. of bennett learning how to play go fish. of alerts from ella that the crocuses are blooming. of the sounds of giggles from outside.  of beautiful ella and wes beaded crafts. of the comfort of tea and toast. of watching sleepless in seattle. of watching wes be amazing. of realizing i've got it good.

all that said - i'd like to feel better please.  please go away flu!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

thankful tuesday, 3/8

happy 100th international women's day! this week's blessings for this woman...

  • registering ella for kindergarten
  • family stomach yuckies that have gone away
  • dancing with bennett in the kitchen
  • bennett's song requests ("tinkle, tinkle"; "jesus yove me"; "abcd")
  • puppet shows
  • forgiveness and repentance - and talking with friends so freely on this
  • the talk at work going well
  • being embarrassed with friends - and knowing you are loved
  • digging in dirt
  • kids excitement over the sight of grass (and ours too)
  • tinker toys and scrabble fun with my brother matt
  • lion and lamb weather reports from ella
  • lunch with a friend
  • our community group and prayer requests
  • robins
  • longer days and the 3:30 sunlight through my kitchen window

Saturday, March 5, 2011

plant a seed and watch it grow

the tulips and crocuses are peeking through the ground. happy little robins are everywhere. we are loving these early signs of spring! while we wait for the gardens to be clear of all the snow - we'll enjoy waiting and watching for our seeds to grow on the sunny windowsill.