thankful tuesday, 4/19

a week of being broken and renewed - a hard and real way to get my heart centered on our savior as we approach easter.

• cheerful eggs (look at those crackin' eggs...and it happened in just days!) won't these be cute on the table for easter dinner?
• dirt under fingernails
• blooming forsythia - love those bursts of yellow around every corner
• red tipped trees at the beginning of the week...and now green (how fun to discover with the kids)
• bonding with bennett in the midst of his potty-training efforts 
• abandoning the potty-training and feeling good about it... another time, another time
• ella's first written and illustrated "book" (for her uncle tim & leigh)
• a beautiful easter egg hunt & kids' fun at lauren's
• a little red riding hood day with julie
• the simplicity of roasted chicken sunday dinner
• celebrating palm sunday
• date night with ella to see a friends' children performance of "rats!"
• vegging out to favorite shows - friday night lights and parenthood
• encouraging girlfriends
• 6:45 a.m. meltdown stress attack while out on a run - and my friend stacy's kickin' pep talk
• planning this weekend's easter celebrations

wishing you all a happy easter!

silly faces

 

a fairy tale day

spent a special day with my friend julie - as a belated christmas / birthday day together.

we had the most wonderful lunch at pickety place in mason new hampshire. a 1786 quaint little red cottage that was chosen by elizabeth orton jones as the model for her illustrations in little red riding hood (1948).

felt like a little girl myself - out and about with a sweet friend and being treated to the most yummy lunch, great conversation and memories for years to come.

hoppy easter

the kids and i made these cute bunny & chick easter cards - inspired by one of favorite places, paper source. ella thinks it funny to hoppy easter like a bunny!

thankful tuesday, 4/12

• bennett having us wrapped around his finger (literally...look at that hair twirling sweetie and his loving sister who lets him twirl away)
• nyc skyline
• being overwhelmed and moved
• my mom swooping in to save the day and help us out (thank you mom!)
• the kids' anya stories
• digging for worms with kids
• being amazed by god
• saturday's glorious sunshine
• fun night with the jansons
• wes & ray's hilarious dance-off to just dance kids
• picnics and playgrounds
• parenting workshop at church
• kids running around and playing with their grandfather
• ella's hysterical laughter (and ours too) over her "hey you woodchuck, quit chucking my wood!"
• easy playdates...and good chatting time with a friends
• wes' pineapple sorbet
• giggling over lama mama books with the kids
• middle of the night parenting with wes

crackin' & nestin'

we had some fun with these cute egg projects yesterday. i'm sure the first of many egg-themed activities over the next couple weeks as we approach easter.

get crackin'
we planted some grass seeds in these egg shells - and looking forward to tall bright green sprouts by easter!

p.s. hopefully they'll get more love than the seeds we planted a few weeks back...who were somehow forgotten about after the first signs of green :(  we are giving it another whirl though (maybe marigolds this time - they seem more resilient).

nestin'

the kids painted eggs now have a comfy nesting place in this kid-made nest. saw this in a magazine and i must say it really does look like a nest.  simply scrunch down a paper lunch bag and then glue on some small sticks and grass. how fun to collect only the smallest of sticks (and itty bitty pine cones too). made even better by an absolutely gorgeous sunny day!

overwhelmed and moved

so... what happened?

well over the last few days (and really for years)...but hitting me smack over the head these last few days god has been putting the suffering and oppression of young girls on my heart. right... a big thing. something that moves us all. but seriously - hitting me in a big way!

i believe this started back when i was a counselor all those summers at a camp for under-privileged, inner-city kids...a "big sister" to a few girls in college...definitely when i had my own children...with our sponsorship of little girls in africa....from all the stories i've heard the last 2 years at some amazing women's conferences...an incredible step into africa outreach our church did last year. god's way of saying - "pay attention - i gave you a heart for this!"  and this week alone - he made it quite clear!

last sunday i was invited to tea at a friend's house to meet for the second time, princess kusane zulu. princess is her first name, not a title, but it might as well be. she is amazing (read more about her here). over tea she shared her story. of being orphaned by aids at 14. at 14 being the head of her household having to take care of her 5 siblings and grandparents.  of being hiv-positive. of starting a school for orphaned children...many schools. of being a mom. of being a missionary. of living with joy and hope. amazing.

and then this week the book club at work for my women's network read & discussed nicholas kristof and sheryl wu dunn's book "half the sky - turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide." you think - yes sure, definitely a book a women's network should read. well yes...but everyone should read this.  it broke my heart (and wes' as i basically read it to him along the way). we just don't understand what it's like for these women and girls living in poverty. of the abuse, torture, gendercide - i could go on and on. but also how god is working there too. in ways that are inspiring and give hope to us all.

so...i am overwhelmed and moved. but i am listening and praying. it is exciting to see how god's hand in all of this. even in just some small ways this week - in letters and packages of encouragement to our sponsored children in mulawi. to our family beginning a partnership with princess zulu's foundation, fountain of life. and my women's network is already underway in our plans for a company-wide outreach with plan international entitled "because i am a girl." 

i am humbled, honored and excited to be part of this...in honor of this little girl here and others across the world.