"g" is for...

giggles, giggles, giggles!

g is for green pancakes...

 g is for give back (sending their halloween loot off to the troops)

g is for giraffe (ella quote: "this is a tricky one since it doesn't sound like g...")

g is for goo...ewe, but so fun!

 

 g is for gardening (what good little helpers planting the bulbs for spring color)

 

 g is for girl scout

g was also for game night with uncle justin...just no photos to capture it.  a g is for great day!

thankful tuesday, 11/8

• playing in the leaves all afternoon with the kids
• melted snow. leave covered grass.
• reflecting on this fall's powerful synergy series at church
• tic-tac-toe with ella (she's got good quick!)
• kiddo's special sleepover with uncle justin
• camp fire sing-a-long on a chilly night
• being wrong. forgiveness
• early thanksgiving celebrations with family
• generous hosts
• snuggling with baby nathan
• tree swing giggles
• news of a new niece or nephew due in may
• parenting against lying (so hard!)
• seeking wisdom 
• being in the classroom
• meal swap 
• embracing these finals day of late afternoons on the playground
• easy bedtimes
• tricky to-do lists

all at once

as we transitioned into september, kindergarten, new schedules, new assignments and more -  i focused, planned and prayed that the flurry of a new season wouldn't get the better of me (don't we all?!). that i wouldn't over commit. that i wouldn't stay up too late. that i wouldn't let go of that relaxed summer perspective. that i wouldn't let phrases like "things are sooo busy" or "it's crazy" roll off my lips. that i would be intentional and thoughtful as we settled into a new rhythm.

you know what? it was going pretty well. we were rockin' september, kindergarten, new schedules, new projects, new assignments. things were humming along. i sort of felt like oh yeah baby...bring it on, i like this! so much to look forward to. so much to enjoy. so much to be thankful for.

but then, october hit. all at once.  seriously.  all at once things like this...

excitement and fun over unpacking ella's backpack every day to see what new things she was learning, and what school news was being sent home - turned into being completely overwhelmed by all the papers.  what am i suppose to do with all these? what am i missing? what can i toss?

new mommy-bennett adventures & fun - turned into the craze of potty training lock down. carrying the potty to the bus stop, to the library, to church, to friends' house. stepping in poo and gagging while cleaning up a doozy (sorry). ugh, i'm so done with poo!

relaxing evenings at home with wes - turned into different schedules with one of us being out a few nights a week. late nights watching teams lose. and not nearly enough conversation and togetherness.

dust i could have cared less about in august, was driving me insane in october. crayon marks on the walls that had been there for months turned into a desire to repaint entire rooms.

eagerness to help out, volunteer, get involved - turned into co-leading a girl scout troop. being the classroom yearbook coordinator. assignments to help with rif (what the heck is rif?!). an easy pasta salad assignment for the teacher appreciation luncheon, that i somehow burned (who burns pasta?!).

i got a new boss. a new role. a new opportunity. it's exciting - but it's new, different, uncomfortable. and...it's all at once.

10 o'clock bedtimes - turned into 11:45 bedtimes.  gorgeous 70 degree days turned into a nor'easter!

being 10 minutes early to the bus stop and easy morning routines - turned into missing the bus, eating breakfast on the run and morning tussles over what to wear.

summer days of abandoned to-do lists - turned into a search for a new calendar planner. losing scrap to-do lists in the laundry. waking in the middle of the night remembering something i forgot to do.

appreciation for all that wes does - turned into miscommunication, criticism and hurt feelings.

projects that were suppose to be fun & creative - turned aggravating and expensive.

plans with friends - turned into last minute cancellations and lack of motivation to reschedule.

all at once...

the realization hit me all at once too.  i was sitting at a table with sweet friends, at a lovely women's ministry brunch. a session that i almost decided not to go to, because "i was soooo busy."  a session about "being balanced - pressing on when time presses in." the perfect topic for this crazy time. yet i was so wrapped up in the chaos of the all at once, and thinking i had things under control that i almost didn't go.  but nope.  the lord got me out of my house on a cold rainy morning, put me in my car, and told me sit down girl and listen!

yup. i heard it..all at once. that these all at once moments are a gift. that these are the moments the lord has called me for. whether it's a minute, hour, day, week, month, year, many years. as a wife, mom, friend, believer.  in my career, community, home, family and faith. that these are the exact moments i have time for. embracing the all at once. making the most of the all at once. that when i'm present & intentional in the all at once i don't get distracted and slammed with more than i can handle. that when i embrace the all at once there is joy.
easy? absolutely not. still a wee crazy? for sure. but even in the exhaustion of potty training, depressing october nor'easters, overwhelming new work & pto assignments it isn't the all at once, but rather the in this moment that i'm striving for.  in the words of ann voskamp, one of my favorite authors...a dare to live fully right where i am...eucharisteo.

linking up with this sweet blog' picture me imperfectly...

"f" is for...

we took on "f" day a week or two back, because there were all sorts of "f" activities on this particular sunday - specifically an open house at the fire station and some cowboys vs. patriots football.  kids made sure to inform me that we went out of order on the alphabet...but got over it quickly once the "f is for fun" began!

f is for fire engines...

f is for firemen 

 f is for feet, finger & face painting fun...

f is for football...

 f is for football fan (through the good & the bad...)

f is for fall flowers & foliage...

f is also for faith, family & friends...all of which we feel so very blessed by.   hooray for f day!

thankful tuesday, 11/1

it's been a long week. a good one. a hard one. a fun one. an exhausting one. i cannot believe we flipped the calendar to november today. seriously. thankful for this time to reflect on the week's thankful moments. sweet treasures in the blur of a long week.

• holding my tea cup on a chilly morning
• stealing wes' cup of tea...sometimes one isn't enough, and his is already at perfect tempture
• beginning the girl scout journey with ella
• teaming up with a friend as co-troop leaders...and both wondering what we've got ourselves into
• our crew of little daisy troops...and looking forward to all we'll share together this year
• hearing about a friend's start to a journey in a new city
• new beginnings
• all at once moments (more on that later this week)
• the lord's perspective and promise in the all at once moments
• being somewhere that i almost decided not to be
• laughing my butt off with friends
• being a mom
• caramel apples
• a nice night in at a friend's house...wine, cheese & sweets!
• cheering up wes as the rangers blow the world series :(
• pumpkin & scarecrow fun with family
• 1st snow (hard to be thankful in october - but kids' delight makes it easier)
• warmth & snuggles during a power outage
• escaping to my mom's for warmth, hot showers and relaxation
• praying for family still w/o power
• preparations for "because i am a girl"
• bennett's 3rd person persona
• grandpa & mary's halloween visit
• trick-or-treating & costume fun
• kids literally rolling in their candy (enjoy it now kids - it goes to the troops on friday)
• praying for our kids. kids praying for us. 
• steel cut oatmeal on the weekends
• hiking to the bus stop with bennett's potty in tow
• bennett's "you so pwoud (proud) of me mama?" ... yes, so proud baby boy, so proud