Morning on the lake (the art of noticing)

We took a little adventure on the lake last weekend.  I would say that's something we've earned an A+ in this summer, adventuring that is.  We used to err on the side of always trying to accomplish something and there's nothing wrong with that.  But having two kiddos and raising them well is accomplishing something!  The greatest something!  So adventure in our free time it is. 

I quickly packed an easy breakfast in our thrifted picnic basket, which consisted of boiled eggs, cheese slices, apples, and homemade bread with natural peanut butter.  Coffee got to come along too, of course.

We drifted along and leisurely ate our breakfast, taking in the sights and sounds around us. 

Of course, life calls for a treat every now and then so ring pops it was.  

We were out for maybe an hour?  However long it was the girls did nothing but chatter happily, point at birds and flowers, ask questions, and enjoy themselves.  

My favorite was when Brett pulled right up next to this feather so that I could grab it and get a picture.  There is an art to this noticing that brings a life of deep gratitude and joy. 

Out on the water or at the campground with my favorite people is my favorite.  There's no place I'd rather be.  

This week I'm also starting a new scrapbook to document my findings from noticing.  

How do you make the time and space available to notice the mini miracles, sweet surprises, and tiny treasures around you? 

Easy Watermelon Slush

Happy Monday friends! What's happening in your part of the world? It is almost preschool time here and as summer winds down I find myself getting back to the familiar rhythms of being more disciplined with just about everything.  That includes paying more attention to what I'm eating, or in this case, drinking!  I'm totally a summer gal since meeting Brett and living in the country and am admittedly, sad to see summer go.  I know, I know, you'll probable all bombard me with comments about how good fall is and I get it.  Fall used to be my #1 too, but the past few years there's just something about that sweet summertime.  

This quick slush is the perfect way to relish the end of a glorious season and anticipate the start of another.  Plus it's so easy my toddlers could probably mix this up themselves!  All you need is ice and watermelon.  Combine those together (you decide on the amount of each but I usually do a glass full of ice) and blend in the blender.  

Done! Insert straw, sip, and enjoy! 

How are you relishing the last few days of summer? 

printing photos matters

We could totally read the title of this post and call it a day and be done. 

Those three little words sum it up, in a nice neat package.  But friends, you know me, I hardly ever do nice and neat when it comes to words.  Why start now? 

I suppose if I get to the real heart of things, it's not so much the photos that matter, but the life that's happening in them.  A few years back we got a nice camera, a DSLR.  It was right before Anna Ruth was born and not too long after I discovered I loved it not just for it's ability to capture our adorable baby, but to capture life in its entirety.  I feel like the world sometimes tries to close in on me, surrounding me with all kinds of negative.  Between the news and negative FB statuses and photos of everyone doing at least something better than me, well...it just gets to be enough.  "Enough is enough" they say.  And "they" are right. 

Here's the truth about my life: It is filled with all the real things life has to offer, like 

bad moods and good, 

weight gain and loss, 

sleep and no sleep,

 sad times and happy, 

community and friendship,

 date nights,

 good books and bad, 

painting, 

country life and farming, 

delicious food, 

chores (and more chores and more chores), 

sending happy mail, 

lots of discipline, 

hugs and kisses, 

laughs and giggles and hide and go seek, 

hand-holding,

pizza and movie nights,

gardening,

camping,

drives on the dirt road,

singing loud to Hillsong,

scripture reading,

home-church going,

questionning,

feeling,

thinking,

being,

living.

SO much life, so much good, so much God tucked into every nook and cranny if I only stop to notice.

This is why I photograph our days.  I'm teaching the girls a very important lesson about how special and sacred and fun life is by my attitude.  Trust me, I have plenty of times I mess up miserably and get angry and lose my cool and patience.  But I hope and pray that they always know their Mama loves Jesus, and them, and life.  After hearing them say (on their own) "Mama, look at the beautiful sky" or wanting me to run over and see a feather found or a neat bug, I'd say we're doing all-right.

I'd been wanting to make a photo book for about a year and half and just hadn't done it.  I read a post on Ashley Ann's blog about a similar topic and it was like the lightbulb went off.  I decided to print my favorite photos from the last couple of years as 4x6 prints from Walgreens.

It was completely done in one afternoon and 323 photos later, only cost $32.  (way cheaper than the last photo book I bought)  We keep the photos in this brown box, on our table normally.  The girls have already enjoyed looking through these and chattering away about each one. 

This is what it's all about for me. 

They are learning to see the face of God and hear the voice of God and think the thoughts of God when they notice the world and it's entirety and the beauty in brokenness, the needs of others, the joy, delight, safety and grace found in Christ. Taking photos, looking through them, and having conversations about the goodness of God is going to be a constant in our house. 

Printing photos matters.

bread (girls helping in kitchen)

Good 'ol fashioned praise report

Good morning! I have my daughters' favorite song stuck in my head and it's quite appropriate here.  It says "Hello, hello, hello how are you?"  Then the rest of the song is spent sticking in all the little ways we might answer, like tired, hungry, or wonderful.  I'm wondering today, how are you? 

We are ready for another week of summer!  We only have a few left and I'm hoping and praying they don't go whizzing by so fast.  I'm just not ready to let go of summer yet.  It has slipped into the spot as my favorite season, easy.  

I came across these photos from a couple of months back I never posted and they brought the happiest memory to mind.  This was a morning I snuck outside with my Anna Ruth and we walked among the pasture, climbing on hay bales.  It was a very, very good memory to me because time alone with the girls is so rare.  They're usually both in tow, like little ducklings. 

Today I thought it would be fun to do a good 'ol fashioned praise report!  Do you remember those?  Where someone in church would stand up and give a praise report?  I have seen and heard the hand of God very clearly lately in a few ways and think it really matters to write it down.  The first was when we were in Eureka Springs for our anniversary.  We visited Wilson and Wilson Folk Art, a.k.a. the happiest store ever.  It is filled with color and paintings and stitched pieces of art.  It seriously looks like you climbed into my brain. The artist paints in-between helping customers so naturally I struck up a conversation with her.  I told her how lovely and gorgeous her store was and she was sweet as pie right back to me.  

We ended up buying a calendar and throughout this whole time, talking.  She told me she grew up watching her mom paint at Silver Dollar City, where they used to have a store and sell duck decoys.  I responded that I love to paint and am a mixed-media artist but don't know anyone like me in real life, no other young moms who paint like I do.  She encouraged me to keep painting and said she has no art training, it was from watching her mom that she learned.  She encouraged me to let my girls see me paint and that it matters to paint with them too. Right before we walked out the door she tucked a book into my bag, for free.  It was the story of her family and their art.  A nice hardcover book that she "just wanted me to have."  

I got chills and tears in my eyes.  I don't think anyone (besides Brett) knows how silly it sometimes feels to keep painting when I'm often served a load of guilt for taking the time to do so.  Having this very talented, nice lady give me direct encouragement felt like a whisper straight from God, cheering me on.  

Fast forward to this weekend.  We were at the park for a birthday party and had arrived early to help set up.  We were actually at the wrong playground at the park but in the span of the 10 minutes I hadn't realized that yet, God sent along some more encouragement.  A Grandma was there with her beautiful granddaughters.  She started a conversation with me and we circled around the main topics, like how far apart my girls are and how many grandchildren she has.  She then said she was a new art teacher and I (of course) responded very enthusiastically!  I told her that was on of my list of dream jobs, which is quite long most days.  She said she was a math teacher and "God totally opened up this job for me."  Not even having any training as an art teacher, she was able to take the job and pass the appropriate tests to officially become an art teacher. 

Once again, she encouraged me to keep at the art.  The neatest thing about this conversation though was that she recognized how important the time is now that I'm spending with the girls at home.  She told me several times how there will be plenty of time to figure out how to get back into teaching, but that it is so good I'm at home right now.  More encouragement....tucked inside my heart to stay.

Last, we've been listening to Hillsong in the car and I love to sing along.  I've been telling the girls for a few days what "emmanuel" means because that song has been stuck on repeat.  

I asked them this weekend, "Do you remember what emmanuel means?"

Anna Ruth responded, "Jesus is with us." 

Yes and amen.  

What praise report do you have to share?