Tales of a Crafty Mama

giving thanks

{photo via}

“ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever."- Psalm 136:1

{photo via}

“ You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink." G. K. Chesterton

{photo via}

{photo via}

Giving thanks this week for so many things. My heart is so full.

I am a bit bummed that I didn't continue my yearly tradition of 30 days of gratefulness this November, but this year I really needed to pause and rest and reflect on my own, rather than be committed to blogging each and every day this month.

I love listing random things I am thankful for because I really see God so much in the little ordinary beautiful things in my every day life. But the past couple days as I have thought about what I am grateful for this year, my heart keeps coming back to four simple things: 

(1)

The love and grace of Jesus. Oh, I am so very thankful for Him! I am so grateful that He captured my heart at 17. I am so grateful that He is a patient and gentle and good God. Words cannot begin to express my thanks for Him.

(2)

My marriage to such an amazing and good man. I am so grateful for Erik and for the privilege of being his wife. It is my joy.

(3)

My sweet beautiful Audrey Mae. Her creative spirit is such an inspiration to me. Her art takes my breath away. And her smile lights up any room and my heart.

(4)

My spunky little Mr.Elliot. 100% ALL BOY. Constuction builder, "worker-guy" with the tenderest heart and the most contagious laugh ever.

Praying that each and every one of you are having a peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving weekend!

xo

a quilt for Ella

I want to thank you all for your kind words and prayers for Miss Ella. I can't even begin to tell you how encouraging it is to hear about everyone who is praying for her. I have been in awe by many people have passed on her blog address on facebook alone; how many people's status' ask for prayers for her and her sweet family. I have been blown away. Hearing about all the prayers going out fills me with so much hope.  Thank you. Please, please keep them coming!

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About a month or so before Ella's birth, I invited Christa to come to a Bible study that me and another dear group of friends were starting. Our old group had disbanded, so she decided to join us and we were all so happy to have her.

We have spent the last month or so studying Crazy Love (a great + challenging book), as well as having as many craft nights as we can!

When Ella was born last week, I missed Bible study because I was helping Christa with her sweet boys. I had no idea at the time, but our little group still ended up meeting.

And they just didn't meet.

They prayed prayers and sewed love into each and every stitch of a quilt for Ella. Anyone who knows these women is probably not the least bit surprised that they poured their hearts out for Christa in something they created with their hands. These women are not just generous + kind to the core, they are so talented, so creative. 

They stitched late into the night. All through the day.For two days.

And finally, on Saturday morning, they called me to come pick it up to deliver to the hospital.

And oh, friends. I was so so overwhelmed. Maybe they couldn't tell because I tried to pretend like everything was okay. That's what I do. But inside? Oh, I was crying grateful tears.

I love Christa. Of course, I do. We have a friendship that has been built on three years of sharing each other's lives. But these women, they had just met her. And they gave her such an incredible gift. Such a thoughtful gift. I cannot put into words what it meant to Christa + her family.

Thank you, my dear friends. I love you so much.

Brown paper package tied up with string

The perfect fabric

Her name embroidered

All the beautiful details

And one sweet banner, by this lovely lady with her name on it to hang by her bed.

sweet Ella Louise

{lovely photo from here}

The last month has been strange. I have been in a weird place. You know how you will just be floating along, living life, then all of a sudden the Lord decides that now would be a good time to start dealing with some things in your heart? That is what has happened to me. And frankly, I don't really like how my heart looks.

But God is gentle and full of grace. And He has slowly, oh so patiently, been chipping away at little corners of my heart that have needed His touch, His love to penetrate.  But the last month was hard. Really hard. I felt really down emotionally and so unmotivated. I found myself clinging to things like reading blogs + facebook obsessively just because I didn't want to deal with the things God was bringing up. Of course, the Lord didn't stand for that. He has a beautiful way of pursuing us, even when we don't want to be pursued.

I feel like He has a long way to go on my heart. There will always be something within it that needs to become more beautiful, more like Christ. But finally, last Wednesday, I had a little breakthrough.

I was tired of being tired and feeling down. So I got up earlier that morning. Wrote some verses I am currently memorizing on index cards to look at throughout the day. Made the kids an awesome breakfast and then spent time reading my Bible while they were happily dancing around to the "Backyardigans" station on Pandora. Started the laundry and did the dishes. I was feeling so so good about our day. I felt alive and joyful and productive for the first time in forever.

Then I got the phone call that changed everything. My dear friend Christa was at the hospital, heading into an emergency c-section at 31 weeks. No, no, no. I have been here before.

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Three autumns ago, I hesitantly showed up at a new women's Bible study that was starting at my church. We had moved to town only about a month before with sweet almost two year old Audrey and newborn little Elliot. I was desperate to make some friends and a  Bible study for moms sounded promising.

I remember walking on the sidewalk toward the church and noticing a beautiful pregnant woman in front of me, a small blond boy about Audrey's age clutching her hand. I remember feeling so grateful to see another mom with kids close in age to mine. It was my soon-to-be friend Christa.

Over the past three years we have read at least six books together in Bible study + shared muffins, prayer requests + praises, coffee, and sweet conversation. We have witnessed our little ones grow from babies and toddlers to preschoolers learning how to read, with lots of birthday parties + play dates in between. Christa's dear boys, Elijah + Ayden, are two of my kids' closest friends. We have looked forward to Friday school at Jenny's, where our kids are loved on + taught, and where we always receive encouragement and support from other mama friends. We have traded date nights, taking turns watching each other's kids so that we can have much needed time out with our spouses. 

Christa is beautiful inside and out. She loves her boys (her husband Erik + her babies) fiercely. She is creative + musical. She is so caring and thoughtful. She is quiet with a secret goofy side. I love her and am so so grateful for her + her friendship.

When Christa + Erik announced to us this last spring that she was pregnant with their third baby, I immediately thought girl. I kept on shrugging it off as wishful thinking, but I couldn't get it out of my mind. At their 20 week ultrasound, they decided not to find out the baby's gender, so it was going to be a surprise. Christa glowed when she was pregnant. She was so beautiful. And I couldn't wait to do some maternity photos for her and her sweet little family.

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"Christa is being rushed to have an emergency c-section!", my sister-in-law told me, her voice frantic.

I felt my heart sinking. I couldn't breathe.

My peaceful morning came crashing down. I was on the phone for hours, making sure that everyone who knew Christa were aware of what was going on and were praying. I couldn't sit still. I was pacing the house, waiting for news, praying as hard as I could that everything would be okay.

Emergency c-section.

Fluid in the baby's organs.

A heart defect that did not show up on the 20 week ultrasound.

What? How could this be happening?

At 12:58pm, I got the text: "Did you hear the news? Ella has been born and is hooked up to tubes and is receiving tests...please keep praying."

A girl.

Ella Louise.

Oh, is she not so beautiful?

Friends, Ella needs your prayers so so desperately. You can read the whole story here on the blog that Erik + Christa started, but basically Ella's heart is really, really sick. Her left ventricle is very weak and is not functioning. Tomorrow morning (Tuesday), a team of cardiologists are meeting to discuss her case and what her options are.

I have been overwhelmed by the peace and grace of God that have been covering this sweet family since Wednesday morning. By all the little miracles that the Lord has already performed in each precious day that Ella has been here with us. I read this verse on a friend's facebook status this morning, and have been praying it all day long:

"Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples."
Psalm 77:13-14

Will you please join me in praying for beautiful Ella and her family?

Here is a video that Erik + Christa shared on their blog:

one month in :: what I have learned about homeschooling so far

{a recent science experiment- do apples float?}

:: The good days are blissful and lovely and oh, so good. The bad/hard days are just that; in every sense of the words. Kind of like parenting in general, I guess!

:: I get insanely giddy about lesson planning. I went to school for early childhood education, so it makes sense. I just forgot about how happy it makes me!

:: Speaking of lesson planning, the days go so so much better when I plan a little bit ahead. Not so much that we get bogged down, but definitely enough to help the day have some sort of flow.

:: My kids dig art projects. Every. Single. Time. I already knew this, but it has definitely been reaffirmed countless times in the last month. Audrey could do projects all day every day if I let her or had the ability + time to plan for it.

:: Give my kids one-on-one time in the morning during school and they pretty much spend the rest of the day playing happily without me. Works so much better than the mulitasking (dishes + read to the kids + making dinner + playing with the kids...) that I was doing before. I get way more time with them and I get stuff done. Crazy.

:: It is definitely possible to allow my perfectionist tendancies to reign when it comes to homeschooling- especially when it comes to lesson planning. I am learning that it is okay to plan but that I need to let go after that. When I release control,  things usually turn out much bettter than I had planned. When I release control the kids are able to use their imaginations + creativity in amazing, beautiful ways. When I release control the kids are inspired + excited to learn. Must. Not. Forget. This.

:: There are way too many things to do with the letter A and apples and autumn. I stretched our A week to two weeks just to give us a little more time, but geesh. We've got to move on eventually, even if we don't get that apple pie baked or those leaf rubbings done.

:: I need more sleep. And more patience.

:: Worship time is always more fun with instruments. 

:: It is way harder than I expected to motivate Audrey to do workbook/worksheet type activities. In the past she has really enjoyed that kind of learning, but she is way more of a hands-on learner than I had realized. I am learning that I need to use her love of games and art more to teach her the basics like math and language arts.

:: That being said, I am still looking for creative ways to encourage her to try her workbook pages in language arts and math.  I don't want to force her or give her a hatred for schoolwork, but at the same time I don't want her to give up just because she is lazy or something doesn't come easily the first time. I am learning the balance. I am not a huge proponent of using workbooks for everything, but I am finding that there is a place for them- especially when it comes to learning how to write!

:: Elliot actually likes workbooks. Huge shocker. Seriously.

:: I desperately need to get more sleep. (I know I already mentioned that, but it is true!) That means going to bed earlier. Not something I am good at.

:: I desperately need to get up earlier.This would help the day flow so much better, but I am so not a morning person. Really, really working on this!

:: I really really need to make sure I have time with the Lord every.single. day. It is impossible to keep the right perspective during the day and be filled with patience without His help!

:: While I can learn so much from other homeschoolers, I need to be careful about playing the comparison game. Some of my hardest days homeschooling so far have been the days when I compared what I was doing with what others were doing. While I love reading blogs and getting ideas from others, I need to feel confident and at rest with what I am choosing to do with my kids. And it is absolutely impossible to do everything that sounds fun and amazing. There is always next week, or next year, but if not, I need to be content with what I have the time and energy to do. Yes, there are a million and one things you can do with pumpkins, but do we really need to? My perfectionist tendencies really, really struggle with this, but I am learning!

:: It has been said time and time again by other homeschooling mamas, but I can't get over how much I am learning while I am teaching the kids! This month I learned all kinds of cool things about ants and apples and bees that I never knew before.

:: I am having so much fun! I fully expected to enjoy this journey, but I have been blown away by how blessed I am to be able to homeschool my kids. I truly feel so honored to have the priviledge of sharing their moments and days with them.

I am sure I will have pages and pages to add to this list during the upcoming year! Fellow homeschooling mamas, what are some things that you have learned so far this year or been surprised by?

over the weekend...and then today

{the tree in our front yard. I am madly in love with it.}

Over the weekend...

It was rainy + windy, so we spent lots of time cozy inside.

Erik + I finished watching the first seaon of  this via Netflix. For book club last month we read Into Thin Air and ever since, I have been what Erik would call annoyingly facinated with Mt. Everest. I have absolutely no desire to climb it myself; I just find those who do + their stories to be so interesting! Next up are: this one + this one. Then I just probably take a break from Everest mania.

I slept in on Saturday and Sunday.

We had a super yummy Thanksgiving inspired dinner with dear friends. Felt like we went home in a serious food-induced coma, it was all so so good. We brought whole wheat rolls, green beans with bacon vinaigrette, and that chocolate cake I am in love with. 

We invited Erik's grandparents over for a Sunday afternoon lunch. They will be leaving soon for their annual winter migration to sunny skies in Arizona, so we wanted to have some time with them before they left. Usually we only see them at family get-togethers, so it was fun to have Oma + Opa all to ourselves! We love you guys + will miss you so much! 

I edited and edited and edited...

Working on this beautiful friend's photos...

Oh, and this beautiful family too...

I am really, really behind on my editing. I need to come up with a better system/schedule for getting it all done. Fellow photographers, any tips on creating an editing routine?

Audrey + I went on a date to the library and the store. Daddy + Elliot went on a date to Home Depot. Elliot loves that store so much.

Had a phone date with my mama.

It was all really lovely + really sweet.

Then came today...

Not so lovely + definitely not so sweet.

I woke up late and in a bad mood. Not a good start to the morning.

Elliot and Audrey woke up grumpy too. Things headed downhill fast.

I was impatient and for sure not the best mama I could be.

They would not stop fighting about EVERYTHING. And they were naughty. Oh, so naughty. Like purposely peeing on the bed during naptime, wiping syrup everywhere at breakfast, naughty.

You would think that I would have stopped and asked the Lord for help. But no. Instead I decided to just feel sorry for myself and continued to be in a bad mood.

Then I checked facebook. So so much heartache and tragedy in people's lives today. A plane crash near my hometown. A friend from high school + his wife lose their little twin boys at 20 weeks in utero.

And I couldn't find the words. Only tears. I had no right to wallow in my grumpiness. There is so so much to be grateful for. Joyful for.

And those kids of mine. Sure they are naughty. And sure I was ever so grateful to put them to bed at 6:30 tonight (they fell right to sleep!). But oh, I am so thankful for them. I am blessed beyond words by them. Even on the rough days.

So tonight, I am putting the day behind me. My heart is still heavy with grief for friends who are hurting right now. But as for me and my little ones, tomorrow is going to be a new day. A fresh start. I am going to bed early (11:00 really IS early for me) and tomorrow is going to be a good, good day.

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I am so  thankful for...

51. Elliot's mischievous smile

52. Audrey's stories

53. Elliot's questions about God tonight. It was the first time ever that He had asked about Him and oh, it warmed my heart. "Where is God, Mama? Outside?"

54. Audrey's feistness

55. Elliot's constuction projects scattered around the house

56. Audrey's creativity

57. Elliot's eagerness to help

58. The way they both love books and fight over my lap or "armie".

59. Listening to them play together.

60. Being able to sneak in their room at night while they are sleeping for a peek, a kiss, and one last prayer.

61. My children's health

62. One very loving + involved Daddy to them both

Oh, I am a blessed mama indeed.

 

oh, so grateful

{photos taken on our autumn train ride this last weekend}

And my heart continues to pour out thanks to Him...

31. My sweet girl asking for "more school!"

32. Orangette's "The- Winning- Hearts- and- Minds- Cake". It was the very first recipe I tried from her lovely book last year and it is one of the best things I have ever tasted. So so yummy and a cinch to make. And perfect for...

33. Celebrating my amazing friend's birthday with her in person for the very first time. Words cannot express how grateful I am for her and her friendship. Just know that she is truly as sweet and wonderful as she appears to be on her blog. I love her dearly.

34. Elliot's random humming. So, so cute.

35. Crisp, clear autumn days.

36. Falling asleep under two heavy warm blankets.

37. Autumn train rides

38. Creme brulee lattes

39. Books that remind me to stand in awe

40. Being with family

41. Elliot really, really making significant headway when it comes to potty training! (I know I mentioned this last week, but we're so excited about it, it really deserves another mention!)

42. Friends who have beautiful hearts

43. Having a camera to capture all the little bits of beauty in my every day and all the random memories.

44. The way my little boy insists on setting up a "truck" or "ambulance" in his room every day. (upside down small table + bed= truck/ambulance)

 45. A daughter who calls herself "the Memory Girl". It is so true. The girl remembers every.single.detail.about.everything.

46. Coughs + colds disappearing. Thank goodness for that!

47. Leaves changing color

48. Book clubs that make me think and are super fun

49. Celebrating another sweet birthday this week. Remembering back to two years ago when we were not sure if he or his mama were going to be okay. So so grateful they are both here!

50. Quiet, restful afternoons.

 

rest upon us

Oh, it has been a long day. Not much sleep last night- I was up coughing so much, not to mention the fact that little Elliot snuck in under the covers sometime around 2am. Slept in a little, then tried to get some housework and schoolwork done with the kids. Around 4pm, I was feeling a bit better and the sun was shining so brightly and was beckoning us outside. I took the kids to one of our favorite parks to gather leaves and run around. We had so much fun, but I came back feeling so much more weary than before. Thank goodness for early bedtimes and a sweet, helpful husband!

I stumbled upon a really lovely and encouraging Cademon's Call song recently. I picked up one of their cds at the library that I was not familiar with and this song captured me from the very first listen. Every time I hear it, I find it hard not to sing along; the words completely echo my heart during this season of my life.

{listen to the song here}

Rest Upon Us

My soul is weary, and my cup is dry,
I am so in need of you,
though my rightesousness is rags,
your mercies are new

So Lord, come down to me,
so my heart can see,
how encompassing your grace can be

Holy Spirit, rest upon us,
breath of God, touch my soul,
come unfailing love of Jesus,
rest upon us, rest upon us,

My mind is heavy and my days are long,
I lift my eyes up in the night,
my heart it weighs me down,
but your burden is light,

So Lord, come walk with me
until my heart believes
all the bounties that your grace can bring

Holy Spirit, rest upon us,
breath of God, touch my soul,
come unfailing love of Jesus,
rest upon us, rest upon us,

I will wait for you
I will wait for you
you rest upon us
come rest upon us

Laura Story and Andrew Osenga

Continuing to give thanks. Even though I am sick + weary, He is still so very good...

16. early bedtimes

17. the book of James in the Bible. Our church is currently doing a series on it and it is so convicting + inspiring

18. a little boy who is finally, finally starting to show signs of being ready for potty-training

19. autumn temperatures outside

20. homemade chicken noodle soup

21. books that make you think about your story

22. that He and His grace and His love and His Spirit are resting on me

23. the freedom of imperfection (I am not really familiar with the rest of her blog, but that post inparticular really resonated with me)

24. a little girl who is happy to create art all.day.long

25. a husband who brings me popcorn + ice-cream in bed when I am sick

26. friends who love crafting as much, if not more (!), than I do. Really really grateful for them and their creative, inspiring spirits.

27. sweet, thoughtful comments on my blog. Each and every one blesses me so much!

28. Breathe Easy tea. A lifesaver.

29. a surprise lunch from a favorite restaurant from my husband

30. hearing her ask, "Just one more page, Mama?", when I am reading aloud

 

ten on ten :: October 2010

{I haven't felt too great this weekend, so I didn't even attempt to take my 10 on 10 pictures hourly; this is just a hodge podge of photos from our day! Wish I had felt better- this IS 10.10.10, afterall!}

10:45am- Audrey on her shoes for church

12:57pm- Me + my favorite shoes on the way home from church

2:53pm-Apples, waiting to be made into applesauce (hopefully tomorrow!)

4:09pm- Our front yard

4:09pm- The tree in our front yard. I really love it.

4:11pm- Editing photos of some dear, dear friends

5:20pm- Audrey's colored pencils

6:16pm- It was definitely a chicken noodle soup kind of day

7:45pm-Sneaking another piece of candy corn. That stuff is just too dangerous to have in the house!

7:54pm- Waiting for a cup of tea to cool.I think I need to make another one before I head to bed.

 

For more information about Ten on Ten, please visit here!

giving thanks

I am going to start joining in on Ann Voskamp's Gratitude Community, listing my own One  Thousand Gifts (and then some, I hope!) every Monday. I have done versions of this on my blog in the past: my weekly Small Joys on Fridays, taking the month of November the past two years to set aside 30 days of Gratefulness. This is no different, I guess. I just feel like it is a great way to start the week- reminding myself of all that God has done and all the big and little ways He blesses me every single day. Feel free to join in- in the comments or on your own blog! And if you get a chance, please, please take a moment (or many!) to check out Ann's beautiful and thought-provoking blog. It it is truly one of my favorites.

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01. His mercies new every morning

02. cuddling with my little ones

03. a hard working husband who provides for us

04. autumn scented candles

05. heavy rain after a long, hot week

06. the joy of learning together with my children! Homeschooling is so much fun so far.

07. Honeycrisp apples, fresh from the farm

08. planning autumn crafts + baking

09. an unexpected but oh, so needed, long afternoon nap

10. music that makes me smile

11. family movie night- snuggling on the couch, eating popcorn, holding hands during the "scary parts"

12. candy corn

13. the Lord's quiet whispers

14. my five year old's questions about heaven + God

15. a warm cozy bed after a long day

 

over the weekend...

We caught the last warm + sunny weekend of the year (I think).

It felt strange to be at an autumn festival, looking at pumpkins and apples in our short sleeves and flip flops. It just didn't feel right.

But it was so so lovely to be able to spend the afternoon with family.

I was secretly kind of happy when it rained on Sunday though. Feels so much more autumnish to me!