Slow Down

Thursday was quite the day for us. As many of you dear readers know, I'm a homeschooling Mama. I love it. I choose to be home bound most days of the week. However, Thursday I decided to be adventurous. I took all four girls to Sports Authority right around nap/rest time. I know, I'm a wild one. I like to live dangerous.

Caroline only wanted Anne at the store.

Soon after returning home from the aforementioned trip, our power went out. Kind of weird, since there didn't appear to be much wind. However, we live in southern Lancaster County, so it wasn't completely shocking. Last summer (or fall?) the same thing happened - there were random tree branches down on the power lines. I figured a similar thing happened.

Maggie looking for a poem for me to read to her.

Plans for Thursday dinner were leftovers. In the microwave. Which requires electricity. I called Trent at work. He says not to worry, the estimated time was 8 pm, and it's always on before that.

Trent gets home, still no electricity. I went for a run (remember that 2015 goal - run a 5k)... While running my phone battery dies (I think being out of the house in the afternoon plus having no electricity/wifi drained the battery really quickly). I get back from my run and Trent asks if I got his message... Um, No. My phone is dead. He had texted me to ask me to bring Burger King home for dinner. This resulted in a family trip to BK to eat INSIDE (seriously, you would have thought we were at a 5 star restaurant). The kids were awesome, and we all had so much fun!

For some reason I find this photo hilarious. Anne desperately wanted someone to come play outside with her.

We got home to a dark house, put the girls to bed, and then... What? What do you do when you have no phone, no wifi, no light. We read the Bible together with a headlamp for light and each caught up on a little reading. I had signs to paint but couldn't work on them. As I was praying two words came to my head. Slow. Down. I don't really consider myself a very busy person, mainly because I don't leave the house that often. However, as I sat in the dark thinking of all the things I "need" to do, I began to realize how hard it is for me to sit still. To just be still. To be in the presence of the Lord. I say that I want to do that, yet I don't make the time to do so.

Doodled this in the dark Thursday.

As I let those words roll around in my brain I thought of all the things I thought I should be doing {painting, dishes, cleaning, returning emails, replying to FB messages, checking my Etsy store, checking Instagram, thinking about the next day's school lesson, completing my homework for my Bible study, contemplating a discipline issue with a particular child, wondering if I was too hard on the kids today} and I made my brain just stop. Because how many times will I get a chance to really slow down like I was forced to do Thursday night.

Took some time to play a game Friday at school

Abbey really enjoyed her BK crown.

 I know that Sunday (or whatever day you take as your Sabbath) is supposed to be a day of rest. Yet for many of us Sundays are one of the hardest days of the week (hello - getting four girls and myself ready for church to leave by 8:40 am!?) and are far from restful (especially if you are involved in any form of ministry).

Enjoying our restful Sunday.

These two are the best of friends and playmates. (they are rushing inside to bandage up dolly who got a thorn scratch)

 This weekend I really focused myself on slowing down. On truly enjoying the every day, simple moments. Of letting go of what "needs" done, and allowing myself to cherish my sweethearts while they are still small(ish).

Watching toads emerge from hibernation

Toad watching

Here are some photos of us enjoying the moment

Anne flying her kite.

 A series of night time photos.

How do you slow down? What are some tricks you can share with me?

DIY - headband/barrette holder

Friends, I have daughters. You know, four of them... I don't know about your girls, but mine love accessories. And when we had baby girl number four - I figured we needed to do something about all these adorable headbands and clips that were EVERYWHERE! They needed a place to call home.

This is not an original idea. I originally saw the pin on Pinterest. (I can't find the original Pin that I used. I think it was somewhere on this site: Your Modern Family .)

I made this last summer and am just now blogging about it. I know, I'm sorry. But it's my life.

Supplies needed: (in no particular order)
1. A picture frame - any old thing will do
2. Paint (if you want to change the color of your frame)
3. Ribbon (to match your paint)
4. Staple remover
5. "C" hooks
6. Hot glue gun
7. Sand paper/ sanding block
8. Drill {optional}

Step 1: Get a frame. I wanted my area for holding hair bows and headbands to be extra large so I purchased one. I found this gold frame at our local Re-Useit shop for around $8. {{I felt a little guilty when I was paying because the cashier noted just how lovely the photo in the frame was... I threw it in the trash.}}

 Step 2: Remove the backing from your frame. I found my staple remover to be very helpful in this process, though a needle nose pliers would work just as well if not better.

 

Step 3: Paint your frame. I wanted this to be a kid-friendly activity. It takes MUCH longer for three little girls to paint a simple frame than it does for one adult. But they had a good time doing it.

Step 4: Distress your paint. {Optional} I loved having the gold show through the pink. I just used a little block sander, but any sandpaper will work. 

Step 5: Have an impromptu photo shoot with your frame.

 Step 6: Add your ribbon. I just took one piece of ribbon lengthwise as my measurement for the rest of the ribbon. I hot glued each end of the ribbon to the back/inside of the frame so the ends wouldn't show.

 Step 7: I wanted my C hooks about every inch, so that I could have approximately 12 hooks along the bottom. From previous experience with twisting C-hooks I knew it would be a lot easier if I pre-drilled the holes. So, I did that really quickly, just takes a minute. Then my adorable helper screwed in several of these hooks. It was easy enough that a tiny five-year-old could do it.

Step 8: Hang it up!

Beauties

She wasn't happy about this photo shoot.

 There you have it, friends. A relatively simple and fun headband/barrette/clip holder. As you can see - last summer was the summer of headbands for Miss Caroline. Her hair has grown quite a bit since these photos were taken so she wears little fountain ponytails now. When she wants to wear a headband I know right where to find them. I love having a space dedicated to her hair accessories. I hung it in Caroline's room so as I walk out the door I can easily slip one off the hook and put it on her as we are leaving the house.

**Most of the headbands pictured are from Screaming Owl  . They have really cute things at reasonable prices for children, but they take FOREVER to come in the mail. Just a word of warning - don't expect to get your purchase before 4-6 weeks.**

Happy First Day of Spring!

Little known fact: I was born in California. This is a screenshot of today's weather in the area which many of my family still reside.

This is the view outside my back door.

This is the first day of Spring.




Instead of planting flowers I am drinking hot chocolate.

Okay - the girls had hot chocolate - I had coffee...

Instead of enjoying the warm sun on my back I'm huddled in a pile of blankets reading with the girls.

Instead of romping through the woods we're writing letters.

Sure, it isn't what I had hoped to be doing on the first day of Spring, but it's still a good day. I think regardless of our physical locations, wherever we are there are going to be days where we need to CHOOSE to be joyful.

Plus, it's Friday: Redbox & wine night. Hubby called to let me know he got Dumb & Dumber to. What could be better?

And if you're really bummed about the weather, you can at least enjoy these adorable photographs of my sweet Caroline who is exactly 15 months old today. Future artist?

Intent on her job at Grandpa & Grandma's House

Which color do I want?

What is that crazy sister doing?

Working together

Look at that grip. Way to go fine motor skills!

My view as I rock Caroline to sleep at night. Love my sweet, cuddly snuggle bug.

 Happy first day of Spring!!

Today I will be Thankful

I have a new sign that I made at the beginning of 2015. Tonight (or this morning) I am working on the third copy of this sign.

To see this sign finished, you can find it in my Etsy store HERE.

The sign reads:
Today I will be thankful, for all the little socks and the grass-stained jeans, and the endless piles of laundry. For there will come a day when the laundry basket is empty, and these days will be profoundly missed.

Friends, if you look closely in the above photograph you will notice the top of a laundry basket. This was not a staged photograph. I recently bragged (oh how I hate to admit this) how my children are SO healthy. We are rarely sick. And you know that sweet little Proverb (Proverbs 16:18 to be exact) which says this "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.". Oh, you guessed it. This weekend we were sick. Sick, sick, SICK. First the husband, then the baby. Then the second oldest, then the third. Then me. Yes, me. Prideful, prideful me. Only one escaped, our oldest, dear Anne. Sweet, helpful Anne.

I digress. Here I am at 12:30 a.m. on my twelfth load of laundry for the day, painting a sign about laundry, and how these days will be profoundly missed. And I got to thinking - is this true? Is this really, actually true? Will I profoundly miss the days of cleaning vomit off my one-year-old? Or washing load after load of laundry that has been puked on? Or waking up in the night to change those sheets? 

And I prayed. I prayed for the sweet, dear Mama who will receive this sign. As she looks at it hanging in her laundry room as she washes load after load of clothes and sheets for her little ones, who won't always be little, I prayed that these words will be a reminder to her to keep pressing on. Because the Lord sees the good work she is doing. I don't. I don't even know her, but the Lord does.

And you know what? I think that maybe, just maybe, these days will be missed. I think of my own mom, who washed load after load of stinky soccer clothes for me. Often late at night because I would remember, "Oh mom, we have a home game tomorrow and my white jersey is dirty. Can you wash that for me? Thanks!" and I would hop into bed, knowing full well that my mom would have that jersey washed and dried and ready for me the next day. Because that's what moms do. 

I don't know about you, but that's the kind of mom I want to be. Maybe my kids won't remember anything about me doing their laundry, but they will know they always had clean clothes to wear (okay, maybe they won't always have matching socks - but that might be taking things just a little too far).

So friend, wherever you are tonight, I hope that you can be thankful for all those little mis-matched socks. Because these days will be profoundly missed. Don't believe me? Go ask your mom.