Time flies

I brought this little bundle of joy home four months ago and then dropped off of the face of the planet!

Life here has been ultra bonkers!  In the last four months we have been to more doctor visits than I care to count.  While I was pregnant with Laney I contracted a very common virus that could have been harmful to her, so we had to go through a litany of testing.  Thank the Lord that He decided to spare her and she is now a happy and healthy four month old without any signs of the virus doing harm.

But just to keep things interesting I thought I would throw a doctor visit for myself into the mix.  I had my appendix out two weeks ago... I know, crazy right?!

There have been so many good things that have come out of these trials though.  I have learned that the Lord is my Refuge.  Psalm 91:4 says, "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."  

His faithfulness has become to me like a shield, my armor, my protection and I can thrive under the protection from Him.  I don't have to worry about the arrows of doubt or the bullets of uncertain times.  I let God be my shield and REALLY trusted Him to hold up his end of the deal.  Under His shield and protection is where I am really able to thrive!

Survive or thrive.  It's my choice.  Will I just endure the monotony of wiping sticky hands and smelly butts all day or will I thrive in my new responsibilities to shape these little hearts and build up little leaders?

 I've made a choice to thrive and with the Lord's help we are doing just that!

My first hurdle was school ending.  That means three kids at home with me all day.  Rather than turn on the TV or listen to fake hunger pains that usually arise out of boredom, I decided to make a plan.  Each of the 12 weeks of summer we are learning about new things... veggies, bugs, outer space, colors, sports, weather, the farm, etc... we are reading books, making nature journals, using our bodies and our brains and learning about the world around us!  It is going to be a total blast and I hope to tell you all about it.

 Thanks for being so patient with me while I dug in at home.  It's good to be back!

Miss Lewis from St. Louis

I've known Emily for over a decade.  That's only a third of my life, but closer to half of hers.  She's one of those rare finds, completely full of color.  She just oozes it.  

In the journalistic sense, color writing is adding another level of depth and interest through the use of adjectives.  That's exactly what Emily does in real life.  She's quick with an opinion about everything from Taylor Swift's new album to Mitt Romney's religious views to creating a sense of community within the church.  I absolutely savor my time with her.

The only problem is that my friend lives all the way over in St. Louis.  I've tried to convince her subtly and not so subtly that she needs to come back "home."  But to no avail.  Alas, what's a friend to do but hop a plane and enter into her world.

And her world is gorgeous isn't it?  This is her adorable little apartment she fixed up, painted and curated into this beautiful little collection of cozy whimsy.  I didn't want to leave!

I flew in Friday night and we went to the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastic Champions.  It was hilarious really!  Part Cirque du Soleil and part light show with a little bit of Dancing with the Stars mixed in.  Average age? 12.  We tapped into our inner giggly little girl selves and loved every minute of it!

(Side note: this is Emily's desk, it fits her personality perfectly... note the ukulele in the stained glass window.  Does she play?  No, it's just something beautiful she found at the toy store where she works.  She works at a toy store!  Can I tell you how many times I've told her that when I grow up I want to be just like her?)

This picture above her desk is the photographer's daughter with a candy cigarette.  Part irreverence, part beauty, totally Emily!

Em also loves making.  With a student's tight budget she has outfitted her home in lots of handmade goodness.

So as a thank you for opening up her world to me for the weekend I left her a little handmade goodness of my own.

Saturday morning she and her adorable roommie, Katherine, made me breakfast.

Which consisted of Em snipping a few fresh herbs from her rooftop garden and whipping up something from their CSA box.  Cuteness overload!

All I had to do was sit back and sip some tea while they worked away on this masterpiece.  A breakfast veggie hash.  You can find the recipe on their blog, it has single handedly (if hash's had hands) made me a brussels sprout fan!

Then we did a little exploring around the city... Em's seminary, her toy store, her favorite lunch spot (with juicy burgers, homemade ketchup and homemade ice cream... be still my pregnant heart!), oh yeah, and one of St. Louis' only touristy things... the arch!

We also toured the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis with it's towering mosaics.  I think the space is the largest use of mosaics in the world.

We began our friendship because I was Emily's Bible study leader while she was in high school.  She gave me the excuse to build forts, dress up like Mary Kate and Ashley for our Bible study theme nights, watch Anne of Green Gables and color in coloring books.  Now she's the one who has challenged and inspired a new group of high school girls to love Jesus.  I love that He brought us together right after I started dating Kyle and now she has walked right beside me through a marriage, two (and a half) kids and yet another eventful pregnancy.  I am so thankful for you, Em!

I didn't want to leave St. Louis because for a weekend I kicked off my shoes and went back in time with my friend.  I left the cares and concerns of looming doctors appointments and ultrasounds and I had the opportunity to relax and refresh.  I was inspired and renewed.  I love that God gives us friends who can do that... point us back to Him and remind us of His promises!

And so with a great visit under my belt,  I'll tie my shoes, pack a lunch and remember, we're all in this together!  Thanks Emily.  I love being in this together with you!

The Habit of Seeing

A started reading another book last night.  (All of this reading, sheesh, you'd think it were one of my New Year's goals or something!)  This total gem of a book is called The Gentle Art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket (see link on the left).  I want to share with you a quote from the book about what she calls, "The Habit of Seeing" along with a picture I took from one of one of my many trips to the Flea Market.

"We must learn to sift through the mass of stimuli we encounter every day and to focus on what inspires us as individuals and, in doing so, create a way of seeing, a way of being receptive to inspiration."

"One thing that sets creative people apart is that they have all aquired the habit of being receptive to inspiration, actively seeking it or even simply recognizing it."

-Jane Brocket The Gentle Art of Domesticity

• What inspires you?  Great color combinations, music, photographs, paintings, books, movies?  
• What's holding you back from being creative?  Try something new!  The only way to learn is to give it a try!