tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29229225291045638212024-11-01T05:35:24.059-05:00a collection of recollectionsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-89290507357753187762013-06-20T22:46:00.000-05:002013-06-20T22:50:47.835-05:00

I won't pretend that I haven't posted in almost exactly a year. It's sad and somewhat shameful. But it really has been such a busy time in life that I have purposely avoided sitting in front of my computer unless I absolutely have to. I'm sad to not have recorded all the wonderful (and not so wonderful) things over the last year, but realize that I am a limited human being who just can't

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-38445263668708868572012-05-24T12:40:00.000-05:002012-05-24T12:40:53.833-05:00

We've been visiting family in Atlanta for the past two weeks and there have been lots of "bloggable moments" that I'm hoping to get to eventually. One such event was a quick thrifting outing with my dad who also shares the love of finding hidden treasures and bargains. We had been looking for a moment to steal away together to hit the charity stores down here since there's quite a few of them!

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-45950212823446241482012-05-14T00:06:00.000-05:002012-05-14T00:06:57.384-05:00

All week, Ella has been ducking into her room to work on her "project." We'd finish school in the early afternoon, and then she would disappear each day for at least two to three hours at a time. She kept things top secret, though I could tell she was very, very excited about what she was working on and that it was hard not to unveil it prematurely. Then, on Saturday, the day before Mother's Day

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-4591915201327741072012-05-08T00:37:00.000-05:002012-05-08T00:43:32.500-05:00

A bit ago I gave you the back story on some of Josie's health issues which included symptoms of arthritis. I mentioned in that post that I had plans to meet with a homeopathic practice to investigate if diet could be part of her problem, a possibility that the rheumatologists didn't seem interested in checking out and pretty much told me that diet has nothing to do with arthritis. Just so you

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-25276372719518431362012-04-12T22:45:00.000-05:002012-04-12T23:03:53.670-05:00

Bryan (and various helpers!) are making loads of progress on the treehouse! The floor is finished, the ladder is built and walls are going up! We picked paint swatches to try to make it look purposeful up next to the rest of the structures in our yard and hopefully, to not annoy our neighbors with a gawdy box in our big tree. I'm so impressed with the way it's shaping up and also at how

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-79357120293686471252012-03-31T21:50:00.003-05:002012-04-12T23:03:42.739-05:00

Last weekend we were out in our back yard hanging out when I scanned the scene, taking inventory of projects that needed to be tackled to spruce up the place. I concluded that the overall picture was sad and neglected. As I mentally perused the landscape, my eyes rested on the huge sycamore right next to the back of the house and I commented nonchalantly, "Ya know...it would be kind of cool to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-50031817106478062812012-03-24T11:01:00.000-05:002012-03-24T11:01:11.123-05:00

Remember the scripture in the Bible where Jesus tells us we can't serve both God and money? Well the same goes for loving children and loving fancy vintage furniture. I know that's what Jesus really meant, right? I've been on a whirlwind vintage kick lately and in the midst of finding some amazing deals on gorgeous unique things, I've sold much of our old furniture which always seemed too big

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-91624838071014204132012-03-23T22:37:00.001-05:002012-03-23T22:38:10.398-05:00

Today was a bit of a scattered day...I was meant to take Josie to her quarterly eye appointment (it is recommended she be examined every three months as a preventative measure for a rare complication called iritis that sometimes occurs in JIA patients) but the doctor was out due to a death in the family. So, while I was in the neighborhood, I made a quick thrifting stop at Salvation Army (one of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-10335005367129268752012-03-20T23:18:00.000-05:002012-03-20T23:18:57.818-05:00

Overnight I am stunned by how the kids are growing, maturing and becoming more independent. I can't even count how many times I think to myself, especially about Ella, "Are you really only 7 and a 1/2? Really??" It's not only the way she talks, but it's her natural interest in contributing and being a part of things. As I mentioned in my previous post, bedtime with Josie can be a long process

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-78353767675412328042012-03-18T22:47:00.000-05:002012-03-18T22:47:58.833-05:00

I've always struggled to sleep train our kids, though, I feel like I sort of figured out what works in a decent amount of time with the first two kids. Both of them seemed to get their major issues settled by about 14 months and were in their own beds, sleeping through the night and not really getting up or making too much fuss at bedtime or during the night. Back then, I felt like I wasn't a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-72285186221849498902012-03-18T22:18:00.000-05:002012-03-18T22:18:51.163-05:00

Spring hasn't even started and it's felt like summer the past week! I don't know whether to feel thankful or afraid for what the real summer holds... In honor of the balmy weather, Bryan took Simon on an overnight camping trip with Uncle Dwight and cousin Cody. It's a dude's getaway with fishing and campfires, mud and junk food. Probably a ride on some ATVs too. I like it when Bryan spends

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-40260414199091229412012-02-22T11:33:00.000-06:002012-02-22T11:33:37.961-06:00

I am shuffling from room to room, tidying and sorting through papers. How do we end up with so many papers?? Probably because the kids are constantly doodling, and Ella is always writing notes. I stumbled across this sweet little poem she penned around Valentines day on a small stack of post-its and wanted to record it before I inevitably toss it out. :p Too many papers! The I Love You BookI

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-63537910779985960442012-02-21T21:27:00.000-06:002012-02-21T21:27:41.548-06:00

We visit Trader Joe's every Monday without fail and oftentimes the kids pick up the coloring sheets they have at the checkout counter. Sometimes they color them, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they color them and the artwork sits by our front door, forgotten each time we're on our way until they have expired from the coloring contest. Just after the new year, Simon colored his coloring sheet

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-16035885384797374402012-02-04T22:39:00.000-06:002012-03-23T23:09:03.770-05:00

If you know me, or have visited my house, you know I love aged things: music, art, housewares, linens, whatever. I much prefer the character and story that vintage items innately possess, and really appreciate finding beauty in things that most people want to discard or "upgrade." I've tried my hand at selling some things on Etsy, and had some success with what little I listed, but found I just

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-2117063508387378282012-02-04T22:05:00.001-06:002012-02-04T22:49:42.926-06:00

Josie is very independent. She much prefers doing things on her own, I suppose that's part of being two now. It's so funny to see the clothes she puts on. We have to keep the folded laundry out of reach because she pulls things out, one by one, strips herself down, and tries to wear all the new stuff one on top of the other. Here's the progression the other day: Rocking the outfit Ok,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-64549708797713483422012-02-04T21:46:00.001-06:002012-02-04T22:07:39.658-06:00

I'm not sure what to pin it on, but between travels and special occasions, visitors, or a to-do lists, we haven't had a bona fide family day in a good while. Having stayed out late visiting some friends last night, we started things right today by sleeping in till after 9 (most of us, at least.) Simon didn't change out of his pajamas all day long, and even after a bath at the end of the day, he

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-71169141910015955342012-01-15T23:56:00.000-06:002012-03-23T23:09:20.168-05:00

January 12 was a momentous day! Josie turned two, can you believe it? She's growing up and leaving behind the baby stage. It's always sad to say goodbye to the baby stage, but oh so fun to explore what lies ahead as kids develop into their own little people. Her birthday started out with a magical dusting of snow! It was very pretty, though it seemed to throw all of St. Louis to a halt. We

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-37222061576409379862012-01-15T23:23:00.000-06:002012-03-23T23:09:28.128-05:00

January 12 was Josie's big birthday. And that's what I really want to post about. But there's a lot of behind the scenes information that you need to know. It was full of happy moments, and also, not-your-normal kind-of-birthday moments. I haven't posted anything about some of the health stuff that's been going on with Josie over the last several months because, I guess I just didn't feel up to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-37392721852355885932012-01-02T21:00:00.002-06:002012-01-02T21:04:51.302-06:00

There is so much to update since Thanksgiving that I feel overwhelmed. This has been an eventful time. With lots of friends and family visits, Christmas excitement and thrills, health issues (another post needed here) and just general cuteness, there doesn't seem time to sit down and recount it all. So, in the interest of capturing a glimpse, I'll settle for a quick top ten of this particular

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-77116470549546494162011-11-26T22:53:00.000-06:002011-11-26T22:53:05.577-06:00

Our Thanksgiving holiday always involves time with my dad and siblings. For the past four or five years, they have traveled to be with us at our place and we share a huge feast, play games, visit some sort of local spot of interest like the City Museum, Magic House, Powder Valley, or a local park depending on the weather. This year, we mainly focused on spending time together at the house or at

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-14871896425919952682011-11-10T22:21:00.001-06:002011-11-11T12:24:36.921-06:00

As usual, I have fallen behind in keeping track of all the little milestones and sweet sayings around here. But I don't feel too bad as I've been busy "living life" with these guys. Sometimes getting on my computer feels like more of a drain than productive and helpful. But there are a few notables so I thought I'd pause a moment to scratch them down. I think I can make the statement that Simon

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-80146331051284506972011-10-05T22:53:00.000-05:002011-10-05T22:53:11.673-05:00

Whenever we go on a trip of any kind, Ella is known to "pack a bag." Even on a trip to Target or to the grocery store, she has to have some kind of little something to entertain herself like a book or activity of some sort. Sometimes it's a pain because the unpacking doesn't always happen AFTER the trip so there are often shoulder bags full of books, crayons and toys at various spots in the house

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-73483784671020488392011-09-10T23:31:00.000-05:002011-09-10T23:31:46.547-05:00

Today was family day and what a great day we had together! We started with a lazy breakfast, coffee and cartoons, then dressed ourselves for a walk in the woods. We visited Powder Valley which is a favorite place of ours for walking because the path is a "doable" distance for each of us, fully shaded, brimming with woodland creature like deer who are very used to people in their space, and lots

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-57721517501388918442011-08-07T21:51:00.000-05:002011-08-07T21:51:02.084-05:00

Tonight in Simon's bed, instead of automatically praying for him, I asked him if he'd like to pray. He asked, "What should I pray for? Do we know anybody who is sick?" I said, "I'm a little sick. I think I have a cold." So he agreed and then asked, "What else?" I racked my brain for what needs might resonate most with him and remembered the stories on the news about severe famine in Somalia,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2922922529104563821.post-59096301526517712192011-06-10T22:49:00.000-05:002011-06-10T22:49:26.976-05:00

You might recall when I told you about the new devotional book we've started? I mentioned that here. Well, it's already had an impact. Each lesson is about ten minutes and it starts with a short scripture reading and then is followed by some explanation and engaging Q&A. The first couple of lessons begin with creation, which Simon has also recently learned about in a Sunday school class. You

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0