Jewels of Truth

How to Love Winter {After Christmas is Over}

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 20:38:00 +0000

My Christmas tree has been down for ages and now there is a winter storm looming so it seems like a good day to share this! I used to love winter because it meant snow and that meant snow removal job and that meant extra money! But I have always loved Christmas and stubbornly held onto the festive decorations as long as possible (*cough*oncekeptthetreeupuntilMarch*cough*). Undecorating is always a sad time, especially here in the Northeast USA where winter lingers for three more months after Christmas is over and yet we don't have the twinkling Christmas lights to cheer us up.

So I have spent much time lately contemplating my plan on how to love this season of winter and not just endure until the end. Of March. Or April. Or May. Or whenever green appears next. I want to winter to be on my list of favorite things-- along with spring, summer and fall. Because I am aiming to enjoy, to savor, to delight in every moment of the life that God gives. Even in blustering, cold winter weather that He provides.

So here are some of my thoughts on Loving Winter {After Christmas is Over}

Go Outside Every Day
I have my favorite adventurous homeschooling family blogger to thank for this concept. I don't know how long ago I read her blog about getting outside every day, but this is the first year that I am taking it seriously, and trying to remove all obstacles to this getting-outside-everyday resolution. I know all the benefits (natural light! Vitamin D! fresh air! immunities! happiness!) and am using them as mental weapons to knock down the lame excuses when the thermometer dips further and further down.

My father's sensible words always echo many times over during wintertime, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices." To translate this into my language --- wear lots of layers! And a hat! And gloves! And warm boots! Make a life where you have the extra five or ten (or twenty, if the little boy doesn't understand how to put his little thumbs in mittens yet) minutes to dress appropriately, because it will lead to an enjoyably brisk-yet-wonderful outdoor adventure.

Slow Down & Stay In
While it seems like I am writing the complete opposite of what I just said, it all makes sense when one realizes that you can't stay outside forever, even if you're dressed appropriately. And a long winter's walk is even better when looking forward to those winter evenings where darkness falls early and there's nowhere to go and nothing to do but stay in. It is those moments when gratefulness abounds. For our squeaky old cottage with the winter-insulated windows and warm slippers and furry throws that we snuggle into. For old movies to watch and instrumental music and a singing teakettle that makes steaming tea to warm our souls. After the busyness of Christmas, we need a rest. And our winter months provide the perfect solution.

Get Cozy on Purpose
I stumbled onto an article about the Danish concept of "hygge" and am so intrigued by the concept. Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is a Danish word that doesn't fully translate into English. It means "coziness" (or as the Brits spell it, "cosiness") and yet hygge means so much more. It is defined by some as "the absence of anything annoying or emotionally overwhelming; taking pleasure from the presence of gentle, soothing things." It is lingering over dinner with friends. It is flickering candlelight and hot drinks. It is warm duvets and cozy sweaters. It is burrowing down and being comfortable and yes, experiencing coziness to the nth degree. Hygge is one of the reasons that Denmark is consistently voted one of the happiest countries in the world. Because in the dark, cold months, Danes are enjoying time with each other and enjoying comforts themselves instead of falling into the failing-at-New-Years-resolutions-and-therefore-going-crazy-with-self-criticism-and-in-general-being-miserable. So yes, hygge is a concept that I can (and will) embrace. Because to me, it sounds like the best parts of Christmas will be lasting until spring.

Candlelight (And Other Flames)
Candles bring warmth and movement and soft warm lighting into the cold wintertime. I adore the Christmas tree mostly because of the instant ambiance it creates. Now I am lighting a few candles before sitting down to dinner or evening quiet time (in the interest of safety, I don't light candles in a room where there isn't a responsible adult, I always keep them out of the child's reach and I extinguish them when I leave the room). I may move on to flameless candles, too, for extra safety. The flameless surprise has been how much we enjoy turning on the crackling fireplace (Yule Log) using Amazon Prime/Roku/the TV. Cue all the warm fuzzy feelings.

Cook Seasonally... Because Nobody Likes Salad When It's Zero Degrees Outside
Steaming soups so brothy and filling that your belly is full and your face is smiling. Root vegetables roasted until crispy and bursting with natural sweetness. Flash-steamed vegetables with a dash of garlic salt and olive oil and serving piping hot. Warm grain salads with savory bacon stirred in for flavor... All the delicious, delightful things that nobody wants in the summer, but taste like ambrosia and heaven and fluffy clouds during the winter. I think we tent to gravitate to warm, filling foods during the winter and yet our brains fight against it because we think, "DIET! RAW CARROTS! SALAD! ICE WATER." And then our poor conflicted bodies don't know what to eat. This year, I am planning healthy (warm) things to cook and believing that what our bodies crave is what we need.

Enjoy Time with Friends and Family
The holiday season is chock-full of gatherings with loved ones. Then we enter solitary winter mode and wonder why our happiness level dips drastically. So gather! Congregate! Party! Feast! Hygge! If you don't have an excuse to gather, make one up! Game nights, football viewing, dinner parties, appetizers and desserts, gather with a girlfriend to do home manicures, read a book aloud, try a new recipe and invite a few folks over to taste-test. Bring out the old games like Jenga and Monopoly and the tough games like Risk and the silly group games like Blurt and Charades. And if there's no time for spending time with your loved ones... get unbusy. Life is better that way.

Practice Contentment (i.e. stop looking at beach vacation pics on the internet, yo)
It's so much easier to love what you've got when you're not busy staring at what you don't. This applies to so many things in life, but whenever you see that you don't have any beach trips planned this month (nothing wrong with the occasional ocean sojourn!), there comes a building joy and delight in winter-y things. Snowflakes and fur hats and hot chocolate and icy beauty. It's a different joy than summer joy, but it is still wonderful.

Winter is lovely... I hope you enjoy discovering its delights this week!

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:00:00 +0000

A friendly reminder to myself - in my silly, injured state (cut my thumb doing chores and now have five stitches and a non-workable thumb) - and to all the mama friends trying to make Christmas magical for their families.. don't be a Grinch in the process.

Slow down. Take a breath. Maybe five minutes. Turn off the lights and stare at the Christmas tree. Kiss your husband (maybe twice). Remember the last funny thing your child(ren) did. Laugh out loud. Drink some tea. Forget about the commercials and self-induced anxiety of too-high expectations.

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

A Birthday Hike on Mount Nittany

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 17:12:00 +0000

On my 33rd birthday, I woke to an early morning text invitation... to go hike Mount Nittany with my sister (a homeschooling mama) + her four little girls, plus their friends (also homeschoolers). It would seem that I had a choice to make -- I could do the planned birthday thing... which, truth be told, was no plan at all during the daytime hours. Because when one grows up, chores still need to be done on birthdays and the husband still goes to work and the baby still needs to eat and drink and nap all the same.

After waffling back and forth for about one minute, I decided to gallivant. Throw caution to the wind. Pack up the baby and go for a ramble in the woods. Why not? My early-November birthday coincided with one of the last warm days of autumn, and the temperature was projected to reach the mid-70s. How could I possibly stay inside during that?

Our hiking adventure began mid-morning. All the youngest people were strapped to the backs of three mamas, including my dear sweet Devereaux. It always makes me feel a little like I can do anything when hiking through the woods with a baby on me. Maybe it's the sweet taste of independence or the feeling of physical power or maybe it is simply the fact that I often wear Devereaux when outside, so in my brain, I associate it with fresh air and the shivers of wonder that come from God's creation.

Baby on back, (real) camera slung over my shoulder and we hike on.

I am so glad that I made the decision to take the camera, for I made an important discovery. The golden hour - that wonderful time of soft light and golden glow - extends to almost all day when you're in the forest. I spent most of my time looking up into the rustling trees and down into the fallen leaves and around at the varied colors of leaves still clinging to branches.

Nature was alive and beautiful and if you can't tell, I've been rereading all my favorite books from the great, descriptive authoress: L.M. Montgomery and that makes me the best mixture of sentimental and observant when it comes to experiencing nature.

We reached the first overlook after roughly 45 minutes of hiking. It was steep, but doable, but the view of Happy Valley was SO VERY WORTH the effort. The overlook was the perfect place for resting and picnicking.

Note: I love how willing kids are to ask questions, even though their curiosity required me to think deeply about the meaning of the word "pristine."

Through our little lunchtime mountaintop picnic, I focused on keeping Devereaux from eating too many leaves and wondering where he threw his teething biscuit. Also, hiking works up a good appetite!

My sister is an explorer in her own right, and she also has the privilege of owning two delightful dogs that love to explore, too. A Golden Retriever and a Bernese Mountain dog. While I keep telling myself that I WILL NOT GET A DOG YET (for a myriad of practical reasons), it doesn't keep me from enjoying some of the quality-of-life benefits to hiking with her dogs. Dogs are just downright happy about being outside which makes me happy, and (if they are well-trained, as these two are) they can be off-leash and hiking happily down the trail in front of you without disappearing, waiting at the perfect intervals for you to catch up. And last-but-not-least, having BIG dogs makes one feel safer, because even if they are nice, sweet, happy dogs... they are also madly devoted to their family, so other folks tend to approach with caution and not try any funny business.

I should stop talking about dogs, because then I'll start thinking about it too much and... I just like dogs.

We headed onward to the next overlook. It became more of a "walk" than a "hike" because we were hiking along the mountain's ridge, so it was easier to engage in conversation. Though the leaf cover was thicker on the ground and children dragged their feet in delight, so all we heard was the surprisingly loud RUSTLE RUSTLE of leaves. And even so, Devereaux fell fast asleep while on my back and napped for the next half hour or so.

They helped me by picking up interesting leaves so I could take pictures of them!

At the second overlook, we were faced with a (literal) fork in the road. A choice to be made. Would we return to the first overlook and go back the same way we came? It was shorter, but steeper--so we thought. The other choice was to go down the longer trail, which was supposed to be "rocky" but was longer so we thought less steep and easier for mamas with hiking backpacks.

We took an informal vote, but in hiking, democracy only goes so far. The dissenters were overruled by the mamas carrying little ones on their backs and we decided to head down the long way. The initial uproar was quelled by the perfectly-timed mention of what was happening after hiking: ICE CREAM! My years of enduring hours of cold snow-removal for the promise of a hot meal have taught me that there is nothing wrong with looking forward to some short-term gratification of the food variety!

The next hour was a wee bit difficult. The terrain was very rocky, surprisingly steep and also covered by many leaves, so finding good footing without losing balance was difficult. I was living in fear of tumbling down the mountainside (with a baby on my back) or at the very least, smashing my camera. Neither of those things happened... so we could assume that my fears were unfounded --- or perhaps, they just caused me to be reasonably cautious (all fear is not bad. There's a life lesson for ya!).

Eventually, the trail became a flat road and we knew that we were nearing the end. I would sum up with this; it was a glorious hike and therefore, a glorious birthday. I was reminiscing about the time that I hiked Mounte LeConte in the Great Smokies with my dad... on my 23rd birthday. So I guess I should do memorable hikes more often than once every ten years? It is a good birthday tradition.

The hiking adventure was crowned with eating a deliciously melting huge hot fudge sundae with chocolate-marshmallow ice cream in the afternoon sunlight. Happy birthday to me!

Rainy Day Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 12:25:00 +0000

It has been a rainy week and a half in the soul for me. Many hours spent holding a sick, not-so-sick and then just plain teething baby (tooth #6 has appeared!). Days filled with doing the right thing by postponing social engagements and then wondering why I am not getting anything else done. Yesterday, the babe was happier and I reorganized the pantry cupboards as part of our ongoing struggle against a little mouse crusader who thinks he should have a home in Sunnyside Cottage. The answer is no. Friendly mice with good manners only appear in books.

I do appreciate rainy days for how much they lend themselves to thinking. The steady thrumming of raindrops on our tin roof turns my thoughts into dreams and principles and deep meditations. I feel like the weightier things of life are easier to grasp on rainy days.

So I have been thinking on things like hospitality and family values and what we need to be happy. Considering the concept of giving kindness to strangers and what that means and what is my motivations (selfish or unselfish?) and how to receive gratefully. I felt this concept keenly a few days ago. While in a retail store, a young woman approached me while I was holding Devereaux and looking at a baby winter hats. She smiled, took a single pink rose from the bouquet in her hands and said, "for you." I was stunned and simply said, "thank you." And then I smiled for the next hour. I didn't question why she gave me a rose. I just accepted it for what it was --- kindness freely given. And I was challenged by this gesture to a complete stranger.

Kindness to strangers is a concept demonstrated throughout Scripture.

Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers,

3 John 1:5

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:2

Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

1 Timothy 5:10

As a perspective-shifter for those given to the season of mothering little ones right now, this passage of Scripture is talking about the qualifications of a widow - what her good works throughout life looked like... and the FIRST thing listed, "if she brought up children." This is simply an encouragement, less we forget that motherhood is a holy calling and the home is a sacred place in which ministry happens. Sometimes that ministry includes and extends to strangers.

Photos from our rainy Saturday at the cabin.

Falling Leaves Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Hold those memories. Clutch them tightly. Fasten them in your heart like a chain of gold. They are precious, treasured, invaluable.

I am trying to experience life and not just live through it. In this fast-paced world of getting-ahead and this motherhood season of getting-by, I am focusing on getting it.... getting the memories, the smiles, the laughs, the heart-joy of looking into my loved ones' eyes and connecting. Living, loving, receiving life as the wonderful gift that it is.

A few weekends ago, we travelled up to Potter County (a.k.a. "God's Country") for some autumn-esque fun. We like to follow the foliage as it changes throughout Pennsylvania, so it was a perfectly-timed trip. The backroads were lined with vibrant hue of scarlet, orange, gold. Trees wearing their coats of many colors and us breathless with the view... and also with the chilly not-quite-50-degree weather.

Pumpkin fritters, apple donuts and a dear little Devereaux who prefers to eat the fallen leaves.

We supported the local 4-Hers with our contribution of two quarters. Though perhaps we got more than our money's worth, because the little girl volunteered that Devereaux was small enough to ride on the donkey. There was loud donkey protesting which was alarming and hilarious at the same time.

Taking refuge from the cold wind, we found ourselves in Olga's Café & Gallery... an absolutely delightful artistic restaurant owned by an artist & her husband. While we only ordered coffee to warm our insides, I did find a time to snap a photographer's selfie AND look in awe at the two-story wooden architecture and profusion of art gifts.

Strolling about town, we were drawn to yet another art gallery (I may be strongly considering dabbling in oils).

You know, one doesn't need much time to make lasting memories. I think I will always remember this day.... the long drive through autumn forests proudly swaying with limbs of glory, bundling Devereaux into his winter coat for the first time, chomping on steaming Polish sausage sandwiches, chatting with locals about their arts & crafts wares, strolling through the little town of Coudersport, coffee that saves us from certain frozenness, leaves that flutter down upon our heads and the warmth of our family conversation drawing us closer and closer.

End of Summer Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:53:00 +0000

After our planned vacation-week-in-the-mountains was cancelled in lieu of meetings with Brandon's advisor (not that I'm complaining, we got a graduate assistantship out of it!), we decided to reschedule for a short-n-sweet Labor Day weekend at the cabin.

I am learning to adjust my expectations for vacation to simply rest, read and spend time together.... And that's exactly what we did. Lots and lots of nothing (well, except when my parents came to visit and Brandon & my dad decided to bike all over creation. They do that for fun.).

We introduced Devereaux to walking in nature and my obsession with putting my feet in cold water. It may be something that I just learned to do at my very first job as a "water girl" in a local greenhouse. Through the hottest days of summer, I learned that to keep cool, one must keep one's head and feet cool. And the easiest way to keep one's feet cool --- put them in water.

I adore wading in little creeks. Devereaux was slightly unsure, which was probably related to the water's iciness. But he quickly 'warmed' to the idea.

I have a new favorite place: the local country store that sells ice cream (we visited twice!) and glass bottle soda. So refreshing.

Or just be like Devereaux and drink daddy's water. FULL FACE DRINKING.

Sigh-inducing mountain vistas make me glad that we are here in Pennsylvania.

Though if you pay attention to the signage, you might be alarmed by the mountainous terrain. (I think someone messed up the installation of that sign!)

This is where I start singing that song, "Take me home, country road, to the place I belong."

Shakespeare in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 01:46:00 +0000

I feel like I'm trying fervently to get "caught up" on blogging... but I'm sure my various readers (comment if you read!) don't care how long ago these events are from, just as long as I post interesting pictures. AMIRIGHT?

Technically, this fun little afternoon outing happened almost two weeks ago. I consider it our inaugural "welcome back to the little town of Bellefonte!" adventure.

It was a beautiful day. Clouds suspended in blue skies. A slight summer breeze. And the capstone? Devereaux wasn't quite ready for naptime, and he was still happy! Perfect attitude for strolling from our little cottage to the park for some classy family entertainment of Shakespeare in the Park.

First, we watched the attempts at Shakespearean dancing. There were jokes and silliness and even the volunteers did surprisingly well. I spent my time thinking that it is no wonder that Shakespeare people didn't go to the gym, they were too busy running around the dance floor. It was not for the faint-hearted (or out of shape!).

We found an empty spot in the grass (without too many rogue ducks) to enjoy the show.

It was a strange, silly, and sometimes laugh-out-loud humorous take on many of Shakespeare's works. There were pop culture references (Star Wars!) that had even Brandon smirking.

Side note: This is where Brandon tried to take our picture and Devereaux grabbed at the camera, which fell down on my leg and gave me such a nasty bruise (it's a quality camera) that I actually put make-up on it.

While I fake-pouted in pain, Daddy & Devereaux had some fun.

It was the people-watching that was the most entertaining. I kept trying to figure out who was with the theatrical troupe and who just happened to arrive at our local park in costumes they had lying around the house.

There were various children-friendly activities (FREE) going on, but we didn't participate because Devereaux isn't quite old enough to appreciate those things. I was lobbying for a cool balloon hat until Brandon told me horror stories about kids choking on broken bits of balloons. Aaaaaaand no more big ideas of cute pictures of Devereaux encased in hats made of plastic.

A Maypole? What? Is it May? Are there poles about?

It was a delightful afternoon excursion. Favorite part: the surprisingly fantastic flute-playing... I thought it was a recording! And while I still think Shakespeare was a wee bit crazy, those plays are worth a few laughs anyway.

No-Churn Cookie Dough Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 10:00:00 +0000

At what point does a love for ice cream become a $10/week Ben & Jerry's habit? When one goes to Texas, that's when. We decided that we would kick the Ben & Jerry's habit (just after an ice cream stop at an actual Ben & Jerry's store on Brandon's birthday! Convenient!) going into the next semester, but we would need some other options.

The problem is that we cannot keep ice cream in the house on a long-term basis, because someone (me) finds it too tempting for afternoon snacks. So the answer is to make ice cream when we want it! Though the must-freeze-overnight order keeps me from making it every single day.

I was pleasantly surprised by this no-churn ice cream. I was suspicious of the no-churn trend, because we all know that Pinterest lies! LIES! Just because something looks like something else doesn't mean it tastes like the thing it looks like (you follow me?). But this ice cream was delicious! It is a little denser than regular ice cream (maybe because it doesn't get air churned into it?), but it is sweet and creamy and the cookie dough balls were absolutely delicious. Makes me wanna eat cookie dough right now.

No Churn Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Adapted from Munchie Pie and Cupcakes & Kale Chips
4 servings (or less, if you're me)

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips + a few extra for garnish
1 pint heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 14.5 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Place large metal or glass bowl in freezer to chill.
2. In small bowl, mash butter into brown sugar and sugar with fork until very well combined. Add milk and vanilla and mix. Add flour and mix just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Put in refrigerator to chill.
3. In chilled bowl, use hand mixer to beat whipping cream to soft peaks.
4. Fold in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Pour into freezable container.
5. Add cookie dough in TINY balls to ice cream mixture.
6. Freeze overnight.
7. Scoop with ice cream scoop and garnish with extra chocolate chips!

Family 4-Hers at the Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:00:00 +0000

One of the things that I am not taking for granted anymore is proximity to family. Spending a summer in Arkansas, a summer in Texas and then the possibility of living far away has caused me to grab ahold of every moment I can with little nieces and nephews and sisters and brothers and mom and dad and everybody! Now we are happy that we are here for awhile longer and so our last few weeks have been filled with family adventures!

We live in central Pennsylvania and the county fair is a big deal. My sister happens to live just over the county line, so the little nieces enter their projects and animals and collections into a smaller fair (nothing wrong with that! Higher odds of winning, says mathematical Uncle Brandon!).

The nieces get color-coded shirts so their mommy can see them better in big crowds... and Devereaux just so happened to match them perfectly!

Our main event was watching the little parade where the oldest niece would be walking with a group of other 4-Hers... dressed as chickens! Devereaux is highly suspicious of this. Eventually, he warmed to the idea. That may have been about the time his cousin offered him a lick of her lollipop. He also enthusiastically accepted her gift of a water bottle. What can I say? They get along great.

Here comes the parade!

This kid across the way had such a great view!

We had to go see the exhibits!
Uncle Brandon was especially interested in the niece's rock collection! BLUE RIBBON TIME!

And the mini tea set collection thrilled my pseudo-British-tea-drinking self. ANOTHER BLUE RIBBON!

There were no live chickens being shown in fairs around the state of Pennsylvania and this was very sad, but bird flu problems had a positive (creative) result. The oldest niece dreamed up this chicken game: "Trouble: The Chicken Version." SO inventive (YES, THAT'S A BLUE RIBBON! AND YES, I SAVE MY ALL-CAPS FOR PROUD AUNTIE MOMENTS!)

The fair was small, but what a fun atmosphere... and they definitely win on the "space for nursing mamas" front. They had a baby comfort room! With a changing table! And a rocker! And space for babies to play! I was super-duper impressed.

Later, we headed over to the pavilion inhabited by many 4-Hers where a spontaneous bout of bunny-jumping was going on!

This is Cor, the Bunny Prince. (Narnian pet names also exist in their household).

Devereaux met the bunny and was more impressed by his auntie's cowboy hat.

Bunning Jumping!

Our little fair afternoon excursion ended with some delicious ice cream. Because there is no other way to end a day at the fair. Support your local ice cream makers! And 4-Hers! And small-town fairs! Because that's where the fun is.

Kangaroo Parenting and an Important Date

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 10:00:00 +0000

I was reading a book to Devereaux a few days ago and learned an important fact. Baby kangaroos ("joeys") stay in their mama's pouch for nine months after birth. They eat and grow and hang out with mama very, very closely. Also, as I was reading more about kangaroos, I learned that sometimes when a joey is frightened, it jumps back into its mama's pouch headfirst. :) Cue the "aaaaaaws" and that totally reminds me of what Devereaux does in crowded places when he buries his head in my shoulder!

This is important, because our Devereaux just turned nine months old.... and we went on a real date! Without our little third wheel! He stayed with Grandma, who fed him snacks and made him giggle with real giggles by saying "uh-oh!" over and over. We didn't really think about the timing of it, but it seemed to work out perfectly and I laughed.

So I am adopting the term "kangaroo parenting" as my parenting philosophy. Because it's super-cute.

Also, just a few photos to mark the occasion.

Mind. Blown.

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 15:57:00 +0000

I used to think being married to a man with a master's degree would be the coolest thing ever. I could say "I am married to a master!" Only a Jedi-Master would be cooler.... okay, not really. But now, I'm thinking that being married to a doctor would be greatest! Not a medical doctor. No, sir. A doctor of science in earth and mineral engineering.

Stop.
Be Amazed.
My husband is a genius.

I hope you're laughing. Actually, I am not really talking about how amazing my husband is (although I tell him that all the time, because I am his wife and his biggest fan and best friend and my love compels me to be honest and tell him all those wonderful words). I am really writing this blog entry to talk about how awesome God is and how He is working in our lives.

Our plans took a major shift in the last two weeks. We arrived home resigned to the idea that we would have one more year of college (technically, only eight months) and then a piece of paper stating that Brandon had his bachelor's & master's degrees in petroleum & natural gas engineering. And then we would go out into the wide world of the oil industry. And Brandon would pursue his Ph.D. in his spare time wherever we were living.

Then our anticipated job was not happening.
But within 48 hours of one particular job not happening, Brandon had a random conversation with his advisor about research topics for his master's thesis that just happened to open the door for him doing some serious post-doctorate level research... and here's the amazing part: GETTING PAID FOR IT. I believe the words used about this opportunity were "extremely rare." I have heard several times over the last few years that getting an assistantship (i.e. being paid to do your research for master's degree) is nigh impossible in that department. There were just too many coincidences to be coincidences... In looking back over our four year marriage, we often say that "God hasn't failed us yet" and it is so true. God has always been faithful to lead us through the winding path of life, while providing for our needs in truly unique ways.

In this provision of an assistantship -- that starts right now, not even next year when Brandon technically begins Phd work, our minds are blown.

So we have been busy adjusting. Walking around our Victorian town and adjusting.. adjusting our minds to at least three (maybe five to seven) years in education for doctorate and post-doctorate research. Adjusting our budget to living on an assistantship income (think: very, very, very, very frugal). Adjusting our time expectations to be able to build our life together as a family, and to live well in this season.

This is craziness, but we are so thankful.

PS - We are also super-happy to be back in our own little house. One does not appreciate a tiny three-bedroom OLD house until one lives in a one bedroom condo for three months. Now I am thankful every time I turn around. I love our front porch! I love that we don't have neighbors in our walls! I love my kitchen! I love my backyard! I love everything!

And I love Pennsylvania. Even though Texas was really great, too. ;)

Pensive Play {Captures in Black & White}

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 10:00:00 +0000

In my thoughts of late? Creativity. As evidenced by my lengthy ramblings last week. My thoughts have turned to action now. I am re-thinking my approach to creativity and growing in creativity. That personal growth can be simply keeping a few photography education blogs in my blogroll (instead of scrolling through facebook so often. WIN WIN).

I watched a documentary on Vivian Maier and it got me thinking. Vivian Maier was a woman who worked as a nanny in Chicago in the 1950s, 60s and beyond. She used all her spare time to photograph. Thousands upon thousands of frames. And the most impactful aspect of her life is that she never showed her photography to anyone. It was only a personal pursuit. She did it for the love of her craft. That concept of right motivation can apply to so many things.

In any case, I've been shooting in black & white more lately and it is just intriguing.

Gallivanting in Galveston Island

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 11:00:00 +0000

There's nothing quite like sipping on a black coffee to remind you how wonderful sweet coffee is. This is also similar to reflecting on a good weekend early on a grey Monday morning. We had a pleasant weekend filled with staying home (mostly) and relaxing. Homemade pizza and watching the Tour de France and swimming at the community pool. A trip to Walmart with McDonald's iced coffee in hand (we are not above such things). Watching the baby boy learn to bounce and bounce and get in the crawling position. Church and then enjoying some good ol' Texas fried catfish for lunch. The only thing remotely unpleasant was the errant child at the swimming pool who decided to introduce himself by squirting my face with water guns repeatedly... while his mother looked on. I was so not impressed.

Anyway, on a happier note --- and since we are talking about water --- I want to share our day trip to Galveston Island where we learned a few valuable lessons.
a) Galveston Island is not really a "day trip" destination from our location. Because. Houston. Traffic.
b) You can't control the weather.
c) We have fun anyway.

This was our original destination. We arrived around noon and quickly decided that it was super hot and while waiting for it to be not-quite-so-hot, we would eat our picnic lunch and then go find some dessert. I was prepared.

Very interesting flavors here! Brandon even tried one called "BBQ." It was too weird for me!

I chose the pretty-standard "Death by Chocolate" and strawberry flavors. Put 'em together and it's like a chocolate-covered strawberry! YES!
Brandon is the more adventuresome foodie type. His was a spicy chocolate (think Mexican Hot Chocolate - good for eating, but not for sharing with babies) and one called "Kulfi", an Indian/Persian dessert with subtle hints of cardamon, rose water, and pistachio. Really yummy actually.

Ice cream baby!

We walked around old Galveston and loved the interesting buildings. It reminded me a little of New Orleans.

Sometimes we ducked into an antique store or touristy store... just for the A/C.

Brandon, "You're gonna take a picture of that, aren't you?"
Naomi, "Uhhh... YEAH!" -- He can read the look in my eyes!

Because a day adventure is not complete without coffee...

In a we've-been-married-almost-four-years-and-Brandon-still-surprises-me moment, this is what Brandon got instead of coffee. Glass bottle soda made with real sugar? SO GOOD. I LOVE THAT STUFF. It reminds me of hot mission trip in Mexico that ended with cold sodas in the hotel courtyard. Good memories....

Then it was time for a little drive back out to the beach.

Where we learned that the weather is unpredictable. And that "passing thunderstorm" sometimes means CRAZY RAIN AND WIND AND THUNDER. RUN FOR COVER!

After an hour of waiting for the rain to clear, we decided that it was time to go home.

No swimming or sand-castle-building happened, but that's okay... there's always a next time at the beach.

Take (Baby) Out to the Ball Game

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 20:02:00 +0000

Now we're not big baseball fans, but we discovered last summer (see this post) that we actually do like the experience of going to a baseball game. We experienced minor league ball last summer with the Arkansas Travelers, but this summer... this summer is for the majors.

As if going to a major league baseball game isn't cool enough, this one was FREEEEEEE! One of the perks of being an intern for the summer! Brandon's company organized the event, gave us (great!) tickets and a parking pass, and there was a buffet! I dig free food. Devereaux even munched on cheese and cookie crumbs. I am not above giving my child dessert. Like the sign I saw in NYC last year, "Life is short. Eat dessert first." More like, "Life is short. Share your dessert."

Ya know, I was slightly worried about our enjoyment of this baseball game... because of the recent triple-digit heat here in Houston. Our car thermometer read "105" yesterday. Though I don't know what the temperature was at 6:00 pm, when we started walking over to Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston, it was enough to be hot, sweaty and miserable during that five minute walk.

And then we got inside the ballpark. THE AIR CONDITIONED BALLPARK. I need a new bumper sticker. #IloveAC

Brandon was happy about the seats.

Devereaux was totally distracted by the jumbotron!

It was the Houston Astros vs. the Boston Red Sox (who definitely wore red socks, in case you were wondering). I didn't take pictures all game long, but I did happen to catch the first home run by the Astros!

The crowd response was almost deafening, but surprisingly Devereaux didn't cry. After awhile, he really got into the spirit of things. Waving his arms, bouncing up and down and letting out a slightly-late scream or two just after the crowd got done cheering. Better late than never, I guess!

We were surrounded by other SWN interns, and Devereaux was a little baby charmer, of course... All the ladies loved him. And I am discovering that it is super fun to watch people respond to babies! From our fellow interns to the strangers behind us to the hospitality people to the elderly host who pinched Devereaux's cheeks and told me in heavily accented English what a "gut ba-bee" he is. Babies make people smile!

Taking the baby to a ball game is an interesting experience. We loved it. Deveraux had fun.
There were no major catastrophes, unless you count the time he dropped his toy in someone's plate of nachos. #yeahthathappened #atleastweknewher #andthenachoswerefree

And I attempted to do a panoramic shot. Not very good, but it gives you a little idea of the view from our seats! (I will work on my skillz in that area!)

Devereaux (who we sometimes refer to as D-MAN or Little Guy) even *almost* fell asleep. It was nice to be able to watch from inside the concession area (windows!) where it was quieter and I could stand and sway. He stayed up pretty late for a little guy, so we were able to see the Houston skyline on our walk back to the car!

And the Astros won... so basically, it was a win-win-win day!

Creative Differences

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 17:49:00 +0000

Through the last year or so, I have been on a creative journey. Through the many life changes, my creativity has been waxing and waning and then alighting again. And my creative outlets pretty much ceased to exist. And then, I began to see that God had a great hand (as He always has) in the timing of our seasons and He was doing a good thing.

He first did what I call a "full stop." I have never been good at stopping seasons. I think it's because my personality tends to view stopping as failing. Instead of more accurate view of understanding that stopping can be simply a changing of the seasons, a moving into new things, and a natural progression of life. The last few times that there was a change in seasons, God had to get me where I listen the best---the car... really---and speak very plainly so I didn't miss it.

In late 2013, we were presented with the opportunity of a summer internship for the following year and that put into motion the chain of events that led to me finishing up the wedding photography business late that year. Surprising, because things were going very well for us in the business, and yet unsurprising, because it was certainly a God-transition to make at the time. In May 2014, I resigned from my full-time accounting assistant job and our little two-person family went to Arkansas for the summer. By November, our family expanded to three. Now it's the middle of 2015 (my, how time flies!) and I have spent a hot Texas summer contemplating what it means to be creative through the season of motherhood.

I have questions. Questions like, Do I still get to be creative? What's the point of creativity? How am I supposed to be creative when I just need a nap? What if I don't measure up (to some crazy perfectionist ideal in my own head)?

I am thinking. I am learning. I am meditating. I am accepting these changes and starting to feel my way out of the fuzzy-brained baby stage and into the real world again. Except now my "real world" is the small four walls of my house and usually the only people listening to me are my baby and my husband.

Here are a few of the "creative differences" that I am learning.

Creativity is a process. Accept the process. Embrace the process.

Just over a year ago, I switched to a new camera system. I had been a Nikon D700 + awesome prime lenses girl since I started the wedding photography business. I was comfortable with it and my tools produced the kind of results I wanted. But I knew going forward that I needed a camera with less weight on my hands if I was going to use it in my daily life. So I switched over to the Fujifilm XE-2. It looks like an old Pentax film camera (which confuses people), but with the big sensor and great quality of my camera. It's mirrorless, so smaller and lighter and easier to carry around with me and I liked it alot. However, I underestimated the learning curve of switching to a new camera system... and so my new camera was a great source of frustration for the past year. I must have read the camera manual twelve times and would think that I figured it out and then, nope, some camera functions still didn't work. I could take good photos, but my autofocus wouldn't turn on so the process was cumbersome.

Finally, many months after my initial purchase, I got on the phone with tech support. I should have done it so much sooner... Five minutes later, my autofocus was working and the summary of the solution: it was a lens function... and I didn't read the lens manual (do I even have the lens manual?). It was a tough part of the creative process, but being on the other side is so much better.

Now I am working on editing my photos with greater ease and precision (since I will have less and less time for "messing around" in the coming years with future babies). I am experimenting with different presets, psuedo-film looks and changes to refine my favorite photo style.

It's a process. In the past, that would have greatly disturbed me... putting out a product that is not completely cohesive and consistent. But since the creativity serves me personally (without clients' fees on the line), I feel a greater freedom to "find myself" without the pressure of time. And let me tell you, that helps this busy-mama out! So I am learning to like the process, instead of just the end result.

Not all creativity or beauty needs to be shared with everyone.

My creativity beautifies the home, serves the family and makes our life more enjoyable.
The Internet has a failing. Or perhaps, it is that humanity has a failing. We always wanna look our best to everyone else. And yet, our best isn't exactly true. I fall somewhere in the middle of that. I believe in sharing happiness and good things, because there is more than enough sadness in the world... I don't want my life to create unnecessary burdens in others' lives, even in the simple way of oversharing or venting via the Internet. So I tend to share the beautiful things, the creative things, the pretty things with everyone... and save the normal-ish things for the family.

I am learning that sometimes I create a beautiful dessert (like this one) and I just savor it on a date night with my husband. Or a pretty sunset picture from our evening walk can hang around on my computer for a month or two before appearing in the blog. Or the narrative photojournalistic photos that I am taking are curated and beautified and made into my current favorite creative outlet---family scrapbooking (never mind that our current financial season, i.e. grad school, means I don't get to actually order the books yet).

It is enough to beautify my home, our life together. I was inspired in this vein by a book I read a few years ago called "The Hidden Art of Homemaking" by Edith Schaeffer. And I am challenged to let creativity be hidden sometimes, to put away the iphone, the computer, the technology and just create.

Diversity in creativity is okay... I mean, not just okay, it's GREAT!

I admit, I have a one-track mind. I get on a creativity binge, a venue, a hobby, and I don't stop for weeks, months, even years... to the exclusion of other enjoyable creative processes. God created the world in seven days. He created landscapes, animals, birds, and even human beings. His creation was good. As we are made in His image, we can also create beautiful things... clothes, food, articles to look at. Just for fun, do a Bible study sometime on beauty and creating things. It's a quick way to remember that God created beauty and beautiful things and they are intended for His glory and to be enjoyed.

Now I am learning that I can be creative in different ways, and enjoy them all (except sewing. I am not a sewer. yet.). I can create a yummy dessert, or a decadent coffee drink at home. I can frame a photo, create a book of memories, dress my child in a new outfit from his closet. I can rearrange our little home to make it more useful and more interesting. I can set the table with nice china or pour a cup of tea in the real teacups. I can look forward to maybe dabbling in oil painting someday. I don't have to be the best at what I do...the point of creating is the glory of God, not the glory of me.

You don't have to make money at something for your creativity to be valuable.

It's not necessarily a popular idea in this land of self-made creative businesses and home entrepreneurs, but the fact is that getting paid for something doesn't make it legitimate. You can get paid for creativity and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but money isn't the point of creativity or the summit of success.

In stepping back from a photography business and stepping toward lifestyle photography (of my own family), I had to come to terms with the value of my creativity. It doesn't have to be valuable to others. It only has to be valuable to God, to me and to the person that God gave me to help -- my husband, and by extension, my child(ren).

So yeah, you can have an Etsy shop if you want. Or you won't. Either way, your creativity is still just as valuable.

Fix your hope on God and then do as He commands: ENJOY THE THINGS.
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
1 Timothy 6:17 (emphasis added)

*As a clarifying note: Yes, if you are reading these words from your table or smartphone or laptop, you are rich. Us Americans think that "rich" means billionaire-luxury-cars-and-multiple-mansions, but really, even us poor lower-middle-class folks are rich compared to most of the world. If you don't believe me, go check out a foreign country. I have walked the shack-filled streets of Mexico and climbed the tropical hills of the Philippines and gleaned the smallest sense of perspective that yes, I thought I lived without much money... but in comparison to everyone else in the world, I am rich.

It is important to know where our focus lies... on God... and then to do what He says, to enjoy what He has so richly supplied. Because He created me, now I create beauty (or in the venue of photography, I simply capture what He has created). And it is His will that we enjoy that creativity.

So this is my encouragement to you creatives out there, especially those in the season of motherhood:

Love. Create. Enjoy.

Creating might look different now, and it might look different a year or ten years or twenty years from now, but that doesn't mean your creativity is less valuable or enjoyable.

A Sweet Stop at Crave Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 12:09:00 +0000

On our Saturday adventure to the Woodlands, there had to be coffee involved. And why not a cupcake, too? We knew we would be eating dinner out, so the healthy choice was to share. Sometimes we choose wisely, sometimes we do not. This was a wise choice.... though now looking back, I want a cupcake. Right now.

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
I don't do free product reviews. I don't go places or eat things or anything like that because anybody else paid for it. Maybe it's because I am an old-fashioned blogger... I just want stories about people's lives, without feeling "sold" on a product. It's like getting invited to someone's house and then realizing it's actually a Mary Kay party or a Tupperware party and feeling compelled to buy something. It just makes me feel icky.

Because I like reading narrative blogs, that's how I blog.

So when I say that I went to a certain cupcake place, it's because I have a passion for local food and coffee and finding interesting places, and I probably found a recommendation on Yelp (I do love yelping!) so we went there.

And it was delicious!

CUPCAKES! CUPCAKES! CUPCAKES!

Usually, when presented by a large menu or in this case, SO MANY kinds of cupcakes, my brain freaks out a little... Fortunately, Brandon doesn't have that problem. He chooses what has immediately struck his fancy. And then doesn't have the inner-berating that there might be a better option that happens inside my head (#weirdbrainproblems).

Our choice was a Nutella cupcake & an iced mocha.

I was surprised that it was a white cake inside, then we realized it was probably hazelnut with a hazelnutty filling and Nutella frosting. Not an overbearing Nutella flavor, but the cake was moist and crumbly and sweet enough to be delicious without making our teeth hurt. :)

You know what is even sweeter than cupcakes?

Our dear sweet Devereaux. We do love that little guy.

Good vs. Great

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:04:00 +0000

Sometimes the only difference between a good vs. great day is your attitude.

The lesson I learned this weekend was a simple one. A lesson about contentment and having a good attitude and not letting the little things steal your joy. We took a Saturday adventure (because we have determined that Saturdays are for adventuring and Sundays are for "cocooning") to The Woodlands for the afternoon and evening.

Our adventure included driving around interesting neighborhoods, getting a delicious cupcake (more on that in another post), going out to dinner at a place where I don't have to worry that the baby is in a I-discovered-yelling phase (props to Red Robin), strolling around Market Street and then the icing on our delicious summer evening cake.... an evening walk by the waterway.

I am assuming that the waterway is man-made.. because this is Texas and even the lakes are man-made. However, it remains so beautiful in the soft evening light. Despite the fact that it was blazing hot (so hot lately that the citronella candle on my patio is melted by afternoon!) and my sandals were not made for long walks, the evening was simply glorious. Attitude, my friends, attitude!

Kayaking on the waterway is apparently a big deal! And it sounds like fun... if the laughter echoing across the water was any indication.

A bit of art in the middle of everything.

I still stalked wildlife on this walk. Some big beautiful herons showed themselves and I got pretty close before they flew away. I know it seems childlike to chase wildlife, but I love it... so why not?

We considered it a wonderful date night, because despite the unusual timing, our baby slept peacefully throughout our evening stroll and then was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed all the way home. And there was the most interesting sunset for our drive home. Orange and red across the sky, with clouds hovering in a line above the horizon.. so it looked like an upside-down sunset when the sun peeked out from under the clouds.

I am learning... to grab hold of the day, not accept negativity or despondency, to control what I can control: my attitude... and to be ever-so-grateful for the wonderful things in my life. Like strolls on hot summer nights with a caressing breeze, a sleeping baby and my favorite person in the world beside me.

Montgomery Coffee Company

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 14:35:00 +0000

After we visited Fernland Historical Park and made a library stop, we headed out for coffee in the little town of Montgomery. While most of our coffee GPS searches on the outskirts of north Houston have looked like this:
Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks....etc.
There have been just a few un-Sbux coffee companies for enjoying.

As a parent, the thing I appreciated most about this coffee shop... is that Devereaux napped for most of our stop. I was like, "BRANDON! WE'RE HAVING A COFFEE DATE!" :D :D :D

We chose a big ol' chocolate muffin and chocolate cake ball. I think we were feeling deprived of chocolate or exceptionally hungry. We determined that one should never eat muffins while wanting cake, because the muffin will always come up short. Just eat cake. And be happier.

Brandon's cappucino. He has been trying really hard to convince me that coffee without sugar is good. I am... less than convinced, but his cappucino does look nice!

My hazelnut latte.

In the end, we should've just gotten cold brew coffee... because isn't this a cool contraption?

There are some nifty items in the gift shop corner (plus some Texas love).

And we are inspired to create food by those scrumptious-looking cupcakes.

I will give happy faces to the fact that Montgomery Coffee Company does their own roasting. And it is pretty good coffee!

I will give sad faces to their coffee shop's lack of background music. There is nothing more awkward than a coffee shop without music, because one is forced to listen to other people's conversations and it is... awkward.

I liked the spot though, so we will just assume that someone forgot to turn the music on during that day and we will probably go check out this coffee shop again. Because I want cold-brew coffee made in a scientific-looking thing.

Here are some true words to leave you with. :D

Exploring in Fernland

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 20:17:00 +0000

I love new places and hidden gems and interesting experiences with our little family. When we stopped at the library a few weeks ago, I noted a funny little park near it and made a mental note that I wanted to visit. Maybe it's my former-homeschooler-educational-bug, but it looked like a great family field trip to me.... log cabins and pioneer structures and walking paths! Fernland Historical Park was such a fun little experience.

I would apologize for the amount of pictures, but I know that half of the blog readers only ever look at the pictures anyway, so y'all won't even read this apology. :P

There are a few things I am learning about Texas, now that we have been here for six weeks. Just a few things that have traveled from my head to my inner consciousness.
1. It's hot. I mean, seriously, it's hot. It's summer in Texas. It is going to be hot. So just get over it... don't go anywhere in the afternoon and if you're outside, do it in short spurts of time.
2. Green and brown are pretty colors, too. That Texas foliage? It's interesting and pretty in its own way. So I am starting to love it.

We had only been walking around the historical park for a few minutes, sharing the space with two different photographers. I guess it's a popular portrait background!

Random sidenote: I like to watch other photographers work... if only so I can rejoice that the inner-work-pressure isn't mine anymore. I reeeeeally like the idea that I can take photos/make art of whatever I want to. This may be another blog entry altogether, but let's just say I like my creative journey right now. I like discovering new things that inspire art in my life. I liked being a wedding photographer, and now... I like where it has led me even more. Photography is part of discovering who I am and what I can do and what I really, really love to capture. And lucky for you random blog reader, I also really like to share photos on this blog.

Fernland has a little gate into Memory Park. A pretty little place filled with plants and curious turns in the path. It thrilled me. Like something from those children's storybooks that line my bookshelves at home.

So much to discover. So much to share with our little one!

Remember when we introduced Devereaux to turtles at the Houston Arboretum? This was like TURTLE HEAVEN. There were turtles everywhere! At one point, I counted nine turtles! And they were also surrounded by some monster goldfish/koi. Crazyness.

There was a little turtle family. I totally was like, "It's us! In turtle form!"

There was a Texan cattle statue randomly placed in the grass. It made me laugh.

Keep walking!

The perfect place for an engagement portrait session, yeah?

This Memorial Park looped around the pond and ended up at the library. So convenient!

Where Devereaux attempts to eat ants.

Back to looking at historical things.

So there ya go! The great state of Texas has lots of history, lots of heat and we have lots of smiles because we are liking the experience.

Read and Meditate on These Things

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0000

I mentioned that we often see wildlife on our daily evening walk. A few days ago, I had a staredown with this guy and it pretty much stopped me in my tracks.

It reminded me of one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.

As the deer pants for streams of water,

  so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

  When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food

  day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

  “Where is your God?”

These things I remember

  as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go to the house of God

  under the protection of the Mighty One[d]

with shouts of joy and praise

  among the festive throng.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

  Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

  for I will yet praise him,

  my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

  therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

  the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep

  in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

  have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love,

at night his song is with me—

a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,

  “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

  oppressed by the enemy?”

My bones suffer mortal agony

  as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

  “Where is your God?”

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

  Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

  for I will yet praise him,

  my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

I am reminded that "mourning" or anxiety or the attitude of being downcast is a choice. When instead I choose to put my hope in God and praise Him, everything changes... for the better... in my heart.

PS - It was exactly four years ago that Brandon and I had our engagement portrait session by the waterway in Frederick, MD. It was pretty, romantic and (yes) there was kissing. Because we love each other. Still love each other... and there's still lots of kissing... but anyway, see the photos here!

Baby on a Business Trip - Cousins!

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 20:27:00 +0000

We were back on the road again on Day 4 of our Baby-on-a-Business-Trip travel extravaganza and I can hardly believe that it went so well. Days 1 and 2, and Day 3 were pretty exhausting, but so glad that we continued because this was my favorite day thus far!

I got smart this time and used the "avoidance" feature on my GPS to avoid highways. It took about 15 minutes longer to get to our destination, but the trek through foggy Pennsylvania backroads and misty green mountains was so worth the extra travel time.

Also, it should be noted that these last few photos were taken on the drive home... when I was not driving (because hey folks, don't text and drive AND don't take photos and drive! Technology ain't worth your life).

I was headed out to meet my sis and the nieces, my sis-and-law and the nephew, and my mom at Ricketts Glen State Park for swimming, picnicking and delicious wonderful summery-esque cousin fun!

Aaaaaand our day turned out TOTALLY different than we expected, for these reasons.

1. Continual drip-dropping rain. The weather man said that the rain would only be happening at 10:00 am. The weather man was wrong. Both my sis and I worked for a weather company years ago, so we know that they are only interested in being "better than the competition," but seriously... nobody else gets it wrong so often and still has a job at the end of the day.

2. Temperatures that hovered around 60 degrees. None of us packed clothes to deal with cool weather. It had been bright and sunny and super-hot the day before (check out my red face pic from our park playdate as proof) and so we were expecting the same.

3. Drained lake and closed beach. The weather really didn't matter too much because there was NO WATER IN THE LAKE. In our defense of visiting a state park under construction, two of us checked the park's website and didn't see the warning about that (it was not on the main page, even though that fact was like, super-important).

4. Being out in the middle of nowhere with no other options. We would have to drive and drive and drive to even get to a McDonald's and even then, no guarantee that there would be a playplace for little ones to plaaaaaaay.

Sooooo.... we decided to make the best of it! If nothing else, we made some fun muddy, cold and interesting family memories!

We found the most dry picnic tables in the middle of the pavilion, spread out some extra tablecloths for play areas and let the littles gallivant.

I loved Guardian's little monkey towel!

Everybody else found blankets and extra towels to stay warm under.... and of course, little girlies turned them into flying capes and costumes and adventuresome accessories.

Wildlife sighting!

After our lunching, we headed over to the visitor center and found a big ol' room perfect for reading, crawling, talking and eating many, many chocolate chip cookies together. There were wildlife and nature exhibits for discovering things, and it was like a summer field trip!

Devereaux discovered a turtle.

And then he totally zoned out, because naptime.

His boy-twin cousin (five months apart!) had decidedly more mobile fun!

The little girlies disappeared behind books in the corner.

Unplanned memories are the best! Before long, it was time to head back towards our hotel. My mom was coming with us so she could take us to the airport the next morning, and so we had a fun afternoon swim in the hotel pool and then she babysat Devereaux so Brandon and I could have a mini-date! It was only about 100 feet away from Grandma's hotel room... we went over to swim in the pool and soak in the hot tub, but the uninterrupted conversation was delightful! It had been a long business trip week for us and there was so much to catch up on.

Then, it was dinnertime and we all enjoyed Moe's Southwest Grill. Yes, it was slightly ironic that we came to PA to eat TexMex, but we really wanted to try it. Moe's didn't disappoint.... TexMex that was similar in style to Chipotle, but with free chips and the COOLEST soda option machines I have ever seen! Devereaux enjoyed many spoonfuls of avocados from Grandma's guacamole.

The Day 5 adventures began with Hampton Inn coffee.

Side note about brand loyalty: My parents are extraordinarily loyal to the Hampton Inn brand. They have stayed in Hampton Inns for years and years, and loooooove them. Brandon and I have become converts to the brand, after trying a few other hotel chains on our trip down south and being wholly unimpressed. We love the cleanliness, friendliness and really...the Hampton Inn's daily breakfast and 24/7 coffee and warm evening chocolate chip cookies are pretty great, too. :D

That's our plane!! Devereaux and I flew on a different plane than Brandon on the way home, and so we did the ticket check-in, security checkpoint and waiting at the gate all by ourselves. Considering Devereaux went through three outfits by the time we actually got on the plane, I was hoping for an uneventful flight.

We sat by a mom and her three sons. I had chosen my seat carefully... last row, right by the restrooms, on the aisle. Ease of movement and less people to worry about. Things were going great, Devereaux was almost nursing to sleeep.... and then, someone walked by and bonked him in the head. Darn it! I spent about 45 minutes going into the bathroom, swaying in the aisle (I waited til the flight attendants went to do drink service and so didn't need to get back my way) and hoping for sleep. Not for me, for the baby! Eventually, he did sleep (praise the Lord!!), but we were sooooo happy to finally arrive and see Daddy.

It was an action-packed, fun-filled, exhausting five days, but we were happy to be back at our summer "home." And Devereaux learned how to do this! BOOYAH!

Baby on a Business Trip - DRIVE/Play/Eat

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 18:19:00 +0000

My answer to driving from our remote area in the northeastern Pennsylvania mountains was to plan a few rendezvous with friends and family in the half-way marker between there and home. Now I may have been a little bit too ambitious with my trip-planning (typical Naomi), or maybe it was just the whole driving-home-late-at-night-with-a-baby that left me resolved to never, ever, EVER do that again. I mean, driving a few hours is no problem during naptime... but other times, not so good. My conclusion: it was a wonderful day with a less-than-wonderful ending, so I will just focus on the wonderful parts! (there's a life lesson for you!)

I met my friend, Katie, and her two boys at a playground in Lewisburg and I gotta say, that was the most amazing looking park I have ever been at. It made me kinda wish that Devereaux was a little bit older so he could truly appreciate it, but those days will come soon enough.

Devereaux can basically swing, and that's what he did... for like five minutes!

But I am sure it was a very-very-enjoyable five minutes in babyworld and the rest of the time, he hung out on me in the Ergo and napped and woke up and napped some more. Since I am mobile with him hanging onto me, we spent our time following these fine folks around and chattering away.

There was lots of climbing, running and general boy energy!

Hahaha. This kid. He looks about five years old, but he is only three (what?!) and so he liked the big kids playground better. I find him hilarious.

Even with all that fancy-schmancy playground equipment, I kept seeing groups of children running underneath this tree. No doubt -- nature is best.

After our friends left to trek homeward, we spent a little more time on the nearby lawn.

I interrupt these adorable photos to tell you that I eventually got up and left the park... not because I was hot and not because Devereaux was tired, but because I was within hearing distance of one very obnoxious mother in a cell phone conversation with her husband, and I have never heard such nagging in my entire life. She criticized and berated and complained and mocked him for twenty minutes straight. It was painful to listen to. It was clamorous. It was dissonant and distressing and altogether enlightening. It was a real-life example of selfishness in action, and finally I couldn't take it anymore and I left.

And then I thought about it and prayed for the next few hours and considered my words and my thoughts and my inward attitudes and this Scripture came to mind.

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
Ephesians 4:29-32

It is really easy to reserve our kindness and nice words for everybody else in life, but what a good reminder... nobody deserves those icky words, but the most precious relationship in my life? My husband? He deserves my best. My kindness, my encouragement, my heart-felt tender-hearted grace-giving words. Amen and amen.

Because it was HOT and classically humid, we did a little napping, a totally justified Wendy's Frosty stop and then onward to this destination.

The Country Cupboard is a super-family-friendly restaurant and gift shop destination, the fact that it might be considered "touristy" does not diminish our enjoyment of it in the least.

There was a nice quiet little sunroom where baby + I hung out for a few minutes.

In the greenhouse area, I adored these minuscule accessories for "fairy gardens."

There was even a little Texan flair!

Yes, I like teatime.

This makes me wanna pick berries and spent a hot summer afternoon making delicious jams and jellies.

It's funny... I like to take pictures of pretty things. I don't necessarily like to buy them. My husband rejoices in this little personal quirk of mine! It's great on the budget! Though someday, I'd like a few more of these Old Worlde Christmas ornaments. I have a few from a coworker and they are so glittery and pretty, they are my favorites on the Christmas tree every year.

This was a good reminder.

And these candles must be the reason that Country Cupboard smells so good!

You know how there are some memories in your life that are so vivid, they could've happened yesterday? As the afternoon wore on and we were tired of walking around the gift shop, we found a nice place to sit on the patio and quietness descended. It reminded me of an afternoon I had spent on a patio in DC almost five years ago. I had touristed through the Air & Space Museum with a group of friends --- that included my future husband, and we were at the completely-NOT-dating-but-definitely-silently-interested stage --- and had a few hours to kill before doing my first ever engagement portrait session. So I grabbed some Starbucks and found a patio and thought about life (i.e. Brandon and if my future would ever include him).

So when I spent this summery afternoon on an unexpectedly calm patio, holding my dear baby and wishing that my husband was there sipping coffee with me.... it was an altogether happy moment.

The reason we were "bummin' around" was that we were meeting my brother, his wife and son for dinner... We loved catching up in person, talking a mile a minute and sometimes over the din of two little ones making their prescence known throughout the restaurant with new noises. It was a casual restaurant with an abundance of children, so no one even batted an eye at the noise... though we both left good tips to make up for the crumbs that inevitably found their way on the floor instead of babies' mouths. As for food recommendations: buffet and MAC & CHEESE. Real (not boxed) mac & cheese is my comfort food and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

As you can see, Devereaux likes his Uncle Zeph a whole lot. No photos of Aunt Kelsey, but isn't that the normal thing? Mamas are so busy corraling babies that we can't get in the photos. Like the below pic of Guardian and Devereaux, boy cousins. This is the least-active, least-violent photo we got. In the other ones, they are eating things and reaching for each other and we (myself and Aunt Kelsey) are making sure nobody gets hurt. :)

What a wonderful day!

Baby on a Business Trip - Fly/Play/Eat

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 20:46:00 +0000

It does seem a leeeetle odd to spend a summer internship in south Texas and then get sent back to Pennsylvania (HOME) for a business trip. Thus is the life of a petroleum engineering grad student (and us, the happily following family).

I have always joked that our PA home is close to NOTHING.
People ask, "Oh, where are you from?"
I say, "central Pennsylvania."
They say, "Oh really, are you close to Pittsburgh?"
Nope, about 3 hours away.
"What about Philly?"
Nope, about 3 hours away.

Pretty much we are three hours away from anything of consequence... except Penn State. And even then, nobody knew where Penn State was until the Sandusky scandal. Thanks for that, you felonious criminal.

ANYways, my point is that even though Brandon was being sent on a business trip to PA.... it was still about three hours away from home. It's okay though. I'll take three hours away and in the Pennsylvania mountains.

Our first travel day began at 3:30 am... WHAAAAT? We were up, putting last minute things in our bags, grabbing coffee and Clif bars for breakfast and heading out for the hour drive to the airport. Arriving in the darkness to the long-term parking, shuttling, two minutes late for bag checkin, moved to a later flight, waiting, eating bagels (YUM) and then flying.

Up, up and away. I was more than a little nervous about Devereaux's first flight. There's just something about being in close proximity to a hundred other humans for hours with few options for quieting a baby, especially a 7-month-old who is at the stage where everything is a distraction while nursing. A jolt? A movement? A noise? A cricket chirping fifty miles away?!? Baby stops nursing and looks around. Not fun for mama- though I gotta say, my custom-made nursing cover definitely helps (whoopwhoop for my crafty mom!).

Speaking of awesome family, we flew into New Jersey and my mom picked us up at the airport, drove us two hours to somewhere in the Pocono mountains of PA, then let us borrow their car and took us out for a delicious dinner to Damon's. I FELT SO LOVED.

Everybody else got burgers. I had a moment of healthy-weakness and got a chicken salad, but regrouped and made up for my decision by eating way too many onion straws. I am lacking in food photos because I spent most of my dinner-time feeding little bits of food to my slightly-curious-about-solids baby.

Devereaux eats solids like a little bird, but he is surviving.
SEE. WELL-FED CHUNKY MONKEY.

After that way-too-exhausting day of travel, we planned to mostly hang around the hotel while Brandon went off to work. Devereaux charmed the hotel workers during breakfast (they remembered his name for the next four days!) and then I got out the camera because....

He is Seven Months Old!

And he has the cutest little toes in existence... new discovery: toes in mouth (might be the cutest thing ever).

Yes, I did put a plane shirt on him on purpose. I am not a fashionista, I am not a baby fashionista, but I do appreciate event-appropriate clothes every once in awhile.

He can also roll over really well.

Portrait sessions make him so tired. Like exhausted.

Housekeeping showed up at some ridiculous hour (8:45 am!), so we decided to go on a thrifting adventure. One store, two hours, three trips to the dressing room, two nursing breaks, one diaper change and way too many times in and out of the baby carrier. On the last time, I just stuck him in the cart because it was easier and we were leaving.... and then I took a picture, because my goodness, Devereaux is adorable.

I am usually a frustrated thrift store shopper, and if I would have stopped after one hour, my shopping trip would have been useless (but relaxing!). However, I found these adorable black strappy sandals for $2 and swim trunks for the little guy for $1 --- needed those anyway --- and another pair of baby shorts for $.99. A shopping trip under $4? I was thrilled. Absolutely thrilled.

Our next delightful evening included the best steak dinner ever at Texas Roadhouse. I might have been overwhelmed by the buffet of roasted peanuts beforehand, so after the peanuts, a salad, steak and those extravagant mashed potatoes (that I shared with Devereaux), I was FULL.

And then, there was this. Brandon's friend, Chris, is from the area and took us out for dessert at this deeeeelicious local dairy store. I told Brandon I was too full, and then.. I ate half of his ice cream. In my defense, Devereaux helped (a little).

Nothing quite as summery as watching the sunset as ice cream drips down your fingers and the conversation of friends surround you. Maybe sunsets and ice cream and summer are my new favorite things (see last post!). This business trip thing is pretty great.

A Disney Sunset Symphony

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0000

On a warm-and-breezy summer night, we (and thousands more parents and their tiny ones) decided to marry our delight in Disney movies and and outdoor music into one very memorable experience.

It was craziness. Euphoric-childhood-Disney-derived craziness. I have never seen so many princesses in my entire life. Glittery crowns and tulle skirts and fake blonde braids and dangling clip-on earrings and sparkly slippers and yes, that's a Little Mermaid wig. There were a few little boys dressed up as princes and pirates, too... not sure who the little guy in front of us was supposed to be, but he had the cutest hand-drawn mustache!

It. Was. Pure. Princess. Pandemonium.

It was a free event, at least for us lowly paupers seated on the lawn. Methinks that it was corporate sponsors that made possible the free lawn seating, free chair rentals and best of all... free teeny-tiny ice cream sundaes!

I shared my sundae with Devereaux and he loved it. When I give him food that he likes, he makes fists and stretches out his arms and opens his eyes real wide and then goes, "EEERRRRM!" I don't know what it means, but it is hilarious to watch.

Speaking of love, this is how Devereaux gives kisses.

He loves hanging out with Daddy, and wearing Daddy's hat!

We arrived nearly an hour and a half before the show started, but we didn't mind a bit. It gave us time for eating melty ice cream, watching all the princesses, reading about the Disney "voices" (the singers bringing those movie songs to life along with the Houston Orchestra) and deciding that we were hungry enough to buy something from the outrageously-priced concession stands. The only regret I have about about our Disney evening was that snacking decision. I should've packed us a picnic as I originally intended, but time got away from me... oh well.

When the sun dipped low and the orchestra finished tuning, we were entranced by the music. It was the music that I couldn't have sung the words by memory or hummed the melodies by heart, but it all spoke of happiness and dreams and childhood imagination.

It occurred to me that Devereaux has never seen a Disney movie. Yet. Until this night, when we heard the music played with clips of different Disney classics projected on the big screen. The magical Peter Pan ("You can Fly, You can Fly, You can Fly" and "The Second Star to the Right"), the springy number from Bambi ("April Showers") and ever-romantic "Bella Notte" from Lady and the Tramp." I love that one. My favorite unexpected song was "Reflections" from Mulan. I sing that one absentmindedly every so often.

From our vantage point on the hill, I could see little princesses twirling around the concession stand to the music.

We made our escape during intermission, after enjoying only half of the show. It seemed like every other parent of children under the age of two had the same idea, so we didn't feel the least bit deprived... well, I missed hearing the Beauty & the Beast theme, but that's okay. I'll hum it to myself later.... for staying out waaaaay past Devereaux's bedtime, he did pretty well!

Walking under trees lined with twinkle lights around The Woodlands with the summer breeze caressing our faces, it didn't feel like we were in south Texas. It felt like we were in Pennsylvania or Virginia or any other place where summer feels magical.

My Favorite Mediterranean Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Naomi Elle Schwartz) — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0000

During the last few weeks, we have been delving into the wonders of Mediterranean-style eating. This particular style of cooking/eating/etc. includes some things that we already eat alot of (olive oil! garlic!) and some things that we really want to incorporate more into our daily habits (seafood! lots and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables!).

I am really, really enjoying trying new recipes. I have resolved to just make recipes that sound interesting, without pre-judging whether or not there are ingredients that I don't care for. A primary example would be raw tomatoes. I have never been a fan of raw tomatoes. And yet, they pop up in many Mediterranean dishes and... to my surprise, I don't hate them.

This recipe has turned out to be a super-duper favorite!

Mediterranean Mixed Greens
Adapted from The Complete Mediterranean Diet
Makes 4-6 servings*

6 cups assorted fresh mixed greens (I use something called "spring mix" with lots of arugula, and yes, you can get it at Walmart)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
20 firm cherry tomatoes, halved or sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Crumbled fetal cheese

For Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced (sometimes I cheat and used the jarred stuff)

In a large salad bowl, combine greens, onion, tomatoes, walnuts and cranberries. Gently toss.

Dressing:
Combine vinegar, olive oil, water, oregano and garlic; shake well. Pour dress over salad and toss lightly to coat. Garnish with feta cheese. Enjoy!

*Since there is only Brandon and I (Devereaux doesn't do salad quite yet!), I often put the salad ingredients into individual bowls and only cut enough vegetables for our servings. I will make the dressing and store the extra in the refrigerator. It just takes a few minutes to return to liquid form at room temperature the next day.

Yeah, I really love this salad.