Modobject at Home

Held in Him

2012-06-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward You will receive me to glory.

Psalm 73:22-23

Dressing Table Orchid

2012-06-01T17:55:00.000-05:00

She Pours Tea

2012-05-31T18:42:00.000-05:00

Excited Wonder

2012-05-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

Reading about the Smithsonian after learning that he'll soon be visiting Washington DC.Excited? Oh yes ~~he is~~ we are!

Made New in Him

2012-05-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

This & That

2012-05-24T21:37:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally hung the red rooster. It only took us 3.5 years. I thought I wanted him in the kitchen but the empty corner in the dining room is a better place. The professor found a great glass-free, distressed, primitive wood frame that suits him perfectly. I love his delightful combination of humble roots with a bit of cockiness... kind of like his creator, Amos Kennedy, whose graphic works I admire for their vernacular simplicity.
Moving right along...
Moving along is not what I'm doing these days, at least not at a fast pace {yet}. I'm still in recovery mode. Thank you for your kind, encouraging words! The children and I have spent most of our time at home the past few days. Me slowly puttering about at intervals while mainly trying to rest my leg. This healing takes time. In the meantime, I keep taking pictures of plants in my kitchen sink. Clearly I have an obsession... a lovely one, I think.

Orchids in the Kitchen

2012-05-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

A view of which I never, ever tire.

Post Op

2012-05-21T19:32:00.000-05:00

I've been doing a lot of laying around since having leg surgery this past Friday. While the whole ordeal hasn't been easy or fun {and I had to miss my sister's baby shower!} it has been an opportunity to experience God's grace in new ways. The bandage should come off tomorrow. Hooray!

Photo credit goes to the professor who has been an amazing and gracious caregiver to the crew and me. I told him this morning that the only thing lacking in his super-mom experience is that he hasn't taken all three children on a big grocery run. It looks like he'll get off easy in that respect!

Heard in Him

2012-05-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my supplications.

Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

Psalm 116:1-2

5:04 p.m.

2012-05-17T20:39:00.000-05:00

In which the professor shows him how to use a soldering iron. Oh my!

Sorta Summer

2012-05-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

Now that school is out our days are are taking on a summery flair... slow mornings, ice cream sandwiches, bathing suits, dinner on the grill, relaxed evenings. And, oh my, we've had some beautiful spring afternoons lately. The imminent and relentless summer heat and humidity haven't arrived yet. Stay away, please stay away! The boys have started swimming lessons. Sister is having a hard time understanding why she can't get in the pool with them so I've offered a compromise. Thankfully she is not discriminating when it comes to swimming pools, any size will do. The gardenias and magnolias are in bloom right now. I love to step outside in the evening and smell the sweet fragrance in the cool air. I think I would love to keep having springy days filled with summery things forever. A sorta summer.

Kept in Him

2012-05-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

End of School Things

2012-05-11T19:30:00.000-05:00

This week I made and distributed Colorburst Cupcakes baked into ice cream cones to the the third grade, much to their delight. Little Brother survived being the lion in his school play and even told me afterward that he likes the costume. Wonders never cease! Bread and jam, my standard teacher's gift, along with handwritten notes have been delivered all around. And, apparently, Sister hasn't received the memo that school is officially out, she's keeping herself very busy with "'omeworhk" these days. The boys have worked hard this year and finished well... I am so very proud of them.
It's a sweet moment as I reflect over our school year and see God's tremendous blessing and grace over us. His good gifts are numerous. Just as He promised, He has proved Himself faithful again. This is a day of thanksgiving... for His mercies over us and for the respite of summer break ahead of us.

5:05 p.m.

2012-05-10T20:25:00.000-05:00

Tea was prepared and served in the living room. Swimming attire was requested.

Banjo Man

2012-05-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

The professor possesses an uncanny ability to discover treasures in the most unlikely places. See what he found leaning next to the lawnmowers at the university surplus property sale a few weeks ago? It's a figurative expressionist {he totally fed me that term... I'm clueless}, oil on canvas painting by midcentury artist Ann Eckert Keenan. We call him Banjo Man and have decided that he's perfectly suited for the living room. Not bad for $30!

Because the Banjo Man has moved in, we transferred this painting {another $30 find... on ebay} to the hall bathroom. It makes a big impact in a small room but works beautifully, in our opinion.

Cleansed in Him

2012-05-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

If we confess our sins,

He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

Now That We're Two

2012-05-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

See this? Look close...

That's Hello Kitty... in a diaper.

It was completely her idea.She put "Kiki" on the changing table. She brought me a diaper.
These days she has a lot of ideas and opinions. Some are cute and reasonable, others are very unreasonable.She is passionate.
Obviously her opinions include, but are not limited to, clothing... And accessories. Definitely accessories.
She is two and she has things to do!And that pretty much sums it up.
Her two year stats {because she doesn't have a baby book}:23 pounds and 14 ounces, 33 inches, 25th percentile

Weary in an Ocean of Grace

2012-04-30T14:57:00.000-05:00

Little Brother's last day of kindergarten is Friday. Friday! And, Big Brother finishes third grade the following Friday. When I think back to August and remember the rough start to our school year, when I consider the challenges, disappointments, and blessings we've encountered this past year, the decisions we've made and the ones we're still waiting to make, and the countless carpool lines through which we've driven, I realize how thoroughly we've been bathed in grace these past ten months. God's grace is an ocean... I was reminded of that this past weekend in the most beautiful way.
And yet, I'm feeling a bit like a tired, old mailbox... weary and leaning. My mind feels blocked... the feelings of my heart, I can't seem to put them into words. God's lavish grace, along with my need for rest and simplicity and quietude, have never been more apparent to me.
I pulled out our summer calendar last week and started penciling in the big things... leg surgery, a dear friend's wedding, swimming lessons, camp, a week-long visit from my oldest nephew, and the birth of a new nephew... these things have provided a nice framework for the next few months. In between the big things, I'm looking forward to simple days with friends at the pool, good books to read on my own and with the children, time with my husband, blueberries and watermelon, evening bicycle rides, and perhaps some spontaneous adventures. Blogging will be less frequent and simpler as I give myself the grace to rest and to bask in an ocean of God's unfathomable grace. For me, right now, to live and to savor and to marvel quietly is my ambition... and His grace will bring refreshment.

Rejoice in Him

2012-04-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

He will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces;

He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth.

The Lord has spoken.

In that day they will say,

“Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us.

This is the Lord, we trusted in Him;
let us rejoice
and be glad in His salvation.”

Isaiah 25:8-9

Evening Desk

2012-04-27T20:56:00.000-05:00

All is calm... finally. And now I will savor the silence. Goodnight.

Spring Lull

2012-04-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

I think, perhaps, I have writer's block, or camera block, or something. I want, oh how I want, to capture spring and bottle it up... the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle that we smell when we ride our bikes around the neighborhood in the afternoon, the delightfully windy days we've had recently, open windows on cool mornings, freshly squeezed lemons and chopped basil, yellow and white kitchen towels, and dirty, tired children who have run wild in the fresh air. It's been a beautiful spring. But, I can't seem to capture any of it, really. Perhaps living it and savoring it is enough... more than enough, I think.

Baby Chickadee

2012-04-25T20:58:00.000-05:00

This young fellow was Little Brother's afternoon discovery. Oh, the excitement! So fresh from the nest, he didn't know he was supposed to be afraid of us. "Let's be friends," he chirped. Gladly.

One Pretty Quilt Corner

2012-04-23T20:45:00.000-05:00

Marked in Him

2012-04-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession - to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

Strawberry Picking

2012-04-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

Sister and I joined Big Brother and a gaggle of third graders at the strawberry patch this morning. After four days of achievement tests the giddy school children ran through the misty, muddy fields like caged birds set free to fly. We picked gallons of berries. It was lovely. Feeling proud and independent with a bucket of her own, Sister took her role as strawberry girl quite seriously {until she became distracted by the irrigation pond and had to be persuaded not to go for a swim}. Big Brother worked hard and made sure that we have a bountiful supply of berries... at least for the weekend. Tonight we ate waffles and strawberries for supper; maybe tomorrow I'll make preserves.