hair day! yep, a WHOLE day...

It's the hobby I never imagined that I would have, but I love it. Our pool is now closed so it was time to work with Belle's hair and give her the extensions that she loves so much. Black hair is high maintenance, but it's really amazing. Created by God, a beautiful masterpiece, an exquisite compilation of art and architecture. That may sound strange, but as I've learned to work with her hair, I think art and architecture aptly describe what it's like to style black hair and how unique it is.

My skills are constantly developing. I have learned much and have much to learn. I have gathered tips and tricks from so many people, book, articles and websites (I like Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care). In the beginning I understood that hair was a big deal. I want her to love her hair. It is one part of how God has intricately woven her together and it's a part of her heritage.

Hair takes a WHOLE day and then some. I have D and Cece helping with all sorts of errands and hair assistance. We do it as a family. We watch a lot of Netflix too. They take turns picking shows, but Belle has to mostly approve of each choice because she is the one who has to sit ALL DAY. I intervene sometimes as Dora, Diego, Peg + Cat etc. for eight hours can make about anyone crazy. 

This time my neighbor/friend and her daughter (who also has beautiful chocolate hair) came over for part of the day. The two girls sat in tall chairs side by side, transfixed by TV shows and had their hair worked on. When Belle whimpered from a tight pull, her friend told her it would be okay. In turn, Belle also assured her friend that "It hurts a little bit, but then it will be okay..." So cute. My friend and I were saying we should try and do hair together more often, even for part of the process.

Hair pics!

September 11th...

This morning I was driving my kids to the first day of their homeschool enrichment program. We usually listen to one of the Christian stations and it always warms my heart when they comment on songs they love and ask me to turn it up so they can sing. Today, being September 11^th, the dialogue over media airwaves is dominated by remembrances of this day. The station DJ spoke of this day and then played a clip of a sermon that Billy Graham gave several days after the towers fell. It is well worth the time to listen to him speak God' truth, reminding us that He is the God of comfort, that He reigns over and above all evil we see in the world. On this day we saw evil. It changed the world as we knew it, one of those days in history where you can remember exactly where you were when you heard, and then saw the reality, almost not able to comprehend what was happening, our minds struggling to even fathom it.

D didn't remember at first what that date signified, so to all of my kids, I reminded them. I couldn't even finish explaining it without the tears coming. In part, the tears stemmed from the great tragedy of that day. But they also came from remnants and reminders of heroism and resilience and God's presence in the midst of great darkness. I will not forget that when the towers fell, left visible in the mass of steel and rubble, a cross stood. Some would call it random. I would not.

Last fall we were in New York City. We visited Ground Zero, we saw the cavernous fountains bordered by thousands of names, we viewed the new Freedom Tower than can only partially make up for the skyline void where two great towers once stood--the Freedom Tower's mere presence a reminder of what stood in its place. It was sobering. 

We also toured St. Paul's Chapel, the church which stood closest to the Twin Towers. Not one window was shattered on this church when the towers fell. Not one. It became a place of refuge and refueling for fire fighters, aid workers, and all who served.

It was not my favorite "outing" in New York, but I don't want to live in a fairy land (well, maybe I do...). We have to face the reality of the world in which we live. This includes unspeakable, heartbreaking evil. But, while facing this evil, we need to look vertically to a God who reigns. Great evil should force us to engage with who God is. The Great I AM. A God of justice, mercy, tenderness, comfort, peace, so many things.

I write these words to neither be simplistic nor insensitive to how incomprehensible life can be. I know. I truly know. I have not lived in an ivory tower nor am I surrounded by a community of friends and family immune to the blows life brings. We don't have to “get” Him, but trust that He wins. All will be made right.

On this day, remember. On this day, pray. Pray for those who mourn, pray for those who protect and serve us, pray for those who plot evil, that they may be transformed by Christ. Pray for peace to rest in God's sovereign hand whatever comes, knowing He is with us. And pray that we can persevere in faith in spite of all that is set against God in this world. He is active and moving. He does not sit passively. His Word is true.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

P.S. I have read many biographies and autobiographies about and by Muslim background believers. Several have been written by men who were raised in or joined terrorist organizations. I would highly recommend these reads. They are extremely relevant in the world today and above that, they have given me hope. No hurdle is too big for God. He has claimed these men as His own.

The Son of Hamas by Mosab HassanYousef—His father was a founding member and popular leader of Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine...his story.

Once An Arafat Man: The True Story of How A PLO Sniper Found A New Life by Tass Saada—He was a Palestinian refugee growing up in the Middle East who ran away to fight for Arafat, becoming one of his snipers. His story of Christ's transformation of his life.

And again, Billy Graham's sermon in the days following 9/11, worth your time.

the definition of a beautiful day (and some school pics too...)

I have been avoiding writing. Even when I most felt the need to put my swirling thoughts to paper, I couldn't seem to muster up the mental fortitude to do it. But I needed to today, just a bit. To fight my mental and physical fatigue and jot my thoughts.

Today, I'm tired. School has been going really well these last couple of weeks. I like the flow and rhythm that I have set so far. But today was one of those days in which I couldn't quite speak with the patience required and deserved to my children. I felt myself talking and lecturing in circles, trying to instruct, trying to explain, trying to understand, but feeling like I need a course in "Navigating Your Child's Emotions 101." 

Even though today is quite "blah," I wouldn't consider it the norm. We have sparkling days, glimmering with smiles, laughter, goofiness, discussions, tea and crumpets, experiments, sidewalk chalk artistry, new feats, devoured literature, perseverance and a love of learning. Oh, and lots of character development...not just the kids, for me too. Sparkling still has its challenges and struggles or its nothing but a glittery veneer with Styrofoam underneath.

we did not kill the butterfly, FYI...

How my "today" looks is not my favorite look. I prefer the days where I put lots of check marks by school subjects, the house gets picked up, the kids don't argue (much), and I have motivation to move steadily through my whole day, in a perfect homemaker sort of way. I never have days that look perfectly like this, but I have days that feel in line with this and I like them. But every day brings its own look, its own battles, its own beauty, its own mess. And, His mercies are new every morning..." Praise the Lord.

So, here are my snapshots, my reminders of the beauty found in each day:

On this day where my window view shows gray skies with light breezy gusts rustling the trees outside, I'm thankful for the cooler temperatures. Fall is coming and it's my favorite.

D has spent the whole day helping an elderly neighbor with his yard. He loves doing it. He didn't expect to miss this day doing school, but because we homeschool, he can do this. And in my opinion, his work today is just as valuable if not more valuable than a day with his textbooks.

I have two sweet girls who graciously forgave me for my harsh words to them. It is hard to fail in front of my kids. It is good to fail in front of my kids (and ask forgiveness) because failing is a part of life, sinning is what we do. They need to know that I'm human, I need Jesus too. They have to learn to walk in this world. Confessing their sin to God and people, sharing their burdens, will be a protection for their souls. I want them to resist the facade of perfectionism and the Gospel-denying platform of shame. If how I deal with my failings and struggles points them to engage with God in everything, I will be well-pleased.

seriously, Arctic mermaids...

We're enjoying our last week of the pool. In spite of the gray skies, Cece and Belle will make the daily trek. They are die-hard and I love their happy pool smiles. I never tire of seeing their goggle-clad faces underwater. They literally smile and always wave at me when we're all underwater together. I can't quite find the right word to describe Belle's facial expression. Her eyes are bright, joyful, vibrant, wide-eyed, enthusiastic. I love it. Every image, I try and capture in my mind's eye. I meant to buy an underwater camera this year but didn't.

We've been working on some Spanish as a family and Belle has taken quite a liking to it. Unfortunately, the only phrase she can remember right now is ¡siéntate! which means "sit down!" She hears this phrase quite a bit, so it has stuck. The other night my husband and I took an evening walk and the girls scootered. All through the neighborhood, Belle was continually exclaiming, ¡siéntate! ¡siéntate! ¡siéntate! Usually she screams, "This is AWWWESOOOME!" So, I think this was her substitute. Hilarious.

What else? A neighbor randomly offered to bring us dinner tonight. What a gift. The girls and D are working together to make forts in the girls' room, but they have taken a break to happily watch some new episodes of Wild Kratts first. I love how much time they have to spend together. We'll walk to a farmer's market this evening (weather permitting!) and hopefully get in a couple chapters of Tuesdays at the Castle. Simple, lovely.

I'm learning to receive and give grace for the ebb and flow of each day. I don't have to be perfect. I can't be. It doesn't have to be my definition of a beautiful day to be truly beautiful.

summer moments...August collage

There is adventure in the form of climbing Mount Everest (I have a decided opinion on this form of adventure), and there is adventure in the every day nothings and everythings. I looked up adventure in the dictionary and was given this definition: "an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity." I may be taking poetic license, but I'd say that parenting and marriage fall under this definition more frequently than not. Just sayin'. As we slowly transition out of summer, I pulled some August snapshots from my phone. It's just life, a bunch of little nothings that make everythings. Not most people's definition of adventure, but mine.

celebrating my mom's birthday...

evening reading time...

pizza and pop on the patio with our neighbor

Spider-belle

D and Cece rocked it also, so to speak...

Princess Belle/Elsa and her patio art...I'm learning to let go and just let her grab whatever supplies she wants to create her "masterpieces." She loves anything hands-on.

The girls had a friend over and can I just say that our girls have a pretty terrific daddy. He gave them designer pedicures. And won over a few hearts too.

D and Cece each made thank you signs for our waitress when we were out to lunch. So sweet.

Ducks! We were crossing our fingers that she wouldn't go swimming with them....

Our sweet neighbors Maggie and Marge had the kids and I over for a movie (in their movie theater) and the real-deal old-fashioned banana splits complete with homemade pineapple, chocolate, and strawberry syrup toppings, and of course whipped cream, pecans and cherries on top. And, as an aside, old movies are awesome. We watched The Castaways with Hayley Mills. I grew up on her movies and they were considered classics at that point too. So fun.

Pure joy...Belle is in the shimmering splash somewhere...

This is how we ended our first day of school. The girls started this week, D starts on Monday. Still more summer left, but it'll be mixed with a bit more structure. And we'll probably still end up at the pool.

can I choose you?

Many evenings as we put our kids to bed, we're done. "Done" being a universal code parents use when they feel like they cannot do one more thing. One more question, whine, mess, request, anything will tip the scale to results that will be nothing resembling pretty. My husband and I don't like this about ourselves. We know we live in days which are very long, and years which are very short. My husband and I talk often of finding the balance between taking the "brain space" we need in the evenings without putting a wall up towards our kids. Boundaries are good for their life, but we can draw the lines too sharply at times. Balance. Illusive, yet worth striving to find as our parenting seasons change.

Several nights ago, I was tucking Belle into bed and she requested a story. Our dialogue went something like this:

Belle: "Please can you read me a story? Just me? Just one book? Please?" (She pleads quite well with her big chocolate brown eyes.)

Me: "Not tonight, time to sleep."

Belle: "Oh, please!?"

Me: "Okay, just one."

I grabbed Horace off of the girls' bookcase and read this very sweet story to my very sweet girl. I love this book. It tells the story of a leopard cub adopted by a tiger family. One day, he sets off to find a family that looks like he does. He finds a family playing in the park and spends the day with them, but realizes that just because they look like him, it does not make them his family. It's a beautiful story of adoption, displaying that families do not have to look the same to be designed perfectly.

I love my kids so very much. They call themselves chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. It is their normal. I can't imagine having a daughter who looks like me and I wouldn't want it because I wouldn't have my two beauties. I tell them often how very glad I am that God chose them especially for our family. I want them to rest in that truth. Knowing God sovereignly hand-picked them to be with us. Not just for their sake, but for ours. I don't know where we would be without them.

Belle was thoughtful as I read her Horace. In the middle she said, "I never wanted a new family." Sweet words for my heart.

When I finished and I was tucking her in (again), she looked at me and said, "Hey mom, can I choose you as my mom every single day?"

I would love that.

We bought this leopard for Belle when she was born. When she first learned to talk, she named it "Beppo" because that was as close as she could come to "leopard." Sweet memories.

i'm loving...these books

Books come in all flavors and I crave different flavors as I wade through the stream of moments that become my days, weeks, months, and years. Right now, I've needed some soul encouragement, and I've loved these three books.

I've mentioned Bittersweet before, but I'm still loving it. It's written in more of a vignette form, so I can sit down and read several sections when I have a few free minutes. I like how Shauna Niequist writes, but I also like what she writes. And as an aside, if you have struggled with infertility and miscarriages, I'd grab this book in a heartbeat (or for loved ones). It's a collaboration of so many stories and topics, but this theme has stood out to me. That particular struggle is not one I have faced, but I have still appreciated what she has written. I don't want to put this book in a box by mentioning only one topic, so I'll say this book would be for any woman who is dealing with this beautiful messy life...so everyone (in my opinion...whatever that is worth!). I've been stewing in some bittersweet brew, so I'll say again how much I've appreciated this book.

 

My sweet friend pointed me toward this read saying that it sounded like my kind of book. I read the title and description and then hopped on Amazon and ordered it (thank you Amazon Prime). This is kind of my mantra, finding beauty and joy where I live each day. Blooming where God has planted me, but resting in hope for what He has beyond today. I have an adventurous heart that has been stunted and disgruntled with discontent as of late. So, this book has been a gift to my hurting heart. I haven't connected with the practical parts of the book as much, but I would consider her tips and ideas good ones, just not new to me personally. However, when Sarah Mae speaks to the heart of our struggles and dreams and hopes, and connects those to a loving, engaged and present God, I'm listening. In the midst of Cheerios and laundry and squabbly messes, I can still find joy and beauty and I can rest in a God who sees, who knows, who cares, and who has not forgotten me.

Do you love Jane Austen? Then you will LOVE this. When I'm dealing with a lot of stress and battling anxiety, I can't read contemporary fiction. It makes me feel frenetic and crazy. I have to go back to the classics (or those handful of books which have been read and re-read countless times). Published in 1855, it is not a book about the American Civil War as I originally thought (before I knew the publishing date...I do know my history dates, at least that one!). It tells the story of a young woman who moves with her parents from Southern England to the industrial North. The BBC made a miniseries from this book that is positively lovely lovely lovely. I love old books because they have stood the test of time. The rubbish has ceased to be published and only the best literature has survived. I often wander what books will be read from our time 100 years from now. The writing is complex and intellectual, unlike most fiction found today, and the fact that I must concentrate on what I'm reading helps pull my scattered brain from all that flits around it, unanchored and disorderly. I'm savoring this read.

School is around the corner. Yay! And, sigh. Trusting God for the adventure He has for my family this year!

summer goals~100 books

 

So, my almost 12-year-old is continuing his march toward reading 100 books for this summer. The deadline is the real end of summer, September 21st-ish and he thinks he'll make it. His base goal was 75 books by the end of summer vacation, somewhere in the mid-August vicinity. 

I asked him to pick five favorites (a tall order as he loved many of these titles and did not find one that he loathed). 

Drumroll, please! (descriptions given courtesy of D..."idiomatic" may have been my word, but D dictated the rest...)

1. Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain--classic, adventure, history...he devoured it.
2. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone by J.K. Rowling--magic, adventure, special powers, mystery, friendship...
3. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster--an adventure with lots of idiomatic fun (expressions, sayings, play on words, and idioms)
4. Emily's Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary--a story set in the early 1900's on a farm, Emily is creative, energetic and imaginative...
5. Eric Liddell by Janet and Geoff Benge--story of a missionary to China who was also one of  the greatest runners. He honored God with his whole life...