Friday

My dough and sauce {I start both on Thursday as soon as I get home from school because the sauce needs to simmer for 3 hours, and the dough needs 2 hours to rise}

His creations

All four of us

Friday... ahhh

Lord, Take This Place

 

From Celtic Daily Prayer

Lord, take this song

    and fill it with Your presence.

Let it bring a word of hope 

    to a weary care-full hearts.

Take this song 

    and fill it, Lord.

Fill it with Yourself.

Lord, take my life

    and fill it with Your praises.

Let me speak a word of peace

    that Jesus brings in me. 

Take this life

    and fill it, Lord.

Fill it with Yourself.

Lord, take this place

    and fill it 

    with your blessing. 

Let it be a haven

    where the poor in spirit

    sing. 

Take this place

    and fill it, Lord.

    Fill it with Your praise. 

Recording

This was Sunday - it felt like all day - I'm sure it wasn't. 

She wore a black blouse (as if it were a concert and dressy black pants. {and as Abigail style, always a bow in her hair) 

Abigail worked so hard on this audition and on Sunday she recorded. 

After as few tears, pep talks from her big sister, and a lot of T I M E with her daddy in front of that camera she is done. 

She'll submit on Friday and then we'll wait. There is so much learning in this process and I am grateful for all she's accomplished in just the trying. 

Auditioning

Oh my, where have I left off? What is going on in our lives? I do so want to keep memories here - so bit by bit, as I can, I will get them here. 

Abigail is in 8th grade - next year high school! Oh my goodness! 

The auditions for the high school select orchestras are in January, always have been. 

Anna auditioned in 8th grade too!

Here is that post... Anna, the exact age Abigail is now... auditioning for the exact orchestra Anna did then!

Here is the post of when she got into high school Camarata. 

There have been a few times she hasn't gotten in. I wrote about it back here. 

And this was last January for Anna - she is now in Gioviani Solisti! Here is that post back here. 

And now it is time for Abigail to audition. 

Of course it won't be a 'live' audition due to Covid-19. Abigail will have to record her piece and submit it. {along with a beautiful little essay she wrote}

Anna helped her choose a piece that was 3 books ahead of where she is now. {Each book taking about 2 years of complete - at least} 

Anna really felt that this audition needed a more technical piece that her little sister wasn't on yet - but she thought she might be able to teach her it - all on her own. 

It was really hard work for Abigail to learn this piece but Anna was with her every step of the way. Every step. 

Here are a few pictures of them working together late into the night lately. 

I want to remember this - remember them like this - my heart is so full. 

Almost

 It's

Almost

Saturday

Morning... 

What a Wonderful Day for America!

I want to remember this day and the joy that it held! 

I was so excited as I drove to school on this H I S T O R I C day! 

I always play classical music as my fourth graders enter the classroom. Today I chose to play America the Beautiful (instrumental). They came in peaceful knowing that I was 'setting the stage' for an important day. 

During our Morning Meeting we talked about what the word Inauguration means -

We talked about why this day is a historic event - 

And that we would watch it with joy as a class. 

I had tears in my eyes as we said the Pledge of Allegiance this morning. 

And then as the official guests were arriving I turned it on. It was so important to me that the children saw the Capital looking beautiful as opposed to the destruction from two weeks ago. That was a terrible day in America. 

We watched as the FIRST woman was became vice-president. 

We watched as Joe Biden became president. 

It was moving and just wonderful. 

___________________________________________________________________________________

And then I came home to celebrate with my family. 

We had an all-American, fun dinner with the best burgers, fries and I'm not sure how I did it but baked an apple pie. (I made the pie crust and started the crumb topping the night before) 

At night we all watched the 'live' feed (we recorded since we didn't want to watch the new of it) and ate apple pie. 

It was a very special night! 

God bless America! 

Weekending and Rhythms

This weekend we had a big bathroom project. 

Here's the best news! It's done! I have no pictures but picture in your mind - shiny and white white white white white. 

We had a long talk on Sunday morning how {because of the bathroom} we didn't do our rhythms as we call them. 

But first what are rhythms? 

• Rhythms of life are the anchors in our days, those things that hold us fast
• They keep us from drifting in the winds of life
• It's a commitment to shared fellowship with kindred spirts {those that think like us, believe what we do, strive to grow...}
• They give our lives stability - and in the same way, something to look forward to
• Just like when they were little: morning devotions, read-aloud, play and pretend, rhythms are part of who we are and what we do 
• They shape order
• They are a celebration of life in the mundane that keeps our home happy and growing
• They can be different during different seasons {summer calls for slower days and allows me to prepare elaborate tea times} {summer has us all reading on the couch together right after lunch}

Pizza bread and a family movie that we all watch together.

Saturday date night {Scott and I eat something yummy as an evening snack and sit and talk or maybe watch something} {the girls have special sister time with a yummy evening snack and draw or play or create or watch something together - but always to talk and talk and talk and laugh really loud} 

So when Sunday rolled around I felt depleted. Our rhythms fill my soul and keep me going. 

We decided then and there that we would keep our Sunday tradition of all going for a walk in the woods. {even if the bathroom didn't get done} and it felt w o n d e r f u l

By the time it was dinner on Sunday evening I knew I could never let another weekend go by without our traditions so I wrote them in pen in my planner - even though I've never had to - with the time right next to it so that nothing gets in the way. {even something as wonderful as a new bathroom} 

 

Been Waiting to Post

(in case you didn't see - start here) 

Oh my goodness how beautiful is this? 







Walking on this campus made me want to be a college student again. 

It's take your breath away, amazing campus. 



Just look at all that ivy... 













We had the whole college to ourselves this summer on campus. 

We had done many online tours and been to hours and hours of online 'live' information sessions leading our hearts toward this beautiful place. 

But walking on campus was so different.

When we arrived that day Anna was down to 9 colleges she was ready to apply to. 

But I saw her heart change on this campus. 

And although she didn't say anything about an applying decision until much later (post back here on this) her smile gave it away. 

Scott and I just held our breath, praying the whole time, realizing that we were falling in love with this place. 

I could feel the Holy Spirit in my heart. It was powerful. I felt deep peace about my daughter growing up - about her next stage - about her living away from me. 

Yes this is it! 

We are still on cloud nine! 

When Her Phone Rang

Preface: I can't believe that I'm typing this. Wasn't Anna only in first grade when I started this blog? 

This happened on Monday, December 14, 2020. 

We are still over the moon about it. 

Truly one of the happiest days of my life. 

I will never forget driving to my school the next morning and feeling to elated that my cheeks hurt from smiling. 

Be truly glad; There is wonderful joy ahead 1Peter 1:6

___________________________________________________________________________________

Anna had applied early decision to a college was her top choice, and we knew we'd hear soon so we were all nervous leading up to this night. 

On Monday evening after dinner Anna and Abigail decided to practice for a concert (post back here). 

Joy to the World in front of the Christmas tree - a duet. 

I decided to grab my phone and record because whenever my girls play viola together it makes me so happy and I just have capture it. 

So there I was, standing in the living room. Anna's music stand was behind me. (they were using Abigial's stand to practice).

In the middle of my recording / in the middle of the song I heard Anna's phone ring. So I immediately stopped recording. 

Here is that recording:

As soon as I stopped recording and said, "Anna! Your phone is ringing." 

She grabbed it right away but missed the call. 

Somehow, without thinking about it too much, returned the call, not knowing who it might be. 

As soon as I figured it out I started recording for the second time that night. 

And this is what I heard. 

Beautiful, honest, lovely, darling, simple, profound moment recorded. I am so grateful for that video. 

and 

I have no words. None that can compare that the emotions in the room. I can't think of anything else to say. It is just felt. 

And I don't know any college that personally calls applicants accepted to tell them - what an amazing personal touch. 

And the rest of the night unfolded like this. 

I am beyond proud of Anna for her accomplishments. This college is a very prestigious, highly selective college - they only accept 23% of applicants. There are many notable alumni including: 

• Clarence Thomas – Supreme Court Justice
• Dr. Fauci - National Institute for Infectious Diseases 
• Joseph Murray - surgeon who performed the first successful kidney transplant
• Edward P. Jones – Novelist who received a Pulitzer Prize 
• Ann Dowd – Actor
• Mark Kennedy Shriver - Maryland House of Delegates 
• Neil Hopkins – Actor
• Jon Favreau – Obama's former speechwriter
• Chris Matthews – Political commentator
• Bill Simmons – ESPN sports writer, sports analyst, author, and podcaster.
• And on and on the list goes... 

As a family we have fallen in love with this extraordinarily beautiful college. And we can't wait to see what God will do through those four years. 

So much more to come in future posts... 

And this video Anna quickly put together so we could tell family and friends:

Epilogue: 

I was praying that when Anna found out that she got in (oh we were praying for that too) that we would all be there. 

I could never have imagined that it would be with her viola in her hands. 

That she would be surrounded by all of us. 

That she would be in the middle of playing Christmas carols. (Joy to the World - that song will always have special meaning to me now) 

That she would be in our living room lit with the sparkling Christmas tree. 

I know that not all of that is important. But it sure made it that much more special and I am grateful to God for knowing her mama's heart and how much it would mean to me. 

It's Not About Perfection, It's About Heart ~ new goals

This (above) photo was from this blog post back in 2013 and in that post I wrote "This is all I ever wanted for my birthday. Oh to be a mother." 

In some ways it feels like it's slipping away. And that is a horrible feeling. My head knows that is not the case. I am not "done" but my heart wants to hold Abigail on my hip and dress Anna in ankle socks. 

___________________________________________________________________________________

I just turned 48. I'm not a 'birthday person'. It's not that I don't like growing older, that number 48 or the way things age doesn't bother me one tiny bit. I truly could care less. I just don't love all of the 'fan fair' that goes along with a birthday. Sometimes I feel bad for those that love me and want to celebrate January 5th. My parents, my husband, my daughters. So I let them shower me with love. And I do enjoy the extra love. 

Every milestone feels like the right time to reevaluate my goals. It just happens that my birthday is so close to New Years that it sounds like "New Years Resolutions" - but it's not. 

There are other mile markers throughout the year: 

• spring and lent, 
• when school is out for summer, 
• at summer's close when a school year is just about to start, 
• just before Advent, 

Those all seem to be great times to look at my priorities. I heard once someone say, "How do you keep your priorities straight all the time?" "Well, I don't. I have to reprioritize over and over again." 

And so that is what my birthday/New Years, spring, summer, fall, advent are for me: time to stop and look at what I'm spending my time on. 

I like to ask myself questions:

• are the activities I spend most of my time on fruitful or can something be trimmed down?
• am I being efficient at teaching, planning and all things related to work?
• at the tasks that are part of everyday (laundry, meal prep, food planning, cleaning, ironing, etc) done in the least amount of time to save time for other things in my heart? 
• am I taking care of my daughter's hearts? 
• am I pouring into their lives? 
• am I spending too much time exercising or is it a healthy amount? 
• am I getting enough sleep? (for sure not!!! ever!!!) 
• What do I hope my legacy will be? 
• on and on

I find that some extra long quiet time with my notebook, pen, and Bible are just what I need to find the answers to those questions and other things God has put on my heart. 

And then I change things around, make new plans - it gives me just what I need to motivate myself to make changes. 

Above all I want to be the kind of woman that God has created me to be. 

And I'm living it out in home, family, work, in every way 

It's not about perfection, it's about heart. I know by now that perfection is something that robs us of a joy filled moment. If it's about my heart, then it lets others in. 

Truly, I want to see myself moving toward more of the person I want to be... 

and each day I want to take baby steps forward in the areas of those goals. 

January Decorating

January decorating is minimal in my home. Really mimimal. I really should show you our family room and living room - so empty and wonderful after Christmas is all put away. But the kitchen is the heart of our home and I was so happy to get it all blue and vintage again. Not that I don't have a lot of Christmas vintage going on in there at Christmastime but everything in my kitchen looks better in January. The walls in this room are a blue/grey color and the vintage dishes on the walls just pop. I decided to put up some favorite window curtains I sewed from an old tablecloth. Love them! I sewed up a sink skirt with small gingham and hearts (perfect for leaving up in February). I added my floral pained plant stand and some special kitchen books. And the mug rack... how I love it in January. I don't have all of my pictures {baking center I still need to take pictures of} {and I realized that I must take a few photos of my favorite mug} but here is a peek into January. Cool, calm, bright, happy, welcoming, vintage, ahhhh. 

Weekending

 Things I loved about the weekend

• I loved Friday night with my sauce and my dough made Thursday night with his creativity of what we now call "pizza bread" eaten in our family room around the fireplace - so cozy, so yummy and being inspired as we watched our last Christmas movie of the season: The Nativity Story
• I loved digging in on Saturday and deep cleaning our house
• I loved our brisk walk in the woods - I love the cold when I'm walking - I love this nature park with miles of woods, ponds, trails that is so close to our house
• I loved sewing a new sink skirt and redecorating our kitchen for January
• I loved an outside (35... burr!), masks & more than 6 feet apart visit with my parents for my birthday - that was certainly a first, opening presents outside in CT when your birthday is in January - but we are determined to keep others safe since we are exposed to Covid in our everyday lives at school
• I loved sitting and talking in our family room Saturday night as I opened family presents - aren't presents from your children the very best in the world? Oh my goodness how they light up when they find just the right thing for you that they can afford themselves - I love their faces and their joy
• I loved my quiet morning early on  Sunday when everyone was still sleeping
• I loved all the cooking Scott and I did together to prep for Sunday dinner and all of the food for the week - being in the kitchen with him is so fun! 
• I'm going to love (just after I type this) my cozy flannel sheets - not so much my 5am alarm, ha! 

(thanks Scott for snapping this on your phone - this is 48 by the way... just a few days after my birthday... in fact this hike was exactly what I asked to do... I love a hike in the New England woods in the winter) 

Have a lovely week ~

A Christmas Concert

Right before we were off from school for Christmas, they played in a Christmas virtual (live) concert. They decided to record their pieces ahead of time. 

It made it wonderful to relax and just watch the concert. We all loved it. 

Here is a quick snapshot of our family room that day - such a fun set up! 

Here are the recordings. Just click to watch!