My favorite meal to eat out is breakfast. I'll take a cozy homey yummy main street breakfast place over a fancy dinner anytime! We went with my parents a few weekends ago after Mass. It was cold and pouring but we had the best time, and I am grateful!
Pre Blog Post Thoughts ~ I think I'd like to blog more often. I actually think it will be easier than once in a while. Let me explain (or let me think it out loud in this space). My blog sort of started to be the "big things" in life
But little blog posts of day to day are easy ~ a simple picture of two, a simple thought.
I think if I think 'smaller' on this blog than big events, big posts, I'll like this space of mine better... so here goes...
It's Getting There
We always have a house project going on. I hate the mess but I love the planning, dreaming, and of course the outcome.
Recently I've been craving wallpaper, really wanting it. But Scott does not. Last year he did wallpaper a tiny off the kitchen bathroom for me. I found two rolls of tiny flowered wallpaper at a thrift store. And it looks so lovely in there. But he hates the wallpaper process and even more worries what will happen when I change my mind. (He's right, I do change my mind a lot over the years)
So for this Mother's Day project, he's painting the family room. It's my Mother's Day present. (Each year I get to choose a project we don't NEED to do but my heart WANTS to do)
I've been wanting to try the 'made in England' Farrow and Ball paint. I chose a cozy color and I love the way it's coming out.
The walls are done and now he's doing the trim in a buttery color. The room will be totally different and I can hardly wait to decorate for Christmas! I think all of our greens will look so much better in here than the white trim!
Okay, so I DID it! I did my first, 'it's not a big deal' 'little thoughts', 'who cares about perfect pictures' post!
So I guess I just stopped blogging and I'm not sure why. It seems to be the thing to go first when life is life. Nothing new. Nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps it's the end of school coming. When the end of the school year starts, it feels like there is a lot to do. But not really. It's really just a magical time of year when I can really enjoy teaching the last unit in literacy and math. I really enjoy my class at the end of May and June.
Could it be that there are a few birthdays right around this time of year? And a big Mother's Day project in our house?
Could it be that I feel kind of like I'm in two different seasons at the same time. I'm still teaching. It's not summer but it's almost.
I think that's it. Everything feels out of balance and so what goes? The blog.
But I so don't want it to.
So this is my 'I'm back' post.
Oh for sure the happiest place in our home is the kitchen. Scott and I both do a lot of cooking, baking, everything making! And I love changing things up.
I recently took a few pictures and thought I'd post them here!
I found this area rug at an antique store and I should have taken an up close of it... it's lovely, fun, and adds a bit of comfort and cozy to this space.
I have a teapot shelf up there above the sink which Scott built for my Mother's Day present last May.
On our drive home from moving her out and bringing her home (that post is back here), Abigail said something profound from the back seat. She said,
"I'm living in answered prayer."
Living in answered prayer,
Living in answered prayer,
We reflected on all of the ways God answered prayers this year:
~ from having friends, wonderful new friends who all love Jesus with their whole heart
Living in answered prayer,
~ friends who gave her pre birthday gifts with Bible vereses written in them {Abigail went to a public high school and longed for friends with the same values, ideals, and connection through faith}
Living in answered prayer,
~ friends to share her heart with, to grow closer to God with, to worship with
Living in answered prayer,
~ a college dedicated to beleiveing in teaching their students to go out into the world and make it a better place for the Lord
Living in answered prayer,
~ classes like 'The Life of Jesus'
Living in answered prayer,
~ a safe place to have fun, study, learn, grow, push herself
Living in answered prayer,
But she learned, she grew, and she came out of all of it proclaming,
"I'm living in answered prayer."
Living in answered prayer,
Living in answered prayer,
And you've got our prayers, support, emotional support, listening hearts for the rest of your life.
May you always look back at this freshman year with gratitude knowing that Jesus was right there with you. May you remember how much fun you had. May you continue to be blessed by good, sweet friends. May you know always know your faith is everything. May you continue to follow in the plan God has for your life. Dream big, God's dreams for you.
We are so very proud of your first year. We are thrilled that you are home. And we look forward to what will be in the next three years of college.
Living in answered prayer,
Living in answered prayer.
Move in Day:
Fall
Winter
Spring
Almost Summer
Other Posts:
We had a simple and lovley Mothers Day. I was showered with love, appreciation, affection, and tenderness from my darling daughters and my husband Scott.
"I have no greater joy than to know that my children are walking in truth."
3 John 1:4
It was everything I needed to fill my heart. I spent the day thinking about how very blessed I am to be Anna and Abigail's mama. So very blessed indeed.
I've written a lot about my motherhood over many years on this blog. From the days when I was home for 13 years with them, to toddlerhood, to letting them stretch their wings away from me in just little bits as they started elementary school, all the way through high school. I've written about how I'm never done, how I want to hold their hearts, their dreams, their feelings all of my days.
Oh I have dreams still as a mother. I have read (and rearead and reread and reread) every book from my favorite motherhood author, Sally Clarkson. I listen to her podcast. I belong to her membership. I identify with her having ideals as a mother.
I still plan how to reach my daughters hearts, how to lead them still toward Christ in every part of their lives (even though they love the Lord with all their hearts already), how to listen to their feelings, how to strive and try to understand their place right now in the world.
I believe in a lifegiving home and lifegiving words. I still plan on what to say I can say to them, how to give them words that will build them up, affirm them, filling them with my love and my heart. How to walk beside them, listen to, and be in their saddness, their stress, and their joy.
They may be 22 and 18, but they are my daughters and I am not done. I will mother them forever. It is my prividlige, my honor, my heart, my life. Nothing is more important than that.
And to have one whole day to celebrate that, to reflect on that, to be thanked for that, well that is just wonderful.
Here are just a few pictures from our beautiful day together:
Other Motherhood post you might like:
Tiny But Big Motherhood Lessons
Motherhood Monday (oh my I just reread and it's so my heart still, even now 💕💕💕)
There is so much I want to say about this year. So very much. I'll hold that for another post. But for now, she is home. 💕 She took her last freshman year exam on Friday morning, she packed, we drove down to her college and moved her out. And moved her home. ❤
It was a joyful day.
She was mostly packed up - all of the hard stuff to pack was packed. She just needed a few more bags and we got her all set really quick!
Her room went from this:
There's a shift in the air as soon as the calendar turns to May. I think I feel it especially because I am a classroom teacher. Here in Connecticut we go until mid June but still, May feels different. I can't really explain it really, it just is.
There is a shift in the classroom. I have to work harder to motivate myself and my students. The sun shines in and I just want to be outside (at home).
So I've shifted my schdule and I get to school by 6:45 am! My class arrives at 8:30. That allows me to do all of my work in the morning and leave right after school. With these warmer days I just want to soak up some sunshine!
I'm not "counting down" yet. Not even close. I'm just choosing to work more calmly, carefully, with intention and focus. I want to do this month of May well.
Oh and getting long walks with Scott as soon as we both get home from our schools is just about the best May present ever!
Here is what my life looks like today:
1. Early morning Bible, prayer, journal time
2. Getting ready for work
3. Out the door by 6:40 the latest
4. My favorite part of the school day, prep 6:50-8:30
5. Welcoming my class, Morning Meeting, teaching math (had to catch a spider on the window - dumped out my pens, caught it with my pen jar and piece of paper, brought it outside)
6. They go to their special and I get to eat a snack and correct their work
7. More teaching then lunch/recess
8. A literacy lesson and a day that ended at 4:30 because on Wednesday we have meetings until 4:30
9. Home to eat, enjoy our home, enjoy family, and do a few chores
10 done.
It was a lovely weekend. There was lots of time at home. Lots of tea.
Last night Anna went to her final class for grad school. It's her first year in a three year program to become a school phychologist. Here is the post on Anna graduating from college. Back here is the post on why she chose Fairfield. What a year it has been! It has flown by and I can't believe that she is done with year one!
There are so many thoughts on her choice of Fairfield, the commute, the work she is doing, her passion, her future, her new friendships. I have so much I want to hold on to and remember:
It has been a short / long week. Here's what I mean. My school week (I'm a fourth grade classroom teacher) flys by, it just flys by!
But it's also long and by Friday I am tired and ready for some home time, my very favorite place to be.
Right in the front of our home are these amazing tulips that Scott planted in November. They waited under the snow all of those cold, dark months. And they are so worth it.
