dog days

"Take it slowly. This book is dangerous!"

-Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

Yesterday started early.

...like 6:30am early.

Which was okay because I let John sleep in ('let' seems like an unfair word. He hardly ever sleeps in. He enjoyed a sleep in, I should say.) I gently awoke John around 8:30 to remind him that it was 50% off day at Goodwill and I was looking forward to headin' onward to find some deals.

And deals I did find.

A stop at the Donut Factory may or may not have been included. Ok, it was.

Were the Goodwill deals something I couldn't live without?

No, not really.

But were they great because they were 50% off?

Why yes, they were! 

About four thrift stores later I returned home to find Jackboy sick as a dog. John had called at thrift store #2 and said Jack felt a little warm and had fallen asleep. I wasn't too concerned, but when I felt Jack's feverish forehead and saw his glassy eyes I knew. The poor kiddo was sick. We took his temp and it was 102.5. A first for him. Honest truth: a part of me was kind of excited to get to pamper our little boy and pretend to be a nurse (not an original aspiration of mine, fyi) and maybe even bust out some dr. quinn moves. However, after the ibuprofen had kicked in he was back to running around (yet stopping for more breaks than normal.)

So, today Jack was smothered with snuggles, nose wipes, binkies and applesauce. I loved seeing John take care of Jack. He's so gentle and sensitive to how his boy is feeling. It's absolutely precious. Every so often John will remind me how Jack might be feeling, for example, he said, "I know that when I have a fever I get the chills. I bet he has the chills." I kind of giggled, but sure enough, later Jack was full of chills and snuggling up so tight he couldn't get enough. Father and son. That's all.

Friday night my parents came up for a visit and it was delightful. We went out for dinner and then walked around our tiny mall (it's seriously ridiculously tiny) so mom could return some shoes and we could get some coffee. I put Jack's pj's on after dinner so he could fall asleep on the way home (I didn't realize we were going the mall) and within minutes of entering the mall, Jack is out of the stroller and runnin' around like a wild javalina. I quickly realized I am one of those mamas who lets their kid dance in circles in his pj's in the mall. on a friday night. What has become of us?

After dinner with my parents and the trip the mall, John and I cozied up on the couch and watched Julie and Julia. Gets me every single time. I love everything about that movie. The food, the love and the laughter. Mostly, I love Meryl Streep. She truly is amazing.

This morning Jack still has a fever. He slept well last night though and only woke up once. I know this too shall pass. I'm trying to enjoy the extra snuggle time. To play it safe, we're staying home from church. Our first time since he was a newborn.

Will we see this Jack tomorrow? Please come back and play.

process of chatter

This week has been busy. A good busy. The kind that makes time fly, but not too fast. The kind that creates great napping material for your 15 month old and allows you time to attack the pile of tasks you wrote last week. The kind of busy that gets you talking and talking and talking when your patient husband gets home from work. The other night during dinner we had so much to share we had to take turns. He would tell a good story, then ask about my day, then the process would repeat. I was totally listening to him, but also preparing my next story for when he was done. Just kidding. Kind of. 

  i love jack's face. he was already protesting another picture.

I've been thinking a lot about what being happy is. What brings happiness. What helps us let things go. How we let go. And how great it feels to do so. For me, it's waking up a little early so I can have some alone time with Jesus. It's resting in His peace and sharing with Him the depths of my heart. It's a good cup of coffee with friends on the couch while the kiddos run in circles. It's a good episode of the Office. It's a song I can't get out of my head and turn up really loud just to watch Jack dance. 


Top Ten things I'm thankful for this week are:
 
1. jack sleeping in which results in me being the only one awake in the house for a little while and spend time with Jesus.
2. a treasured email from my brother.
3. friendships. laughter. soup and happy kiddos.
4. the Body at church and the way God uses them to support. to love. to be on the journey with us. to be gracious.
5. John's heart for the Body. the way he works so hard and pours his life into it. the example that he is of losing his life to find it Christ.
6. john changing out my faucet again. thanks, babe. it's perfect.

7. homemade popcorn (thanks to my mom for the popper) orange chocolate and a night with friends.
8. my mom helping me. again and again. thanks to her our garage is reorganized, our furniture is rearranged and jack has a play room.
9. my dear friend Kate going to India for a short trip. her journey always amazes me.
10. God's perfect and unbeatable timing. That His ways are not mine and I am so thankful.

other things to be thankful for over at curious georgi...

capture moments

Today was a massive playdate kind of day.

Our home was full of little fingers, bowls of soup, pb and j's, fussy babies, chasing children, and lots and lots of laughter. just the way it should be.


fellowship is a sweet and beautiful thing. 


Do you ever have weird quirks that you wish someone would say, "Don't do that. You're stressin' over nothing."

Maybe not. 

I have this little quirky habit of biting/peeling the skin on my fingers. When things are busy or stressful or I'm running on little sleep (uh, yes and yes.) I begin to pick and tear. Before I know it I've created little scabs and I need to tape band aids around my fingers to keep them from being attacked any more. I've gotten better since high school, but I still do it. And it's annoying. Interesting fact? My brothers, sister and dad all do it too. It's genetic! I wonder if Jack will?


Here's to stressing over nothing, embracing the busy and the slow and just enjoying life.

oh that silly goose face. makes me smile everytime.
this is jack's new stink face he makes when he's pretending to smell/blow his nose. also it's the face he makes when he doesn't want something or wants you out of his way. 


i want to capture faces like those and place them deep into my heart.

happiness hits

Today is a new kind of Monday.

A fresh week.

A fresh start. Full of hope.

A new (second time around. thank you, love.) faucet my incredible man is installing this very.minute. a couple of Modern Family episodes later, and here we are.

Last night John and I watched Invictus. Scratch that, John watched Invictus and I fell asleep around 10:30 and had a dream about Matt Damon. Wait, what? I really want to finish that movie.

this week's hunt.

no instragram this week. i save that for the 365 bit, for now.

1. memories. this apron was my mom's from when she got married. she gave it to me when i was little and i used it to "cook" in, pretend in and add to any outfit to become dr. quinn, medicine woman. i wear it as a mom of my own now. every time i do, i kind of feel like i'm still pretending.

2. silhouette. in Arizona, spring comes early. what a delight. seeing this little man already longing for the outdoors.

3. doorway. i stole this shot from the couch while Jack and his little pal, Ollie played. So precious. I love the harmonica in her mouth and the way the sun is hitting them both.

4. reflection. after I put Jack down his nap I found these toys decorating the window sill just like this. He is such a boy. vintage Robin Hood/Kevin Costner, whatever are you doing with your legs?

5. silver. jack in the bath tub at my parent's. such curious little eyes.







++

Friendships are precious. i'm so thankful, especially lately, for good girl friends and the way that a simple conversation can lighten the whole mood of the day. i do enjoy time of solitude, but i really enjoy havin' some good fun.

I think Jack inherited a bit of that. 

a hint of hot water

Until recently, our kitchen sink sprayed out hot, violent water. upon moving in (last june) we (let's be real, it was me) noticed that the kitchen faucet has one of two spray options. none or A TON. and it couldn't be spraying just luke-warm water, no sir, it was scorching.

(side note: while at bible school in England my dear friend and room mate at the time, Bonnie and i would wake up around 5:30am for hot showers. they were a luxury in those conference hall rooms. we figured out that if we got up before everyone else we would have hot showers. and who doesn't love a hot shower? okay, not everyone, but in a northern England winter, we did. we would then go back to sleep until we had to get up. we were desperate to stay warm. the times we didn't get up at 5:30? oh yeah, freezing showers.)

last week my man installed a new faucet. and it's beautiful and works right and cleans the dishes well. however, i am so used to blazing hot water that i still find myself scorching my fingers.

(second side note: I love our little night routine. John typically gives jack a bath (he may or may not include a podcast in that part of his evening) and I turn up my fav-music-of-the-moment and clean the dishes. And by clean, I mean, I take my time cleaning the dishes. I guess I didn’t realize that routine included me trying my very best not to touch the too hot water.

"There are those who think that I'm strange
They would box me up and tell me to change
But You hold me close and softly say
That You wouldn't have me any other way."

 mindy glendhill - anchor

Tonight when I realized I was unnecessarily letting the water run too warm I thought about how the hot water is kind of like life at this moment. Though painful, the water needs to be really hot to effectively clean the dirty dishes. That doesn’t keep it from hurting sometimes. things seem kind of like hot water lately. it's good because God is using it to purify and cleanse, but it hurts too. a good kind of hurt (because, wouldn't you know i don't mind hot water on my hands? after 8 months I'm a little used to it.) the water is hot, but I know He keeps cleaning the dishes. He's using life to teach me how to adjust. i prayed for it. 

His way is good. His plan is perfect. My heart rejoices. Even when I don't understand.

++

On Friday, my mom came up north to help me with a project. She's a real go-getter, that mother of mine. Mind you, I inherited more of my dad's personality and although I like to accomplish tasks, I also love to watch a good movie, roam around Target for a couple hours and blog. Obviously. But mom wanted a project and a project I would have for her. And we have a grand time doing projects together. So, once she walked in the door I thought of something for us to do.

this was Jack, attacking the camera one step at a time.

We reorganized our laundry room and transformed it into a usable playroom. Since we moved it's been mostly a storage room/mud room/where I stash everything I don't want Jack to get to. With the exposed heater and water heater (one of Jack's favorite obsessions) I was always nervous to let him play around them. Well, this was nothing for my mom and it took her about five minutes to find a solution for that...and everything else. Four hours later we had reorganized our garage, laundry room and rearranged our furniture in our family room. My.mom.is.incredible. (told you she's a go getter. I try to learn all I can.) Personally, I could keep it this way for a few years. I know mom will be back and eager to have another project. Let her come, I'll find somethin'.

you capture - circles

those eyes. (i'm refraining myself from bustin' out into bruno mars here. don't judge me.)
could they get any more circular than that?

be still, my heart. He's growing so fast. 

thankful thursday top 10.

1. the new office episode that's on tonight! (which we will watch tomorrow.)

2. Bible study yesterday morning. The many strangers in the room (it was my second week) praising Jesus together.

3. Jack sleeping in until 8am both yesterday and today.

4. the new years inspirations and goals. so thankful my man is jumpin on board 'cause this boat is sailing fast!

5. new friendships that brighten my life. sisters walking on a similar path and aiding the way.

6. play dates. and one a day. i love them.

7. the new video camera that we got for Christmas. it allows me to capture moments like this one. (movie to come...)

8. a phone call from my dad just asking how things are going.

9. watching on my favorite ladies/mentors getting baptized on Sunday.

10. my man who puts up with me. and that's a whole lot.

check out other thankfuls at curious georgi...

wordless (not so much) wednesday

Family dynamics will always fascinate me.

(Perhaps that why I love movies like the Family Stone and tv shows like Parenthood. Craig T. Nelson, anyone? Does he remind me of my own dad? Why, yes. I guess he kind of does.)

I love seeing the way they interact, the designated (yet not discussed) roles that each one has.

I love the way they love unconditionally, even with the quirks and weirdness.

I love to see them argue. Things they've argued about since they were kids.

I love to see the love.

I also love to see the charastics that they share, or that their children share.

I find this picture quite hilarious.

It's John with Jack and a few years younger John with our nephew, Nolan (who at the time was about Jack's age.)

It's pretty funny how much they look alike.

I guess you could say they are related.

a change of pace

I think I have a love/hate relationships with Mondays. Unlike most peeps, Mondays are our Sunday and John is home. All day. I love it when he's home, I truly do, but sometimes I get a little...agitated? Am I alone in this? I love having him here, to eat lunch with, sit with, talk with, be with, go out and do things with, but sometimes it gets a little crowded. I guess I'm just used to my routine. And so is he. Sometimes we clash a 'lil. Not a lot. Sometimes it's just better to do separate things for a little while.


Monday morning began with a trip to the donut shop. A local place just opened and we are trying to support them the best we can. It has little to do with the fact that we love a good donut and there is no Dunkin's in Prescott. Oh, wait. 



I have great memories of my dad getting a dozen donuts for us from Jolly Pirates on Saturday mornings. Sometimes we were allowed to go with him and pick out our favorite. I can still see the box on our kitchen counter and how quickly they were gone. 

that's me with my brothers and dad. Not getting donuts, but spending a day at the farm.

After the donuts were finished and Jack had eaten his oatmeal (because, that's right, we were not so nice parents and didn't get a donut for Jack. He didn't even reach for one or anything! He loves his routine too, apparently, and was perfectly happy with his oatmeal.) Jack I went to the zoo with my dear friend Mattie and Cougan. John was amazing and put a new faucet in (one that may or may not be the right fit) and enjoyed some alone time. My man digs some alone time (who doesn't?)

Cougan and Jack. Looking so grown up.

probably Jack's favorite part.

++


this last week i fell in love with/became a little obsessed with instagram app on the 'ol iphone. It is so much fun. If you are on there, let me know. My username is melled. almost all of these pictures are taken using instagram.


1. a different view

taken on the way home from church. Jack barely made it out of the parking lot. I carried him inside and tried to balance a sleeping toddler and the phone. Love that kiddo.

2. looking up.

taken at the zoo.

3. abstract. here's for some serious honesty: i do not know how/care to take abstract photos. i looked at all sorts of abstract examples and this is the best i could come up.

driving home from bible study. baby at home with dad. the Beatles blasting on the radio. the Land Crusier is on empty.

4. Hair. this is Jack, almost every morning when he eats his oatmeal. Today I left him alone with it for a little bit too long.

 

5. Half. In the Old Navy dressing room enjoying the 50% off 50% off sale. It.was.awesome.

This contest is both challenging and fun. I'm diggin' it.