to Ella

To my Bella girl who today turns 4:
You are my little shadow. You are somewhat quiet and don't demand a lot of attention but you love to be doing whatever I'm doing. As soon as I start to cook, you pull up a chair, you even like to help me clean. You love to feel like you have a job. You love to play in the dirt and every evening you are by my side to help in the garden, watering, pruning and you've perfected your own technique of finding clover blossoms and dandelions and carefully picking them and replanting them in all mommy's planters. You also love to play mommy to Naya and it melts me to see you pull her onto your lap and read to her since she is about the same size as you. You love to draw and paint and are very meticulous about it. Lately your thing is rabbits. I find them drawn on everything.
You are my most content one,you often quietly rattle off your favorite books to yourself. You've memorized them, even the intonations of my voice. You have some mad rhythm skills and for along time have beat boxed songs instead of singing the words which never ceases to crack up your daddy and me.You are very tender hearted and sensitive. You get hurt feelings easily but you forgive quickly. Lately, you are afraid of the dark so we hung fairy lanterns and butterfly lights in your room but the other night we found you nestled up next to Juden. He is very protective of you. You love music and are super girly. You're all about pink, tutus, dressing up, nail polish, and shoes...Lord have mercy, shoes. You would like to be doctor or a princess when you grow up; either would be fine with me. You are changing everyday and sometimes I wonder where this little bug went...

You like to have your goldeny hair done all different ways and are leaving all your toddlerness behind. Your smile really does light up the room just like your laugh. You are delightful in every sense of the word and I am so thankful for every day I get to me your mama. Happy birthday my big girl.

blooms and sparklers and summer

I love how summer sometimes feels like one extended weekend. It's official their heads have lifted from the dirt. I watched the seeds form sprouts and then buds and now blooms and it's one of my favorite times of the day walking around inspecting the constant changes. The garden is lush and bursting with color and it's amazing how happy it makes me. But I'll post more about that later. I love the long sunny days and I feel myself letting some things go to drink in summer, for fear if I blink it will be over. Why does it feel like this endless world of possibility when you're little?




These summer days have spawned a very lax bed time which I'm okay with sometimes and sometimes I am definitely not okay with. This night we got all the kids tucked in and decided to sit outside and have some wine and chat while the stars came out. Josh started doing some sparkler tricks which got Juden's attention as he'd been peeking down at us from his bedroom window. Seconds later they were bursting through the screen door. "Their dropping stars on us", Ella said through giggles.

around the world with meadow

Today my niece Meadow Eve turned 8.

So this beautiful sister set out to make her around-the-world birthday party wishes come true.

They each decorated these suitcases...

and got their passports stamped by this little Dove-bird.

Then off to a golden bamboo forest in China to a table laid with rice cookies, Litchi candies, fans and fortune cookies.


They tried to learn how to use chopsticks...

and had an origami lesson.





They proceeded to Africa and played African drums..

and learned African dance steps.

They traveled to a vineyard in France and had French sparkling lemonade and did their own fashion designs.

They visited South America and a few other countries before ending up back in the USA for some cake in the shape of a globe. It was so lovely to see how with a little attention to detail and a lot of imagination these little girls were taken all over the world without leaving their garden,

a day that Meadow will not soon forget.

home again

It was so very nice to listen to the sounds of quietness for awhile with the one I love.

we're off

We are cabin bound for a few days of sleeping in, hiking, biking, reading, eachother and for the first time since we became parents no children!
Note to self:
Don't worry.
You'll miss them more than they miss you.

up to the sky

Some days he's Sir Jack. The day Uncle Keefers gave him a bow and arrow he was Robin which had certain advantages for me(Maid Marian) who got kisses when he was victorious. This day he was Peter of course saving Naya from pirates. We've jumped head long into summer around here and it feels good.
There is something entirely magical about the way little ones see things and it makes me sad to think of the day when I no longer have all these little people breathing freshness into my days.
After a night of big band music and fireworks for Memorial day, this conversation followed.
Mama- "What do you think that was?"
Juden- " I fink something from the planets spraying some fire that looked like a weeping willow tree."


Mama- "What is joy?"

"It's when you play and you're happy and bells ring inside you up to the sky."
~Juden~

T E N

This weekend we celebrate ten years of marriage and I can hardly believe that is possible. Of course it has made me reflective of this time ten years ago, who we were and what we were doing. God has been good and held us together these ten years by his grace. Marriage can come under attack from so many directions, and it really is hard work. We have learned and grown so much along the way and hopefully will continue to do so. A few things that I have learned: that it is so much easier to love when you study your partner and how they need to be loved instead of being more concerned about having your own needs met. Talk to each other about everything. Feelings of romance come and go, choose to act in love and kindness regardless. Protect your marriage, it is sacred. Try to see your partner like Jesus sees them, be compassionate, we are all in the same messed up boat. Go to bed at the same time whenever possible. Laugh a ton, Josh is great at making this happen when I really want to be mad at him. Make time for your marriage no matter how much you keep procreating. Occasionally sit down and talk til you finish a bottle of wine together. Dance whenever possible, under the bridge, in the kitchen, in the street. Write each other love letters even though you live in the same house.
I like to celebrate milestones and so I thought I'd sing a song I love to Josh and make a slide show so if you can't take the lovey-dovey stuff than skip right over
this. I am so thankful for this man that has loved me unconditionally, who loves God and life and people, who works hard and is an incredible daddy to our brood. I love him so much it hurts.

ella rose

Today was a good day not to go anywhere. It was a good day to huddle on the porch and get sprayed by the heavy rain. It was a day made better by tea and little umbrella straws, paper thin poppy blooms, and lots of books.
It was a day filled with lots of good tunes, listening to this and this, oh and this for my girl. It was a day I wanted to soak up my girl in all of her 3-year-old-splendor. It was a day that it felt okay to let housework go and join the crew in the living room fort. It was a day that started with Ella insisting on "Laura Ingalls kind of pony tails." It was a day she wore no less than four different dresses. It was a day that I let myself doze off for a few minutes beside her. It was a day like any other with nothing particularly special, but a day I didn't want to end.