reflective

lovely things about 2011

• spring

a problem with painting...I can't stop until seven rooms are tackled in 5 months

celebrating Lincoln's 7th birthday in lincolnland

alice in wonderland shows- a fantastic flower and wicket (think croquet) dancer (Neva) and a lovable jester (Linc)

arizona trip- great gatherings with bartelts and olsons, enjoying the musical instrument museum, a peaceful desert hike and fantastic home concert


• summer

ear-piercing birthday extravaganza for our 10 year old Neva

girls trip, okoboji family camp

wyoming trip- wonderful hikes and down time, games, good times, and the delights of a good old road trip!

celebrating the life of (Todd's) Grandpa Brad, a man with great wisdom, a wonderful family, and an unforgettable sense of humor


• fall

texas trip- tons of family fun at the state fair, Alpha conference, mother-daughter conference, reunion with a soul-sister and our seven children

great- thankful for new furry members of the family: 2 hamsters (earned with months of hard work, a plan, perseverance and a joint-effort-sibling power point presentation)

cousins, cousins, and more cousins--lots of delightful generations expanding, and abounding with cuteness!  we're grateful for the time we get to spend with them!


• winter

christmas crazy- Todd's 6th Barn play written/directed/laughed through, 4H craft crew, piano-practicing contest, travels to Iowa and Minnesota

meals & deals- Neva (and sometimes Lincoln) is making meals around here, making life (and mama) a little more sane!  thanks to myjobchart.com we have seen great growth in ambition...




back then... and now here: a little of this year:

counting 1000 blessings, literally- I started about 2 1/2 years ago, inspired by Ann Voskamp.  And while I still struggle lots with keeping my perspective, my eyes continue to strive to see the precious gifts of the seeming-ordinary (daily drudgery!?!?!) as extraordinary

another huge boon to my outlook this winter: reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom...if you've not read it...


living in the tension of trees and skinned knees, loads of laundry and never-completed tasks, quiet times & crazy times, finding some things become more clear and real, yet some are increasingly hard to grasp... we are humbly grateful to be here together, doing what we can - tho often times it's enough just getting through a regular day - to live with this crazy little thing called LOVE overflowing