Stitches

As we begin to turn inward for the winter months, with all that early darkness and wanting to be in bed by 7pm, I am reminded of the tricks of the season that help get me through. Knitting, handwork, reading, cooking….more time for the slower paced things in life.

Ty has a book report due next week. In efforts to help him catch the flame for reading, we often trade off chapters and work through a book together. This has required me to settle in for hours throughout the week with him…something I mostly am glad to do, but the challenge is for me to sit still that long. I find if I put a project in my hands though, it’s no problem at all.

Here is a cute embroidery pattern from www.sarahjanestudios.com, which I can no longer find on her blog, but if you make the trip over there, you are bound to find something adorable to inspire you.  Embroidering is something I am learning as I go.  This little help from Sew Mama Sew has been exactly that.  I’m a fan of the backstitch.

I’m excited to have finished this one for my niece whose middle name is Autumn.  I’m either going to frame it or make a pillow of it.  Her face was redone three times, but other than that these stitches represent a relaxed evening or two in.

Answered Prayers

God is good to answer the big and small prayers of His children. I was reminded of this over the past week as two very specific prayers–one big and one small–were answered. We’ve prayed for months that God would provide someone who could help ease the CPA work Kevin is often inundated with. Indeed that is his profession, but when you need to grow and run the business, the actual business can keep you from managing the workload. It’s a bit daunting to list an opening…who knows what you’ll get. But after much prayer, God sent a person who is qualified and off to a good start. We trust this will continue to prove the right decision and if it isn’t, that God will reveal that quickly.

In the small category, my parents bequeathed us their piano 4 years ago now. I have wanted to provide the kids lessons many times over, but finding an affordable, eager teacher willing to come to our home has proven difficult. I committed to pray that God would provide someone who would meet these qualifications and anticipated when and how that would come about. Just this week, I’ve seen those prayers realized. God sent a Senior in our area who is planning to major in music at a nearby university next year. She was looking for lesson work, but didn’t know where to start. She prefers to come to our home, is very affordable and seems like a great first teacher for our children.

Our older two boys are starting now and hopefully the others will follow. There is a possibility she may want to keep us on even as she attends university next year and beyond. We’ll see. But for now I am rejoicing in a God who is intimately acquainted with all that we need and desire. It’s not that we get everything we ask for, but it’s often that we don’t have because we don’t ask (James 4:2). I am renewed in that truth this week and have been encouraged to remain on my knees interceding for the both the big and the small.

8 is Great!

To the boy who is always two steps ahead of me…you’re 8 now! You were born one month after 9-11. You came at a time when the world changed in an instant. You were hope in the midst of confusion. New life starkly born into a dying and fallen world. It was always fallen, but I never noticed it like I did in 2001. It was a difficult year on many fronts, but you brought hope and joy to our family. How eight years have come and gone so quickly, I can’t understand. It’s the cliched saying of a mother or father, but it’s cliche because it’s true…where does the time go?

You’re quick at everything you do, Gabe. God has given you a good mind. You are our budding linguist…our first to talk (at 15 months) and now able to do verbal gymnastics better than most kids I know. You are genuinely witty and, as Dad notices frequently, good at thinking outside the box. And speaking of boxes, you like to salvage any that you can for future projects. In fact, you like to salvage many things…like chicken bones. We all still marvel that you thought saving them under your bed for your imaginary dog was a good idea. Last week you wanted to tape a pancake to your bed because Luke made breakfast in the shape of everyone’s initials. You have a perpetual sweet spot for babies and are excited to have another brother whom you may get to room with.

You love 2nd grade and are reading up a storm. You look up to your big brothers as if no one else matters though you all can fight pretty well too. I marvel how you and Ty can play all day on any given theme: from cowboys to soldiers to horses to star wars. Amelia cried the first day you moved out of the Sunday School you were in together. She holds pretty tight to you too. You are our middle child in so many ways, but as I see our family grow, I see the middle is the glue that binds them all together. You are reflected strongly in each of your siblings and of course in our lives.

I pray in the coming year that you will feel the great extent you are loved. That you will grow in wisdom and stature with God and men. May you humbly learn to look to Him! Happy Birthday dear Gabe!

The birthday snack idea came from Gourmet Mom on the Go.  If you give it a try, make sure to follow her directions and use paste rather than liquid food coloring.  I didn’t and had a gloppy mess, so we reverted to white crayons which worked out just as well though not quite as authentic.

October Skies

I love October. It may be my favorite month. But this year has held foreboding skies and a chill in the air that seems to have come too soon.  I still love it!  I’m certain I’m a melancholy spirit on a sunny day, but give me a little gray skies and misty mornings and it settles in a bit more.

I come by it honestly…my dad is the same way.  Every fall there was a rhythm around our house growing up.  It wasn’t a bad feeling by any stretch, just a twinge of reflection and soberness.  There’s a feeling of departure heading into winter’s sleep, even though renewal and inspiration is all around.

Last night I found some songs by Cat Steven’s that have always reminded me of my dad.  I’ve been hunting for them for years actually, to no avail.  My dad introduced me to this fellow melancholy soul when I was in high school.  We would sit in the den and have “jam sessions”, listening to his music on old complicated reel-to-reel tracks.  I could never figure out how to find the songs I loved on those tracks except by accident.  Itunes is a vast improvement! and for $3.00 and 3 minutes, I was able to buy the three songs I’ve been in search of all these years.  They still give me that same twinge in the heart.  Who ever said reflection was a bad thing?  It’s a little painful, but then “the unexamined life is not worth living.”  (Socrates, I googled it)

Dying to Self

That caterpillar went straight to work weaving; intent to do the next thing in the process of his transformation.  Within days, he hung in a glycine leaf bed shimmering and dangling.  Unaware of the intricate detail and delicacy which only another eye could appreciate.  He knew to make it strong and secure; make it able to weather the storm of change.

After a week or two, it seemed death had come.  Dark and gray, shriveled and dried up, unrecognizable from the lush green cocoon a mere days earlier.  We waited it out not know what would come of it, and soon deemed it a failure again.  But we were wrong.  To our surprise he had prevailed and he wanted to fly.

How similar is our sanctification in Christ.  Behold old things have passed away. We enter his rest and become a new creation.   At times we hunker down for the storm, tucked in the cleft of His wing, intent to do the next thing in the process of our transformation.  We are woven by His Spirit, for His glory, into a magnificent work that our own eyes cannot behold.  It seems death comes to our souls as we walk through dry and dark trials.  Perhaps the pain is caused by the dying of self, knowing that change hurts.  Crucifying the flesh that fights vehemently to live another day.  Yet bit by bit we gain victory as we obey first in the small and then in the big.  We emerge from each trial, if we persevere, more glorious than we were when we went in.  And by His power, we too reach new heights.

Putting Up

From our garden boxes, originally uploaded by kedsrus.

The one thing I asked for both Mother’s day and my birthday this year was garden boxes. My husband did put in two 8×2 raised boxes, and much like they say about tatoos, I think I’d like some more.

It was a great learning year and I made notes for next summer, but I want to be able to “put up” (to borrow a term from previous generations) more than what these little boxes afforded us. They graciously fed us green beans and cherry tomatoes all summer. We’ve had red cabbage slaw and hot peppers in soup and salsa. But I would like to do a whole lot more beans as well as dedicate a whole box to vertical plants so I can put those Ball canning jars my Aunt Cynthia gave me to use.

Either way, this was one afternoon’s yield. The kids loved giving me progress reports and would pick what they found–ready or not at times. We had 3 little pumpkins. Two rotted on the vine as it got a blight, but this one made it’s way into muffins.

It was the summer of jam around here this year: strawberry, black raspberry, currant, concord grape–all sitting on our shelves waiting for winter. We were gifted much and also did our share of picking. The kids were eager helpers in picking…mostly because of the all-you-can-eat fruit factor, I’m sure.

And that brings us to the fall…routines, rhythms, and reason all in full swing. I’m looking forward to enjoying the fruits of this labor during the bleak months when I may need a reason to put a smile on my face. The memories we made ought to help do the trick.

Looking Matronly

These fabrics caught my eye in the spring and were headed straight to the emmaline apron which I have admired for quite some time now.  I did find some modified versions online in a search just now which weren’t reversible and therefore a bit more cost effective than this 2-sided version.

I had half a mind to donate this apron to our school’s spring auction, but once I finished it I couldn’t part with it.   On the other hand, I thought it would be cute to wear in public with capri jeans and mules.  But I suppose the best option was the way it all ended up….over top a growing baby bump. Kinda makes a girl want to nest.

Just a formal announcement to baby seven’s pending arrival.  I’m not sure I’ve ever felt less myself than I did during those early days of this pregnancy.  But what grace to be back to myself once those early months broke.   We’re all looking forward to this new babe!   And one thing I’ll never grow tired of is hearing the first heartbeat and feeling the swish of my growing babies.  It’s still amazing!