untitled but late

Someday I will sleep. And it will mean less than I am hoping it will. Because when life falls into an easy rhythm of things-are-going-as-they-should, it's natural and almost difficult not to take things for granted. Which is why sleep will mean less to me when I am getting it than this trying time of getting less of it....

But while I will be getting plenty of sheep, uh,  sleep.... same thing...  I won't be getting toddler stories and newborn cuddles, late night texts from a working hubby, etc.  So tonight, though it's unprecedented maybe, I'm grateful for my current sleepless phase of life. Happy Beautiful Thanksgiving night. :)

Quick Craft

After taking down our Halloween decorations, I realized I lacked a November-ish wreath to adorn our abode and I don't do Christmasy until after Thanksgiving (except for music....) I am also broke, as usual (new baby...new house...it's worth it) So I whipped this up in less than an hour for less than a dollar. Actually, it was free. :)

Materials:

• scraps of burlap and fabric leftover from other projects/donated
• fabric scissors
• wire hanger
• needle nose pliers
• embellishments (pine cones, ribbon, etc. optional- I didn't use any) 

Cost: $0.00
With help from my husband and a pair of pliers, I took apart the hanger and bent it into as nearly a perfect circle as possible twisting the ends of the hanger into the circle. It was very imperfect but doesn't matter. Then I cut strips of the burlap and cream flannel and tied them around the hanger alternating colors until I ran out of burlap. Then I filled in the gaps with more of the flannel. Then I done hung it on mah door. The end.

Happy November!

Words

I feel the need to write. It's 1:30 a.m. and you say, "go to bed, Mary" but my thoughts will not go to bed. Night is when I come alive. My mind settles and my thoughts become clear. Clear enough to see the bottom of my pool of to-do lists, distractions, priorities, weaknesses, anxieties and all of the other things that clutter my mind during the buzz of daily living. I like quiet nighttime pondering. It shapes not only what I think, but who I am and what I am choosing to become.Writing helps me ponder.

We all have that opportunity, to choose what we want to become. And becoming is a process, not an achievement. It is a long journey. I can decide to become more patient, but never will I fully arrive at patience like we arrive at a destination. Even the most patient people on earth are still human. And humans fall short. Always. No one will get out of this life perfect. That will take longer than this life to achieve. So becoming, then, is more significant to me than achieving. Someone who is still in the process of becoming shows commitment. Willingness to try again. Refusal to quit. An accepting attitude. Humility. All of those things that allow us to recover from our mistakes. And we all make mistakes. What would this world be like if we didn't? If people could just reach all of their goals and nail it all of the time? I think it'd be awesome, but there would be nothing left to learn. And when we learn we grow. I am not done growing yet. We all have a lot to learn.

So, back to becoming, what am I going for? What is it I want to be? Hopefully, some beautiful arrangement of these attributes:

patience love wisdom kindness  

creativity joyfulness obedience passion holiness  

motherliness beauty gratitude humility

and a hundred others, this list is but a beginning.... I have such a long way to go. But since we all do, I am in good company. I am thankful to not have to make this journey alone. I could not handle learning all that I have to learn surrounded by constant perfection. It would frustrate me to the point of failure. I am bad enough comparing myself to others as it is. I know I would do worse if all of my examples and role models lacked weaknesses. If they were flawless versions of everything I aspire to be. I am thankful we have One example, Jesus Christ. He has shown us the way to live and I find comfort in the fact that He has been the ONLY perfect being on this earth. That places us all back on the same line. The mortality-weakness-imperfection-falling short-you name it-line. I like that line because that is where I am. And until I have outgrown it, that is where I will continue to be as I strive to become, as the Army puts it "all I can be."

Halloween Pictures

Quickly, as the hour is late, here are a couple photos of our "spooky" night (one of Hannah's newer words). Hope your Halloween was just as enjoyable!

Happy Halloween and New Beginnings

This blog has kind of just bumped along the surface of my to do list these past few years, a little touch here a few nudges there, nothing too serious and nowhere near consistent. I have made several attempts at recommitting myself to blogging more regularly, without any real success and I have lately realized the main reason. I haven't really seen a point. Sure, I like blogging. Writing, reading, posting pictures, etc. are great therapy for me, and I enjoy other blogs more than my own. Up until now, I haven't had a solid reason to blog and so a lot of the time spent here has felt selfish, wasted and again, pointless. I have changed my mind. This blog does has a purpose. It just needed some redirection. Introducing:

Simple Joys

Simply stated, the new focus of this blog occurred to me one day as I hummed "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" from the musical Camelot (highly recommended) and realized what a profound statement those two words are. Simple Joy. What else could be more pure? I got to thinking how cute it would be if someone rewrote the lyrics to the simple joys of motherhood....anyone? Meanwhile, it provided the necessary catalyst for a new blog or in this case, a renewed blog. I wanted it to be more inclusive than the simple joys of motherhood however. I want it to include the simple joys of all aspects of our life, motherhood most definitely included. There is more joy than I thought possible in raising two littles and I am reveling in the glory of it. I just want the freedom to spout off on any topic, sharing any simple joys that come my way. So, for starters, Halloween.

This is Hannah's third Halloween and Michael's first. Hannah was born just three short days before Halloween so she obviously doesn't remember the first. She was barely a year old last year and Halloween came and went so fast, I wasn't sure she remembered it either. I hope she will remember this year. I hope it made some sort of impression. I will post pictures later (they were the cutest little beans ever tonight and I hate to have you all miss out) but here is a breakdown of our day:

• Breakfast (nothing special or festive, but Hannah wanted leftover popcorn with her cereal, which I found cute and funny)
• Stories
• Playtime in the toy room where Hannah wanted me to practice my juggling again. It's ridiculous. I cannot juggle for the life of me. Hannah thinks it is hilarious. She even brings me her plastic play fruit and asks me to "juggle." Then she giggles her head off. I hope to really learn something from it.
• A long, long nap for all of us, close to four hours for Hannah (she's been teething and not sleeping well at night)
• Halloween costumes, including makeup which Hannah LOVES, Michael's trick-or-treating (me) and then off to walk-the-block as a festive foursome, daddy dressed up in his uniform (he had to work tonight) I can't wait to post pictures. 
• Then finally, chili at Nana's and visiting with costumed cousins until late into the night when we finally loaded up the car to go home. We are all exhausted and happy. Hannah and Michael made my day. You couldn't have a better one than that. I dare you!

You may have noticed there was no lunch in the lineup. It's because there wasn't one. Hopefully Hannah filled up her belly on more than candy tonight. Because she loved it. "More some?" is how she asks for more and it is hard to say no. Even when I really really have to. Restraint and healthy food on the docket for tomorrow. Happy November!!!!