daily life

Wow! These pictures sure stack up if you get a day or two behind. Sometimes editing everyday gets a little overwhelming, but then I suppose it isn't as overwhelming as letting the photos stack up. So here they are. I think I've just about caught up on editing and posting or very nearly. So let's see if I can keep from getting behind again!

For scrapbooking news: I've got a new Punky Sprouts & Carta Bella project that'll be up on the blog on Wednesday. Then we'll have another Glitz Designs blog hop on the 28th of March. 

We copied another hairstyle we found on Pinterest, which as a bonus came out in beautiful waves the following day.

Second day hair. 

Torrey's been working on writing a story for the past month for the Young Authors conference coming up. Every spare minute has been spent clicking away at the keyboard.

This was the final result... her short story Battling Darkness. We modified a photo of Emma for her cover.

A glimpse of spring on our lampshade. 

A little sneak peek at the Punky Sprouts & Carta Bella project that will be up on Wednesday.

St. Patrick's Day we did Emma's hair up into a shamrock in honor of the saint's illustration of the Trinity.

This past week my brother was in town and we did some work on sorting through our parents' things. One accomplishment was getting Dad's library moved over to our house. (The above is just part of his collection.) We also got the girls moved back into their rooms, which they both gave up when Mom and Dad got sick last year. I still struggle a lot with moving their things out of the rooms, and Stan has been more than a blessing with helping me through all of this. We both were able to work together on setting up the library. Made it feel like there was a piece of him here with us, or several thousand pieces!

“Alone of all creeds, Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator. For the only courage worth calling courage must necessarily mean that the soul passes a breaking point and does not break.” –G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

three days

I've been on and off the technical world with my internet in and out the past several days. I'm not sure if we'll lose it again tonight, so I'll do my best to get this photo heavy post up.

I went to another funeral today. Another friend who lost her mom. I read a beautifully written post by a mother who is losing her son at this very moment his life is slipping away from them. She opened her thoughts with this statement, "This prolonged goodbye offers us an advantage, but at a price." We have these times to say the things we otherwise may have let slip by unsaid. But it comes at a price. I've been thinking about the people around me, and whether I am saying the things that ought to be said everyday. People are so valuable, every last one is a gift from God, even when it's hard to see. I pray that I have the courage to love fully everyday, and not let the moments slip away.

Taking time to write love notes.

St. Valentine's Day

Little morning teaties for my sweeties

Stopped by the old Thrifty Foods because I love the color of their wall, and as an added bonus it matched the bands on her braces. As we were walking back to the car, I got clever with the "No Parking" turning it into NO L. 

As in a mirror darkly... reflections in an old window.

Fridays for us always mean a holy hour of prayer at Church, and during Lent we add Stations of the Cross. (We made Emma's hair into a cross for the occasion.)

The morning Emma came down with a stomach bug. Stan kept her company while Torrey and I were at the funeral. The rest of the day needed a warm fire, a good book and a little time just to relax. 

‎"WHAT was wonderful about childhood 

is that anything in it was a wonder. 

It was not merely a world full of miracles; 

it was a miraculous world."

~G.K. Chesterton: 'Autobiography'

the whole world in His hands

This week has been a bit of a ride, more like the past several weeks. Amidst all of the turmoil there have been so many opportunities to see all of the blessings in daily life. I think sometimes we see them best in the conflict and chaos, or at least they're most visible if we have eyes to see. Sometimes my eyes are a little slow to open to the surrounding graces, but each day is a little step toward that. 

Sending a little love to Daddy

Linked together with love

Raindrops keep falling on my head...
(I've had that song stuck in my head since I took this picture)


and one with a smile


a take off a hairstyle idea we found on Pinterest

My sweet Valentine flowers from my number one man Stan.
xo




Chesterton Quote of the Day

"Of the sane man there is only one safe definition.
He is a man who can have tragedy in his heart and comedy in his head."

-G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles

Unexpected Adventures

Ah, Valentine's Day! A day to celebrate all of the rich beauty of love in our lives. My life is filled with more love than I deserve,on every level, from Creator, to family, to friends and to the everyday nuances of life. I love how Valentine's Day gives us an excuse to remember to express that love to those around us.

Aside from receiving and spreading the love this Valentine's Day, our day was filled with a few completely unexpected adventures. The day started out normal enough getting ready for school. The girls wanted Valentine hairdos. Hearts were of course, in order. I started with Emma. She, being only a couple of inches shorter than me now, was kneeling down so I could reach the top of her head. With only a couple of loops around with the rubber band left Emma asked for a granola bar because she was nauseous. I didn't think much of it, as she's almost always hungry (growing girl). As I was pulling the very last loop, she dropped to the floor... out cold. It was terrifying. I sat there holding her and saying her name again and again until she came to. After some juice, a granola bar and a few minutes laying down she was back to normal albeit a little pale. Apparently five minutes is too long to be kneeling on the floor for my sweet girl, and from now on we'll be bringing a chair in for any extended hairdos. Poor baby.

By the time we headed to school she was feeling fine. I gave her teacher a heads up about the morning's events and let her know I'd be at the dentist with my cell if anything came up. No news was good news, and I got my teeth cleaned without a phone call. (Yes, teeth cleaning = Happy Valentine's Day to me... sigh.) I picked up the girls from school, drove half a block and got our next surprise. The clunking sound of a flat tire. I called roadside assistance for some much needed assistance, and settled in for the hour long wait. However, long before roadside arrived assistance did. A nice man and his wife stopped to see if we needed help. He graciously put on the spare tire, and his wife even brought sodas over for the girls. What a beautiful display of kindness on a day dedicated to love. I bought myself a brand new Valentine tire for Stan's car and headed home.

We jetted home hoping to catch the tail end of a beautiful sunset for a halfway decent picture of the day. We headed over the hill to the closest beach on the west side of the Island for the last glimmers of light in the sky. Against the backdrop of a Divinely painted sky, the girls put a little love on display to send to Daddy.

a crummy picture of the faint-inducing hairdo

a crummy picture of the fully conscience hairdo

the aforementioned flat tire


Now for the rest of the pictures from the past few days.

Thank you Pinterest for another fun photo idea.

Emma in the new handmade dress we found on sale in this Etsy shop.
(The same shop where we found the white lace dress Torrey was wearing in the this post.)

One last set of pictures of my green eyed girl in the grass.

Chesterton Quote of the Day

"If individuals have any hope of protecting their freedom, they must protect their family life."
-GK. Chesterton, The Well and the Shallows