Bits: Accidentally On Purpose

I'm in a mood, to bang out a post, to count up the bits.

Hadn't really planned on much computer time tonight, so I'm sort of on here accidentally-- yet the recollecting and counting and savoring...

That's totally on purpose.
***

From here to there over the last few weeks:

:: Ballet recital.  Oh my, my, my.  Tutus and twirling.  Maddie's face alone while doing the "pony walk" move!  Getting to wear the faintest hint of make-up for the first time, bobby pinning buns, sharing the love of Jesus through dance.  I was totally meant to be a Mama to this, even when I'm sweating like a you-know-what in the tiny bathroom before the performance trying to tame the twirlers for all of the above.  FYI: Alysse's turn comes next year, Lord willing, and she is all but driving herself to get her own leotard.

:: In reference to the ballet, I am also thankful for sunflowers on manager's special.  They are my girls' favorite flower and it felt too splurgey to get some when Joe had already bought a beautiful rainbow of roses, but for a dollar?  A little kiss from God.

:: The past weeks have held some accidental field trips.  Afternoons where it was much too pretty to just sit inside (our messy, half packed, driving me a little batty) house so off I go to google and minutes (give or take) later, we're in the van.  My favorite, with no pics to show for it, was an hour venture to a mountaintop zoo.  Seriously, a zoo up on top of a mountain?  Who knew?  And it was just small enough, but just large enough that I could handle my troops and we learned a lot.  A memory tucked right in there with the really good ones.

:: After that accident, we had another on purpose.  Spending Earth Day with my female brood of superheroes at some hide-a-way botanical gardens.  Met two wonderful women that day who surprised me with their generosity and warmth.  The first gave us free reign to catch tadpole after tadpole and to climb high in her magnolias.

The second allowed me to spend my only $10 bill on homegrown tomatoes (it is my ethical duty to never pass up a homegrown tomato) and honey, but couldn't stand me leaving without us sampling the homemade garlic pickles, pickled okra, and still warm fried apple pie.  For free.  I felt that second kiss, and it was sweet.  Makes me want to be the surprise to someone who needs to be a wee bit shocked at some extra generosity or warmth.

:: And now I pause to welcome back warm days.  Picnics!  Parks!  Kites!  Airplanes toward the sky!  The creek! Meltdowns over the right color bicycle or bubble wand! You have {almost} all been sorely missed.

:: When a good bit of life kind of seems unpredictable, I find that if I take captive that nervous energy and take comfort in the things that make me smile at my core-- I can not fly off the handle so easily regain perspective and peace more quickly.  First attempts at homemade ice-cream.  Shoving aside boxes to find room for a tablecloth and flowers, a simple nourishing meal before us.  Reading so many chapters of a favorite book that we practically forget we're not actually right alongside Mary, Laura, Carrie, and Grace on the prairie.  These make me tick, both encountered as an accident and as the product of on purpose.

:: Children, acting grown, with their sayings.  Just a sampling.

Hope: Puh-leeze, be more pacific. (specific)
Maddie: These tights are so con-stra-ickting! (constricting)
Alysse: That is ca-wrecked! (correct)

I could do a lot more banging on this keyboard, but the momentum has dwindled.  As it is with most good natured accidents, though, I feel a greater pull toward my purpose.  Counting blessings has a way of doing that.

I go to bed with my head full of them, on purpose.
~Katrina

PS...
   
The "Pony Walk" face.  You're welcome!
 

Authored by Hope

So much good, happy, busy going on.

A little, or maybe a decent bit, of the other stuff too.

All of it trusted to work out for our good.

The other day Hope out-of-the-blue brought me a story that led to happy tears, true to her anticipated ending.  I didn't edit a thing except for some spelling and minor punctuation.

And so, my girl's voice captured here.

The Adventures That We Have
By Hope Eliana Martins

When I came out of your tummy, I was as cute as cute could be!

Then you brought me home.  I learned about the world.

I soon grew up to laugh and play.  But there was something missing.

Maddie.

We brought her home.

We grew up and laughed and played. But there was still something missing.


Alysse.

We are bigger now, but we will always remember.

I hope this story brought tears to your eyes, but if it did not, I love you Mama!
***********

Sweet child of mine.

She's pretty good at capturing the bits.
~Katrina

Bits: Hosanna in Rewind

It's almost Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday.  One of my favorite holidays {holy-days} in all the year.

So many reasons to shout Hosanna!
***

::  Resurrection Rolls.  A new tradition; such a great visual and so easy. 

:: We thought this was our last snow.


:: Yet, Palm Sunday brought this.  A lot of this.

:: New life.  Bunnies, butterflies, eggs.  The cross.

Made by the girls to share with our small group.

:: Officially front tooth-less.  So excited.  First t-ball practice.  So very excited!

:: The day before Palm Sunday, sunny and beautiful.  Perfect for egg decorating and hunting, plus sharing in a  Resurrection Egg retelling that a sweet family hosts every year.

The girls remembering on the way home how much they all love hard boiled eggs.  Not quite as precious, but pretty hysterical (once I got over all the egg shells).

:: Making up worship songs and dances atop the picnic table.  Having no idea I'm spying out of the kitchen widow.

:: Fancy Nancy reading in Hope's tent she got for her birthday.  The thing stayed up for two days and saw lots of pretend camp outs, books, and a movie night.  Grand finale: A real living room camp out complete with very late bedtimes.


Hosanna!  He is risen.

So much more glorious than any other story this earth could tell.  This story amazes me, most especially, because it doesn't speak to the kind of Savior the world would create.

I want to see Him, His goodness in everything this week.

Here's to hoping for wide-eyed living and unashamed praises all along the way.
****

Life gets so busy sometimes, the good and the not-so-good.  Even still, Easter weekend left many more reasons for hosanna.  Best to just go on and attach 'em here, rewind-and-picture-drop style.  I love this beautiful Sunday-- remembering His glorious sacrifice, dying eggs on Nana's special plates, singing next to my family on the pew in the church where we were married, creative baking, lovely lunching, throwing with uncles, recycled scavenger hunt for finding baskets in the barn, egg hunting among first and second cousins and great aunts and uncles.

Yes, hosanna in the highest.

~Katrina