Happy Nuggets

Hugs for my tuckered out girl.

Nuggets, bits.

Same diff.

No big words tonight.  Pulling out a synonym for my weekly (monthly, whenever-ly I can get to writing them) bits was enough of a challenge.  I feel a little like Leesie in that above picture, her legs worn out from joyfully running and climbing.  Around me sits a half emptied mop bucket, piles of laundry, lesson plans, phone lists, and more.  Lots more.

And it's after midnight.

Naturally, I'm stopping to do this.

All I want tonight are slices of happiness dropped in a row, smiling back at me as I cut and paste.

In 3...

2...

1...

Ahhh (exhale).
***
 


\  
 
Apple orchard'ing.  Play writing, directing, performing. Mama's shoes wearing.  Soccer playing. Downtown festival going. Homeschooling. 

Something accomplished.

Now, off to fold many piles of little unmentionables.

With a smile on my face.
~Katrina

Bits: Finishing, Beginning

Summer, despite today's 90 degree temps, is dwindling.  The Bucket List coming down.

We successfully put happy, thick lines through many of our little goals.  We made s'mores, painted our nails fun colors, baked a fresh cherry pie.  We read outside on blankets, watercolored nature scenes, and strolled our baby dolls to a nearby park.  We did lots of things like this and there are several we never seemed to quite manage.

I suppose that's just the way it goes with dreams, parts of them go so splendidly and fully realized.  There isn't always room for it all, but there is room to celebrate what was.

And the weekend before school was grand.

 
 
Hiking through a nearby island. Ice-cream truck pit stop. Buffet style dinner and a family movie.  Swimming with friends and more.

Summer is finishing, fall beginning.  This means a slight change in direction for our family, but a purposeful one.  In what we hope to be a continuing annual tradition, we held our "Back to School Feast" to mark the hopeful direction we plan to travel.

This year's theme a close one to my heart.

SHINE.
***

:: More sparkly dinner touches.

Favorite traditions continue: New school supplies, one back to school outfit (all sparkly or star-like this year!) to be modeled directly after dinner, and new kicks for all those fall/winter adventures.  This year's meal: butternut squash lasagna, Caesar salad, their oft-requested homemade bread, lemonade with strawberry puree.

:: Followed by bright and shiny first-thing-in-the-morning details.

Backyard donut breakfast with another family. Play time on scooters and bikes. Back inside for the fun and sometimes difficult task of figuring out the day's new tempo. Getting it, messing up, going again... always learning.

Beyond the traditions and the glittery sheen, the endings and beginnings-- there is reality. A beautiful, hard-won reality that I have an awesome privilege and responsibility with these three and the others God puts in my path. Not only are there ABC's and 123's to be tucked inside little heads, not only are there fantastic creative opportunities to be seized-- there is the matter of serving, loving, giving, sharing, becoming all that God means for us to be. Our family needs to be in the business of shining, truly radiating, from the inside out.

Looking forward to our new year and figuring out just what that means together, at home and in our community and beyond.

Matthew 5:14-16,
~Katrina

Bits: Choosing Joy

Last week, amidst all the clamor and van-time signing up and getting ready for a new school year-- we had some... moments.

And I don't mean the frolicking through a paint splattered playroom a field of daisies kind.

Friday night proved to be sweet, though, with a spur of the moment trip to our town's new (cheap! yummy!) Mexican restaurant.  Queso, salsa, and jam packed tortillas make everything better, right?  We came home hopeful.  Crockpot oats simmered through the am hours and we woke up to first soccer practices on a perfectly beautiful 70 degree Saturday morning.

One of my cherubs didn't get the memo on this sunshiny bliss and it was like pulling teeth to stay patient.  Honestly, it made me grumpy.  Grumppppppy.

As I helped her get to the van, I decided to change tactics. Two grumps are NOT better than one. I reminded myself of the should-be obvious age difference and I remembered that it's a heart I'm cultivating here, not a perfectly behaved child.  I slowed down, chose my words more carefully, and I talked to her.

I talked to me.

When things don't feel right and we sense ourselves nose diving into moments we are sure to regret later, what should we do?  Give into the negative pull or, when at all possible, look up.  Ask God for strength.  Choose joy.

In my experience, almost always, joy chooses me back.

We talked through this and we prayed.  Before long we arrived at the field, the van doors opened.

The memo was delivered.

 My cheerleading section partner.  

A beautiful Saturday turn around indeed.
****
:: I love that my girls can go from superhero sirens...

At a birthday party I was privileged to get to help plan and execute! One that made my girls all things sweaty, dirty, and action hero-like.

::... to perfectly princessy.
 
Holla for $2 Goodwill princess digs.  Ones that made my babes blush and girly squeal on their way to a perfectly royal affair.

:: Daddy's helping coach soccer this year.  He is such an encouraging trip, that man!  Kids love it.

:: When I think of the house we almost rented and how bummed I was when it, by our own choosing, fell through-- I cannot help but get the biggest smile.  Our best is not God's best.  His best is... THE best.  It's nothing to be hanging with our new neighbors until dinner time comes calling and say, "Oh, I've got this" while they're all, "I've got that."  We meet in the middle serving up whatever came out of those last minute plans with a side of memories to boot.

Keep in mind: six kids six and under between us.  A recent visitor who came to see us both said that we could have our own reality TV show.

:: A pretty cute reality TV show, I think.

:: Friends who make you coffee and personalize it should be kept.

I've found Choose Joy Rule #1: Make someone else's day!

:: After a couple weeks of travel, when all of us were back in our hometown and under one roof, Joe and I decided that we needed some adventure to be shared between just the five of us.

Yeah, this pretty much fit the bill.


This week marks the last of "summer" and we still have some items to get crossed off our Bucket List.  Who knows if we'll make it but I do know that in the middle of Desitin rubbed into my freshly cleaned couch whatever comes, I'm focusing in on something pretty powerful.  Even if I don't get it right the first time and have to go for it time and again.

Spray Park? Check! Find a tiny caterpillar (Alysse's latest quest in life)? Double check!

Choosing Joy,
Katrina