Homesteading

The days are sometimes long, the nights are short, the weeks fly by. We manage to make things busy for ourselves, I figure we must like it this way or we'd put on the brakes a bit more. Some highlights for the journal . . .

Uncle D took K to MOA (how's that for abbreviations?) for rides and Buffalo Wild Wings (Karis's idea). She came home and collapsed, while begging for more cotton candy. Thank you, Drew, for giving Trevor and I a grand morning date in which we sat on the couch and watched a movie with sleeping Judah. Best. ever.

A neighborhood gathering where we learned we've landed in perhaps the best place imaginable - grateful.

I've been promising Karis we'd make pancakes in our new house. That finally happened.

A visit from Trev's brother and his wife (my sister - I just LOVE having sisters now, I never even imagined this stage of life). We hung out, introduced Aunt C to Wayzata, Wuollett, Trader Joe's, and IKEA. Watched the Painted Veil, they watched Silly Songs with Karis a couple times (oh so catchy and cute), and had wonderful chats. Karis is enamored by them, of course. Thankful.

A visit from my best friend from college, loved every minute of catching up. Took the kids on a long walk to Medicine Lake, enjoyed the finally-spring weather. Karis adores her, and so do I.

Trevor painted the kids' rooms, almost single-handedly (um, guilty and ashamed face inserted here - it was my idea: "Hey, since I have help and company this weekend, what do you think about painting?!"). So, uh, not as easy as it sounds. What a trooper, my husband. Thank you, Trev. He spent literally all weekend on this project and the rooms look amazing. And thank you to brother Tay for your help! And to my interior designers (a.k.a. dear friends) who helped choose the colors, which look fabulous.

Karis-isms:
A dialogue:

K:  "Can you please not sit on each other?" (said to our Uncle J & Aunt C, who were staying with us)
Me: "Oh, Karis - they're just cuddling, like you and I do sometimes"
K (with a voice filled with revelation): "Ohhhhhhh! My mommy cuddles me sometimes"

We joked that clearly Karis hasn't seen adults cuddle before - at least not in our house. Maybe we need to take a lesson from that?!

- "How many minutes until (insert anything)? Is that a long time?"
- "Well, but . . . " (to negotiate anything, and said in quite a convincing tone)
- "I made Yoda!" (and she did, out of modeling clay)
- "Mommy, do we have guests coming for dinner tonight? I just can't wait for our guests to get here"
- "Daddy, let's go have a chat downstairs" (a nightly pre-bed ritual, so sweet)

Judah updates: 
- Most often when people see him, they ask, "Is he always this happy and content?". Yes, he is. Such a gift!
- Other thing people tell Judah: "You look just like your sister!"
- This boy is adorable, thriving, delightful. Always smiling, coo-ing, social
- This boy has started drooling like crazy, hilarious
- This boy loves to sleep on me in the moby wrap for hours at a time
- This boy does not love to sleep through the night. What he loves is to get up every 90 minutes. (see Lamentations verse below - I'm lamenting, but there are reminders that there is much mercy around here also)

Snippets of readings, etc. that have recently fed my soul: 

• Lamentations 3:22-23"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, Great is your faithfulness" (this has proved appropriate and true during the nights when Judah and I are up a lot . . . - there is lamenting, but also trust that the day will be merciful).  

• In one day, I randomly heard two different radio shows focusing on laughter. Tried to pay attention to that reminder, and helpful to take cues from Karis hilarious on this practice. 

• The book Desperate

• April 15 Jesus Calling about "routines not running smoothly, feeling more secure when life is predictable. When you're shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My hand tightly and look for growth opportunities. Instead of bemoaning the loss of comfort, accept the challenge of something new" Okay, okay! Also April 29, April 24, April 25, April 28 . . . this little book is packed with power

• This blog post (read during the weeks of the epic April snowstorms, talk about doldrums)

Alleluia!

As I write there is a fair amount of snow outside my window. I'm up early with some half-caf coffee after a pretty decent night (of which there are more and more, and for which I am so grateful). I guess we are getting our chance to possibly take Karis sledding (um, for the first time EVER. 3 1/2 and no sledding, that's right). Ironically, in Jesus Calling this morning, there was a sentence about "don't complain about anything, even the weather".  Not once has this little daily book mentioned the weather - hilarious!

I'm thinking about the last time I sat down to write and all the little and big moments of the past few weeks. The big event was Holy Week, which led up to the Saturday Easter Vigil, at which Judah was baptized. I haven't taken time to fully reflect on the power of this sacrament and what it means for his life. He is a child of God, and right now the words Christian said while he anointed Judah's head with oil come to mind: "Judah you are signed with the seal of the cross."

Some sweet memories include . . .

- An open house here for family and Godparents. It was a joy to watch people mingle, and most followed us to the church for the Vigil
- Judah wore a beautiful outfit that his Grandma Lorie got especially for him
- We all watched and worshiped at the Vigil, which is my very favorite service EVER. The three hours are filled with dramatic retelling of passages from Genesis to the Gospels that lead up to the official start of the Easter celebration. The scripture, the songs, the lighting, the dancing, the artwork - all intricate, intentional, astounding. Judah slept through a great deal of the service in the Moby, I'll always remember that time with him
- Before the service, I went to nurse and change Judah. I was in the basement bathroom, he was getting tired, and I was having quite the time trying to get him dressed. I was regretting not taking my mom up on her offer to come along to help . . . and not a minute later she and Karis walked into the bathroom. It was a sweet moment, and so needed. Thank you, Karis, for needing to go to the bathroom! We got him suited up, Moby-wrapped, and soaked in the service together
- The verses we chose for Judah are Ephesians 1: 17-19a:
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Hi, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance of the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe."

Easter was an exciting celebration, church and hymns and hot cross buns, brunch at Mill Valley Kitchen, naps (Grandpa Kirk helped Karis nap that weekend, precious), dinner at Redstone, cupcakes and ice cream back here for Uncle Drew's birthday.

The next week I quite crashed! We enjoyed restored health, a dinner here with former neighbors, story and craft time at Lifeway, walks around the neighborhood. At the end of the week we welcomed a dear  friend from college and had a fabulous time having her with us through the weekend. The days flew with some running around, hanging out, cooking, and getting through season 1 of Call the Midwife.

Daily updates are that the days begin earlier and earlier. And thus my chances to practice flexibility increase. I admit that I have quite the standard for how the days should look, and I realize more and more that it's not really up to me! Will I learn?

Karis-isms:

- "Mommy, did Luke's grandpa drive to heaven in a car? I think Luke's grandpa has lots of good snacks in bed in heaven" (we visited some grieving friends, and since it was Lent and all, thought we might as well be honest about everything - it's opened up some good conversations)
- "Carry me! My foot hurts. I don't think I'll jump off the bed anymore" (Karis and her friends were - sneakily - jumping off an adult bed . . . Karis however, didn't have a pillow to land on. Thank God my mom arrived a few hours later to help carry Karis around)
- "I'm going to be so tired if I finish all my dinner"
- "I'm going to be so dizzy if I clean up"
- "Can you reach the ceiling?" (said every single place we go - not sure from where this came?)
- "Christ the Lord is Risen Today!" (she sings this hymn with such gusto. Actually, Karis sings through her day, very entertaining and uplifting)
- She dresses her piggy bank during nappers
- She puts stickers on everything. Everything. I had a lady at Target this week ask me if she should remove the stickers from my jacket.
- "Mommy, why is the weather broken?" Indeed, dear daughter!


Judah updates:

- He LOVES to be looked at, talked to, and held (especially so he can look over one's shoulder)
- He continues to be calm, content, and mellow
- He falls asleep almost immediately when I wrap him in the Moby wrap
- He blows bubbles of spit and can soak my shirt (or his) in minutes
- He likes to suck on his hands when he can find them
- He lights up with smiling eyes and gummy mouth, coos, and is basically the most squishy and delicious little thing ever

In media:

An article to love

A song to dance to from the Vigil. Considering it's about PRAISE (the meaning of Judah), I believe this will be the song I most remember from his baptism  - it's also the song during which the congregation sings alleluia for the first time, the start of the Easter celebration.


From How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk:
". . . the hardest part is the shift we have to make in attitude. We have to stop thinking of the child as a problem that needs correction . . . we have to stop worrying that if we're not 'tough enough' the child will take advantage of us. It requires a great act of faith to believe that if we take the time to sit down and share our real feelings with a young person, and listen to his feelings, together we'll come up with solutions that will be right for both of us . . . when there is conflict, we no longer have to mobilize our forces against each other and worry about who will emerge victorious and who will go down in defeat".
(this is resonating after some bedtime behavior regression - I just told Trevor earlier in the week how normal things were feeling). I keep wondering what our various roles are in this situation - between grace, authority, help, independence . . . Anyways!


I got Alexander and the Terrible Horrible . . . book for Karis, and discovered I really don't enjoy reading that book - and she of course keeps asking for the "sick book" (because he's sick in it). Is this indicative of future differing opinions on literature?

Started reading the book Wonder for book club. Interesting.

Finished Bringing up Bebe, thoroughly entertaining and surprisingly applicable.

8 children were baptized that night,  amazing to share the joy with so many families

Late at night after the Vigil

Karis at the end of the Vigil . . . claiming the Rold Golds and offering them to other hungry tots