unplugging

This year I've got a few things I'm focusing on. You know this. One of them is being present. One of my biggest hurdles to that is my iphone. I know I can't be the only one. It's hard. In a world of instant gratification, things like facebook and instagram give me something new to look at almost every minute of the day. When I am bored or have downtime, it's second nature to reach for my phone. It's become a bad habit more than anything. An addiction? Maybe. It's gross just typing that.

And you know what? That is detrimental. It's drowning out that still small voice. It's taking away my ability to focus. It's causing me to place too much of my worth on what people think. It's taking up precious time that could be spent being present with my husband or kids or my God. Hands down, if you asked me what was most important to me it would be my faith, my husband, and my kids. But, things like social media have a way of causing life to get out of sync. All of a sudden that friend from high school who had a baby or that interesting article that someone posted is more important than what's going on with Everett or Graham in that moment. And when it comes down to it, I don't ever want my kids to look back and remember mom on her phone instead of on the floor playing. I want them to know that they are worth my time and energy and focus and sometimes it takes more than words to show them that. Some days it's easier to escape into my phone than deal with the nitty gritty, hard parts of being at home. Some days it's easier to be busy with my phone than come up with yet another activity for us to do, but that doesn't mean it's better.

And so, I decided that I need to start weighing what it is that I'm giving my time to. I need to stop having the excuse that I don't have time for ________ (working out, time with the Lord, doing the laundry, etc) when I do and instead I've just spent it on seeing what everyone else is doing. I need to stop allowing myself to go down the rabbit hole of seeing an alert on my phone, going to the app, seeing all the updates, and then realizing I've just wasted 20 minutes.

So, I'm giving them up. I'm signing off facebook and instagram for lent. Maybe it will be for longer. Either way, the goal is presence. Being fully present with the 3 most important things in my life. Be present with my kids, even if it's watching Martha Speaks. I don't really need to be distracted on my phone. I can simply sit and be with them. Be present with Aaron after the kids go to bed. Actually listen when he says it drives him crazy when I'm on my phone while we're supposed to be watching a movie together. Not having my quiet time interrupted by alerts from instagram. I am removing those apps from my phone, along with my email. I want my phone to be used to really connect with people --- to call them, to text them, to take pictures of and with them. And learning that it's okay to have some blank space, some time that I'm not filling with anything.

There you have it. I hate being wrong/vulnerable/imperfect, but I am and this is just one glaring example. Here's to 6 weeks of presence with the things that matter most. Here's to 6 weeks of finding a better balance and living in some quiet, unfilled moments. Maybe you'll join me?

ALOHA baby!

A few weeks ago, we had dinner with our friends Steve and Helene. Aaron and Steve were best friends in high school and have been friends ever since. Steve was in our wedding and Aaron was in his. We try to hang out every time they're in PA and any time we are in the vicinity of their home in Richmond, Virginia. So anyway, we had dinner together a few weeks ago, and randomly Steve asked if we were going on vacation this summer. We said yes, probably the usual Canada and my parents cottage in Tionesta. And then Steve blurted out, "Do you want to go to Hawaii?" Umm ... is that really a question?! We just about fell off our chairs! You see, Aaron and I have been trying to plan a vacation to celebrate 5 years of marriage. Things kept coming up- 4 new tires, bonuses spent on health funds, and we were no closer to a second honeymoon than back in July. Enter proposed Hawaii trip. Steve and Helene are going in May, have a 2 bedroom timeshare and they invited us to come! Free place to stay with great friends = awesome! All we needed to do was figure out a way to pay for the plane tickets. Enter tax refund. Normally we'd spend it on something like paying off student loans or try to save it, but the chance to go to Hawaii may never come around again! Tonight we made it official. We sat on the couch, compared flights and then booked two tickets to Kauai, Hawaii in May! We are SO excited!!! Hawaii here we come!

one thousand gifts

This week more than any other week of the year we are reminded to be thankful. We reflect on all the amazing things that we have been given, that we get to experience, and the people that we get to love. The weird thing is that so often we forget to be cognizant of being thankful all year for these things.

I'm reading this pretty incredible book (thanks Melena!) called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. In it, she struggles to live fully in the everyday, in the face of heartache and loss and fullness and joy. Ann started a list of everyday gifts. Her goal was one thousand and she ended up with many more. She has challenged me as a mother and as a woman seeking after God and his heart. In her book, she nails down the problem with us, with society and it is a lack of thanksgiving.

The real problem with life is never a lack of time. The real problem in life --- in my life--- is a lack of thanksgiving. 

We set aside this day in November once a year to give thanks when maybe life would be that much fuller if we could do that daily. So, that's what I've been attempting. Attempting to slough off the ingratitude, get rid of the complaints and instead look at all the things that life is full of, and start a list of my own.

a dog snuggled up beside me in bed
hot, non-reheated coffee
sweet little fingers curled around mine
the promise of a husband home early from work
singing Jesus loves me and Everett asking- again? again?
five more minutes under the covers
christmas music
Aaron's hand holding mine
soft dog ears
knowing what Everett's saying, even when I'm the only one
a weekend visit with Mimi and Pop
talking to Jesus (praying) with Everett
a warm house on a cold day
God's unending forgiveness
Aaron's good morning kiss and "have a good day babe"
Sundays with nothing planned
coffee with Aaron
cock a doodle doo! and other animal sounds by Everett
reaching a goal, finishing a race
a lunch date with Grammie
a girls night out
listening to a great sermon and feeling convicted
an afternoon to sit and read

The amazing thing about listing all of these gifts? It brings JOY. It brings a fullness to my heart when I think about the tiny little things, the big things, the everyday things. The thankfulness brings more thankfulness. It makes my heart full and it makes what I have more than enough.

via

Happy Thanksgiving all.

18 months, really?

It's hard to believe that my little boy is already a year and a half old?! He is growing like crazy. Doing new things, saying new words, and looking and acting more and more like a toddler. Everett is becoming quite attached to his mama. I guess that was bound to happen when I'm with him all day long. Let's be honest- I don't mind. He's always happy to see me and wants me to be around, so I'm going to milk that for all it's worth. Everett likes to dance. We have dance parties at least twice a day. Aaron and I laugh out loud at his goofy little dance. I need to video it so you can laugh with us. As of today, Everett still takes two naps, but it looks like he'll be transitioning to one here soon. Bummer, but I guess it's time. Everett loves animals. The dogs are his best buddies. He loves horses and makes clicking noises every time he sees them because that's what he does to get the horses to come see him at Grammy's.  Everett has been quite the water bug this summer. He LOVES anything to do with water... the beach, swimming pool, sprinklers, even washing his hands.  We also have a new found love of parks and playgrounds. Swings and slides = entertainment for hours.  Everett is fearless. When he's about to do something he yells "GO!" and takes off. At least he gives me some warning. He jumps off the steps, the diving board, off the side of the pool. He goes down slides, floats by himself and doesn't want us to touch him while he's "swimming." He even laid his head down on one of the horses foreheads while out at the farm. He's my wild child, full of energy. This summer was so much fun. We've had so many adventures together and I'm loving being at home with him. My little Everett man, you are pure joy. I am so thankful for the last 18 months and look forward to plenty of adventures to come.

have i said lately how much i love this little boy?

Marley Dog

Sadly, since the entrance of one Mr. Everett, there has been some major doggie neglect on the blog. I started this blog when we got our original baby Marley. We adopted him in May of 2008. He was a crazy puppy and I spent endless hours exercising him, loving him, and training him. February 2009- enter dog #2. Marley had a playmate in Kai, but also someone competing for my attention. They learned to love each other and settled into life together. We went on walks every day and life was good. March 2010- enter baby #1. I'm sure if you asked Marley (and if he could talk) he'd say he could do without the kid. He likes Everett well enough and LOVES him at meal time; however, there's a lot less Marley time because of Everett. I guess that's just life. The really nice thing about dogs is that regardless of how much time you have for them and how much attention you pay them, they're always happy to see you. So here's to you my Marley dog. My first baby. I still love you lots.

Endless summer

Today I should be going to work. I should be going back to a slew of technology meetings and back to school stuff. I should be looking at student lists, counting books and taking them to my different classrooms, and getting things copied. I should be dreading today...should be, but I'm not. Instead, I'm on vacation. I'm in Hilton Head with Aaron, Everett, and our friends the Lusbys. I'm swimming and relaxing and enjoying my family. Today is the official start of my new career. June 17th was bittersweet, but today is just sweet.

baptized

It's been a long time coming, but I finally made the decision to be baptized at our outdoor service this year. I'm not sure why it took me 28 years to do, but I'm thankful the Lord continued to patiently wait on me and continue to encourage me in the the things that He has for me. So, among friends and family, I testified to exactly what God has done so far with this life He has blessed me with:

"My name is Kristen and I want to be baptized today because I want to be obedient to what the Lord has placed on my heart and being baptized is one of those things.

Throughout my childhood, I was raised to know Jesus. I remember as a little girl at church saying "Yes! I want to have Jesus in my heart!" I didn't fully know what that meant at age 5, but I did know that God loved me and that was a start. My parents raised me in a Christian home. We went to church every Sunday. We helped out at a homeless mens shelter, went away on weekend church retreats, and mission trips. Looking back, I could not be more thankful for this firm foundation.  I can clearly see the way this foundation saved me from the heartache I saw in others because they didn't know Jesus. It saved me from some bad decisions and things that I would have certainly regretted later.

That's not to say I was perfect and in fact I wasn't. I made my fair share of poor decisions and selfish choices; but, at the age of 19, I decided that enough was enough. At the end of my freshman year of college, I remember making that very conscious decision to make my faith my own. I decided that I would be a Christian and follow Christ because I believed it, because I wanted to, because it was truth. I made that decision because I knew that Christ had died and lived for me. I didn't believe because I had to or because someone told me to, but because it was really, truly what I believed.

Since then, the greatest gift the Lord has given me is a true, unwavering belief in who he is. He has given me an unshakable faith and has proved faithful. That has played out over the last 9 years as my relationship with the Father is ever changing as he reveals who he is to me; however, one thing that never changes is the way he faithfully walks beside me in this life. Throughout times of heartache and pain and through times of joy and blessing, Jesus is my constant. He is my comfort, strength and joy and I am blessed a thousand times over to be his daughter.

And, the Lord is not done with me yet. He continues to work on my heart, my motives, and my life. He uses people from this body (Providence), my family, my friends, my husband, and my son to show me how much grace I receive and how much he loves me. I trust and believe that until the day I am called home to heaven, he will continue to do a good work in me. Like it says in Philippians 1:6- being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

 *** Something really important and special for me was that my earthly father could baptize me in the name of my heavenly father. What an incredible blessing you are and have been on my life Dad. I love you!

So there you have it. My testimony. The day was unpredictable weather wise and so we gave our testimonies (there were 9 of us baptized on Sunday!!!) in a pavilion and then were baptized in the Brandywine. I'm so glad that I did it. So glad I can share with you exactly what God has done and is doing in my life!

contagious joy

We love to laugh around here. Life is just more fun that way. My husband makes me laugh all the time and I love that about him. Aaron makes Everett laugh daily too--- I love hearing Everett just laugh. The sound of it is just contagious joy for me. The sound of daddy and son laughing with each other is good for my soul. 

Last night, Aaron was playing with Everett while I ran into Target to grab a few things. I came out to Aaron sitting with him in the back seat and both of them laughing. Aaron videoed it because it was so cute. Everett was laughing those deep belly laughs. The kind that make you incredibly happy and full of joy yourself because he is just so happy in that moment.  I live in these moments. Like little snapshots to keep for a rainy Monday like today. Reminders of what joy looks like.

loose lips

Everett loves to kiss. He does this adorable little pout where he sticks out his bottom lip a little bit and leans in for a smooch.

He's mastered the closed mouth kiss (thank goodness) but he's been cutting teeth for the last month so they're usually wet, sloppy smooches. He humors me when I say I want another one, and another one, and another one. He tries to kiss Aunt Erika through the computer when we skype. He sticks out his pouty lip and lets the dogs kiss him. His favorite smoocher is daddy though.

I love it. He is so sweet and cute when he leans in to kiss me; however, he hasn't quite figured out that you don't kiss just anyone. He tried to kiss the waiter at Victory and the cute girls sitting at the next table, he attempted to kiss a woman at Lowe's last night, and has offered his kisses to more than one kid at church. haha. We're working on it, but either way, I'm loving those loose little lips.

The heavens declare the glory of God,

       and the skies announce what his hands have made. 

Day after day they tell the story;

       night after night they tell it again.

Psalm 19:1-2

 

 

lifevest = don't love it

Inspired by my (P)photographer friend Katie, I entered this picture of Everett in Paper Mama photo contest. This week the contest is "whatever" ... I think Everett nailed it. Either way- it was fun to mess around on picnik and look at the different photo editing options. I still use the free version, but the $24 premium package is looking mighty tempting!

My out of office message

Aylen Lake, Ontario, Canada

Plans include eating, reading, boating, hiking, husband, son, repeat. See you in a week!

A + K

It's been 5 years since I made the BEST earthly decision of my life thus far. I mean that. I couldn't have picked a better man to spend my life with. It has never been a roller coaster, but instead, constant and steady. I don't think at the young age of 23 I realized how important that decision would be, but I'm thankful that the Lord did and that he gave me Aaron.  He is my sounding board, my helper, my talk-some-sense-into-me kind of husband. The husband who does the dishes and laundry, paint and repaints again, and works incredibly hard to provide for us. The kind of man who serves others joyfully, delights in his son, and loves those around him. A husband who makes life fun and makes me laugh daily, all the while still able to have a real and deep conversation about God, our future and life.

Five years later, I am so much more in love with him than the day that we were married. I'm in love with this handsome man who lives this life with me. The man who walks beside me daily, encouraging, loving, and always laughing with me. Thank you Lord for giving me such an incredible man.

I love you Aaron!

Adoption

I feel like I have been surrounded by it. Seeing the way that God's people are living out the gospel and caring for the widows and orphans. It's such a beautiful picture. Amazing to see the way the Lord touches peoples hearts to love children that were unloved. There have been a number of friends at our church who have adopted or are in the process. A few weeks ago, I asked you to participate in the giveaway for our friends Ryan and Katie who are adopting from the Congo. Right now, other friends of ours are in China with their little girl Emery Lin. Angie and Clint have been praying for their little girl and waiting and hoping and praying some more for the last 3 years. As of Monday, their prayers have been answered. If you want to read more you can click here or look for "the weldons" under our friends tab.

I also follow a blog called the lettered cottage. It's a design blog, but they are also in the process of adopting. Today they had a guest post from a family who adopted two of the sweetest little kids from Africa. I watched their coming home video and cried. What a beautiful amazing homecoming!



Home At Last from dan owens on Vimeo.


Adoption is such an amazing wonderful life changing thing. I'm thankful to be able to see so many children welcomed into loving families. It's a great Thursday.

sidewalk chalk

Best $1.29 I ever spent. Okay, maybe not, but it was still fun. I randomly saw it at Riteaid and figured, why not? We tried it out today and I only had to fish 2 pieces out of Everett's mouth. I call that success. He drew some, but didn't really seem to understand what he was supposed to do with the chalk. He was more interested in taking the pieces in and out of the box. I'm fine with that. Not to self- next time buy the thick stuff. The skinny chalk was too thin for his chubby little fingers.

one man's trash really is another man's treasure

Craigslist. I love it- you know this. Recently, I've been enjoying the other side of craigslist- selling! Since we got our new living room furniture, I've got end/side tables, chandelier, area rugs, a few shelves, and some other random odds and ends that I am not using anymore. I listed everything 2 weeks ago. Nothing. I only had one inquiry. So, I re-listed everything this week. Bingo. When it comes to craigslist, it's all about timing. So, within the last 3 days, I've sold our old chandelier, coffee and end tables, a frame, and a corner shelf. Sweet right?

Mollie bought our chandelier. She had her washer pipe burst (on the third floor of her townhouse- boo) and needed to replace her dining room chandelier. She got a new light and so did I. I even made 25 bucks on the deal because I found that good deal at homedepot. I call that a win-win.

Mary Ann was looking for new coffee/side tables. Her kids are in their teens and she wanted something nicer. I was looking to get rid of my nice but sharp cornered end tables, and Everett was hoping for a table that he wouldn't hurt himself on. Mary Ann was excited, I was excited. She even dragged her son along to help load and he was happy because he got a trip to Sonic out of it. Again, win-win.

In the end, I'm financing my entire living room/first floor update simply by selling and re-purposing the stuff we've got. I'm even making some money! It's a pretty cool deal. If you haven't tried craigslist, you should.

Buy something, sell something. And while you're at it here's a few tips:

1- Be specific. In your searching, use the search engine and look for exactly what you want. Use key words to help narrow the number of things that you will look at.
2- Be persistent. If you read my stalking craigslist post, then you know what I'm saying. Check craigslist multiple times a day for the things that you want. It's all about timing on the website. If you're buying, check the website a lot. If you're selling, repost your items every few weeks and make sure you have nice clear pictures for buyers to look at.
3- Be safe. I only meet people when Aaron is home and only give out my address if they have already verbally said they want to buy the item. My address is usually the very last thing that I give people. It's only after we've had a number of emails back and forth and I know that they're serious about purchasing the items that I give them our address. If you're wary of this, meet at a public place.
4- Be smart. There are scammers on craigslist. Often when you post something you may get one or two of these people. They will tell you that they're interested in your item. Their second email to you will say something about a money order, moving out of the country, etc. Don't do business with these people. Use common sense. Also, I only accept cash. It just makes sense.

So there you go. Questions, ask. I know my way around craigslist ;)


Happy Craigslisting!

Everett randoms

---Everett is really into using utensils. So much so, he will not eat a banana without a fork. Seriously. I have to slice up the banana so he can stab at it with his little fork. For a while, he was doing the same with blueberries... glad he kicked that habit. Breakfast was taking foreeeeever.

---Everett has started to recognize the packaging/containers with his favorite foods. When I pull something out that he likes he gleefully yells  "OOOOOO!"

---Everett loves the water. We were boating at a local lake on Sunday that had a beach. Everett (with water wings on) would yell GO! and throw himself into the water... face and all. I'm not exactly sure how he figured it out, but he is holding his breath? Aaron claims he'll be "swimming" by the end of the summer.

---Everett has started kissing to get his way. No lie. When I give him something and ask him to say thank you, he tries to kiss me instead. He sometimes does the same with please. I'm all about those sweet little kisses, but then I make him say please or thank you too. Kids need manners, right?!

---Everett has started paying more and more attention to what the dogs bark at. They bark furiously and run to the door when Aaron gets home. Everett now equates that with Aaron getting home from work and yells "Daddy!" multiple times a day thinking that the barking dogs are alerting him to Aaron's arrival.

---Not that I'm an advocate for toddler tv watching, but it'd be nice if Everett watched more than 3 minutes of a show so that I could get stuff done! The closest we've gotten is "The Backyardigans" and he will only watch during the opening credits because it's a song. He shoulder shakes and dances around and then as soon as the music stops, he's off to do something else. 

---Everett has started to climb onto everything. Last night, Aaron said he ran in the other room and within minutes was on a dining room chair playing with my half drank mug of then cold coffee.  This morning I look over and he climbed on my kitchen step stool, onto a cooler, and was playing with my kitchen utensils. Eek-I can't take my eyes off this kid!

---Everett has this crazy, hard throw. I try to warn people when the want to play catch with him that he throws really hard. I don't think they believe me until he's thrown a ball at their chest or face. Aaron is banking on this being his way into professional sports... I guess he can dream.

So there you have it, all of the random stuff Everett is up to at 16 months old. He's definitely all boy and a wild and adventurous one at that!

new sign via picnik

 

So, I've been redecorating. You know this. I have also been soaking in tons of inspiration via pinterest. I found a quote on there that I love and wanted to find somewhere and somehow to display it. I also stumbled onto a fantastic blog and found an AMAZING tutorial on how to create free printables on picnik.com (it's a photo editing website that's FREE! I love and adore it and use it all the time). So, this morning over coffee, I came up with a sign for my kitchen. All I have to do is head over to a staples somewhere and print it out! I haven't decided yet if I'm going to frame and hang it or slap on some modge podge and add it to a canvas. Either way, I'm pretty excited about it!  What do you think?

eternity moments

A few months ago when we were out visiting my parents, my dad told me he had an "eternity moment" with Everett. I wasn't exactly sure what he meant until he explained it. He said when he went in and picked Everett up from his crib, Everett wrapped his arms around my dad and just hugged him for a few minutes. Dad said it was one of those moments that he could live in for an eternity, that he could stay in forever. I loved it and his description, and that he loves my son so much.

Today I found myself having my very own eternity moment. It was a perfect day full of fun moments and crazy water adventures with Everett. Toward the end of the day, we headed out for a ride around the lake. I was riding in the front of the boat with Everett. The wind in our faces, sun shining, and Everett leaning into me hugging me with his sweet little hands. He held my hand and lay back on my chest and it just hit me- I could do this forever. Just simply live in this moment on repeat. I am so thankful for that moment today, thankful for my little boy, and so very thankful for those eternity moments.