embracing seasons

Can this count as embracing the camera?

I'm in the picture right?

My daughter took this.

And I love that she captured the sweetness of our nearly one year old

rescue puppy who sometimes seems to be incorrigible.  

It's these moments that redeem her many bad habits 

we're having a hard time breaking.

It's that time of year where my daughter and I

are laden with allergies.  In our eyes, our throat,

our sneezes, our stuffies.  I was holding it at bay,

but it unleashed its furry yesterday.  

I keep joking, only it's not really a joke

that our yard seems to be raining pollen.

Truly, there's yellow dust everywhere.

The child that suffers with me asked, how much longer of this?

I said probably about a month.

It's the oak trees, the jasmine, the wisteria,

the orange blossoms.

All those things that smell so luxurious and look so beautiful.

They wreak havoc on our sensitive bodies.

But what this time of year also means...it's time to get going on that 

vegetable garden!

I know I'm already a week or two late.

But yesterday we finally went and got our organic veggies.

Last year I started from seed.  

This year, well, I'm going to make it a little easier on us.

I had some very eager helpers yesterday.

I love that they are just as excited as I am to roll up their sleeves,

dig in the dirt and wait to reap the harvest.

Finally, I'm joining embrace the camera again.

it's that time again

to be thinking of Christmas cards.
Jodi, the girl's tutor who helps me with homeschooling
so graciously offered to take some pictures for us this year.
So I have some embracing the camera for today.
My son was still getting over being sick and unfortunately
was not looking too happy in most of them.
But he was trying.

Mostly I just want to savor Thanksgiving.
And this coming week of slowing down and spending
time as a family without obligations.

Tomorrow I host my son's class party for Thanksgiving....and I have some fun things to share that you could do at home with your kids.  Soon I'll have pictures and hopefully a tutorial on helping your kids make their own mini gratitude journal.  

free

We were on the opposite side of the island.

Parked in a public lot and took a long walk

to show the kids where we visited Hawaii before.

The bathing suits were back in the car.

The sun was setting and the lot would be closing.

There wasn't time to go back and get them.

And they were begging. 

Begging,  "Please can we just go in? Please?  Please?"

And at first I was giving all the rational

reasons why the answer was no.

And then I thought why?

Why am I saying no?

What does it really matter?

So I said, "OK, just go for it."

Their response was sheer glee,

and these pictures are absolutely priceless to me.

Because I think we all need reminders 

to check why we're saying no.

When really there's no harm.

And the yes, well, it's so much more freeing and fun.

This trip opened my eyes to something.

To the fact that in the last bit of the school year

with the weight of so much driving and so many obligations

I had forgotten to just play.

My to do list, my responsibilities, my planning ahead,

without even realizing it I click into 'go' mode

pretty much all the time.

Until I sit down at night 

and then I promptly fall asleep.

I'm not joking.

It's pathetic really.

But in Hawaii 

I was immersed in play.

Every single day.

I boogie boarded & jumped in the waves 

for the first time in a long, long time.

I waded in freezing water through slimy, rocky paths

to get to a beautiful waterfall.

I snorkeled again and again.

One day with turtles.

Another, schools and schools of fish, even a shark.

It felt like I was in another world.

The weightlessness. 

The array of colors.

The beauty of God's creation.

So much beneath that surface we usually see.

I wanted to stay in those moments forever.  

I joined my kids in swinging from the branches

of a beautiful old tree,

and I felt free.

I want to move here.

Because I like this me.

The one that plays.

The one that's free.

But I know it's a vacation and that's the whole point.

You don't have all the responsibilities you do at home.

But upon returning I'm very aware of how I need

to hold onto more of that playful me

in my every day.

And I'm also aware of how easy it is 

for my old patterns to kick in.

So I'm determined to make an effort to play.

And I'm putting it out here in hopes that

it will keep me accountable.

I never did manage to choose a word for 2012.

I had so many ideas back when the new year was coming around.

But I never decided.  Never committed.  Never wrote it down.

And time kept ticking and it felt too late.

But it's never too late to make a new commitment right.

And finally I know what word I need, because it chose me.

So, with the beginning of the school year

I'm declaring this a year of play.

I don't want to lose this carefree me.

And I know they don't either. 

But seriously...I still want to move to Hawaii!

smitten

that's the word that keeps coming to mind.

Oh me oh my.

Meet Lucy, Hannah, Charlotte & Belle.

Our baby chicks.

We did it.  Seriously. 

They're just two weeks old.  We brought them home on Monday.

And we're all in love.

In love I tell you.

They'll live in a bathtub incubator for the next eight to ten weeks.

My son is already building them toys and ramps to entertain themselves with while they're in this makeshift home.

Until they move into their coop.

For now, they have five doting parents.

Going into this, I had no preference as to what breed.
But when we got there,  I was completely sold by the description of the buff brahma.

They're sweet, docile, gentle, quiet, great with children and good egg producers.

Done.

I couldn't ask for more.

And when they grow up, this is what they'll look like.

They grow feathers on their legs and feet, kind of like socks.

I think they're adorable.

Linking to embrace the camera as I embrace my new role as a chick mama. 

Happy Thursday everyone!

Aloha.....

SO you may have noticed..if you're still checking, that it has been awhile since I last posted.

Oh me oh my. 

It is because we've been ever so busy swinging from branches, swimming with fishies,

and hiking through the trails of Maui.

I shut down the blog.  I shut down the shop.  And we went on vacation.  

It was glorious.  I don't say this to brag.  Please know that's not my intention.

It's just that ever so often in my life I have been too much in my head about a million other things that I don't really enjoy the moment the way I should.  


I prayed my head would not get in the way.  
And God answered in a powerful way.


That is why I'm ever so grateful for these very special memories.

It has been eight years since we've taken a big vacation like this 
and the girls had never been to Hawaii.

It was so amazing watching our kids discover so many things.  
And it was so freeing wading through rivers and snorkeling with turtles,
going under waterfalls, and just being in God's creation without a care in the world.

I got to just play.  To just be.  
To smell the flowers, feel the water, revel in the colors, the rainbows, the food, 
the time to be a family doing fun things together, working as a team.  


Truly amazing.  


As the days go by and we settle into real life again I will share more.  

But for now...here are some of my instagram pics...

And finally....I'm linking up to embrace the camera again!  Because it's Thursday and because

I actually have myself in some pictures!


My most favorite moment ever...we found dozens of turtles swimming freely right alongside us.
That's me... me just chilling with Mr. Turtle there.  I really still can't believe it.


Mahalo God.


It was truly a gift.  Your creations are beyond beautiful.

“How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, 

teeming with creatures beyond number-living things both large and small.” 

Psalm 104:24-25

embracing ... a lot

I'm attempting to play with instagram
and actually put myself in the picture too.
I know I've mentioned this is ever so hard for me.
It really is.
So I'm pushing my boundaries here, being in the picture
and even sharing it with you.

I'd much rather show you this little lady

who has become my walking partner.

She actually changed into this outfit for walking, 

because every girl needs a nice cardigan and skirt

to exercise in right?  of course.

Tonight she came out after bath decked out as mommy.

I was dying.

I actually shot video, which eventually I take the time to put up on here.

This is her in a 'mom uniform'.

She has on my shoes, my hat,

a cell phone and some mama chia.

Dying I tell you.

Because her whole persona,

her walk, everything changed.

Do you ever wonder how your kids perceive you?

Well, tonight I found out.

And as she was describing me

she said, "Mommy looks like, like a princess."

At eight p.m., me still decked out in the workout wear I put on

at seven this morning with the intention of fitting it in at some point,

only it never worked out.  I was feeling far from a princess.

So as I'm tossing laundry in the machine I pause sort of shocked and say, 

"Really, you think Mommy looks like a princess."

And she said, "Yea" so matter of factly, "God's princess."

This might sound so cliche, I know.

But honestly that's her heart.

And that's how she sees me.

And that is a lesson that even in my un-worked out in sweats,

in my end of the day exhaustion from

what felt like an eternity on the road

battling traffic

and mishaps here and there

God still sees a princess!

Ok..one last little bit of an announcement.

I have a warrior boy.

So excited to introduce him to you.

Want a visual checklist for your son (or yourself) while you're in his room.

We MUST, MUST, MUST gear up every day.

Do you forget sometimes?

I know I do.

But now we have no excuse with this reminder.

He's in the shop now, and can be customized if you'd like.

And for more embracing the camera fun...head over here.