a beautiful day

A mermaid party in the winter.

That is what my middle child wanted.

And I took a leap of faith that the weather would permit.
And we'd head to the tide pools to explore.

I know how very unpredictable California weather can be.
Sunny and 70's one day, and 32 in the morning with wind and rain another.
And it literally can flip flop like that from one day to the next.

But I just trusted.

And then we all got sick...FOREVER.
So her party was delayed.

And this past week it rained.
And moms asked, so what's your plan?
And I said well the weather keeps showing full sun on Saturday.
So I'm moving forward in faith.  Despite those grey clouds and rain we have today.
And do you know.

It was a beautiful day.

Even in the morning when we woke to ice on our cars and lawns.
My husband said, "If I didn't know you, and someone said
lets plan a beach party in February, I'd think they were crazy."

And I said, "It'll be ok.  Just wait.  It'll be ok."

It was more than ok.

It was a perfect day.

And though I used many ideas from the amazing One Charming Party,
that I purchased during a sale probably two years ago.

(photo courtesy One Charming Party)

I didn't need to do much.
Because God's beauty and creation provided all the activity.

A brown California Sea Hare after I touched it, giving off ink in defense.

Ochre sea star

Excuse this very photo heavy post.
Consider it a photo journal of the Leo Carrillo tide pools.
Which by the way I think are way better this time of year.

The low tide was lower than I've ever seen it and we could easily walk around
areas normally filled with water.  OH, and just in case you were wondering. We did not keep anything we studied.  We only held them or put them in buckets of water to observe.  But they went right back to their proper homes.

Pisaster Ochraceus sea star

Muscles, that the sea stars feed on.

A little tid-bit from this interesting website.

"Each ochre sea star can eat up to 80 adult mussels each year and thousands of barnacles."

They are voracious omnivores.

Do you see that little purple shore crab hiding between the rocks.  He's green and a reddish/purple hue.

And the starburst (Sunburst) sea anemone were everywhere.

Do you see the sea lion among the birds, bathing in the sun?

My friend and a favorite babysitter took this of me spotting dolphins playing in the sea.

A big thank you to Miss Nicole for making it to celebrate and hang with the kids.

The best part is, I got to explore and play too!

Thanks to Miss Nicole for capturing that.  Ah hem.

And for capturing our family...both posed and goofy.

A most happy, happy 8th birthday to our sweet big girl!

a little snippet

Oh friends.
That's about all the time I have for blogging these days.
So much goes through my mind.
So much I could write about.

Like how I analyze my life through tween boy and puppy behavior
and how their impulse control is very much the same.

Or how I received an answer to prayer that made me feel like
God really heard my cries and he is providing and that just makes me
oh so very happy.

And how there are other areas that rush to my mind the moment I wake
where I don't feel answers and it feels heavy.

Or this sermon that just had me in tears as I made dinner last night.
So profound and so worth listening to, from the voice of a man who
has learned lessons from the Lord through one of the hardest trials I
think a parent can face.

Britt Merrick | When Sparrows Fall from Reality on Vimeo.

I have so much that I'd like to really analyze here.
But there is so much real life to take care of, that I'm afraid I can't.

But I can give you a snippet.  A statement by my newly turned six year old
that just made me smile.

Staring off at the mountains of rocks that surround Rocky Peak, she said,

"I'm a rock climbing kind of girl.

But I think I'm still too young yet to climb a mountain."

-AUDREY age 6

She actually wants to climb mountains one day.  

I sometimes see mountains as a negative.

The hurdles, the challenges, the things that mean we struggle.

But those very things, they are what excite her.

Conquering challenges.

And with that spirit I know she will.

I know we all will.

"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 

'Go, throw yourself into the sea,'

and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, 

it will be done for him."  

-Mark 17:20

a new week

I'm declaring this week a new beginning.

Of wellness in our home.
Of productive learning.
Of positive progress.

Just like this little lady who is determined to ride
her bike without training wheels.

(excuse the absence of a helmet..it didn't make it to the car and so we promised, just a little practice.)

Her determination is admirable.  She will not let anyone assist her
with a push,  or a steady hand.

She wants to do it herself.

And she will not quit.  

It's amazing how different my children's personalities are and how
much a simple thing like learning to ride a bike can tell me plenty about the way she'll be
for years to come.

She has an "I think I can" mentality.

And she truly believes she can.

No one is going to tell her she can't.

She'll stumble and fall and start and stop.  But she'll get right back up again.

She doesn't get mad.

She gets determined.

And that will serve her well.

Right now.  And all through her life.

Just like her, I'm going into this week believing we can.

We can, with Christ who strengthens us.

And I'm going to begin by counting my thanks....


454. beautiful music
455. pretty patterns
456. a bohemian scene
457. a fun vegan restaurant
458. girl time
459. inspirational talks
460. the sun
461. the silver glow on the brush
462. wheels turning
463. drawing time
464. a vision
465. possibilities
466. a prayer
467. a renewed love
468. a new week


469. A talk that inspired me the most.
        Inspired by this scripture...

"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro

throughout the whole earth,

in order to strengthen those whose

hearts are fully committed to him."

2 Chronicles 16:9

oh me, oh my

it has felt very much like the world has stood still the last two weeks.
at least our little world has.
after the girl's bout with the flu
I thought life was resuming as normal, but alas
on Monday my son came home with a fever.
And then by the next afternoon my body finally really caved.
And let me tell you, this thing has been a doozy.
I just like using that word.  It sounds mighty old fashioned.
Like something my grandmother would use.

We're still in recovery mode.
You know it's bad when twice in the last week
I have crawled out of my own bed to discover
a silent home, because my children were all voluntarily napping.
Well, praise God for that.

Because that NEVER, ever happens.

Oh, sigh.

I guess we needed rest.

In the midst of this yuck, my dear sweet youngest child turned six.
And mommy managed to do nothing really very special at all.
But I've promised, soon, very soon we will have a day all about her.
What I did manage, was a food color laced cake boss cake.. the farthest
thing from the healthy versions I usually try to make.  But Ralphs was about
all we could manage in the midst of this flu.

The flowers made her happy, and thankfully she has a forgiving spirit.

She and her sister found ways of entertaining themselves, like making this
dollhouse out of her gift box and wrapping.

And now as it feels prayerfully the fog is lifting.

The girls are decorating for valentines day.

You can't walk around a corner outside without seeing love.

And I love that.

Even Miss Piper echoed our much needed breath of fresh air today.

Happy insta friday everyone.

I covet your prayers for health and healing in this house.

Because we have had enough of the sickies!

Ok..so maybe I'm still not quite clear headed. I kept checking back to see why insta friday hadn't posted yet.  And alas I remembered, today is THURSDAY.  So I'll be all ready for tomorrow then!  Happy almost insta-friday!

it has been

some time since I've done insta-friday 

and even longer since I've shown you these ladies who aren't so little anymore!

We're getting closer to those fresh eggs.  I can't wait.

And nearly every day as I circle around to open their little door to the run area.

Miss Piper frantically runs around barking and whining.

And wishing oh so much she could get in there.

SO not happening.

The chickens are really funny to watch.

They're kind of scared of her, kind of not.

And I still think they're pretty darn cute.

So before the flu took over our home.

We were doing science co-op.

Reviewing the last six chapters of sea animal questions 

with a game of jeopardy.

It was awfully cute and fun. 

And I'm just so thankful to these ladies for welcoming me into their group.

We had a really productive day Monday, but I can't say much for the rest of the week.  

I've been reading to them, but there has been plenty of movie watching lying on the couch with

fevers and coughs and stuffy noses.  I guess sometimes you just have to let it go.

my part tom-boy, part girly-girl has decided she wants to learn 

to ride a skateboard like her brother.

And speaking of brother, before the rain hit here, he was in 

full survival mode, building shelter and making grass tea

in our backyard.

Yes, I let him play with fire.

Maybe that's wrong.

But I want to foster this adventure, survival man stuff cause

it's productive and outdoors and just might come in handy one day.

We spent some time picking out a new glove.

If you're new here, you may not know that his old one (which was

still in very good shape) was the victim of rain leaking into my 

trunk and we discovered it was COVERED with

a gnarly, white, fuzzy, hairy

mess of mold all over it.

There was no chance I was letting him use it again.

With my husband out of town, I of course realized the night

before assessments that we never replaced it.  So to Sport Chalet we went.

And then to the baseball fields.
Where the girls resumed their ways of entertaining themselves by the field.

 I can't believe it's time for the Spring season to begin.

I've been in prep mode for an upcoming mermaid party.

The party that was supposed to happen tomorrow.

Well, the flu + rain, rain, rain means our adventure

to the tide pools has been pushed back.

I know I'm slightly crazy even thinking of doing a beach party in January.

These two decided to dress like twins.  

People are always asking if they are, even though they're 

exactly 25 months apart to the day.

Which means my baby is having a birthday, turning 6 on Monday!

That and perhaps hormones are wreaking havoc on this mama heart.

You know you're in trouble when you see a mom with a toddler 

at a restaurant and your eyes well up with tears.

But the season we're in now is mighty sweet too.

They set up this stuffed animal friend tea party for me as a surprise.

And this one the other night declared washing dishes is fun.

Alrighty then.  There are always new chances for that kind of fun.

Have at it my dear!

So there you go.  The good, the bad & the helpful.

Head on over to Life Rearranged for more insta friday fun!

just because

I want you to know....

I love this verse.  Psalm 139:14

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Do we always talk to ourselves like we know this?

We know God's works are wonderful.
But how often does that little negative voice creep in
and we do not treat ourselves as though we know.

We were made in His image.
Fearfully and wonderfully made.

I say this to my kids almost daily.
I need to hear it too.

Doesn't it make you feel more powerful.

I wanted a pretty way to display it in my kid's bathroom.
I'm dreaming of an idea for a painting.
But in the meantime played around with this.

It's free for you to print and use to remind all who see it
they are fearfully and wonderfully made!

The design is on an 8 1/2 x 11 paper, made to fit in an 8x10 frame.