Growing

Joy feet now...

Joy feet two years ago...

Wrong Way

It's usually better to go down a slide on your backside or your belly.

 Not on your face.

Brothel

The most impactful Christmas gift I received was a stocking stuffer called "God in a Brothel" by Daniel Walker.  I heard about the book last fall from Hagar International, the ministry 418 Stitches supports. This is what Hagar had to say about the book:

"God in a Brothel is the true story of an undercover investigator's experiences infiltrating the multi-billion dollar global sex industry. It is the story of a rescuer who freed hundreds of trafficking victims leading to the prosecution of dozens of perpetrators. It is the personal story of Daniel Walker, a New Zealander who followed a path of costly discipleship, agonizing failure and unlikely redemption. Perhaps most importantly, it is a story of triumph for the victims released from lives of slavery.

At Hagar, we treasure this story because we witness the transformation of clients released through Daniel Walker’s good work, every day. We highly recommend that you read this book."

I used my Christmas sewing break to dive right in.  My take on it?  The book is painfully difficult to read from absolutely cover to cover, and there's much of it that is just so heartbreaking that I have no words of my own to describe.  But it is impossible to read the book and not be impassioned to have a hand in the rescue of these women and children. With that in mind, I highly, highly recommend this book as well. 

Many of you have probably heard about Passion Conference 2012 that happened here in Atlanta.  Over $3 million was raised from 42,000 college students to be given to end human slavery.  

That is mind-blowing.

I was thrilled to see that Hagar International was one of the ministries blessed by those funds raised.  This is what they had to say about their experience.

It's so easy to get in our day-to-day schedule and routine life in suburbia, and there is such a world of hurt beyond the bubble of our own realities.  Reminders like reading "Brothel"and like learning about all the ministries that Passion gave towards are so vital to keep our focus on our purpose here on earth- to glorify God and be used by Him... 

to be vessels of God's love to the ends of the earth and used by Him in whatever way He chooses.  

Each of us are made perfectly in His sight to have our own specific way to give and serve others, and no one else can give and serve in the same way you can. 

To not find what your specific gift is and a specific place in which to invest of yourself... and to not then pursue that end... is to miss out on great blessing indeed.   

The Art of Stealing Creativity

At the risk of sounding like I'm older than I am, I have to say a few things.  When the kid in the blue polka dot jacket was born almost four years ago, I had never read a blog and there was no such thing as pinterest. How. on. earth. did I ever make a decision about anything for her nursery on my own ability? I formulated what my style was based on Pottery Barn Kids.  Though I love that store and love finding knock-offs from their style even more, how limited was I in my opinion with just one store to go on?

Beyond that, when we were engaged and registering, my view of what I liked then was also basically based on Pottery Barn.  I still like most of the things I registered for, but JUST THINK how creative and more unusual our style choices could have been if we had the wide world of blogs and Pinterest to steal ideas from????

I think we all got gypped.

My mom was looking at Pinterest the other day, and she commented that she had to make up all her own creative stuff.  Shoot, I personally feel like a dinosaur that I actually had an accordion file of wedding information, pictures torn out of magazines, etc.  And that was just 7 1/2 years ago.

I have a dear friend who can't stand her everyday dishes.  She says she just didn't know what her style was then, so she went with what her mom suggested.  NO ONE getting married right now or decorating their first nursery right now can have that excuse!  I look at some of these new nurseries that friends post about and think OH MY, how incredibly amazing is that?!  But no kidding, the ability to borrow ideas from fabulously creative people is given to us on the silver spoon of the blogworld and pinterest.

I'm not bitter.  And I don't even spend much time doing either because it sucks me in like a vortex, and I just don't need to spend the time doing too much of that.

But it's there, ready, when I need to borrow someone else's amazingness.

Probably when my girls are getting married (Lord help us) (and our wallets) or setting up their own nurseries, they'll just have to think "perfect idea for ______" and the thought will just get beamed into their heads.

And they'll say, wow, my mom had to actually move her fingers on a keyboard to tap into the world of other people's brilliance...

By the way, I know the raincoat picture actually has nothing to do with this post, but the girls were all walking around like ducks in a row with their hands in their pockets this morning, and I just had to share.  The little mod squad.

#11 and #12

Well, I jumped the gun with my Top Ten, because two more blog-worthy events happened on Monday and Tuesday. 

11. On Monday, Abby Jane opened her birthday present one month early- ballet lessons and all the pink fancy trappings that go with it!

 Daddy was "there" to be a part of the gift.  The somewhat last-minute decision on which program we were going to enter was actually made Monday afternoon because her first class was Tuesday.  Nothing like a buzzer beater. Of sorts.

 I just so happened to guess at what she might need if we happened to decide on a class for her, and I conveniently made a few of those girly purchases last week.  Turns out I guessed right, except for the wrong kind of shoes. It didn't matter b/c they got her through the first class yesterday, and she pretty much couldn't have loved them more.

 We needed to put on our things right away.

She started practicing some ballet moves right away.  I don't know that I've ever seen her so genuinely and deeply thrilled with a gift in her life.

 12. We picked Jake up from the airport last night, and we had a wonderful night of reunion as a family of five.  Having Daddy be a part of our morning routine today was lovely for everyone.  I would like to say especially me, but the other three girls were also pretty thrilled with his special attentions.

Tonight, there was entertainment for the girls while I fixed dinner.  Wow.  The small things you take for granted.

I love that man, and I love that his absence is so gaping when he's gone.  That in itself is something to be immensely grateful for!

Top 10

Some of the following may have come to light in the previous post, but here's a few stories for you that may be been missed...

10. Whenever Jake heads out to SoCal or anywhere out of town in January or February, the mercury always plummets ridiculously.  We get snowed/ iced in. Thankfully this year, it didn't get worse than the 20's, and things got back to normal after just a couple of days.

9. Abby Jane chose this week, of all those in the last 19 months of being daytime potty trained, to adamantly decide to be night time potty trained.  We are thrilled for her choice, but I wouldn't have minded if Daddy could join in the fun.

8. On the first night of this new venture, and the only night to have an accident thus far, I was evidently not fast enough in the clean-up process to prevent Abby Jane from waking up completely.  This was proven when, an hour later at 2:30 a.m., she showed up, fully alert, in my room asking me to help change her doll's dress.  UMMMMM NO MA'AM!!!!  Thankfully, that hasn't happened since.

7. Blythe's aforementioned first haircut, and me learning how take care of her hair.

6. At the zoo, Joy pinched her finger so badly that I thought it was broken.  It was not, but it looks awful. She's a trooper.

5. Abby Jane, in a slightly fussy moment, ran into a door I was opening, and has a resulting really sad -looking injury. These two injuries add to the list of those happening under my supervision, far outweighing those under Jake's! That's one competition I would love to lose.

4. We started a new tradition of Sunday morning shows.  Simply put, we sit on the sofa, and Joy does crazy dancing and running around while we sing "Away in the Manger" or "Joy to the World", depending on her request. She asks, "Am I funny?"

3. Skyping with Jake. Joy asking, at least 50 times a day, "Where's Daddy?" Me: "In L.A." Joy: "In ELLL-lay?"

2. Tomorrow is Abby Jane's first cleaning at the dentist's.  I'm going to proactively put that on the list.

1. Grandparents, friends, a responsible three year old, good-natured two year olds, and the prayers of a good man that have made this week work!

While you've been gone...

Jake's been in L.A. since last Monday, and our house of girls will be rejoined by our man in just two more days!  The following week in review is for you, babe.  We've missed you, but we're glad for the week you've had.

In the last week...

We hit Mimi and Bop Bop's for dinner, no photos, just good food and good times.

The Boutwells came to play.  I love any time spent with Jane, and she has two very special, sweet kiddos.  Here is Anna, rocking Blythe's birthday hat at a tea party.

An afternoon of train time one afternoon...

We rolled down to Mom's house for a few days to split up my single mom-hood, and our favorite hair stylist came over for a playdate and a couple of haircuts.

 Can't beat a haircut with a lake view!

Blythe got her first little trim, and the girl glowed while she received that special attention. I had decided Ericka better teach me how to take better care of Blythe's curly little head, so get excited about seeing that little head at its full potential!

This is for Aunt Betsy, who gave us this fabulous sweater for Christmas.  Binoculars and sparkle shoes courtesy of Grammy's house.

 Abby Jane decided to become night time potty trained this week.  So, just like that, she's done it.  This is licking fingers after a congratulatory chocolate chip pancake.

 My happy girls and their bedheads.

We hit the zoo with Katie's family, and Carlton's Mimi, who I've also known since I was four, made a cameo appearance on our playdate.  This turned out to perhaps benefit me more than Katie, as Miss Pam filled "Mimi shoes" for both families.

 There were just plain some sweet sister moments in the course of the week.

 Grammy's flat street is just right for improving our bike riding skills.

 Racing Grammy...

Tonight at dinner, during a fun evening at home with Mimi's wonderful company... and extra set of hands. Lots of giggles involved.