The Simple Woman's Daybook: December 27th

FOR TODAY, December 27th

Outside my window... we awoke to a dusting of feather light snow, nearly just a heavy frost, and the sunny skies have already melted most of it. Just a hint of what's in store in the coming weeks, but it tempted me to bundle the kids and go for a walk nonetheless.

I am thinking... about the year ahead. Over the years, I've worked to simplify my life and create more time and space for family. I'm feeling the pull to simplify further, to decrease the daily running and increase my daily investment in my home, my God, and his plans for my family. Today, I am reflecting and praying about what changes are necessary.

I am thankful... for a lazy morning at home after several days of celebrating with extended family. Noah and Miriam are getting along beautifully for the time being, a huge blessing while Big Sister is with her dad and not here to provide some added entertainment.

From the learning rooms... Our oldest has been learning all sorts of life lessons this year, namely the value of practicing and learning things that don't come easily to her. I haven't taught this lesson well thus far, partly because school has come fairly easily in the past few years. Working hard for something difficult is a vital lesson to learn, and I'll continue to work to instill that value in her.

We gave Noah his first chapter book for Christmas: Magic Tree House. I was a little leery of starting him on higher level reading too early, but he read chapter one with me last night and finished confident and not at all frustrated.

Miriam's Santa gift this year was a LeapPad Explorer, a perfect item for her weekly car rides to and from ballet class. True to herself, she progresses at her own pace. It's not always the one I'm comfortable with or the one that I'd choose for her, but I've learned (and I'm still learning) to escort her and cheer her on rather than try to push.

In the kitchen... there are plans for easy winter meals- the kind that simmer or roast all day and come in bowls with cornbread on the side- vegetable soup, chili, and pot roast. Winter dinners are some of my favorites. The house smells good all afternoon, and the kitchen is a bit cozier than the rest of the year.

I am creating... my 2012 family calendar. It seems full of weekly demands, but they are activities that each of my children look forward to and always attend excitedly.

I am reading... an awesome read for parents of boys (of all ages). It full of clear explanations and practical, bible-based advice. Like all books, I'm reading it as advice and not scripture, but I've gotten many nuggets from this book, and I really wish I'd read it when my son was younger.

I am looking forward to... finding out if I'm getting a niece or a nephew at the end of this week! I've been praying for a healthy ultrasound for my sister and brother-in-law first and foremost, but I'm getting excited about being able to start some projects for the little guy/gal.

I am hearing... the sounds of a big brother teaching a little sister to play Super Mario Bros beside me. I'm sure it'll turn into a squabble over turns soon enough, but that's life around here. We revel in the goodness while it lasts!

Around the house... I've sorted and cleared the kitchen and game cabinet to make room for Christmas gifts. It left me wanting to sort and clear out every nook and cranny of our home, but I think I'll work on laundry and wait until I'm more sane to decide what items we need and what can be donated.

I am pondering... Gift-giving. Every year, I leave Christmas feeling like gift exchanges are frivolity and not as much a genuine giving. It seems to me that we need to be giving gifts of time and talent rather than tossing $30 toward a cashier for a gift that we hope our family members will like. I can think of gifts of time I could have given to each person on my gift list this year, and I think they may have been happier with that than anything I could have wrapped and placed under a tree. Something to think about for next year, but it's also something I could be doing all year long.

One of my favorite things... I got for Christmas was the bracelet my oldest gave me. For weeks before Christmas, she was excited about her choice. When I opened it, I realized just how grown up she is becoming. I loved it because it was obvious that she hadn't thought of herself while choosing it. She'd carefully chosen something that had elements of her mamma's favorite things, an ability that she struggled with in past years.

A few plans for the rest of the week: a few store exchanges for my oldest whose feet are, apparently, nearly as big as my own. Both the house slippers and rain boots she received for Christmas were too small, and I thought I may have been purchasing too large! We're hoping to catch up with friends who we didn't see often enough this fall, but mostly, I plan to camp out at home and play with the kids!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Road Trip: A Wisconsin Adventure

During my two hour drive to meet my husband and get away for the weekend, I prayed. I petitioned for our safety during our travel, offered thanks for the opportunity to retreat from the stress of child rearing and work and focus on our marriage for a while, and asked that Amos and I grow together in Christ, being open to what seeds may be planted during our trip. I just love when God answers prayer! We left the ol' mini van in St. Louis, packed the Versa, and we were headed north!

An overnight stay with a great friend and a quick stop at my favorite cupcakery later, we found ourselves across the Wisconsin border. The topography looked much like Missouri's rolling hills, lush green foliage, and rural communities. We marveled in details unique to Wisconsin. The endless water that peeked once in a while from behind the hills and midwest forests felt foreign to this Missouri gal, used to endless rolling hills. In my travels, the land has always dissolved into sand and palms or jungle-like greenery before the horizon was filled with sparkling water. As we drove along the edge of Lake Michigan, we saw quaint red barns scattered like a city's Starbucks.

Being in Wisconsin felt genuine, simple, and wholesome. More than anywhere else I've been, the farmland and rural communities were filled with a love for Christ. It is a subtle excitement, one that seemed to be a way of life here. Communities seemed to be confidently rooted in God's Word.

Door County, Wisconsin's "thumb" is sandwiched between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Blonde haired children working the family campground greeted us with soft Wisconsin accents. Amos and I loved that we were never more than twenty minutes from a shoreline, and we loved that the sun rose and set over a water horizon in this rural community. What a blessing to have the awe of both in one place!

We sat on the dock of the bay and watched the sunset together.

Cherry season is serious business in Door County. Amos and I took our bucket to the orchard rows and filled it with dark red berries. We picked cherries as it started to sprinkle, and walked back toward the barn through a shower of heavy, cold Wisconsin raindrops. It was perfect.

We spent a day in Chicago before heading home, and while we hadn't planned on this adventure, we both enjoyed our day sightseeing together. I loved getting to show my husband a city that I love. We enjoyed the bustle of the city and the quiet of the parks with the Chicago skyline behind us.

We traveled to the 95th floor of John Hancock to enjoy the view from atop the city. We walked Navy Pier and Chicago's Riverwalk. We discovered new neighborhoods that left this girl excited to explore them on the next visit. We stopped into the world of American Girl which hit a soft spot with a certain Daddy who brought a very special doll home for his youngest daughter.

The drive home began with music and comfortable silence, and transitioned to a sharing of faith, struggles, advice, and appreciation for one another. If we had needed to be away from home for a month in order to share those last four hours, it would have been worth it.

Praise be to God who know what we need even when we are clueless!