Happenings in July

   So summer is flying by as it faithfully does. This month my husband is working hard to finish a suite we are putting in our basement. That has involved drywalling, painting, and digging a trench this month. The children have all helped. I have not done a single thing. We have done a couple weeks of VBS (Vacation Bible School) which the children really enjoyed. I am so glad they are still unsophisticated enough to enjoy this so wholeheartedly. My twelve year old is also in an evening class for girls her age learning about issues pertaining to her age group. That has been an eye opener for her. And we are just gearing up for her to go to summer camp for five days. She is nervous and excited. This morning my husband headed to his job site to conduct a job interview. My twelve year old is doing laundry and resting from a long week of working at VBS and packing for camp. The three youngest are fighting and playing. I jumped on our re bounder and put some laundry in the washer, folded some, considered washing dishes and decided against it. It is just a usual Saturday. I thought I'd post some pictures of the last few weeks. Xo

Here is the trench that my husband ever so kindly dug by hand so that we did not have to have a large machine ripping my yard to pieces.

Here is the kitchen area of the suite taking from the living area. There will be an island where the half wall is.

Here is our kitten who is bringing us much joy this summer. She loves us all equally and purrs almost constantly. She sleeps in the cutest positions!!

                                                        She is fast asleep in this position.

Here is my family ready for church. My twelve year old loves to arrange a somewhat matching crew with a pretty hard group to work with but sometimes it all works out.

                My six year old is wearing a dress my grandma made for me at about her age. 

The corn across the road has canopied :) At least that is what the children tell me all day. It is sort of an inside joke but I write it here to remember for another year.

                                                               Front yard beauty

                                                                       Back yard beauty

                        New growth in my back yard. I have no idea what this is but it is pretty intense!

                                                              The view from my deck

                                                 This is Elephant garlic my neighbors tell me

Since our house is so warm I have these little ones sleeping in my room. Of course the hat makes perfect sense in this heat!

                                       We had a rainy day and the snails came out in full force.

Since I have been driving to VBS each morning I faithfully take the long way home so I can enjoy every second of this beauty. The wild flowers blooming on the road sides!!!!

Have a lovely weekend xo

Summer 2017

    I am having a break down this summer. It isn't that big of a deal. Breakdowns around here are not that dramatic. I lay in bed a lot. I don't care about much and I just have no energy. I think it is a culmination of a lot of hard years, finally being able to sleep at night, the fact my husband is spread so thin and I feel so alone in the whole parenting and life department, my self esteem is non existent and the list goes on. I have days where I feel oh so sorry for myself but life is life. Who's life is perfect and wonderful all the time? No ones. Mine has been pretty dang hard for me. I would say that others would rise above and shine more brightly in my circumstances, and I have had my shining moments that is for sure, but right now there is not a lot of shine. I'll rise again :) I dont stay down for long.

   However the beauty of children (and I remember this so clearly from my own childhood) is that they continue to shine even in dark places. My children are little lights. They are work, a lot of work, but they are so unique, funny, and many other things. I love having a two year old who is so interested in everything and so expressive and still such a baby. I love having a six year old who is so dramatic and losing all her front teeth and still so sweet and cute. I love having a ten year old who is starting to come into his own and understand how people feel and express compassion and tenderness in such a beautiful way, and a twelve year old who is starting to grow up and who helps lift the load some days.

  I hope your summer is going well. In my culture summer is 'supposed to be' a time of  big holidays for weeks at a time, of endless days at the beach, picnics, tanning and the list of all good things. If your summer isn't those things right now...that is just fine! If you get some fresh fruit one day and just enjoy it...awesome. If you go for a walk somewhere bug free and beautiful...perfect! It is okay if things are not glamorous or bikini ready or picnics in meadows on mountain tops. It really is okay xo

Missing Shoes

  I am a mother to four children. They range in age from twelve to two. They are all very different in personality but all strong willed. That has nothing to do with this post.

  Yesterday when we went to my mother's house to clean, my six year old wore a glittery gold flat shoe and a green plastic clog type shoe. This is because she has officially lost one of almost every pair of shoes she possesses. That means two different pairs of flip flops, her plastic green clogs, her gold sparkly flats are all missing their other half. She has a hot pink pair of runners and some purple gum boots left...but the gum boots were used as dirt buckets and left out for the rain to bless so they are sort of useless. That leaves her her pink runners but she wore them all week to kids camp and they are soaked from their water fun day. Thankfully she has one precious pair of shoes left that she wore today (her newest pair) but she WAS planning on going to kids camp wearing two completely different shoes. She was so upset when I got her to change. I feel like her green clog and then flat sandal duo might have thrown her hip out or something.

 My ten year old is also struggling with similar issues. His one pair of runners we JUST bought him is missing a mate. My six year old has also lost her beautiful jacket she used for church.

 And that is really all I have to say today. I am cleaning the house hoping to find a shoe or two. So far I found a missing spelling book that has been lost for two months and a missing winter boot...so yay.

 Have a great weekend out there in the wide beautiful completely made for you world ~ and if you feel a bit discouraged or like your whole house stinks like dirty cat litter and the definition of you is missing shoes...I am with you ~

Love Tansy

       Here she is...soother, mismatched shoes, hello kitty shirt...and all ~ giving me the look of doom. Oh and she had a full sized full diaper bag and doll in a car seat she was planning to bring to VBS which I said no to; so along with not being aloud to wear those shoes and not bring her doll and accessories she was not a happy camper.

Childhood (2)

Celebrating childhood ~ in all that it is.

You embrace dirt, you eat it, you make mud with it, you play in it for hours and it is the most wonderful creation

                                  Water and a trampoline mean the most fun imaginable

Your birthday is the most looked forward to day all year because it is celebrating YOU and you LOVE to be celebrated.

                                      Why would you pick up a cupcake. You just dive right in!!!

                                                          You smile with your whole body!

       You love dressing up and looking pretty and often you turn dress up into some sort of performance

                                                   Every hill has endless opportunities

                                     Little critters are precious and miraculous and wonderful

                                       When you eat your really eat and you enjoy every bite

Come as you are and stay as long as you can, bring your friends and toys....just enjoy!

                               You can build towers just as tall as yourself and it blows your mind

                                                The biggest leaf in the whole entire world!!!!!! 

                                    Scaring spawning salmon, because why wouldn't you?

When you miss someone like daddy who has to work all the time, and you can't understand why he doesn't just stay home with you, you cry and cry and call him on the phone to tell him how much you miss him. Why would you hold any emotions inside you?

                              So many things are exciting and bring so much joy to your soul!

                                               When you decide to relax you really relax

Walking is not something you often do ~ you skip, hop, crawl, leap, jump, dance....but walk? Why?

                           Daddy is always a hero if he lets himself be ~ as is the baby of the family

                                      If you don't have to sleep alone why ever would you

                                                            Games are so fun

                                                Warmth and soother are pretty great

                                   You can fit anywhere and don't think twice about it

                                     Losing teeth is a celebration! Such a happy occasion

                                                   Why does anyone wear clothes? Why?

                                       When you tattoo yourself you go for the whole arm

                       Things like cardboard boxes can make you feel like the end is nigh

                                        The world is beautiful and glorious and inviting