idyllic

i·dyl·lic/īˈdilik/

Adjective: (esp. of a time or place) Like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque: "an idyllic setting". 

Today was idyllic.  Well, it was until I stepped in the warm pool of pee that had overflowed from the toilet that was occupied by my sleeping preschooler.  Long story. 

Back to my idyllic day. 

A friend of mine had posted on facebook recently that this week was the 7th Annual International Week of Skirts... so I thought I'd give it a whirl.  Today was day 1.  I wear skirts or dresses nearly every Sunday, not because I have to but because I love them.  And because it is a rarity in my life to get dressed up for any occasion other than church even though I love dressing up when given the chance.  Today I picked out a skirt that I hardly ever wear, I think it's been a couple years since I've worn it.  But it's a peasant-y sort and it's long.  That's why I chose it... shorter skirts just don't work so well when you're wrangling 5 kids all day. 

After I showered and put on my skirt, I felt like I should be driving a VW bus with my hair parted down the middle showing my peace sign to everyone I passed by.  I looked like a hippie chick!  I left my hair down in my natural curl, still can't wear makeup, and had my glasses on.  I felt like a great big ol' mess actually.  But that's another story for another day!  But there was just something so nice and feminine about swishing around in my long, brown skirt.  If we're staying home all day, you'll usually find me in some sort of sweats or workout pants just to be comfy.  But this week, my family is not going to know what to do with me.  I wonder if it counts if I wear my comfy pants or leggings under all of my skirts?  I might try that tomorrow. 

I promise I'll get to the idyllic part... 

But first we have to talk about something really important.  I cannot stand to have my bare legs touching.  There.  I said it.  Shorts drive me insane.  Today my legs drove me insane. I even shaved.  I can't sleep unless I have full length pajama pants on.  No capri jammie pants for this girl. So this week is a major stretch for me.  I'm proud of myself.  If you know me well, you know I'm not a picky girl.  It takes a whole lot to irritate and rile me.  Well, except stepping in a warm pool of misplaced pee.  Again, that's a long story. 

Okay, so why was this day idyllic?  I've never typed that word before, by the way.  But I think it a lot. 

Today was just beautiful. 

The kids were really good, even though I had to interfere and calm a few squabbles.  No biggie. That's my life.

 But I actually got done the things I meant to get done. 

I felt like a true homemaker today.  Maybe it was the skirt? 

I got dinner started at 3pm.  Who does that?  Not usually me!

I made phone calls I had been putting off for months.  Phone calls that made me nervous. 

I cleaned.  A bit.

I schooled my kiddos and we laughed like we'd never laughed before during that time while we were playing a game. Plus, reading good books to them always fills my heart to overflowing.  I love being with them. 

I organized and dusted. 

I breathed happy sighs as I looked out my kitchen window to see the growing green buds on the trees.  Green is coming!  This is definitely one of my favorite times of the year. 

I wrote this verse on our chalkboard in multicolored print while Annika happily colored below me:

"Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil."  Romans 16:9

Not every day can be this idyllic, but I'll take them when they come and treasure them.  This many not sound anything like an idyllic day to you, but anything else just isn't an option for me right now.  So I'm going to find beauty where I can find it, and run hard and fast with it. 

Ahhh... so much better.  I just can't type what I truly want to say in 200ish words on a facebook status.  Watch out, there's a lot more stuck in my brain where this came from. 

Happy Birthday, dear husband.

Today Jeremy turns 35!  Happy Birthday to him!  Wow, how the years go by. 

I knew of Jeremy through the years as a teenager, but we went to different high schools in the same district.  My parents were friends with his parents, but the two families never got together.  We were officially introduced once by my sister in the spring of my high school graduation, but it was from far away and we yelled our hellos to each other.  Then we were set-up by Jeremy's best buddy from birth the following fall when Jeremy was 19 and I was 18... and the rest is history!  16 years later, you are still the funny and handsome man I fell in love with. 

We all love you and so appreciate you.  You are a committed man of God, husband, and father - what more could we ask for? 



I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  1 Cor. 1:4

Happy Birthday, Gabrielle!

Happy 1st Birthday

to our beautiful baby girl!

What a year it has been!

Gabi has grown from a

tiny

 bald

cutie

into a

walking

talking

springy-haired

beautiful girl. 

We love you SO much

and continually thank God for

the gift of you. 

I've been thinking lately about how

many "9's" there are in Gabi's story. 

After exactly 9 months of thinking

and praying about adoption,

we told everyone in our world

we were starting the process. 

9 months later,

our 9 week old,

9 pound baby came home to us!

Did I mention there are 9 letters in G-A-B-R-I-E-L-L-E?

You have us on cloud 9, sweet baby!

Enjoying her first taste of chocolate cake! 

Once she realized it was yummy, she was digging in... 

It was a fun family party complete with a super simple dinner and ice cream sundaes!

We are so thankful we have family living closeby!



Happy 1st Birthday, Gabrielle!

the simplest things

The simplest things make me so thankful. 

Annika wearing my boots and

making her trademark funny face,

makes me so thankful we trusted

 God and had another baby. 

Gabi's sweet, sleepy face makes me

so thankful I still have a "carseat" baby. 

Hours spent by my boys building card

 towers makes me so thankful for

 my boys' creativity and ingenuity. 

The simplest things like a baby
 entertaining herself with toys
 on a blanket, make me so thankful
 I'm home and not missing all this. 

A good old-fashioned wooden jigsaw

 puzzle makes me feel like I'm in simpler days. 

We try to be simple. 

Such a beautiful puzzle... the kids and

 I huddled around it for nearly

 an hour putting it together. 

 There are hidden shapes and

animals throughout. 

Beauty!

The simplest things like a husband
with a bright green thumb
planting you your very
 own herb garden lifts the spirits
when you do dishes. 

That same green thumb made me
some beautiful plant starts as well. 

I'll try my best not to kill them. 

They're strategically positioned by the

 water faucet for the best

possible chance at life. 

Things like "mom's only" blackboard chalk

 and the kid's jar of chalk pieces are lovely to me. 

Simple things give me great pleasure. 

 Our world is far from simple,

but we do our best to be

as unplugged as possible and

 as intentional as possible. 

What simple things give you pleasure? 

It's OFFICIAL!

We are so pleased to announce

the finalized adoption of

Gabrielle Rozelaya-Aniah Bacon

April 14, 2011

HOORAY!

We are shouting from the rooftops, praising God!

Just 10 days before her 1st birthday, so much to celebrate. 

I've bawled my ever-loving eyes out so many times since we got the phone call from our attorney yesterday morning.  I just can't believe it!  Sigh... all the wait, worry, fear, patience, calmness, disappointments.. were all leading up to this.  God has been so faithful to us, orchestrating it all in ways we could never have planned ourselves.  We are truly grateful. 



one more week until ONE!

 Little Miss Gabi turns ONE on Easter Sunday!  What a special day to celebrate a birthday...  she is such a big girl now, but is still such a little peanut which we love.  She has taken 6 steps, but will soon be zooming around as a walking girl.   These pictures were taken after church last Sunday... the dress used to be Morgan's and she wore it for her one year old pictures back then. 

I see my Daddy over there. 

He's coming to see me!

I love my Daddy.  He's so funny. 

He makes me smile so big.

He makes me laugh so hard. 

I love my Daddy. 

He's so funny.

 He makes me smile so big.

sanity preserved

These days are all about enjoying my children and preserving my sanity at the same time. 

I'm sure I'll think of more later, but these are a couple of sanity preservers that I use around the house!

The first is keeping library books all in one spot.  They're read in the living room nearly always, but if the kids take them to their room to read at night they bring them back the the library book spot when they're done.  This saves the frantic last-minute search on the day they're due.  I also keep the printed list given at the library in the pocket of my calendar and write the due date (a day early) on the calendar too. 

We LOVE the library.  Can you tell the last trip was a girls only one?  

My second sanity preserver really is no big deal, but it sure helps me and the kids out! 

The kids keep the same water cups all day long.  After a meal, we line them up on the counter youngest to oldest so we all know whose cup is whose.  Then they can come get a drink anytime of the day and know which one is theirs!  Simple but so helpful. 

What saves your sanity with your kids?



chalk it up to my great husband

A couple years ago, some good friends gave us a big slab of plywood they had painted with chalkboard paint, but didn't have a use for anymore.  We've had it leaned against a wall in our family room since then... until Jeremy got the idea to make it look really nice and fancy for me!  

He cut it down, grabbed some extra trim we had, painted it to match our newly repainted kitchen and here it is!!!  He just installed it last weekend in the dining/kitchen, and we all love it. 

The boys dream of having the day's menu posted. 

The girls just want to color.

And I love to-do lists, Bible verses, and other kinds of inspiration.

Plus, anything that will keep a busy 3 year old occupied for nearly an hour wins my vote! 

Beginning Geography from Timberdoodle!

When Timberdoodle contacted me about reviewing Evan Moor's Beginning Geography, I jumped at the chance!  Not only do I love history/geography, we were looking for something to spice up the last part of our year and this was the perfect addition. 

You can check it out here: 

http://www.timberdoodle.com/Beginning_Geography_p/215-290.htm

We loved the two large full-color maps it came with that highlight the world's continents and oceans and another one that taught different bodies of water and landforms.  This curriculum is meant for 5-7 year olds, and fit right in with our 6 year old Kindergartener's learning level.  But it wasn't too far below my 3rd and 4th grader's level either.  We all jumped in together! What was new information for one, was a great review for the others.  They loved the photo copied worksheets... they are fun and helpful. 

It goes from Map Skills, to Bodies of Water & Landforms, to Continents & Oceans, to Around the World with Animals...  Perfect!  We'll continue to use this in years to come with our girls that are up and coming homeschoolers as well. 

A hearty thumbs up from this family!

We'll continue to use this the rest of our school year, and into the future. 

We are so thankful for the opportunity to own and review Beginning Geography.  Score for us!

Thanks so much, Timberdoodle!

If you haven't already, go to their website and request your very own catalog... you won't be sorry. 

Check out more of Timberdoodle's Geography selections HERE. 

And our family is so excited to be receiving free products in the mail as a part of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team in exchange for a frank and unbiased review of them.

melted

This picture just melts my heart into a puddle. 

Our 4 oldest love Gabrielle to bits and pieces.

They cheer her on in learning new skills,

ALL hug and kiss her goodnight at naptime and bedtime,

they pray for her,

teach her,

accept her,

protect her,

and

point her to the author of our faith,

our holy and living God.

These children bless me time and time again. 

I am constantly wondering, who else needs the love of a family?

We're praying God shows us.

The American Dream can take a hike.

I want my Father's Dream for me.  For us. 

God has given me guts.  He has given me strength to look beyond myself and my comfort to see the bigger picture.  I pray I will be open to what He brings our way.  I pray I will have what it takes.  But them I remember that He's brought us this far, He won't leave us without Himself.  And that is all we need. 

[ David’s Prayer ] Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

2 Samuel 7:18

11 month old adorableness

finally, new oven mitts!

Nearly 12 years ago, Jeremy and I were gifted with a set of oven mitts we registered for when we got married.  Once upon a time they matched our dishes, kitchen towels, and hot pads.  They have seen a lot of love and not nearly enough washings.  It was time for some new ones...  So when I saw THIS tutorial over at Finding My Feet by Raechel Myers, I knew this was the project for me!  Bye bye old, holey, and faded ones...

Hello new, bright, and cheery ones! 

For me to sew anything, it has to be

 relatively quick to put together. 

This was just the ticket... and I

loved picking out fabric for these. 

The fabric is from Moda's Central Park

line just incase you were wondering...

I had never quilted anything before, so I just gave that my best effort and was really pleased at how they turned out!  The brown one with the geometric square spiral was an absolute experiement because after just one try at diagonals on the first mitt I was already bored... so I was SO happy I didn't ruin the only material I had by going rogue and doing my own thing without having the first clue about how to do it. 

As you'll see on Raechel's tutorial, all you need to make these is 1/2 yard of fabric for each mitt, Insul-Bright (the heat barrier layer that comes in a bag, with enough for 2 or more mitts), thread, and an inside layer.  You can use flannel, chenille, or an old towel like I used.  I happened to have an old green towel that matched the green in my fabric exactly.  Score! 

I love, love, love the way they turned out and plan to make more to give as gifts in the future. 

And you'll bet I'm so careful when using them, I just can't bear to get them all stained up just yet. 

But then again, I could always make more.... 

you're His, little one... His.

Finally, as I sit at my keyboard tonight, I'm feeling as I'd imagined I'd feel all along.  I have proverbially been holding my breath until today.  Until now.  The tears are flowing and I'm astounded that our Father loves us the way He does.  That He loves Gabrielle the way He does.  Our beautiful daughter has been home with us for nine months.  It has been an utterly divine nine months with her.  But two court hearings and no finalization of her adoption have put our faith through the wringer.  We have steadily trusted in His plan for Gabrielle's future and our faith has seen huge mountains moved over and over again.  How could we not trust?

A few weeks after her birth, Gabrielle's birthparents decided that adoption was in her best interest.  They had met us, and decided... even through the pain and uncertainty of it, that we were the best choice for her future.  I'm still in awe that those two brave souls, who will always be precious to us, chose life for her and chose us for her.  And at nine weeks old, we had the sheer pleasure of welcoming her into our fold.  She has been the light and love of our already bustling home the same amount of time she grew and developed in her birthmother's womb.  She has been our daughter.  But on paper she has had another name.  On paper she has had another mother and another father.  No piece of paper or judge's decree could ever change the way our hearts feel... nor does it make her more our daughter.  But oh, the sweetness of it now!  Today marks the end of a long road to finalize Gabrielle's adoption! She has a new name, a new mother and father.  And we humbly get to be her parents.   Adoptions, no matter what kind, are wrought with emotion on all sides.  We're all human and we all pull and struggle against what we want to do and what we know is right.  This adoption has been no stranger to high emotions and humanness.  (mostly from me!) 

June 26, 2010

Getting ready to bring her home for the first time. 

I honestly thought I understood God's love after giving birth to our first four children. 

I thought I understood that He would do anything to be with us, anything to bring us into a relationship with Himself.  But I don't think I truly grasped how far He would go to reach down, zero in, and grab on for dear life, gently propping us up in the place where we belong.  I see that so clearly now. 

He would do anything for us to be His. 

And He did just that.  He gave His Son for us. 

The bunch of messes we are. 

Indescribable.

It was so natural that when our children were born to us, they were ours.  No questions asked.  No one came over to check where our medications were kept, or if we had enough smoke detectors.  No one made sure we were all on the same page before allowing us the chance at getting pregnant.  It just was. 

So many times down this adoption road we've been on, I've wanted to growl to everyone, "Step back, she's mine!"  Don't even think about changing your mind.  You can't have her.  Don't even think about it.  As any mother can attest, a mama's love is fierce. 

And I have a fierce love for this daughter of mine. 

For all of my children. 

And in the middle of it all, I have come to understand God's love. 

His love is fierce. 

For all of His children.

He says, "Step back, everyone! You can't have her, she's MINE." 

I'm His. 

She's His.  Not mine.  

I understand now. 

He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

(Ephesians 1:4-6)