a big catch up

Rory and Ivar dressed alike for church yesterday. It was adorable. And then when we got to church, Rory's dad was wearing the exact same thing. There were pictures taken on phones, but my camera was out of battery (you've got to be kidding!). You'll have to trust me, it was even more adorable.

I also got a picture taken yesterday because this is the last time you'll see me in this sweet little dress. The zipper broke while I put it on, and I was stuck in it until later in the afternoon when Rory used a pliers and a whole lot of brute force to force the zipper back down. It was a cute dress, but it's time to turn it into a pillow or something now...

So October! I am ready for you! I am ready to slow down my life a bit, rake some leaves, decorate with lots of pumpkins and prepare for the blow-out party of the year: Ivar's first birthday. How on earth does a year fly by so fast? Not sure. Motherhood is like finding that there actually is a warp speed.

Each week of September I had some sort of speaking engagement. It felt great to get back in the game. I spoke two Wednesday nights at Cedar Valley on Living your life as a good story, and it turned out really neat. The talks were loosely based on Donald Miller's book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, which I really, really love. But as I worked on the material and the stories I would tell and the writing prompts I would assign the talk really became my own. It felt good and I was grateful for the opportunity.

I also went with my folks to Shepherd of the Valley's senior retreat at Camp Wapo. Ivar came along and charmed the socks off of everyone, as he does, and also brought the median age down by decades.

I decided to speak on Heaven at the senior retreat and what we know of Heaven based on Scripture and personal stories of walking with a loved one to death's door. There were stories shared in that room of sitting beside a loved one...a parent, a sister, and for some a child, as they breathed their last breath. These stories made every hair stand up on end, telling of a holiness that is beyond our comprehension. There were lots and lots of tears shed, and a sweet remembrance came over the room: we really are eternal beings. Heaven is our actual home.

When that talk was over Rory called to hear how it went. The words, "so good" or "great" didn't fit at all. All I could say was, "full. It was so full." The moment felt thick with the Holy Spirit, like the peace of God filled all of our hearts for the very same hour. It was a moment of community and stories that I never ever want to forget.

And then last week I had a board meeting for Mount Carmel Family Bible Camp. This wasn't a speaking gig, but I am finding that serving on this board takes up just as much mental mind space! We are in the midst of calling a new executive director and have a huge transition ahead. I have spent much time praying, writing, worrying and then praying some more as we proceed to call such an important servant to fill this position at Mount Carmel.

So folks, that's where I've been. I've missed this blog a lot. I use this space as a life diary and baby book of sorts, so to fall behind is like a triple guilt trip: baby book, journaling and blog slacking all rolled into one.

It's good to be back.

So long, September

September was a really, really full month for us. Lots of stuff I want to write about, lots of pictures I still hope to post. October looks a bit more relaxed at this point, and for that I am glad.

September's blog posts are sort of a riot to me. Lots of Sara Groves excitement with a few other very random posts. So to stay consistent with my random September, sporatic blog posts, I thought I'd close out the month with a video Rory just had me watch, sent to him by his friend Bill. It was exactly the humor I needed today. Happy Friday Everybody!

Just a friendly reminder...

I am hopeful to see lots of you on Saturday night! We just found our babysitter and are so excited for a great night filled with good music, friends and family. Sara's concerts tend to be filled with stories, lots of thought and heart. Your car is sure to be filled with meaningful conversation as you leave the parking lot Saturday night and head back home.

Here's a video of Sara telling the story behind her song "From This One Place." In it she talks openly about her struggles with anxiety attacks and then shares the song she wrote while working through her new normal. It's good stuff, and gives a good feel for what a concert of hers is like. click here and listen. The video coloring is terrible, but the audio is great... so treat it like the radio and enjoy.

See you Saturday!

it's been a while

...just thought I'd put a few pictures up to say hello. It's been a good month...a full one... and as a result the blog has been neglected. But we're well, on the move (read: Ivar is mobile and life will never be the same) and utilizing anything we can find as makeshift playpens...

adventures in missing the point

When we unloaded the moving truck at my sisters, I was given the sweet job of unpacking Mara and Sonna and getting their room settled. They have the upstairs of the house, full of fun little nooks and crannies. It's all sloped ceilings there is this small crawl space that is actually tall enough to stand up in and probably four feet wide. Turns out it is the perfect little place for all of their games, art supplies, ponies and sleeping bags.

If you know me at all, you know I love me a good organized shelf. I love staging things so it looks clean, inviting and colorful. This project was perfect for me. I worked hard to get everything just so.

I called the room "The sleepover room" because of their sleeping bags spread out on the floor. Mara took this quite literally and went to get all of her pajamas to string along that bar on the side of the slanted ceiling. She thought her pajama's made for nice decoration.

Unfortunately, I had a different vision. I could handle the messy pj's for a while. But before everyone came up to check out the girls rooms I told Mara, "I'm just going to put these back in your dresser, okay?"

Mara nodded and seemed okay but later that night I was stricken with guilt. Are you kidding me? Could I honestly not handle the pajama's hanging as decorations in the sleepover room? Really? Am I really that uptight that I couldn't see the creativity in her thinking?

The next day I apologized to Mara. I told her that I really like a clean and tidy space and that sometimes my need for clean gets the best of me. I told her that after thinking about it, I could understand how clever and bright her pj's were for setting the theme of the sleepover room. I just didn't catch her vision the first time around.

Mara acted fine, I told her she needed to help me relax a bit and enjoy a mess more.

As it turns out, she and Sonna are doing a great job of helping me with this request. Because all those games stacked nicely on the shelf there? They play with them! And the evidence is strewn all over their fun-loving bedroom.