days we call 'this blur'...

What our Super Bowl Sunday evening looked like, before nearly catching the house on fire. Oops! All that was lost was that little card someone wrote to me in, that of course was so fitting for Valentine's day decor. Guess the blower on the fireplace is more powerful than I realize! I sure am thankful for the warmth it gives during these very cold cold days!

Not just for lovers. We celebrate so much more. First given to us, so that we then can give freely. It's beautiful really. And I can get on board with that. The cheap tacky teddy bears? Not so much.

Now this was interesting. Who knew making fun would be so hard to do? Well I did. Which is probably why this little endeavor, though always in the back of my mind to do, had always remained just there... in the back of my mind. But alas! Spontaneity is the name of the season we're living in and so, one Saturday afternoon I trekked out into the woods with these three hooligans for some hot coco and our read aloud. Once we got past the bad attitudes (seriously?! I'm going to be giving you hot coco!) of which nothing a good hardy stern pep talk couldn't bring those wandering by the way-side back to the straight and narrow, all FUN was beheld! Really. And I'm so glad we persevered to make this memory.

 Table settings by the light of the...SUN!

I think I know! Gabe and I will look back on these wearisome days and probably not remember much about them. Here. Gone. In the blink of an eye. My parents tell me this, "You'll lose a decade or so of your life and you won't remember much." So... I'm taking pictures of these relentless days just to remember we lived through them and did so abundantly. Even if we don't really remember them all that well.

This was my view from the island after lunch today.  And I love it. I really really do! 

I only ever wanted babies. Lots of them. With a home and a husband of course. However, sometimes I wonder, Honestly Lord, what was I ever thinking?! I had no idea how hard this would be. How stretching. How challenging. And I'm just not cut out for it, with the truth of the  matter being, I'm not! On my own I am not. He gives grace and He calls me to die to myself daily so that I might find life more abundantly, in Him. There is joy and beauty to withhold but only as a result of His work and grace in my life. I pray it shows. I want to display His grace in my life. He has been so good, so faithful to me.

This quote is on my fridge for a reason. I need the reminder often!

"The average woman, if she gives her full time to her home, her husband, her children... will be engaged in a life work that will demand every ounce of her strength, every bit of her patience, every talent God has given her, the utmost sacrifice of her love. It will demand everything she has and more. And she will find that for which she was created. She will know that she is carrying out the will of God. She will partner with the Sovereign Ruler of the universe."

Catherine Marshall, quoting her father, Peter Marshall

When I read partner with the Sovereign Ruler of the universe? No wonder we as moms can do what we're called to do. Where He appoints, He anoints!

Thank you Jesus!

mission accomplished...

Taken earlier this week when it was sunny, but this was me again today.

Fun is remembering you have snow shoes from high school (somewhere!), finding them, opening them up like it's Christmas morning, putting them on, and walking laps around the open property line while taking turns pulling the kids on the sled. Since the bike down in the basement bores me to near DEATH and jump roping for several weeks started to take a toll on my knees and back (it was fun while it lasted!) I'm happy to have found something I like, meaning... I don't feel like I'm exercising. I become lost in thoughts and prayers. Being outside? Even better. My kids thinking I'm totally awesome too? Funny and fun.

I join in on healthy heart wanna be. So when I pause to listen close to the door for babies restless in their play station or awake in their crib and I feel my heart throbbing in my chest, I think...

mission accomplished!

A happy baby and a sleeping toddler means a couple more times around before I call it a day. My thoughts wander...

I tuned into the debate last night well after it had started. I was completely unaware it was in the works. A friend passed along her current break in routine watching it. As soon as I saw the face of Ken Ham, I was instantly brought back to the color navy blue. I loved that machine sewn school uniform jumper my mom had made for all us girls. He had come for a special chapel while in the area and shared on creation.

I wasn't so sure I really wanted to embrace where it would inevitably end this time around though, from a reasonable man's point of view, as quoted often by Bill Nye, the opponent. And sure enough, he (Bill) had much more swagger, engaged with his audience better, and even had the hip bow-tie to boot. See Babe, you could wear one!

But the more I watched the more I realized, although this really must sound like hog-wash to that 'reasonable man', truth of the matter, it will just that...sound like hog-wash. Unless you've been met, changed, transformed, the veil lifted, and eyes opened it is going to seem absolutely LUDICROUS! 

I get that.

But it wasn't all ludicrous last night, I thought anyways. So what we came out the under-dog from a debate stand point? I kinda had a hunch that would be the outcome without warning.

There was a platform last night and truth was spoken. About Creator God, who loves His children and sent His Son to die for them because they had no other way to save themselves. That couldn't have been more solid. Made in HIS image. ALL life, sacred, because of such. The elderly. The unborn.

I don't need my fossil dating to line up just so to know what He has done for me, in me. I was lost and now I'm found. I was blind and now I see. He has done a work in me no one person or any other thing could ever do. I know exactly where and who I'd be without Him and it's ugly. And that's enough for me! 

Man, you can have your reason. There's an infinite God who loves you. If you look with your heart it's written in the stars.

He loves you! And from that stand point I thought...

Mission accomplished!

one last one...

After posting this and having quite the turn out from others (several of which I've incorporated, one of which we started benefiting from asap... grape seed oil from her) I have just one more trick/tip I recently came across that I just have to pass along. It's pretty specialized, but if you or someone you know is ever faced with this condition, don't waste your time with anything else. It certainly took me by surprise and we gave it quite the TEST.

But before I found this natural approach that I have yet to share with you, first I'll tell you where we came from.

Warts. Asher had one on his finger and one on his toe. No biggie, but let's get them gone!

Days turned into weeks, which I was aware of. Weeks turned into more weeks, which I was aware of. But when nothing more than burning and reddening of the skin not meant to be localized was beginning to appear as the extent of our healing, I began to become doubtful in my motherly attempts. I started questioning this OTC approach altogether. Liquid Salicylic Acid? What really is that stuff? That just smelled... weird. And those band aids with it built right in, well those were just adding up! It even said on the back of the box, up to 12 weeks. $$$ 

Poor Asher. Such a trooper, but starting to lose heart. They were getting worse, not better, and I didn't want to push him any further just to avoid a trip to the Dr's. where I was certain they'd only give him something stronger.

So, I did some more research and came across one home remedy that had made me laugh out loud the first time I stumbled across it, weeks prior. Or rather the pictures. But we had bananas and duct tape? and desperate souls so...

Enter: Our banana peel from earlier that day. Just a little piece, enough to cover the hurt, inside down, rubbed gently on the wart to get some of the 'good  juices' off before left in place, securely wrapped in duct tape, administered only at bedtime, removed and washed thoroughly in the morning, and aired out all day until roughly 7:30-8 pm when bedtime came again. Sometimes they fell off in the night. Yes we did resort to a stretch glove to keep the finger one on. And yes, Gabe did tease us both, "Only Renee's babies." 

But it worked! With DRASTIC results just after the first night. By day 3-4 they were improving immensely.

Coolest part? I had a dream while early in the banana peel process that I checked his finger and it was all clear. That very next morning, Asher RAN yelling to me, "Mom, there's clear skin showing where the wart was!" 

We just knew it was going to work!

And in only true Asher fashion, once the one on his finger was gone, "Mom, I'm a little sad. I'm going to miss my wart."

Bud. No. No you're not.