Something Blue

Tami's Photography Challenge, Day 11: Something Blue

We tell people to think Jonah and the whale, blue water.

It is a little trick we've done since they were little to help people know who is who. When you have identical twins, it helps. And after six years of wearing blue, his favorite color is red. BUT, his favorite color to wear is blue.

We've brainwashed him.

We've brainwashed both of them.

Last summer Simon received a shirt that had a little bit of blue on it. He didn't want to wear it because it looked too much like Jonah. Once I was able to convince him that it was his and did not look like Jonah, he went from never wearing it, to wearing it all the time.

He would have worn it every. single. day if I'd let him. If you look back over our pictures from summer of 2011, you will know which shirt I am talking about.

But enough about Simon; Jonah is my something blue.

Childhood Memory

Tami's 30 Photography Challenge, Day 10:  Childhood Memory

I could have spent hours spinning my days away in our old brown chair. She was my favorite place to read or listen to old records like the Carpenters, Psalty or Music Machine.

She was situated in a corner, the perfect distance from the wall making it possible to push my feet off with enough force to make it to the other side. I could spin for hours if I wanted, never leaving the chair or touching the ground.

I could also see out the front window. Spin, pause, look outside, watch a bird or the tree limbs blow or a neighbor ride by on a bicycle. Spin, pause, daydream, spin again.

As my sisters got older I sometimes had to share, but I always considered her my chair.

When we moved to the country, there was a problem. She didn't match. I'd like to think my passion saved her, but I don't remember. I only know that my parents decided to recover her, changing the brown to red.

I do remember being unsure the first time I sat in her. She didn't feel the same. She was no longer in a corner. But she was still my favorite spot to read.

I have a very distinct memory of sitting in my now red chair finishing Jane Eyre. I was nearing the end of the book where Jane was finally going to be reunited with her Mr. Rochester, never to leave him again. I remember tears coming to my eyes, completely engrossed as that perfect moment I had been waiting the entire book to read came into view. And then, my mom called me to set the table, and kept calling me until I was forced to respond, pulling me from the world of Jane and completely shattering the mood.

I think I finished the book before I went.

One day, long after I had moved out, my parents decided to redecorate. My old brown, changed to red chair once again did not match. They needed to find her a new home and I had the perfect one in mind.

I don't sit in my red chair and read as much as I used to, but no worries, she's not neglected, because I'm not the only one who considers her a favorite anymore.

Someone You Love

Tami's Photography Challenge, Day 9:  Someone You Love

This was an easy one. After 12 years of marriage he still makes me laugh more than anyone in the world. This is no small feat.

He is an amazing man, father, husband. He provides, leads, takes care of us.

He is someone I love, like crazy.

A Bad Habit

Tami's Photography Challenge, Day 8: A Bad Habit

This was a hard one. Because, you know, I have like zero bad habits. Kory even agreed with me (smart man!). And, all I could think of was the Berenstain Bears and the Bad Habit, where Sister tries to kick the bucket on her nail biting. I don't remember much else except that by the end of the book she had beautiful nails so I'm assuming she accomplished her goal. 

Then I remembered that ALL my kids bite their nails, except Suhn, which I'm sure has very little to do with the fact that I often forget to cut their finger nails for months at a time. I'm sure Suhn will eventually join the rest in their nail biting glory. But because she doesn't (yet) I am actually remembering to cut her fingernails and hence every one else's as hers actually get long enough for me to notice and do something about. 

For the rest, I just cut what little is left of their nails, say something about it being a bad habit and move on to their toenails, which they used to bite as well, until recently. :)

Fruit

Tami's Photography Challenge, Day 6:  Fruit (I hope they won't kill me when they are older) of a Loom :)

An oldie, but an oh-so-cutie!

From a Low Angle

Tami's Photography Challenge, Day 6:  From a Low Angle (that would be theirs)

From a High Angle

Tami's Photography Challenge, Day 5:  From a High Angle (that would be my perspective)

Something Green

Photography Challenge, Day 4: Something Green

She has been with us as long as we have been us. I believe she was our first furniture purchase as a couple. She has served us well over the 12.5 years we've been together. I say "she" because "he" feels totally wrong, as does "it" when referring to a piece of furniture that has been sat on by us for as long as she has.

Oh, the memories...

She was the inspiration for our guestbook in the early years when we crammed her into our one bedroom Chicago apartment. If you visited us during that time, chances are you sat on her and had your picture taken as proof that you had indeed been there.

When the kids were born, she became a bed for Grandma's and Aunt's who were willing to help us survive the newborn years, especially the twin newborn years. The Grandma's moved on pretty fast, but the Aunt would periodically come back, that is until she moved to Africa.

She has always been one of my favorite reading places. The kids' too!

And by far, my favorite napping place.

She has comforted sick kids...

... and been the spot where we have enjoyed movie after movie. Sometimes all seven of us have crammed together on her to enjoy a film and when the kid's go to bed and it is just Kory and I...

I get 3/4 and he sits on the end. That is until he moves to the floor which is when I know it will be just me and her finishing the movie. I fill him in when he wakes up to go to bed.

There are days I wish she was a different color or a little more modern, but when I really think about it...

I'm glad she is who she is.

Something soft, cozy, and comfortable.

Something green.

Don't forget to head over to Tami's to see other 30 Day Challenge participants!

Clouds

30 Day Photography Challenge, Day 3: Clouds
Here are a few of my favorites...

If you can't tell, I'm going about this photography challenge from a mom perspective. Because, well, I'm a mom and that is pretty much my life right now.

I don't have a fancy camera, just a point and shoot with 8 megapixals. You aren't going to see great photography on this site, I will save that for Tami.

Regardless, this should be fun.

What I am Wearing Today, cause I know you were curious.

My friend and photographer extraordinaire, Tami, is doing a little 30 day photo challenge. She invited her blog readers to join along. So I am.

Today's "photography challenge" is "what you wore today." If you hop on over to Tami's blog (one of my favorites!), you will see her working the wrinkled shorts look and totally pulling it off. 

What I wore today... not so styling. It's a gym day (yay! my gym days are harder to pull off lately) and the sun isn't shining and its cold and after the gym I have no where else to go. Add that up and I'm working the sweats today.

And since you were curious about the turquoise hoodie...

I bought it at the Old Navy in downtown Seattle last summer on our way to China. We had a nine hour layover. I was cold and realized I had forgotten my white hoody at home. So I bought the turquoise one. Only to realize, again, several hours later as we waited to board our plane that I had, indeed, brought my white hoody. I didn't need a new one. Especially in the oven that was China that week.

So there you have it, two hoodies.

One of which I wore today. :)

Has Thomas the Train moved on?

If you have followed my blog over the years, then you know my boys love playing with Thomas. They received their first train set on their second birthday and were hooked. Barely a day would go by that they didn't play with Thomas. At bedtime they would "talk trains" late into the night.

They would disappear into the basement for hours. Sometimes I would sneak down to "listen in" on their play and hear snippets of life in train world.

"Come over here, said Thomas"

"No, said James"

Wordless Wednesday would often feature the many places Thomas was found in our house. The pictures were never posed and I loved finding Thomas in surprising places.

Yep, our investment in Thomas and friends was well worth the money, probably the best toy investment we have ever made.

The other day I overheard a clerk in a fabric store inform a customer that Thomas is not as "in" as he used to be. I wanted to argue, but even I had to admit things have changed around our house since the boys started school.

I don't find Thomas the train in surprising places anymore, at least in train form. And the boys don't stay up late discussing Thomas's adventures. I don't get to overhear "train talk" like I used to.

This makes me a little sad.

Instead, my boys have found a new passion that still includes Thomas, which makes me happy.

As Suhn would say, "Ta Da!"

They have become quite the artists and yes, we go through a LOT of paper.

Now instead of finding Thomas the train laying around the house I am finding portraits of Thomas and James and all their train friends.

These portraits used to appear taped to the walls throughout our house until Mya had the brilliant idea of creating an art museum in the basement.

Our basement museum continues to grow. I love the creativity it represents.

Thomas may not be as "in" as he used to be, but he will always hold a special place in this momma's heart. And our little museum will commerate (for now) the days of yore when Thomas was all the rage.

 Even though they grow up and move on, there is nothing quite like a boy and his train.

up to our necks in leaves, literally

I Heart Toothless Grins

The Discipline of Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is not so much a feeling I feel when I’m feeling thankful...

Instead, it is an intentional act. Or better yet, an intentional thought process. It takes discipline.

The more I practice it, the more I am rewarded with that feeling I feel when I’m feeling thankful. It’s a good feeling. Like Grandpa says, it can make a person feel almost selfish it feels so good.

A thankful person is one who remembers where all good gifts come from. And even if the circumstances of life don’t feel good, a thankful person is one who trusts that God is in control anyway. Even when life is hard, there is always something to give thanks for. The person who finds that something and gives thanks for it, in all circumstances, lives a joy-filled life. I believe that is true.

I want to live that kind of life.

I want my kids to live that kind of life too.

Thus begins my quest to live a more thankful life.

I bought a little notebook the other day that sits on my bedside table. The goal is to record five things I’m thankful for every night before bed, so that I can end each day on a thankful note. I started this little practice two weeks ago. And while I’ve only actually written in it, ahem, three times, I have found my days are interrupted more often with thankful thoughts and the intention to add these little praises to my notebook.

I’m still hoping to get more consistent with the actual recording process. A notebook filled with reasons to be thankful has to be a motivating read when I’m finding it hard to find things to be thankful for, right?

Yep, I think so too.

Today I am giving thanks for fall colors, a working vehicle, the God who hears me, a Starbucks gift card, and Focus on the Family podcasts.

What are you thankful for today?