How does your garden grow?

Belle attentively listened as Aron and I brainstormed our best and most economical ways to keep the critters out of our little garden. She came to us on Sunday and told us she needed "a big stick, hay...but we don't have hay, so yarn will do, tape, marker, glue, and a brown paper bag. And that is all." And she set to work creating the scare crow she had dreamed up in her brain.

"The bunnies will hop up and see the scary face. They will be SOOOO afraid that they will run away and leave our vegetables alone!" she explained.

She has been the biggest helper with this garden. She wants to do it all. And when we've done all there is to do...well she finds a way to prolong the fun. Sunday night we found her doing this:

With a shovel (that is every bit as big and heavy as her tiny frame), she dug little holes and planted flowers (blossoms picked from a tree). Aron and I walked around the yard and found planted flowers scattered everywhere! She was hard at work!

It must be the "Gardner" in her!

Forgive me for the bad pun,

ejk

A sweet way to spend a Saturday morning

Saturday greeted us with the loveliest of outward graces. Sunshine and 70's, the promise of a simply gorgeous day. While Aron hopped from Tennessee to Georgia to Michigan (all in a few hours...this still blows my mind), the kids and I decided to visit our very favorite one stop donut & farm stand orchard shop.

Oh it was a wonderful first visit of the year. There's not much by way of fruit or veggies in season yet, but the donuts are always freshly made. And lets be honest...that's what we REALLY come for anyway, right?!

Extra to take home for Sunday morning breakfast...YUM!

Judah sampled one of each; I think its a way of marking his territory.

And Belle did a little dance for us; silly girl!

And look at the view across the street...the orchard in full bloom! Someone help me out on this one...I believe those are peach trees; am I right? Which has got me anticipating the absolutely fabulous homemade peach donuts this little stand makes each day with peaches right out of their orchard. A delightful reward after a hard week's work!

I just love little one of a kind specialty shops. And we're especially sweet on this one! You'll have to join us one Saturday morning!

ejk

3:46 am

A soft, sweet voice chatted happily in the living area. It awoke me from the foggy sleep I had drifted into. I made my way out of our bedroom to see this:

Its 3:46 am. Do you know where your Lion Cub is? Apparently mine had opened his toy closet, grabbed a toy car & a tub of play dough, carried it out into the hallway (where the light was on), and was playing happily all by himself...in a dark, silent house.

He had to have crawled over his sister, but Rose sleeps like she's under Maleficent's pricked finger spell. Dead to the world. In all the commotion of him playing and putting him back to bed, she never even stirred. Infact, if Judah ever wakes up and works himself into a full on cry, no matter how long we let him go, she will have no interruption of her comatose sleep.

Here she is fresh as a daisy this morning, reading a book upon rising. That's my girl!

So the moral of the story is that this little adventurous cowboy failed his trial run at the big boy bed, and at least for a few more months, will stay (trapped) safely in his crib. No more middle of the night one-man-parties for you, Judah Man!

a bit sleepy today,

ejk

5.19.11

Our main squeeze, our five o'clock happy hour, our prickly snuggles, our lights out, and our sleep safe and sound has arrived safely in NashVegas (as he fondly calls it) for his songwriting conference.

Lucky him. Poor us. (I know its only a few nights, toughen up, right?! We're really a-ok. But having Aron away for a few days sure does make me so look up to all of you out there that either send your husbands away for weeks or months on end or who are parenting all by yourselves. You are truly amazing, and God sees. And he is with you. Always.)

I woke the kids extra early so they could have breakfast with daddy before he left for the airport. I explained to Judah, "Let's have some breakfast with daddy; he's going to fly on an airplane today." No sooner than the words left my mouth, Judah practically leaped out of my arms and stammered off in his crazy bumble-run to find Aron. I followed and caught up with him just as he was tugging on Aron's shorts, "I go airpane. Peeeease. Peeease. I go airpane!"

Later in the day, long after Aron had gone, I found Judah attempting to put on Aron's deodorant. He looked up at Belle and me and said, "I daddy. I daddy." I suppose when the alpha male leaves, the younger pups instinctively know they're supposed to step up.

Except my young alpha-male-would-be decided come nightfall that perhaps sissy's bed would be the best place to rest his head. He's never crawled up in bed and layed with her before without getting up. Perhaps he wanted her comfort tonight?

I just hope I don't get a middle of the night visitor, peeking eyes staring just over the matress to totally wig me out while I'm manning the fort alone.

Well, that's what's a goin' on,

ejk

speaking of art

Here are a few pieces I'm all gushing and googly-eyed for.

Each night at bedtime, Judah looks up from his crib and says, "Sing? Sun!" Of course, asking me to sing "You are My Sunshine" to him as he sweetly sings along.

(katie daisy)

You may have to enlarge this one to see the beauty of the sweet details. I just love the reminder, that no matter who we encounter (even those that frustrate or even...annoy us...) each one is a magnificent creation fashioned by a magnificent Creator, and should valued and treated as such. I have visions of hanging this in a someday playroom, or wouldn't it be cool if you walked into your child's classroom and saw this hanging on the wall! It a society that worships physical beauty and bestows intrinsic value based on how an individual nears 'perfection', what a refreshing proclamation that we all are magnificent creatures!

(katie daisy)

Birch coasters, laser engraved, by a husband/wife design duo from Indiana.

(uncommon)

What's catching your eye lately?

ejk

Sweet Peas

So incredibly thankful that my sweet peas would have it no other way than to be in the same pod.

Notice how blurry the photo is? They both lay sleeping, right arms positioned identically above their heads, and I found it so adorable, it seemed worth the risk to snap a picture. I turned the flash off, but still the noise of the aperture closing startled them both. In perfect unison they together turned from their matching sleeping pose to their left side, as if synchronized swimming...or synchronized sleeping? My one shot caught them directly at the startle as they started the immediate turn; I bolted for the door. And I am happy to report, they are still sleeping!

Off to my tasks...

ejk

embrace the mess

creativity is not efficient; it frustrates the perfectionist.

but it shimmers and shines with the radiance of the intangible.

it beckons in aches and urges,

haunts in inspiration and compulsion

to make something

beautiful.

it awakens our senses to a world unseen

but more real than we can even understand, as we are, wrapped in flesh.

an ear pressed hard against it can make out the sound of eternity,

and a beating heart aligns, if only momentarily, to the cadence of the universe pulsing.

its value can't be measured in cents and minutes,

nor in messes made or moments lost.

there is more to the art, more to the artist,

than the canvas on which he creates.

his work emanates with the brilliance of a creator God

all wrapped in light and fire and unapproachable brilliance.

your art, simple and imperfect as it is,

joins all created world,

to display the glory of a God unimaginable.

we are his handiwork, and we are made in his own image.

created to relate, created to create.

so whatever it is you do

write, paint, bake, play, decorate, sing, sew, carve, imagine, sculpt, garden

embrace the interruption, the inefficiency of art

and tell His story.

its written in the stars and carved on your heart.

you are evidence

of the divine.

create on.

ejk

when it rains

Strumming a melody that lifts my eyes from discouragement and despair,

Husband has carved out a beautiful proclamation from Phillipians.

And as he sings,

"For I have learned to be content

In every circumstance.

I have learned to trust your Word.

I'll put into practice all I have heard."

I find myself soaking in the contentment of this moment.

He has moved on to another song,

Each one comes in its own way.

Sometimes in waves, and as inspiration rushes in,

Truth resonates in the soul and escapes in meter and melody.

And I know it is the Spirit whispering in his ear.

The rain falls, and it shows no signs of relenting.

But today, we worship. Today, we sabbath.

Today, we find life, joy, and hope

Even in the downpour.

I can't explain it, other than the miracle of Christ indwelling.

He ushers in peace, whispers love, fulfills promises.

He is the good shepherd, and he leads us beside still waters.

My thirsty soul is drinking deep.

ejk

Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle (ding, ding)

ejk

On horseplay, Tiger play, and puppy dogs

*BEFORE you partake*

1. Be sure to pause "I love you by and by" video (a few posts below). Otherwise, its going to sound a little chaotic with two videos playing at once. I can't figure out how to stop the videos from playing automatically...sorry!

2. I do dress my children. Unfortunately, they undress themselves...several times a day, and I usually find them playing half clothed between costumes.

3. Let me set up the final scene, lest any of you watch in horror and disbelief at our table manners. The four of us sat eating quite normally around the dinner table, when Judah, with a twinkle in his eye, grabs his toast, tosses it on the floor, and scurries down. It took us a minute to figure out what was going on, but we quickly realized Judah wanted to play puppy dog. And of course, puppy dogs eat their dinner off the floor. Listen for his cute puppy squeaks and panting.

Okay, now that I have that off my chest...enjoy!