Water

It seems to be a theme around here lately.

Water.

The sound, I can feel it.
Like a heartbeat.
Breathing.
In and out.

Whether it's a pond,

Spring on the homestead.

A creek,

Trails at the local nature center.

A river,

Barge on the St. Clair River.

Or a Great Lake.

Lake Huron

I guess it's to be expected when you live in Michigan.

All those beautiful lakes, providing home to an abundance of wildlife.
I love learning all I can about these places!

Oldest aquarium in Michigan.

There always seems to be a new place, a new space.

Family round the fountain!

I'm drawn to water.

(does everyone feel that way?)

I was born in Michigan, raised on a small inland lake. 

And yes, I *am* an aquarius!
No matter where we go, I love to search out water in nature.
My favorites are spaces in nature that feel untouched....

perfect.

Yet I see the beauty in created water features as well.

Outside the Creation Museum.

The sound.

The ebb & flow.

Relaxing

Peaceful

I can literally feel myself melt, just a little.

Reflections.

And when I can figure out ways to learn in these spaces....
All the better!
Creation.
Science.

bacterial growth in pond water

Water.

Inspiration.

Art.

Learning a new art medium.

And time spent with loved ones.

Searching for treasure!

Metal detection with my boy.

And finding time.

Time with each other.

Ebb & flow.

Learning & loving.

Living in Michigan.

~Lori~

That Middle Child

If you have enough children, you're bound to experience the joys of parenting a "middle child".

Coming from a family where there were only 2 children, this was all new to me!  My husband on the other hand, IS a middle child (he has an older brother & a younger sister - CLASSIC middle child).  When my third child began acting, um.....like an alien had taken over her sweet lil' body!!!......he was a bit more prepared than I.

Meet our Talitha:

Tali taste-testing her first batch of 4H cupcakes.

Practically perfect in every way!

(well.....except for that whole "being a human being" thing....)

Besides that, she's awesome!!

She is also a "middle child".  Isaac is first, followed by Selah (both display characteristics of a first-born).  Then there's Tali ~ followed by 3 younger brothers.  So she's the baby girl, yet older sister to 3 more boys.  She has TWO trying-to-be-the-boss, older siblings.  She can get *so* stuck in the middle, it ain't even funny.

Poor thing.

Tali's decorated cupcakes!
She is bound & determined to learn new skills,
often YEARS before she is truly capable.

Yet when her behavior begins to drop in a negative way.....whew, watch out world!!
I have had to learn how to mother her in a completely different way than my other children.
She demands a lot of attention.  Not always in a bad way, not always with negative behavior, but that NEED to be heard is obviously there.  She will not be kept in the shadow of anyone, nor will she quietly sit by while others pass her by.

She is incredibly stubborn, um, determined, and amazingly hard-working.  I'm often in awe of her, especially when she is facing any type of challenge.  Give that girl some time, and she WILL figure out how to get it done!

American Girl paper dolls ~ an afternoon project.
Momma & Me time!

She requires "Momma & Me" time, time that I love to give her whenever possible.
She also requires consistent parenting, knowing *exactly* what to expect for specific behavior - if you give her an inch, she will take two miles!

She is sensitive.  She is empathetic.

She shows her love with actions.  Acts of love.
She can also be a little manipulator!
(what's the positive word for "manipulator" - problem solver?)

Tali with her 3 younger brothers.
Oh my, does she enjoy "mothering" them!

She has brought such joy to our lives.  She has also brought us to our knees in prayer.

Again, and again, and again.
Frustration, even anger.
Amazement, joy, love.

*sigh*

I'm tired just typing all of this.....

A spur of the moment "tiara" for my princess.

I am so thankful we were given the opportunity to parent such a wonderful, challenging, beautiful child.

She is a blessing!

p.s.  That's Talitha there in my signature pic.  She is the only red-haired, blue-eyed child in our family.  This distinction makes her truly happy!  :)

My Journal

To be entirely honest, I don't do a great job at this whole "journaling" thing.

I don't keep up with it as I should.
I think I'm missing an entire year between pages at one point!

Yet I just keep coming back to it - keep adding another page, here and there, whenever I find the time, motivation, and energy to give it a go.

I first heard about this type of journaling from the beautiful blog, Eyes of Wonder.  Does anyone remember her name?  Her blog is no longer available, or maybe it needs a password - of which I am not privy - but it was absolutely gorgeous!  She had many children, all ages, she lived in the country, valued God, family, home....simply beautiful!

Anyway - I read about her way of journaling and she shared a few pages of her own journal.  Simple.  Beautiful.  I was ready to give it a go!

First, you start with some basic supplies.  I bought a spiral bound notebook with a hard-ish cover, something I thought was nice.  For me, that's fall colors!  Next, I grabbed some old magazines I had around the house.  I went through each one, clipping pictures or parts of pictures that I was drawn to.  I personally stay away from faces.  This is about my life, my days & my moments - I don't want anyone's face distracting from that.  Once I had a good amount of clippings, I gathered colored pens of various tips, scissors, and a glue stick

Then I was ready to start:

Basic supplies.

I pick a few pictures (or one large pic) and glue it onto a page.  Due to the weight of my paper, I only use one side, the right-hand side - but do whatever you feel comfortable doing.  This is *your* project!

One page, right-hand side, with only one large picture.

I make sure to put the date at the top of the page, then I simply write about whatever is on my mind.  This could be about anything from the weather, what's for dinner, a sick friend or relative, upcoming trips, cute sayings from my kiddos, goals for myself or our schooling......anything!  I use lots of different colored pens, just to keep it pretty!  I'll write under pictures, down the side of the paper, draw a heart, a smiley face, maybe some arrows.

Lots of colors, lots of topics!

I've discussed struggles I was going through, stages my children were in, how God was talking to me through my day, what curriculum I was thinking about, literally anything!  Even though I am fairly open and honest, I do want my children to look at these pages, to remember their own childhood moments, but also to see their Momma perhaps in a different light.  To see what I struggled with, yet also where I found my joy!  To that end, I personally choose to be open & honest, yet there *are* subjects I may not write about.....I guess we would all have to choose where that line is for ourselves.

One of my latest journal pages.

So there ya go ~ I simply journal, but oh, so meaningful!
I enjoy reading through old pages, remembering moments I may have forgotten.

Beautiful.

Quietly....

I am quietly, nonchalantly, re-entering the blog world.

*whistling...nonchalantly*

This blog was here for me for many years when i needed an outlet.  When I had many little ones, as my family grew in size, until one day....we grew right out of the blog world!

But now, now that I'm done having babies, done with nursing littles, (almost) done with potty training.....I may be ready to try the blog out again.  Give it a test run, see if it fits into this new stage of life.

And new stage it is!
Here are a few "catch up" pictures....

The kids are growing!
Isaac is 14, and just received a guitar for his birthday.
My boy.....*sniff*

Selah - resident "might as well be a teenager" - at 12yo.
Here she's modeling a new scarf/hood for the etsy site that she crocheted.
She's getting really good! (and beautiful, but I'm a bit biased)

Kit-Kat is still around, plus a new cat - Storm.
We created a new garden space this year and it did fairly well.
Except for the corn, but let's not go there, shall we.....

We have settled into a church family again!
A small, Baptist, coming-out-of-fundamentalism congregation.
They have challenged us, forced us to look at what we believe and why.
It's been up and down, but it's been good!

We've had family & friends visit ~ with lots of local sightseeing & fun activities!
The Blue Water Area & the Thumb of Michigan are simply gorgeous!

Of course, the birthdays just keep happening!
Gideon, the baby, is now 3.
When did this happen??

Blessings keep happening as well!
The two oldest kids decided they needed to get baptized.
My heart just keeps filling up!

Activities are starting up as the school year begins again.
Ballet lessons, guitar lessons, 4H group, craft group, HS support group....
We've discovered inexpensive (even free) ways to add fun & learning into this journey!

There are sick days, emotional days, and the financial struggles don't seem to be going anywhere.
And yet....I believe, I hope, we are getting a bit better at finding the joy in our days.
Joy in our days, in simple moments, in big experiences, and even in the struggles we face.

Family & friends are such a gift from the Lord!
We can share our struggles, and find companionship as we walk this journey God has placed before us.
With toddlers and teens....it's good to find someone who can understand you!!

Everyone is growing up ~ too quickly!
Tali (10yo) had some "oldest sibling" time, when her two older siblings went on vacation recently.
It was good for them, it was good for her....yup, it was even good for me!

So we continue on.
Family, friends, joys, struggles.
Peace.

So that in no way covers life for the past few years, but that's okay.
I feel as though I stepped back onto the stage, shared a few pics, and we'll go from here.
Sharing a little bit at time, day by day, moment by moment.
Until before you know it, the blog will be full again!


Thanks for reading!
Blessings to you all ~ I can't wait to get to know everyone all over again!!

Fall Traditions ~ The Apples

Our bounty ~ a bushel of goodness!

Gideon had so much fun ~ especially being lifted up to pick his own apples!

Our local orchard has these great, old, metal wagons to pull apples (and children) along!

The crop of apples wasn't great this year ~ all were considered "seconds" ~ yet we thought they were still quite yummy!  No one seemed to mind, especially at $8/bushel!

Nothing better than your child so very happy!

Unless it's your father laughing hysterically!!

Isaac, ever my meticulous child, wanted to make sure the apples we picked were up to snuff!

Love the smiles!

Big hay bales even provided entertainment for the teenager among us!

Tali, enjoying the hayride!

Giddy & his big sissy!

Elijah Rock ~ waiting to try and pick an apple as we pass by the trees...

Luv this lil' boy!

**and lastly, my folks finally got their stove installed ~ along with our wood burning stove and the boys infra-red heater, ALL the levels of our home are ready for the long Michigan winter!

p.s.  coming up next ~ making apple butter & more family traditions (at Lowe's!)