Ryan

Photo taken shortly before his 4th birthday. He posed with his cozy named Baby.

Things that come out of his mouth these days-

• What the heck?
• Oh my gosh!
• This is giving me a headache.
• Poop, pee, butt-head and all potty talk in general.
• You are a naughty mom. I hate you! (When the rules are tough or in his way.)
• I love you. I love my whole family. (When the rules are in his favor.)
• Awww, she [Molly] is so cute! She is such a big girl now.
• I am happy about this!
• Adjective-head or any name calling
• Guess what….
• I’ve gotta tell you something.
• Knock-Knock jokes

Words of wisdom at the park-

One sunny fall day while playing at the park we (Ry and I) taught Molly how to climb the chain ladder.

As she scaled the swaying equipment she froze one rung from the top. She wasn’t budging and she looked way down (four feet) at Ryan.

With their gazes locked Ryan said, “Go for it Molly! Just believe in your DREAMS!”

Conversation walking home from the park-

Me: Look Ry, litter.

Ry: What is litter?

Me: Garbage that other people threw on the ground. Let’s pick it up and throw it away at home.

Ry: Touch it? (candy wrapper) Yuck! Why?

Me: We do what we can to clean up our Earth.

Ry: [picking up wrapper] So, what you are saying is that we are the real winners here.

Me: Sure, Ry, we’re the winners.

Scraping Off Crud

The top of my soon-to-be dresser.

This week my heart felt like gunk. I can easily be discouraged which is odd because I find it so easy to encourages others.

This week I tackled missed deadlines, family sickness and cold weather as I tried to get my heart up and running. I needed to give my gunky funk a tune up.

I always forget to ask for help. Pride, maybe. Insecurity, sure. But, I really think I just forget to ask sometimes! This time I had help.

A friend and follow MOPS leader spent a great deal of time with me over the phone offering help and pointing my heart upward to my Creator. Plus an added bonus, my Mother-in-Love Kris baby sat the kids for 8 hours on Saturday freeing me up to rest and work on the house (cabinet doors are on their way to becoming Cottage White)!

I am still battling a cold and my laundry mountain but I have been renewed with a stronger sense of direction and my heart is beating freely only now without all the crud. Now that’s just in my nose.

Bible, Book of Psalms, Chapter 51, Verse 10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Trick-or-Treating Get-Ups

The photos below were just taken this afternoon. I left my camera behind the evening of Halloween. Sometimes I just need to be in the moment and not behind the lens.

Molly really “got” it when we took her out for trick-or-treating. She insisted that she go up to every door instead of stay back in the stroller. She held out a little pumpkin purse to collect goodies and refused to have anyone else touch her treats. She was a happy lil’ pumpkin.

My knight in shining armor! Here Ryan is posing to “look tough” for his role as a brave knight. He loved to stomp around in his “king” boots and charge with his sword through the leaves with his friend Jack. He wore black clothing for his original costume. Today however was unseasonable warm and he was in shorts!

We are making progress on our main level and only living area which feels like getting 2 steps ahead.

We are all suffering from head colds which is turning us into head cases which feels like taking 1 step back.

Here are some of our steps so far…

The wood-laminate flooring is in!

The bases of the kitchen cabinets are painted. Cottage White by Behr, shown here-only the first coat was completed. Bye dark brown 80's stain!

Cabinet doors- Washed, hand sanded, power sanded and stacked for painting. Molly is having a tea party with our medicine cups. Oh yes, of course our walls are painted too, Harvest Brown by Behr.

Well we can only take one step at a time! Though right now I am going to drink up my Airborne and close my eyes for sake of common sense! Though the dishes are calling me, painting, laundry….I’ll just have to let the answering machine pick up…if only it were that easy.

I was recently blessed with a job opportunity to capture my friends on film digital media. Darn, film sounds so much better. My trigger finger was in full frenzy as it grazed the shutter release button for an hour during a recent photo shoot.

I worked as an independant photographer for about 3 years but “closed” shop right before Molly was born to focus more inwardly on my family. A few people close to me have coaxed me out for a few jobs in the last year and a half. The family below is one such family.

They are such little treasures. Plus a little red wagon, how could I resist?

I am joining in with Heavenly Homemakers today for a round of Gratituesday.

Laundry Room Lessons

Upon learning that my washing machine was in fact unrepairable I felt bummed. When I found out I broke the machine from jamming it too full for too many years I was disheartened.

We had a one month during which all of our clothes were being piled high and toted around to Grammy’s “Laundry-Mat”.

Yes, my son is jumping into the dirty "hamper".

Of course since we are in the middle of “redoing” the main level I was less than thrilled to reallocate funds from decor toward a washer. I mean, I was just about to buy fabric re-enter the fabric store for the 5th time hoping this would be the time I didn’t have a dizzy spell and dry mouth from utter disorientation.

But look it came with a friend. Awww

I thought for sure that when this day came I would kiss the pretty buttons and hug the machine for its awesomeness. But, instead what I found was a huge amount of gratitude for the simple ability to do the wash.

I am very grateful today for the honor to load up my family’s dirty duds. I hope this new found respect for clothing maintenance lasts a long, long time.

Love, Jess

Here is our first go round with Muffin Tin Monday (MTM) from Her Cup Overfloweth!

I can’t wait to try the Family Heritage theme for next week’s MTM post. We are Irish, German, French, Norweign, Scottish. Oh My!

Molly loved her pink flowered shaped muffin "tin". er.... I loved the tin, she loved the apple sauce.

Ry had: Apple Sauce, chicken strips, blue jello, mac-n-cheese, carrot, fruit snacks, gold fish and pickles. (No theme, just a snack lunch)

Hating God

This maple tree shot was the closest I got to a photo "walk" this season. Yes, notice the lovely street of garbage day, sigh....I guess there has to be some ordinary in the extraordinary.

While driving in the car with the kids one day Ry and I had the following conversation:

Ry: I hate God.

Messy Jessy: thinking…..biting tongue…..praying….

Ry: I hate Him because I can never see Him.

Messy Jessy: Ry I can’t make you love God and I can’t make you see Him. But, if you ask Him, He’ll show Himself to you.

Ry: Okay

Messy Jessy: hoping…

Ry (some time later): Hey Mom! I just saw God! He is making all of the leaves come off of the trees. That’s awesome.

Messy Jessy: It sure is buddy, it sure is

Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 7

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Family Pumpkin – Construction Paper Style

We decorated one pumpkin with a family member’s portrait on each side. This was a lot more fun than making Ry stick his hands in goo from innards which he hates. I guess he gets that from Neat Pete because certainly I have never been shy around a good mess.

Have a BOO-tiful evening! We will be begging for calories we don’t need aka trick-or-treating as the following:

• The Tooth Fairy Princess – Me
• Iron Man – Neat Pete
• My Knight in Shining Armor – Ry Guy
• Lil’ Pumpkin – Lil’ Miss

We have already played at a Costume Fun ‘N’ Run for MOPS, handed out candy at Neat Pete’s office and spread festive cheer at Gramma GG’s temporary nursing home. Thank goodness we all had a rest this afternoon!

Off to a pizza party!

Apple Orchard Day with Family

Lil’ Miss Molly sat on her tuffet eating her apples and whey.

Aunt Carly’s “cute” apple Uncle John (Neat Pete’s little brother) heroically jumped to give pick for her in the orchard lane.

Uncle Tim (Neat Pete’s middle brother) and Ry strut their stuff through the orchard.

Aunt Lisa showed Ry the antique tractor.

Uncle John took Ry on a pony ride.

Not enough room for your pickings? Fill your nephew’s hood with apples. Uncles I tell ya!

Applicious I

Applicious II