Planted.
Thirty days ago, I followed a nudge to write daily and publicly. I committed to one month. Some days the words came almost effortlessly and other days not.
Today we plowed through Module 11/12 in Biology… Not every topic is fun or exciting - and so the challenge lies with all of us to just respect the topic, study appropriately and, if necessary - just get it over with.
A relatively unproductive day…. shuttling kiddos around all day. By noon - that’s all I accomplished. Work, the ski lodge, the dog park… No school today!
I’ve almost completed my 30 day writing nudge. It’s Day Twenty-Seven and this introvert is slowly moving backwards into my more comfortable shell.
I’m not quite sure why today started so bumpy and rocky... I certainly won’t receive any bonus points for my lack of conflict resolution skills in both the parenting and marriage categories.
Today our little baby turned two years old. She is the most spoiled and precious little bundle of love. When Andrei and the kids brought her home to stay just about two years ago, our lives were forever changed.
There is a beautiful Jewish parenting book I read so many times over the years that I think the book has finally fallen apart…
Six years ago we embarked on a journey of trust and faith… A journey I said I’d never take - home schooling. There was only a scrap of faith and a wobbly belief that God was nudging our hearts to take this path.
Sometimes I believe we pass through experiences - never realizing how they are changing us…
Jet lag wakes me up early and puts me to sleep the same... There is something blissful about being awake hours before everyone else that seems to set this house in motion properly.
When we are ever so parched and thirsty, water brings refreshment and life...
And when our souls are ever so parched and dry, the Spirit of God floods our hearts and brings new life.
no one wanted to talk, hang out or have coffee at 4:15 this morning. It was strongly suggested I go back to sleep ... except by Nellie who would have gladly gone to the park!
There’s a strange sort of moment just as you close one chapter in time and you’re met with your current reality... a glaring clash of past and familiar. A contemplative moment when you’ve one foot in the past and the other in the present.
Time to say “goodbye” to the little village and start making my way home. My flight was scheduled for Saturday, but I’ve just switched because of the incoming bad weather arriving on the weekend.
As I walked about today in this beautiful little village of Sinnington... I was caught up by the old-English architecture and picturesque gardens. Each is unique and just a bit different in its own way...
Today we celebrated the life of my uncle... I had the honor of speaking, but could not finish because of such strong overwhelming emotions. My dear aunt helped me finish...
Some days are good for being still and quiet. Good for reflection and awareness of what goes on deep within our hearts. If we are to continually become better versions of ourselves, we must be willing to step back and ponder perspectives we might never have seen had we not paused...
My aunt and I walked the dog this morning along the beautiful bridle path that runs along the river... The sky was majestically blue with green pastures in the distance. Tiny cottages lined the view. I feel as though I’ve stepped back in time … hundreds of years.
Arrived into another world... where people drive on the left side of the road, sheep graze on green pastures, and villages are hundreds of years old.
This day feels so emotionally packed for me! I’m currently sitting at an internet kiosk in Newark airport surrounded by people, but traveling alone. It has to be at least twenty plus years since I flew solo... and today the clock resets itself.
There’s a significant chance this post isn’t going to make any sense! After two long walks today trying to exercise Nellie at the dog park (and beyond)… I think the wind blew away any credible amount of clarity between my ears!
Each day that passes, I am gifted with momentary glances into hidden blessings. On our home education journey, I’ve never been stuck on one curriculum… We aim to educate and train the whole child - or teen these days.
Fourteen years and a tiny bit ago, Andrei and I were blessed with surprise baby Number Three - just sixteen months after planned baby Number Two! She arrived on a cold evening in December - just before an ice storm. I was induced and she wasn’t buying the timing…
Thankful for our church community who serve and love with generous spirits. Who set the bar high and lead by example...
There is something magical in the moments just as the rain has stopped falling after a cloudy and dreary day and the sun begins to peek from behind the blue skies...
I believe we are finally back into some type of rhythm after the holidays and vacation schedule. Creating margin is a discipline I always try to work towards... Carving out space in my life to be still within myself ... even if my body remains in motion.
I have spent my day arguing... quietly and firming. From 8:30am until 5pm with the bright spot of studying oxygen and carbon cycles within different ecosystems mixed somewhere in the middle.
We awoke to the familiar sound of rain pattering on the window panes. It seems we have been destined to continue our current pattern of frequent precipitation into the new year... It is something we have no control over - only our response to its presence.