Candlemas

 

 "At the beginning of February, when the infant light of spring is greeted thankfully by the hoary winter earth, it seems fitting we should celebrate a candle Festival to remember that moment when the Light of the World was received into the Temple, when the old yielded to the new.”

~ from All Year Round

 

I was a bit overwhelmed on Friday when I realized that the first of February was upon us and I hadn't prepared at all for St. Brigid's Day and Candlemas. This past week was filled with wonderful  distractions but the re-entry into reality was a bit of a rough landing! As always, what's meant to be will be and and things don't always need to go as planned. Being alright with that and letting go of expectations is the trick! I'm learning :)

 

It seems as we've studied more about St. Brigid we've come to really adore her. As I stood at my counter this morning and began to piece together the cross above (with Iris leaves that my hunny picked just for this occasion), we sat there, watching it come together and were struck by the reverence and especially beautiful rhythm making this cross possesses. It's simple but divine. Hanging this on our entryway seemed only fitting and as we learned, that is part of the tradition! I believe, we as a family, have found our patron saint!

The littles and I also made our super, special Celtic Tea Cake this morning in honor of St. Brigid

 

We even braved the blustery, winter day and ventured out to finish our ice lantern and earth candles.

 

Tonight, as we sit down to a pancake supper by candlelight, we will gather our thoughts toward the Light; thinking of what it means to begin anew, accept what works and what doesn't and somehow make sense of it all. I'll lovingly look at my children and my husband and thank God that I've been given this chance to shine my light with them. They help me to remember who it is I'm meant to be, who I was, why I'm here, what this whole thing called Life is about. Candlemas is such a reverent time, honoring the Light that lives within us all, reminding each other that we're each good enough just as we are.

 

 

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."

Self-Care and Something FUN!!

 

 

The photo above represents many days over the past month. Our wee Seraphina has been so sick over the past 4 weeks. She's been struck with this on and off again super, raging fever. She presents no other symptoms, just fever.....for days! The last fever lasted 10 whole days reaching as high as 105.2*F. After all these years of being a mother, I have never, once, had a child reach a temperature quite like that. It was scary, unbelievable, stressful, sad, frustrating, you name it and I probably felt it. Not to mention how terrible she felt. But, boy, what a trooper she was. Super snuggles all day and all night, nursing every 20-30 minutes around the clock to keep her hydrated and preventing the need for IV fluids, blood work every few days, sleeping fewer than 45 minutes at a time. I'm noticing that I'm using the word "was" but really, this is where we are now. We're back in this God forsaken territory. The land of the never ending fever with no other symptoms. It's been 4 days now. We've been to the doctor, we've had the blood work and we'll do the follow up appointment tomorrow. Who knows where this one will take us, or how far. It scares me beyond belief to think for a moment what she may have to endure.......even if it's just a bunch of days more of this fever. Seraphina is only 7 1/2 months old!!! Her little body, however strong and resilient, is still so young and vulnerable. *sigh* I'm just a worried Mama wishing I could just make it go away. I don't doubt for a second that many of you have been in similar shoes as I am right now.

 

The last time our babe was ill I didn't take much interest in finding ways to alleviate my stress and worry. I spent 10 days with that little soul strapped to my body. We never parted, I think I may have only showered twice that whole time and didn't even contemplate going to school. This time around, seeing as the sleep deprivation is beyond acceptable limits, I'm realizing that I truly need to take a moment just to breath, think, cry, soak, and be. The photos below chronicle how I will spend those moment, not all at once, but spread out over the course of this illness......I make that promise myself and my baby that I will also take care of myself.

 

 

This gorgeous book was a gift from my husband. He knows me best and must have had an intuition that I would need some fortification along this journey. This book has been deeply satisfying.

 

I try to keep organic, dried flowers on hand for various projects. My plan is to put some in a little muslin bag and soak them in a bath......just for me, and baby, too! But me first!! The soothing and aromatherapy qualities of each of these flowers will prove to be so healing. I can't hardly wait!! I can't remember the last time I had a bath.....really!!

This picture is of some corny bags. They are simple and wonderful. (I didn't make these ones, these were gifts from my Mother and sister.) All corny bags are is square sacks filled with dried corn. Period. Its what you do with them......you warm them up  and use them as heating pads. The warmth they emit is just so healing and deep. Somehow better than just a regular 'ole heating pad.

 We were gifted a microwave (used) with these as the preferred method to warm them up. You can also just put them on a heated oven stone or on top of your wood stove, turning them every few minutes to heat them through. The microwave does work a bit faster. I plan to open a few up and pour in some lavender flowers so that when they are heated they will also release they healing scent of lavender.

 

 

Above is a simple photo of a candle. I will, with much zeal, sneak to find 10 minutes where I can just sit in silence and meditate. I think when we're in crisis it's so important to allow ourselves the space to just be in it, release what we can and accept the rest so we can keep moving forward. Otherwise, we'll just keep stewing and stagnating and never getting anywhere. Not to mention, it's so important to release the stress of being on 24/7 without a break in sight. I read a beautiful post in tribute to Mama's caring for their sick children, here is a quote from it ::

 

You can do this. 

You can do it with grace. You will do it beautifully. I know you will.

You may need help lifting a bag of dog food.

You might need someone to get a bowl from the top shelf in the cupboard.

But hidden behind your skirts is safety found nowhere else.

It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be mad.

But be fierce, my friend.

Fight hard.

Push back.

Love your little one.

This is what being a Mom is all about.

Right here. In this moment.

It isn’t about the Little League games, or the perfect nursery, or empty laundry baskets, or college scholarships.

It’s about shining for your baby when they need it the most.

Shine on, Sister.

God is good. Always. No matter what.

 

You can read the whole post here:: Life Rearranged

Now! For a total non sequitur :) I do have a bit of fun news, A sweet friend of mine emailed me with then news that she had nominated this blog for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Creative Moms award. I wasn't sure I believed her at first, I mean, it's not something that has happened to me......ever!! It wasn't until I received the confirmation email from Circle of Moms that I received the link to my nomination. I am unbelievably humbled. My blog is a very special place for me and my family. It's the place where, one day, my children will be able to look back and see the living proof of their childhood and our life together. It's been my greatest hope that our life's work would somehow inspire others to take a second look to notice the beauty in the little things, the simple things. I feel ever so blessed that it seems as though my wish has come true. I am so inspired by other blogger friends (one in particular:: Sara Wilson from Love in the Suburbs  who has also been nominated for this same award) so I'm finding it to be beautifully uplifting that some folks might feel the same way about our work here, in this blog.

If you feel called to do so, I would love it if you might help me get into the Top 25. Click on the button below and scroll down until you find A Simple Life. And while you're there, maybe you could share a vote for my friend Sara from Love in the Suburbs? You can vote for more than one blog at a time, you can vote once everyday until January 30th when the voting closes. I think it would be quite wonderful to be included in the Top 25! My vision for the future of this blog is ever changing......it would feel wonderful to invite others to come along for the ride!

 

From the bottom of my heart......thank you for your support and friendship and gentle pushes of encouragement to keep following my bliss here in blogland xoxo

Gratitude: A Season of Mindfulness Day 3

  I've decided to join up with Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for her Gratitude Blog link-up. (thank you, Momto5 at A Family's Journey for introducing this blog to me through your lovely blog!!)   G r a t i t u d e * S u n d a y {Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.}   I had begun my own Gratitude link-up a while ago, not knowing that this one existed. Sharing gratitude is so much more inspiring when it's captured with others........I'm thankful to be joining up with others today xo   * Angels, seen and unseen   * Walking away from what could have been 2 really nasty car accidents (in one day)   * Waking up early with Seraphina and being grateful for waking up at all   * Having lots of special, alone moments with each of my children this week   * My continued work for finding ways to not feel less than when I'm surrounded by people who live very radical lifestyles   * The steadfast love and support of my Dad and Sister   *Apologizing and meaning it   *Being excited about change   * Knowing I have time to just be this week and focus on cleaning and our continued Advent preparations   * Knowing deep down that some days, it's OK to resign.   * Friends! Friends are amazing nourishment for the soul.  

   

 

Thankful

If during the first period of life we create an atmosphere of gratitude around the children, then out of this gratitude toward the world, toward the entire universe, and also out of thankfulness for being able to be in this world, a profound and warm sense of devotion will arise.....upright, honest, and true. ~ Rudolf Steiner

Today, with the anticipation of Thanksgiving on our minds, we felt called to make something for each person who would be joining us for our holiday festivities. Nothing too involved, just something simple and from the heart. I saw this post on Pinterest from Woodside Kitchen. It is a dough ornament, but not just any dough ornament.....

 ** It's made with 1/2 cup of cornstarch, 1 cup of baking soda, and 3/4 cup of water! Combine all the ingredients in a cooking pot, cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken and takes on the appearance of "smooth mashed potatoes". Pour into a bowl and cover with a damp cloth until the dough is cool enough to handle. Knead the dough, adding more cornstarch as necessary to keep the dough from being sticky. Roll out to about 1/4 of an inch or so on a lightly cornstarched surface, cut out using cookie cutters, decorate using rubber stamps or other stencils. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and bake at 175 degrees for about an hour (flipping them over after 30 minutes).**

So simple. So pleasing to work with. So beautiful and clean looking. It was a breeze to make and took well to painting and other decorating. The only thing I would recommend is to be mindful of the time in the oven (varies by size, I think). Our ornaments were quite small in size so they baked up really quickly. I didn't have that thought in the forefront of my mind so I over baked them a bit. The sides curled up and they browned a little on the bottom (I also didn't have any parchment). BUT, all is well. We painted them and/or sprayed them with a clear acrylic and sprinkled some glitter all over them

 

 

There is so much to be thankful for. Everyday I am reminded of the many blessings I have received. These little ornaments will serve as a little token of our gratitude for those we love so dearly and their presence in our life. It is hard to imagine our days without the smiles, love, and laughter of our dearest friends and family, those we see often and those we only see once in a while. We have big hearts for those we are missing and keep their legacy there.

 

This time of lessened light and inward process begs me to remember that although are days are full to the brim with moments that may seem more than we can handle, it's important to remember that we are surrounded by angels, seen and unseen. Those that hold us up and walk with us through our darkest times and those that quietly keep that spiritual space through the veil. We can honor them in this lifetime by living a life of gratitude, for all of those who have touched our lives in one way or another. Who and what are you grateful for right now?

 

I am, humbly, honored that you have chosen to walk with me in this space. Thank you.

 

Enjoy your holiday with those you love so much. Blessings to you and yours xo



Preparing in Gratitude

Blessing on this room of ours,
Blessing on the garden flowers,
Blessing on the birds and trees,
On the butterflies and bees.
Blessing on the dolls and toys,
On our quietness and noise.
Blessing on the children dear,
On the grown ups who come here.
Blessing on our work and play,
God be with us all each day.

 

 

We're preparing for Thanksgiving time in our home. As a Waldorf inspired home, we incorporate the teaching of Rudolf Steiner in much of our daily lives........

 

"An immense enrichment of the soul is achieved through the experience of feeling gratitude. One should see to it that, even in a very young child, a feeling of thankfulness is developed. If one does this, a feeling of gratitude will be transformed into love when the child is older. In every situation in life, love will be colored through, permeated with gratitude. Even a superficial observation of social life demonstrates that a valuable impulse for the social question can be fostered when we educate people towards a greater feeling of gratitude for what their fellow human beings are doing. For this feeling of gratitude is a bridge from one human soul and heart to another. Without gratitude, this bridge could never be built." ~ from Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy 1922-24 lectures by Rudolf Steiner

 

Cultivating gratitude within our children is in fact a lifestyle. It is not something that can only be acted on just one day a year. The mere  existence of gratitude in our society requires that we feel it and live it every single day. How will our world continue without it? We already can see the upsetting occurrences of what happens when gratitude fades to entitlement; our Earth's resources are being depleted, some children have grown into adults that have lost their reverence for how precious all life is, there is a lack of respect and responsibility in our ever growing populations. We are a culture of constant consumption.......if only a tear drop of gratitude could be injected into the ailments of the planet and our connection as human beings, might there be a shift in the dire situations of so many?

In the spirit of gratitude, we've been telling a particular story, a bit adapted to help capture the importance of being thankful. We discovered the story of Hugin and the Carrot (adapted from the story Hugin and the Turnip) over at Natural Kids .

The first part we adapted is where the Caterpillar asked if Hugin knew the right way to pull up the carrot.

We added "Did he first give thanks to the Root Gnome and ask if he might pull up the carrot?" Then Hugin put his mouth close to the ground and called: "Gnome, good Root Gnome. Many thanks for helping this beautiful carrot to grow so big and beautiful. May I take your carrot home so that on Thanksgiving Day we can eat a soup that tastes of carrots sweet?"

We also added at the end where everyone is helping each other up:

"Many thanks for you help. So sorry to have knocked you over."

The last line of our story is read like this:

"And nobody was hurt, and everybody laughed. All their hearts were full of thanks for the help each one did give and for that beautiful carrot that would make their bellies warm and full. "

It was very sweet to know that the message was received. Here the littles are meeting the characters and reciting the story as they remembered. I heard many "thank yous" being shared between characters and "oohs and ahhs" for how beautiful the carrot was and how thankful they were for such a lovely treat to eat. It is so beautiful to me how children really are much more readily available to give gratitude. Their wonder, their beautiful attunement to love and how each individual creature is just as important and valuable as the next. I never tire of watching this grace in action.

Another little piece that we've woven into this tapestry of thanks is the song "Johnny Appleseed". We sing an adapted version, for no particular reason, this is just how I was taught to sing it.......

Oh, the Earth's been good to me.
And so I thank the Earth
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the apple seed;
Oh, the Earth's been good to me.

Oh, and every seed I sow
Will grow into a tree.
And someday there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share.
Oh, the Earth is good to me.

 

Here is a photo of a little craft we did the other day.......it's a turkey! I'm sure you guessed :) I'm not entirely into these kinds of crafty things, I much prefer something that is a bit more purposeful; but that being said, Charlotte and Kiki are very much into puppets lately. Everything is a puppet ready for a show. We happen to have many gloves that are missing their other so it seemed a perfect thing to turn them into puppets; and why not a turkey?! Gobble! Gobble!!

How do you incorporate giving thanks and living in gratitude with your littles? xo




Grace Notes

Welcome to Grace Notes! If you feel called to join along please link up in the comments section below with any post that expresses your gratitude and reverence for the "little things" in your life. Share on your blog, spread the word on Facebook or any other social outlet. Let's slow it down and enjoy our time and remember to be thankful for all the moments that make up a day in our lives!!

Here are some of our older youth during their part of our retreat weekend!

A few years ago, DH and I had agreed that living in some sort of intentional community is how we wished to lead our lives. Living in service to each other yet extending beyond those borders and into our wider community. We had agreed that living closely with others who wished to live mindfully and with their hearts turned toward raising our children away from the focus of modern society, to live with those who wished to walk more gently on the Earth, and to live with and challenge others to lead a life full of spirit and grace was exactly where we hoped to land. In order to fulfill that dream we applied to be house parents in a Camphill setting. (You can learn more about Camphill here ) We chose Camphill Kimberton in Pennsylvania because it was a good, sort of, midway point from my family in NY and my husbands in KY. As we began to fill out the paper work to begin our moving process we accidentally discovered a home that was available, in a Quaker Intentional Village, right where we were currently living! I have lived in this part of the US all of my life and never knew that this village existed, right in my own backyard!! We felt that we were being asked to consider this as an alternative to a rather large move. We inquired, met the folks within the community, and before we knew it we were moving in! It was a smooth process, a process where we could feel the spirit guiding us, assuring us, that this is where we were meant to be.

Farm road leading into the woods

We moved into the Quaker Intentional Village - Canaan (you can learn more at our website ) and quickly connected deeply with those within the community. Our children integrated seamlessly with the 7 other children on the land. Sleepovers were almost immediately set up, all day play dates, baking days, woods exploration days. The ability children have to just be in an experience is so beautiful to watch. They release all of their inhibitions, their fears, and the unknown. They taught us to dive in head first and not fear the uncertainty of our new life. Within months we had all felt so loving welcomed and desired more connection with those around us. The feeling was mutual.......thus we began our process towards membership in this amazing community of people who dreamed of a life outside and expectations.

Pathway within the woods

Part of being a member (or prospective member) with this community is being able to partake in their bi-annual Community Retreats. Every Spring and Fall members of this community gather for the weekend and spend it's entirety together in growth, spiritual practice, mindful work, meals, emotional stretching. It's a beautiful way to honor an entire weekend together........and that is just how we spent this past weekend. I am so deeply grateful for the lives of those on this land that remind me of the higher purpose of my work. They help me to remember my abilities and my strengths and yet honor my weaknesses and allow me to move through them, holding me up to be able to hear the grace in my actions and words. This weekend retreat was all about "Pathways: Actual and Spiritual". We planned a few hours of active, purposeful work. The group I participated in worked on actually clearing and marking paths within the woods that back our many acres of land. How deeply profound that experience was; the people I shared the day with, the emotional and spiritual shifting I experienced, the laughter, the sharing, the silence. It proved to be just wonderful, even when I fought it .......and at times became a bit grumpy!

Our older youth also participated and had their own "micro retreat" within the larger retreat. They, after spending some time together on the roof of the Farmhouse, came up with idea of  "It's all about the View". The view from the rooftop of the Farmhouse, our internal views, how we view others, the view from our windows. When they presented their experience of out Saturday afternoon session I believe we all could clearly identify with what they had come to us with. I believe we as the elders also experienced a view from another set of glasses, some of our perspectives may danced to a different tune, some of us may have been able to see each other from a different point of view. Our children come to us with many wonderful messages........this held a particular candle to the rest of my retreat experience. I found that I would remind myself that my experiences, good or bad, are all about my view......how I see what's happening, feel, hear. Maybe if I could allow for a difference in perspective and understanding certain things might turn out differently. Children are so wise.

As the weekend came to a close, we shared with each other what worked and what we might like to see as next steps within our community. I know for my individual next steps I hope to spend more time along the paths I helped to clear with those who I have come to love so dearly; the paths between our homes, the paths within the woods, the paths where we meet in worship and in solitude. I hope to walk with the children, more frequently, up the new set of steps that were built this weekend and that lead to our developed center. I hope to meet those who live here, with me, more frequently in the spaces we hold together, to share moments of reverence or to simply just be.

Life truly is all about the view........

 

 

Grace Notes

"If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice."~ Meister Eckhart

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday I will turn 33 (Christ year!!) and Kiki will turn 3! On Valentine's Day of 2009 we were wonderfully surprised to find that we were expecting. She was due to arrive around October 10th. When she didn't come before or on that day I wasn't entirely surprised because Charlotte went 10 days over her date! My birthday was a Friday that year. We had planned to go out for pizza and then take the littles to see a movie. It never dawned on me that I was feeling a little out of it, slow, easy, drifting in and out of naps with a baby Charlotte (looking back I clearly see that now). We were both still in pj's by late afternoon so I felt a little overwhelmed realizing I  needed to get Charlotte and myself ready for my beloved to come home from work so we could go out for my birthday celebration. Charlotte and I made our way upstairs. I was still out of it and yet it still never really dawned on me that I was in labor. I wasn't having any real pain.......no rhythmic contractions. Just a sense of being in lala land!

 

 

My husband came home to find Charlotte playing by herself in a sea of toys in Bella's room (I have no recollection of how she got there!!). He found me on our bed, sitting and breathing through a contraction. Still, I had not admitted I was actually in labor! I was 100% denying it! We had plans! We were going out for pizza and a movie!!! My husband, of course, knew what was happening and frantically began running about packing overnight bags for our 3 older kids, for us, and getting Charlotte ready to go. All the while I was still convincing myself we were going on with our scheduled evening so I headed to the shower!!

 

I managed to get out of the shower, still not convinced, and got dressed. I was aware that I was having painful contractions but we sure it was just Braxton Hicks! We made our way to the car and began driving to pick up the big kids who were visiting a friend after school. I called for pizza.......for us to pick up! My husband tricked me into thinking we'd bring it over to my folks, just in case I decided I wanted to just go get checked out! We picked up the big kids and as we were leaving we drove over a speed bump.......not slowing down but actually slamming into it causing the car to jolt and throwing me into transition! It was that moment where, mind you I was completely shocked, that I admitted I was in labor. It was my birthday and we were going to have a baby!

 

We got to my folks, DH frantically unloaded the 3 big kids, bags and pizza. My Dad asked how frequently my contractions were coming and DH replied "Oh, I don't know.......every 2 minutes or so!" My Dad patted him on the back and said "Son, you better get your butt in gear!!" We left at high speed and made it to the hospital in no time. We got checked in, the nurses began their routine vital checks etc. Less than an hour later, with what seemed like the least painful experience of my childbearing years, we brought our little surprise into this world.

 

Now, when Charlotte was born, my husband took one look at her and swore he'd known her for many, many lifetimes. There was no mistaking that "Oh, yes, of course it's you!! I've known you forever!" When Kiki was in our arms we looked at her........her beautiful face, that nose, her eyes, her little hands and toes. We both looked at each other and asked "Who is she? Who is this little being?"

 

Our little Kiki  had surprised us in many ways. From conception, to being born so quickly and quietly and on a day we had never imagined. There is something so magical about sharing a birthday with your own child. On the day I was brought forth into this world I, too, brought forth the life of another. Her birth was also a gift of healing for us. It was only 21 months before that I lay in the birthing bed of the same room that I almost lost my life. Death and I shared an intimate dance that evening. I remember hearing my sister whispering into my ear to breathe, that she was there and to keep listening to her voice. Her hands gently sweeping my face, her face close to mine. I don't remember feeling much. I remember not being able to open my eyes. I do remember focusing on my breath and reminding myself to take another breath. I do remember looking over at one point and seeing my husband crying and in emotional turmoil; being so elated with the birth of our daughter but also watching, helplessly, as the love of his life slipped closer to the veil. There was a moment when I realized that my time on Earth might be over. I cried and I begged to be spared. I saw the faces of everyone I loved and felt the love and joy I had for each of them. I don't have much recollection of what happened next but I do know that it wasn't easy for many and I was surrounded by many angels. It was because of this experience that my beloved and I decided we would not have anymore of our own children. The fact that I was almost taken from him and our family was altogether too traumatic. That experience introduced a real fragility to our bubble so I'm sure you can see now why we'd be so surprised to learn Kiki was coming. Surprised, scared, uncertain, questioning. The Universe knows what it's doing especially when its asked to provide an avenue for healing. I am a firm believer that when you ask for something; healing, strength, courage,  love, that you'll usually be given an experience to be brave, for example. Kiki needed to come in order for us to heal from our traumatic birth experience. Everything had come full circle.

 

It was beautiful.......so, so beautiful.

 

 

Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for giving me life again. Thank you for trusting me to care for and love five beautiful souls. Thank you for forgiving me when I don't bring the best of myself to those that I love so deeply. Thank you for the unconditional love I am given every single day.

 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

 

What are you grateful for this week? Please join me using the link-up below xoxo

Grace Notes

 

 

Life. Is. Good! I can't be more grateful for this week and the days that filled it. This week held so many new experiences, new faces, new friends, family, joyful children. It truly has been a remarkable week.

Today I am deeply grateful for my life partner, the love of my life, my one in billions. He's like Superman to me! He works all day making art, building beautiful stone walls for his clients. Picking up and slugging hundreds of pounds worth of stones in a day. Then, he comes home and three nights a week rushes to get in the shower and turn his attention to me and our children in his effort to support my dream of going to school. This is not an easy task and I absolutely could NOT have believed I would be successful in my endeavor to fulfill my passion for bodywork without him. He loves me endlessly. He believes in my, encourages me, allows me to refind myself through the all encompassing world of motherhood. I believe he is just amazing! Thank you, my love!!!

Today I am also really, really grateful for the most wonderful visit and for the love and company of family. Claire and Stu are amazing! They love with no boundaries. They made our children feel as though they were the most important children in all the world. They played, laughed, baked, created jack-o-lanterns, and even survived two hours worth of Dungeons and Dragons!!! They brought so much happiness to our little home, our little world. They brought some DC energy and invigorated our country pulse. *sigh* Life. Is. Good!!

 

WE LOVE YOU xoxo

 

I would love for you to join me in sharing your Gratitude! Share a link below! Share on Facebook. Share on your blog. Share where ever you go!!  xoxo

Grace Notes

 

This week, I'm simply grateful for my family because without them I wouldn't be who I am today nor would I be faced with the challenges that encourage me to be and do better. Without them, I wouldn't be blessed with the most amazing gift of all: unconditional love.

 

 

Come share in the gratitude.......what are you grateful for this week?

 Link up below with a blog post or share your gratitude in the comments below xoxo
Please feel free to share this elsewhere.......sharing gratitude is a good thing :)

 

Grace Notes

I find that keeping my "grace notes" has really been an integral part of my being able to keep a good check on reality and the world around me. My thoughts come and go, precious moments or challenging ones pass by and then I find myself in a much different place then where I began. I blink and all of a sudden my first born is on the brink of becoming a teenager! This week has brought many realizations to the fore-front. In 21 months I will graduate from college, my newborn will be 2 years old, my eldest will be 14 years old and a freshman in high school!! My two littles will be 5 and 6 years old and potentially in kindergarten and first grade!!! I can hardly wrap my head around how fast it will all go by! Now, I'm not trying to wish away these next 21 months.......it's just that these past 12 years have gone by so fast. It seems time is engaging in some warp speed act, like a rocket propelling through outer space. I am becoming more aware of the importance of slowing down, breathing, absorbing every little moment of precious time we have. I feel like I've let too many moments pass me by, spent too many moments frustrated or overwhelmed, sad, worried. I know these are all human experiences, they are somewhat unavoidable but in the grand scheme of things.......it is my choice to forgo the alternative. I'm excited for what lies ahead. I'm entering a phase of the unknown, like everyday that begins.......I wake up to uncertainty but yet am hopeful where I will be at days end. Holding the sparkle, the twinkle in the eye of my children's hearts. Holding the love of my beloved husband, amazing friends, and dear family. I'm choosing today to not waste a single moment and for that I am grateful.

What are you grateful for today? Please link up below and spread the gratitude xoxo

Weekly Gratitude

It's been another long while since I was able to post here. I'm grateful for the ability to write when  I can and visit my space here in blogland! I am grateful for the ever changing creative forces within me that wax and wane like the moon; sometimes ever present and sometimes only a shadow remains. I am grateful for the moments I have that I can share my truest self and be in a beautiful space of mindfulness, aware and present. I am grateful for the books I am reading, for the love of my husband, for the life of a dear soul who is now dancing among the stars.

I am grateful for these words today::

 

"I feel a foreign force fruiting,

Strenghtening to give me to myself.

I sense the seed ripening

And light-filled prescience weaving

Within me on my selfhood's power."

 

Week 21:: August 26 - September 1 2012

From Rudolf Steiner's Calendar of the Soul

 

 

As always, feel free to share what it is you are grateful for today in the comments below xoxo

Weekly Gratitude

Welcome to Gratitude! If you feel called to join along please link up in the comments section below with any post that expresses your gratitude and reverence for the "little things" in your life. Share on your blog, spread the word on Facebook or any other social outlet. Let's slow it down and enjoy our time and remember to be thankful for all the moments that make life worth while! 

This week I am grateful for so much.

I'll let some photos do the talking this week.....

Our own fresh blackberries

New friends and playing dress-up

A beautiful man and his baby

Sharing a meal with dear friends, old and new

A sweet little KiKi, who after weeks of trials and tribulations, still has her groove

A glorious baby sneaking peeks while drifting off to play with her angel friends

Weekly Gratitude

Welcome to Gratitude! If you feel called to join along please link up in the comments section below with any post that expresses your gratitude and reverence for the "little things" in your life. Share on your blog, spread the word on Facebook or any other social outlet. Let's slow it down and enjoy our time and remember to be thankful for all the moments that make life worth while! 

This past month of intense living has reminded me of a LOT of things. Mostly, it has reminded me to continue to deeply practice mindful, meaningful, present living. I've noticed my wish to be completely free from the drama that I see so many I love living with, the sadness, the fear. All of those things that suck away the good moments or make them less meaningful. My awareness has peaked to a level that I am now able to realize the life that lies ahead, in all it's glory and wonder but also the realness that exists simply by being human. I'm no longer living in a bubble where our lives will remain untouched. I am now striving to live free from any forms, with no borders or boundaries. I wake up in the morning, tired and weary but know deep in my heart, and even if I'm unable to show it, that living here with the people I am blessed to call my family and friends is the most perfect life I could have ever dreamed of. Things go wrong and things fall apart.......but I have much trust and faith that even in those moments love is present and we will be alright.

So today (and everyday), I am grateful for the love and faith in my heart, my most amazing husband and beautiful children, and our many loving and wonderful friends and family as their lives are what make mine whole!

Weekly Gratitude :: May Fair

Welcome to Gratitude! If you feel called to join along please link up in the comments section below with any post that expresses your gratitude and reverence for the "little things" in your life. Share on your blog, spread the word on Facebook or any other social outlet. Let's slow it down and enjoy our time and remember to be thankful for all the moments that make life worth while! 

This week was one of those weeks where stopping was not an option. Every moment was full! Monday, the lady I care for moved into the new Camphill facility in our area. It was such an exciting day, however emotional stressful, the space is beautiful, the people are amazing, the view from her new house is breath-taking. It was a long day of unpacking and meetings but a happy day, nonetheless. The whole experience has been so wonderful and for that I am truly grateful!

The rest of the week consisted of being with my Mother who is still recovering from her surgery from 12 weeks ago. I am very thankful to be able to give her my time and to spend good quality time with her. It isn't easy some days but I wouldn't change anything (except it would be nice for her to be well again!).

Then came preparing (mentally) for a friend who had asked me to prepare several dozen baked goods for a Celebration of Life she was holding in honor of her Father. I felt honored she had asked me to provide the treats but had become overwhelmed at the amount that was desired. In the end, we decided that we (our family) would ignore the tasks at hand in lieu of some FUN! I am so grateful we did......it had been weeks since we had all been together (sadly our son was not able to join us so he was missed very dearly), outside, laughing and enjoying every single second.

We left nice an early and went to our local Waldorf School to take part in their Spring Fair. I will let some of our photos tell the rest of our story. There was so much more we didn't get to photograph......Bella on the zip line, the Kindergarten space and puppet show, children walking around on stilts, the girls jumping into hay bales, the St. Michael and the Dragon wagon ride! It was all so thrilling and wonderful.

Wishing you all a lovely week full of the most wonderful moments that you will cherish for a lifetime xoxo

Here is my Bella climbing the pole to reach a banana.



Here she is with her prize!!

KiKi is loving the slide

 

Charlotte has mastered the tight rope, with Papa standing close by :)



Charlotte and KiKi magically became butterflies xoxo



KiKi is getting ready for the boat race!



Playing in the stream during the boat race!

Charlotte with her new friend tying the Maypole.

Bella and KiKi skipping along......their happiness is so beautiful to see!