bits & bobs

family outings on black friday. we spent a nice chunk of time outdoors to enjoy the chill in the air. and the little man did some chilling in the sling. it was a pretty great day.

i am thinking about starting a series of sunrises and such from my morning runs. i could share this stuff every darn day. each morning brings its own unique beauty. God is good.

the Lord is my portion, my inheritance. my cup of blessing who holds my future.

psalm 16:5

i have been meditating on this verse. trying to anchor my soul on this. THE LORD is my blessing. my portion. my sustenance. my fountainhead. my identity. my future. my stability. my security. it isn't what he gives or does. it isn't about what i can achieve or who i am. my blessing and inheritance and life is HIM. his very being. his presence. this advent season especially, i want that truth to serve as polestar. i want to delight in HIM. to revel in his presence. to savor the sweetness of scripture. to find my joy in the quiet moments with my savior. i want him to be enough - to be everything. i want his name to be known above the din of this life, his name to be exalted. soli deo gloria. gloria in excelsis deo.

something really rad is going to go down with these beauties. i've been itching to dive into some fabrics and get a little creative (you remember my sad sad responses to the sewing part of my taking stock series, right? well, that is about to end. things are happening!)

also, i'm thinking about forming some kind of social media modern quilting guild...who's with me?

p.s. if you are an arizonan and looking for some pretty fabric and sewing inspiration, you should pop by @modernquilting and support this brand new small biz. if you are a fabricphile like me, this charming store will make you majorly swoon. and p.s. my mum will be teaching a beginning quilting class there in the new year so, that's pretty fun. if you are interested, leave me a comment and i will get you the deets.

hurray for pretty things and new projects!

the last of the leftovers. i fashioned the sage stuffing into patties, fried them up, and topped them with some cranberry relish. served alongside some pulled turkey with gravy...kinda like barbecue but way more festive.

i have heard it said that girls give parents heart aches and boys give parents heart attacks. an interesting concept. the emotional roller coaster that is femaleness does create some aches, for sure. elinor absolutely exhibits some serious emotions throughout the day. swinging all over the place, at times. she is just intense. everything about her is intense. so when she feels, she feels deeply. she can be over-the-top joyous and then touched to the core and weeping. i pray that i can help her to appropriately tap into the power of emotions and the purpose of emotions while learning how to be self-controlled and not use her emotions to manipulate.

aaaaaand then there is this boy of ours. heart attack city. already. lurching and launching. up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth like no big deal. sitting up and wanting no help from me. i am trying to let him try. to let him knock his noggin on occasion. to let him try again. he's so determined. he gets so frustrated and wants to just GO. just do it. crawl. walk. run. part of it is that he wants to play with his big sister. but the majority of it is that he is a boy. such a boy. kicking. howling. grabbing. bobbing. pivoting. pulling. wanting to prove himself. wanting to be big and strong and capable. i pray that i can encourage him to be daring and bold. to take risks. but to learn patience. to be careful and wise.

this parenting thing. it's really something.

we are loving loving loving our new advent tradition. i teared up three times just reading the book. we are only a few days in and already my heart is swelling seeing my little girl so joyful about giving and helping and wanting to make a comfortable place for baby Jesus. it's the BEST.

did you know that this past tuesday was #GivingTuesday? a whole day dedicated to giving back and giving away.

if you are looking for a way to give back or donate this season, please consider my SIL's GoFundMe site. she and her husband are raising funds to help with adoption costs...and we are all hoping that they are able to bring their child(ren) home very soon. i know they'd appreciate the love, prayers, sharing, and support!

there's nothing better than spinning some old fashioned yuletide tunes during dinner. give me all the bing and frank. it is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

tannenbaums everywhere! the christmas tree lot on my run route is officially in business and tiny trees greet me every time i cross the threshold of whole foods. i love the smell of pine in the air. i even bought some mrs. meyers pine scented dish soap to make dish washing more festive. and i love seeing the twinkling tree in our home. it makes everything magical.