Pumpkin in the Pumpkins

We took a drive over to The Berry Patch Farm just a few miles north of us.

Pumpkin played in the pumpkins, ran around the barn, watched the chickens and generally charmed everyone.

Dumpling slept.

The Last Rose of Summer

Doesn't Sweetheart take such nice pictures?



Yes, that's snow outside. We awakened on Sunday morning to snow. Pumpkin looked out his window and said, "Bugs!" as the flakes flew across the sky. He then spent the morning looking out the bay window watching the snow.

Here his is showing his Little People the snow. It melted off by afternoon and we've had beautiful Autumn weather ever since. I love Colorado.

Six Weeks

I've gained three pounds.
I'm almost three inches longer.
I've learned to smile.
I'm really cute.

Round 2 has struck. I thought we were all better, but it came back on me last night. Ugh. Your prayers are appreciated.

I Love Mail!

Yesterday's mail contained two lovely surprises: a card and tea from Kelli and my first new issue of Victoria Magazine!!!! Plus, no bills so it was a great mail day all around. If you haven't signed up for Victoria, hop on over to their website. They've added a bunch of new features to enjoy.

Many thanks to Kelli as well as your gift brightened my entire week. What a great brand of tea! I'll have to keep an eye out for that one!

Recovering

The virus hit Sweetheart hard, but luckily waited until Pumpkin and I were doing better. Dumpling seems to be coming along just fine. It's not good to get sick from a well-visit to the pediatrician's office! I think we are all on the road to recovery. Now, to just try and make up the lost sleep...

A few mornings before Sweetheart sucumbed to the virus, he and I stepped out onto the porch after a morning of rain. Here's some pictures to enjoy that he took. Enjoy.

No Postings

We are battling a virus here. It's gone from Pumpkin to me, Sweetheart's not feeling 100%, and I'm watching Dumpling like a hawk. I'll resume postings as time and tummies allow.

Laboring Verses

Here are the verses I wrote out on plain index cards to read during labor. I added little flower stickers to the cards as well to make them not so plain and flowers are relaxing to me. Since Dumpling arrived 12 days "late" I read the cards a lot during the waiting days. I did actually go over them a few times during labor. Now, most of them are on my vanity mirror. I think I may put them by my rocker so I can review them while nursing--one of the few moments I sit still in the day! Many of these verses were suggested by other readers. To those of you who left verses in the comments, thank you!

I hope these can encourage you wherever you are at today. Whether or not you'll be in labor anytime soon doesn't matter. These verses are some that can renew you during any challenging time and remind you to draw your strength from Him. I find myself repeating them throughout the days and nights, especially when everyone around me, and sometimes including me, is crying or needing something.

I especially like the promise that, "He gently leads those that have young," when I'm feeling swamped and unsure of what to do next with the boys. I ask/beg Him to lead me in that moment. And He does.

Isaiah 40:11

He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young.

Psalm 5:3

In the morning, O LORD,

you hear my voice;

in the morning

I lay my requests before you

and wait in expectation.

Phillipians 2:13

For it is God who works in you to will and to act

according to his good purpose.

Proverbs 3:5&6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

Hebrews 13:5b-6

God has said,

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

So we say with confidence,

"The Lord is my helper;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?"

Psalm 91:2

I will say of the LORD,

"He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God,

in whom I trust."

Psalm 33:20-22

We wait in hope for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us,

O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 139: 13-16

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

Psalm 46:10

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.

Philippians 4:19

And my God will meet all your needs

according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3 (I really like and need this verse!)

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you.

Philippians 4:12-13

I know what it is to be in need,

and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content

in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,

whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Psalm 124:8

Our help is in the name of the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 62:1-2

My soul finds rest in God alone;

my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress,

I will never be shaken.

Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Time

"Empty time is not a vacuum to be filled.

It is the thing that enables

the other things on your mind

to be creatively rearranged,

like the empty square

in the 4x4 puzzle

which make it possible to move

the other 15 pieces around."
~Harvard Dean, Harry Lewis

I copied this quote into my journal a few months ago. Isn't it true? I find I need time to be able to be creative, to see things differently, to truly live life.

I spent so many years with every waking moment filled. I was busy and I accomplished a lot. I was very productive. But I wasn't that happy. I wouldn't have had time to write anything in a journal!

Now, life has changed. I am no longer a classroom teacher working a ridiculous number of hours every week. I'm not even on any committees, or in charge of anything, but our home and the kiddos. While I maybe really busy taking care of the boys at different times of the day (and night), our schedule is such that many days we don't even leave the house. I love that.

The six week period of staying home everyday last Autumn while Pumpkin was in his cast really changed a lot of the way I look at life. I enjoy going out and am not a recluse by any stretch, but I've come to appreciate my home and my life more.

I enjoy the quiet moments during naps and after bedtimes to just read, write, blog, or work on my collages and scrapbooks and cards. I don't feel a need to be busy. That's not to say that I don't enjoy spending an evening with Sweetheart out, or with friends, I do. But I could never go back to what life was like before and still be happy and sane.

Those little 4x4 puzzles Harry was talking about were always so hard for me to solve. I'd constantly try to just shove the pieces around and try to force them into the pattern. I usually wouldn't bother to slow down, look at the big picture, and plan how to make it work. I'd get so frustrated trying to just move the pieces without thinking of the next step that I'd rarely ever solve the puzzle, but would just give up and toss it down.

My life was like that, too. I'd be so overwhelmed and frustrated trying to balance everything I was doing, that I'd finally give up; instead of slowing down and trying to get perspective and realizing that the only way to solve the puzzle would be to have more space in my life. The only way that space would appear would be by my saying, "No," to some of the things I was trying to do. Now, the things I was doing were all good things, but I've since learned that I don't need to be the one doing them all.

One of the greatest myths I believed for a long time was that I was the only one who could do something. It was often that I was the only one willing to do that thing. Do you want to know what I learned? If I was the only one willing to do something, it must not really be that important. If it was truly important, then someone else could and would step up and do it. It didn't need to be all up to me to do.

This was hardest to accept on things that I thought I "should" do, especially when it came to my students. I didn't want to disappoint my students. Or, it might be a really good event to plan for school, or even church. There are so many good things I could do! Now, though, I'd rather save up my energy and do fewer things better.

I remember telling myself, and Sweetheart, that things would settle down after a particular event would be over. Hah. Maybe for a day it would be better, but then I'd jump into the next thing immediately. Come on, I'd start planning the next school year on the second day of summer. Seriously.

Wow. I was just planning to post the quote, and not pour my heart out. These are ideas that have been floating around in my mind for awhile. I guess they finally needed to come out. Can I say, I'm amazed that I've had the time to actually write all this in one sitting? Both boys are still snoozing. What a blessed gift in the middle of the day!

Note--Dumpling had his one month check today. He's gained two pounds and grown 1 3/4 inches since his arrival last month. Guess all those feedings have paid off! It also explains why I'm having trouble fitting him into his clothes.

Our pediatrician is the greatest. I taught one of his boys 8 years ago. Now he's watching my sons grow up. He was so reassuring about all my mommy concerns. We consider him such a great part of the boys' lives.

Dumpling Smiling at His Aunt Yesterday

Guess the post I was planning to do today on "Things This New Mommy Loves" will have to be done another day. I'll also be including the Scriptures I wrote out on cards to read during labor. They were really helpful to me, maybe they can encourage someone else as well.

Artful Blogging

Have you seen this magazine: "Artful Blogging~Visually Inspiring Online Journals" from Somerset Studios? I saw it a few weeks ago at the bookstore and enjoyed thumbing through it. I noted a few new websites to visit.


My blog wouldn't be listed in this magazine, but it was fun to get inspiring ideas. I think I'd have to do more than the standard Blogger templates as well as spend a lot more time blogging. Neither of which will be happening anytime soon. As it is, I'm lucky to get to sit down an blog for more than five minutes straight. That's about as long as Pumpkin will sit on my lap with me typing before he starts trying to type, or push odd buttons on the keyboard and monitor, or baby brother wakes up...

As time permits, I may add some links to some of the blogs they mentioned. Until then, you can visit my Aunt Linda at her new blog. Here's a link to some of her on-line photo albums. She's really amazing. I think all the artistic genes in the family went to her!

Autumn Aspens

I've been trying out new templates the last few days. I'll keep it like this for a bit and see how I like it. Opinions?

Brothers

B

B- The Brown Palace- is one of the nicest places in Denver to go to tea. I've been there once with my mom. We had a wonderful time. I'd love to go there at Christmas, but have never been able to get a reservation as it books up so far in advance. It's supposed to be incredible with all the hotel Christmas decorations. Someday...

B-Bergamont- Bergamont is a Mediterrean citrus fruit. It is the oil of bergamont that gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive flavor and scent. It is a light fragrance that is noticeable both before and after the tea is brewed. There are even perfumes that contain bergamont in them.

B-Bodum- Bodum makes my favorite, all-purpose tea pot. It's not as pretty as my fancier ceramic pots, but its built-in infuser is the best. Now you can brew tea and stop it from steeping without removing the leaves or decanting the tea into another pot. Ours is an older version that has a regular spout on it, but these pots work as well.

ABCs of TEA

Ever since Joanne started her ABC meme on her life, I've been thinking of doing my own version. So now it begins, but instead of things on my life I've chosen to do the ABCs of Tea. Besides, this will help keep everything on this blog from revolving around babies as life seems to do these days...

A-Anna Duchess of Bedford: This is the woman credited with starting Afternoon Tea as we know it. During her life, it was tradition to have a long time between lunch and dinner. She began to experience a "sinking feeling" in the afternoons and began to ask for a snack to be served to her in the afternoons with a cup of tea. Soon, she began inviting her friends to join her and launched an activity still immensely popular today!

While we may not stop for Tea Time each afternoon here in America (though I wish we did!) I know that most of us enjoy a little afternoon break usually involving food and drink. Why not make yourself a pot of tea and take a few extra moments to make your snack pretty? What a nice change it would be! A quick and simple Tea Time would make a wonderful after school-time break. With just a little thought and planning you could create a wonderful new family tradition whether your kids go off to school, or have school at home.

Why not try it one day this week or next? Keep it simple! Maybe PBJ sandwiches with the crusts cut off and some cut up fruit would work. Serve them with tea, if your kids like tea, or just some lemonade or juice. Use teacups if you've got them. Don't just leave them sitting in a cupboard somewhere collecting dust!

A-Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea is the time for all the pretty, dainty foods we associate with a tea party. It is not proper to refer to that as a High Tea. A High Tea is simply dinner, not a fancy event.

A- Assam Tea

Assam Tea is a black tea grown in Assam, India. It is very popular and has a clean, brisk flavor that holds up well with savory foods. It is often used in Breakfast Tea blends like Irish Breakfast and English Breakfast teas.

A- Ashby's

Ashby's is a wonderful brand of teas sold here and in England. We buy their Earl Grey in bulk on-line and consider this our "everyday tea". I also love their Ginger Peach tea.

Isn't the poster at the top pretty? It's "Afternoon Tea" by the artist Clement Micarelli. I found it at Allposters.com. Wouldn't it be pretty up in the dining room next to part of my teacup collection? Sigh.