Dear Jon

On this day, 9 years ago...

You asked me to be your girl.

Without hesitation (and thinking FINALLY!!!)

I said yes!

You took me to the Revolving Restaurant...

We visited for a long time...

Then, as the stadium fireworks were going off in the distance...

A new relationship began.

There is much I admired about you then

And much I admire about you now.

Your attention to the little things in life...

Your perseverance...

Your courage...

Your smile.

Thank you for sharing life with me.

Thank you for being my friend.

Love Leah

The GREAT PEROGY DISASTER!!

I never have been - and never will be - the MARTHA STEWART type.

There are some of you who can...

.... calm a screaming baby while...

.... chasing a toddler while...

.... whipping up a gourmet casserole dish while...

.... repainting your favorite room with your favorite new color for the umpteenth time.

I cannot do all these things at once.

And I have pictures to prove it.

    

The day before Kezia arrived on the scene, I was strolling about town, 8 3/4 months pregnant, with Mikayla happily viewing the world from her buggy. We popped in at the local MCC to see what kinds of great bargains we could find.

I thought I SCORED BIGTIME when I found a Hunky Bills Perogy Maker.

I have ALWAYS wanted a HBPM.

I have ALWAYS loved perogies.

I have ALWAYS thought it would be easier to use a HBPM then cut out each pocket by hand.

I have ALWAYS been wrong.

The reason that I paid .25 for a HBPM was because someone else hated it too and cast it out of their house for good.

Silly me.

It took me until now to find the time, energy and general all-around umpf to get to using my bargain HBPM.

Sigh. What a disaster.

I should've known that when the dough was too hard, and the cottage cheese to sticky and I had dough and flour and cheese and mess EVERYWHERE - to quit whilst I was AHEAD. 

But NOOOOOO.

I hated the thought that I might be outwitted by a stupid piece of plastic.

So, instead, I decided to make things even more .... interesting.

The girls got up from their naps.

Sigh. When will I ever learn!!!?

Now I had dough, flour, cottage cheese, a wild dog, an infant with a nasty cold, and a toddler who wanted to "help." Between her trying to taste-test the cottage cheese (complete with raw eggs), attempting to feed Diggy a wad of sticky dough, falling off the chair and bonking her head, I managed to salvage the mess - sort of - and throw the rest away in the garbage.

We ate supper at 6.30.

We ate the attempted perogies.

And they were .... nothing short of disgusting. 

Not even ketchup helped the "special noodles."

It took me over an hour to clean up.

I scoured the flour glue off of Mikayla before she found herself forever velcro-ed to a couch.

What do you think - should I keep the HBPM, drive over it with the car until it's in smitheriens or pass it off to another unsuspecting person and watch them wrestle with it!?

Frivolous Finds.....

Let's just get the record straight.

I am not a shopper.

I do not shop for recreation. 

I do not regularly hunt the malls for deals.

Consequently, I have a few favorite things I like to wear and leave it at that.

BUT every so often :).....

Well, let's just say .... I got out, by myself, for the WHOLE AFTERNOON, and I picked up some great finds.

And, since I was "in the mood" :)....

I snagged a sassy pear of high heels - Jon laughed since I never wear high heels!!! 

They are cute, something a little out of the ordinary for me...

... and a little reminder that we never stop discovering little pieces of our personality!

How REFRESHING!!!

Grace Notes

I confess.

Every so often...

Even as a very blessed stay-at-home mom...

I long for a touch of encouragement.

A "Well done." A "Way to go tiger." - okay. Drop the "tiger" part :)

A "Wow. You do a super job."

Every so often...

God has recognized this deep longing in me and has sent incredible moments my way that lift my heart and encourage me. They fuel my "umphf" when I am down and set me on my feet again.

Well, just the other day, one of these blessed "grace notes" made its appearance.

It was a particularly difficult day. Struggling after numerous doctor visits, severe sleep deprivation, a post-natally adjusting body (and hormone system!!), and the "what if/what next" syndrome... a tear slid down my cheek and I asked God - please please PUHLEASE could you send a bit of encouragement.

Somehow, I just couldn't see the Light.

Not an hour or so later, my Mikayla comes up to me saying, "garbage." As is standard with all her attempts to throw things ever-so-helpfully into the garbage, I ask to SEE it before she TOSSES it. And there, in her pudgy little hand, is my purple ribbon.

This purple ribbon has a story, you see. It was given to me by a woman who deeply desires to pursue God. It was given to me at a time when I was seeking more of Him and less of ME. 

A time when I was pondering....

"walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace." 

Matt. 11.29, the Message. 

It was .... significant. 

Purple - the royal color of God. 

A simple reminder of the One who is worthy of all my praise.

And I LOST it.

And it remained hidden from my searching until just the right time. Until this specific moment when I would need a word of encouragement. And there, in my daughter's hand, God was showing me His presence once again...

And the corresponding bible verse that had been given with the ribbon...

"Behold I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands..." Isaiah 49.16a.

What an incredible comfort. What an incredible peace.

Thank you Jesus.

Thanksgivings....

I am thankful for many people, many experiences, many things.

But today...

I want to thank...

MY MOM!!

She is a super great gal who has taught

 me much about the art of hospitality and the gift of

 sharing and generosity.

Thank you, Mom...

.... for bringing pizza and tea when I was sad

.... for listening to the same rants over and over and over :)

.... for taking care of my girls while I nap

.... for the special little gifts that you bring

.... for your encouragement, prayers and perspective

.... for reminding me that there's "no place like home" - whether that be yours or mine :)

.... for laughing with me

.... for arriving so promptly after Kezia's dramatic delivery and sharing that incredible moment with us!!

.... for your enthusiasm

.... for being yourself

.... for being my mom.

I love you.

L.

Ordinary Miracle Kinda Day

Most days - especially days like today - I LOVE what I do.

I get to stay at home, raise my girls.

I have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest my time and energy into these two little people ... 

to encourage... 

to train... 

to teach... 

to love... 

and to do all that I can to draw their precious hearts to God.

There was nothing particularly special about today.

In fact, that is what makes it so perfect.

It was simply a normal, mundane, work-and-play kinda day.

There was warmth and laughter; food to share and clothes to wear.

Giggles, complaints, cries, soothers, diapers, and more diapers :)...

It was positively perfect.

Thank you Jesus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urv7tyeJ7qE&mode=related&search= - Sarah McLachlan

Nesting...

How can I make my house a HOME today?

Will I use words of encouragement and affirmation?

Will I shower those around me with gentle physical affection?

Will I do menial tasks for others - even when the chores get boring - so that our home is a wonderful environment to be in?

Will I seek to spend time with those who are sharing this life journey with me?

Will I be generous in my gifts of appreciation to others?

When I can't - HE CAN

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O LORD Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young - 

a place near your alter,

O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you.

Selah

Psalm 84.1-4

ahhhh coffee

these two little peanuts make me laugh right out loud :)....

however, because of them I go through a lot of this :)!!

wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!!

Psalm 121

Why worry :)?

Because it is the easiest thing to do in all the world!

I can so quickly worry about all sorts of things - present things, future things, past things. My God-given imagination runs wild as my human nature wrestles with the realities of this world. What if what if what if.

Sigh.

The events of our summer have reminded me - uncomfortably - how things happen very differently than you expect sometimes. That is something I struggle to reconcile. I want things to be safe, secure, free of pain and harm.

And sometimes the LORD permits a reminder that He is in charge and I am not.

And then I ask - Dear LORD, how should I pray in all of this? Where are you in all this worry :)?

And slowly, carefully, surely the answer comes...

I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you - the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forever more.

Psalm 121

Oh LORD. Forgive my worrying heart.

Back in blogger world

Somewhere between the end of April and the end of summer, life jumped into fast forward mode. And here we are. Shorter days, cooler nights and school just around the bend. Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Right next to winter and spring. Summer, I admit, with its looser structure and shifting routine sends me into a bit of a tailspin. What can I say :)? I love the color of autumn, the cozyness of a great cup of coffee, my favorite old sweater and my brand new slippers :). As for winter? Well, with snow flakes falling, and Boney-M christmas carols in the background - who can argue with that :)?

Life is good. Full, but good.

And tonight I am counting my blessings and naming them one by one.

At the end of June, we had a baby girl. She was born on our bathroom floor. That is a very long story (well, actually a very QUICK story since her delivery took less than an hour from start to finish!!) - I can assure you that was not in the birth plan - but all in all it is a dramatic story with a happy ending :).

Then we had some very serious health concerns with baby Kezia. The drama continued, and life started tumbling and bumbling about. While only time will tell all the details, as it is with most worries in our lives, our little girl is healthy, happy and a snuggly little bundle. We love her dearly!

I continue to be amazed at the little personality that is just bursting out of our Mikayla. At 20 months, she is a live wire, a fire cracker her daddy calls her, and it is true true true. Life is never dull when she's around.

My hubby, my own mommy :), and many dear friends who journeyed with us as we waited in doctors offices, waited for phone calls, waited for test results. God's waiting room, my mom calls this, this place where the answer is not yet "yes" or "no" but "my grace is sufficient for thee".

My LORD. The One who stands before me, behind me and beside me as I grasp and grapple with the issues of this life. He meets me where I am, messiness and all, and loves me enough to lead me on.

Then there are the simple pleasures of life that truly make each day special...
...that familiar old song on the radio that takes you back a million memories
...a great cup of something hot and tasty (coffee is best, but anything warm and soothing will do in a pinch!)
...dancing around the kitchen with my gals (every so often their daddy joins in too!)
...snuggling with my wild animal of a pooch (he's the only puppy I've truly ever loved, and he's mighty lucky about that because I am the one who gives him his hair cuts!!)
...dear friends who keep me laughing and sane and looking for all the good this world has to offer
...sun-ripened tomatoes from my garden, freshly picked for tasty tomato sandwhiches
...a few precious moments to myself to gather my thoughts, offer my worship and to stretch and dream just a little :)

Life is good. Full, but good.

And tonight I am counting my blessings and naming them one by one.