snow day!

today is cold, real cold. we had a few snow days this week. well, more accurately, we had a few ice days this week. but when you only get a few days a year when it's somewhat white outside, we call it snow ;)

 

we keep our blankies close. 

                       

and wear our pajamas.

valentine's and the mom that i'm not.

i'm reading a book with a group of moms that have young kids called "desperate: hope for the mom who needs to breathe."  we read a chapter recently that was about what kind of family you were and what kind you wanted to be. 

truthfully, it's a lot easier for me, when I think about our family or just me as a mom, to think about what we're not and what I'm not. and while a good bit of that is wrapped up in comparison or being overly self critical, there can be a measure of good that comes from knowing what you're not. 

like maybe if you aren't great at baking and it stresses you out, don't sign up to bring the baked goods to the school party (that would be me.) or if you're drained after spending time out or with people and need alone time to recharge, then its okay to not try and be friends with everyone, to really invest in the few people you can (that would be me, too.) and if your family isn't made up of "outdoor" people, it's okay to spend family time together watching movies (okay, okay, you get it..;)

i think its when you stay in that place of what you're not and use it to make excuses or comparisons or as way to beat yourself up, that it can be harmful. when you let what you aren't define you more than what you are. but if we can acknowledge and embrace what we aren't, we can use it to help point us to what we are. 

i thought about this as i was pacing the aisles of target last week thinking about valentines for winnie's first school valentine exchange. because, being aware of the things that i am not, i do know that our family is big on holiday and traditions. and on top of that, as a family built by two art school graduates, we really love to create things ourselves when we can. 

so, we gathered up the supplies to make some "wild about you" valentine's day cards last week. and as we stamped some cards and picked out some plastic animals, i thought about who we were as a family. 

the things that we are and the things we are not. 

 homemade valentines and store bought cookies. 

love week 2014

love week has officially come and gone, but the impact on our community and our family is far from over. love week is a week in our church where we go above and beyond the other 51 weeks of serving and giving. there are events practically around the clock for over a 100 different outreach partners.

teaching our girls to looking beyond themselves and help others is super important to me. i still remember one christmas, my dad hearing on the news that toy donations were low, took our whole family to toys r us for a shopping spree. we went in, went on a toy shopping spree and left them in the donation bin.

i want my girls to have memories like that and that means it has to start with me. to raise them to be generous and compassionate,  i need to be generous and compassionate. and really, they may not fully grasp everything we're doing, but that's okay. at this point in their lives, i figure if nothing else, they are learning that helping others is just part of what they do (even if we have to have conversations about why they can't take the toys home for themselves.)

one of the first events we helped with was packing little care kits for the homeless in our city. things like nail clippers and granola bars and band aids are a practical way to give someone hope. the girls loved being helpers and collecting everyone's finished bags.

probably my favorite kid friendly event was one our group hosted and i was able to do a few times throughout the week. it's a ministry called bright blessings and it provides homeless and transient children with a birthday celebration. they say that they've found a huge number of children they talk with have never had someone celebrate their birthday. and bigger than toys and cake, having someone celebrate your birthday means you're seen and valued. it gives them something to look forward to.

families and young kids can volunteer by wrapping presents, decorating wrapping paper or placemats (great for really little ones), putting together party favors, and so much more. if you want to volunteer during the year, you can check out events here.

it was a really incredible week, but it doesn't have to stop. we can carry the same love and generosity all year, whether at a planned event or not. i know i always feel challenged at the end of love week to open my eyes to the ways i can love and serve the people around me.

and because it's sometime just easier to show you (and because i am a big fan of the team that created this ;), i'll let you see for yourself. 

The Sights and Sounds of Love Week from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

flower crowns

last night the weather was just about perfect. and admittedly, i'm not the greatest at spending time out in our yard. maybe its the amount of bugs we have or the fact that growing up in south florida taught me to hibernate indoors to avoid the heat. but, regardless, i'm trying to spend more time out on our deck and push the girls to play outside more. 

last night i was showing the girls how to make little flower crowns. our yard is somewhat lacking in the wildflower department, but these little clover flowers got the job done.

little lady olive and 

her sister, lady winnie.

and, while not as adorable as them, a picture from almost five years ago (what?!) on the day we got married. flower crowns for all.

baseball and birthdays

a few days ago was jared's birthday and we celebrated with a middle of the week baseball game. the charlotte knights just moved their stadium uptown, which is a bit more appealing than driving down to fort mill (sorry fort mill.) it was a lot of fun, even if the girls only lasted in the seats for about 40 minutes. 

they mostly just yelled at the dragon mascot, so winnie was thrilled when we bumped in to him while walking around. she ran over and threw her arms around him. 

there was a big grass hill that looked over the stadium where we spent most of our time. the girls thought it was so cool, running up and down. 

overall, it was a really great night. i love this little family of mine. 

the story of halloween costumes.

super winnie, pocohantas winnie and the cutest simba and nala you ever saw. 

my first memories of any kind of sewing were of my mom making halloween costumes for me and my brothers. one year, i was a puppy dog; another, maria from the sound of music; and yet another, dorothy from the wizard of oz. and then there was the one year i was princess jasmine and i had head lice. that costume got ditched pretty quick. 

my mom mostly just sewed for us. a costume to wear or a blanket to sleep with or clothes for my dolls. i'm really thankful for that gift that she gave me, because it was more than that. its a gift that i can now give my girls, too. it has also ruined me on buying store bought costumes (even if i really want to.)