100 Posts

Well, today marks my 100th post & it has been almost exactly 1 year since I began this blogging adventure. I’ve enjoyed writing about my life, things that inspire me, crafts & creations, and especially about my girls. But, with all that said, I think it’s time to take a little break. I’ve loved having the outlet & connection, but with two babies I really need to be intentional with my moments. 😉 And with NaNoWriMo 2012 on the horizon, I’m going to be even more pressed for time! Besides, you can always find me on pinterest!

I don’t have any plans to close the blog, and I will probably keep my Book List updated, but life is sweet & the days are short that my little pumpkins will be this little. Thanks to those of you who have read and commented and encouraged me. Much, much love!

Lindsey

Poetry in motion

Found myself (accidentally) at a poetry reading tonight! Inspired me to crack open my notebook tonight that has been gathering dust since last year’s novel writing experiment. My struggle has always been making time for creativity & with two little babes I do not have the luxury of waiting around for an inspired moment. (Most likely that moment will occur in the middle of a tantrum or a poop filled diaper!) If I don’t make the time, it just doesn’t happen.

What inspires you? How do you find time/space to let your creative self be inspired?
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Stories

“Once upon a time…” I think those are four of my favorite words. What is it about stories? Why are they so captivating? How do they manage to all at once engage, captivate and inspire us? Why are we the only species to share them? Tell them? Live for them?

I was the kid who had to have the book pried from her white-knuckled grip at the dinner table or who would lay in bed at night promising herself “just one more chapter” into the wee hours of the morning (oh wait, I still do that). I loved that stories could instantly take me from my quiet bedroom to a dark night in the French countryside, or a humid jungle with the calls of birds and monkeys echoing in my ears, or the damp, dark recesses of a dungeon. Stories are magic.

A birth (love) story.

It is a popular phenomenon for mom’s to blog their birth stories. With shows like A Baby Story, the rise in popularity of delivering more “naturally”, and social networks/blogs that encourage the proclaiming of even the most mundane life experiences – it’s not really surprising. Last night, at a cookout with friends, we were talking about this very trend and the women speaking did not have children of their own (but hope to one day) and were describing the stories as a mix of eccentric and horrifying – like a “car crash where you just can’t look away.” I am familiar with these stories, both the extreme (eating placenta, birthing at home in the bathtub, etc) and the graphic (near-death experiences, heart-stopping emergencies). I am not trying to imply that every woman who tells her story online is looking to be sensational, or to minimize the fact that hundreds of women every day have very out-of-the-ordinary, life-threatening labor experiences. I just agree with my childless friends, you should use some discretion when telling your story.

However, I’ve also read plenty of amazing stories that are poetic and written to express the incredible love and life-change that occur at the birth of a child – the miracle where both baby and mother are born. The delivery of my first child was long & tedious, but after seeing her gorgeous face I swore to myself that the only thing I would tell or share with first time moms was: 1) it is the hardest thing you will ever do, but you CAN do it, and 2) it will be the most beautiful moment of your life. Hands down.

Quiet morning…

Sitting quietly at Starbucks, enjoying my first iced (decaf) mocha of the summer and feeling my heart being held in the hands of a generous and steadfast God. How blessed & loved we are: a healthy pre-natal appointment, a car to get me where I need to go, a husband who cherishes friday mornings with our toddler, a safe city and home – shalom.

The contrast of my quiet life in midwest U.S. and the turmoil of places like Syria hold me in a tension that is hard to articulate or reconcile and the book that I brought with me for some quiet toddler-free reading is hitting me square in the chest.

What is God’s word for the world in which we live? Does he see justice and righteousness increasing among us? Is he saddened by our lack of compassion? Are there any who embrace his peace (shalom) and way of life? …I query those of us who know Christ as our life. Can God be pleased by the vast and increasing inequities among us? Is he not grieved by our arrogant accumulation, while Christian brothers and sisters elsewhere languish and die? Is it not obligatory upon us to see beyond the nose of our own national interest, so that justice may roll down like waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream? Is there not an obligation upon us to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God if we want to live in this wonderful peace?

May we be thankful for all we have and know that it is enough… not for us alone, but for the good of all.

Review: How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm

As a new mom (the first time around) I devoured countless parenting books (memoirs, novels, how-to’s, articles, etc) because 1) I love to read, and 2) there is something so magical about connecting with people through written words – I couldn’t wait to connect with other parents in the joy of having our first child! Of course I’m drawn to stories of mother/daughter relationships (factual & fictional) but I also love the occasional “professional” opinion. I’m the type of person who “researches” something to death before I attempt it myself (i.e. gardening, lesson planning, child-birth). The night I went into labor with my first I was up at 2a.m. rocking in my rocking chair reading The Bradley Way for last minute tips. 😉

I heard about the book How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm (by: Mei-Ling Hopgood) from an awesome blog I discovered a few months ago – Science of Mom – written by a former research-scientist-turned-stay-at-home-mom. Her posts are always very interesting and include extensive research & references (very impressive as the mom of a toddler). After reading her review I happened to go to the library and there it was on the “new release” shelf! 🙂

Blogger Award!

This blog has been such a fun undertaking the last 6 months and I’m so glad I finally “got off the bench” and went for it! What started as an outlet for writing has become a place I come to process, share ideas & recipes, gain incredible insight into motherhood, and meet some amazing new people! I have recently reached some wordpress “milestones” (50th post, 20th follower) – big accomplishments for this little blogger – and I was recently nominated for Versatile Blogger Award by a fellow blogger & friend! First, there are some rules:

• Thank the person who gave you this award & include a link to their blog.
•  Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. Nominate (award) those bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.
•  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

First of all, thank you to my friend Joy at One Joyous Heart for nominating me & sharing her heart for God and her daughters with the blogging world.

I have to admit, that I am not a part of the blog-o-sphere enough yet to have 15 nominations (just discovered subscriptions, y’all!), but the nominations that I have are ones that I read (and love) regularly.  Some blog often, some just every so often, but they all have wonderful things to say & share:

1. Nina Badzin’s Blog: creative writer & mom – humorous & insightful!
2. Becoming Jolie: my first e-friend (and really my inspiration for finally taking the blog “plunge”)…someday we WILL hang out in person, Jolie! 😉 – she is so cute & witty, check out her blog today!
3. Science of Mom: looking at motherhood from a scientific perspective – always interesting!
4. The Soulsby Farm: small farm with great info & ideas
5. Seed to Salad: a fellow home-gardener (with a focus on healthy eating!)
6. Sarcastic Cooking: sweet, funny, short stories & yummy recipes (I have a long list of emails in my inbox waiting to be tried & taste-tested!)
7. LadyLee in Process: another mom who tells sweet stories & takes lovely pictures
8. Mamacita Spins the Globe: another mom blog (found on Pinterest) with incredible ideas for teaching your kids geography – so creative & fun!