This month...

This month we are praying for our house to sell.  We are eager to begin the life God has called us to in Boroughbridge.  So much of our preparation for moving will begin with the sale of our home, and so we are praying and waiting and being thankful for days and moments with people and in places that will soon be far away from us.  My mother-in-law always encouraged me to "mark moments" when my children were babies, and I find myself marking moments in Tuscaloosa, even walking to the car in suffocating heat, the layer of sweat on my skin after an outdoor photo-shoot, I pause in my spirit and say a little, "Thank You," take a moment to store it in my memory.

I chased down this butterfly on a hot morning walk.

This month I've been listening to a lot of Andrew Peterson.  It's hard to pick favorites, but I've been listening to these two frequently.  It's always comforting to be reminded of the sovereign hand of God guiding our steps.

"And I will not forget the words,

of any chorus, bridge, or verse

I promise you."

"Could it be that the many roads

I took to get here

were just for you to tell that story

And for me to hear that song

And my many hopes

And my many fears

Were meant to bring me here all along."  

Many Roads

I've also loved All You'll Ever Need of late.

"The blood of Jesus, it is like the widow's oil,

It's enough to pay the price to set you free.

It can fill up every jar and every heart that ever beat,

When it's all you have it's all you'll ever need." 

We've been celebrating Ella, and birthday celebrations reached their culmination with a joint birthday party with cousin Claire on Saturday.  The girls had so much fun, and everything was a lovely winter wonderland.  I found myself feeling so thankful for the moms that got their girls dressed and out the door to come to a party.  I think we should start a new tradition of party favors for those awesome moms.

My sister-in-law made this amazing cake.

There will obviously be more pictures from the party to come.  The best part of them choosing a Frozen-themed party was putting on the soundtrack and having spontaneous singing and dancing break out because little girls are the best, and let's face it, those are some catchy tunes.

As much as the party-planning committee might be feeling tired, James' birthday is in two weeks.  Ever since we started having parties with friends versus only family parties I have regretted that their birthdays are only one month a part.  It's unfair because I am so excited to plan a party for Ella, and when it's all over I have to fight for the creative energy to plan another one immediately after.  James has been patiently (and also not-so-patiently) awaiting his birthday, so I will have to find that energy somewhere.  At least he finally settled on a birthday party theme that sounded fun for me:  Lord of the Rings.  However, he now keeps trying to change it to Angry Birds, which I have zero enthusiasm for, so I doubt that will happen for my little games-obsessed boy.

Playing Wii games at a friend's house:  his favorite thing.

Several months ago I started making it a point to write down things I read that stood out to me, either because they were clever or funny or I found them to be true, it was encouraging, or maybe I just thought it was good writing.  I've found it really encouraging to go back through from time-to-time to read these things over again.  From this months's reading...

"...you can listen to the One who speaks to your soul.  The One who calls you to freedom of the expanse outside of comfort zones, to give yourself away and not be afraid.  Life is too short to miss out on the harvest opportunity for which God has specifically blessed you for in the first place."  ~ Ann Voskamp

"All books are judged by their covers until they are read."  ~ The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

"It is usual to speak in a playfully apologetic tone about one's adult enjoyment of what are called 'children's books.'  I think the convention a silly one.  No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty--except, of course, books of information.  The only imaginative works we ought to grow out of are those which it would have been better not to have read at all."  ~ C.S. Lewis

"One home is forsaken in hopes of finding another."  ~ The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

"Clearly, being anxious is a full-time and rather exhausting occupation."  ~ The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

"He and Darcy rapidly came to the conclusion that they liked each other and thereafter, as is common with friends, accepted their different quirks of character as evidence of the other's superior intellect."  ~ Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James   

I feel grateful to Lewis for validating my propensity to hang out in the juvenile section of the library.  You can find me there today because we have an overdue book.

Ella's dolls read handmade books prepared by her for their enjoyment.