i made it again.

remember the infamous dish that made this little [white-meat-only] vegetarian 'cross over' to the very occasionally red meat eater?????

well, i made it again.

actually, it was my third [possibly fourth, but i am going with third] time.

but wow.
still incredible.
have any of you tried this recipe?
if you have not, i suggest you subtly drop it into your menu for next week
and if you do, let me know what you think!

i knew we were having dinner guests tonight and decided to overlook the simple stand-bys of [my favorite] taco soup, or pasta, any crock-pot dish, etc.
and went for an exceptionally yummy alternative.

i did, however, opt to forgo the rice and egg and made DE-licious cous-cous to accompany the steak and asparagus.

followed by [1/2]walnut cocoa brownies and vanilla bean ice cream.
double yum.

what are you having for dinner tonight?

(=

balloon love.

a few nights ago, we went out to a local mexican restaurant with some very beloved family friends.
upon entering,  L was raptly drawn to the rather large amount of red heart-shaped valentine balloons floating about the windows and on the counter.

requests followed.
deals were made.
happiness exuded.

throughout our meal, whilst enjoying one other's company paired with delicious entrees and bottomless homemade chips and salsa,
this request occasionally and ever-so-sweetly slipped it's way into the conversation.

once everyone had finished eating and my 3 lovelies were happily chatting and gathering their things for the drive home,
unbeknownst to them i slipped away toward the counter.

i returned, followed by the sweet cashier who kindly obliged my request by cutting free
4 helium-filled valentine balloons!

lovelies were delighted, and so was our littlest visiting friend. (=

now this morning, two days later,
as i sit on our couch in the living room [newly painted by the way and i LOOOOOOOOOVE it!]
i watch and adore
as my three precious love-ees are still
and ever enchanted
by these fantastic heart-shaped, floating orbs!

isn't simplicity wondrous?  (=

what small joy has enamored your little ones as of late?


enjoy!

-c.  (=

an excerpt...

"Little Mouse was fast asleep in his soft, cozy nest.

It was so warm, snuggled next to his mother and his six 

brothers and sisters.  Suddenly, his nose tickled....

"Achoo!" said Little Mouse.

He did a big stretch, from his tiny pink nose

to his long tail.  Little Mouse scrambled out 

of his nest.  All around him it was dark and dim.

But far away, he saw something different.

Something that made his eyes water for a moment.  

What was it?

Little Mouse pattered along a leafy tunnel.  Strange

smells tickled his nose.  His

whiskers quivered with excitement.

And suddenly he was there -- there in the big brightness.  

Curious, he tiptoed into the daylight..."

periodically throughout yesterday and today i have been trying to articulate in my mind, words to describe this emotion, this [near] metamorphosis that has occurred and is occurring all about me.  

within me.  

this afternoon, as i sat down for a little quiet time while the little ones' napped, L made his was into the living room quite a bit earlier than usual.  

he thrills my soul, inevitably, every time he awakes, he runs.  

runs with abandon across our wooden dining room floor into where he knows i will be awaiting him.  

all smiles.  

sweet, sleepy-eyed, soft and cuddly. 

and he typically immediately says "let's make a fort".  

break my heart.  (=

after our couch-pillow fort was set, he ran [he does a lot of running] to grab a book for me to read with him. 

he grabbed one of my very favorites, 'For Everyone to Share'.  

such a beautiful story.  

but as i read the opening pages of Little Mouse's first escapade into the 'big outside', i was struck.  

completely and simply.  

these are the words i have been looking for.  

the words that so near-perfectly express what has been going on in my heart, in my soul.  

this change in the weather, the warmth.  

the shining sun.  

such light.  

God moves within the change of the seasons, 

to bring change within His children. 

and this child {moi} needed to 'tiptoe into the daylight',

just like Little Mouse.  

and to exclaim (as he does further into his adventure), 

''How wonderful this place is!"    

enjoy!

-c.  (= 

Today...

Today, I will transfigure all things into beauty, and I will refuse to see anything else.

this statement is point #2 of a 10 point manifesto for joyful parenting.  

wow.  

this is a statement that i live out, and am centered around.  

this is a statement that i, myself, were i writing a 10 point manifesto for joyful parenting/living for Christ/existing in general, would have included on the top of my list.  

this is a statement that bears my soul and echoes a life that i chose to lead, was born to lead.  

so why do i sometimes allow myself to be swallowed up and to forget?

forget something so ingrained, so deeply moving and alive inside of my very soul?

this year has brought about SO many changes (mostly good changes mind you) but changes all the same, for our family.  

i know i have listed them before, but isn't talking things through acclaimed to be cathartic?????

so here they are:

1. moving out of a community where for 4+ years we were given, created and built and were blessed by a true and living family of individuals that God placed in our lives so very graciously, for beauty and for eternity.

2. moving into a town where, save for blood-relation, i had no connection to, was completely unknown to my children and i.

3. living w/my WONDERFUL (truly they are wonderful, we are a [lovely] family of 5!) parents for 5 weeks.

4. moving into a new and wonderful home of our own. (stress isn't always negative stress!)

5. starting new schools.

6. starting new jobs.

7. repeatedly finding new jobs.

8. constantly seeking to find our place in this foreign place.

9. starting a new ministry.

10. experiencing over and over the feeling that this is not home. 

#10 has been a constant reminder that, correct, this is NOT our home. 

none of this is.  

our home is no where on this earth.

it is with our God.  our Lord. 

in a place He is preparing for us right now even.  

and like i tell my little ones when they so often, so wondrously ask, heaven exists in our hearts, but one day Jesus will come and take us Home, to our real home.  

to where Heaven will be a place that we will all live together, in His presence, and in His presence alone.  

all of these changes have brought about battles.  

one after another; 

battles of fear, battles of loneliness, 

of anger, of joy, excitement, 

confusion, questions, all.  

  

but the original reason for writing this post (that has turned into a bit of my heart pouring out, whichi am sure was necessary), was to bring to light a beautiful statement that resonates the desires and truths of my being.  

 Today, I will transfigure all things into beauty, and I will refuse to see anything else.

throughout all of these changes [and more, i am sure, that i have left out], while i have been able to, after we all adjusted and brought forth and faced our emotions about all of it together as a strong and beautifully held together family, and despite a few minor melt downs on ALL of our parts,

parent my children in the ways that i always have--  

something has been slightly different.  

not a difference that often made it's way to the surface, 

but something deep,

deep inside of me.  

a hole.  

a scarred [and probably scared] and aching hole.  

after countless conversations w/A2.

and with precious, precious irreplaceable friends, 

and crying out to God to just show me WHAT is this hole, 

i have come to be shown that it is just that, 

a hole.  

a hole that BEGS to be filled not only with the scriptures, not only with prayer, not only with the love and friendship of my husband,

not only with a wonderful and blessed home where happiness and laughter fill the walls daily, 

but with TRUE JOY, 

true joy that i have been robbed of and unable to find deep within me.  

and that joy is not something that is found in those things,

or people,

or places.  

it is a joy that is given by a gracious God.  
a joy that is there when it is chosen to be had.  

why do we forget to CHOOSE?

that inner joy, that beauty that is truly found in everything.   

that joy, as i have typed and re-typed today, 

is a joy that makes me, me.  

let us not forget to choose.  

let us not rob ourselves of experiencing life the way it was made to be experienced.  

as women, we long to be told we are beautiful,

as our Creator, God longs for us to just LOOK at His creation, 

to find joy in what He presents to us EVERY MOMENT OF OUR DAYS AND NIGHTS.  

 [Captivating]

it is there.

let us not forget to choose it.  

happiness is lovely, but true joy is deeper.  

and it is free.  

thank you Jesus, 

and thank you loved ones, 

and thank you to those i do not even know, whose words have been a resounding reminder in a time of ridiculous forgetfulness!

enjoy!

-c.  (=