no need for greed

That's the motto at Stan's.

We went this afternoon for a visit. If you come to the farm, I'll bring you.

You will always inhale cigarette smoke. You will always hear profanities. {Are you laughing at our family outing this afternoon?} There will always be a cat walking around the store.

 But I can't guarantee you'll find something great.

{Although I thought this little rocking chair was darling; it would be so cute spray painted and tucked in a kid's room.}

I didn't leave with any treasures today, but I do have my eye on those turquoise mason jars.

{For the record, Patrick hates when I drag him to this place. He thinks it's all {and I quote} "junk".}

lunch with Patrick

{Daddy walking William to the van after lunch.}

One thing I miss about living so close to Patrick's office is our lunches together. I realize now that I was pretty spoiled being able to see him for lunch most days during the week. He usually has meetings now during lunch; but occasionally, we meet him somewhere before driving back to the farm. We had a last minute lunch together at Buffalo Wild Wings before the boys and I headed home this afternoon.

things I LOVE

and

{If you're keeping track, this should have been my post for Tuesday. I missed that one. I wish I could rid myself completely of my OCD and resulting urges to complete things that I've promised myself. I'm going to work on that in my 30's.}

Lately, I've been spying some things I just love around blogland. Many of them involve my daydreams about houses and the future house of my dreams {which really is just in my dreams, btw, but it's fun to dream}.

I adore the open floor plan in this house, and am loving those vaulted, paneled uber-high ceilings.

A boy's bunk room. I stopped in my tracks when I saw this. Whoa. Love it. Perfect for sleepovers {or adding two more boys to our family!} Love this entire house, too. Amazing.

Then there's this light fixture, the Maskros, from Ikea. I remember seeing it when I was there in November. Then I saw it on a blog in someone's dining room and really loved it. It was not, however, this dining room. Although I like it too; especially all of the white. It's driving me nuts now, though and I am on a mission to find that dining room. In a google search, I did come across this -

The 'maskros' apparently gets it's swedish name from this. I totally see it!
On another subject, I'm loving,

This French birthday party ! Love the awning and sweet little cakes. Darling!
And these,

Love these Hunter 'wellies'. They have a super cute kid's version too. With a cute little striped cuff. Love!
Photo credit.
Here's to the looking good in all of that mud from the melting snow!

ebb and flow

Today started out sunny and with the promise of being warm and springlike. 


We were all home together again this morning. Stay at home day 3 for Henry; he was warm again last night just before bed. While they basked in the morning sunshine and watched Kung-Fu Panda {for the 33rd time}, I rushed into the kitchen to make these. {Banana oat muffins}

We played school at home, doing a little reading and math. And then the boys taught an art lesson.

Henry made a tarantula. And he dotted the lines of another one for William to trace.

We spent the rest of the morning outside. Bikes, tractors, mud, swings. The boys were happy the entire time. Not a moment of boredom or fighting or complaining. Warm, sunny bliss.

{It was beautiful today, in the low 50's. It didn't however reach the 60's. Seems this thermometer is fibbing.}

We came back inside and ate lunch and I declared a rest time on the couch. The three of us curled up together, and I dozed with them. The enthusiasm I had when I saw that morning sun was lost and I wanted an excuse to do nothing during nap time. Our afternoon ended up being slow and lazy and we didn't venture outside again. I found myself feeling that familiar guilt as I often do when we have lazy afternoons like these. I want to get comfortable with the ebb and flow that is a natural part of our day {weeks, seasons}. Sometimes we're busy and sometime we're lazy. I kept hearing my mom say, "you won't pass this way again". There's truth to that; that makes me want to enjoy lazy afternoons curled up on the couch with my boys.

Happy Valentine's Day

My sweet Henry has a fever and stayed home today from school. I felt sad for him that he missed his Valentine's party at school and it's always so sad when their hot little bodies lay around in a fevered lethargy. But on the bright side, I got to spend the whole day with he and William and we ate a special little pancake breakfast together {once the morning dose of Motrin kicked in}.

I had more to share along the lines of Valentine's Day and things I love, but I'm tired tonight and almost threw in the towel on this post completely. So I will leave you in suspense until tomorrow. Happy Valentine's Day!

{As I am typing this, a fly just buzzed over here, hit the lamp and crash landed on the desk. Dead. Gross.}

sunshine

It was a lovely day,

Did you see it?

Sunny and 42 degrees on this Sunday. There's something to be said about the long, cold winters we weather together. 42 degrees wouldn't feel all that spectacular without the long series of below freezing days that come before it. In fact, if it were October and 42 were the high, we'd be freezing and bundled up in big heavy wintery coats. But not in the middle of February. It felt, dare I say, like Spring?
We went outside this afternoon for a nice, big, refreshing dose of Vitamin D. We skipped the coats and snow pants in exchange for layers of sweatpants and long johns and sweatshirts.

It's energizing really; the sunshine and warmer weather. Makes me want to get up and do something. Organize things, plant something, clean out a closet. But now it's night and I'm ready to curl up again under the big heavy blanket my mom just gave me this weekend. I like the colliding of the two; sunny and productive afternoons and quiet, cozy nights.

coffee talk

{A few displays at Anthropologie, some hardware and fixtures, Sara and Erica chatting over sales.}
On Saturday, Sara and I drove to Erica's house in the city. It's a beautiful place, lots of character and charm and streams of sunlight pouring in through huge windows. William stayed to play with Ben and Bret and we left for a morning of coffee, brunch and a little shopping. We ate at Julius Meinl; an adorable and cozy little coffee house/cafe. The nutella crepes were perfectly delicious.
Sadly, just after our coffee was served we got word that poor sweet Gabe had gotten sick at the sleepover. By no urging of a doting grandma, but more because of the tuggings on a mother's heart, we sped up our morning. {Is tuggings even a word? Leggings? ha}We chatted through breakfast and then stopped quickly at Anthropologie {it was love at first sight as I suspected -- I even bought something I really, really, love for the house and spent less than 8 dollars! } and then swung through Paper Source. Time with friends is always refreshing and worthwhile no matter how short. I'm so thankful for our morning together. Brunching with friends is something I would love to do more of!
And here's a little peek at the slumbering fun,


{Darling boys! My mom borrowed my camera so we could have some pictures from their night together.}
Feel better soon, dear sweet Gabe. love you!

sleepover

Tonight the big boys {Gabe and Henry} are having a sleepover at Oma's. The little boys are slumbering together in Chicago in matching Superman pj's. A lovely Friday night!

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family bowling night

{Henry celebrating his spare.}

Tonight we went bowling with our small group; all of us, ten adults and ten children. It was fun. The grownups shared lanes and the children bowled together, alone, on their own lane. So grown up of them.


William mostly ate pizza and break danced on the slippery lanes.

Valentine's garlands

This is a super simple way to bring a little love to your special valentine's {and your home} this February.

I'm pretty sure I got this idea from another blog last Valentine's Day, but now I can't find it!  I bought these doilies at the Dollar Tree. Each package comes with 36, either red or white. So one package goes a long way. I actually bought mine last year and made a few garlands for Leland St.

I just used ribbon I already had; this was left over from Christmas. It's easy to weave it through and voila,

pretty little garlands to show your love!

craving color

 
I'm sipping my second cup of coffee; I brewed decaf since it's afternoon, but I'm pretty sure the regular stuff doesn't have much of an impact on me, at least not to my ability to sleep. William is reading books, Henry is working on puzzles. I'm feeling itchy. Not the woolly sweater kind of itchy. The kind of itchy that makes me want to pack the boys up along with a suitcase full of swimsuits and call Patrick to tell him to meet us at the airport and jump on the first plane to Mexico, kind of itchy.
I'm craving color; the colors of sidewalk chalk on a warm sunny day. But we're buried under inches and inches of snow, so we settled for watercolors.

And instead of sitting bare toe-to-toe on the hot concrete outside, we sit elbow to elbow all around the table.


I watch Henry paint the strokes to make the names of our family. I wonder when he got so big; big enough to write, big enough to spell, big enough to call me 'mom'. He is so content in his house, with his family; it's his world. While I want to be sure as his mom to broaden his horizons, I also want to nurture his love of home and being cozy within these four walls. I know it won't always be this way, that he wants to stay home and is content with just being here.



Sitting here at the farmhouse, under the gray sky, well...it's not Mexico. But it's good. There's goodness in touching elbows and sharing paintbrushes and making bright colors appear on plain white paper. Goodness in huddling around the table, staying in, just letting the distractions of what's outside fade away. Until what emerges is really what is most important at the core. Our family; we're together and that is oh, so good.

In Christ Alone

{I love this hymn and I love this version of it. Owl City; swoon.} 

Driving to Bloomington with William this morning, this came on the radio. Oh, how I love this song. I first heard it at Christ Church and later chose it as the hymn for Henry's dedication service. I am so moved by this song. I love the way it describes what God did for us through His son, Jesus.
The lyrics to me are so reassuring:
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
------------------------------------
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
------------------------------
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
-------------------------------
Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
---------------------------
 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
{This verse always makes me want to do a big fist pump!}
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
-----------------------------------

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From a life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
--------------------------------

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand.

blue

Blue is the color of the sky today. It was a gorgeous shade of the summer kind of blue. The crystal clear kind of sky that stretches on and on without a single cloud. Patrick bundled the boys up and took them outside to play in the snow. They ran up and slid down the huge pile next to the driveway, which has affectionately become known as Drift Mountain. I put on my scarf, coat and boots, cursing winter as I zipped, and trudged outside to take a few pictures of the boys. I prepared for the biting cold and gusts of wind. Snowballs whizzed past my face, and I snapped pictures of the laughing children, reminding them of the camera in my hand, so don't hit mommy.

And then, like some kind of moth that buzzes in through the front door attracted to the light, I walked around the house next to the open field until I was standing directly under the light. The afternoon sun poured down in grand style making everything bright. Standing under that blue sky in the bright light was such a welcome change today. I really am a gray kind of girl. But I'm finding that I'm a gray girl when it comes to the walls and a blue girl when it comes to the sky.