Cigar Box Guitar

She's been askin' and askin' for daddy to make her one, and this Christmas, she got her wish.

Georgia Reese can be seen belting out tunes and jamming to her hearts content every weeknight here from 7-9.

And she pretty much rocks the cigar box guitar.

Also included: what every little girl wants--a latch to hold things in her cigar box.  Right now, there would be housed inside a hairbrush and fruity flavored bubblegum (NOT of the A.B.C. variety.  For those of you who were not privileged enough to have an 80's childhood, A.B.C. means Already Been Chewed).

A Cheerful Heart

 I am so thankful for this life of mine, as I sit here listening to three daughters giggle over hot cocoa, talk of the day's exciting events that lay ahead, and beg for more marshmallows.  I feel humbled beyond belief, to think of The Savior who died for me so that I could live.  I am grateful to have people surrounding me in my life--some who add to and refine, others who need a helping hand.  I am finding that it takes both to make us into the people God has designed us to be.  Without the sharpening aspect of heart friends, we would have nothing in which to reach towards, thinking that somehow we have reached our highest.  Without the sweet souls who need our care, we would not  experience the wonderful and unique "filling up" that can only be brought by serving others.  Being the deliverer of God's sweet blessings should never be minimized.  My prayer for the rest of this life of mine, is that I would not grumble over serving others.  That I would, again and again, pick up a washcloth, drop a note, cook nourishment, comfort tears, and encourage with words that soothe and lift up.  And when I fail at this, that I would look to Heaven and begin again.

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

Bunk Beds for Three

We have 3 girls.  Not two and not four.  The reason I say this is because there just isn't a great way to split the bedrooms.  Either you get called unfair because you make the younger two share a room, or the older girls will cry mutiny because the youngest gets her own.  You just can't win.  Plus, there has got to be an upside to sharing room besides stealing your sisters clothes, fighting over the night light, and bickering...right?   For this reason (and more) the three girls will share a room. They have known this for awhile and have been very excited about it.  Last week we had the opportunity to put new carpet throughout the entire upstairs and everyone knows what new carpet means, right?  Yes, that means new paint as well.  Because no way are you going to risk getting paint on all that new carpet.

Brian had already planned on bunk beds as a Christmas present for the girls.  But if you are replacing carpet and adding new paint, this sure as sure is the right time for new beds.  Plus, Reesie is due for a crib-exit. The timing was perfect.

Brian wanted this to be a surprise so my sweet mom spent 2 and a half days watching our very docile, obedient :o) children while I helped my man out with trips to Starbucks and Home Depot (what else?!) until I was generous enough to relieve my mom of her duties.  ;o) I spent the whole next day hiding out at my parent's place, telling the girls all sorts of fibs about the carpet and paint taking longer than we had hoped.  This whole time, Brian spent 4 days without seeing the light of day.  Four days without a hot meal.  Four days without the normal girl shrieks that fill our rafters.  At the end of the four days, I brought the girls home with the instruction that they needed to watch a movie downstairs while the paint in their room aired out a bit.  Meanwhile, I hurried and decorated their sweet room as much as I could do in 1 hour.

At the end of the movie, Brian told the girls to go get their jammies on and this is what they saw:

Essentially, a new room.  Cream and turquoise were replaced with clean, crisp white and gone was the blue carpet.  (hooray!) I can't begin to describe the happy shouts and the little legs that ran up and down the stairs.  By the way, the stairs are my favorite part.  Easy for me to climb up and change sheets, and a genius storage for our 3-year-old's clothes.  (From age 2-99, closet space is very important in a girl's life).  This really was a wonderful addition, as I worried that the girls' already small closet would never be able to handle another girl.

She has 2 separate closet spaces and each of the girls have a cubbie for their books.  There is also a very cherished reading space and the girls are already talking about how they'll hang a curtain or sheet to make a fort when their cousins come to visit.

Another favorite thing is Georgia Reese's individual book shelf and water holder.  Anyone who knows Reese, knows her hanker for water, and not just one water bottle at bedtime, but as many as 4 (just in case.)  Brian was clever and included only one spot to try to cut back on the OCD.  Mousie takes up the space for now.

I googled a few bunk beds I liked and copied off pictures.  Brian did the same and then married the two ideas fantastically.  This room is the result.  I am so grateful for his hard work.

Please tell daddy thank you a thousand times.

-Holland, age 7  

Miss Entrepreneur

John 15:12 

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

Our oldest daughter is a born entrepreneur.  She wants to invent something useful, loves the feel of money, is fascinated at the prospect of owning a business.  In fact, one of her dreams is to own a hot dog stand alongside the Boise River.  I may be partial, but I think she'd be the cutest hot dog stand owner EVER and think she'd be quite successful as well.  

Her parents are not entrepreneurs.  

We are inventors and creators, but when someone asks to buy things, we hide under the rug and hem and hah when it comes time to name a price.  

Liv has asked me countless times if she can go door-to-door selling something, anything.  I have to admit I cringed every time.  She is not old enough to walk door-to-door alone, so that would mean her non-entrepreneur mother would have to attend as well. This makes me very uncomfortable and I would be tempted to hide behind the owner's shrubbery and then be talked about later as the "weird mom who hid behind shrubs".  But it was still really important to me that we find some way to fuel her dream.

Our friends Scott and Keri were kind enough to let her set up her own booth at their garage sale.  Liv was in absolute HEAVEN.

I also let her plan our garage sale this Summer.  She helped me for days before hand, never tiring.  

She decided, last Spring, to help raise money for a boy our Co-op sponsors in India. Brian and I bought her 75 pencils on amazon, with the understanding she would cover the costs with the money she made.  She embellished them with toys and pom poms and pipe cleaners.  It was important to Liv that every child who wanted a pencil could afford one, so although she had suggested prices posted, she also had a sign that read, "Donations accepted" and even allowed kids to buy her pencils for a penny.  She had price tags, signs, and advertisements.  She was organized and professional.  I love her.  :o)  

Hebrews 13:16 

And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Opening her booth before co-op and during lunch, she counted her money and was able to pay us back for materials and even earned 20 dollars for Jebastian!  When she threw in an extra ten dollars of her own for Jebastian, we told her we'd also help her with her next endeavor, since she was so generous. 

Matthew 25:35-40 

'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Her first customers!

I am continually amazed at Liv's desire to help others and I love how she is never detoured, but energized by hard work.  What a blessing and a gift she is!

Happy 40 Years of Marriage

My parents celebrated 40 years of committed marriage last Spring.  I am so grateful to them for being an example of faith and love all these years.

Our eldest girls, along with Aunt Becky, Uncle Conrad and Siya.

 We surprised my parents with a book filled with well wishes from several friends and relatives throughout the years.  It is such a treasure to them.

 And obviously, according to the the picture below, funny stories were included.

I am just now realizing my lackadaisical photo practices this last year...no group photos and of course, of my parents and I!

It is such an honor to be around couples who have stayed married.  I understand the commitment, the longevity, the bearing with one another in love.  It is beautiful.

Drizzle Drop Tea Party

A breezy Summer afternoon, a story written by Aunt Tami fresh from the mailbox, and pink punch.  Add in a blanket, 3 sweet sister friends, and a tea set and we have ourselves a party.

I Love This Friend of Mine

And how she makes our girls think they should just keep talking,

 and talking, and talking.

Georgia Reese, age 3

Baby girl turned 3 August 11th, and boy, did she know it.  She even requested a chocolate cake with sprinkles.  The girls knows what she wants, what can I say? Speaking of knowing what she wants, she prefers to be called by her full name.  Not just Reesie anymore.  Georgia Reese.  If only her mother could remember that!!  :o)  

She also is STILL in a crib.  Because she likes it.  And diapers are beloved, especially when Goofy graces the outside. Whoever decided to make diapers so fun should have to potty train my child.  

I asked her the other day if she wanted to try to go potty on the toilet. 

"How bout I just comb my hair, mama?"

She also loves just about any food I put in front of her and lots of it.

"Today was so fun!  We did so many things today.  What was your favorite?"

"I liked the eating part". 

Of course she did. 

2 waterbottles in her bed at all times (extra reserves are essential) and her blankie facing the correct way.  What do you mean you don't know what the correct way is?  The cotton touching the face, of course!  Duh!  Her top blanket shall forever be right side facing down.  

Got that?   

Her most favorite place to be in all the world is Fred Meyer behind the wheel in the car carts.  She loves to help with chores and read and cannot go to sleep unless I play her "Georgia on My Mind" on the guitar.  She also doesn't forget one single bit of information so do not ever try to pull one over on her--got that?  She sings most everything all day long.

Her most recent:

"I love mama.  Her is nice.  

I won't hit her all the time.

ro-ollerskate.  I need her.

Notice there are 7 syllables in each line.  Yeah, pretty much a genius.  

She also uses the name "bobby" as her own 4-letter word.  As in, "You're a bobby!"  Bobby is now banned from our home.  Not the real Bobby.  He's our friend and can come over anytime.  We just need to call him Jim, or something like that. 

She also talks very fondly of Heaven and is excited to one day meet God.  She says he is sweet, and takes care of her.  She also is pretty sure He doesn't scare her.

I love our girl.

Undercover Agents

I'm finding that it's all in the expression.

Goodnight

The Flight

Dear Papa

There Was a Child Went Forth

There was a child went forth every day;
And the first object he look’d upon, that object he became;
And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years. -Walt Witman, from There Was a Child Went Forth