These Are The Days

"Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present." Roger Babson

Living in the moment has been a very persistent theme for me this winter. Unlike many winters before, I have not wished away the gray days in a desperate wish for the blue skies and kiddie-pool days of summer. I have sunk deep into winter, enjoying its rest, coziness, and intimate pursuits. Summer will come. But, I don't want to waste today wishing for it.

Winter pursuits. This puzzle is killing me. Once I start I can't stop.

Graham did the US all by himself. He was quite proud.

That being said can you believe it is already...

I LOVE flipping this calendar already! It makes me smile every time I walk by it. Teapots and teacups marking my year. Delicious.

January seemed to fly by in a flurry of I-am-not-exactly-sure-what-we-did-but-I-know-my-days-were-full sort of activity. Now, we enter the month of amour and my hubby's 38th birthday. I can't believe he is getting so close to 40! When I look at him I still see that 23year old that took my breath away. Truly!

As always, I have to add a little seasonal twist to our mantle. Heath says he never knows where things are going to be when he gets home because I am always changing things around. Fortunately, he doesn't mind and even laughs at my compulsion to move stuff. It keeps it fresh! And, I am always thinking of ways to make our home run more smoothly and be more organized. I actually enjoy doing it. I am glad that my hubby lets me have full creative authority in our home. I would shrivel up and die if he was constantly neigh-saying all my ideas.

Home school has been a delightful hodge-podge of study lately. We have taken a major break from our regular curriculum and instead gone more with an interest led approach. It has been awesome. And, very fulfilling. Although, I can feel it is time to add a little more structure back in. And, because we home school, we can! That is one of my many things I love about this life adventure. We can take little rabbit trails and see where it leads us, all the while knowing, we can change our course and head back to the main road at anytime. This feeds my creative soul and I know it feeds my children as well. We Smith's are a bit capricious and so we have to follow the rabbit down the rabbit hole on occasion, you just never know what you might find down there! Our recent flight of fancy has led us to study all things "Olympic." We made a flag garland and are learning all about the different countries represented. It has been plain ol' fun! Unfortunately, I don't have any of Liam's flags on the garland because he had way more fun using my scrapbook paper cutter than actually coloring the flags. I am still finding shreds of paper stuck in the carpet.

 

 

I have been a rather distracted reader lately. Bits of this, bits of that, finishing a few but not all of the books I am reading. Lots of magazines for inspiration sprinkled in the mix. The book on top of the stack has been such a great read. The Story of the World series by Susan Wise Bauer is originally for children but I just love it. If you need a refresher in history it is a great way to do it without getting bogged down. Graham has not been all that into it but he did enjoy the story of the Japanese shoguns. We will keep at these books over the years, I am sure.

 

 Due to recommendations from friends at church, we have been buying our vegetables weekly via a co-op called Bountiful Baskets. This program is all over the US and focuses on providing afforadable, local produce to participants. On Saturdays, we head to the pick-up location, load our bags and baskets up with fresh produce and head home. It is really cool. Instead of thinking, Hmm, I think I will make such and such for dinner and then going to the grocery to get the ingredients, I  think, Hmm, I have these ingredients what can I make? I would highly recommend it. Here are our purdy green tomatoes and butternut squash :) I think I am going to try to make fried green tomatoes. I have never had them.

I will end with a quote I read this morning on fb and jotted in down in my quote book:

"As Christian women, this is the attitude that should characterize our lives. We are to be women who love our homes. We are not to be merely workers at home, but we are to take great pleasure in working in our homes. We are to thoroughly enjoy the sphere that God has assigned to us." Carolyn Mahaney

Quite honestly, that is exactly how I feel. And, I am very much getting over the feeling that I should hide that love, lest I give the impression that I am some sort of fakey-1950's happy homemaker. I love my home, I love the people in it, I love the work I have been called to do. I am grateful for every bit of it, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy Monday,
Love,
Christie