Kendall's Royal Salon

For Kendall's fifth birthday, we gave her (and a number of her adorable friends) the royal treatment.  I called in Grandmas and friends to help me pamper this group of princesses from head to toe...curling up their hair, accessorizing with make-up, painting their pretty little nails, and decking them out in royal duds.  Each princess brought their own princess dress and, would you believe, not one was a duplicate!  At the end of our morning together, we treated their moms and dads to a royal promenade- for each to show off their styling.  We had a blast!

Kendall loved her celebration, and being surrounded with special friends.  And WE have loved each of our five beautiful years with our sweet girl!

Ready for the party!

Sweets and treats

Coloring princess pages

Let the pampering begin!

The most beautiful girls in all the land!

Where We've Been and Where We're Going...

Well, helloooooooo stranger!  (brushes dust from keyboard)

It's been pretty lonesome at the blog lately.  No worries, I have no plans to abandon this sucker completely.  In fact, we'll be needing it much more very soon (teaser...)!  I'm not sure what form it will take, but it will certainly continue to bring you the latest and greatest from the Stavenger family.

You may be wondering, WHERE have I been?  If you're social media savvy, you know I've had my hands full with a big project.  Remember when I told you that maybe, MAYBE in my distant dreams, I could make a go of being a calligrapher?  Well, I took a big step towards that dream by opening my own Etsy shop!  It's been a learning curve, I'm still figuring out the ins and outs of the business, but for the most part I've been very happy with it.  Now I just need to get some more prints out the door, and I'd be even happier.  OH!  You want to order one, you say?  Head on over to All The Pretty Letters and check it out!

Now, for the biggie.
And I do mean big.

A couple years ago, we started searching for the perfect place for our family to put down roots.  Our sights were set on the great state of Colorado, and we began to pursue a job there for Chris.  Unfortunately, we felt God closing doors all over the place.  Housing was expensive, jobs weren't available, there was an uneasiness in our spirit...the list goes on.  Reluctantly, we surrendered that dream and opened ourselves up to ANY direction God may point us.

As we explored various corners of the country, one area in particular caught our eye.  Having never been there, Chris and I visited Charlotte, North Carolina a year and a half ago.  We fell in love with it.  Both of us felt a strong pull in our hearts toward this city.  And though we had no immediate plans to relocate, we added it to our list of possibilities for the future.  The future came quickly last spring, with a near-miss landing a job.  It was disappointing, but we put our trust in God's timing and resumed life as usual.

Then, a few weeks ago Chris had the opportunity to interview for what seemed to be a job tailor-made for him.  It exceeded every expectation he had, and they were quite satisfied with him.  We waited anxiously and prayerfully for "the" phone call for several days, and when it came, we excitedly accepted the offer.  This means, of course...

WE'RE MOVING TO NORTH CAROLINA!

While I'm SO excited about what is to come, I'm in the process of sorting through a lot of emotions...namely, the anxiety that comes with a cross-country move.  I know some of you have done this, and done it frequently, so I covet your advice and recommendations!  Also causing me an element of sadness is the impending separation from our friends and family here in Fargo/Moorhead.  I'm grateful that we will always have a reason to come back and visit, with some family rooted in this area.  

So that explains why the blog has been a little sleepy, and why it may be pretty sparse in the weeks to come as we have much to do in preparation for this adventure.  But on the other side of this mess, you can count on frequent updates from us as we attempt to keep you all as near as possible virtually.  Thanks for being a part of our lives, and for your support in all of our endeavors!

The Play-Doh Prodigy

Kendall has had her OWN little obsession lately.
Oh, you heard? 
Well, it surpassed the "hobby" stage a long time ago.  At this point, the Play-Doh company should be personally thanking me.

After watching a few Play-Doh tutorials on YouTube, I noticed Kendall's interest increase dramatically.  Not only did she want to do play-doh ALL THE TIME, but she started mumbling under her breath as she was playing, creating her own "video" as she constructed her creations.  As a mom who isn't opposed to a bit of iPad play (there, I said it), but would like to encourage as much time away from the screen as possible, I've been thrilled she wants to spend so much time playing imaginatively.

As a reward for weeks of good behavior, Kendall chose a new Play-Doh princess set and has been working non-stop on perfecting her princess gowns.

Using her favorite tool, the "extwooder"

My little fashionista...perhaps I have a future costume designer on my hands! 

Lucky mommy...I get served up delicacies like this on a daily basis. 

At some point in all of this madness, Kendall asked if she could make her own video.  I was excited to comply, dusted off the video camera, and pressed "record".  Twelve minutes later, she was done with her first video...and four hours later, I was finished editing it down to five minutes.  In case you missed these gems making the social media rounds, you can find the links below.  I'm sure they'll give you the urge to crack open some fresh cans of soft play-doh and get to work!

P.S. At our pre-school Back-to-School night, Kendall's teacher mentioned that the best thing we can be doing as parents is giving kids play-doh at home...it helps them strengthen fingers and develop fine motor skills.  I'd say we're a step ahead on that front :)

Don't Quit Your Daydream

In fourth grade, my teacher required all students to purchase a real calligraphy set from the art store, complete with ink cartridges and pen.  The thought of a public school teacher doing this today is laughable, but "back in the day," classroom teachers had a little bit of freedom in what they could add to their core curriculum.  That's why my sixth grade teacher could write and have us perform a musical, that's why my fifth grade teacher showed us how to prepare fried calamari, and that's why I was introduced to calligraphy in fourth grade.  In retrospect, God aligned me with a succession of teachers that encouraged and honed my artistic aptitude (though I'll pass on the calamari, thanks.).

In college and the years following, I used my amateur penmanship skills to serve many friends and ministries.  I addressed hundreds of envelopes as wedding gifts.  I penned banners and scripture cards and dabbled in graphic design.

And then, I moved across the country to a place where no one knew about my artistic skill.  No one asked me to create anything for them, and that was okay with me.  I was planning a wedding...I was establishing my home...I was beginning a family....I was caring for babies....and the creative side of me fell by the wayside.

I had actually forgotten that I was capable of making pretty things (though I'm proud of the two beautiful children I made every day) until a friend reached out to me out of the blue.  He is a former radio personality who has gone into full-time ministry and I've done several projects for him in the past.  This time he asked for a scripture piece to put in his new office.  I actually wrestled with the project, unsure if I could even DO that anymore.

What that little request prompted took me by surprise.  I did some sketches, played with watercolor, restocked my art supplies with the basics, and soon I was craving some time at my desk!  I joined a calligraphy community online, began watching copperplate tutorials, and have been doing daily drills to refine my formal scripting skills.  It has all been like a huge exhale...removing the dust from skills that became dormant somewhere along the road, and setting some pent-up creativity free.

Perhaps I could make a living at this in the future, perhaps not.  For the time being, I'm going to keep that vision alive and move toward it.  The possibility of doing something I love full-time seems too good to be true.  But I've witnessed so many friends make their dreams happen, I believe it can be done!  Keep your eyes open for more projects in the future!

Let the Little Children Come

Mark 10:13-16 
"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."

In response to the above passage preached a few weeks ago, Kendall and I sang "Jesus Loves Me" for the church.  I was overwhelmed with nerves on Kendall's behalf, but it wasn't necessary...her excitement never waned.  Though slightly distracted by a close-up image of her on the big screen over her shoulder, she confidently sang and blessed the congregation with her sweet song!

For the video of this performance, check out www.bethelfc.com Sunday service for June 29, 2014.  Kendall's song starts at 1 hour 20 min.  OR follow this link to my facebook video:   https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100111409716517&l=7490065596377833727

Right Before My Very Eyes...

I suppose there IS some magic still happening in our household....
My babies are vanishing right before my very eyes!

 Our dear friend is a talented photographer, and graciously spent a morning capturing these precious littles on film.  (We snuck in some playtime, too!)  Here are some of our favorite shots:

And, proof of the magic...
this was NOT that long ago!

Ruining the Magic.

My brother was the magician in our family. 
Inspired by David Copperfield television specials, as many of our generation were, it became a hobby for him.  He worked tirelessly on his sleight of hand techniques and became pretty good.

(above:  Halloween of yesteryear, and stupefying guests after our wedding)

Derek knew several tricks...cards, coins, little magic gadgets he'd acquired along the way.
My dad had ONE trick.
He'd rub a quarter into his forearm and make it disappear. 
And, at risk of sounding sadly gullible, I bought into that trick until the brink of my teen years;
A DECADE of believing my Dad had a stash of quarters in his arm.

All you need is one good trick.  I found mine years ago.  It became my go-to jaw-dropper, baffling hundreds of students over the years...the perfect incentive for those rough substitute teaching days.

In an inspired moment following watching "America's Got Talent" with my kids, Chris showed the kids a trick of his own.  Their eyes were bright and filled with wonder!  Mommy took her turn next, bringing my trick to the eager audience.  Perfect execution...mic drop...I'm out.  "Whoa!" the kids shouted!

A little bit of confused chatter took place as they tried to figure out how mommy put a quarter in the back of her head and spit it out her mouth.  And then I heard it...

"Want me to show you how Mommy does it?" Daddy said.
"Yeahhhh!!!"  Excitement ensued.

I shot Daddy a glare across the room that, if I were Elsa, would have frozen the kingdom and CERTAINLY would have stopped him from sharing the secret to my trick.  But lacking those wintery powers, I was helpless as the curtain was pulled back on my prized illusion.  Pretty soon, I had two tiny magicians giving this little trick a whirl.

I could have had them scratching their heads for years to come, but now "they know."  And I'm kinda sad about that.  Like, legitimately disappointed!!  But instead of whining too much about my ONE TRICK being RUINED here, I'm going to use this as a learning/teaching experience.  There is a code of ethics between magicians...here are 4 simple rules by which to abide (ahem, Chris Stavenger...)

1.  Practice, practice, practice!
2.  One trick per audience (leave them wanting more).
3.  Use a mirror.
4.  Never, EVER TELL!!

So there you have it.  Chris has implored me to "get another trick," but alas, my magic days are over. 

Before and After!

Transition is difficult for me.  I felt myself physically tense up when Chris suggested that we try out a "big-boy bed" for Carter.  Now, my apprehension was, in large part, due to the fact that he still doesn't sleep all that great in his crib.  Also, his propensity for fleeing the bedtime scene is significantly higher than his sister (therefore, Mommy likes him behind bars).  But there was a large element of my psyche that just couldn't process this because...he's my baby.

Emotion aside, his new bed arrived on our doorstep and I gave myself one more night to rock him and tuck him into his cozy crib.  The next day, my very handy husby disassembled his babyhood and put a toddler bed in its place.  Our fingers were crossed as we kissed him goodnight...and I'm happy to report that he was SO GREAT all night!  Success!  Now, let's hope it continues as the novelty slowly wears off...

Before....and after.

In the process of freshening up his room, I set out to complete a project that has been waiting in the wings for quite some time.  When my childhood home was vacated, I snagged a few items for our home.  I asked for two rocking chairs...one that sits in our living room now, and a child-sized rocker that had belonged to my Dad.  I always intended to refurbish it for Carter to use, and if I didn't do it soon, he would be too big for it.  SO...I used this beautiful Fargo day to do some painting in our driveway.

Everyone loves a good before and after, right?

(L-R) My Dad's brothers pictured with the aforementioned chair, and fabric swatch options.

Annnnnnd, the newest addition to Carter's room:

Luuuuuuuuucccccyyyy!

I go through phases with television viewing.  For a while I was totally into HGTV and all the Property Brothers brilliance.  Then I had a brief love affair with Fox News.  (It was brief.) After that, I swung over to the Food Network where there was some fantastic things happening, including Food Truck challenges.  If you haven't heard that Food Trucks are a huge, delicious fad right now, you've been living in a hole (or, perhaps, a tiny village in the midwest that doesn't have food trucks...or cable).

>>As a little aside, one of my childhood friends now owns a VERY successful food truck business in southern California.  If you're ever in the Santa Monica or Los Angeles area and have a hankering for gourmet hot dogs, do what the big stars are doing and get on over to Dogtown Dogs!<<

Anyway, one of these food truck shows featured a cuban food truck called "Babaloo."  I'm not sure if this truck is still operating, but it doesn't matter:  I snagged the recipe for their "Lucy! Lucy! Sandwich", and I'm now in LOVE.  This is a delicious summer sandwich, so I'm sharing the awesomeness with you:

 Avocado -Mango Spread:
Avocado
Diced Mango
Diced Red Onion
Cilantro
Lime Juice
Sea Salt
(Combine these ingredients to taste.  This combo is, incidentally, SO tasty on it's own that you can just fork it in.).

Toast or grill bread of your choice (We use crusty french on a panini press).  Add grilled chicken breast (or grilled turkey breast) and Monterey Jack or Muenster cheese, top with a generous helping of Avocado-Mango spread and some lettuce if you prefer.  Enjoy!

Photo credit to wholegreenlove.com

Why I Didn't Buy Him a Father's Day Card.

A few months ago, Chris and I visited the Mall of America for our anniversary (romantic, right?).  While we were there, we (I) did some card shopping at Papyrus (adorable stationary that definitely costs a pretty penny).  We (I) carefully chose some beautiful and meaningful cards.

But Chris was all like, "Why does anyone spend six dollars on a card?"
And I was all like, "HUSH!  They're like tiny pieces of art!"
And he was like, "They're just going to be thrown away."
And I was all, "The sentiment will be enjoyed...and I'll be keeping mine." (I picked out my own Mother's Day card.)
To which he said, "Well, don't spend that much on cards for me."
And to which I replied, "Oh, don't worry.  I won't."

When Father's Day rolled around, I kept my promise.

Pinterest to the rescue, I downloaded some card templates and fancied them up a bit.
Then, I interviewed each of the kids separately with a fill-in-the-blank activity, beginning with Carter since he's a big ol' copycat these days.  The following is what they said about their Daddy:

CARTER

My Daddy's name is Daddy.
My Daddy is 2 years old.  (holds up 2 fingers)
My Daddy is big tall.
My Daddy's favorite food is noodles.
My Daddy's favorite color is deen (green).
My Daddy's job is to clean up.
My Daddy loves to play wif me.
My favorite thing to do with Daddy is play wif Daddy.
My Daddy makes me laugh when he nuddles me.
My Daddy taught me to catch.
My Daddy is the best at (whispers) nuddlin' me.
I love my Daddy because I love him.

KENDALL

My Daddy's name is Chris.
My Daddy is 60 years old. 
My Daddy is (this big) tall.
My Daddy's favorite food is pancakes (big ones!).
My Daddy's favorite color is green and blue.
My Daddy's job is to fix people.
My Daddy loves to make things, like salad and pizza, and loves to smell flowers and candles.
My favorite thing to do with Daddy is play with him and snuggle with him.
My Daddy makes me laugh when he tickles me.
My Daddy taught me to sing.
My Daddy is the best at baseball, 'cause he always catches the ball and hits it far away.
I love my Daddy because he hugs me and loves me.

After all of that, I think Chris is probably right.  He LOVED his cards and the sweet words from his kids.  THESE will be the cards we end up keeping for years to come. :)

He Is Alive!

Let this be the soundtrack for your Easter season.

Kari Jobe - Forever "LIVE" from Robert Elam on Vimeo.


FOREVER  (Kari Jobe)

The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon Him

One final breath He gave
As Heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken

The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting
Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated

Forever, He is glorified
Forever, He is lifted high
Forever, He is risen
He is alive
He is alive

Grief and Joy

Grief is such a long, weird roller coaster.  I haaaate roller coasters.

Life seems to plug along as usual, punctuated by happy memories or poignant reminders that tug at the heart and cause deep, proud exhales.  Then the next moment may find you evoking the spirit of Ron Burgundy, screaming "I'M IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTION!"  Such was the case this past Friday.

Several things contributed to my grief-ridden outburst.  First, a close friend of ours experienced the death of a sibling.  His only sibling.  I can relate to the imprint this loss will have on his family, but not to the sudden, tragic way that it happened.  The unanswered questions regarding a life abruptly halted is a different kind of grief burden. 


I lost my brother in a different way... one that I had time (though not enough, never enough...) for which to prepare.  The implications of that, trying to understand what my brother was feeling as he courageously fought a losing battle, are an entirely different burden.  To be honest, I don't allow myself to "go there" very often- hardly ever anymore.  But I did on Friday after reading about a friend's life-threatening diagnosis. 

She bravely beat breast cancer last year- while pregnant, no less.  She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and life post-cancer resumed, until she discovered a lump on her arm last week.  We awaited her news which she graciously shared with us via social media:  "It is not good news. I have Stage 4 cancer. It is in my arm, lungs, liver, bones, and brain. We pray that chemo and radiation (and God!) will work a miracle, but we do not expect one. "All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live." 

I thought about her two young children who don't realize they may lose their mommy, and it hurt my heart more than I could bear.  I lingered in the sadness for a while, I had some meaningful conversations with my husband, and then I forced myself to stop thinking about it.  I have that luxury, unfortunately she doesn't. 

And then, to cap off the week, was a frivolous little made-up holiday called "National Sibling Day," showcasing itself primarily on social media.  My news feed was inundated with photographs of friends with their siblings.  And while this has never bothered me before, I was particularly sensitive this year.  

I wish I could have one more day with my brother.
I wish he could see my children, laugh and play with them.
I wish my children could know their funny, gentle, generous Uncle.
I wish my husband had a brother-in-law to battle in Fantasy Football.
I wish that grief hadn't destroyed my family.

So, yeah.  I let the tears flow.  It was physically and emotionally exhausting, but cathartic.  I needed it.  And now, having spent time grieving the pain of death, I can redirect my focus to the JOY of the RESURRECTION that defines this week, the overcoming of the grave through Jesus Christ and the hope of a pain-free, beautiful eternity in the presence of our God.

I love this season.
 
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... (NIV)

Fantastic Firsts

I definitely wrote 2013 on a check yesterday.
(Yes, we still use that primitive form of currency from time to time.)

Anyway, here we are....in our third fourth month of 2014, and I feel like I just exhaled the whole Christmas season.  It's true that being a stay-at-home mommy can seriously mess with your notion of time.  Endless days upon endless days, they bled together as "stay-at-home mom" became a literal description of my life this winter.  And though I've been much more diligent about blogging this year (insert huge pat on the back!), I've realized that I missed documenting some pretty significant moments over the last few months. 

Though this post exists mostly to get these events officially "on the books," perhaps you'll enjoy celebrating some of these fun milestones with us!

Kendall was SO excited about her first trip to the dentist!  She was a great helper, and took home a PRINCESS toothbrush- a highlight of her life!!

Out with the old and in with the new...we thanked God for the many years and memories we had with our Honda, and welcomed our Nissan Maxima to the family!

This winter has been SO cold, we haven't had many opportunities to play safely and comfortably outside.  So when the temp spiked to 30 one day, we through on whatever snow gear we had and spent some time in the snow!

This was a first for the kids- they built a snowman with very little help.  And they named him....wait for it.....Olaf.

We were so proud of Kendall as she performed with 70+ children in one of our Sunday services.  They sang "The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy" and "Away in a Manger".  She had a bit of trepidation the first time around, but by the second service, she was a superstar (complete with curtsy to close it out)!

On Kendall's fourth birthday, Chris and I took her to see "Frozen" at the theater.  The experience was memorable, as she giggled through most of the film.

We ALMOST made it through the winter without any significant illness.  But the "big one" hit in March, when Kendall came down with bacterial pneumonia, dismantling a family trip to the cities as Mommy and Kendall stayed home.

Leave it to the second to be the first.

Carter completed his first Parent-Tot recreational gymnastics class.  It is a perfect outlet for him to burn energy, and I enjoy the quality time with my second-born.

And, just because I am a proud Mommy, I'm going to attempt to upload a couple videos here, too.  :)

That Moment When...

That moment when you look at your child and can really see yourself...

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

-Psalm 139:13-14

Reasons My Son Is Crying.

If you haven't seen this website, you must. Go now.
Especially if you have a toddler.
Especially if you have a toddler that cries.

www.reasonsmysoniscrying.com

Oh, I could fill a book with all the ridiculous reasons my children have freaked out.  I thought I'd keep my camera handy and capture some of these special moments from my own child.  It's tough being a toddler!  Here's the proof:

I chose to sing him "Jesus Loves Me" at bedtime.  He wanted "Step In Time" from Mary Poppins.

Daddy was giving Mommy a hug.

Daddy took him out of his carseat instead of Mommy.  "Mommy take me ouuuuuut"...for the next 30 minutes.

I put the tray of the highchair (which he doesn't use) in the dishwasher.

He asked me to put music on.  I put on Justin Timberlake.  He lost his mind.

He wanted hot dogs.  But not the hot dogs I gave him on his plate.  The OTHER hot dogs...in the refrigerator.

It's not all nuddles, people...but they certainly make these little bouts of insanity easier to sweep under the rug. 

Nuddle is My Favorite Word

It's pronounced nuh-ddle.
As in..."Mommy, I want to nuddle with you."

It has become my very favorite word, because it describes my very favorite pastime:  snuggling with my little ones.

While Kendall has always been a champion sleeper (seriously, if it were an olympic sport...), but Carter has been a challenge from the start.  If you are a frequent reader of this blog, this is no surprise to you.

Prior to parenthood, I had such a clear vision of the kind of parent I wanted to be.  But something happens once you actually become a parent.  Family, friends, books, articles, media spots...they can all, at one time or another, put pressure on you to parent the "right" way.  You should be doing ______.  Your children should be doing _____ by _____ time.   It's easy to slip into the trap of letting others influence your parenting decisions, and I've let myself fall into that trap more than once.

I vividly remember one such experience at the beginning of last fall.  We had gotten Carter on a pretty normal nap schedule (a miracle in itself), but I had to hold him.  I enjoyed my break in the day.  It felt good.  But a few unintentional comments from others made me feel guilty for sharing this rest time with Carter...and the constant social media reports from moms-on-the-go made me second-guess my daily routine.  Perhaps I should be doing more, more, more.

I felt like I needed to change my naptime procedure to avoid being judged as a lazy stay-at-home mom.  So I started putting Carter in his crib for naps, and it was a struggle.  Half an hour here, half an hour there.  Crying.  Rocking.  Waking up his napping sister.  Crying.  Rocking.  I was persistent, and it did improve slightly over time...gave me time to do the dishes, anyway.  But no one was well rested, and I wasn't enjoying this time of my day.

On one particularly frustrating day, I brought Carter downstairs with me, ready to throw in the towel on his naps.  He promptly fell asleep as I sat on the couch, and I exhaled deeply.  Here we were, where we started.  It felt good.  It felt heavenly.  I stared and stared at the face of my youngest, hoping to memorize the peace in that moment.

Why hadn't I been doing this all along?  I want to!  So, I made the decision to make our "nuddle" time a priority again.  I know this phase won't last much longer...his naps are getting shorter and shorter...and I don't want to miss any of it (cue Steven Tyler).  Now, I have extra incentive to complete all of my household duties in the morning so that I can enjoy guilt-free cuddles with my baby.

I know what kind of parent I want to be;  I want to be the kind of Mommy that will set aside busywork to savor those snuggles.  They are a precious commodity.

My Juice Cleanse Experience

I have three goals in life:

1.  To love God and serve Him first.
2.  To serve my husband in a way that allows him to be the best man he can be.
3.  To serve my children in a way that allows them to be the best people they can be.

A close fourth is this:

4.  To avoid having another kidney stone.  Ever.  E.V.E.R.

I have now had three kidney stones, all different experiences, but equal in shattering the ceiling on any pain threshold I may have had prior.  And I've pushed out two ten-pound babies, so that's saying something.

Memories of writhing on the ground, screaming in the car, later being pumped full of morphine were the driving force behind my desire to complete a 3-day juice cleanse, along with some lesser significant goals.  Now seemed as good a time as any, so on Monday....it began. 

Unwilling to shell out huge cash for an already prepared cleanse, I used recipes from this website to complete the DIY Blueprint Cleanse.  It was extraordinarily time consuming, but being at home all day, I had the ability to make it happen.  The produce cost me more than expected, but I hadn't factored in that produce is generally more expensive here.  (No Farmers Markets in the tundra.  Boo.) 

Positive Results from the cleanse:

- I felt a noticeable surge in energy every day. 
- I was pleasantly surprised that my hunger level was mild, if any.  I had a CLIF bar on days 2 and 3 to ward off some shakiness.
- I felt significantly more hydrated.  (I was definitely DE-hydrated going in to this week.)
- I lost a total of 6 pounds.  That wasn't the goal of this cleanse, but a not-so-shabby side effect.  :)
- I found I have a smaller appetite post-cleanse, and desire to avoid foods that counter my hard work.

Not-So-Great things about the cleanse:

- It was really difficult for me to consume that much liquid.  I really forced myself to drink all day long.  It's not that the juices were terrible (they ranged from yummy to tolerable), it's that I'm not used to drinking so much daily.  Confession:  I skipped the fifth juice entirely.  I just ran out of time each night. 
- I was cold.  Every day, all the time.  And cold is a feeling I really try to avoid (it's hard, believe me!).  Is there a hot-chocolate/coffee/wine cleanse for us Northerners? 
- It sucked up all my free time.  Next time, I'll do much more prep work.

NEXT TIME?  Yeah, I'd do it again. 

Peace Be With You

 I did yoga once.

(I had to stop typing to giggle at the absurdity of this memory.  I can't even touch my toes.)

To set the scene, I was staying as a guest at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel as a gift from two of my students (perks of working at a Private School!) and a morning yoga-pilates class offered on a lawn overlooking the ocean (pictured above) was included with my stay.  So, I seized the morning.  It was beautiful, and quiet, and some people were tooooootally into it.  I enjoyed it, too, but to be honest, I was really just there for the view and the complimentary yoga mat.

It has become somewhat trendy in the blogging world to choose a "word of the year"...something you want to experience or perfect or move towards in the year to come.  The challenge is presented to me every January, yet every year I scoff at the idea of narrowing down my goals to ONE word.  Well this year, several weeks late, I've been overwhelmed with one specific goal...and if I had to choose A word to define 2014, it's this:

PEACE.

I want it.  I want it ALL the time.  When I think of peace, the picture above comes to mind immediately, but that kind of peace is a lie...a guise.  I don't want an artificial peace in between bouts of drama.  I don't simply want peace on my calendar (because let's face it, THAT'S not going to happen).  I don't want the NAMASTE kind of peace the world promotes through silly meditative practices.  I want the peace of GOD, the deep contentment that ONLY can be attained through Him. 

I've been under conviction lately that I continue to sabotage my own quest for peace.  One such way I do this is by replaying my problems over and over...in my mind, out loud, with other people.  Over and over and over....ugh!  What a waste of time!  I am acutely aware that living a problem-free life is not possible, but we can control how many times we live through the same problem.  All that time stewing is LESS time devoted to ways God can infuse His peace into the situation. 

It's really thrilling that when you genuinely seek the Lord, you will find Him.  And better yet, He will find you!  Verses have been jumping off the page at me left and right- verses that assure me I'm moving in the right direction...toward the perfect peace he assures.

 This is a quote that has resonated with me recently:
"Peace is one of the most obvious earmarks of the authority of Christ. A sense of peace will virtually always accompany His will and direction, even when the direction might not have been our personal preference." - Beth Moore

And here's a bit of Biblical yoga..."stretching", if you will:

Psalm 34:14  Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Philippians 4:6-7  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 So here's to 2014, and the pursuit of PERFECT peace!

 

A Sweet Celebration

Waaaaaaaay back in December, we celebrated Kendall's birthday with some of her little buddies from Church and play.  Having a birthday the DAY BEFORE Christmas Eve always makes planning her birthday parties a little tricky, but we snuck it in before Christmas week commenced and...the result was a very happy birthday girl! :)

All things sweet and swirly!  My favorite decorative element was our Christmas balls (already up for Christmas), wrapped in cellophane and tied up like gumballs.  Ingenuity helps to save a few bucks!

Our party activity was making "candy necklaces" out of Fruit Loops and Cheerios.  Some girls made fancy patterns!

We enjoyed a treat together....lollypop cookies instead of cake! 

Kendall LOVED all her new toys!  Girls know girls the best :)

A happy celebration with good friends.  Thank you for making FOUR so SWEET!