what I'll remember

  These pics are Parker's first and last day of 7th grade. They really sum thing up for me. That first day you're all geeked out, new clothes, new gear. You will do ridiculous poses for your mom because you think it will be over sooner if you cooperate.

  Then there is the last day. When you woke up late, threw on the shirt at the top of the laundry pile and your mom only has the time/patience/sanity for one picture.

  But what I'll remember from Parker's seventh grade year is that it was the year he grew taller than his Mama.

*dramatic pause*

  I am a fairly tall woman at 5'9, so I thought I would have a wee bit longer. Looking him in the eye has been surreal. It really is true, you will always think of them as wee babes, never the hulking, moody teen that asks "What's for dinner, Mom?" (in an increasingly deeper voice!)

 Well done, Parker. On surviving what could be argued as the most awkward year of anyone's life. For your excellence in school, testing better than 11th graders. And continuing to be "a pleasure to have in class."

return to joy

Years ago a saw a counselor that taught me about "return to joy." This is a quote I found on a website that summed it up pretty well; "Returning to joy means finding a resolution to the distress we feel when our “personally important” people are not happy to be with us. Strangely enough, this requires someone to share our distress with us and achieve a “mutual mind” state with our control center...When someone cares enough about us to share our distressing feelings and still be with us we no longer feel alone. Our brain starts to run smoothly again and we start learning helpful ways to stay in relationships when we are upset or others are upset with us." 

Collin is the human embodiment of this concept. He has the most amazing thirst for life and radiating joy. He also drives everyone nuts ;) He reboots every morning with fresh grace for himself and others. It has been so soothing for my weary people-pleasing cynical soul. So blessed by this kid!

Blessed

The Archuletas enjoyed Easter with Seattle sun, cascarones, & a good ol' dose of perspective. Life is short, the days are long, and parenting is haaaarrrrrrd. But when you think of that cross and even better, the empty tomb, who really cares about any old thing. God is good. He is Risen!

(rest assured, I will be back to whining and complaining soon enough ;)

Hilar.

 Collin tells me, " If I have twin boys, one will be Justin and the other, Bucket." This kid.

 On another funny note; I almost passed out soft porn valentines to kindergartners. Almost.

 We went with these instead.

Whew. That was a close one.

holiday hangover

  I found this little saying someplace on the interwebs when we first moved to Seattle. I meditate on it often and it really helps.

  How is your January going? I am slow-moving but motivated. My oldest is trying to turn into a teenager on Monday so I am working on a post for that.

  Happy weekend, Friends.

Decorating the trees this year was a bit different. The boys were ready the day after Thanksgiving to drag it all out and get to it. But I hesitated. The house is stacked with piles. Piles of "donate," piles of "clean," and piles of just plain old "trash," (Seriously, I have some hoarding tendencies.) So there wasn't room for Christmas decorations. I took awhile to purge and then we decorated.

   We did this funny thing where we took our kids out into the forest when they were babies to cut down our own Christmas tree. (I actually nursed them in the snow!) Now that they all are out of diapers and can walk about unassisted, we have fake trees. There are four small trees that Ellen passed down to us. In other words; FREE. Trying to be frugal seems spiritually appropriate, you know, the Reason for the Season, it's not about you and all that.  But not culturally, no the world says they are only little once, and Christmas should be magical! (it really is all about you) The sad truth is I usually choose to be spiritually poor rather than actually poor which makes me shuck and jive until the budget balances, would I have that kind of passion when it comes to the state of my heart.

Like the song says; PREPARE HIM ROOM But there is no room. With all the complaining and coping and frustration, there is just not room for advent, for the waiting and the welcoming and the expectancy. And it is okay. It is okay because forcing the meaningful is meaning-less. And I found this quote:

“Because sometimes in the waiting for what we long for, we praise God long when the gift comes at long last. Sometimes God has his people wait long, so our gratitude becomes deeper and wider.” – Ann Voskamp, The Jesse Tree Journey

That stirred in me hope. I am not sure if there will still be Christmas songs on the radio or lights strung about my neighborhood when I get there but my heart will have room. 

Growing older has been on my mind a lot lately. I always feel so vain and silly about it but it doesn't stop. 

A week ago I read this from natthefatrat.com; 

nothing about fall can last, not the colors nor the crispness, because in reality, fall is dying. fall is the death of nature. and it is beautiful. isn't that interesting? death is beautiful. do we recognize its beauty because it happens so fast and we can see it before our eyes? in real life, death is frightening because it sneaks up on us. we're young and we're young and then gradually and suddenly, we're not. but could it still be beautiful just the same? 

And then I felt hopeful and not so silly.

4 stages of a meltdown

And some new Collin-isms; after his half day of kindergarten, Collin takes a nap. He frequently wakes up and asks, "where are the Fellas?" (his brothers)

Cheerios are "churros," which always makes me want to run to CostCo and get a warm churro.

Funny story, the other day at school Collin found a small wood cross on the playground. He really wanted to keep it. When I asked why he said, "so you can paint Jesus on it. Dead." I told him we could go buy a wood cross or make one. at which point he said, "I just want bubblegum." (??????)

back at it

Look at me go! Back at the blog again, with a new favorite quote:

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength.”

― Ralph W. Sockman

And an Instagram collage featuring a visit with me parents, a pedicure with Rhiannon, and wheeling a chicken coop down the road!

eyebrow update and my quotable Collin

 Of first importance, I have dealt with my crazy Brooke Shields eyebrow sitch. I tried threading! Have you heard of this? Well it was awkward and that is why I am now telling the interwebs all about it. The place I went was a kiosk in the mall. Yes, I  totally trusted a pop up stand outside Abercrombie & Finch with MY FACE. So there are people walking by, uhhh "Hi?" I wanted to get my money's worth, ($15) so I had let them go for like a month. There is hair flying and it is ei-yi-yi, very painful. Then the lady smiles at my, admiring her handiwork and hands me a mirror. Wowza! I can see again! Also I resemble a cavewoman less.

Okay, onto the less awkward. Collin is cute. He still says everyday words in super adorable ways so I am recording them here:
"Lish-shush" (Delicious)
"Plause" (Pause)
"I AM DOOR!" (I am Thor! And sometimes when he is feeling extra awesome it sounds like "I am Dork!)
"American Wheel" (Ferris Wheel)
"Tangle this for me? (Tie this together)
"E-leb-bum E-leb-bum" (7-11)
I speak fluent Collin and love it, best of luck to his Kindergarten teacher, though :/

life is messy

 People take the longest possible paths, digress to numerous dead ends, and make all kinds of mistakes. Then historians come along and write summaries of this messy, nonlinear process and make it appear like a simple, straight line.
Dean Kamen

 
 Just keepin' it real around here. Or I may have grown too lazy to wipe my children's faces. Either way, my good friend Laura told me her house was "no place for perfection." Isn't that the best? It totally freed me up to be myself around her, even the messy bits. (which, let's face it, it's mostly messy bits) Thank you, Laura. Our time together and talks on the phone have breathed new life into me. 

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.”

C.S. Lewis

house update and other breaking news

 The bathroom is painted in fabulous Ozark Shadows by Benjamin Moore. Looking good in there, if I don't say so myself!

 I had my heart set on this rug from Urban Outfitters, and it finally came!

 Kaleb's room is ready for wall & moulding paint. Probably another grey because it feels manly but classy to me. (And it hides "boy")

 Speechless over my picture wall? Yea, thought so.

Onto more pressing matters:

 Collin can write his name! Hooray! Next stop; Kindergarten.

 Parker aced the 6th grade and made his parents oh so proud. Booyah!

And Aden has clearly shown mastery of this principle:

Thank you to those of you who have reached out this past week. The connection with you dear friends makes the hard stuff not so hard.


Also, my favorite quote this season:
"Comparison is the thief of joy."

Theodore Roosevelt

around the web

So I promised some links to what I have been finding interesting in cyberspace:
On blogging
“There’s something sacred about reading a blog post on someone else’s site. It’s like visiting a friend’s house for a quick meal ’round the breakfast table. It’s personal — you’re in their space, and the environment is uniquely suited for idea exchange and uninterrupted conversation. In many ways, we should be treating our blogs like our breakfast tables. Be welcoming & gracious when you host, and kind & respectful when visiting.” – Trent Walton
via

Because it is so good & Mother's Day is around the corner.

Kind of a weird site but WOW, the 1st & 4th child roles totally apply to our boys.

Uh hello! Know anyone that needs to read this?

Thanks, Andrea.


Fed up with the church? This was SO validating and gave me hope. Thanks, Jim.

post 401

Yes indeed. 400 posts, and this post is going to be another weird one. They are not really weird so much that they are a less filtered version of me. I am trying to do more posts like that. I get great feedback from them. 
 via

So, I was feeling a bit old. I turned 30 in the fall & I am noticing subtle changes. Most aren't bad, just that I perceive them negatively. Then I went to the doctor for the first time in 5 years. Yup, bad girl I am, my last visit was 6 weeks after Mr. Collin Joseph made his grand debut. 

Funny thing about the doctor visit, it made me feel really young. All those boxes next to hypertension, diabetes, etc.?  I did not have to check a single one. The Dr. said I was the picture of health. And other than a rather dramatic (on my part) blood draw, I was on my way. Feeling young, and fit, and so very blessed. Thanks, Mom, for the stellar genetics. 

Also, I have read a lot of really great articles online lately, I am thinking I will share some with you. Like I found this one which is exactly what I was trying to say about this terrible letting go of babyhood a few posts back. She really nailed it though, beautiful writing. (and yeesh!, nine kids!)


p.s. I have no idea what is going on with the font or photos in this post...sorry.

more random

Pretty soon I will get back to some actual content on this here blog but here is some more random to go with pics from Kaleb's iPad. 

I had been wanting to try a Shellac manicure & finally a Groupon popped up for a local place. It was worth every penny because of what the lady said as I was leaving. "Remember, jewels not tools." She, of course was talking about babying my newly polished nails but I thought that was choice advice for my single friends.

Kaleb was playing with Legos the other morning, saying, "Attack the Minnovites!" but then an hour later I walked by & heard, "Attack the Mennonites!" AWESOME.

Lastly, I counted the other day & we have been given 12 Bibles since the year 2000. I think this says something. Not sure what that something is, but there is definitely a message there. Kind of brings to mind this scene from Saved. When she throws the Bible, so funny.

http://youtu.be/umLUKBlpyoY

thanks

just now

Collin: "Mama, can I watch Dora on the puter? Pleeeease? It's my best day! Pleeeeeease?!!! I won't be naughty or break it or put anything on it? Pleeeeeease?!"

And then....he hissed at me. WTH.

Not all who wander are lost. -J.R.R. Tolkien

control freak

I am waving my freak flag high here. I am, admittedly, a huge control freak. Raising these boys serves as a daily reminder that I have little to no control in life. That's okay, I know The Boss well, His plans are good & so is His track record.

 You know what I can control? Serving up a warm bowl of Olive Garden inspired soup.

 And there were even candles on the table. FANCY.

found here