documenting.

I read a blogger friend's post today about how she is coming out of hibernation and ready to blog again (read post here).  Near the end of her post, she said something that rang so true to me ...

I just LOVE documenting life.

It's as if she has read my thoughts, present and past.

Pictures, ticket stubs, memorabilia, words ... there's just something about recording life makes me excited.  Like I'm making my own life documentary or something.  And probably to my own detriment, I hold onto too much stuff just so "I don't forget".

I read a quote one time that said, "If you want to learn what someone fears losing, watch what they photograph."  At first, I took the quote to heart,  I must fear losing memories.  But revisiting the images I capture, it's moments I want to remember not moments I fear losing.  They are nothing special, just life.  The words and pictures that I keep and take are for documenting.  Purporting only the facts our lives are made up ... nothing fictional, and most likely, boring to most other people.

But that doesn't really matter.  I just love documenting life.

pic pix: me and my hunty-bear, 19.April.2013, the Juniper in Banff, AB

colorboard / no.28

color: hues of brittany blues (aka - tiffany blues)

word of inspiration: my sister, Brittany Danae
source of word: My sister Brittany turned 25 on wednesday {happy birthday!} and she is in love with everything "Tiffany".  Hence, the reason I see these shades when I think of her.

/1. fossil gorgeous leather band  /2. I love these nifty little players  /3. all of these hues together make me happy  /4. glassy waves  /5. pretty sure my sister would love this clutch  /6. can't wait to get me a pair of colored peddler pants  /7. I'd like to try this make-up remover - saw it over on bleubird this week /8. I'm loving the two different color pillow cases  /9. summer tumblers - get in my kitchen now  /10. another item my sister would swoon over, kate spade time ticker

this tuesday / 03

We hit this Tuesday with a bang.  A bad behavioural bang (if ever was/is such thing).  It is the day after now, but I felt like I HAD to revisit it just so I should put to rest it's exhausting memory.  Minus the disciplining times (to many to count), the embarrassing outbursts in the store, the "run away from mama at the park" exhibit, the "I can't believe my child was that rude" moments, there were some beautiful parts that I'm thankful for and do not want to forget.  In no specific order:

. the sweet cuddles with morning milk
. special friends that live out life with us .. right down to grocery shopping together
. our new favorite dance party song
. special grandparents - today Pepe took us out for breakfast
. the 2 hours of fresh spring air that made two little boys very tired at bed time(!)
. the way we've been blessed with our business and employees that help it stay in operation
. simple lunches - veggies with beans, peas, & seeds (aka. rice/bean chips, onion hummus, and seedy granola bars)
. the first rain .. no white stuff left behind!
. an early bedtime for this mama
. and this quote for perspective: "I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains." ~ Anne Frank, someone who really experienced what real hard days were



pic pix: some dance moves with a sweet, focused dancing face, yesterday Apr.2014, at home 

thoughts. things.

This weekend's surprise party had been coming for a while.  Not only had it been consuming all my extra time running errands, contacting vendors and guests, etc ... it was eating up all my mental space!  Spare moments would be spent thinking about how I was going to be able to pull it off!  That said, I took a bit of a break from blogging last week, missed it terribly, and can't wait to be on my regular writing schedule again!

my job.

I know I post stuff about my kids all-the-time ... it's just hard not to.  They're my career.  I want to do my very best to make this a successful one.

the big 3-0 - getaway.

Matt turned 30 on Saturday.  So naturally, I had to plan a string of surprises for him(!).  Thankfully, he is such a good sport and even though he started catching on to 'something going on', he never pushed it, but just enjoyed everything that came his way.

We got to spend the night out in the mountains, toddler-free (thanks mom & dad).  We spent the night at a hotel with an impeccable view, ate some awesome food, reminisced about some fun times we've shared together ... celebrated his life.

the big 3-0 - surprise party.

If you follow me on instagram, you'd know we like to try out new and old pizza places and/or make pizza ourselves.  So, the party theme "Plaid and Pizza" certainly matched our weekly habit indulgence.  Almost everyone wore plaid, we ate pizza, and I think you can fill in the rest!  To top of the plaid-y bit, my sister made an awesome plaid cake and chocolate coconut cake pops.  SOoooooOOoOoOO delicious!

easter.

It was Hunter's first Easter, and wasn't allowed to eat any treats (much to his chagrin!).  He grabbed bunnies and chocolate but wasn't able to nab it for gnawing!  Judah took a keen interest in consuming as much chocolate as possible while we read through the easter story together.  I'm going to have to make a video of him saying, "He is Risen"... darling boy, he is.

camping.

After our Palm Springs trip, we decided that we are probably going to plan more vacations within driving distance.  If that is the case, we've loosely talked about investing into some type of camper.  Since my brother-in-law bought an airstream last year, I've been dreaming about how I'd like to remodel one(!).  And though a trailer would be sweet, we both like the idea of a tent trailer.  So who knows what we'll end up doing!  There are so many interesting camping options: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

influence.

My whole life, it seems, I've gone to great lengths just to be original.

A simple but substantiated example, I'll take you back to the 7 year old Sarah.  As a general rule, kids seem to love candy.  As I didn't want to be like every other kid, I made a hard line decision that I did not like candy ... and actually stuck to it.  After swimming lessons, we were allowed to pick a treat from the concession.  My siblings (naturally) all grabbed candy.  But not me.  I picked ichiban noodles so that I wouldn't fit into that stereotype.  A little hardcore(!).  Because of the few many examples in my life to "swim upstream"/"go against the grain", my husband sometimes calls me out on it to see if what I am about to do is really because I want to OR am I just trying to be different...

As much as I think I am being or have been "unique", along the way I have picked up on the mentality that: nothing can impact my originality.  I think back to king Solomon's words, "nothing is new under the sun" and agree completely ... but how easily I forget how I, as Sarah, can:
     1. not ever have an entirely original idea (nothings new, right?). and,
     2. be influenced and/or swayed by peoples opinions & perspectives a lot more than I'd like to admit

influence: [noun] the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something; or the effect itself

The world we live in at the moment has a grip on our psyche.  Images EVERYWHERE penetrate into our minds, whether we like it or not.  Consumerism GRABS our attention and plants seeds of needing that very item.  Social media can route our thoughts to COMPLACENCY by comparing our lives and stuff with our virtual friends.  And so on.

I'm not here to knock these platforms nor am I going to rant on about how the world today is this-n-that.  It's just that I've come to realize that I can be very influenced.  So subtly.  Style, ideas of how I think a situation or time of life should run its course, perspective, etc - I know all have been effected at one point or another.

So, how do I want to be influenced?  

I want veracity and authenticity to be my make-up.  The words I hear to be encouraging, challenging.  The voices telling me what to consume to be selling me out on God's awesomeness.

What does God tell me about filling my mind?

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! 

Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute....

I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things  t r u e , noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—t h e  b e s t , not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse..." ~ phil. 4:4-5, 8

We all get to choose what influences and grips us ... 

How or what will you fill your mind with today?


pic pix: nature study - creative influence, 14.Apr.3014, around home

because he bends down to listen.

Since Hunter was born, I'd have to say, this has been the craziest, most challenging, busiest, most tiring time of my entire life.  I've hit some lows and hard times before, but those times, I never had to worry about two other little people and I had the opportunity to sleep!  Colic lasted for 3 months...3 months longer than it should have ever existed (I feel for you mamas that have done it longer or at all).  Winter was so long this year that our blues were lulled into a grey state.  It was hard for me not to get depressed.  Sickness did not want to leave!  Sleep is still not something us adults do around here yet......

BUT we are coming out of the fog and moving passed all of that.  The hard part of colic is over.  Spring is here!  We have runny noses but no serious colds this week (uh-mazing sauce).  Sleep is overrated (ok, it's not, but it sounded more positive!).  And my attitude, I'm still working on that.

I know sleep deprivation can heighten every issue and make mountains out of mole hills, but I also know that everything I experienced was real and valid.  The problem was with how I chose to go through it.  I literally was trying to just get by with existing and not "living" each and every moment with purpose.  And regardless if you're border-line depressed or not, we all can get caught up with going through the motions and not breathing each breath intentionally.  Once purpose and intention is taken out of our life, even day-to-day, mundane stuff, what's the point?

Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. ~ Matthew 6:33

There is not one thing in my [or your] life that God does not care about.  My simple ideas/plans to do with the boys, meal planning, losing weight, quick instagram/blog posts, heaps of laundry, or "sarah time", He sees it.  All.  And will "give us all we need" if we purpose and live our lives to know what He is cooking up and continually desiring to be a part of it.  I love the way The Message puts it:

If God gives attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?  What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving.  People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both how he works.  Steep you life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.  Don't worry about missing out.  You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. ~ Matthew 6:30-33

Steeping my life in His reality, His initiatives, His provisions ... the greatest direction (and picture) I have to meet my needs, to get through seasons like this.      

Because he bends down to listen, I will pray [seek & worship] as long as I have breath. ~ Psalm 116:2 


pic pix: summer blooms, Jul.2013, home
*my added emphasis and parenthesis to verses

colorboard / no.27

color: apple green, charcoal grey, pale blue(s)

word of inspiration: fresh start - taking something old and making it new by changing perspective [my interpretation].
source of word: "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" 
~ L.M. Montgomery

/1.  i'd like one of these mixers, prob copper though(!)  /2. i have a linen one, but this silk carrier would be divine  /3. love this color combo, exactly these crates in a cute photo shoot  /4. so cute for a little lady...wish it came in my size  /5. retro chairs for days  /6. love this room  /7. not sure when i would wear these, but that kate spade bow...  /8. i feel like i need all 26 letters for no specific reason  /9. cute coat rack  /10. hand embossed dresser? yes!  /11. that is some fine art alright

12 - 13/52

12.

Judah West: a flying monkey.
Hunter Elias: a funny outfitted monkey.

13.

Judah West: he's got his mama's long straight eyelashes.

Hunter Elias: he's got his papa's long curled eyelashes.

this tuesday / 02

Lord God come awaken love
Come stir my soul to long for all you are
I'm desperate just to have more of your heart
Come awaken love
~ Hunter Thompson

It really was a new dawn today.  The snow finally let up, and we saw the sun.  The icicles have taken over our eaves and decided to put a show on.  I've always thought they kind of look like iridescent carrots!  The pretty kind of carrots, of course.

As Judah and I mulled over day with coffee and warm milk, I couldn't shake this song and it's meaning: Come awaken love.  It became my prayer for that moment, for this day.

Love is always here, it just needs to be awakened.


pic pix: the icicles this morning, 01.Apr.2014, outside my kitchen window