Linhart

Handy Miles

2012-01-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Miles (age 2) is a little obsessed with gloves right now. He calls them "hands" and we get to have little chuckles throughout the day when he says things like:

Oh! I found my hands!
Where my hands?
I go get my hands.
Help! Put my hands on, please.
My hand fell off!
Need a new hand. Need more hands.

Or when he wants to be generous and share his gloves:

Need a hand?
Want my hands?
I go get your hands.

He notices everyone else's gloves, too. At the grocery store he saw a man stocking the shelves who was wearing work gloves. "Nice hands," Miles said approvingly. The stocker cracked up laughing and offered to high five Miles with his gloved hand. Instead, Miles pulled the man's hand toward him and examined the rubber grippy stuff on the palm and fingertips. "Bumpy," he said as he pushed the hand away.

Last Sunday he watched an older woman remove her stretchy gloves at church. "She has hands! She has hands!" he exclaimed, giddily. And then as she pulled on the glove fingers to take them off Miles whispered, "Ow, ow, ow!" as if she were pulling her real fingers off.

Miles wears gloves all the time. There are at least four pairs of gloves in his crib because he considers "hands" a necessary part of pajamas. One day I unzipped his footie pajamas in the morning to change his diaper and he had a bright blue glove resting on his belly.

When Miles can't find gloves, socks will serve as "hands." We went to the library and Miles insisted on wearing "sock hands" inside. I rolled my eyes and let him. One of librarians noticed right away and asked Miles, "What happened to your hands?" and then to me, "Did he get burned?" Miles shouted, "My hands!" as I laughingly said, "No, he just likes wearing socks on his hands. It's all the rage with two year olds." The librarian laughed and said, "Oh yes, I thought I saw that same look on the cover of Toddler Vogue."

Found

2012-01-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

Remember when my in-laws gave me a pair of pearl earrings? Remember how I loved them? I really loved them.

And then remember when I thought Miles might have shoved one of those earrings up his nose but it turned out to be not my pearl earring?

I searched high and low all over this house for that earring. I even bought a pair of ~~fake~~ faux pearl earrings because I just love the look of classic pearls. But they just weren't the same. And every once in a while I would hold up my one remaining real pearl earring and hope, hope, hope to find its mate.

This morning I accidentally knocked over a little ring dish that I keep on my desk. My pearl earring rolled out from underneath it. I looked back and forth between the pearl earring in my hand and the pearl earring that was still in the dish. Two pearl earrings. I had a pair. I had a pair! My lost earring has been found!

The rejoicing was great.

And it reminded me of this:

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10

Hungry Frog

2012-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago I went to my favorite fabric store, Boersma's, with my friend Becky. We only stayed for a few minutes and I only bought some thread but while we were in there I got bit by the sewing bug. It has been so fun to dig through my fabric and just play with my sewing machine again. Today I made this little frog for Miles.

I was inspired by some little monster coin purses that Toby found in a basket by the register at Boersma's.

The best part is that when you open his mouth there is a little bug inside!

Miles has been "feeding" his frog all day. It's so gratifying to make something your children love.

(Hmm, there is probably some deep theological truth to unpack in that statement.)

Guess he was hungry enough to eat a cow!

Noah's 9th Birthday::Lego Castle

2011-12-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

For Noah's 9th birthday we decided that instead of having a party Noah could invite one friend to the Portland Children's Museum to see the Lego Castle Adventure exhibit. Unfortunately, with all the holiday hustle and bustle we weren't able to go until a month after his birthday. The anticipation was great, let me tell you.

Noah and his buddy from school.

The entrance to the Lego Castle Adventure exhibit.

These boys have big imaginations.

We were super impressed by the life sized knights made entirely out of Legos.

Suddenly, Noah was too cool for pictures.

But this huge dragon brought his playfulness back out.

See the cute baby dragon playing with the treasure?

The boys tried jousting but it was a little too crowded to have any real fun with it.

After the Lego Castle Adventure exhibit we found that the rest of the
museum was mainly geared toward younger kids.
But we did stop in at "The Garage" to make some scrap art. Noah made the robot below:

Front

Back

It was a really fun day and I'm glad we got to celebrate Noah by doing a bunch of things he really loves: adventures in Portland, Legos, and art!

Cuckoo

2011-12-22T07:53:00.000-08:00

Miles woke up at dark o'clock on the morning and wanted oatmeal. I dragged myself out of bed and made oatmeal for him and then sat bleary-eyed at the computer to check email while he ate. I must have zoned out for a minute because the next thing I knew Toby was screaming, "No! Miles! No, that's mine! Gimme back my pillow!!" And Miles was cawing like a crow and laughing. Then he came back to kitchen looking like this:

Christmas Quotes

2011-12-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

Noah: Mom, what's your least favorite Christmas song?
Jeana: Hmm...that's hard. There are so many to choose from. I'm gonna move "Santa Baby" to the top of my list.
Noah: I've never heard that one.

Jeana sings the first two verses of the song.

Noah (in disbelief): Wow. Now that's just greedy.

Jeana: What's your least favorite Christmas song?
Noah: Santa Claus is coming to town. It's just so creepy. Like, Santa could be watching you in the bathroom? Gross!
____________________________________________________

Toby was reading a book about the first Christmas and stopped at a picture of Mary holding baby Jesus above a manger.

Toby: Is that Jesus?
Jeana: Yep.
Toby: Wait, what's he doing out of the hay?!

______________________________________________________

At Noah's school Christmas concert, Miles was not a good audience member. He was loud and fidgety and wouldn't stay in his seat. He kept climbing into the theater seats and then they would fold up on him and he would shout, "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" But if I tried to hold him on my lap he would yell, "No! No yike it!" We moved to the very back of the auditorium and I stood with him by the door, ready to make a quick exit if need be. I whispered, "Look! Look for Noah? Do you see Noah?" And he replied by covering his mouth with his finger and saying (loudly) "Shh! No talking, Mommy!"

He was then dubbed the Beast of Christmas Present.

Jesus, the Potato of Life

2011-12-04T20:01:00.001-08:00

Every year, when we decorate for Christmas, we also set out a basket full of Christmas books. One of the books we have is called Adorenaments and inside it holds twelve smaller books that tell about who Jesus is to us: Good Shepherd, King of Kings, Living Water, etc. Each small book is attached to a golden string so we can hang them as ornaments if we choose. It's a really great Advent tool, but unfortunately out of print. (You might find a used copy here.)

Toby was playing with this book a few days ago and we were talking about what each symbol meant.

Toby: Jesus is a candle?

Jeana: It's a picture of a candle because Jesus is the light of the world.

Toby: Oh. But why is Jesus a potato?

Jeana: A potato? Oh...that's actually a loaf of bread. Jesus is called the Bread of Life. He is the most basic thing we need to keep us alive.

Toby: Okay...but, Mom? That's a potato.

Evil Chicken

2011-12-01T08:28:00.001-08:00

Miles was sleepy and had his head resting on my shoulder as I unlocked the front door. A small group of birds (I don't know what kind) were hanging out on a small tree in our front yard. When a big truck drove by the birds all took flight and made a loud chee, chee, chee sound. Miles was startled and screamed, "Aah! The chickens is coming! Hide!"

Nine

2011-11-30T08:40:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, Noah!

Keeping in mind the stereotype that Canadians are extremely polite...

2011-11-28T07:43:00.001-08:00

(and every Canadian I've ever met has been really nice so, you know, there's a reason for that stereotype.)

Noah: Miles, would you like some cereal?
Miles: Dah!
Noah: Dah?
Miles: Dah!
Noah: Are you German or something?
Miles: Nope.
Noah: Are you French?
Miles: Nope.
Noah: Are you Canadian?
Miles. Nope and thank you.

Two

2011-11-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Miles!

See Dick Run

2011-11-23T13:39:00.001-08:00

Noah's third grade class performed a hilarious skit at their last assembly. It's about several third grade students making Dick and Jane stories more fun with the help of a thesaurus. Noah played the part of Dick. I apologize for the shaky camera action. I was trying to film and hold Miles at the same time--bad combo! Turn up your volume and enjoy!

Updatation

2011-11-21T15:57:00.001-08:00

The MOPS Bazaar was really good and my scarves were a big hit! I have one more bazaar for this season on December 10th and I basically decided to simply not unpack from this last one so all my stuff is ready to go!

After the bazaar was over I took a nice long nap and then we had Taco Bell for dinner and watched Rio with some popcorn and candy. It was the perfect family night and we all really needed to just veg out with one another.

Now I'm trying to catch up on laundry and housework and get a few Christmas orders wrapped up. We're so excited for Thanksgiving and see family this weekend.

I wanted to share yet another story of God's provision. Today I was running all over the place trying to find pants for Noah. He's growing so fast that all of his pants are above his ankles. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any pants in his size that were affordable for our budget. I think I went to five different stores today. Finally I gave up and came home. Guess what was waiting for me on the front porch? An ENORMOUS box full of clothes and toys! Now Noah has a great fitting pair of pants, a new coat, and several nice shirts. I'm not even surprised, just extremely thankful...we have a heavenly Father who knows our every need.

Overheard

2011-11-19T18:12:00.001-08:00

Noah and Toby were playing some laser gun battle game in the hallway. I heard a lot of pew-pewing type noises and then I heard the pocket door of our half bathroom sliding open.

Toby: Attack!
Noah: You'll never get me! Hold on I have to go potty.
Toby: Oh, okay.
Noah: Ha ha! This is actually an escape pod...with a potty in it.

More Ruffle Scarves

2011-11-16T12:05:00.001-08:00

I was able get about 30 Ruffle Scarves sewn for the Newberg MOPS Christmas Bazaar which I'm participating in this Saturday. I made gray, which you've seen, white, chocolate brown, and tan. And now I'm playing with dye to see if I get some of the white and tan ones to be a little more colorful.

Here's what I have so far:

White

Chocolate Brown

Pink

Neapolitan! Pink, brown, and tan/beige/natural/oatmeal

(I need to decide on what to call this color) on the end.

I know this color is not for everyone but it's SO trendy right now.
Especially paired with gray. I love it!

Check back later because I've purple, blue, and green in the dye baths now!

Sick Day

2011-11-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

Three sniffly boys, all in a row.
Cough, cough, sneeze, sneeze,
Where'd the tissues go?
Mama made some tea,
She helped them wipe their noses.
Then she spread the blanket out
To cover all their toeses.
"Dank you, Bob," the boys all said,
So groggy from their flu.
She kissed each fevered little head
And said, "I love you, too."

Memory

2011-11-13T13:42:00.001-08:00

This afternoon I spent a little time playing Memory with Toby. But when it was time for me to leave for a meeting I recruited Noah to take over.

Jeana: Noah, don't you want to play Memory with Toby?
Noah (8): I guess so.
Toby (4): Yay! And Noah, just make sure I win.

A little later...

Jeana: Toby did you know I used to play this game with Noah?
Toby: Wow! Noah when you get to be my age we should play this together!

Cosmic

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I've scheduled this post for 11:11 on 11/11/11.

Am I a complete and total nerd? Yes, yes I am.

Introducing...

2011-11-10T15:25:00.001-08:00

The Ruffle Scarf in Gray!

I hope to show you white, natural (beige/tan), and chocolate brown tomorrow.
These will be listed in my etsy shop after November 19th but if you just can't wait
and want me to set one aside for you now, email me. The Ruffle Scarves are $20 each.

On the other side of infertility

2011-11-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

We were driving home along some back country roads when I suddenly felt carsick. I told Geary to hurry and get home because I thought I was going to throw up. He gave me a look and said, "You're pregnant." I guffawed, "No way." But then my mind started calculating dates and I realized that my period was indeed late.

"Impossible!" I told myself. We had discussed this. I was done being pregnant. Our family was moving out of the baby stage. Oh yes, we still hoped to adopt, but not until Miles was older...not for a few years at least. I thought about the diapers and the sleepless nights and the mushy brain disorder that came with having an infant. This was not what I wanted.

And then I took a home pregnancy test. When the single line appeared showing a negative result I was relieved at first. But then I felt like my heart was ripped in half. The tears started flowing and I felt so empty and hopeless inside. What in the world? Where were these emotions coming from? Hadn't I just told myself I was done and ready to move out of the baby stage? Why then did I feel such deep anguish? It was extremely confusing.

I hid all these feelings and thoughts in my heart for a few days. I wanted to tell someone but I didn't really know what I was telling. Was I disappointed? Did I want another baby? No...I really, honestly, am ready to move into the next phase of family life. Goodbye diapers. Goodbye cribs and bibs and pacifiers. I kept silent, even with Geary, letting my heart and mind wade through all the confusing feelings.

My period started the day after I took the pregnancy test. And the day after that three different friends announced their own pregnancies. I was elated for them! But those familiar pangs of "Why does she get to be pregnant and I don't?" started drumming loudly, adding to my confusion. I wasn't really jealous...not anymore. But those dormant feeling and memories were there, ready to be brought to the surface if I wanted to revisit them.

And that's when it dawned on me. Maybe my body was just reacting/responding to a situation it had been through so many times. Maybe my brain saw a negative pregnancy test and then sent out the cues to the rest of my body, "Oh, now it's time for heartbreak! Time to start crying!" What if I had simply, inadvertently, trained my body to respond with grief over a negative pregnancy test. Yes, I think that's it.

You see, even though I'm now on the "other side" of infertility, it still has a profound impact on my life. I can never not remember the sadness and frustration of wanting more babies but having an empty womb month after month...for years. I can never forget the grief of my miscarriages. I will probably always feel a little twinge every time a friend announces a pregnancy. It's part of my story. It's part of me.

I don't really have a point or a neat way to wrap this post up. I just wanted to put it out there that even though I now have three amazing sons and even though I'm finally not trying to be pregnant, this issue is still deeply ingrained in me. I am thankful for the way God has used my infertility to change me, to give me more sensitivity, to draw me close to him. I am thankful for the way I got to meet Jesus, the real Jesus, in the midst of suffering and loss. I am thankful to be part of a sisterhood who understands how one single pink line can throw a body into a fit of sobbing.

I know that some readers of this blog have also or are now currently dealing with infertility. I want you know that my heart aches with yours. I want you to know that even though our stories aren't the same, I am intimately acquainted with some of the feelings and thoughts that you have. I want you to know that you are not alone and that I believe that even though there is sorrow now, joy is coming. And I want you to know that I am always willing to pray for you and stand in the gap when you feel like you don't have the strength to keep hoping. Also, you are welcome to borrow my ears if you ever need to talk about it.

2011-11-05T06:01:00.000-07:00

Toby: Mom, remember when you called me Toby Jo-Jo.

Jeana: Yes. You're my favorite Tobin Joseph.

Toby: But Jo-jos are potatoes. I'm not a potato head!

Jeana: You're not???

Toby: No. Because my nose can't come off and I can't put it away in my bottom!

Real Life Rescue Heroes

2011-11-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

This morning, in a moment of really bad timing, I tried to close the sliding door on our minivan while Noah was untangling the seat belt from his booster seat. The seat belt got caught in the door and the door would neither open nor close. We struggled with door. We struggled with the seat belt. We got testy with each other and we struggled to not say hurtful words in the midst of a frustrating situation. Finally, I said, "Okay, we'll just have to drive to school like this. If we go now you won't be too late." Noah took a seat in the way back and we drove to school slowly and carefully with the door locked in it's slightly open position.

As we drove my mind was racing. Who could help us? Could I call AAA? Would they have to remove the door? And how much would that cost? I needed a team. I needed a team of creative problem solvers. I needed a team of creative problem solvers with tools!

So after I dropped Noah off at school we drove slowly and carefully to the auto body shop that fixed our van after my accident on the day Miles shoved something up his nose. I walked sheepishly into their office and explained my problem. One employee said, "Okay, we can at least take a look." He walked outside and struggled with the door. Another man came out and saw the situation. He crawled inside the van struggled with the seat belt. A third man came out and tried to help by pulling on the door while the other two tried to pull out the seat belt. The van shook and bounced and the two little boys in their car seats giggled and whooped with glee. But the door was still stuck.

The man inside the van got out and said, "We need a plan." And just like that I had my team of creative problem solvers with tools. One man went inside to fetch a couple of crowbars. And then they all took their positions. One inside with one crowbar. One near the front of the door gripping the door handle. And one near the back of the door with the other crowbar. In three seconds and with a loud click the door was unstuck, the seat belt was freed and the six of us shouted, "Yeah!" It was a sweet victory.

The three men high-fived one another and wished me a good morning. I simply grinned and said, "Thank you so much! You're all heroes." And they ducked their heads and blushed. It was sweet. It was community. It was a big sigh of relief for me.

And so I'm giving a big shout out to True Form Collision Repair. They did beautiful work on the front of our van after the accident. And the way they helped out a neighbor this morning has cemented our loyalty to them. Thank you, True Form Collision Repair. You are good neighbors and we're proud to be in your community.

Phineas & Ferb

2011-10-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

Dooby dooby doobah!

Starring:

Noah as Phineas

Toby as Ferb

and Miles as Perry the Platypus

(Costumes by Jeana)

Halloween Sneak Peak 2011

2011-10-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Dooby dooby doo-bah!

I just need to find a fedora...

Leaves, leaves, leaves

2011-10-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

Remember my beautiful Lace Leaf Earrings? And how I sold out of the small size in one day? Well...good news! I found more leaves and now I have small Lace Leaf Earrings again!

Lace Leaf Earrings in Gold, size small

Aaaaaand I found some leaves in small and large in...SILVER! So many people asked me if these earrings would be available in silver but because they were made from pieces of a necklace that I found at an antique store I didn't think it would be possible. Dreams really do come true!

Lace Leaf Earrings in Silver, size small

Lace Leaf Earrings in Silver, size large

And just for you, dear readers, if you enter the coupon code LINHART10 I'll give free shipping on anything in my shop for the rest of October! Go shopping!

Poetry

2011-10-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Geary was excited to get a bunch of cards in the mail for his birthday last Tuesday. But the very favorites out of the bunch were these two poems by our nieces. Enjoy!

Analia, age 9 wrote this one:

Karissa, age 6 wrote this one. We have affectionately titled it The Pessimist.

Linh{ART} Gallery

2011-10-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been working on doing something special in our hallway forever. It's not even really a hallway. It's this little space where we have two steps down to the two smaller bedrooms. I painted the walls chocolate brown knowing that eventually I wanted to fill the walls with artwork. So for the past year I've been collecting picture frames from thrift stores and yard sales. I painted all the frames white for a cohesive look and then started filling them up with all kinds of artwork. There is art made my children, myself, and my husband. And there is also some artwork that we just like from various artists. I've also included some of our letter L (for Linhart) collection. I'm hoping to just keep adding frames in a really close-knit configuration as our family keeps making and collecting art.

What I'm about to show you is only a small part of our art collection. I have enough frames to make a display this size on the opposite wall (which I plan to do) and then some. I'm sure this space will never be "finished" so I thought I'd show it to you as it evolves.

For now we've filled up this much space. And I basically made swiss cheese out of our walls by nailing and re-nailing as I tweaked where the frames would go. I did make paper templates like this method but once the actual pictures were on the wall it felt unbalanced because the frames were all different thicknesses. So then I tried this method which was much better...although I still had to tweak a little here and there.

I also feel the need to tell you that is really difficult to take pictures of pictures. Getting the white balance right in such a small and dark space, plus the glare of all the glass, and odd reflections from the overhead light...it was quite the learning experience!

On the top left we have an Eric Carle style collage that Noah made when he was in kindergarten. It's a man standing on grass by a river where his boat is tied up. His kindergarten teacher asked if was planning on giving the man hair and she said that Noah just gave her this incredulous look while answering, "You know, some people are bald."

The elephant is another Noah piece. He drew that the summer in between first and second grade. It was actually just a pencil drawing but I liked it so much that I drew over his lines with Sharpie and then used a paint marker to fill it in. Clearly, our family likes elephants. :)

The couple kissing on bicycles is actually a greeting card that Geary gave me for one of our anniversaries. It has a sweet love note inside and we have really been getting into bike riding so it seemed like a good piece of art for our collection.

The coral lobster is a digital design that I made after seeing a bunch of vintage flash cards at an antique store but not finding any for the letter L.

The seahorse is something Toby painted in preschool. I cut it out of the coloring sheet he brought home and glued it on top of some scrapbook paper. The sunshine print is from Katie Daisy on etsy. Both the little round frame and the small L are from Michael's and the L is painted with metallic red nail polish.

I love this little tree. Can you see the tiny lovebirds in it? I found it here on the Feed Your Soul Project which is a website full of free printable art! The umbrella is another Toby creation. It's hard to tell in the picture but the raindrops are covered in glitter.

The orange tree is from the artist Colin Whitehurst and is actually meant to be a computer screen background. But Geary and I both liked it so much I printed it out to frame. Unfortunately we're out of black ink so the colors are way off. Once we get a new ink cartridge I'll reprint it. I was also pleased to see that the artist is connected with Wycliffe. You can see what the print is really supposed to look like here.

The black L is a vintage marquee letter. According to the sign at the antique store it came from an old movie theater in Portland that was torn down.

There's my little Newberg heart map. I've had several orders for these and they have been so much fun to make! Thank you to those of you who've ordered some. And it's not too late, I'm accepting orders until October 31st.

The white cursive L is from Michael's and I framed it in a shadow box with some Target wrapping paper as the background.

We used this matte instead of a guest book at our wedding. The silver plaque in the middle says Witnesses. I love reading all the signatures and messages from our friends and family who came to our wedding.

Uh...please ignore the fingerprints. This is another piece of my digital artwork. I took profile pictures of each of the boys and then turned them into black silhouettes. From there I filled the black space with different patterns. I love how this turned out although I don't know if I'll be able to keep updating it as the boys grow. We shall see!

In the middle of the whole thing I framed these wooden people that I found in the kid's craft section of Michael's. The heart is stick taped directly to the wall and the people are resting on the edges of the frame. I really like my modern little people but I hope others don't think they look too much like restroom signs. :)

I also placed some art on the board and batten in the laundry room which is directly across from our hallway. I love how it brings more color and life to the space.

My camera batteries died right after this picture was taken so I'll give you a quick tour from left to right. When I get the other wall done maybe I'll come back to this and show each piece in closer detail.

The green and yellow painting is something Toby did in Sunday school. It was abstract but I think it looks like two brothers with their arms around each other.

The peacock is from this artist on etsy. When Toby saw it for the first time he asked, "Is that a tree?" I thought he was referring to the love bird print so I said yes. And he asked, "Then why does it look like a bird?" When I realized he had mean the peacock I said, "Oh, yes, it is a bird. It's a peacock." And he replied, "Then why does it look like chicken?" Art critics!

The white bunny is a styrofoam carving that Noah made at school but I can't remember which grade he was in. Family sign is from Michael's. I think I might paint it yellow. The L is from Urban Outfitters and was silver but I painted it "Lagoon" a deep teal color. And finally the brown flowers are another Noah piece. One of my very favorites.

And there you have a little tour of some of our art! I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly enjoyed showing you!

Lessons from Parenthood: Three minutes

2011-10-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

This morning Miles:

Took off his own diaper and peed on the bathroom floor
Spilled an entire box of 500 toothpicks
Took one bite of an apple and threw the rest of it across the kitchen where it rolled underneath the stove which I then had to pull out (and let me tell you the mess under there was shockingly disgusting).
Pestered Toby to the point of Toby lashing back at him and pushing him down.
Hit me.

All before 8am. So at eight o'clock in the morning I had a swept up pile of crumbs, hair, burnt food, toothpicks, fuzz covered apple, and two long lost matchbox cars plus two screaming grumpy children and a shirt covered in snot and tears. Some of those tears were my own.

I literally flung my hands up to the ceiling and said, "I can't do this. You need to take over."

Then I picked up the crying baby and sat down in my desk chair. I stretched out my right arm to gather my crying preschooler close to my side and we all bowed our heads each with tears still streaming down our cheeks. Now my shirt and pants were damp from all the droplets.

And there we stayed for one minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. I started rocking. The baby shifted positions and laid his head on my shoulder. He quieted. Toby looked up at me, wiped his tears and gave me a quavery smile. I whispered, "I love you." He whispered, "I know." And then he picked those crumb covered matchbox cars out of the pile and started to wipe them off.

Miles sat up and said, "More here-ree-all. Waaah-der, peas." Which means he wanted more cereal and some water, too, please. I stood up and set him on a chair near the kitchen table. He started singing a tune of happy gibberish while I poured a little bit of Life cereal into a small bowl.

It wasn't until I had dumped the dustpan into the trash can that I realized it was three minutes. Three minutes. All it took was three minutes of quiet. Three minutes in the arms of a loving mama and my children were restored to peace. Three minutes of heads bowed and hearts bared.

And when the broom was put away my heart wanted to race back to that desk chair. If my Loving Abba could heal all that in just three minutes, what could he do in an hour? And how long would it take for my heart to whisper back, "I know" to his ceaseless whisperings of "I love you." And what lost treasures would I be able to pluck from the crumbs of my life once I had been resting secure in his outstretched right arm? And maybe I could sing a happy tune while knowing all my needs, bread of life and living water included, were being provided for.

All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way.

(Words by Fanny J. Crosby, music by Dr. Robert Lowry, 1875)

Super Great Christmas Gift Idea

2011-10-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

So, I have a this great idea that I want to share with you. First I'll show you something I made. It probably won't look that impressive at first. Ready? Here:

It's a graphic I made of the state of Oregon. The heart is on our little town of Newberg. I printed it out, framed it and I'm going to hang it in our hallway art gallery. I love it. It's clean, simple, and meaningful.

Now, this is not my original idea. Prints like this are all over etsy. Some people even make necklaces and tote bags and pillows with designs like this.

This is my great idea. For the month of October I will make a custom print like this for you. Think of all the people you could check off your Christmas list with a gift like this!

So instead of spending $25 plus dollars for a print on etsy, I will design one for you, completely customized. State, city, colors, icon. Maybe you want a little house instead of a heart? Or a map of the U.S. with hearts on every state you've lived in. Or how sweet would to be to give grandparents a map with hearts wherever they have children and grandkids? The possibilities are endless!

Here are the pricing options:

$5 will get you a custom design which will be emailed to you as a high resolution pdf. You can then print and frame it yourself.

$10 will get you a custom design, printed on good quality photo paper in any size up to 8x10 and mailed to you (or hand delivered if you're local).

Now...who wants one? Email me at jeanalinhart@gmail.com. I must have your orders by October 31st and you will receive your designs and/or prints before November 19th.

Highly Educated Briefs

2011-10-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend I put all the summer clothes in storage and pulled out the fall and winter clothes. As we were sorting through clothes and figuring out what would fit each boy I was taking notes of what they each need. Noah needs pants. Toby and Miles need shirts. Miles needs a coat. And even though I had done all the laundry in the house I could only find three pairs of Toby sized underwear (which our family calls 'chonies' --Spanish slang for underpants)

Jeana: Wow, Toby! You only have a few pairs of chonies. Where did they all go?
Toby: I put them in the laundry.
Jeana: I know, you're really good about that. But look, I can only find three and there's no more laundry. I wonder where they went.
Toby: Maybe they went to college!

WIW

2011-09-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Weigh in Wednesday now has it's own blog! You can get there by clicking here. Or scroll back up to the header and see the WIW right underneath the blue elephant? Click that to get to the new space. I've also moved all previous WIW posts to that blog. Can't wait to see who joins us for this new round! See you over there!

Best Quotes from my Birthday

2011-09-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 34th birthday and it was just about perfect. Saturday night we had our connect group from church over for a Taco Potluck and birthday cake. It was a super fun night in our backyard with all the kids running around and the perfect end of summer night air.

Then on Sunday I got to sleep in which was heavenly. And church was great, followed by a delicious lunch and a little shopping. When we got home the kids all took naps or read while I watched a chick flick and Geary rubbed my feet. It was a low key, happy day--just what I needed.

And of course the kids had funny things to say all day long. Here are a few of my favorites conversations.

________________________________

Toby: Wait! It's your birthday? Are you going to get presents? Are you going to get Legos?

______________________________

Noah: How old are you anyway?
Jeana: Thirty four.
Noah: Whoa! You're older than Jesus!

_____________________________

On our way out of town we passed the C.S. Lewis Academy elementary campus...

Noah: What is C.S. Lewis Academy?
Jeana: It's a private school, kind of like Veritas, and it was named after C.S. Lewis.
Noah: Oh. Is C.S. Lewis dead?
Jeana: Yeah. Actually, he died on the same day as John F. Kennedy.
Noah: Really? Is John F. Kennedy the guy who wrote Lord of the Rings?
Jeana (laughing): No. That was J.R.R. Tolkien. And he's dead, too.
Noah: What about the guy that wrote Harry Potter?
Jeana: Actually, the author of Harry Potter is a woman. And she's not dead.
Noah: Awesome!
___________________________

Miles was super cuddly and climbed into my lap. He stuck his head into my face and said, "Kiss it!"

______________________________

One of our shopping destinations was Goodwill. I didn't find anything for myself, but I did find something special for Toby. He's been playing with it all day and even rode home all the way from Beaverton wearing it. I can only imagine what the people in the cars passing by thought! Here's a little video so you can see what our great $2 treasure was!

Tap, tap, tap. Is this thing on?

2011-09-22T19:14:00.001-07:00

Hi. Sorry it's been so quiet around here lately. I've been trying to figure out our new routines and keep up with all the newness that this season brings. It happens every year so I'm mentally prepared for it but losing my husband back to school when the summer is over still takes some physical getting used to.

I've also joined MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and have committed to going to Library Story Time as well as my weekly Women's Bible Study. I work hard to give our lives lots of margin so that also means I've had to say "no" to a few things I would like to do but don't feel that it's the right season in my life for. We are all slowly but surely adjusting to waking up earlier, and getting where we need to be. Soon, I'll have a better idea of what times of day will be okay for blogging.

And now a list of things that have broken since my last post (in which our car and both bicycles were unusable):

The bike trailer
My cell phone
The boy's t-ball tee

They seem to come in threes, eh?

But I love it that the longer list is all that we have to be thankful for. Here's just a tiny bit of our gratitude list:

Geary's job
That Geary likes his job
That Noah is privileged to attend a great school
Homeschooling Toby
Miles' infectious enthusiasm
Our town
Our home
Our church family
Encouraging words from Rhonda
My prayer group at Bible Study
Walking with Jayme
Abba's Poetry
A new starter in the van
Freedom in Christ
A sparkling clean refrigerator
Hot air balloons
Sunshine
Our backyard
Upcoming jewelry bazaars
White vinegar

Good Thing We've Got Legs

2011-09-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

Our minivan is at a body shop and will almost certainly need to go to a mechanic right after it's done getting it's hood and headlamps fixed. It's been having trouble starting for us.

Last night my bike got a flat tire.

This morning, something on Geary's bike broke.

Are we under vehicular attack? Is God asking us stay home?

We don't know why we're in this season of broken transportation, but we do know one thing:

Some trust in chariots...

...and some in horses...

But we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 20:7

Acronyms

2011-09-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Noah: Mom, what does ASAP mean?

Jeana: As Soon As Possible.

Noah: Oh. Do you know what UFO means?

Jeana: Unidentified Flying Object.

Noah: Yep!

This started an acronym war and we quizzed each other on everything from IHOP to the ER...

Jeana: What about P.E.? Physical Education.

Noah: Really? I always thought P.E. stood for Personal Exercise!

First Day of Third Grade

2011-09-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe he's in third grade already. I think I might say a similar sentence every year.

He's self conscious about his new adult teeth growing in and will only show a closed lip smile.

"Do something silly," I directed. Muscle pose, it is.

Water drops on the shirt--proof that he brushed his teeth this morning.

This year Noah will get to ride his bike home from school with Geary.

The grimace was because he just wanted to get into his classroom already!

Cursive!

And I had to get a shot of my handsome husband on his first day of school, too.

Now it's just me and the littles. I think we'll break out the playdough for a little bit.

And there is laundry...always laundry.

We need something to distract us from how much we'll miss Daddy and Noah today.

The Nose Knows

2011-09-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

We're pretty sure Miles has something lodged in his left nostril. I tried looking but it's pretty swollen. The right side is clear and I'm pretty sure I saw his brain. Also, he's had a strange bloody-ish runny nose, just from the left side. And the smell...I mean odor? The odor is too disgusting to even try to describe. So I called his doctor and she's trying to find space in her schedule so we can come it and get whatever is in there out of there. We'll keep you updated.

Boys are gross.

UPDATED AT 12:45pm:

The doctor called and told us to come in right away. But we never made it there because on the way I was in a very minor car accident. Everyone is fine but we missed the appointment and are now waiting to hear back from the doctor. What a day!

In the meantime I've picked up some nasal drops to help reduce the swelling in Miles' nose. I took another peek up there and I'm wondering if the object is my missing pearl earring!

UPDATED AT 1:32pm:

Going back to the doctor at 3:50 pm today. The more I look up Miles' nose the more I'm convinced that it's my earring. That boy is so busted!

UPDATED AT 7:59pm:

We just got back from the ER. The first doctor we saw couldn't reach the object so she sent us to the ER to meet an ENT. The ENT was super nice and was able to get the mass of whatever it was out really quickly. It was not my earring (oh well!) but some soft, squishy thing. We're guessing tissue, toilet paper, or maybe one of those craft pompom puff ball things. It smelled SO BAD when he pulled it out.

We're glad this day is over and I know we'll be able to laugh about it soon. We always knew Miles would be our first ER kid.

What was I thinking?!

2011-08-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

In two days we're going to have a lovely time at the beach. Guess what I did today. Pack? No. Clean my house so we can come home and just relax? Hahahahahaha...no. Noooo, I decided to start a project! A project that involves spackle and caulk and paint and rewiring electrical thingies. Oh, and spray painting about a million and one picture frames. Which of course, that project within the project right there involves taking frames apart and cleaning glass and which glass did this frame go with again?

Clearly, my brain has been abducted by aliens. I just don't know why they couldn't abduct the mess, too.

The Happy Yellow Spoon

2011-08-26T02:01:00.000-07:00

My friend Becky has been writing adorable stories about sad, abused, inanimate objects that become loved and cherished and well cared for. I love Becky's stories. So I thought I'd take a stab at writing my own inanimate object story. Except mine would have a twist. It would be a riches to rags story. Now, after many ~~hours~~ minutes of crafting my tale, I present to you:

The Happy Yellow Spoon

Once upon a time a women's ministry director gave a mama a happy yellow spoon. The mama liked the yellow spoon and she knew just what to use it for. It would become a lock for her printer cabinet so that the mischievous baby would be foiled in his attempts to create more messes.

The happy yellow spoon rested happily in the cabinet door handles, guarding the electronics and files and printer paper from the mischievous baby. It was a good life. And the mama loved the happy little spoon because the mama always liked using objects in quirky ways and a spoon lock was most definitely quirky.

But, alas! The mischievous baby grew into a mischievous toddler who soon figured out how to remove the happy yellow spoon from his post. The mama disciplined the mischievous toddler and the mischievous toddler learned to leave the cabinet alone. And just like that the yellow spoon became superfluous.

And so the mama removed her quirky door lock and placed him in the drawer with all the other spoons and spatulas. The happy yellow spoon was doomed to drown in sauces and become stained by tomatoes and onions and have his happy yellow head singed in skillets of scrambled eggs.

The End

And if you didn't feel like reading all that nonsense, here's a visual illustration of my spoon's life. You're welcome.

Linen Closet Organization

2011-08-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not typically a bathroom snoop in other people's houses. I usually just do my business and move on. But I do love seeing how other people organize their stuff and if people invite me to see inside their closets and cabinets, I'm always interested. So I thought I'd share how I organized the closet in our main bathroom.

Here's the full view, almost. I couldn't get the very top shelf in but

you can see part of it in the picture below.

We have all our meds up high where the kids can't reach.

I also keep our toilet scrubber up there because otherwise Miles will use it as a sword.

A few months ago I was looking at this make-up organizer at Storables.

But the Thrifty McFrugal in me just couldn't justify paying $29.95 for it.

Last week I saw the exact organizer (it still had the Storables tag on it) sitting

on the shelf at my favorite thrift store. It cost $1.50.

And here it is on the next shelf down. I put it through the dishwasher and it came out looking brand new.

Also on this shelf is my hair stuff and things I want the kids to be able to reach. At least the older kids. Because that way they can fetch things for me. Because that is the whole reason I had kids, so they can bring me stuff. I should have named one of them Fetchy McBring-me-that. The plunger is here for the same "Miles will use it as a sword" reason.

I'm really happy with my new organizer. It's so nice to be able to see all that I have at a glance.
I have a mirror hanging on a hook to the left of the closet so that this whole shelf works as a kind of
hair and make-up/mom get ready station.

We go through a lot of washcloths in a week with all the wiping of boys' faces that we have to do.

I recently bought 24 new ones from Target (8 for $3.99) and now they live

in this storage bin so the kids can grab them all by themselves.

And finally, at the very bottom we have the potty chair and the scale.

Both ready to slide out at any moment. And yes, I really do hate that toilet paper.

So there you have it! A little tour of our bathroom closet. Now you don't even have to snoop!
But if you already have, I forgive you, Snoopy Von Peeperson.

Howard Ow-hide

2011-08-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

Translation: Shower Outside

Miles was fascinated by the sprinkler and it only took a little encouragement from me

for him to walk right into the glorious jets of water.

The big boys came out and showed him how to do get his hair wet.

I love this face.

It was the perfect way to cool off on a hot evening.

Toby didn't like getting his head wet.

The artsy shot. I like how you can still read the word "happy" through the sprinkles.

Water Baby

2011-08-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Miles is my only water baby. Noah has finally started liking showers and Toby will tolerate baths but they both still hate getting their heads wet and hair washing is the worst. But Miles loves it all and will happily stand/dance under a shower spray until the water runs cold. In fact, while the other boys sometimes cry about having to take a shower or bath, Miles will cry when it's time to get out. At 20 months of age, Miles' vocabulary is multiplying by the hour and he's found new ways to express his love of water.

Wahr is water.
Bash is bath.
Plash is splash.
Po is pour.
Washit is washcloth.
Soapah is soap.

And now my favorite. Howard is shower. Tonight when I turned the shower off and attempted to wrap Miles in a towel he grabbed the handrail in the shower and started screaming, "No! Want more howard! Pwease, Howard!"

I'm so thankful I didn't drop him: all my laughter plus his writhing, slippery baby body made for a pretty treacherous moment. But don't worry. I promised Miles he could have more Howard tomorrow.

Handmade Harry Potter Wands

2011-08-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Noah was invited to a Harry Potter themed birthday party and to help him get ready for it we watched the first Harry Potter movie. It was fun and strange to see the actors as little kids again. And Harry's first experience in Ollivanders gave me a great idea for something to bring to the party. We made wands!

And to add to the experience we also made wand boxes. Here's Mr. Ollivander's spidery handwriting.

These red boxes were a thrift store find and I designed the labels after looking at a few similar labels online.

Below is a closeup of the label. I'm gonna go with the story that Ollivanders has updated their logo several times in the last thousand years.

But I'm sure you want to see the actual wands, don't you?

They are made out of incredibly special, difficult to find materials.

Paper, hot glue, and spray paint.

We just rolled the paper into tight cones. Then filled the tubes with hot glue.

After they were dry we drizzled more hot glue on the outside.

And finally we spray painted them with a mixture of whatever spray paint we had in the shed.

This was a fast and super easy project.

It wouldn't take much time at all to whip a few of these up for your own Hogwarts party.

I'd love to know if you make your own wands. Send me a picture!

Catching Up

2011-08-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

Remember my goal of making one new design for every month? Well, I have been keeping up on it. I just haven't been keeping up on posting them. So here's a little catch up post showing off the designs for June and July.

June

Rosie Posie Necklace

This little beauty sold right away at the Old Fashioned Festival so I didn't get a chance to take more photos of it alone or on a model. But I have plans to make a bunch more for a couple Christmas bazaars I'll be participating in. Each necklace costs just $15 and the color choices are limitless! Let me know if you'd like to custom order one.

July

Unnamed Earrings

This is actually a design that I've been tweaking since last Christmas. I still don't know if I'm totally satisfied with it. I'd like to try it making it with a heavier gauge wire. They are supposed to be leaves with a pearl or crystal dangling in the center but I'm still working on getting them to hang just right. However, lots of people have said they like these as-is and I do admit that they are very sweet with their half-heart curlicues.

Here's a lovely shot taken by my friend Becky. I love how the earrings are framed and how the background fades into soft blurriness. I am not sure what to call these earrings. If you have any ideas, please share! If I choose a name you suggest, I'll give you a little surprise from my shop!

I need to make a date with my amazing model photographer, Molly, to get some shots of my newest pieces (including some from the Old Fashioned Festival that I'll show you later this month for August's reveal) on models. Then I plan to add a bunch of new stuff to my etsy shop. But if you saw something you liked in any of the OFF pictures just let me know and I can give you more details on it.

In other news, Miles (20 months) has been potty training himself! I take zero credit for this amazing event. I'm convinced he just wants to be like his big brothers. He's sat on the potty 9 times in the past 3 days and has gone every single time. I put him in underwear for the first time today and he kept them dry for about three hours but then we had to go grocery shopping so I put him back in a diaper. The possibility of being a diaper free house soon has got me all giddy!

Don't forget to tell me what you think those pearl and leaf earrings should be called!

Parade

2011-07-31T22:05:00.001-07:00

Auntie Em works at a bank and she invited Noah to ride in the bank's stagecoach during the Old Fashioned Festival parade. The rest of our family lined up on a shady area of sidewalk and eagerly awaited seeing our Noah. Here are some of the best things we saw while we waited:

My handsome husband and my adorable Miles with the cutest round belly.

______________________________

Toby was given a candy bag from an insurance company and promptly opened it up

expecting candy to rain from the sky.

______________________________________________

A cute schoolhouse float and Newberg's own bagpiper.

__________________________________

And then suddenly Toby's wishes came true and candy was falling all around him.

______________________________________

This is what Miles was doing for the first half of the parade.

Wait, I'm not sure you can fully appreciate that from a still photo.

You must watch the awww inducing video.

_____________________________________

Dancing horses and a mariachi band.

___________________________________

By this time Toby's candy bag was so full he could barely lift it.

___________________________________________

A unicorn! A patriotic unicorn!

________________________

Floating hand bell choirs and old timey brass bands.

_________________________________________

Fred Meyer and Grocery Outlet mascots. Sometimes when I shop at Grocery Outlet it is like

someone squeezed a rainbow into my bag!

__________________________________________

Cool shuttle float.

_______________________

Calliope float and square dancing float.

_________________________________

And then Miles got bored and decided to walk away. He didn't get very far.

_____________________________________________

Awesome and unique peacock puppets.

They were so cool!

_______________________________________________

So was this incredible raptor puppet/costume. I was very impressed.

________________________________________

And then, finally, on the very last float we saw Noah!

______________________________

He looked darling and I know he'll hate it that I said that. But it's so true!

_______________________________

He's got his parade wave down, too.

______________________________________

At the end of the parade Toby had nearly half his giant bag full of candy.

It's definitely going to be one our sweetest memories.

And just in case you need to watch it again, here's Miles doing the cutest wave ever:

Bye-bye!

Old Fashioned Festival 2011

2011-07-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

Day one of the Old Fashioned Festival was a success! I'm sharing a booth with two other artists

so I had to pull out my mad Tetris skills and make everything fit onto a 4x2 foot table. Here's how it all turned out:

My banner. I still love and use the wooden sign that Grateful Tulip made for me but for this event I wanted something a little more summery.
I'm really happy with the outcome.

The big picture. I wish I had ironed my tablecloth. Oops!

Tower of flowers. These little beauties are my best craft fair sellers.

I stuck them near the front to draw people in and so far it seems to be working.

Free Starburst and my new business cards.

Crooked necklaces mean people have been looking. I better straighten those out before we open today.

I love this one so much. I know these rolled rosettes are all over blog land but I couldn't resist giving in to the trend. I'm going to have to make one of these for myself.

Poppy & Pearls necklaces in lots of colors.

Pretty pennies. These have been a big hit with kids.

A shutter full of earrings. Sorry this photo is blurry.

Random necklaces.

Dandelion necklaces and earrings. And you can see Tree necklaces and Sea Stars in the corner there.

A bowl of pretty pennies. Customers love digging through that little bowl.

The clinking sound of pretty pennies makes me happy.

And that's it! Three more days to go. I'm having fun and all that hard work has been totally worth it.

Thanks for looking! And super thanks for all your support and encouragement.

Ten Years

2011-07-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Scooter Boys

2011-07-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Battle of Wits

2011-07-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Toby: Mom, I'm ready for bed!

Jeana: Okay! Did you brush your teeth?

Toby: Yep!

Jeana: Did you wash your face?

Toby: Yep!

Jeana: Do you have pajamas on?

Toby: Yep!

Jeana (being silly and wanting to know what Toby will say): Do you want me to lick your armpit?

Toby: Yep! But don't lick the red part or your mouth will be on fire.

Life Paths

2011-07-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Nila gave Noah a job at the farm. He could gather all the cans and bottles and take them to recycling center and then keep the money for payment. He's done it twice so far and Geary says he's doing a good job. Apparently there are teams of people who do this for a living. We've been calling them The Pros and we're trying figure out the times of day when The Pros won't be there hogging all the machines.

Jeana: So, do you think you'll want to be a Pro when you grow up, Noah?

Noah: Uh...no. I want to go to college.

Giveaway!

2011-07-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

My friend, Glenda, is hosting a giveaway on her blog for the next two weeks and guess what the prize is? Ruby Willow jewelry, of course!

I met Glenda when I was in high school and became friends with her two daughters. I have warm memories of being in Glenda's house. She introduced me to my favorite tea, Good Earth. She introduced me to Nutella, one of God's greatest ideas. And one funny memory I have of being over at Glenda's house was seeing an issue of TV Guide that was supposed to have a photo of topless Tea Leoni on the cover. My own parents had ripped the cover off the magazine but Glenda had colored a t-shirt onto the actress with a black marker. I thought she was a genius--and I still do. I wanted to grow up to be just like Glenda. And I still do.

If you're not reading Gg-Notes on the Journey, you are really missing out. When you go over to enter the giveaway, click around on Glenda's site for a few minutes. I bet you'll be encouraged!

Thanks, Glenda, for hosting this giveaway! I can't wait to see who wins. And anyone can be a winner with the coupon code to my etsy shop that you'll also find on Glenda's blog. What are you waiting for? Click here!

Funny Stuff

2011-07-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

I was shopping with all three boys in a fabric store. I'm pretty sure I will not attempt that again anytime soon. Toby was running away. Miles was shouting from the cart, "Diaper! Diaper! Diiiiiiiaper!" And Noah was cringing behind me, "This is so embarrassing."

_________________________________________________________________

This summer Geary and Noah are trying to do one activity per day from The Dangerous Book for Boys.

Noah: Is there a book like this for girls?

Jeana: Yeah, I'd like to get it some day. Remember, we saw it at Chapters?

Noah: Oh, yeah. The Despicable Book for Girls.

Uh...not quite, son. Not quite.

_____________________________________________________________

We love Phineas and Ferb and often sing their songs as we go through our days. This is one of Toby's favorites:

Yesterday, Toby came out of his room wearing a ribbon wrapped around his chest, sash style. He said, "Mom, can you make me a boy Fireside Girl?" He also sings, "We wear our patches upon our 'staches..." which gives the hilarious mental image of girl scout badges stuck to a mustache.

Done

2011-07-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I think I am done tweaking the blog layout. I still want to add a family photo to the About Us section and update all our House Tour photos. And I need to put together the Projects section but that in itself will have be a project for next month.

I'm finally taking advantage of Google Friend Connect and displaying the Followers gadget. I went to every single blog I like to check in on and added it to my "Blogs I'm Following" list. This makes it so much easier to see updates and to manage my blog lists. And it's really cool to know who is following our blog! I highly encourage you to join our site, if you haven't already.

My favorite things about the new look are:

The header
The menu bar
The clean, uncluttered feel
Having a Contact form
The little elephant favicon

Please click around and explore our new pages! And I love to hear what you think. What works for you? Is there anything you miss or wish was different?

Drive In Theater 2011: Cars 2

2011-07-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

Question

2011-07-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Can you see the "Followers" gadget at the bottom of the page? It should be under the title "Dear Readers." It was there and now it's gone and I can't figure out why it's gone. So I'm wondering if it's missing for everyone, or just for me. Thanks for your help :)

Under Construction

2011-07-07T09:59:00.001-07:00

I decided it was time to give our blog a little makeover. Things might be wonky around here for a little bit while I sort everything out. Thanks for your patience!

Practical Math

2011-07-04T09:06:00.001-07:00

Jeana: Noah, if there are 12 tacos and five people in our family, how many tacos does each person get?

Noah: Uh...okay, let me think.

Toby: I get three!

Padawan Youngling

2011-07-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Noah asked me to make him a Jedi tunic and cloak. After many hours with my seam ripper, this is what we came up with for the tunic.

And then after that photo shoot, I looked at some pictures of Jedi costumes online and figured out a way to wrap the ties so that the tunic looked more authentic.

Much better.

I also figured out a way to make a padawan braid for him.

It's just three strands of ribbon looped over an

elastic headband (his choices were white or pink) and braided.

Here you can see how it's attached to the headband.

Personally, I think it's a little too long but Noah likes it.

And then, just before we went to Black Butte I made a jedi robe, too.

The back view.

And the side view. Love that drapey hood.

I was going to made a cloak with sleeves but Noah

wanted a Luke Skywalker type of cape.

It was really easy to put together.

And here's how it looks with the hood down.

Ready for hours of Jedi practice!

Silliness

2011-07-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

In Progress

2011-06-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

I have been talking about working on the women's restroom at church for months now! And I've been promising pictures for months, too. Well, today I'm finally delivering. The restroom isn't quite finished but I thought I'd share some progress shots. Especially, because I have a pretty cool Before and After to show you, too. Ready?

I bought this coffee table at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store for $20.

It was dated and scratched up but it was sturdy and had a pleasing shape.

I knew I could turn it into an amazing bench.

So I did. I painted the legs and then used a camping mattress (only $18 at Fred Meyer, versus the $69 for the same amount of foam at Joann Fabrics), some batting, and a textured curtain panel to make a cushion. I covered my own buttons and tufted the seat cushion and now it makes a lovely perch for a bride and her wedding party.

While I was at the Re-Store I told the employees what I was planning to do with the bench. They said, "Well, we also have this old piano bench. Five bucks if you want it!" I wanted it.

Dingy old cushion. It was actually crunchy when I removed it.

Fabric should not be crunchy.

I forgot to take a true before photo of the piano bench. The above pictures already show the legs painted. So this picture of the inside of the bench shows you what the wood looked like before painting.

And here you can see the after on the right.

I totally forgot to get a shot of just the piano bench. Next time!

I'm still waiting for the baseboards to be installed.

The gorgeous mirror is from Ikea.

Here's the sink in the stall area of the restroom.

The mirror will be framed in dark wood, too.

A few sweet wall decals to add interest.

And the doorway to the hallway that leads down to the dressing room area. The hallway wall is the same color blue as the walls in the stall area. Funny how the lighting/camera make it look pink. Oh, well!

Hopefully soon I'll get to show you some before pictures of the whole bathroom and also the final after pictures. This has been such fun project for me! And I've really enjoyed spending time with all the lovely women who have helped, too. I hope they will feel beautiful in this space.

Black Butte 2011

2011-06-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to be invited to Black Butte every year by Grandma and Grandpa Bob. Their cabin is a place where many wonderful memories have been made. We had so much fun that the week just flew by. I didn't take out my camera very often because very often I was having fun just enjoying my family or working on jewelry or going for a bike ride or playing tennis with my handsome husband. The weather was perfect and we just had a fantastic time! Check out the slideshow below for a sampling of some of the new memories we made this year.

And here are some videos for those of you who like to watch other people's home videos. Weirdos. Just kidding. They are pretty cute...especially if you already love my children.

Thank you, Grandma and Grandma Bob, for inviting us to stay at your cabin again this summer. We always enjoy spending time with you!

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

2011-06-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

We had a FABULOUS week at Black Butte Ranch with Geary's family. I am unpacking now and can't wait to download the pictures from my camera. Vacation post, coming soon!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

Swimming in the Unforced Rhythms of Grace

2011-06-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I wrote about Learning to Pray in the Bathroom. I had no idea that on that very day our community would begin a journey in which praying, "I don't know what you're doing but I'm sure it will be great because everything you've done so far has been beautiful" would become a lifeline. I didn't know that I would be learning that lesson just in time to live it in a very big way.

I was chatting with a friend about some of that stuff and marveling over how God is already growing beauty out of the ashes of a very difficult situation. I said, "...and there is grace enough to go swimming in." My friend replied, "An ocean. And we're drowning." And that immediately brought to mind some lyrics from the hymn that I walked down the aisle to.

Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love

Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

I spent a bit of time yesterday afternoon watching all the YouTube videos I could find of this song and letting the truth of it's words and the beauty of it's melody wash over my heart and mind. I'm still feeling peaceful and floaty from it, as if I really have been bobbing along on a current of glorious love, which of course, I have been! And so I thought I'd share one of my favorite versions from yesterday in case some of you also need the reminder that grace is unfathomable. It is too deep to be measured. It stretches so much further than our eyes can ever hope to see. It propels us forward into the arms of the One who knows all things and who will make everything right.

Random

2011-06-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

DECIDEDLY

Yesterday I decided to go grocery shopping with only Miles. He decided to be cranky. He then decided to lunge for a bag of grapes. I decided to let him hold the bag of grapes. He decided to eat the grapes while we were shopping. I decided to let him. We both decided that eating a lot of grapes was better than being/having a screaming child in a cart. Don't worry we paid for the eaten grapes. And even though Miles' diaper this morning was decidedly a thing of epic disgustingness (existing words could not describe so I made up my own), I decided we would probably make the same decisions again.

_________________________________________________________

THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO SAY:

"Ew! Don't eat things off of your feet!"

"Stop licking your brother's hair."

"Uh...potholders are not towels."

and finally, this whole conversation:

"Why are you wearing two pairs of underwear?"

"You told me to put clean underwear on!"

"Yeah, I kind of hoped you would take the dirty underwear off first."

"Oooooh."
____________________________________________________________

STRAIGHT FACED

Noah was refusing to smile while Auntie Em was trying to take pictures of him. His reason? "Presidents always look great in pictures and they never smiled."

The Grotto

2011-06-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday

2011-06-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Secret Agents...

or Rap Stars...

You decide!

Three Boys, One Room

2011-06-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Last August, I did something crazy. I decided to switch all the bedrooms in our house. Geary and I moved into Miles' nursery. The boys' bedroom became a catch-all room that I hoped to turn into a craft room. And the old master bedroom became home to all three kids. It's been nearly year since that big switch-a-roo and yesterday I put the finishing touches on their new room. Here's a little before and after tour so you can see how the room has evolved from a master bedroom to a room full of boys.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Green! The paint is Peter Pan by Miller. It's the same color I used in their old bedroom--might as well use up the leftovers! Noah's bed is directly in front of us. His headboard is an old beat up bookshelf that I found at Goodwill. I like the industrial feel it gives to the room. The foot board is one of those cubby shelves from Target.

Here's a closer look at Noah's bed. His nightstand is another cubby thing from Target. And the green box on the top shelf acts a sort of drawer for Noah's flashlight and little treasures that he doesn't want his brothers' to get into. So far, they are semi-respectful of his property. The robot poster is handmade from wall stickers we found at The Dollar Tree.

_____________________________________________________

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Turning slightly to the left, you see the bunk bed. Right now Toby sleeps on the bottom and nobody sleeps on top. But eventually, Toby will move up and Miles will sleep on the bottom bunk. (Miles' crib is in our room right now). To the left of their bed is that little nook that I had painted red. I primed over the red and painted it a very pale blue and added bookshelves made from pine boards.

_____________________________________________________

The blue table is the $6 Lack from Ikea and we already owned the little white chairs and step stool. The boys like to color here and it also becomes a restaurant or lego table or fort depending on what the game of the day is.

_________________________________________________

The bicycle print is my own artwork. It's hard to tell in the photo but the orange background is actually a diamond texture. And the R2-D2 print is an image I found online. Both frames are thrift store finds painted white.

________________________________________________

This orange memo board/organizer is another thrift store find. It used to have a Harley Davidson decal on it but I peeled it off and then added the robot stickers (same as the poster stickers) So far, it's more decorative than functional but we all like it. And once in a while Miles leaves little surprises in the pockets, like half eaten crackers or bits of paper.

________________________________________________________

Moving left again, I stacked two cubby organizers from Target for lots of vertical storage. They are both bolted to the wall and each other for safety. The airplane hanging from the ceiling is called The N-2 and was built by Grandpa Bob. It was the prize-winning plane in Noah's flight competitions last summer.

__________________________________________________

All the toys are organized in these fabric drawers that I found at Target and Fred Meyer. I used my friend Kristal's great idea of name tag holders on a key ring to label each bin. These labels are also great for hanging on diaper bags or backpacks. I also have them on our laundry baskets.

____________________________________________________________

I didn't buy all the bins at once. Just one or two at a time, whenever I saw them on sale, over the course of this year. Spreading out the spending was a good use of our money. Plus, if I had bought all the bins last August, I would have missed out on getting the great orange color that just came out this spring! I like that all the bins together mimic the pattern of the boys' quilts.

____________________________________________________________

The closet in this bedroom is the smallest bedroom closet in our whole house. It was quite a challenge to fit three boys, their toys, and all their clothes and shoes into one room. Here's how we did it. All the shoes are in an over the door shoe organizer. The left side of the closet holds Miles' shirts on the hanging bar and a stack of wire drawers that I found at Home Depot. Each boy gets two drawers for pants, pajamas, and underwear.

___________________________________________

The right side of the closet holds Toby's shirts on top, and Noah's shirts on a lower rod. The three green boxes hold socks for each boy. And the floor of the closet is home to Space Bags with out of season or bigger sized clothing, and a bin full of puzzles.

_________________________________________________

We also utilized some under bed storage for toys. These long, shallow tubs are great for Lincoln Logs, blocks, train sets, race tracks, Duplos, foam swords, and other oddly shaped long toys.

_____________________________________________________________

I used the same labels but just attached them to the plastic tubs with clear contact paper. Can you see my reflection in this photo? It looks like I'm trying to climb a hill of Duplo blocks!

__________________________________________________

And turning left one more time, we've gone full circle! The boys have a nice big window with a view of the backyard. They get lots of natural light and really seem to enjoy playing in here. Also, in real life, this room is never this clean.

_____________________________________________

Thanks for taking the tour! I hope you liked what you saw. I sure had a good time putting together a fun and organized room for my three best boys! (Even if it did take me almost a full year!)

A Tale of Two Breakfasts

2011-06-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning, Toby woke up and stomped into the kitchen. I could tell he was very grumpy.

Jeana: Good morning! Do you need to go potty?

Toby: Nooo! (You must read this with a whiny/growly voice like Iago the bird from Aladdin)

Jeana: Are you hungry? Do you want some cereal?

Toby (remember, Iago voice): Noooo!

Jeana: Pancakes?

Toby: Nooo!

Jeana: Okay, well, why don't you go somewhere else with your attitude and come find me when you have an idea of what you'd like to eat.

A few minutes later...

Toby (still with Iago voice): I want muffin toes!

Jeana: Muffin...toes?

Toby: I want to eat muffin toes.

Jeana: Uh...what??

Toby starts crying.

Jeana: What's wrong? Are you hurt?

Toby: Noooo!

Jeana: Are you sure you don't need to go potty? Go potty!

Toby: Muffin toes!

I was done. Toby got a time out and I wrote on Facebook, "Toby wants 'muffin toes' for breakfast. Huh???"

But it wasn't very long before I realized he was saying TOAST not toes. And muffin toes could only be one thing: English muffins!
__________________________________________________________
Saturday morning, Toby woke up and bounced into the kitchen.

Toby: Good morning, Mom!

Jeana: Good morning! You're happy today.

Toby: Yeah. It's the weekend!

Jeana: It's the weekend? You like the weekends?

Toby: Yeah! We get doughnut and we get to play Wii!

Learning to Pray in the Bathroom

2011-06-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am vacuuming the women's restroom at church when they come in. It is nearly finished. Just put up the baseboards and caulk behind the sinks and then we can add furniture and artwork. I can imagine the brides, standing in front of the huge full length mirror in their dazzling white gowns. Beautiful.

"It looks wonderful in here!" she says. I smile. I am pleased. After all, it is for them. This room. This space. This reflection of the Creator's beauty, for them to be reminded that the King is enthralled with the beauty of his bride, the church. (Psalm 45:11)

"I've been watching you work all these weeks and wondering how it was all going to come together. And then I walked in yesterday and it just popped! It looks so beautiful." I am honored by the compliment. She continues, "And I think you should..." the suggestions come flying. I have had this conversation with other women, too.

I try to be diplomatic. I try to explain why I have chosen the things I've chosen. I try to listen with humility--maybe they have ideas I haven't thoroughly researched yet.

"Well, what about this, I think you should...."

"I looked into that, too, believe me."

"What about Craigslist?"

"I've been scouring Craigslist, believe me."

"Well have you...?

Believe me.

And then I wonder if they know I have a plan? I wonder if they believe that I knew how the puzzle pieces would interlock from the beginning of the project. I wonder if they think I am just making things up as I go along. Probably, they are just excited about the project and want to be part of it. The suggestions are not bad. Some of them even seem great. But they are not part of the plan.

Later, I am hanging curtains and someone else comes in. "I love coming in here. I love seeing what's new each week and every time I come in it just gets better and better!" I have to peel myself off the floor. Such encouragement! I am grateful. And I prepare my heart for the suggestions. But instead I get questions.

"What are you going to do next?" I tell her about some artwork. She responds, "Oh! That's going to look amazing!"

"What are these for?" I show her how the mirrors will be framed. "I love it! It's going to be fantastic. I'm going to want to live here!"

Even the things she is confused about are met with praise, "I can't really picture it but I'm sure it will be great. Everything you've done so far is fantastic."

Have you figured it out yet? That these words I am typing are not really about the bathroom? I mean, they happened. But they happened in the Shadowland. They are a mere wisp of reality and the thing I am really talking about is so very, very solidly real.

So many times I have come before the throne with suggestions. "Dear God, please do this. Please give me this. Please make this work out they way I think it should."

I have treated Yahweh like he is some big wish-list granting genie. I have said, "This is beautiful! Now please do these things my way."

I have questioned and questioned his way. I have not believed, really believed that he has a plan. That he has known how all the puzzle pieces would interlock from the beginning. I have acted as if he is just making things up as he goes along. I have forgotten that he is the Designer.

What if...what if, instead, I asked, "What are you going to do next?" and "What is this for?" and "I don't know what you're doing but I'm sure it will be great because everything you've done so far has been beautiful." What if I wanted to live in the space that he is creating. What if I approached the throne with a heart that said, "I love coming here. I love seeing what's new. Every time I come before you it just gets better and better." What if I believed him?

Ruby Willow::May

2011-05-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Golden Leaf Necklace

"Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always
something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf."
~Albert Schweitzer

Romantic, elegant, airy, feminine.

The Golden Leaf Necklace is listed here in my etsy shop.

Graffiti

2011-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

On the way to school this morning we had to wait for a train...

Noah: Mom, why is there all that spray paint on the sides of the train cars?

Jeana: (Lengthy response about gangs and tagging, including a brief history of the mafia.)

Noah: Oh. I thought the station masters just painted that stuff to entertain us while we wait for the train to back up and go forward one hundred times.

They're so FLUFFY!!!!

2011-05-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Remember when I rearranged my living room and I mentioned that I wanted to make some new throw pillow covers? Well, I did it! Here's how my couch looked at the time of the mini-makeover:

And here's how it looks now with the new pillows!

I used the same fabric that I use for the Ruffle Scarves and I love, love, love how they turned out. Lots of texture and softness to sink into on the couch. It was a quick project and I'm happy to have that item crossed off of my list. Still on the hunt for a new lampshade!

And it was made in Haiti

2011-05-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

I found exactly what I want to hang up above the board and batten in our laundry room.

Rhino Bust from Anthropologie

You may think I'm joking but I am 100% serious. I love it. I love that it's made with book pages. I love how unexpected and quirky it is. I love that it's handmade and re-purposed. I love that my boys will love it. Am I crazy? Someone else please tell me that you love this rhino, too!

Happy Mutha's Day! Aw Yeeeah.

2011-05-08T09:49:00.001-07:00

Laundry Room Part 3

2011-05-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

I've been able to cross a few items off of my laundry room wish list! Wanna see how it's looking today?

First, notice the empty laundry baskets. That's because on Thursday I got completely caught up on laundry. It. Was. Epic. I'm hoping to convince my handsome Mr. Linhart to build me some hipper laundry basket shelves so I can make them face the other way and widen the walkway a bit.

You may have also noticed that I added label holders to the coat hooks.

I am a label holder lover.

Now the coat hooks can double as old school library card catalogs.

The thrift store mirror spray painted white and hung above the board and batten.

It looks kind of blah up there so maybe I'll paint it a brighter color.

It needs some accessory friends, too, but I don't know what, yet. I don't want it

to look too much like a mantle. I'm sure it will come together over time.

I got so tired of the boring white boarded up door.

So I painted the board light blue and bright green with leftover

paint from some of our rooms. And then I cut out little paper flags

and glued them to some skinny ribbon. It looks summery and happy although

I think it's needs something else, too. And I still want to add some molding

to make a frame around the board.
Oh, and see the new doorknob? $5 at the Re-Store.

Longer shelves! I love how they look and function.

The open shelving works great for this area--everything within reach.

And the baskets are fantastic for concealing all the stuff I need but

but don't really want to see. Laundry room success!

Are you liking it? Any ideas for the mirror area or the board art?

Second Grade Journal Entries

2011-05-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

I love going through Noah's schoolwork when he brings it home. Here are couple of recent journal entries that made me smile. I also love his total boy penmanship.

I would like to live as Laura [Ingalls Wilder] did. I love fresh meat.
I want to try venison. I like a good song once in a while.
I get to be so close to my family.

This week I learned a lot new things about the emigrants.
This week I accomplished my calculadder.
This week I encouraged Ransom by saying he was
a great hulahooper.

Water Wings

2011-05-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Thank you, dear friends! Your prayers, comments, emails, and phone calls made me feel like I had water wings (AKA arm floaties) and could simply relax into my day. I was able to get all the laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away. I also cleaned the rest of the house, went grocery shopping and even got to work on a little bit of decorating! Toby seems to be feeling better, too. Now I see that it was God's mercy to me in making us stay home. With a clean and organized home I am able to focus on my family and the events coming up and not feel so cluttered up and overwhelmed. I also heard from several people who are available to help with the church restroom painting tomorrow. What a blessing!

So thank you to each one of you who prayed for me and encouraged me. You truly did buoy me up. I'm so glad I can call on you for "flotation assistance" like this. And thanks be to God who provides for me before I even think to ask him for help.

Head Above Water

2011-05-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

Guys, I'm treading water here. May is the worst month for our family. It's packed full with end of school year activities and deadlines. I'm trying to take over some of Geary's normal household responsibilities so he can have more time for grading and sleeping. But I'm also still working on the church restroom. Our bedroom has an enormous pile of clean clothes for me to fold and put away which makes me utterly baffled at the enormous pile of dirty clothes to wash. How can we have two enormous piles? And now Miles and Toby have been sick. Toby might have an ear infection so I'm working on getting him in to see a doctor today. I am feeling a wee bit overwhelmed. I don't mean to complain, but I guess I needed to vent and wave a little flag to say, "I need some flotation assistance!" Will you buoy me up with your prayers and some encouragement that this month will indeed end? Thank you, friends!

Brotherhood

2011-04-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

Noah had just walked out of the bathroom and was closing the door...

Toby: Noah, you didn't close the light!

Noah: I know but Dad is in the shower.

Toby: Dad wants us to close the light.

Noah: Not when he's in the shower.

Toby: Wait, who's in the shower?

Noah: Dad!

_______________________________________________

I had asked Noah to make some toast for Miles. It seemed to take a long time for the toast to pop up and when Noah finally handed a piece to Miles I could see that it was pretty charred.

Jeana: You might want to turn the dial down--that toast looks pretty dark.

Noah: I know. But's okay, I ate some of the black stuff off for Miles.

________________________________________________

Noah and Toby were getting out some kid plates for breakfast. Miles was ping-ponging himself between them speaking gibberish.

Noah: I want the green plate!

Toby: I want blue!

Miles: Shoe!

Noah: Hey, that rhymed! Toby say "blue."

Toby: Bluuuuuue.

Noah: Shoooe. See! It rhymes!

Toby: Bluuuuuuue.

Noah: Shooooooe.

Toby: Noah, now you say "green."

Noah: Okay. Greeeeeeen.

Toby: Shoooooe.

Lego Yellephant

2011-04-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, while Miles and Toby were taking their naps, I heard the distinct sound of Legos being shuffled around in their bin. With a huge grin I stopped folding laundry and went to find Noah sorting the bricks. "It's time," I said.

"Time for what?" He replied.

"Time for the elephant."

Noah's grin matched mine, "I'll get the book."

My son skipped off to retrieve a Lego instruction book that he had received for Christmas. And over the next hour we built...

The Yellephant

We used nearly every yellow Lego in the bin.

He is solid Lego.

I am kind of in love with the Yellephant.

Isn't he adorable?

But he is more adorable. And a total Lego rock star.

The End.

Lace Leaf Listings

2011-04-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

They're up in my etsy shop!

And here's a photo of both sizes together.

Large: $10

~~Small: $8~~
(I completely sold of out of this size in one day!)

I also updated the listings for the Hydrangea Earrings

And the teal Ruffle Scarves. There are only two of these left!

Ruby Willow:: April

2011-04-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

In keeping with my goal for one new jewelry item each month, here is April's design:

Lace Leaf Earrings

Lacy, golden, leaf shaped earrings.

They are delicate and lightweight but still substantial in size.

Flirty, whimsical, a "goes with anything" pair of earrings.

Only available in gold, but there are two sizes.
The large leaves are just under two inches long
and one and a half inches wide at the widest point.

The small leaves (shown below) are one inch long
and just under one inch at the widest points.

I'll do my best to take a picture of both sizes together

so you can see the difference. They will be listed in my shop

on Thursday but I'd love to know what you think today!

One of Those Days

2011-04-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Raced to the store to get peanut butter for Noah's lunch before school started, only to drop the jar in our driveway. The glass shattered and was only held together by...peanut butter. We normally grind our own peanut butter at Fred Meyer or Winco but this time, since I was in a hurry, I just grabbed a jar of Adam's. So, I'm going to back to bed in order to start this day over. Peanut butter. Who needs it?

Toby's Birthday Party

2011-03-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

Toby's fourth birthday was a wonderful day! Early in the afternoon we went shopping for birthday supplies and when we got home Toby asked, "Now we can build my birthday?" And did we ever build his birthday!

We blew up 25 balloons and they were all over the table and floor.

Toby wore a special birthday crown and got to sit at the head of the table.

We covered the table with a birthday balloon tablecloth that Toby picked out.

And the cake was Toby's requested

chocolate with chocolate frosting and sprinkles!

He was pleased with my work.

We had party horns. "Just horns. Not the kind that spit out." Toby directed.

They made a very, um...celebratory noise.

We also sipped "green orange juice" (limeade) from crazy straws.

And dinner was hot dogs, potato chips, and sliced strawberries.

All Toby's choices. Noah called Toby the best brother ever.

Then it was cake time. But first we all went around the table

and told Toby all the things we love about him. He was very sweet

and said, "Thank you!" without any prompting after each comment.

He was VERY excited when we "put the candles on fire"

and it only took three tries for him to blow them all out.

I think he liked it.

Yeah, he really seemed to enjoy it.

One of Geary's Toby Loves was, "I love Toby because

of the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles."

Toby was not the only one who enjoyed the cake.

When the cake was finished, Toby asked, "Can I have a bath now?"

It was a good idea. And it was a really fun bath because

Auntie Em had brought over a birthday present--a color changing car!

In cold water the car turned from green to orange and in bath water

the car turned yellow!

After bath time it was pajama time and Toby got to watch Tangled

which was released on DVD on his birthday.

Here are a couple videos about how the Toby and Miles enjoyed the cake:

We loved celebrating our Toby! And we're very excited for all the things that Toby has told us that fours to. For example, Fours talk to their teachers and Fours don't scream in the shower.

Four Years Old

2011-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

How can this cute little baby be four years old already? It's impossible! But there he is. His chocolate brown eyes are as dark and lovely as ever. But he can't be called Chubba-kneezer Fudge anymore. That baby fat has melted away and now he has the knobby knees of a four year old. Because he is four.

Happy Birthday, Tobin Joseph! You bring laughter and sweetness to our family. You are our Cuddle bug and our mr. mischief all rolled into one. We love you! And we are excited about four. Four is one of our favorite ages and it sure looks good on you!

Toby Logic

2011-03-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today after church...

Jeana: Hey, Toby! How was Sunday School? Did you talk to your teachers?

Toby: No. I don't need to talk to my teachers.

Jeana: You don't need to? Are they mind readers?

Toby: Yeah. And I don't like mind readers.

Mr. Linhart

2011-03-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

I am cleaning out my (future) craft room (for the eleventy-millionth time) and I just found a stack of thank you notes to Geary from his students. Of course, I read them! And my heart is swollen with love and pride for my Mr. Linhart. I've always known that he is a good teacher. I've always been proud of his chosen profession and encouraged him in it. But something about reading sincere thanks from his own pupils makes me look at him from a different angle and I am more than pleased to have him as my very own. I love you, Mr. Linhart. Thank you for being such a great man.

Ruby Willow February and March

2011-03-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hi. Remember when I told you I had a goal to create one new item for my etsy shop every month? Well, I have been keeping up on that goal in the creating department but not so much in the actually taking pictures and listing them online part. Thankfully a couple of super adorable students helped me out with the photographs. I'm so lucky to have a giant pool of cute models. My new items are still not listed in my shop but here is a sneak peek for you!

February:

The Ruffle Scarf

I only have them in teal right now but if you really want one in

white, gray, tan, or chocolate brown, I can probably make it happen.
This was a collaborative effort with my sister-friend, Emily.
I told her my idea and she said I MUST do it
and even invested in me by purchasing the initial materials.

They are thick with lots of texture but lightweight so that you won't

get overheated. They are also super long so they can be wrapped for

extra warmth in the winter, or loose for extra style in the spring and fall.

I love the one I made for myself and get tons of compliments on it

each time I wear it. Emily gets endless compliments on her scarf, too.
Let me know if you want one! They will be $20 on etsy

but if you pre-order by emailing me (jeanalinhart(at)gmail(dot)com)
you can have yours for $18 and free shipping!

March:

Pretty Penny Necklaces

These are so fun! These little pendants are made from pennies!
One side is a gloss covered pretty scrapbook paper pattern,
the other side is the actual penny.

It has been super rainy around here so I'm still working on clear
pictures of the individual necklaces but these should at least
give you an idea of what they look like.

I love this shot. It's so "a penny for your thoughts?"

Each penny dangles from a 16 inch

antiqued copper chain with a 4 inch extension chain,

lobster clasp, and my signature leaf charm.

You can see the penny side here. Abe's head is facing out and I think it would be
such a cute gift to find pennies with special years on them.
Like the year someone was born,or their anniversary,
when something big happened like a baby
or a new job or any other significant event.

They are simple and dainty and happy. And affordable!

I'm selling these Pretty Pennies

for $8 or two for $12.

They've already been a big hit at a church craft fair.

I made some with the back of the penny showing

but I think from now on I'm going to stick with Abe's head.

I really do love that year idea.

And yes, it's perfectly legal to make jewelry out of money.
You just can't spend a Pretty Penny Necklace.
But why would you want to?

Tell me what you think! I love your feedback and it helps me so much. Thanks for looking at my newest creations. I'll let you know when they are listed in my shop. But if there's something you have your eye on let me know! And don't forget about the Ruffle Scarf pre-order special!

A True Oregonian

2011-03-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

This morning I was opening all the window blinds.

Jeana: Let's get some sunlight in here!

Toby: But what is sunlight?

Jeana (laughing): It's light from the sun.

Toby: But the sun went away a long time ago. There is no sun.

Jeana: Don't worry. It's coming back.

Toby: Hmm...we'll see.

Laundry Room Part 2

2011-03-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for the compliments on the first wall of my laundry room makeover! It is so much fun to add beauty to a space. I can't wait until this room is completed!

Here are some more Before and Afters of the rest of the space.

Before: The back door which has an old drafty metal window in it that didn't let in much light because of the frosted panes. We sealed off the window by gluing boards to either side of the door and caulking all the way around to seal them. It's not the prettiest but it works and it's what we could afford. Eventually we'd love to replace the door entirely. Notice the broom and mop organizer.

After: All clean and painted with a draft guard at the bottom. I'm hoping to visit the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store to get a new doorknob in brushed nickel that matches the rest of the hardware in our house. Also, the broom and mop organizer has been moved. The plan is to add trim around the board to make it look like a picture frame. I made several attempts at some original art work on the board but wasn't satisfied with any of them so I covered the board with another coat of primer and decided I'd rather have a cute and happy poster in the space. Maybe something like this:

I love the colors and how cheerful and bright this one is. I found it here on etsy. I think it would be perfect in our laundry room!

Before: The door the boys' room (right) and the the door to a coat closet (left). Um, I just realized that this is kind of boring. Oh, well! I took the pictures and now you are forced to look at them. And love them.

After: Clean and painted. The door handle is back on the closet door and we decided that since we never wore any of the coats that we stored in this closet we should donate them and turn this old coat closet into a broom closet. So now the organizer is in there along with our vacuum cleaner, steam mop, ironing supplies, and extra cleaning supplies. I love having it all out of sight.

Before: The washer and dryer area. It usually isn't that messy but it makes for a great before picture! I hated that little cabinet above the dryer. It didn't provide much storage and it just looked out of place to me. See all my bottles of homemade laundry soap up there? And I used to store all my cleaning rags and cleansers in buckets balanced on top of the washer and dryer. Even thought it was usually not that messy, that spot did act as a sort of dumping ground for items with no home. The washer and dryer were hand-me-downs from Geary's mom. We've had them for ten years and I'm not sure how long she had them before she gave them to us but they both still work great!

After: Since I didn't like the little cabinet I decided to just take it down! I had some long shelves that used to be in the boys' closet so I hung them up temporarily. I'd like to get some longer boards so that the open shelving goes the whole length of the washer and dryer. I also decided to keep just two containers of laundry soap (only one is shown) because it's so fast to make up a new batch and all those bottles were really taking up space. I already had the blue baskets and now they house cleaning rags, laundry supplies,and the cleaning supplies I use most often.

One basket holds pre-measured ingredients for the laundry soap. My next several batches are going to be made so quickly!

We don't use paper towels so we go through a lot of wash cloths and cleaning rags in a week. In order to avoid mildew laundry from throwing wet rags into a laundry basket, I installed this hook rack so that the cloths can dry first. I also hung up a cute picture of a woman and her daughter at an old fashioned washing machine that Aunt Lila gave to me. Also, I use the dryer as a diaper changing station so Miles' diaper changing supplies are stacked neatly in an Ikea Trofast bin.

I'm on the hunt at thrift stores to find a wide mouth glass cannister to hold oxy-clean. Something like the one above.

I wanted to highlight one last thing on my laundry shelf. Geary's cousins carved this little bowl out of one piece of wood and gave it to me for Christmas last year with a cute candle inside. I love everything about this bowl. The fact that it's all one piece, that beautiful grain details, it's size, how smooth it is, and especially that it was handmade with me in mind. I'm sure this little bowl will get used for lots of purposes in my lifetime but right now it's holding change, bobby pins, and whatever else gets left in our pockets.

So, that's what I have so far! My wish list for this room is pretty short:

New doorknob for the back door
Happy poster and trim for the board frame
Glass cannister
Longer shelves
Artwork for above the board and batten
Oh! And a dust-buster! You know, so the kids can help by vacuuming up all their little crumb messes without having to lug out the big vacuum cleaner multiple times a day.

It's so fun for me to be able to show our house to far away friends! Thanks for indulging me on this little house tour. And if you're close by, I'd love for you to come see our laundry room in person!

The Laundry Room...so far

2011-03-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

In the ideal world I would show you my perfectly finished laundry room down to the details with artwork hung in place and perfectly staged containers of laundry soap. But in reality, I am only part way through my project and I've run out of money so that means I have to wait until next month's installment of my home improvement budget. Delayed gratification is a good thing, though. It means that I have time to really think about what will work best and research for the best prices and quality.

In this area of the house there is zero natural light, so it's really difficult to get good pictures. But I tried my best. Right now we'll just focus on this one wall. Here are the "befores."

Notice the two different colors of trim. When we moved in all the trim was that tan color and all the walls were flat white. Room by room I've been painting all the trim white. I am nearly done.

Oooh, sneak peak of that the little pocket bathroom. Before and After pictures of that room will come soon. We just have to hang a mirror and add some other little things.

A close up of the strange orangy-tan color. Yuck. So glad it's gone!

And now....ta dah! The "afters."

We really needed some place for the boys to hang their coats so we installed Board and Batten along this wall and added hooks. It's a pretty narrow walkway so it was important that things didn't stick out too far. Instead of traditional coat hooks I used window sash lifts.

We have rounded corners on all the walls of our house so we ended the board and batten on the straight side of the wall and filled the seam with caulk.

We also added a little ledge for picture frames...and starfish. I'm still searching for the perfect artwork to display above the board and batten. Maybe that funky mirror I found treasure hunting awhile back?

This picture shows the truest representation of the wall color--at least on my monitor. It's called Sea Anemone by Martha Stewart. In most of the pictures it looks minty green but in person there is a slight blue-gray tint to it, too. I love how fresh and clean it makes the space feel. And so much brighter!

So that's what this space looks like today. There is still more to be done but we like where this is going. In fact, we love the board and batten so much that we're planning to do the same wall treatment (minus the hooks) on one of the walls in our kitchen, too!

Future Gratitude

2011-03-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Someday I'm going to look back and laugh as I remember the day, March 1, 2011, when Miles somehow managed to open a can of white paint and get white painted fingerprints all over his outfit, hair, and face. I'm not there yet.

Recent Toby Funnies

2011-02-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

Geary (handing Noah a map): Will you be my navigator?
Toby: And I want to be the alligator!

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I was making brownies for Dessert Saturday and Toby was helping me. As we spread the batter into the pan he asked, "What are you doing with my blueberries? Wait..what are those called? Brownberries?"

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At church a friend was writing kids' initials on their cups so we could tell them apart. When Toby was handed his cup he exclaimed, "T for me!"

Snow Day

2011-02-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

They are two brothers, the taller one stepping ever closer to the smaller one so that the little brother's snowball will actually make contact when thrown.

Twenty minutes earlier I was doling out hats, scarves, gloves. We live where it snows only a few times each year so we don't invest in snow gear that will be outgrown before it is worn more than three times. The boys wear warm flannel pajama pants beneath their jeans. Two pairs of stretchy Dollar Tree gloves on each hand. Scarves, then coats, then boots. I top them off with warm hats. "I want the sheep hat!" Toby claims the funny hat with ear flaps that Noah outgrew last year.

"Mom, I want to try something," Noah explains that he's been reading Little House in the Big Woods and tells me all about how the family made candy by pouring maple syrup into the snow. "Can we?" He face is all eagerness and wonder.

I go the cupboard and pull down the bottle of maple syrup. One quarter inch of brown, viscous liquid rests in the bottom. I hand the bottle to my son with a smile. He jumps once in excitement and then the door is open and an icy breeze bursts through the house.

I sit with the baby on Noah's bed and we watch the big brothers from the window. Our too tall grass is poking up through the snow. I should get my camera, I think to myself. But I cannot tear my eyes away from the delight on the faces of my two older sons.

Miles pats the window and bounces on the bed as he watches his brothers. He turns to face me and I know he feels the same. We should sit here and watch and enjoy and engrave the picture in our hearts. The baby sits on my lap and leans his head against my chest. We are satisfied.

They kick at the snow making little trenches through the back yard. Snowballs, tiny snowmen, gazing in wonder up through the frosty tipped tree branches. They have entered Narnia and it is magical.

I consider getting my camera again but the thought is interrupted by a loud thud against the window. We are are under attack! The big brothers are throwing snowballs at us and Miles throws his head back against me, his giggles filling the air like so much soul healing music. Thud! Thud! We are laughing on both sides of the window.

Now Noah runs for the bottle of syrup. Miles settles back into my arm and I rest my chin on his soft baby hair. We watch as the boys select the perfect spot for their experiment. Noah tips the bottle and the maple syrup slowly pours out. We wait. A blue jay soars overhead and lands on the fence. I see Toby touch the maple snow and bring his pincher fingers to his lips. His eyes open wide and he smiles. It is good.

They take turns picking at the maple snow candy. Tasting, delighting, living. Noah turns to face the window and gives a big gloved thumbs up while he mouths, "It worked!" I nod and grin back. He waves to Miles and Miles waves back. I don't want my camera. I want to memorize this moment. No paper photograph can capture this sense of joy, beauty, and love.

There is knocking at the back door. The boys are cold and wet. We peel off the gloves and coats and scarves and boots. It is time for hot chocolate. Hot chocolate with marshmallows and straws. They sip warmth back into their bodies as Miles dances at their feet. I lift my eyes heavenward and whisper my thanks.

Win A Poppy & Pearls Necklace

2011-02-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

A friend from college, Jennifer, is hosting a giveaway for one of my Poppy & Pearls necklaces on her blog called The Art of Being You. Check it out here to enter and make sure to click around on Jennifer's blog, too. She's got lots of interesting and fun articles about reclaiming femininity.

My To-Don't List

2011-02-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

I've listened to several friends talk about how overwhelmed they are as stay at home moms this week. They feel like they can't stay on top of it all. The house is messy, the kids are messy, they feel frumpy, dinner isn't done, and date night? What's date night? With each friend I nodded empathetically because I knew exactly what they meant. But then each one asked, "How do you do it all?" And my socks were shocked right off of my feet. If I've ever presented myself as "having it all together" or "doing it all" I am truly sorry. That is a big. Fat. LIE! The truth is that...I don't. I don't do it all. I can't. No one can.

I remember reading my friend Carolyn's blog around this time last year and she shared about a woman who carried two lists with her:

On one side of the paper is a list of things she does... on the other side of the paper is a list of the things she doesn't do. In order for her to be able to do the things that she does, she also has to not do the other things. In other words, she only has so much time... and so she has chosen to invest it on the "things I do" side. And if she wants to add something new to that side, then she probably has to move something off of it to the "things I don't do" side. Then whenever she sees someone else who, for example, bakes her own bread, and she thinks to herself, "Wow, I wish I baked my own bread... I don't measure up." She can remind herself, "No, look at all the things that I have chosen to do... I could do that too, if I was willing to give up something else."

You can read Carolyn's whole post here. Carolyn shared some of the things on her "Things I Don't Do" list and I'm going to share some of my list, too. Ready?

I don't wash the dishes. Geary has graciously taken on that chore for me. Once in a while I'll load or unload the dishwasher but it's very rare.
I don't make lunch for Geary or Noah. They make their own. And I love them for it. I also don't pick my son up from school. He walks with Geary.
I don't write out the answers for my Women's Bible Study at church. I always read the chapter and I try to actually show up on Tuesday mornings but in this season of life Women's Bible Study is on my To-Don't list.
I don't bake my own bread. I used to. For a couple months. And then it got to be too much so...I stopped.
Okay, this is a big one. And here's a little background story. My sister-friend, Emily, once told her mom, "You know, for all of Jeana's domestic-ness...she doesn't really cook." It's true. I don't make dinner. I used to be great at meal planning but after Miles was born I did not have the brain capacity or the physical stamina to plan menus or get dinner on the table. So now we use a service called Dinner's Ready. Every month they deliver about 13 prepped meals to our door. Then all I have to do is take one out of the freezer the night before and follow the cooking instructions. And honestly, I don't even usually do that. Geary does it about 70% of the time. And the other nights we eat leftovers or something simple like soup or pancakes. I don't know that I will need Dinner's Ready for the rest of my life, but it sure is helpful now. .
I don't make my bed. Unless company is coming over and might see our room. Pride...ugh! Usually I just...shut the door.
I don't do Women's Ministries. I love women. I love being a part of the Women's Ministry at our church, but right now I choose not to do it because if I did I would have to give up something else from my "To-Do" list. It is hard to feel out of the loop and I miss the creative outlet and connections with women that I am used to (and the back-pats and praise, I admit). But it's okay. Not doing women's ministries is a good thing for right now.
I don't really get dressed except Tuesdays (Bible Study), Fridays (Friday Playdate) and Sundays (Church), unless I have to be somewhere. Toby and Miles mostly wear pajamas. All day.
I don't scrapbook or archive my kids' milestones. I guess this blog takes care of some that but Toby and Mile's baby books are 100% empty. And even Noah's is only filled out through his first 10 months. Along those lines I also don't knit or crochet or needle felt or paint or sell my jewelry in real stores, or sing in a choir, or audition for plays, or take graphic design classes or grow roses or decorate cakes or study Greek or have a fresh herb garden or teach classes or....fill in the blank.
I don't plan or attend very many play dates. I used to try to get together with other moms with young children multiple times per week. The grown-up connection was nice but then I was left with no time for taking care of my house and other responsibilities. I also found that when I was pouring my heart out to other women I was not pouring it out to my husband. Please hear me: I am in no way suggesting that anyone stop getting together with friends. Friendships are vital to life! But for me, in this season of my life, I need to stay home more. I need to concentrate on keeping my home a peaceful abode and keeping my children and husband within my full range of attention.

There are many, many more things that I don't do because doing them would suffocate the life and beauty out of the things I do do. Things like playing with my children and listening to my husband share about his work and walking with friends. Please notice that all the things on my list would be good things to do. Beneficial, even. But they can't take the place of the other good things I'm doing. Greater good type of things.

And I am learning that I don't need to compare my dos and don'ts with anyone else's. I have amazing friends who knit and garden and coach sports teams and lead Bible studies and cook amazing dinners. I don't do those things. And it's okay. Because I do make jewelry, and sew, and blog, and keep up on the laundry, and treasure hunt and oh so many other things. God has made each of us different, with different talents and skills and capacities for doing. There is no need to compare. And there is no need to pressure ourselves into "doing it all." The Do lists and the Don't lists will be constantly changing anyway--giving up some things to take on new things or holding off on new things to finish old things. Just do what you need to do and whatever you do (or don't do) do it all for the glory of God.

If we could do it all we wouldn't know our need for God or for one another. We are meant to live with limitations and we are wise to set boundaries. Don't live in an overwhelmed state because you think you must "do it all" and "measure up" and never show signs of weakness. Live in a state of truth. Truth that God meets us at our points of need. Truth that we are created to live in community and it's okay to ask for help. Truth that God looks at you and sees his beautiful daughter--juice stained yoga pants and all--and he loves you. He delights in you. You. Not all the stuff you can get done.

And that is all. Now get out there and do! Or...don't.

Love

2011-02-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

If you walked into our house on any given day you might find the five of us dancing in the kitchen.
And it would probably be to this song. Happy Valentine's Day!

Zoo Boys

2011-02-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my sweet friend, Rhonda, invited us to take advantage of her membership pass and join her and her beautiful little son at the Oregon Zoo. It was a gorgeous, sunny day so how could we resist? Rhonda was smart and brought her camera. She caught some lovely shots, too! Click any picture to enlarge.

Miles and the sea lion

This one had buck teeth! Can you see 'em?

He was also missing an eye so he looked like he was

constantly winking--so cute!

All the zoo boys and the other sea lion.

It was so cool when the sea lions swam together

like synchronized swimmers. They are so big and yet so graceful.

Can you see all three lions in this shot? I love lions.

Probably because I love Aslan.

Caracol Wild Cat

This guy's ears could turn completely backwards!

Toby did a cute demonstration with his hands on his head.

Painted Wild Dog

This exhibit had a little tunnel for kids to climb through

and then they could pop up in a bubble inside the cage.

Toby didn't want to go by himself so I crawled in, too.

This is one of the critters we saw from the bubble.

I don't remember what kind of bird it is but it reminded us

of Zazu from The Lion King.

Also, sharing the cage were these little mongooses. (Mongeese?)

Toby was really excited about seeing crocodiles.

I hate crocodiles/alligators. But they're okay behind glass, I guess.

Miles and his buddy seemed pretty into them.

View from the top.

Ugly beast. Ugh.

Colobus Monkey

He seemed to enjoy watching Toby as much as Toby

enjoyed watching him. My boy is so cute--

how adorable is he with his back pack?

Polar bears were another must see. There was a huge one and a little one.

We got to see the big one get in the water, but the smaller bear just did this

funny little backwards and forwards dance.

Finally, he peed at the edge of the pool

and we wondered if that was potty dance

and if he was waiting for a little privacy and

then just couldn't hold it any longer. Too funny!

All our little bears.

We had a great time and it was nice to spend some moments in the sunshine with a beautiful friend. Thank you, Rhonda! You are a blessing!

Step on a crack...

2011-02-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

I'm in Seattle to attend a friend's vocal recital. Last night my brother was going to show me how he could flip on one of those pull up bars that hook onto a doorway. Just as he pulled himself up and swung his legs forward, the piece of trim over the door gave out and Jared and the pull up bar came crashing to the ground. The memory of that thud will be difficult to forget.

At first I thought he had landed on his neck, but he quickly rolled himself onto his knees, moaning in agony. Once he caught his breath and was laying flat on the bed he could tell us that his back was in extreme pain. My mom took him to the E.R. and after an x-ray and CAT scan he was admitted to the hospial with four compression fractures in his spine.

He spent most of the day in the hospital, and got a back brace. He is being discharged as I type this. He is on some good pain medication but I know he is still hurting. Please pray for my brother, Jared. Pray for complete healing, rest, and peace in his heart. He'll have the back brace on for 6 to 8 weeks and then we'll find out what's next. Thanks, friends.