Just some things on my heart.
1. I’m starting to long for a schedule. Summer is so FUN but I always feel pulled between the work I have to do and wanting to spend the days with the boys. Top that off with how much we’ve been traveling and I start to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. I’ve been feeling blue lately. I love the unstructured, lazy days of summer, but our school schedule will help things run more smoothly.
2. We’ve been cutting out sugar around here and last night was the first night I didn’t crave dessert–so that’s a HUGE step in the right direction. {Have I ever told you how much I love sugar?}
3. Yesterday my brother arrived with his amazing wife and my awesome twin nieces.We’re planning to do some thrifting, spend some time at the beach and have lots of cousin time!
4. This summer, Matthias has been working hard on memorizing his multiplication tables. I think he has them DOWN. So many times I have goals to work on things during the summer and we kind of flake out after a week or so. But this summer we were consistent. Awesome. Hello fourth grade.
5. We’re wrapping up our fall collection and it’s torture because all I want to do is share it with you. The process from sketching a design to working it out in clay or wax to casting and polishing and then finally seeing it around someone’s neck is my favorite part of what I do. Seeing something go from inspiration to finished product is a magical thing!
6. Yesterday David ate so. much. food. I bet the kid ate almost 2,000 calories. He only weighs 32 lbs! Growth spurt maybe?!
7. Steve and I are part of a small marriage seminar at our church. We’ve been digging in deep and looking at patterns in our marriage, how to focus on each other and love each other better. Marriage is so much better than I thought it would be but if I’m honest, it’s incredibly hard. It’s been raw and vulnerable to open up with each other and be honest, but it’s been encouraging as well. I love him and I want our marriage to last.
8. Some of YOUR favorite pieces flying out of our workshop this week were this adorable baby spoon {I think I’m going to tuck one away for each of my boys for when they get older}, our august charm, {which is particularly charming} and my journey necklace {which is particularly close to my heart! I often step back and consider how DIFFERENT this journey is than how I had planned, but how much MORE beautiful it is!}
and 1/2. I need a little more coffee–maybe just half a cup? Wanna join me? What’s on your heart today?
That all sounds fabulous! Now please tell me how you are finding the strength to not eat sugar!! Im seriously addicted!! 🙂
#7 on your list makes me smile. I’ll pray for your marriage each time I read your blog. I desire a marriage that will last too. Only through Christ! Casey and I along with our young marriage group are reading Timothy Keller’s book called The Meaning of Marriage. It’s a good read! 🙂
I have some questions concerning David….Does David have a feeding tube? I remember telling people how Cole was taking in 1400 calories daily and yet he was looking more and more sliming. Looking back ..he once eat bowls of oatmeal every morning then I had to blend it then over time he couldn’t handle that. Every year I was having to change how I fed him. We talked to the doctor after a very scary visit with my sister-in-law’s where Cole got choked on congestion and he gave us an order for a suction machine. Just before we got our breakthrough I remember telling everyone how was it that he could take in so much and not gain anything, actual seeming to me to be losing. I made a call to a doctor when Cole’s stool was dark dark. So he wanted to go in and see if he was bleeding internally. He went in to find no blood but even a baby scope was to big to get through his esophagus. He sent us to someone who handles children. When they opened him up he had gained 12 lbs. when we went back. Now we go back every two months to keep it dilated open. The best part is he is gaining and throwing less tantrums.
Hi Lisa,
Getting my 1/2 cup of coffee right now! 🙂 I am wearing the Love is My Anchor bracelet and I love it, I also have the necklace of I think it was called The View from Up Here with the cute little bird on the wire that is a favorite too. Yay for the fall collection!
I am SO loving my “family” necklace and and the tiny little initial one – I wear them both together 🙂 We will add a new initial in Jan/Feb too!!!
This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made….as the song goes. Most importantly in all the comments is that we learn to be glad and rejoice in it. In spite of all our trials, we learn and are better and improved for it and we move on. As Doris Day used to sing, “Kay Sarrah, sarrah. Whatever will be, will be. The futures not ours to be. Kay Sarrah, Sarrah. Peace and Blessings.
Beautiful! xo
Lisa,
Thank you for your honesty about marriage – it is refreshing to hear. Mainly because I think with all your beautiful photography and successful career and beautiful children it is nice to know that you are still a real person with struggles. So thanks for opening up your heart to share that with us. 🙂 Have a wonderful Friday!!
Thanks for the list…sometimes I get caught up in negative thoughts about things that don’t really matter in the long run…and it’s so much better to be positive!
I like #5 the best…how satisfying to create things and get to see other people enjoy them as much as you hoped they would.
And #6…sounds good too. With kids you always wonder if you are doing the right thing…enough, etc…and then out of the blue something as simple as your child consuming a lot of calories can make you feel so much better! Sometimes it’s a simple as that!
Thanks for sharing your heart Anne– I agree, the simple things are often times the most beautiful! xx
Hi Lisa,
A wonderful post… I can so relate to #1. I am always so happy when the summer break is here, but as a full time working Mum, starts also the struggles of finding balance between work and keeping my son busy…
on #2 I am also addicted to sugar. But we have done some significant changes in our diet and so it is less of a concern. Sugar craving is one sign of candida overgrowth, so it is very important to keep this under control…
On #4, my son has not yet them and I don’t think he will ever have them in mind (he is dyslexic). Some teacher understand this, other don’t. But I have a teacher in my family that reminded me that the important point is understanding the concept of grouping the number. Knowing the multiplication tables by heart was less of a concern…
Good to hear #6 and yes he must be growing!
And I SO agree with you on #7, marriage is fantastic but it is hard work. And you have to care for it every day, every moment…
I wish you a lovely weekend with some fantastic family time!
Take Care
Thank you for sharing a piece of your heart & struggles Steph! xx
Love this list and the honesty! Now as far as this cutting back sugar thing…..have you eliminated it from your coffee? I KNOW I put too much but I don’t know if I could cut it out completely!
I too love your post. This summer has been so very different at our house. I have been ill since June. Recently had surgery and recovering but how often we take health for granite. God has blessed me with having a speedy recovery. So blessed to have a wonderful family. My husband of 40 years can do laundry. God is teaching me patience and the power if prayer.
Wow, I’m moved by your grateful heart. Sending you a big hug! xx
These posts of you sharing your heart are my favs. 🙂 I’m pondering some of the same. Recent disappointing news has forced me to deal with the fact that life just doesn’t look like what I thought it would. We are not where I’ve always thought we “should” be. Finances/salaries haven’t just fallen into the range I thought they would, our home isn’t what I thought we would need for 5+ people, my body isn’t what I had hoped, our location isn’t nestled amongst deep community…and the list goes on. And yet I believe that God withholds NO good thing from His children…so what we have right now IS His best for us. And you know? My life is pretty beautiful when I choose gratefulness over discontentment. Sometimes, it just comes down to perspective.
You’re so right Dana. Thank you for sharing your heart! xx