today’s monday again

April 16, 2012September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett5 Comments

amelia and kayden have emptied the toybox and put all the stuffed animals to sleep all over the house~there are dishes in the sink and too many loads of laundry for a monday~i still need to clean out the dress up trunk that’s been repurposed and figure out how the girls’ old dresser is going to fit in the nursery~in amelia’s room really because we don’t have a nursery~baby gus is getting a cradle in my room and a closet full of clothes~and diapers and wipes and personalized items from special friends

now there’s chalk dust all over my clean carpets~we ate at Zaxby’s last night because daddy is gone and i didn’t want to clean the kitchen again~as soon as we got home amelia dumped a glass of lemonade all over the floor~annabelle cleaned it up because she loves the swiffer with a wet cloth~amelia has started counting 1-2-3 and it’s the cutest thing~she also consented for the first time this weekend that gus was coming to live with us~hopefully he is coming soon~i’ve been crying uncontrollably for days because once i start i can’t stop~sometimes there’s a reason but usually not~i think i’m just overwhelmed with the idea that it’s almost over~too many mixed emotions for a monday~the garden has tiny green shoots of carrots and crisp lettuce leaves and maybe the frost didn’t kill all the tomatoes~we watered it from the girls’ kiddie pool today which makes me feel good about reuse of resources~over and over He reminds me that i am not in control~that messy is okay~that small is cozy~that love is unconditional~that kids aren’t perfect and neither am i~and now it’s naptime.

Linking up with Carissa too

because I love her Mondays

spring

Top 10 Ways to Spend Spring Break

April 11, 2012September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett5 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday at Many Little Blessings

Last week was Spring Break. But today they went back to school!

That’s called Mommy Break.

We had a good time last week though and I’ve been planning this post for that long! Can you tell?

Top 10 Ways to Spend Spring Break

when you live in Georgia and it’s already almost 80 degrees before Easter

except tonight we’re in for a frost….

One.

Play at the park with lots of friends!

Two.

Run through the new sprinkler. With umbrellas.

Three.

Rest in the recliner after being exhausted by the sprinkler.

Four.

Have a sleepover and make rice krispie treats while wearing your bathing suits because you’ve been playing in the sprinkler again.

Five.

Eat all those rice krispie treats in one day.

Mommy may have helped some…

Six.

Dye eggs for Easter using only vinegar and food coloring.

Seven.

Put together your first Legos set with Daddy even though he wonders why the girl version is not as much fun as the boy versions.

Eight.

Celebrate Easter at the Sunrise Service and all day long.

Nine.

Pick fresh lettuce and spinach from the garden for that Easter meal. And turn those colored eggs into deviled eggs.

Ten.

Spend your last day off with friends (though hitting them with your new magnifying glass isn’t the sweetest).

Hope you are having or have had a fabulous Spring Break! We’re counting days now…20 at the most!

linked up with Angie at Many Little Blessings

amelia · birthdays · family · gardening · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · joshua · Photos · spring

Months in Photos

April 4, 2012September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

I gave up on my 365 project because I can’t remember on which days I took certain pictures.And I would hate to lie to myself.Instead I discovered A Month in Photos over atsimple as that
And of course, I’m already behind.But here’s February and Marchso now I’m all caught up.

In Februarywe celebrated Amelia’s 2nd birthday with a Pooh partyand my 32nd with birthday brownieswe did some acts of love and ate fondue for Valentine’s Joshua started a new job so he got a cake, toowe made a banner out of birthday cardsand ate popsicles on the porchBelle had a tonsillectomyand two ER visitsone for stitches in her chinFor such a short month, we sure were busy!

I can’t believe March is overand spring is here and soon we’ll be a family of six.We’ve been enjoying springKayden taught Amelia to shoot some hoopsBelle turned six and had a Hello Kitty party at the park despite the rainLeah Kate turned one and we celebrated with the BarksdalesI shopped the consignment saleand thank goodness, otherwise they’d be nakedJoshua planted the garden with lots of helpwell, sort of help anywaywe’ve already had an Easter celebration at churchand are trying out crazy hats because it’s already hot!
Maybe our April collage will feature a sweet baby boy….

perfectly imperfect · pregnancy

Late Blooming

April 4, 2012September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

We have these three beautiful Bradford Pear trees in our yard. They’re one of the best things about our house, really, and usually they are full and white and beautiful this time of the year.

But crazy early summer weather had them blooming early. I’m just glad I thought to get these pictures before the March winds blew all the blossoms off and made the girls ask, “Mommy, did it snow?”

Third in line is the late bloomer. Always a week behind the others, this tree kept its blossoms for days after the others were completely green, and it’s never quite as full or lush. It blooms slowly, as though its afraid to hope that spring is ready and winter has gone. It reminds me of a child peeking out her door to see if anyone else is awake before she tiptoes down the hall.

It waits patiently for its turn at perfection. For its moment of readiness in this new world.

It reminds me of me.

Finally, at 32, I think I might be getting it. I might finally be becoming comfortable with who I am, with what I believe, with the person, wife, mother that I am.

That I was created to be.

Sometimes I stare at others whose blossoms are full and radiant. I wonder when I’ll be that confident.

Then I look down and see a rounded belly nurturing an unexpected and lovingly anticipated baby boy and I remember Who had confidence in me first.

I think I’m finally starting to bloom.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

~Philippians 4:13

Linking up today at Capturing Motherhood

amelia · favorite things · joshua

Favorite Spring Things

March 30, 2012September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett5 Comments

We’re reveling in spring around here. Except it’s 80 degrees and climbing so spring feels a bit summer like, except in the mornings when it’s still below 50 and my girls are shivering in their short sleeves and flip-flops.

That’s why they wear funny hats.

Okay, not really. Really they just like to pose for pictures.

Sometimes.

Amelia’s really into hide and seek right now. As in, I’ll hide my face from you and you can’t see that I’m eating a Lalaloopsy toy. Again.

Gus’s name is long. I don’t love it. But I love all the people we’ve named him for, except I never met Joshua’s grandfather’s father (who was Augustus). I do love Harmon (Joshua’s grandfather) and he’s excited to have a Gus again. I love my grandaddy too. He’s the Deforrest and he told me not to saddle this child with that name. Ah, well. Maybe he’ll be a big-shot lawyer who needs four names. Or a missionary in Africa who is glad Gus is easy to say and spell.

Aunt Calley made this banner by the way. Isn’t she creative?

She also had a bike accident with Amelia who’s had a rough boo-boo week. And in Calley’s defense she was injured worse.

Amelia also hung out with Mimi yesterday and somehow sliced her heel open. It’s worse than the minor arm scrapes from biking.

But don’t worry, she’ll still tell you what to do and how to do it. Sassafrass of a two year old.

Have I mentioned she loves men? We are in T-R-O-U-B-L-E. This is my friend Tiff’s husband, Daniel. He’s one of those great dads who sits in the little chairs during the preschool puppet show so that Amelia and his own girl, Violet, will behave.

‘Course Amelia’s got a pretty good daddy, too.