Saturday Bits

• Making baby food is one of my greatest joys in life. On today's menu: spinach, roasted vegetables, squash and carrot.

• I think it's hilarious when Steele or Adia will all of a sudden exclaim, "Where's Xochi?!?!" when she's been in bed for an hour already.

• It's really hard to pack for vacation with 2 very excited preschoolers. When I woke up this morning Steele had taken food out of the fridge and was loading it into boxes.

• It's hailing. I think we'll skip Uncle Gabe's soccer game today.

• In an attempt to finish packing and leave in a timely matter tomorrow morning to pick up Justin from work, I have let my kids watch t.v. and play computer games all day.
  

• Xochi is moving from 2 naps to 1. In the mean time, her sleeping is a bit wonky. So far today she's taken a 1 hour nap this morning and just woke up after sleeping an hour this afternoon.

• Xochi is also becoming increasingly mobile. Even with my earnest attempts to keep the floor clean, every time I walk into the kitchen I have to pry open her locked jaws and dig something out. String, coffee beans, pieces of dried leaves, a cadbury mini egg... Fortunately she also has 6 teeth now.

• We got a suburban. Did I mention that? Folks around these parts call it "the rig." We're building an interesting collection of stickers for it - union stickers, a Mt. Baker sticker, an Apple sticker, a Whiskey Militia sticker. I'm also going to add this sticker very soon.

• We're leaving for vacation tomorrow with my parents to the Oregon Coast. While I'm really excited to go, I'm sad that we'll miss the Easter celebration at our church.

• I ended up going out to sushi with a few girlfriends for my birthday. We had a great time but I've been craving sushi ever since. I think I could eat it every day.

• I regularly collect home decorating photos. This is my favorite one lately. I love the lockers installed into the wall.
  

• We also got a new iMac. We've been doing a lot of this.

• I'm taking several knitting projects on our trip. I may be delusional in thinking I can get all of them done but I can dream, right?

• Shalom Cardigan
• Those Mitts
• Pom Pom Cap
• Girly Mitts
  

They Say It's My Birthday...

So let's not beat around the bush here. I'll just get right to the point.

I have come to dislike birthdays.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love celebrating people. I love enjoying my family and doing fun things. I love getting phone calls and cards with birthday greetings. This year, I'm especially loving all the birthday wishes I'm getting on facebook! And, if you've been around here for any amount of time, you know I love presents. Giving presents... getting presents. Gift giving is totally one of my love languages. I like giving people thoughtful gifts. I love getting presents that I know people have put thought into and knew I would enjoy. They don't have to be big, just a little something. All those parts of birthdays are fine and dandy. But there's this one little part that I detest. One little part that cannot seem to be escaped, no matter how much I try.

It's that part where you... get older.

I never thought I would be this type of person. I got a few grey hairs pretty young and always said I would never dye my hair. I thought grey hair looked pretty. "The Bible calls it wisdom!" When my mom would comment on getting a few wrinkles I would say, "Mom! You're beautiful! You don't look old!"

But then, it started happening to me. More grey hair - too many to keep pulling out. Mysterious lines on my face that take hours to pop back out in the morning. Thickness in my waist that never used to be there before - the red shirt dress that I wear every Christmas annoyingly bunching at the buttons. Weird spots and marks and lines and hairs and pimples in places they weren't before and in places I'm pretty sure I don't want them to be. And all of sudden, I can understand why words like dye and botox and anti-wrinkle-whatever begin to drift through peoples' thinking.

Also - I don't know what I thought 34 would be like. I guess I really thought I would be way more mature than I am now. I didn't think I would still be struggling with the same lame thoughts and attitudes that I do... sometimes on a daily basis. The reality, though, is that most of the time I still feel like I'm 21. A 21 year old brain in a 34 year old body.

And if all that stuff weren't bad enough, I find myself thinking about death and dying and life and sickness way more than I probably should. Being an adult has made me more anxious than I ever thought I would be and more than I know is right. The fact that I'm getting older also means the people around me are getting older. My mom, my grandma, my children. I take heed when people tell me to enjoy my kids because it goes so fast. I intentionally savor my moments with people and yet it still all goes whizzing by. Week after week, day after day... until Steele is skiing down the mountain by himself, until the chubby, little toddler legs Adia had last summer have disappeared, until all of a sudden Xochi is noticing and grumbling when I take something away from her, until I find myself making certain note of how my grandma cuts the Polish cookies at Christmas - the ones we've been baking together for years. So I can remember. And it keeps going. And I don't like it.

So, what do I do?

Well, I live in denial most of the time. It's true. If you understand even an inch of what I've been talking about, you probably also understand that most times, you just have to put it out of your mind - or else you'll be consumed by it.

I also try not to let my fears pollute my enjoyment of my moments. Which once again, brings me back to the denial part. I put it out of my mind.

I do fun things. I try to live spontaneously and wait for God's next adventure. Sometimes this means my laundry turns into Mt. Everest and my house isn't as tidy as it should be. Most of the time it means that actually. Actually, this could also be laziness. See the maturity at 34 part above.

And probably most importantly, I pray. I pray that God would build more and more grace and wisdom in me with each passing year, despite my anxiety. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.

I pray and confess who God is and that I know what He says is true: that this life is only a vapor and that my true hope is in the reality of heaven. That the things I cling to so dearly in this life will pale in comparison to the joy of eternity.

I pray and thank Him for the joys that He has given and the ones I know He will continue to give, even alongside the hard parts of life. He is merciful to give sweet moments.

Lord, would you impress these things on my mind and heart and remind me of your truth every day, in every joy, in every trial and temptation, in every moment?

So that's it. Those are the thoughts I'm having today. I wanted to get them all out. Chew on them. Organize them. We don't have any set plans yet - I've been rolling around a few ideas but haven't decided on anything. I want a little time with my family, maybe a little time by myself or with a friend. We'll see. Right now, I'm pretty impressed with the box of gluten free cake mix Justin just pulled out. Cake sounds like a good start to a great birthday.

And to help me hold on to some moments: my first attempt at iMovie that I thought I'd share with you.

I cannot get this video to work for some reason. Here's the link

Jobes Family Ski Day

Living Room Update

I was thinking this morning about how I should really take before and and after shots of the living room and reveal them to you all at once rather than all these little mini updates. And then I thought about how long it takes me to finish anything and realized the after shot might not come for another couple of years. It's taken me quite some time to get the inspiration to decorate it. We've lived in this house since Steele was 3 months old... he'll be five in a few months.

So that said, here you go. A living room update.

My most recent success comes in the way of lighting. (I'm loving lighting lately, can you tell?) We really needed some more light toward the fireplace end of the room. Neither Justin nor I wanted to spend the time, money or headache of hard wiring lighting in. What it really needs is some canned lighting on the ceiling but I came up with a cheaper and less labor intensive solution.

I bought some jelly jar lights and some extension cords at the hardware store. Then, I picked the hardware guy's brain about how to cut and connect the cords. Came home, read a couple more web pages to make sure I wouldn't electrocute myself or burn my house down, and here's what I came up with. I'm pretty proud of myself, even though - honestly - this is pretty basic stuff here.

(oops... we forgot to touch up a piece of trim)

I split the cord and attached the separate wires to the fixture. I'm going to staple or wire cover that cord and then paint it the same color as the wall. Plugged 'em in and voila! Cute, $10 sconces!!


I also hung some more art up, including some plates from the Mexican dish set I got when I was studying in Mexico. I was determined to buy a set of dishes in Uruapan where my grandmother was from. I literally dragged that huge box of plates through the airport and onto the plane only to be scared to use them after someone mentioned a warning of lead paint. It would be easy enough to test them. You'd think I would have found a few minutes to do that in the 15 years I've had them. But I think they look great as art. And heck, I could probably pull out the ash tray that came with the set as well.

I'm also pleased with how this little arrangement is coming along. I bought the lamp at our second hand store. Check it: $10. And the table? $2. Craigslist. No joke. I tried to give the guy $5 and told him to buy himself a coffee but he wouldn't take it. I'm going to spray paint it grey. The little wire basket on top holds my knitting supplies. Right now it holds the yarn and the pattern for this little number which I'm going to add sleeves to. Shalom.

So there you have it. More on this re-do later....

Girls Day In

The girls of our family are home today while the boys head up to the mountain. We're going to bake cookies and perhaps do a little bit of shopping and knitting. It's been refreshing to watch Adia play without her big brother barging in on things, as big brothers sometimes do. She's blown bubbles outside and played with Steele's light saber. At one point she shot it out and yelled, "Fire!" Pretty stinkin' cute. She requested plain yogurt and honey for breakfast along with a slice of toast. Her usual favorite. I'm beginning to think we should live in the English countryside. Wouldn't that be lovely? Do you think they'd let her in?

They do let crazy-haired Lola in.

Anyhow...

I was going to share with you an amusing little story detailing me, going thrifting yesterday, attacked by the side effects of taking antibiotics for my sinus infection and winding up in the bathroom of the thrift store completely out of toilet paper with my only hope in sight being a dispenser on the other side of the room containing stiff brown, crinkly, paper towels.... but I decided to spare you that one and instead will share with you:


Home Decorating Victory and Tragedy


So, you'll never believe it. Sometimes I get on kicks, usually when I need something specific, where I check Craigslist all day long to make sure I get first chance at any good finds that might come up. I learned this from Justin who is the master of Craigslist resales. Anyway, (that wasn't the unbelievable part) the other day was one of those days. I was keeping my eyes open for couches and look at the beauties I found!

They looked more gray in the ad but for $200 (yes, I did just say $200... for both..hardly used and purchased off of overstock) those babies were comin' home to me.

Unlike my leather couches, I've already had to initiate a no-food-in-the-living room rule. (the kids usually only eat a few snacks in there anyway) And after inspecting them this morning before taking pictures, I see I'll have to initiate a no-marking-pen rule as well. Ugh. Oh well. It came out pretty easily.

But can you believe it?? Evidently other people could hardly believe it either because the lady I bought them from received tons of calls after me. So many that she called me back to make certain I was coming to get them. You bet your bottom dollar I was. (yes, I did really just say that. I think I watched too much Little Orphan Annie growing up)

This post is dedicated, in loving memory, to Maude the lamp.
She gave her life in sacrifice to a pushy new couch cushion.
I only knew you for a week but I loved you with my entire deco-heart.

Maude the Lamp
February 10, 2010 - February 18, 2010

It's Up

The mirror, that is. And the hooks. Thank you Justin.

I still haven't decided if/what color I wan to paint it but everything in my house is feeling so undone lately. It's amazing how hanging a few things up made me feel much better.

My endometriosis and a month long cold-turned-sinus infection are kicking my rear today. I think I'll feel better if I get dressed, eat something healthy and go look for some more lamps. Do any other mamas out there stay in their sweats all day long? I do. I haven't decided if it's a good or bad habit. I know many would say that if you get dressed in the morning you'll feel better and be more productive - but I would argue that the food/spit-up/snot stains I get on my good clothes (if you can call jeans and t-shirts "good" clothes) make me feel grumpier than wearing sweatpants. Just sayin'. These are dilemmas that consume way too much of my thought time throughout the day.

Pass the Tissue Please

So I can wipe the drool off my chin...

I am dying over this living room featured on Copy Cat Chic.

And just look at the grey copy cat couch!!

I know I said I would talk about my addictions later - but if you haven't guessed, one of them is drooling over design blogs.


In other news, I just opened and ate half the box of Junior Mints that I got Justin for Valentine's Day (along with a card) and forgot to give to him. oops.

Loving

Some things I'm loving - in random order.

My husband. I love how God gives us just who we need. This has certainly been the case with Justin. He is stable and strong and steady which allows me to be emotional, creative and spontaneous. He takes care of me in every way. He laughs at my jokes. We joke together about things. He loves my cooking. He appreciates my crafty/decorating "needs." He is a gentle and consistent father. He is a servant in every way. He listens to me and appreciates my opinions. He takes care of things that need to be done - no "honey-do" lists in this house! He cleans the kitchen after I cook, he scrubs the bathtub, the shower, the toilets and the kitchen floors (because, honestly, he does a way better job of it than I). He does the dirty work most of the time (think poopy diapers, cleaning up dog puke, poop on shoes etc.) He is an extremely hard worker. He doesn't mind that I'm not very tidy. He never (I truly cannot think of a time) condemns or criticizes me. As we head into this 10th year of marriage, I love and appreciate him more than I ever have before.

And, he looks super handsome in his uniform

We took these pictures on Christmas day.
They turned out really dark and looked terrible when I lightened them.
But I love them nonetheless.

This Room (from House Beautiful via Little Green Notebook)

I told you it was random....

I love how it incorporates contemporary, traditional and industrial aspects all in one room.

This Valentine's Day T-shirt. I made it for Steele and it actually turned out how I saw it in my brain. I love it when that happens.

Steele Trap - I love when I walk into a room in the evenings and find things like this. Being a mama is fun.

Knitting - I always love it but I'm a little obsessed with it right now. Must have a project on the needles at all times.

The Tuesday Night Cowl
Photo via Ravelry

I made this cabled cowl for my cousin Morgan for her birthday using the Tuesday Night Cowl pattern by Susan Lawrence that I found on Ravelry. I forgot to take my own pictures - bummer. I used this beautiful Mirasol Miski yarn in Jade. The yarn was great and the pattern gave instructions for 3 different types of yarn, but in the end I wish I would have used something chunkier as in in the photo.


And finally, THE OLYMPICS! Especially Alexandre Bilodeau. It's so fun that all of this is occuring right across the border from my house - I would love to make it up there for some Olympic festivities.


I also have to throw in one thing I'm hating.... my computer!! We need a new one so badly. I seriously had to restart it 4 times just to publish this post. It overheats and shuts down when I using photos. A new macbook paid for with our tax return is on the horizon.