Have a happy holiday!

Love,

Jessy

Perspective is a funny thing. Memories of an object, topic or experience can look and feel so different to different people. Grown siblings are bound to tell you, different stories, about “how it was” growing up. Any two married people will definitely tell you how a certain “tone” was perceived.

I photographed my new Christmas gift mug. It contained the same liquid, was held by the same two hands and sat on the same corner of the kitchen table.

The first photo is simple, yet, serene and strong. The second photo is cluttered, yet cozy and care-free.

From where I’m sitting, that looks like me…simple, strong, cozy and care-free. Simple yet cluttered.

I love my perspective!!

Love,

Jess

Molly as Mary and Ryan as Joseph (Molly calls him Joephus)

The day started like any other day. Little did I know about the challenges that lay ahead.

A blur of breakfast dishes, playing, arguing, and Holiday crafts, led quickly into afternoon.

A dinner guest was to be expected in a few hours. I busied myself laying out Christmas towels in the bathroom and picking up my boy from school.

Somehow, the sun had set, and dinner was still in a pile of ingredients resembling groceries – not a meal. The lit outdoor Christmas lights were blaring at me as if to say, “Why didn’t you do a crock pot meal? Dinner is right around the corner!”

Molly decided to “help” me cook by emptying an entire sack of flour on my living room rug.

The babies managed to empty out Ryan’s desk drawers while I was cleaning the rug.

Ryan and Molly fought over something, in-which, the nativity scene fell over.

Okay. At this point, I’m yelling, “Everyone quiet! Stop it! What are you doing! Go to your room!”

Then, on my knees, patting the ground around my room and the hallway, I shout to the other room, “WHERE is baby JESUS?” I shouted it with a harsh tone. The kind of tone that curls your lips as you said it.

The moment was not lost on me. Where was baby Jesus? The small plastic mold of baby Jesus, I was so longing to find, was under my hamper. I gave myself a wry smile, shook my head and shed a tear. I had spent more time looking for a plastic mold version of Jesus than worshiping Him this season.

Vowing to refocus my energy, I set the nativity and vacuumed the flour.

Peter brought home Chinese take-out and our guest was gracious.

We said a prayer over our meal. We laughed over knock-knock jokes, fortune cookie predictions and noodle covered babies.

The day came to an end much as it has begun…pajamas and dishes. But, a little something had changed in my heart.

Love,

Jess

I’m linking up to Darcy’s Sweet Shot Tuesday.

Our gingerbread village was a little too tempting for our little Molly!

Love,
Jess

At least 17 inches of snow blew into town this past weekend. The roof of the Mall of America Field collapsed, cars were in the ditch everywhere and community activities were cancelled.

The news called it Snow-ma-gedon! I called it a Blizzard. Molly called it a “Lizzard”!

We made a gingerbread village.

Peter taught Ryan a new computer game.

Peter made a huge fort with Molly and Ryan. The white glow from the living room windows was from all the blowing snow!

I made a pie.

What do you do when you are home-bound with your family? I hope you find something fun!

Love,

Jess

Hey Guys!

I love Christmastime, so  of course, I’m going join up with a few decor linky parties!

Christmas Mantel

Layla’s party

My faux mantel, (a huge shelf in my dinning room), provides a lot of surface area for seasonal decor. It is one of the only areas that my 4 kids can’t reach. Which means, the shelf mantel is the only place I can display anything with glass. I love changing out the decor contents of the white and glass candle houses. This Christmas, I added green and red glitter ornaments and a red-berry garland.

Christmas Vignette

Rhoda’s Party

Christmas invaded my living room side table.  Clearing paperwork clutter, missing socks and av equipment off my side table to decorate for the seasons makes me happy! I paired books with green and red spines with a photo from my college days with my husband. My Merry Days Silent Nights sign adds a pop of color and height to this cozy vignette.

Christmas Craft

Kate’s Party

Red paint + scrap lumber  2X4 + 25 circles + number stickers + Mod Podge = Christmas Countdown (Advent) on a Stick.

I’m from Minnesota, the host of the Stair Fair with most “On-a-Stick” items in the world. (or that I’ve seen). So naturally, Christmas Countdown on-a-stick was the most logical craft for me to make!

Christmas Tree

Sarah’s Party

My hallway gets all aglow with a sweet and simple table-top tree. White and red berry garland, white lights and my angel ornament collection are topped off with a white tin star of Bethlehem.

Thanks for stopping by for a tour, of the Just a Blink house, at Christmas! Hope your days are merry and bright!

Love,
Jess

My Little Lady seems to think she’s the boss around here. She recently gave me a, “Count to trouble…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 11-teen. Now do what I say!” Of course, she had one hand on her hip and the other hand waving a finger around, in my face.

She’s a dreamer, alright.

She wants to:

Be a big kid. Decked out in Ryan’s clothes from head to toe…including boxers.

Drive. She’s drawn to anything with wheels!

Collect sparkly shoes. She claims, its the only way to, “Walk Fancy”.

Get Married. Even a bath towel will do for a veil, in a pinch!

Be a Mama. She loves to rock her little sisters.

Good Golly Miss Molly – don’t forget to be my baby as long as you live!!!!!

Love,

Jess

Strangers stop me in public with their observations of my life.

“You must have your hands full!”, “Looks like you’re wonderfully busy.” “What a ‘super mom’ you must have to be – all the time!”

I do.  I am. And yes, sometimes I am a Super Mom (insert heroine music here, oh and, wind for my hair).

Sometimes, I smile glowingly with appreciation for the onlooker’s opinion. Other times, I’m tired and just want to get to my van, without regaling the details of my 4 children and my role as a mother.

Sadly,  strangers and, bless ‘em, even some folks I know, most often make comments, to me, about the details of their own inadequacies.

“I could never handle all those kids!”,  “So, glad I never had to have twins!”, and “I’d shrivel up if I had your life!” I think most people mean well, but really, the comments can get to me.

By knowing myself and my view of motherhood Super Mom-hood, I can guard myself from misguided outsider views.

Here are a few situations I know to be true…

1. A Super Mom leads first by example, then by instruction. (Molly & Leah.)

2. A Super Mom lets her kids build roots.

3. A Super Mom can give her kids wings. (Molly’s first day of Preschool.)

4. A Super Mom, always trusts her gut, but can let go of fear when necessary. (Ryan at the State Fair.)

5. A Super Mom seeks mental, spiritual and physical growth in themselves and their kids. (Claire and Leah)

6. A Super Mom knows that getting the “perfect” Christmas card photo takes FOREVER!!! (Molly, Ryan, Leah, Claire)

Of course, this list is anything but exhaustive, but rather, just a few snippets into my view of being a Super Mom!

Love,
Jess

Ryan and Molly share a laugh with their Papa Den (my Dad).

At a recent MOPS meeting my table mates and I shared ‘what we were grateful for’. I heard responses about health, careers, children, God, homes.

I was grateful that I made it through the last year still breathing!

I made it through the last year, not only with air in my lungs, but with joy in my heart. I am sure, without a doubt, my feelings of oxygenation and joy have been possible because of the involvement of my family.

During this season of gratitude I just wanted to shout from the roof tops…

Thank You, I Love You, Thank You!!!!!!

Love,

Jess

I feel like I have so much to say about what is happening in our life right now. Life as a family of 6. Feelings about time with God. My “job” painting furniture and repurposing home decor. The list goes on.

But, when I stop to write about it, I wonder what to say.

I decided to dig a little deeper and I found a photo in my archives…

This photo was taken 2 years ago, exactly. November 1, 2008. Two years is 730 days.

Molly,1, with her wild toddler hair, was too small to sit still. Ryan, 4, oh my…those cheeks! What a little dreamer. I thought he looked so grown up in his new Sketchers.

I have no idea what made me capture this moment. Maybe those sandy-strawberry cowlicks on my daughter or the dumpling face of my son.

Were we wrestling? Why did let Ryan on my bed with his shoes on? I’m puzzled why I never deleted this photo, after all, it is blurry.

Did I struggle with my thoughts and wonder what to “write” that day too? It seems like everything and nothing is important all at the same time.

So in 730 days from now, if I happen to be reading my archives…

• I went to the library today with all 3 girls while Ry was at Kindergarten.
• We ate Halloween candy and delayed putting away our costumes until tomorrow.
• I made baked homemade Mac-n-Cheese, to which, Ryan spent 1 1/2 minutes trying to teach me about the rectangle box of mac-n-cheese at Target.
• Molly and Peter read a Spanish word book together at bedtime.
• Claire walked from the fridge to the sliding glass door in the kitchen, by herself!
• Leah laughed herself silly during playtime. She threw her head back in enthusiasm.
• I finally called about our recalled dishwasher. It felt good to cross it of my list.

Love,

Jess