Lasso The Moon

Spending some time...

In a patch of sunshine

 

A welcome break from this week's chilly rain.

Funny--like an old yearbook picture.

I didn't go to high school, so I didn't get a yearbook.  But you know how you look back at old pictures of yourself, and ask, "What was I thinking?" or "Man, I thought life was hard then!"  Well, today I stumbled upon something that made me ask those very questions of myself.  And many more.

 

I found the web address of a blog that I had in 2003.  This was the year Donnie and I got married.  We had no kids, no career, no worries. 

It's funny to look back and read this, to see what was important to me back then--like an old diary from junior high.  There are a lot of posts about eating healthier, and quitting diet cokes.   (Oh, how many times have I quit diet cokes!?) 

One thing that I notice has not changed is my need to create.  I need to be engrossed in some hands-on, color-rich, sensory activity to feel like I have done something.  This is a feeling that has actually increased since becoming a mother.  Moms, if we choo se, can live our entire lives perfecting the art of dishes and laundry.  Manners and carpool.  But these are tasks that never end!  They are never complete. 

Creativity for me is a way of marking time, of changing seasons.  Art projects can be completed and set aside.  They can be checked off a list, and I can move on to something else. 

The role of wife and mother is one that I would never trade.  I would never give it up.  I am continually amazed at the rewards.   But sometimes you just need a completable task.  One that you can capture in a picture for future reference and say, "Hey, I made that."   

All of the pictures in this post are that for me.  If you want to go and look at the old blog and laugh with me, please be my guest!  <click here>

But now, if you'll excuse me, I have laundry to do.

--Anna

Cowboy Day

With all the Christmas mayhem this year, this is the only picture I took of any of the gifts I made.  Oops.  I'll get back into it--I promise.

 

Cowboy Day, acrylic on canvas

It's a painting of my two kids based on a photo I took of them the summer of 2008.  Emma was 3 and Ethan was 1, and they were walking next door to church for Vacation Bible School.  I gave it to Donnie on Christmas morning.  A bittersweet reminder of how fast they are growing up, and the great life we had in Indiana.

The background was done with the help of both kids.  The foreground was done with the help of freezer paper.

Ok, where to start?

After six months of living in someone's guest house, with someone else's stuff, with our own stuff in storage, with no internet, with no home phone, with no mailing address,  thirty minutes from anywhere we wanted to go... we finally found our home. 

1

 

We have been here for a little over a month, and we are enjoying the rewards (and the downfalls) of home-ownership.  In these few weeks we have experienced a gas leak, failed heating, loss of electricity, a fireplace explosion (relatively small--don't worry), a plumbing clog, overflowing toilets, a backed-up washing machine, and a flooded garage.  And we are loving every minute of it!

2

 

We've gotten a slow start to the home-making, as well as the home-schooling, but finally we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We have hung a few curtains, displayed family photos, and there are books on the bookshelf.  We even got to spend Christmas morning here. What a gift!  I can't wait to show you some of my favorite corners as we go along.

3

This week I'm going to take a little time and make some "New Address" cards to send out to friends and family.  We certainly didn't have time for the standard Christmas letter this year, so I'll include a little story with a picture of the kids.  Which one do you like the best? 

4

Let me know: 1,2,3, or 4 in the comments section, and I'll pick the one with the most votes.  See you back here tomorrow!  We have so much catching up to do.   - Anna