Emotions

Ysmaille left for South Africa today, and I am truly so excited for him.  For 25 years he never left the island he was born on.  After we got married we travelled a little, but we haven't really done much travelling since our first child was born almost six years ago.  And he needed to do this.  I encouraged him to go.  But, oh, the emotions I am feeling!

Typically I am a very strong woman.  I handle what comes my way.  I may complain once in a while, but I usually put my "big girl panties" on and do what needs to be done.  I am actually quite good at balancing a career, my family, and all the other hats I wear.  But here is the thing.  I can only be good at those things because I've got an awesome support system.  Ysmaille is always cheering me on.  He believes in me.  I have a truly amazing husband.

And now he's gone.  And, yes, I realize it's only for a week.  But. I. Can't. Stop. Crying.  I honestly think it's because he is going out of the country.  I think it feels like our long-distance relationship all over again.  That was such a painful time.  For two years I lived in the States and he lived in Haiti.  We only saw each other three times a year- for a few days or a week at a time.  Even during our year-long engagement I only saw him twice.  It was absolutely tortuous to get on that plane and know that it would likely be three or four months before I would see him again.  We only talked on the phone once a week for an hour or so, and relied on e-mail for the majority of our communication. 

And you know what the really weird thing is, and I literally just now realized this? I am living in the same house I was then.  Before I got married, my dad owned this house and I rented him from it with two wonderful roommates.  Years later, Ysmaille and I moved in and bought the house.  And I hardly ever even remember that I lived here as a single person.  But I did.  And the empty bed I'm going to sleep in tonight will be in the same room, in the exact same place, that I would sometimes cry myself to sleep eleven years ago, because my heart ached to be with the man I loved.

I know things will look better in the morning.  And I know people have much harder situations than this.  But for right now, in this moment, I just cannot get over the fact that I miss my husband.  I'm never one to wish time away, but I hope this week goes by so quickly. 

On a lighter note, since I have the TV to myself does anyone have any good recommendations for a movie? 

Summer 2015

Summer 2015 was so much fun, and so very short.  We packed a lot into our summer, but I also had so many moments to just sit and savor the sun, my family, a few good books... 

 

We went to Outer Banks with my family.  My kids had a ridiculously fun time. 

 

 

If you've followed me at all on facebook you'll know that I spent several months decluttering our house.  See those bins in the back of the basement?  I currently have ten of them empty.  I also have an extra drawer in my dresser and plenty of room in my closet, even with all my fall and winter clothes in there next to my summer clothes.  It feels amazing!  And, yes, I do realize this is not a blog-worthy photo.

 

 

I was so nervous about my kids taking swimming lessons, but signed them up anyway.  I'm so glad I did.  Amirah started out the summer being absolutely terrified of the water and now she is able to put her face in.  Xander is a total fish.  Up until this summer he had hardly every been in a pool, and now he can put his entire body under the water. 

 

 

The park I refer to as 2nd Street Park has another name, but I can't remember what it's called.  Whatever it's called we love the splash park there.  Our good friends Hayden and Atlea joined us one hot summer day.  They had a blast.

 

 

This was our first trip to Knoebels, and we can't wait to go again.  What a great day.  If you are local, and haven't taken your kids here, you need to.  There are TONS of rides created just for young kids.

 

 

 Crafting is close to my heart.  I was so excited that North Square Farmer's Market offered a day for kids to share their crafts.  Amirah sold out her play dough, cards, and paintings.  She had a great time.  The best part for her was buying other kid's crafts.  She bought lip gloss, bubbles, hand scrub, an a flower pen.  You know.  Supporting the local economy.

 

 

I do love a good lemonade stand.  Amirah had lots of help from her cousins and the other kids in the neighborhood.  Lots of sticky fun!

 

 

Painting the hallway was one of the things on our list.  And one of the reason we did it was because our house is on the market.  We weren't really planning on moving until next summer, but a lot of things just fell into place and so we are giving it a try.  I'm sentimental about the whole thing.  I truly love our little home.  At the same time, I'm really excited about the idea of moving on.  Weird how that works.

 

 

Painting in the park was really fun.  We went to Memorial Park twice this summer with the intent of inviting our friends (and strangers) to paint with us.  We met some great people and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

 

 

So, there you have it.  Our fun summer in a nutshell.

 

Now tomorrow my baby girl goes to kindergarten.  And this mama needs her beauty sleep.  First day of school is upon us!

Summatime!

This time of year fills me with such joy!!!!  Bring on the heat, the humidity, the sweat.  Anything is better than winter!  On a side note, I think I am going to look for one of those lamps that people use in the winter to help with SAD, because I am pretty sure that might help me.  I never feel quite like myself in January, February, and March.  Anyway, that's not why I am writing.  I am writing because some of you actually look forward to these crazy lists that make my heart happy.

Here's what we've already checked off the list:

• Trickling Springs Creamery tour.  Last week was their Open House and they offered tours of their plant.  We only made it part way through because my children found it very boring.  In their defense there was a guy asking a lot of questions about organic milk.  Not very exciting for a three and five year old.
• Yardsale and lemonade stand.  I love a good yardsale.  Interacting with people.  Making money off things you no longer want or need.  What's not to love?  My neighbor commented that she wasn't sure where I put all that stuff in a two bedroom townhouse.  That's a very valid question.  I was slightly embarrassed by how much stuff I had.  Also, I would like to say sorry in advance to one of the teachers at Scotland Elementary.  A sweet lady picked up my teacher Boyd's bear and commented to her son, "Great!  A gift for your teacher for Christmas next year."  Nothing like a used stuffed animal to say, "Thanks for all you do, Teach."

Here's what is left:

• Make family yearbooks.  I no longer find joy in scrapbooking, but I want a way to document all our precious memories.  I am planning to make photo books (from My Publisher) for the years of 2010-2014.
• OBX!  We are Outer Banks people.  Our family rents a beach house in Corolla every year and spend a week together at the beach.
• Finish decluttering.  Probably more than anything else this is what I'm looking forward to.  I am so tired of having things I don't need or don't bring me joy.  I am have been working for three weeks on getting rid of the things we don't want in our life anymore.  My house has been in a constant state of disarray as I do this.  I have piles all over the house to donate, consign, throw away, give to friends... 
• Swim lessons.  My beautiful Amirah has been afraid of the water for years and I am determined to change that.  Yesterday was our first day and it was painful to watch how fearful she was.  She refused to participate.  Yesterday afternoon my friend, Kelly, let us use her pool and for 30 minutes Amirah and I worked on getting her used to the water.  She's excited for lessons today, and I'm hopeful that she will be able to face her fears.
• Splash park.  The Second Street playground has a splash park this year and it's really fun.  I've noticed when I go there I am often the only white person there.  So I take my kids there on purpose.  I think we do our children a disservice when we don't expose them to other cultures and ways of life.
• Knoebels.  We have never taken our kids here before, but I've heard it's a great place for rides if you have young kids.
• Powerwashing the house.  I know this sounds like work, but there is such a satisfying feeling when you've done something like this.  It makes me happy just thinking about it.
• Kid's craft stand at the Farmer's Market. Every year our Farmer's Market has a day where kids can sell their artwork.  I thought that would be really fun for Amirah to do.  I don't have any specific ideas yet...  Stay tuned.
• Paint hallway.  We want to move by next summer, so we've been working on projects to get our house ready to sell.  Our hallway (up the stairs) has been touched by messy fingers for half a decade. Time to touch it up.
• Roller skating.  The kids really like going roller skating when we went in the Spring.  I thought it'd be fun to try it again.
• Painting in the Park.  I'd like to set up a table at Memorial Park with watercolors and paper and start painting with my kids.  Then the best part?  Invite other kids to make their own creations.  Doesn't that sound like so much fun?  I love watching kids create.

I'm sure we'll find some other fun things to do as well, but these are the ones that have made it to my list.  Bring on the summatime fun!

Grateful!

Today was a day that should have been a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad" day, but the thing is it actually wasn't.  There were many things that should have thrown off my day, made me grumpy, and yet, I felt surprisingly cheerful. 

 

My day started when I just couldn't get out of bed.  I kept hitting my snooze alarm over and over and over again.  I didn't actually crawl out of bed until 6:50.  Somehow we managed to leave at our usual time of 7:30 or so.  Keep in mind I not only have to get myself ready, but I also have to get two kids out the door.  Luckily for me they could eat breakfast at the babysitter's this morning. 

 

When I got to work I found out that I wouldn't have my planning period because the librarian was not feeling well and there was no one to take his place.  Typically that news would have made me grumpy and frustrated.  Today, however, I didn't seem to mind.  We got some things done, and had a chance to work on a fun project-- making marble tracks out of cardboard tubes (read: toilet paper rolls).  One of my friends had been saving them for months thinking I might be able to use them.

 

During the morning block I had an issue with a student.  I can't post details due to confidentiality reasons, but just know it was frustrating!

 

Finally it was lunch time.  I was so excited to eat my delicious, homemade split-pea soup.  I popped it in the microwave, and when it was done, pulled it out and promptly spilled it all over the front of my dress and on to the floor.  It looked like a child had walked up to me and vomited!  It was so bad that I couldn't clean it with paper towels.  I finally took my dress and held it under the faucet.  Seriously, the entire front of my dress was soaked.  When I got back from cleaning the mess on my dress one of the other teachers had cleaned the mess on the floor and was cleaning out the microwave so I could enjoy the rest of my soup.

 

After lunch I noticed that I had broken a nail.  In an attempt to tear off a part of the nail I pulled too much.  In the middle of my teaching I noticed blood dripping from my finger, and I had to stop teaching to bandage myself.

 

All of these things could have left me frustrated and upset, but instead I just felt grateful.  Thanks to my babysitter, Melissa, who was flexible enough to let my kids eat their breakfast at her house I was able to get to work on time.  Thanks to my friend, Jen, I was able to have a project to work on during our regular library time.  Thanks to my coworker, Regina, I was able to enjoy lunch because she had taken care of my mess.  I am so grateful for the women in my life who take up the slack when I'm having one of those days.

 

That brings me to the second thought of the evening.  I am truly grateful for a job I love.  It really is so much more than a job to me.  I get to impact kids everyday.  I teach them new things.  I show them love.  I have a chance to speak life into them everyday.  Then I get to come home and spend my evenings with my family who is the very heart of everything I do.  I want to honor my husband above everyone else .  He is so supportive and helpful.  I just feel so blessed by him everyday.  I am truly and completely a blessed woman!

Winter's Over and Spring Has Sprung!

The last time I blogged (over two months ago) my winter list was well on the way.  Since then I accomplished a few more things on my list.  Despite my list, winter is such a challenging time for me.  I cannot express in words how happy I am it is over, and spring is here.  One of the things I wanted to do for a long time was make an apron from an upcycled man's dress shirt.  The picture below is  an apron I created with some help from my mom.  I've had a sewing machine for years, but it has been broken, so whenever I have a sewing project I end up at Mom's house.  Lucky for me she is much more talented than I am when it comes to sewing and ends up doing the challenging parts of the project.

Speaking of sewing machines... one of the things that has been on my list for months has been to get the previously mentioned sewing machine fixed.  On Thursday I finally got around to taking it to Carey's Sewing Machine Center.  Mr. Carey is a dear man who has been fixing sewing machines out of his house for decades.  I remember going there with my mom as a little girl.  It had probably been 15 or 20 years since I'd been there and I had a hard time finding the exact house.  It was after 5:00 until I left his house, and Ysmaille called me on the way home wondering where I was.  I told him I had finally decided to fix my sewing machine.  Ysmaille was quiet.  Turns out he had actually bought me a new sewing machine for my birthday and it was supposed to be delivered that very day.  The irony!  Below is my new machine.  I cannot wait to use it!  I absolutely love that Ysmaille knows me so well.  He is so good at picking out gifts that he knows I'll like.

 

I haven't finished my spring/summer list completely, but I have a few ideas rolling around in my head.  Below is a side table that has been in our kitchen since we moved to Chambersburg.  I love the character of it, but it definitely needs a paint job.  I'm thinking of maybe painting it a fun color.  Any ideas?

 

 

Winter List 2015 -- Off to a Great Start!

Typically winter loses its magic for me somewhere around January 2nd, but this years feels a little different, and I can't quite put my finger on it.  I mean, let's be honest, the thought of daffodils peeking their head through the cold, hard dirt sends a shiver up my spine with anticipation; however, I am really trying to live in the moment.  I've been doing lots of projects around the house, and that always fills me with delight.

The first project I tackled was my basement.  I went through boxes, bags, and bins.  I gave away things, sold things, and threw away even more.  I found all of the e-mails Ysmaille sent me while we lived apart for two years, the letters I sent him, and all the other "proof" we needed to prove that we weren't just a "green card marriage" to the USCIS.  That got me sidetracked for an entire evening.  Anyway, I digress...  Believe it or not, the pictures you are about to see are the "after" pictures.  It may not look amazing, but almost everything is in a bin, all my glassware for Vintage Companion is in one spot, and my craft supplies are in one area.  I do apologize for the quality of these photos.  Clearly my blog isn't going to win any awards for visual beauty. 

We've lived in our house for almost seven years, and we've painted our bathroom a total of five times!  We could never find the right color.  Last spring when we painted our living room a neutral color we decided to paint the bathroom as well, but it really needed some other sprucing up.  The dark teal curtain was too long for the pitiful, bent rod it hung on, and the artwork was less than stellar.  The picture below is what it looked like.  Notice the teal curtain hung over the new one, because I forgot to take a before picture until the curtain was hung.

 It's amazing what a new curtain, some nice towels, and a new piece of artwork can do.  I used a gift card for the curtain.  Ysmaille bought a new curved rod with a gift card also, and the art we already had hanging in our bedroom.  The towels we also had packed away.  I believe they were from our wedding 9.5 years ago!  Total spent out of pocket was only $30. 

The person who designed these town houses we live was a genius.  The walk-in pantry is my absolute favorite part of the house.  It does, however, need frequent purging. 

The picture below may not look much different than the before, but notice the space on the shelves?  I got rid of old candles and cookbooks.  Then I put everything back in its place.  So much better.

I've been wanting to buy some essential oils for months now.  I've heard such great testimonies from friends about how they are keeping their families healthy and treating symptoms with oils.  I saved all my extra money for two months-- checks from consignment stores, selling things on facebook yardsales, selling my crafts, etc.

My kit just arrived on Monday, and I am delighted.  We've been diffusing the oils in the house, and it smells great.  I've also been mixing lavendar oil with coconut oil for Amirah's skin.  I'm really hoping it clears up her eczema.

Speaking of Amirah... I cannot believe my baby is five!  She wanted a unicorn party this year.  We made chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing, and then she had fun adding sprinkles and unicorns.

We made rainbows out of paper and glitter ribbon.  She had so much fun with her friends and family.  Unfortunately she flitted around so much all I have are blurry pictures of her.  Below is a picture of her cousins and friends who came to celebrate her.

I also hosted my bookclub, "Reading Between the Wines", in January.  We read Love with a Chance of Drowning.  It's a memoir about an Australian who falls in love with an Argentinian and must choose whether or not to wish him bon voyage as he travels part way around the world in a sailboat, or join him.  It was a fantastic read.

Next on my radar is getting my sewing machine fixed and making an apron from a man's button-down shirt.  Stay tuned.

Winter List 2015

I know this sounds ridiculous, but with Christmas almost here I start to get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I know I must now endure January, February, and March.  I honestly think that if I did not have to stand out in the cold each and every day it is above the freezing mark (if it's below freezing we stay inside) for recess duty these months might be more tolerable. Call me dramatic, if you will, but it is seriously a hardship.

 

So.... drum roll please... bring on WINTER LIST 2015.  I find having something to look forward to helps me not go crazy.  Here's what's on the agenda for this year:

 

• Celebrate Amirah with a Unicorn Party.  I cannot believe my baby girl is going to be five!  She has been asking for a pink and purple unicorn party all year, and Mama is going to deliver.
• Save up for an Essential Oil Kit from Young Living.  I know what you are thinking... why don't you just buy it?  I could, but there is something so fulfilling about saving for something that you want.  Here's how I do it...  Anything that comes in that is not from a regular paycheck goes to my fund:  my consignment store earnings, selling crafts, etc.
• Organize basement/craft supplies.  Our basement is so, so embarassing.  My crafts and supplies have taken over.  My friend recently gave me a bunch of baby food jars, so I am using them to corral all my small items: beads, mini clothes pins, jewelry supplies, etc.  And that is just the beginning.  There are also Ysmaille's tools, summer gear, yard sale piles.... you get the point.
• Organize pantry.  The pantry is not as bad as the basement, but it bothers me that I can find pretzels, used candles, and Windex all in the same place.
• Host January's book club.  I can't wait to have my book club friends over to my house.  The book I chose is Love with a Chance of Drowning.  I just started it, and I like it so far.  Can't wait to read more.
• Re-beautify our bedroom.  Our bedroom is so blah.  New paint, curtains, bedspread, etc. is NOT in the budget, so I am going to have to work with what I have.  I have a few ideas rolling around in that head of mine.
• Get sewing machine fixed.  This was also on the Summer List of 2014, but I never got around to doing it.  Maybe I'll be more motivated in 2015.
• Make apron from man's dress shirt.  I've seen these at craft shows, on pinterest, in vintage stores...  They look pretty easy, but of course it will require me to get my sewing machine fixed.  See above.
• Get etsy shop up and running.  This has been such a challenge for me.  I really don't like spending time on the computer, but I've heard from lots of people that the best way to promote your shop is to get involved in the etsy community.  Kind of like, "if you like my shop, I'll like yours." 
• Re-do upstairs bathroom.  The bathroom has a fresh coat of paint, but I would like a new shower curtain, some art for the walls, and one of those shower curtain rods that is semi-circular, so it feels like your shower is bigger.
• Get out Dad's wood burning kit!  I've been seeing some cool projects on pinterest that involve wood burning.  And the other day Mom mentioned that Dad has an old one in the basement that's been there for decades.  Hello new project!
• Go to the flea market.  I've spent the past two weeks watching 22 episodes of Flea Market Flip on Netflix, and now I need to go to a flea market myself. 

 

What do you think about the list?  I'm hoping it's enough to get my through the next three months.  That and another glass of egg nog.  Why is that sold only seasonally?  It is seriously so delicious.

Jesus in the Midst of the Chaos

My daughter is spunky, beautiful, full of spirit, and many other wonderful attributes.  She is also a challenge to parent-- has been pretty much since the beginning.  She has brought me to my breaking point many, many times.  Sometimes I miss the lesson.  Today was NOT one of those days.

 

Ysmaille has been blessed with lots and lots of overtime the past several weeks.  And we truly see it as that.  A blessing.  We have some financial goals to meet in 2015, and recognize this as our Provision.  But that doesn't mean it's easy.  I have been home the past few Saturdays by myself with two rambunctious children, after already working a very demanding job Monday through Friday. 

 

My beautiful daughter had a very difficult morning.  There were tears, and fits, and yelling, and moments of downright disrespect.  I gave her brother more sprinkles on his French toast than her (did she miss the point that I made French toast with sprinkles?).  The bath water was too cold.  There wasn't enough water in the bathtub.  She didn't want to do her chores.  And on and on and on.  I was on her.  I did my best to correct her attitude.  I gave her hugs.  I put her on time-outs.  I was silly.  I was mean.  Nothing worked. 

 

At one point after just "correcting" her I just held her until she stopped crying.  I loved on her and told her I would never stop loving her, no matter what she did.  After our cuddle fest I asked her to do her one and only consistent chore (put the clean silverware in the drawer).  She had a meltdown.  She did NOT want to it, and just kept screaming, "I need more snuggles. I need more snuggles."  Oh, it sounds sweet as I'm writing, but it wasn't a sweet moment at all.  I just wanted her to do one single thing WITHOUT COMPLAINING!  The last thing I felt like doing was snuggling with the very child who I had battled with for four hours.  But I picked her up and I hugged her and she hugged me back.  And at 11:30, after hours of frustration, we stood in the middle of the kitchen (me still in my robe and glasses), and just loved on each other.  I began to cry, tears streaming down my face.  In my human frailty I was aware of how Jesus feels about me.  He loves me.  When I disobey, and grumble, and complain and then turn around and ask Him to hug me.  He does.  Every. Single. Time. 

 

That was a turning point in our day.  Have the last hour and a half been perfect?  No.  Not even close.  But somthing happened in our kitchen today, and we both felt it.  Oh, that I would always find Jesus in the midst of the chaos.

Summertime!

Since summer is officially over I thought I'd update you on what we accomplished from our summer list.  There were 19 things on our list, and we managed to experience 11 of them, plus some really fun things that weren't on the list. 

I have a new love for embroidery.  I'm not very good at it, but it's very relaxing and fulfilling so I'm sure I'll be practicing this winter.  Thanks to my super crafty and talented mom for the lesson!

 

 We went to Lake Tobias two years ago and it was not fun.  Xander was two months old, and I spent the whole safari trip shading him from the blazing sun.  Well, that, and also changing his entire outfit because he had one of those up-the-back poops.  Then I had to breastfeed in the reptile house.  After that dud of a trip I was determined to try it again.

This year our trip started out much better.  And then the fateful safari...  Amirah had some type of skin allergy attack and kept screaming "Get me off this bus!" as she scratched the flesh off her leg. Then Xander decided that wasn't enough drama and threw one of those fits that only a two year old can throw. All because I wouldn't let him walk around the moving bus.  We were that family.  Maybe Lake Tobias isn't our thing.  This picture was taken at the begining of the safari before all the drama.  While were all still happy and loving life!

 

 Amirah and I marbelized paper.  She took this picture, and I just love those cute little toes.

 

One of the highlights for me was making this lemonade stand.  It cost more to make then Amirah made in profits, but it's so fun!  I have to honor my husband who made this even though it wasn't his idea of fun.  I love the way he loves his girls!

I've wanted to make candles for a long time.  They are really pretty, but unfortunately they don't burn very well.  Maybe it's the wicks.  Not sure, but I want to make some more.

One of my favorite things from the summer list making this journal for Amirah.  I wrote down a sentence or two each day and then took a picture to put got with it. I forgot some days, but she'll have a pretty good idea of what went down in the Summer of 2014.

 



There were some other things on my list that I didn't get pictures of... printing pictures of my kids to frame, finishing the Divergent series, getting baby books up-to-date, making coconut ice cream, going to Laurel Lake, and plannig a community cook-out and movie night.

 

Of course there are always fun opportunties that aren't on the list, and I've taken some pictures of those moments.  One of our favorite things to do is hang out with the cousins.  Aren't they so sweet?

We also took a last-minute trip to the beach.  Ysmaille couldn't get off work, but the kids and I took a 9 hour trip to North Carolina.  This is one of my favorite pictures from that week.

 

I love date nights with my husband.  We had such a blast playing mini golf.  I won't say who won, but let's just say the initials spell M.E.

 

I loved strawberry picking with these two.  They were actually surprisingly helpful.

A last-minute decision to go to the balloon festival in Greencastle, was so much fun.  The kids were in awe of the balloons.

 



 

 

We had a great sumer, and now that fall is officially here I'll be posting my fall list soon.

An "egg"cellent idea-- art project with the kiddos

I saw this idea on a little website you might have heard about... pinterest!  If you have a baking project that requires a lot of eggs don't throw those shells away!

 

I bake with coconut flour a lot, which is very dense and requires lots of moisture. The muffins pictured below contained just 1/2 cup of flour, but eight eggs. I knew this was the perfect opportunity to put those shells to good use!

 I cracked the tops of the shells to make sure I could fill the eggs with paint.

 Aren't they pretty?

 The next step was to take a canvas out to the back yard and so something your momma told you never to do-- throw eggs at something.  Amirah was more than happy to oblige.

 Xander was a little confused by the whole thing.  His aim is less than desirable and he kept hold the eggs above his head and the paint was getting everywhere!

 Isn't the end project fun?  It's currently hanging in our living room.  We want to throw more color at it, but I need to wait for another baking project.

Our Spring List

Our Spring is off to a great start!  We've had some chilly days, but overall it's been a beautiful Spring and we've have loved all our time outside.  We've been making some progress on our list, but have a long way to go.

 

 During the last weekend of March we had a chance to go to Lancaster and see Great-Grandma.  She turns 90 next month and is as spunky as ever.  Five years ago she didn't have any great-grandchildren.  Now there are 12! 

 We tried a new technique for dying our Easter eggs this year.  The basic premis is this: make a pile of shaving cream, put a few drops of food coloring in, swirl around and dip in the eggs.  You are supposed to dip them in vinegar first (which I forgot to do) and also wait for several hours before wiping the shaving cream off (which I was also too excited to do).  So...  they didn't really turn out that well.  I am going to re-dye them tomorrow. 

 Pretty, huh?

Amirah and I love a good craft project and this one was really fun!  You cut fabric into strips and "mod-podge" them on to a balloon.  Let it sit overnight and then pop the balloon, creating a fabric bowl.  So sorry for the terrible picture.  Not that my typical pictures will get me a "blogger of the year" award, but this one is particularly sad. 

 

I can hardly wait to check more things off our list!

Spring-- Bring it on!

If you've followed this blog at all you know I love a good list.  And nothing makes me happier than a list of fun things to do this Spring!

So without further ado here is our Spring list- with a new updated verison of the list that has lists inside the list.

Art projects with Amirah:

• tie dye something
• fabric strip paper mache bowls
• painting canvas with eggs
• grape and toothpick art

Projects around the house:

• pick final paint colors for the kitchen
• stain the deck
• decorate for Xander's birthday party

Just for me:

• first craft sale at the Dutchfest
• book swap party
• buy flowers for the house
• buy a yummy treat at Sweet Frog

Books:

• finish Divergent series
• finish Mended
• choose a non-fiction read

Family fun:

• feed the animal at Bender's
• decorate Easter eggs
• make mango fruit roll-ups
• visit Great-Grandma
• go to Monkey Joe's

Spring has always been my favorite season.  It's so alive!  Plus my birthday is in the spring.  I am seriously so excited about this list!

Reminiscing (Part Two)

When I left off we were still in the DR and had just made an appointment at the US Embassy.  We traveled back to Haiti by bus and tried to get used to life as a married couple.  I will not mince words.  It was hard.  We had dated long-distance for two years only seeing each other maybe a total of five weeks that entire time.  Then we were married and together all the time.  All day.  Every day.  When school started in August I think we were both relieved.

We lived at the school where we taught because it wasn't really safe for me to be outside those guarded gates.  I rarely left the school grounds.  And it was stifling.  I felt so alone and so frustrated.  I cried.  A lot.  Oh, how challenging those first months were.  It wasn't all bad.   I learned a lot about myself.  A lot about Ysmaille.  He was a great support and somedays he just held me because he knew that was what I needed the most.

In October it was time for us to go back to the DR for the appointment we made back in July.  We took the bus again.  The next day we went to the embassy and waited outside in a long, winding line for our turn.  When we made it to the door they asked to scan our belongings.  Unfortunately I had my camera with me and they wouldn't let me bring it in.  They told us there was a cafeteria down the street that might hold it for us.  We found the cafeteria, but they were not interested in holding a camera from a couple of foreigners.  We finally decided to ditch the camera in someone's garage and hope it was there when we got back. 

Once inside the embassy we waited for several hours.  When it was finally our turn we explained that we wanted to take a trip to PA to see my family, but we couldn't go to the Embassy in Haiti because it was closed due to the unrest in the nation.  The lady was very kind, but a little skeptical.  After a few minutes she separated us to question us individually.  One of the things she asked was where our first date was.  I told her "Tiger Mart."  She was suprised that I described our first date at a gas station.  When Ysmaille told her the same thing she was convinced ours was not simply a green card marriage.  I told you that unconventional first date would save us.  We got the visa!  In two months we would travel on a plane for the first time together. 

We had so many crazy experiences that year-- days off school during the election because there was rioting in the streets,  another trip to the Dominican Republic (this time on a tiny plane because the bus wasn't traveling due to the unrest in the city), our first Thanksgiving, a trip to Pennsylvania, and learning how to be together. 

We finally left Haiti in March of 2006.  Things were not easy here.  We came here without jobs, without a place to live (thanks Mom and Dad for helping us out!), and without much direction other than knowing we wanted to settle down here.  During that time we saw God's hand like never before.  He was such a wonderful Provider for us in that season.  We had so many trips to Lancaster and Philadelphia for immigration paperwork.  The lessons we learned during that time have brought us through some challenging times in our marriage.  In 2010 Ysmaille became a U.S. citizen and we started a new chapter.

Through it all, Ysmaille has been a steadfast and faithful husband.  We have some very real challenges, some moments that we felt so unprepared for this life, and some times us such pure joy that we can hardly contain it.  So, this Valentine's Day I celebrate our beginning and look forward to the rest of our journey together.  Ysmaille, ou gen ke'm. 

Reminiscing

Many of you know bits and pieces of the story behind Ysmaille and I, but I thought I'd write a little bit about our early experiences.  Since Valentine's Day is coming up in a few days I thought I'd celebrate by telling you the story of our life.

When I moved to Haiti in 2002 I did not go there for love.  I simply wasn't ready to settle down yet, and thought I'd be a little adventurous.  I moved out of my parent's house for the first time in my life and moved to a country where I didn't know a soul.  I lived in an apartment right outside the school where I taught with four other girls-- one American, one German, and two Haitian.  Ysmaille and I soon became friends and within a month or so we were a couple.  We had our first kiss outside the gate of my apartment under the bougainvillea flowers.  Our first date was at Tiger Mart gas station (a fact that would later save us) for ice cream.  We also rode on the back of motor cycles to explore downtown, hitch-hiked up the mountain for pottery, watched movies in French, and spent lazy Sunday afternoons talking about our future. 

The school year soon came to a close and it would soon be time for me to go back home.  Ysmaille had a half-scholarship to go to a school in New York, but was unable to get the visa so we embarked on a two-year long distance relationship.  Each Christmas, Easter, and Summer vacation I would spend a few days or weeks in Haiti hoping that one day we would together forever.

In the summer of 2004, while I was visiting Ysmaille, he asked me to be his wife and I said yes.  We decided to get married in Haiti because we didn't want to rely on a fiance visa.

In June of 2005 we had a gorgeous wedding at Hotel Montana, a beautiful hotel above Port-au-Prince.  It was a scary time in Haiti with kidnappings happening almost daily and the U.N. presence heavily noticeable, but I was blessed to have my entire family there for the wedding as well as several other treasured guests. 

We had an unconventional start to our honeymoon.  There were no flights from Port-au-Prince to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, but that didn't stop us.  On the morning after our wedding we left at 7:00 a.m. on a bus bound for Santo Domingo.  We made it past the border and to the capital.  Once in Santo Domingo we took a taxi to our resort.  The entire trip took nearly 14 hours.  Ironic when you consider how small the island of Hispaniola is.  After a week in Punta-Cana we traveled to La Romana, where our friends Karly and Tania, were now living.  We were not in a hurry to leave the DR because things were so tense in Haiti, so we took one more side trip to Santo Domingo to visit our friend Guerline.  While at Guerline's house we made a phone call to make an appointment at the US Embassy so Ysmaille could get a visa to visit my family for Christmas.

To be continued...

What's Happening

It's been awhile since I've blogged, so I wanted to let you know what is happening in my world.  Here's a recap:

 

{dreaming} of the Native American project my students are going to do when they get back.  Last night I literally had a dream about this.  School is never far from a teacher's mind, even during vacation.

 

{reading} In Sunlight, in a Beautiful Garden, a somewhat interesting book about the Johnstown Flood.  I actually never knew the flood was totally preventable.  It's definitely not the best book I've ever read, but certainly not the worst.

 

{crafting} a globe covered in Mod-Podged (is that an adjective?) maps.  It's a bit more complicated than I first anticipated, so I took a break from it.  I found that is my nature in general.  I'm a great visionary, but sometimes lack the oomph to finish.  I'm working on that part of my character and making some strides.

 

{eating} peanut brittle.  Gosh, I have such a sweet tooth. 

 

{watching} nothing.  Does anyone have a good Netflix reccomendation? I love watching TV series on Netflix.  I'm caught up on the following: Hart of Dixie, Switched at Birth, Private Practice, and Grey's Anatomy.  I need something new!

 

{learning} a new love and appreciation for my husband.  You will not believe what he can do by just watching a YouTube video.  In the past week he's replaced spark plugs, took apart his phone and replaced the broken glass, and is currently cleaning a random part of the car.  It looked a little like an old-fashioned pencil sharpener when he just walked through the living room carrying it, but I have absolutely no idea what it is.  Hopefully he knows.

 

{planning} Amirah's fourth birthday party.  She wants a pink butterfly theme.  We are currently working on decorations, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the cake.  That is NOT my area of expertise.  By the way, I cannot believe my baby is going to be 4!

 

{organizing} my life.  I am getting ready to do another "Happiness Project" for 2014.  January's goal is organization.  I got a head-start and cleaned the refrigerator and pantry this week.  I would like to organize every closet and drawer in this house, as well as clean vents, baseboards, etc.  I'll keep you posted on what the rest of the year will focus on.

 

{loving} my little family.  My kids are wild and crazy and I just love them to pieces.  My husband is a treasure and I am so grateful for him.

The Most Precious Tree of All

Oh, Christmas Tree... Oh, Christmas Tree...  I have a thing for traditions.  They are so important to me.  And the Tree during the holiday season is probably one of the most important for me.  It's a symbol of one of the reasons the holidays are so, so important to me-- family!  For as long as I can remember my family had two important holiday traditions.  #1.  We picked our own real tree.  #2.  Each year we got a new ornament.  I can remember Dad filling a five-gallon bucket and filled it with stones from the drive way to hold up the tree.  Some years they were beautifully round and full, and some years they were a little patchy, but it was our tree.  Ours to care for and decorate.  Mom always made sure we had a new ornament each year to hang on the tree.  When I went through my "Victorian" phase in the early 90s I got tea cup oranaments and fancy shoe ornaments.  When I became a teacher I got an Angel Tree teacher ornament.  The year I brought home my new husband there was an ornament with our picture in it.  Sigh.  It makes me so happy thinking about it. 

 

Now that I have my own little family I've passed that tradition on as well.  Tomorrow afternoon my entire family (Mom, Dad, my two sisters, two brothers-in-law, two neices, a new baby nephew, my husband, and own precious babies) will head over to Adams County.  Pick out three perfect trees and load them on to the back of my Dad's pick-up and he will deliver them to each house.  Then Ysmaille and I will put lights on the tree and Amirah and I will hang the ornaments.  This year I've decided to only use metallic ornaments.  What? you ask.  What about all your precious ornaments that you've collected over the years?  Those ornaments, those precious pieces of memory-keeping plastic and metal and clay have a place of honor all their own.  Those ornaments go on the ornament tree.  When Ysmaille and I first moved to the States from Haiti we were so very poor.  We really struggled those first several years and couldn't afford and didn't have room for a real tree.  We bought what some might refer to as a "Charlie Brown" tree.  That tree is now home to all my "real-life" ornaments.  And now my two children have their own ornaments-- some handmade, some bought by me, some bought by others who love them as well.  It is full to overflowing and a little crazy.  Last year it got knocked down more than once.  It is a beatiful representation to me of past, present, and future.  Full of memories and hope for the years to come. 

 

Here's the ornament tree.  Excuse the unsightly wires in the background.  Those will soon be covered.  My decorating is currently in the beginning stages where everything looks a little crazy.

 

This holiday season may you can continue old traditions and make new ones with the ones you love the most. 

Christmas Traditions... Is Santa Real?

I've been thinking a lot about Santa and his contribution to Christmas.  Last night I posted on facebook that we've always told our kids that we buy their gifts.  We talk about Santa, we look for him at the end of the parade, but it's certainly not the focus of our Christmas discussions.  It brought a lot of interesting opionions and thougths from friends on facebook and it got me to thinking...  My view on Santa has nothing to do with religion.  I am not opposed to people telling their kids about Santa.  It's just not that important to me.  Neither Ysmaille or myself grew up in a household that "believed" in Santa, so for us it's just not a big deal.  I know that sounds like we are total humbugs.  Let me assure you... we're not!  Here are the traditions that are important to us...  making sandtarts and letting the kids decorate them, picking out our own real Chrismtas tree and cutting it down, putting up our nativity made by Haitian artisans, reading the Christmas story form Luke 2, and spending time with the family we love.  Santa is only on the sidelines of our Christmas celebration. 

With that said, my precious almost-four-year-old has a devout belief in Santa this year.  When I reminded her that Daddy and Mommy buy her gifts she said, "you are tricking me, Mommy.  I know Santa buys my gifts."  So guess what?  We're going to roll with it.  If believing in Santa makes her happy and makes the holidays a little more magical I'm okay with that.  As for me, I'm just looking forward to the look on her face when she sees what we bought her, whether she thinks it's from me or Santa.

Best. Day. Ever

Okay.  It doesn't top my wedding day, or the day my children were born, or even Christmas, but seriously, today was so great.  It filled every part of my soul.  It started out nice and early.  I read a couple pages of Big Stone Gap.  If you haven't read this yet, you should!  My beautiful friend, Crissy, told me about this book and I can see why she reccomended it.  So good.  Anyway, I digress. 

 

At 7:30 I dropped my children at Mom's.  I went to the I Heart Homemade craft show.  How fun to go to craft show in my hometown that didn't involve snowmen, and primitive stars, and camoflauge.  No offense, if that is your decorating style.  It's definitely not mine and I pretty much loved every booth I visited.  I bought a pair of fun earrings.  Before I picked my kids up I went to Lowe's to get paint for a project I'm hoping to share very soon, and then visited my favorite thrift store.  Do you see how this is shaping up to be such a great day?  By 9:30 my soul was nearly full. 

A string of vintage Christmas bulbs for 50 cents

 

I worked a little bit on the painting project I mentioned earlier, and then got an urge...

 

... to go shopping!  Ysmaille and I have been sticking to a very strict budget to pay off debt and I mentioned to him that I have bought NOTHING new in a very long time.  He gave me some money to go shopping.  I made a killing at Kohl's.  For just over 50 dollars I scored two dresses (one with a belt), a pair of shorts and a tank top to match, a pair of coral pants with a matching tank, yoga pants, a t-shirt, a fun yellow bracelet, and a great necklace.  Plus I got $10 Kohls cash to spend next week.  I also bought a great winter coat at Target.  I am not a high maintenance kinda girl.  My nails are often chipped, I only blow dry my hair once a month, and some days I skip makeup.  But I am still a girl.  And buying new clothes made me feel so good!

 

After getting home from my little shopping excursion the family went to the mall.  Xander got his first real hair cut.  He looks so grown up.  I also got my hair cut.  Total spent for two haircuts and a tip: $32.  I told you I wasn't high maintenance. 

 

Look at my little boy's hair cut.  He's looking so grown up!

 

 

New hair cut

 

Now we are chilling at home.  I'm wearing my new yoga pants and I'm getting ready to eat a fresh out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie.   Then it's baths for the kids, some book reading, snuggling, and general coziness. 

 

Ysmaille is going out with some of his friends tonight so after the babies are in bed I'm plannig to finish my book, watch an episode of Downton Abbey, eat yet another chocolate chip cookie, and maybe work on another craft project that's been rolling around in my head today.  My. Heart. Is. Full.  I have felt God's presence in everything I did today.  I know he loves these kinds of days, too.  After all, He's after my heart.  And He has it!

 

One last picture.... this corner of our kitchen just makes me happy.