O.k. so in a totally unrelated note to this post...I hope it was clear in my previous post about maternity fashion that I was the late one in getting my stuff together, not Alicia!  Upon asking her to help me with that post she was perfectly prompt in sending me her pictures and info right away and it was totally my end of things that ended up taking forever.  So...I hope it didn't come across the other way around.  Sometimes things make perfect sense in my head because it's my thoughts and my fingers typing and then when I read over it later I'm like.....Hmmmm.....so.  Just wanted to set the record straight on that one.:)  A big thanks again to Alicia, for helping me out!  I hope you all were able to check her blog out and leave her some love.

   And now on to more important, life-and-death matters.  (kidding)  I need to find a rug for our master bedroom, and while I usually thoroughly enjoy shopping, there are a few things that will plummet me straight into the vortex known as the great World Wide Web for a shameful amount of hours, scouring the depths of the internets in hopes of finding just the perfect one.  Strollers, diaper bags, gliders, rugs....o.k. so a lot of things.  It is a wretched habit that I hope to be set free of one day.

   But in the meantime?  Selecting something of significant value or cost takes me F-O-R-E-V-E-R and by the time I have made my choice, I have probably seen hundreds (no exaggeration) of similar products and they all start to blend together in my mind and I start to go a little crazy.

It's just all a little bit silly, really.

  In my defense, I think it is because I like to be frugal and thrifty, and so spending a big chunk of money doesn't come easily for me.  That is why the decision is mulled over, contemplated, compared with others, reviews are read, ratings are checked, sales are searched for, and coupon codes are hunted down with vim and vigor.  And still, sometimes I just end up getting nothing and waiting around for no apparent reason before beginning the whole tedious process over again.

Like I said, it's rather ridiculous.

   So when we started re-doing the master bedroom and I knew that switching to wood floors would mean I would need to shop around for the right area rug.....part of me panicked just a little bit.  I know, first world problems, right?   I mean....I have pregnancy brain and two toddlers and 1,000 other things to do right now and the last thing I feel like doing is melting my eyeballs with 70,000 thumbnail images to sort through on RugsUSA.com.

So that's where you come in.

   I have put together a vision board (ha!  Not really, but the closest I could come to one) of a rather vague representation of what I like in a rug.  Some of the items are really similar and some are completely and totally unrelated so.......I suppose your guess is as good as mine?

   I guess my taste in rugs is sort of all over the board except for a distinctive bohemian/urban flavor?  I have no idea really.  So give feedback if you like, or send me a link to a completely different one that you think I would like, or just ones that YOU really like, etc. etc.  It'll be fun.  And this way, I can let all of you do the shopping for me!

Just kidding.  Or am I?

Happy hunting!
 

Sometimes I find myself in dire need of an attitude adjustment.

Sometimes it's my daughters (namely my eldest) that need one.

    But in any case, (and whomever it is that is needing one) it is beneficial to ALL to get one.  And something I've found that works like magic is just taking time to notice things, like we did a few days ago.

   Noticing things?  How would that bring about an attitude adjustment?  Well, I don't know about you, but  on my darkest days, sometimes it seems completely overwhelming to even think about trying to be grateful.   I don't want to try and count my blessings.  
    But that's when I discovered the remedy of "noticing things".  Because even to your grumpiest self, giving yourself a direct order to get outside and just notice some details doesn't seem to overwhelming or Pollyanna-strangle-me-nowish.  It feels...doable. Like something your sad little spirit can handle.  And the funny thing is?  When you get yourself to just at least LOOK at some details in nature, or take a bucket outside and see what "treasures" you can find, you just can't help but start to feel thankful.  I'm not sure what it is exactly....but there is joy to be found in detail.

 Ann Voskamp writes about this very thing in her book, 1,000 Gifts, and you will find her in her kitchen, waxing poetic about the curve of bubbles breaking in the sink or the shavings of grated cheese piling up on a plate.  It may sound silly, but just TRY IT.  Just literally try noticing details and you will end up giving thanks.  It just may catch you by surprise.

At least it does me.


 We found a few toys buried deep, all crusted over with time long gone by since they were last played with.  It made me wonder about who it was that played in this yard before us, and what their lives might have been like.  And whether those children are grown now, with jobs and suits and maybe even beards, and it all sort of made me rather wistful.   I wonder if someday, a long time from now, when someone is living in this house, if they will still find cheerios in the nooks and crannies and tiny little pink hair bands buried deep into the carpet and wonder about our little girls.  And I wonder if just that fast, my girls will be grown and living their own lives with homes and cars and husbands and babies.......

 I'm not sure how I haven't owned a trucker hat before now, but I'm going to go on record to say that it should be a wardrobe staple.  Even more so if it has your husband's business name on it. It goes with everything, you don't have to do your hair.....do I even need to mention any more things?

     We are so grateful to live in this breathtakingly beautiful place.  A place with fruit trees and the juiciest, biggest berries you've ever seen, a place for a garden, HUGE yards to play in, and a view of the foothills and  sheep pastures all around.  We are renting and currently house hunting, so obviously, this won't last forever.  I will be so sad to leave, and I will cherish so many memories from this beautiful home.

 Occasionally, a sheep gets across the fence and isn't sure how to get back.  There was a poor little lost lamb the other day, and Jocelyn and I chased and chased it, trying to get it back over to its mama.

    I just could not stop thinking about how like sheep, we go astray.  And how it must absolutely pain the Father to watch us, bleating and crying and frantically running in circles, throwing ourselves over and over into barbed wire in an attempt to be free.  I kept thinking if that poor little lamb would just let me help!  It would be so simple and painless and quick and easy and.......well, life is rarely that way is it?  And even less so when we run from the Good Shepherd.


     I am so thankful for this place that we call home.  It is an old house, with lots of character and memories etched into each wall.  It has a large front porch and deck out back that are just begging to be remodeled and decorated and used.  But for now, they most often sit empty.


    As the story goes, the lady that lived here a long, long time ago, stuck some saplings from the California redwoods in her purse and transported them here.  So we have these magnificent trees in our front yard that drop the biggest, most beautiful pine cones. I want to put these trees in my purse when we leave.

   I know, I know, the title is such a groaner, but sometimes I just plum run out of titles.  Hope you can forgive me.

   Nothing much to blog about today, unless you're dying to see pictures of sick kids and laundry piles.  We did get to go over to sis-in-law Jessi's house for a bit, earlier this morning, which helped the morning pass quickly. Here's the girls during a rare moment of peace, in their unintentionally matching shirts. 



 In other news, I was so inspired by Jessi's lovely, DIY decor, that I decided to do a bit of sprucing up during the girls' naptime....which basically meant changing the quotes on my chalkboards.  Ground-breaking, I know.  I am just SO creative.


   Do you ever feel stuck in a rut in your home decor?  Right now I am, like, so totally.  (Excuse the valley girl lingo)   Ever since the Christmas decor came down there have been bare spots here and there throughout my home, and I feel completely void of any inspiration of how to fill them.  I lack the motivation and the energy to invest into ideas and creativity right now.  Frankly, I'd rather just hire someone to do it all for me.

   But let's choose the cheaper route and just get ideas from you lovely people!  Hit me up with your recent favorite decor tips/tricks of the trade, and I will be sure to give you full credit when i copy them.  Ha.

   Oh and that reminds me....any advice/tips/help on helping kids recover from colds is also much appreciated.  Thanks.

Basically all of you are like my personal advisors.  Don't you feel so lucky?

   So I went to St. Vinnie's today (great thrift store for those of you non-locals) and bought me a planner.  It was cool looking, 50% off and pretty much exactly what I needed, so we are about to get all organized up in here!  It was high time this mama got one, and now that I have one, there is pretty much no stopping me.  Unless of course I forget it at home.

   Quick question, can ya'll comment on my posts?  No, I'm not begging for comments, but asking if you are like, able to.  I ask because someone was so kind to inform me that she was trying to find where to comment, and she was unable to.  And since I don't get many comments these days *cough* I was wondering if there's something wrong with the comment feature? Anyone?  *Cricket sounds*  Alrighty then, moving on....

   Is it o.k. if I send out a few snapshots stapled together for our Christmas card this year?  I was thinking one of me after I just woke up, one of Randy driving the loader at work, and a couple of Jocelyn and Charlotte either crying or eating spaghetti.  O.k. good because I feel like that's the best I can do right now.

    Since Thanksgiving is within spitting distance (seriously, can you believe it?!) and we all know that means Christmas decorating two and a half weeks later  immediately after, here are some lovely, wintery, Pin-able ideas for your holiday decor.  This year I am LOVING all the white, pine cones and greenery popping up everywhere for the holidays.  And perhaps the thing I love most about it, is the fact that you can decorate ONCE, and leave it up all winter long because it doesn't scream CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! at you.  And yet, it still feels very festive.  Perfecto.  Pinterest, once again you've outdone yourself.


   And, just because we don't actually have a fireplace, it doesn't mean I couldn't have that lovely mantel to decorate!  Introducing *drumroll please* the faux-mantle!  Would you do one in your house?  I certainly would!  But then, you already knew that.  Silly me.

   Or even the bathroom!  Just think of how cozy it would be...you could get one of those pine scented Wood Wick candles that sounds like a crackling fire and just let your imagination do the rest!

   Images and links can be found on my Pinterest boards, and more specifically, here and here.

   Well one baby is up from her nap and the other is probably going to awaken at any time, so I shan't tarry any longer.  Happy home-interior-winterizing, folks!

   Sitting down to blog at 11:04 pm is never a very good idea for me.  My brain reaches it's peak production point at around 1:00-3:00 pm (Jocelyn's naptime) and declines from there.  So I'm not sure why I always end up blogging late...but I must say, I have been quite the Becky Home-ecky lately.  And that is what has been taking all of my time.

   It all started with a realization that I was not finding joy in "Housewifery".  You know, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc....it was just draining me.  I'm not sure if I prayed about it or not...honestly I can't remember.  I might have, but I just don't know for sure.  In any case, my God knew just what I needed, and He provided it.  Pinterest.  That's right, I just said that God worked through Pinterest.  Sacrilege?  I don't think so.  God is big enough to use anything He wants to.  So there.

   Anyway, I was inspired to actually figure out an order to the madness I called my life (shocking idea, I know) and scribbled out a rough draft of a schedule.  It looked something like....
Monday---laundry
Tuesday---Floors
Wednesday--Kitchen
Thursday---Grocery shopping
Friday---Bedrooms/Bathrooms
Saturday---Odds and Ends
Sunday---Relax!!!!

   O.k. so it probably wasn't exactly like that, but you get the drift.  The idea was to tackle ONE BIG TO-DO each day, not counting the normal stuff like dishes and cooking dinner.  I have to say, I wasn't sure it would make much of a difference but it has made a HUGE difference.  Before I knew what was happening, I was getting TWICE as much done in a normal week than usual.  In addition to cleaning the house, I was cooking meals, cleaning out the car, polishing the stainless steel appliances, making some t-shirt scarves with friends, attending Bible study, taking Joce to the doctor, making phone calls and lots of other stuff.

   Tomorrow is Saturday and believe it or not, I have occasionally dreaded Saturdays because I leave so much cleaning and to-do stuff until then!  What a shame.  But I am looking forward to it because my house is basically all clean already, and I can just catch up on little projects or lounge around or read, or blog, or whatever I jolly well please.  The way a Saturday should be.

   I so encourage all of you to figure out some kind of system that works for you, unless you're way ahead of me and have been doing this already for years.  It's o.k.  I don't mind that I'm late to the game, I'm just glad I'm at least figuring this out NOW.

   Also, I have actually been DOING some of the things I've been pinning!  Can you believe it?  Like homemade liquid hand soap.....
and homemade fabric softener....
both of which are so ridiculously easy, if you can read English and have about 20 minutes to spare, you can whip up a gallon of each.  I felt unbelievably accomplished stirring that giant pot of soapy suds on my gas stove like some sort of pioneer woman.  I think I would do it just for the feeling, even if it didn't save tons of money!  But man, to have both?  SUCH a win/win.

   Anyway, I must be getting to bed.  Maybe sometime later I will actually post pictures of that darling little cherub of mine that is growing more each day and you will probably barely even recognize because I haven't done a photo post of her in a lo-o-ong time.

Enjoy your Saturday everyone!  I know I will.

  I suppose there are a few things I will miss about this place....after all, it is the first real home we shared together as a newlywed couple.  Well, technically my parents trailer was our first place, for two short months until we moved to Oregon.  But this was the first place we truly called home.  It was the place where we celebrated holidays and birthdays, anniversaries and vacations.  It was where we "came home" to, after camping or traveling or a weekend getaway.  And it was nice.  It really was enough for our needs, and I am not going to claim that I "need" more, when so many people do not even have a 2-bedroom apartment to call their own.  I am feeling so humbled and grateful at this blessing of a house that literally dropped into our laps.

   So in a few days, I will be writing to you from a new home.  And it feels like perfect timing.  I want a new chapter, a fresh page.  We like to say that Jocelyn needs a "change of environment" to stay happy and content, and she does.  Even if it's something as simple as going to a different room, or a 15-minute walk outside, it can make a world of difference on her outlook.  And come to think of it, we really aren't that different.  Maybe it's the restless part of me that can't stay in one place for too long.  I feel like it's just time for this next phase.

Bring it on.

We are pleased to introduce to you......


JOCELYN KATE SMUCKER
   Born Monday, December 20th, 2010 at 9:22 am.   She weighed 7.0 lbs and was 20" long.  There are plenty of pictures on facebook, but I will try to put some on here too.  It's just I have very limited "me-time" these days, and blogging falls into that category, hence the reason it has been quite neglected lately.  Oh well, priorities people!










   She's growing and changing so fast (as you can tell from the first picture to the last) that we can hardly keep up!  The whole experience has been pretty incredible, on so many different levels.  Incredible how painful labor can be, incredible how much you can love a little person you've only "known" for 5 minutes, incredible how tired the human body can feel, incredible how a little smile, whether it's genuine or gas:), can make it all worthwhile.  She's so precious, and we are so, so thankful for her.

   Now for the labor story! (For those who care:)  If you don't, you can just stop reading now.  My water broke around 12:30 am on Monday.  I tried to go back to sleep because I figured I wouldn't have the baby for a long time yet, and I would need my rest, but I was too excited to sleep much. I showered and spent some time online trying to distract myself as I counted contractions.  When I was pretty sure this was the real thing, I woke up Randy and he really helped me deal with the pain.  We labored at home as long as possible, and went into the birth center around 8:30.  The midwife was skeptical that I was far enough along to come in, but when I got there, I was 5 cm dilated, so I got to stay!  Things escalated really quickly, and Jocelyn was born about an hour after arriving at the birth center.  We live about 30 minutes away, so I'm really glad we didn't wait any longer to go in!  Things went really well and we were glad we chose to have her naturally at the center. 


   Well I must run, but I sincerely hope I will be able to update this blog more often than I have been.  We are loving being parents but it sure takes a lot of time and energy!

God is good.