stacie's sacred space

melt down

we finally made it to see santa today!

i usually go where i can buy a $5 pic and they let me use my own big camera.

this year we went to the closest place that we didn't think would be crowded.

i snapped this illegally with my iphone.

it wasn't as easy getting this tribe to cooperate this year either.

out of frustration, i texted my bestie (who's also pregnant with her 5th babe) and said, this will be the last year i'm doing this.

she kindly responded ... one more year for baby's first christmas in 2013.

thank you, wendy!

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other than that, i'm really slowing down.

this season of preparation is wearing me out.

i got a few things checked off the never ending list today.

there just always seems to be more.

it's been one of the best advent seasons i can remember having!

i don't want to melt down now.

maybe this snowfall we are expecting is coming at just the right time for some things to get cancelled so i can chill just a little instead of having to run so much tomorrow.

that would be an answered prayer.

i'd be doing a happy dance from my warm flannel sheets when i got that six in the morning text from the school.

i get such relief from cancellations.

my kids are delighted to help me with gift wrap, straightening up around here, or fun projects when there's a little less on our calendars.

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one more pic to share because dave got a kick out of this when he was cleaning his office out this week.

my how, life has changed in seven years!

i'm just so thankful for all of the gifts i've received in this time.

celebrating

today was janie's first penance.

 

i was reminded how grateful i am to have been born catholic and to have grown into my faith.

god's sanctifying grace is so real in the celebration of sacraments.

we were busy celebrating with janie all day today!

it's our thing to start special days with breakfast casserole cuz we need protein to sustain us.

 

we added in advent wreath candles, prayers, grace (janie's prayer partner), and cinnamon rolls.

 

all of the kids were all dressed and ready.

we were going to start with mass, hang at church for a half hour in between then participate in the penance service followed by confession.

i like things to go as planned!

yep, then dave noticed johnny wasn't acting himself and found that little guy had a fever.

scrap the plans, and hurry out the door to make it to mass with the two big kids.

rejoice sunday ... the rose colored candle on the advent wreath.

janie's rose colored dress.

one of my favorite scripture passages (phillipians 4:4-7).

it was very good.

then it's our thing to take the kid who had this first to the labrynth garden.

 

and apparently it's our thing to have unseasonably warm days when our kids have this special milestone.

 

while i was walking the labrynth today, i was reminded of how many twists and turns there are on that journey.

 

i also noticed that i kept thinking i made a wrong turn ... and when i ignored my head and kept going, i was on the right path all along.

i am not being led astray.

thank you, god!

we finished the evening out with a date night at janie's favorite restaurant, brio.

uninterrupted conversation.

playing games with her on her kids menu.

not having to wait her turn with mom and dad.

it was awesome!

i'm thankful to be jane brain's momma.

we are so proud of the young lady she's becoming.

reflecting

i've been working on a few projects that involve looking at a lot of my pix.

looking but not taking many this week with sick kids, christmas time stuff, and striving to live in the present moment as much as i can.

all this looking caused me to do some reflecting on the whole year of twenty12.

i don't like roller coasters, and this year felt a lot like a roller coaster ride to me!

it was funny how much peace i found in even the most difficult times.

and man, does a practice of counting blessings bring great joy.

thank you, God.

that picture was taken about eleven months ago.

when i found out there was a possibility we'd be spending a night in the hospital, i held out hope.

i was sure my baby was fine and went about the normal evening activities.

then i got the call late that freezing cold thursday night that we needed to get to the hospital as soon as we could.

we prayed, made calls, found care for the three big kids, took showers, prayed some more, woke jeff, drove downtown, made some more calls, cuddled our baby, and spent the night at children's hospital.

i remember the nurses telling stories about how sweet he was and how he made them smile.

there was a sense of protection and a peace about our time there.

thank you, God for making it quick.

it was still a winter of extra worries for me.

the spring brought such relief with jeff's health.

this spunky little almost 3 year old also stuck that ipod he was playing in this picture down the sewer drain at one of joey's first baseball games.

i'm so thankful i am married to a calm dude who barely even got mad about it.

that was dave's ipod too!

there are so many reminders that material things don't matter ... relationships and health do.

so what could we do besides love that crazy little toddler?

maybe those are a couple of the events that made this year feel a little like a roller coaster ride!

just pictures mostly

ones that my ten year old has been begging me to post.

i really need to have these out here so i can go back to this weekend trip in my heart and mind!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i'm just in too much of a hurry to cuddle into bed with my kids and watch polar express to write.

oh, i love december.

i'm choosing to embrace all of the magic that brings joy to these kids this year!

a good day.

 

we gathered with the bowers family on the farm.

all of dave's sibs were together (for the first time in a couple years).

thirteen of the fifteen grandchildren were together.

the weather was sunny and mild.

it was relaxing and fun.

i got to eat for two.

dave and i took a sunset walk alone together.

my heart is full!

life is good.

it was a great thankgiving.

it's all good

uncertainty in my life makes me impatient.

when i'm pregnant i feel that uncertainty.

i don't feel great physically, and i just want that baby in my arms and in our family.

(july 2009 - fresh baby jeff.)

so i make a conscious effort to recognize all that's good in my life.

here's my short list for today:

• a very patient husband.
• having a favorite spot on the couch that i hang out in often.
• the people who come cuddle me in that favorite spot.
• the laughter in this house.
• sunshine and warm days especially in november.
• joey and janie putting jeff to bed when i fall asleep too early on a saturday night.
• good friends to inspire me and challenge me.
• a surprise present from joey "just because" ... more on that when he gives me permission to blog it.
• walking for exercise.
• the jesus calling app on my iphone.
• connecting with friends online through blogs or instagram.
• the kids falling asleep in our bed at night or coming in for very early morning cuddles.
• shorter days for a little more rest.
• lighting candles.
• getting the chance to hear father rod's witness on "giving thanks" in church tonight.

(another from the summer of 2009; johnny looks huge in this picture to me ... i can't imagine how big jeff will be once our new baby comes)

it was a good week

the four kids who live in these four walls test me and make me proud.

they did both extremes this week (and probably do every week).

it helps when i can shift my perspective and see with their little eyes.

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"the question is not what you look at, but what you see."

-henry david thoureau

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when i see their hearts and their excitement and their joy, all of a sudden some of the junkfood i worry about or the messes i look at don't matter.

i'm so thankful they work hard at their new school, and it showed on their report cards.

it sure does help to have a loving, supportive husband who jumps in and helps get us all through busy weeks like these too!

i love that we all work together here.

and one of my favorite quotes of the whole week was from johnny, "i'm the happiest person in this whole family!"

happy halloween + some news

 

five little pumpkins sitting on the porch on a nice fall day.

the first one said, "big news came our way!"

the second one said, "is this for real?"

the third one said, "i think it is, and it's a good deal!"

the fourth one said, "at the doctor's office i saw it on the screen, it's coming right after easter, and this technology is a riot!"

the fifth one said, "i'm staying very quiet."

the days got cold and short so the bowers' hunkered down for the winter.

they played games, sat by the fire, and prepared the nest

all to get ready because this spring is going to be the very best!

 

that was our own take on the nursery rhyme i remember joey learning in preschool (about six years ago!).

we are all very excited that we are having another baby this spring.

high five!

what's a miracle?

one morning this past week during our devotional and prayer time, that's the question johnny asked me.

we all chimed in and talked about it for a while.

it was a gratitude practice without me harping on the j kids to be thankful.

my heart was full!

so what is a miracle?

joey: something that's impossible

dave: something totally unexpected

janie: something really good that happens

me: things that god does or gives us we are really thankful for

webster: an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs

we all agreed the biggest miracle of twenty12 was the tumor on jeffrey's femur disappearing.

thank you, god!!

i also believe that lots of miracles happen that we don't even know are happening.

i think we're protected from car accidents or sicknesses or job losses or other harm without even knowing it.

act fast

that's what i had to do when i got an email that football practice was unexpectedly cancelled because of sick kids on the team.

act fast.

it's not something i think i'm very good at.

i feel slow most of the time ... because "i" really means five or six of us most of the time.

so i'm posting pix of the surprise fun night we had.

it was us, my favorite party of six out frolicking in the corn, enchanted forest, pumpkin patch, fall playground that the wonderful pigeon roost farm sets up every year at this time.

we enjoyed the play and the beautiful sunset.

there are wide open spaces all around there too.

wide open spaces take my breath away and help me breathe a little deeper at the same time.