stacie's sacred space

insta chi-town trip

chicago, i have missed you so much.

i didn't even realize it till i came back to see you!

i just figured out that i haven't been there since i ran the half marathon there in september 2003 with dad.

i think we're gonna be heading that way more often soon though since someone very special to us might call that big city home.

okay so lots of you who come here to read follow me on instagram too (and if you don't follow me there but want to i'm "dsjbowers").

it was different than the beach vaca we usually take in the spring.

these kids were troopers and enjoyed the change of scenery too!

one day we walked at least three miles for one of our outings.

we hit some touristy stuff instead of boutiques this time.

we swam more than we explored.

it's different with four kids in tow.

it was fun!

man, oh man, is it nice to leave our four walls.

i think we're fixin to do this more often even if it is just to stay in our tent one weekend a month throughout the nicer seasons.

whew!

i'm still catching my breath from easter fun, a quick spring break trip to chi-town, and more days off school.

i am back into real life again though.

lax practice, hanging with buddies, soccer games, family dinners, laundry, and all that good stuff.

and i have to give myself a break because things are really gonna speed up fast way before they slow down.

we got to hang with my baby sister and her family this easter.

the bs welcomed all of us into their beautiful home and cooked us a nice dinner.

thanks kel, ja, anna, and baby rose!

the j kids love hanging with family for holidays, and you guys made this one very special and memorable for all of us.

 

 

 

beauty stalker

thanks, aimee and shawn for letting me stalk your blooming magnolia.

i love finding beauty!

i watched this long before i ever snapped pics of it.

and today when i picked up for the lax carpool, i was a little bummed those buds are bloomed and exhausted for this year.

if i was in charge

we would have more days off school.

so i can hang with my four favorite little people (who seem to be getting big right before my very eyes).

so i can sleep in till seven thirty or so.

so we can clean the house together.

so we can discover new places.

so we can love each other deeper.

so we can be silly and ridiculous and whine and laugh.

so we can march to the beat of our own drum more often!

i'm so happy it's spring break for johnny this week.

i'm so happy joey and janie are wrapping up q3 at school because q4 will fly and then it will be summer.

i do get to be in charge for summer time.

no homework, just housework ... no early mornings unless we're dying to catch a sunrise in one of our favorite spots ... summer goals and summer rewards ... a list of fun things and ordinary things we find beautiful year after year ... splashing ... growing ... bonding ... enjoying extra light and warmth.

that's my story today.

i'm sticking to it!

when we were off on friday for a teacher in service day, we headed into the city to hang at scioto audubon metropark.

it's awesome!! we'll definitely be back there soon.

it might just be our secret hide out for summer twenty12. i guess it wouldn't be a secret since i already told you though.

 

 

 

dive in

i'm yearning for the lazy days of summer.

i don't want to wish any of my life away though.

exhaustion has the best of me.

i've had sick kids a bunch over the past six weeks.

i might worry too much and waste some energy when my kids are sick.

maybe, maybe not.

the spring weather we are having today is awesome.

i just really want to lighten up the schedule and pack a bag for the pool.

that's it!

spring is gonna be busy and fast so i'll just enjoy that while i have it!!

so here are some pics from last august at mom's pool when the j kids got to swim with some of their cousins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sunshine = happy

the morning started off a little slow, or uhhh, full of crankies in the house.

i was all up in my head going through all that needed to be done.

the kids were bickering.

ink was smearing on the thank you cards janie was writing.

i was looking at cluttered counters and small messes everywhere!

everything was driving me crazy!!

the sun was shining outside.

that right there helps me figure out how to get happy.

blue sky, bright sun, ahhhhhh.

i got to take a walk in the woods with my bestie.

a bunch of my pent up energy was burnt off right then.

then i got to go out on a date with my camera and kara!

and i got cuddle time with each of my favorites.

when forgiveness and fostering an environment for reconciliation are top of mind, opportunities to live it out appear magically.

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here's my new friend, graduating senior, future babysitter, kara.

 

 

a few gifts from my weekend

thanks, mom and dad, for the gift of my catholic faith.

thanks, God, for the grace of the sacraments that's easy to be open to.

thanks, rosie, for a reason to gather at mom's house.

 

 

 

 

 

one word

i picked my word of the year for twenty12.

yep, it's a practice i started a couple years ago.

this blog world inspired me!

the combination of 2010's word: pray and 20eleven's word: peace, helped me to stamp these words in phillipians 4: 6-7 on my heart

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don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

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i am learning life is a practice.

i will be practicing love, self care, patience, photography, exercise that makes me sweat, remembering to breathe, faith, yoga, laughter, eating healthy, gratitude, vulnerability, and living fully into the moments that make up my life.

it might even be okay to make some mistakes in this practice.

(the recovering perfectionist in me told me that :))

here is one of the families that let me practice my photography on them while i was in california last weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thank you, kristin for the opportunity to snap the beauty and joy you guys exuded on the beach last friday afternoon!

my hometown

when we went home for a christmas celebration, dave and i got to take a nice walk.

it's a walk down memory lane.

dad had these routes all mapped out way before gps and apps :)

 

i couldn't help but pull out my iphone when we walked by the first high school that i went to.

i was a sophomore when we moved into town.

i remembered matt and i running down the street to get to school on time because we had to park about 1/4 mile away (which was far to my lazy buns!).

 

 

i love the gazebo on the green.

it's such a cute town.

i was so happy we lived within walking distance (okay so a mile didn't feel far for that).

 

 

that's town.

that's all town was when i lived there.

main street has changed over the years.

the post office moved out and the gap moved in.

stores went out of business and new ones came in.

this one is the same. 

 

 

it's been there for over fifty years, and it's awesome!

cutest boutique ever.

the windows are always awesome.

the people who work there are so cool.

dad especially loved their windows and displays.

mom probably pointed 'em out to him first when they were on walks.

he noticed 'em on his jogs too.

the grey colt is just neat!

it's what i will miss the most when mom retires.

 

 

well, i might miss the clocktower too.

it's the trademark of town.

it didn't feel like it when i was fifteen moving into a strange place, now i know how very nice my hometown is.

isn't it funny how perspective changes with age?

 

 

and on our walk home from town, we stopped at the new little grotto at the church we went to.

it's a nice pausing spot.

that was our walk through town.

i'm so thankful dave and i got to do that while we were there.

insta kids

we just got back from spending a couple days celebrating christmas with my side of the family.

eight kids, seven adults, lots of laughter, a little sleep, loud noise, excitement, and many blessings.

i ran around this morning as the iphonographer capturing the kids.

janie and anna like playing baby dolls together.

 

joey and jack constantly competing.

i love capturing their big boy smiles.

 

jeffrey moves to much to be paired up with anyone.

he jumps from group to group playing or wrecking things ... smiling or crying, ya just never know!

 

these two just put big gumballs in their mouths when i got to them.

they played so well together that johnny told me he wished emma was in our family!

 

sweet baby rose in the arms of dave.

everybody took turns holding her when she wasn't nursing.

 

mom and her gifts (seven of her nine grandkids) making funny faces.

what a tribe we have together!

now i'm bummed i didn't capture the adults.

i don't snap as much in the midst of the busy-ness of a full house at christmas time.