Carried Away

I started stalking creative blogs, and I go on tangents, finding all sorts of simply delicious fabric and super fun projects. It all started with searching for fabric for a handbag. I haven't started the handbag, but I have started an incredibly girly laptop sleeve with fabrics I had mostly on hand. Pics of that to come.

Most recently, I've been popping in to check out Simplify. She has a couple of lines of fabric and a quilting book that's coming out soon. She totally makes me want to quilt. One for the next Little Regehr (way down the road), I think.

Simplify took me to Fresh Figs - such fun fabrics!

I'm also liking Heather Bailey Fabrics. She has some good free patterns on there too. Ahhh...makes me want to head downtown to Cottonwood Quilts and drool over fabric. This afternoon I actually got 30 minutes at the tail end of Wyatt's nap to cut the pieces of lining for my laptop sleeve/tote. I'm almost ready to start sewing.

And while I'm pointing out super creative people, my sil Lindsay is a busy mom of three who is fighting the Fargo flood and sewing up bibs and burpies, onesies, girly clips, and even things for the boys. Check out her Blue Yodey shop on Etsy.

Anybody have fun new projects out there?

Anticipation

March seems to be a month of anticipation for us.

4 years ago we were counting down the days till our wedding. Four to go. Our rehearsal dinner was on St. Paddy's Day, so even though neither of us have a drop of the Irish in us, we looked the part. Sort of.

One year ago, we were counting down the days till Wyatt's arrival. Just about six weeks left. His room was ready, and every Saturday in April we went out on dates...just in case it was our last with no kiddos.

This year we are anticipating what God has in mind for our next home. Well, right now we're anticipating Him selling our house. The last week has been full of painting, staging, and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.

Right now we're one and a half hours into our first open house. We've had three people stop by plus our neighbors from across the street. We would love this to be our only open house, but I know that things don't generally happen that fast. I'm praying that the Lord will help us keep perspective. We've never bought and sold at the same time, and I'll be honest, I don't like it. I don't like it at all. But I know that God is sovereign, He knows the plan, and He has it all taken care of. Now, if only I would live like that. So many times this week I've thought, "Lord! Please sell our house fast. No wait. Please keep my heart submissive. Really. But can You also sell our house fast?" Because really, I just want to skip over this whole process.

I am thankful, though, that we can anticipate joyfully. Because God is good. He is perfect. He is sovereign and right. So...we'll go on expecting and planning and hoping. And we'll update when we have good news!

Our Sillyhead

We've contemplated cutting Wyatt's hair, but we just can't do it before his birthday. So this is what he looks like at home...

Catching Up...Again

Okay, I was going to do a month in review, but I'm having issues with my browser and / or blogger. Wyatt's napping and I have work to do and a house to clean so you get the short version! :-)

Wyatt and I played outside yesterday for the first time. He wasn't so sure about the pokey dry grass, but he did have lots of fun with our rocking, metal bird. We're headed out again this afternoon - it feels like spring! (See the garden in the background? I can't WAIT to get in and plant something!)

I also got to play this week. Monday we took a little road trip to look at a Toyota pickup. That pickup was not the one for us, but we did have lunch at a cute little coffee shop. As we were leaving I noticed some java jackets....mug muffs...cup coats....whatever you want to call them for sale, and of course thought...I can make those! So I did! They made great little thank you gifts for the childcare workers in Wyatt's nursery for our Thursday morning Bible study.

Speaking of Thursday mornings, yesterday our pastor's wife, Kris Goertzen, finished up an 8 week study on motherhood. They posted the lessons online here. It was a wonderful, extremely practical and Biblical session. And Kris is wonderful to listen to! Definitely check those out.

Wyatt also took his first steps! I think the max we're at is 6 steps right now, but he gets braver all the time. A few days after his first steps, he actually learned to crawl on his hands and knees. He's getting little boy knees now!

Ancient Word Wednesday

I know it's been awhile since I've posted on this, but this morning seemed like the perfect time.

Part of our homework for the Bible study I'm apart of is to do a study on the heart. We're studying motherhood, and part of that is understanding what Scripture says about our hearts. It's been eye-opening. I know that we are born sinners, but wow! We are born with ugly, nasty, wicked hearts! And that means that my precious, sweet Wyatt also has an ugly heart.

My Bible has a list in the back - what the Bible says about the heart, the character of the unrenewed heart, and the character of the renewed heart. I started in mid-January with the unrenewed heart, and was so thankful when I got to the renewed heart a couple weeks ago. God is so gracious and merciful to provide a way out of our sin!

Yesterday I read Jeremiah 32. Jeremiah is in prison and the Babylonian siegeworks surround Jerusalem, ready to take the city any day and carry off its inhabitants. Then God tells Jeremiah to buy a field. Jeremiah obediently does what God commands, but toward the end of the chapter he asks why. God answers with a beautiful promise of returning disobedient Israel to Him and their home one day. He says He will give them one heart and one way that they may fear Him and be loyal to Him. He will rejoice over them for good! As we know from Ezra and Nehemiah, God does that very thing.

This morning I read Deuteronomy 30, and was absolutely surprised to read almost the same words! I've known that God warned Israel in Deuteronomy of a blessing and a curse. Blessing for obedience and curse for disobedience. But Deuteronomy was written almost 900 (if my math is right) years before Jeremiah! God taught, instructed, and trained Israel for 900 years!! Even when Israel was absolutely wicked and disobedient (child sacrifice!?! hello!), God was merciful and gracious.

A couple applications hit home for me. First, our God is an amazing God. He takes sin extremely seriously, and He disciplines thoroughly. But He is merciful and gracious. He gave Israel many opportunities to love Him even though He knew they would not. And then He sent Jesus and provided a way out. And beyond that, He sent the Holy Spirit. He doesn't expect us to change; He changes us. He takes our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh.

I also learned something from the perfect Parent - instruct, instruct, instruct. Teach, remind, train. And discipline. And don't grow weary in it, for it will bear fruit in the end (Gal. 6:9).

Fishing for Ideas

I love office and organizational supplies. What I don't love is my current "mobile office." Now that I mostly work from home, I remote into my office and generally don't need many paper files. But I do have some and I take them back and forth with me when I physically go to the office on Mondays. Right now they're in an ugly reddish brown accordion file that is about to be duct taped back together. It hasn't stood up well to my curious 9 month old. So I'm searching for solutions.

I've thought about a covering a box with fabric, but finding the right sized box is going to be a trick. I've thought about making a fun laptop tote with room for files, but I'm afraid it would get far too bulky. Hobby Lobby has some super cool coordinating office supplies including an accordion file with a handle, but it could be a tad too small. That's as far as my ideas have gone.

Anyone out there have any fun and creative ideas? I'd love to hear what you have!

First Night Away from Home

We got to Grammie's yesterday afternoon, and she brought out this.

Today Papa's calves are sore from pushing Wyatt in laps through the kitchen and dining room though the living room and tv room and back again. Over. and Over.

So...Wyatt had a GREAT time with Grammie and Papa on his first overnight stay.

And Mommy and Daddy had a GREAT time away too.