Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! From our Family to Yours. (what are you doing reading this?? shut off the computer and get outside!)

National Hanging Out Day

I know Earth Day is coming up on the 22nd and there are a lot of great local events on Saturday to celebrate. But Saturday April 19th is also National Hanging Out Day. A day to celebrate the clothesline and bring attention to the energy savings of not using your dryer! Everyone talks about harnessing wind and solar power - line drying your clothes uses both of these. (for free!) And everything smells soooo good when it's dried outside!

So, on Saturday when you do the wash hang your socks, shirts, and undies out to dry.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour is tomorrow night from 8pm-9pm local time - and you're invited! Haven't heard of Earth Hour? It's a world wide event created by the World Wildlife Fund to make a statement regarding climate change and energy consumption. And best of all - it's free and easy to participate: All you have to do is turn off your lights for 1 hour. (if you want to participate - sign up with Earth Hour so they can keep track of how many people take part in the event. and they have lots of tips and ideas too!)

So light a few candles, grab your family and friends. Chat, play a game, go outside, think ways to make your life a little bit greener.

The great folks at Ideal Bite say "If 10,000 households turn off 10 lights tomorrow night for just one hour, we'll avert the CO2 created by an average apartment in a whole year." Imagine what could happen if people start turning off their lights one hour a month, or one hour a week, or even one hour a day...

the color green

We have slowly been trying to simplify our family. Living simply for us means living greener. Not to be trendy or because it's the 'in' thing to do, but because it's the right thing to do for our family. (this is our decision and I realize it may not be yours... you may think I'm a bit crazy. I'm just trying to share. Not preach)

Bright Ideas
Last year we changed our incandescent bulbs to CFL. (okay, I admit, we kept the incandescent bulb in our bedroom and the bedside table lamp. ) We often use our oil lamps at night. It saves a bit on electricity, the kids tend to go to bed earlier, and we love the atmosphere oil lamps create. The warm glow of an oil lamp makes life feel simpler. We would love to invest in solar panels to offset some energy use and a wood stove for heating. Perhaps after we move...

Driven
Bruce drives to work since it's much to far to walk or ride a bike and we don't have mass transit systmes in the area. There isn't much he can change about his drving habits other than drive a more fuel effiecient vehicle. And we're working on that...

Since I'm a stay-at-home mom it isn't necessary for me to go out each day. I combine my shopping and library trips into a once a week expedition. (and any other errands are added to same day, like maybe a doctor's appointment)

You may question my use of the word 'expedition', but I assure it's accurate. Taking a 4 year old girl and a 7 month old boy, their required gear, my canvas shopping bags, lunch/snacks, and planning bathroom stops all in the Michigan winter requires intricate planning and expert execusion...

Carry all
I've been consistently using reusable shopping bags for the past few months rather than allowing the impertinent cashiers to thrust my goods into as many plastic bags as possible. (I think I've actually come home with more bags than items! Milk doesn't need to be double bagged. It has a handle so it doesn't need a bag at all!!! Apples come in their own bags... why would I need another one?!!???)

I've learned to be more emphatic about the fact that I don't want to bring any plastic bags home. Now I demand them to 'Please, cram it all it! Get everything in the bags I brought.' If it doesn't fit in the bags I brought, I probably don't need it.

Recycle
I started doing this after Jack was born. It's simple and easy. Honestly, the most difficult thing about recycling isn't rinsing out containers or peeling labels, it's remembering to take it down to the road on pick-up day.

Carlie is learning fast. She's a fantastic helper and always asks 'is this recyclable?' before throwing something away.

I must admit something else. I have a terrible habit of taking things like water bottles out of the trash (my mom's, ours, at church...) because it should be recycled. My mom recycles now. Mostly so I'll stop going through the garbage when we come to visit...

I'm certain I have more to say about living simply and making greener decisions and I'll try to get back on here soon. But between the kids, the torn rotator cuff, and making dinner... I've gotta go.

4!

I can't believe my sweet little girl is 4. My spunky blonde daughter is growing up fast. (when she grows up she wants to be a doctor, princess, ballerina, and be able to lift a car...) She had a party to celebrate on Sunday (a princess party, of course). Tonight we eat chinese food in honor of her special day...

PRINCESS CARLIE

ALL DRESSED UP

TWO CUTIES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARLIE!!!

yum...

Bruce's birthday was a few weeks ago and Carlie and I made cupcakes with chocolate frosting. They were a big hit! Our two little monkeys gobbled them up. (and Bruce had a good birthday too.)



My two chocolate-faced monkeys. How I love them...



Jack, after enjoying Papa's birthday cupcake.


Carlie looking sweet.

Defined

I like to read and I read often. When I hear certain words I see pictures, hear sounds, and feel emotions related to that word. Words make impressions beyond their inherent definitions. I realize the words 'whimsy' and 'grace' are not often used in everyday conversations and I thought I might clarify what the title of my blog means.

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I love the word 'whimsy'. It conjures up images of little girls in long dresses running through fields of wildflowers, boys in dusty jeans and tousled hair catching frogs and fireflies. Enduring images of everyday magic, mystery, and innocence run like an old film reel through my mind.

whim·sy also whim·sey ( hwĭm'zē, wĭm'-) n., pl. -sies also -seys.
An odd or fanciful idea; a whim.
A quaint or fanciful quality: stories full of whimsy. (from dictionary.com)




a whimsical photo of Carlie


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I did not realize that grace could mean so many things! There were 15 definitions on dictionary.com. The grace I intended when titling my blog was the grace given by God out of his love to those of us whom do not deserve it. Which, of course, is everybody.

grace: the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.

There is a passage from a book I love that descibes this grace much more eloquently than I.
From "The Secret of the Swamp King - The Wilderking Trilogy" by Jonathan Rogers.

"Does a tall man deserve to be tall? ... A bird might think he deserves to swim as well as a fish, but if he sits moping on the riverbank instead of using the wings God gave him, the fox is going to eat him. ...Your brother would rather have his own way than be happy. He's thrown away the grace he was given because it's not the grace he had in mind.' The Truthspeaker paused to reflect on that. ...There's not much hope for a person who won't live in the grace he's given."

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I hope my life (like my blog) is defined by these words. Full of laughter, adventure, mystery, faith, and contentment. Pleased with what the Lord has given me, thankful for his gifts, and aware of the magic present in everyday as witnessed through the lives of my children.

Primary!!!

Today is the Michigan primary. Please please please get out and vote for your candidate. (you don't have to be registered with a specific party to vote in the primary - just registered to vote) Your vote really is important, especially in a primary where only a small percentage of voters head to the polls.

Oh, and you get that really cool 'I voted' sticker!

A Few New Things

1. I sell Avon. I have been for a few months. Please shop my web store. :)
2. EarthEasy.com - love this website about sustainable living
3. I'm hoping to change to cloth diapers soon. Wish me luck! ;)
4. Still trying to lose some weight. Only lost 3 lbs so far. At least I didn't gain 3.
5. The annual youth retreat is coming up. Pray that nobody gets hurt this year - the first year I ended up with a concussion and the second year Bruce broke his wrist. Last year we all came home healthy.
6. Still no luck selling our house and our listing is up in few days. Bummer.

7. Jack got his first tooth!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

Growing Bigger Every Day

Our Sweet baby Boy is a little more than 4Months old. Content. Serious. Ticklish. Happy. Loveable. Hungry. Adorable.



Always has his hands in his mouth.


Carlie - the ever-helpful big sis


~She just loves him~


Me and my boy - Carlie took this one!


I took a lot of pictures before I actually got all three of us!

Penguins and Puppies

Jack - 3 months Carlie - 3 1/2 years

Last night, Bruce and I took a penguin and a puppy for a walk in the rain. It was windy and sprinkling when we left our porch to take the kids around the neighborhood. Carlie was (obviously) excited about getting some candy and Jack was looking forward to a ride in the stroller. I think they had a good time, I know we enjoy taking them. We came in from the rain after just a few houses in the neighborhood to enjoy the fine donuts my parents brought (as is tradition).

Jack - our handsome little penguin

Carlie and Jack at home and Carlie at the church costume party

On the Farm

Last week my parents, brother, and I took the kids on a trip to Grandpa Tiny's Farm in Frankenmuth. At the farm you can pet animals, learn some local history, and enjoy a guided tour while riding on a horse-drawn wagon. It's an historic farm, family run and hand plowed. They grow an assortment crops (oats, wheat, corn) and raise livestock (pigs, cows, sheep). It's the perfect place for a family outting.

Carlie loved seeing and petting the farm animals - many of which she had not seen before other than in books.

Jack is a bit young for the farm, but he made friends none the less. The horses really liked him, one went so far as to borrow Jack's blanket.

It was a blustery fall day with a bit of chill in air (don't let the sunshine in the pictures fool you). And we hope to go back again in the summer when they're working the fields and baking bread in the outdoor brick oven. Yum yum.

a list of thoughts

I know, I know. I've been absent for over a month. I always have the best of intentions and plan to sit down at the computer during some quiet time in the day and write. In the jumbled mess that are my thoughts, I have things I want to write about. It just never actually happens. So, I tried to sort through the tangles and make sense of things. I ended up with a list. (no surprise there)

*Oh! glorious uninterrupted sleep!
Jack has started sleeping through the night

*Chocolate soymilk
we never make it through a jug of regular milk without it going bad, so we've been buying soymilk. yum yum yum

*Knee-high Naturalists
Carlie is taking this class for preschoolers at the local nature preserve. We get to hear stories, sing songs, take walks, and make crafts. Last week was about recycling and this week is about leaves.

*Memory Verses
Carlie has Bible verses to memorize each week for kid's club at church on Wednesdays. She's doing a darn good job and is an encouragement to the rest of us. Apparently, memorizing scripture isn't impossible.

*Baby smiles
Jack smiles all the time. Sometimes in response to voices or faces. Sometimes just because. You cannot help but smile when you see a baby smile.

*Recycling
There is really no excuse not to recycle. It's easy - helps keep our planet a bit cleaner - is a responsible use of our natural resources - and so much more.

*Fleece and sweaters
I'm so happy it's fall and I can start wearing these clothes again. So cozy. Sadly, tomorrow is supposed to be 80 degrees...

One Month

No words - just pictures. Enjoy~

Awake and Alert

Jack is inching closer to that one month mark. He's growing so fast (I guess that's what babies do) - and a big part of that is due to his insatiable appetite and a grand ability to sleep for a few hours at a time. None the less, here are a few pictures of Jack during the time he is awake and alert.

Quiet and Cozy

Our house is quiet and cozy today. It's in the 90's outside and the window air conditioners are cranking away. The sunlight is streaming through the windows of our kitchen giving the house a feeling of warmth and cleanliness. Jack is napping (again) and Carlie is having a snack. The children are content and happy today - no scenes of chaos - screaming - or sticky messes with which to contend. It's a good day, a confidence boosting day. My fears about staying home with two children was greater than the reality. Expectations of chaos and feelings of anxiety where overwhelming, but the long days at home with two children are starting to feel familiar. The ever changing rhythm and language of this life is similar to what I already know. The overwhelming joy inherent in this new role as mother of two far outweighs and overshadows any fear - even on days that aren't as sunny, quiet, and cozy.

Welcome Baby Jack

Jack Wayne Barnett

born July 21st 2007

9:51pm

8 lbs 8 oz

22 inches long

38 weeks picture

so huge...

Attack of the Ants...

I'm over 37 weeks pregnant and we're trying to sell our house. (Perfect timing, I know - but it's the right thing for us to do. ) The doctor says I can have the baby any day, which is great news, so I'm trying to get a bunch finished up around the house before that. I've been painting the stairway, kitchen, livingroom - everything. Today I need to paint the new trim, but I've had a bit of a problem.

I carried out the saw horses, some white trim and the paint so I could get started. I painted two pieces of trim before being attacked by ants. Seriously. They were swarming all over the porch and my feet. I had to abandon my shoes and paint and came in the house with a few bites (hard to tell since my feet are swollen anyway). I tried to retaliate with soapy water and the garden hose. no luck yet, those little suckers are the spawn of Satan - I'm sure of it! hopefully I'll beat them and paint the remainder of the trim...

Counting down

5 Weeks to go and I'm huge. My hands and feet are so swollen I can't wear my wedding rings and getting shoes on is a bit iffy. I have my hospital bag nearly packed, the cradle is set up and ready, Jack's little clothes are all folded and put away. And we wait.

Bruce has been finishing the walls in the kitchen (if you can see around the belly - you'll see that the drywall is mudded). We're packing things that normally sit - unused- in drawers and cupboards and selling the things that we haven't seen or used since we moved in over four years ago. With the housing market such as it is and a new baby due soon, we thought we'd try to sell our home. We found a great house in town with a giant yard, bigger rooms, and more space. That home seems to suit us and our needs a bit better than what we currently own. We'll see what happens...

And the Emmy goes to...

My amazingly talented father, Gary Ewell, works in television and is very good at what he does. My dad was nominated for 3 regional Emmy awards this year - Documentary (program), Writer (long form), and Writer (short form). He competed against some truly talented competition and won the Emmy for Writer (short form). -Whoo-hoo! Congratulations! - This award had previously been called Segment Writing and he has three of these at home. So now he as won 4 times and I think they are running out of space for the statuettes.

It was nice to dress up and go out to a fancy adult-only event (even if I was 33 weeks pregnant for the festivities). After some hours of sitting (in the car, while eatting, sitting at the impossibly small tables) I was having a lot of swelling. This happens a lot when you're pregnant in the summer. Bruce and I decided to walk to a comfy bench so I could rest a bit more comfortably for a while. Over the course of, oh - let's say 5 minutes or so, 5 women asked me if I was in labor. 5 women! And here I was, under the impression that I didn't look half bad for being so large, tired, and uncomfortable. I guess I was wrong.

The past few weeks

From last month: 24 1/2 weeks

From May - 29 1/2 weeks

Bruce and Carlie assembling the new swing set

Bruce and Carlie on stage at church

Carlie with her little friend - the toad

Things to enjoy

It's the month of May and that means we'll be busy, busy. Mother's Day, our anniversary, my brother-in-law's high school graduation, rounding the turn into my third trimester and more frequent doctor appointments, a few family birthdays... whew. That's not even everything!

Despite the hectic nature of the season, I do have a few things that I hope to slow down and enjoy:

1. Lilacs

2. Sandals, flip flops - not wearing any socks

3. Temps near 70 degrees

4. Seeing Carlie 'flying' around the backyard with her dish towel cape being a super hero

5. Our 5th anniversary

6. Our flower gardens (but I hate weeding them)

7. Lemonade

8. Having the windows open

9. Waking up to the sound of birds in the morning instead of an alarm (okay, so I'm a stay at home mom and Carlie is my alarm. But the birds wake up earlier than her...)

10. These two nutty people

Sunshine and sunburn

This past weekend it felt like spring. Or summer. Sunny, warm, 80 degrees. It's been beautiful and encouraging (considering we had snow for Easter). Carlie was able to play outside in the sandbox everyday, pick dandelions, eat popsicles, and have a squirt gun fight. She had a ball. Bruce and I ended up sun burnt (me more than him). Not only do I feel large and awkward - but now I'm pink and splotchy too. Great, that's a huge boost to my self confidence. (the sarcasm came through on that right?) Oh - and why is it that an Italian/Scottish/Irish girl can't tan!!!??

We have baby shower invitations ready to mail and I'll be going out later this week to register for some much needed items. Since this is our second time around the 'much needed items' are diapers, wipes, blue receiving blankets (instead of all the pink ones we have), and new bottles (the ones we used with Carlie were horrible). That's about it. For awhile I wondered if we should even have a baby shower for Jack. Aren't there rules for this sort of thing? Are you allowed to have more than one? Is it okay since we're having a boy and not another girl? Bruce and I talked it over and felt it wouldn't be fair to Jack if we didn't have a celebration. Why should he be left out (and why should the family be deprived) just because he wasn't born first? Tough. We're having everyone over in June to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our son, have a cookout, and play games. Hopefully the weather cooperates and is beautiful just like this past weekend. I'm sure I'll be larger, more awkward, and end up pink and splotchy. We'll celebrate and enjoy the festivities just the same.

Latest Kitchen Picture

The kitchen is painted and looking great. It's hard to tell the color in the picture, but it's a buttery yellow called 'Summer Rye'. (whatever that tells you...)

Looking at the before and after photos you can see all the hard work Bruce has put in over the past few months.

NOW...


THEN...

So true...