Gathering My Thoughts

Dressing room surprise. 

It's been a very long time since I've written in "real time" here. All of December's "Comfort and Joy" posts were from the archives. I thought maybe a gathering of thoughts might get the writing going.

Outside my window:  It rained all weekend. Cold, wet, dreary. How I would have rathered snow! It's been remarkably warmer than predicted this winter, so far. I'm not really sure how I feel about that. It was good to run outside yesterday. On the other hand, I could really use a post-Christmas snow day or two to get my act together.

Listening to:  Silence. I've been up pretty much all night. It's quiet.

Clothing myself in: Pajamas. A Christmas quilt. 

Talking with my children about these books:  We are going to finish reading the last of the Christmas books today. Then, we'll wrap them all back up for next year. That should keep Sarah happily busy for a long while. She's a very good wrapper. 

In my own reading: I think I'm going to accept Anne's challenge for my own reading in 2015. 

Thinking and thinking: About this post on blogging. It summarizes many (most?) of the things I've been thinking myself. Tsh writes from a huge platform and she has kept her readers engaged. I lost many of my readers last year. My audience has shrunk. Still, principles are principles. Like Tsh, I still believe in longer pieces. I like to read them, and quite frankly, the freedom to write them is what drew me to blogging in the first place. I could explore a topic beyond the 500 words of my column. The Pinterest number staggered me. I can't image posting any where  27 times every day. I usually forget about Pinterest. According to the experts, Pinterest drives blog readers. Hmmm... I believe, as well, in remaining true to oneself. Like Tsh, I love Instagram. I love it more than Facebook and much more than Twitter. If Instagram had clickable links, it would be nearly perfect. If Tsh has a comments problem at her blog, I have them more. I know comments here don't work reliably. I have no idea what to do about that. I do engage in conversation on Facebook, so be sure to like the blog page there. Maybe that's a solution to the combox issues here. Still, I'd rather chat here. It's prettier.

I look at the way blogging has changed in the last five years and I hyperventilate. Thanks for visiting my quiet, old-fashioned corner. When I had a full-time job, I was desperate to be a mother at home. All I wanted was to come home to my baby and invest in my family. I've worked in some form or fashion from home ever since then, but never have I felt that pull between my work and my family until the last year of blogging. I don't want a full-time job. I'm a mother at home, antiquated as that has become.

I am very aware that my children are becoming adults and that they are my first readers. I don't care if the rest of the world reads my words. I care very much if my kids do. There can't be a disconnect. It needs to be honest. Always honest. If I'm going to write about wholehearted mothering, I need to be that wholehearted mother. Sometimes, that means I publish nothing but re-runs for a whole month. Thanks for understanding.

Pondering:

"My confidence is placed in God who does not need our help for accomplishing his designs. Our single endeavor should be to give ourselves to the work and to be faithful to him, and not to spoil his work by our shortcomings." St. Isaac Jogues.

More on this one on Wednesday. Also, more #morningrun posts soon. Thanks for all your kinds words about those little thoughts. 

Carefully Cultivating Rhythm: I'm ready for the rhythm of the winter to settle upon us. Christmas was wonderful. The transition from Christmas was not. Let's move on.

Creating By Hand:  Christmas pajamas. Yep. Those were abandoned in favor of following a certain someone on the path to a national championship. So, they will be January pajamas. Also, there are four quilts to make. Three for the girls' new bunkbed and one that was promised to Mary Beth two years ago. I really miss my sewing machine and I'm committed to bringing it to life this month.

Learning lessons In: Humility. Oh my. Nothing like really messing up to drive one to one's knees.

Encouraging learning in: True confessions would require me to divulge that it's 6 AM on Monday morning. I haven't written a single lesson plan. We're going to wing it. 

Begging prayers: I am wearing my new favorite pair of Elizabeth DeHority socks. I’m praying so hard for her. Every minute is a struggle and she’s fighting valiantly to meet the struggle with love and grace.

Keeping house: Christmas is still up. My girls won't let me touch anything until after January 6. That's OK with me for now.

Crafting in the kitchen: I cooked a lot last month. It was pointed out that I love people by feeding them. This is true. It is also true that, while I'm certainly not finished loving people, I'm a little tired of cooking.

To be fit and happy: I went for a run yesterday and my legs felt like lead. Not really sure what that is about except that I haven't been as careful with diet and I've gotten not enough sleep. I'm going to sleep more, eat better, and hopefully run further and faster.

Giving thanks: For a very healthy and happy December.

Loving the moments: The waning moments of 2014 and the beginning of 2015 will forever be etched in my memory as some of the happiest this house has held. I'm very grateful.

Living the Liturgy: I admit it. I'm preparing to offer a Lenten version of Restore. So, in my brain, I've jumped a little past the coming brief period of Ordinary Time. I'm feeling rather penitential anyway, so that works out well.

Planning for the week ahead: Going to take it slow, one foot in front of another. Back into our ordinary days.

About the photos: These are from late last November. I never got a chance to share them here. it's still Christmas, right? Photo credit: Michael, Kristin, and Christian Foss.

Daybook

-I'm listening to 

All the different versions of songs from the Wizard of Oz. I'm choreographing the youngest group of competitors this year at our dance studio and thinking about doing a Wizard of Oz theme. We'll see.  

-I'm wearing 

A pink tank top and jean shorts. 

-This week my top to-do is

Ehhh, I should probably clean my room. The only issue with cleaning my room is every time I start, I end up getting distracted by anything and everything that I come across. "Wow, I haven't seen this shirt in forever." "Wow, I haven't seen the floor in forever." ;)

-I'm currently reading

I'm trying to read the last Divergent book but, it's so incredibly boring. I really enjoyed the first one and the second one was boring, but I got through it. This one though, I don't know...

I also recently read The Fault in Our Stars. I really liked this book but I know a lot of people were heartbroken at the end because *spoiler alert* one of the main characters dies. I tend to like a plot line that is more realistic and not so "happily ever after" all the time. My family teases that the main reason I liked Frozen was because Hans turned out to be the bad guy even after Anna fell head over heals and sang a duet about love with him. Sure, the book still pulled at some heartstrings for me but I loved that it seemed real. No one got miraculously cured from cancer, because a lot of the time that's not what happens. 

-I'm thinking about

My schedule this fall. I'm excited for every single activity and job I'm undertaking. It's going to take a lot of discipline and motivation to stay on track but I think I'm ready. While balancing academics I'm also going to be teaching at the montessori school in the neighborhood, I'm going to be a teen mentor and coordinator for youth group, and I'll be teaching dance as well as dancing myself. 

-I'm praying about

A close friend in the face of personal trial.  

-Quote I'm thinking about recently 

One of my best friends left for college last week. Her promise to the four other girls in our close friend group was to text us every day with a quote. This was the first one she sent. 

"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." -Winnie the Pooh

-This week I learned

Just how blessed I am to be living the life I am. That sentence probably sounds so cliche but really, I couldn't be any more happy than I am right now with who I am. When you're young, you grow up with this sense of the world that is very innocent. Everyone has a happy family, with a mom and a dad who love each other, siblings who are supportive, friends who help you through life. Then when you grow up, you start to realize more and more that your perfect perception on life isn't all that accurate. I thank God every day for the opportunity to be living a life that isn't always perfect, but is pretty darn close. If you feel as lucky as I do, I ask that you pray for those who aren't living in this kind of a situation.   

-I'm thankful for

My youth group. The group of kids I've grown so close to the past 4 years has helped me through so much and taught me so much. 

-I love it when

I hit every green light on the way to drop Nick off at soccer practice. Hey, it's the little things. 

-With the rest of this week I'm going to

Friday there's a big football game to attend. Saturday a full day of soccer-ing. And Sunday--Monday I'm going with some friends to the river, soaking up the last bit of summer. 

-iPhone pictures this week

iPhone photo dump this week includes a mirror selfie with Lucy Shawn while her Mom and Dad were on a dinner date, a picture of me fixing Sarah Annie's arabesque snapped by a dance mom through the window, a picture of the girls warming up to start their solos this year, and candids from the day Sarah left for college. 

Gathering my Thoughts

Some babies are allowed to sit on my dining room table. If I'm not careful, I'll be one of those overindulgent types of grandmothers;-).

::outside my window

My garden is a neglected mess. Today, we'll see what we can salvage.

::listening to 

silence. My new rhythm puts writing time at 5AM. Pretty much guaranteed quiet.

::clothing myself in 

a tank top, running capris, a jacket (it's been cool in the mornings) and some shoes that need replacing. The plan is to head out around 6:30. 

::talking with my children about these books

Mary Beth's youth group girls are reading Lies All Young Women Believe. So that means I'm reading Lies All Young Women Believe. Because then we can talk.

:: in my own reading:

I've been listening to audiobooks in binges lately, logging lots of  miles on foot, with a book in my ear. While listening to The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, I kept thinking that much of the relationship guidance had relevance in other relationshps beside married ones. So, I went on to read The Relationship Cure. This one is a must-read for everyone over about 16. Such good wisdom. If  people understood the principles here, the world would be a better place. Certainly, if families operated along these principles, they'd thrive. The problem with books like this, of course, is always that one person reads them and it's not always easy to get anyone else interested...

::thinking and thinking

about productivity. After the  The Relationship Cure, I went on a rabbit trail of reading. My Fitbit really has changed my exercise habit in an extraordinary way. So, I've started to consider other habits and how they could be refined. I'm naturally a very disciplined person, so it isn't so much a matter of will as it is a matter of education. The digital age has changed so much about the way we work, the way we relate, the way we rest--everything is touched by digital media. I've been reading extensively about studies done on the effects of media in general and smartphones in particular. Right now, I'm listening to Manage Your Day to Day. I highly recommend it. I'm also re-reading parts of The Shallows.

::pondering 

...between digital technology and rising complexity, there's more information and more requests coming at us faster, and more relentlessly than ever. Unlike computers, however, human beings aren't meant to operate continuously, at high speeds, for long periods of time. Rather, we're designed to move rhythmically between spending and renewing our energy. our brains wave between high and low electrical frequencies ,  our hearts beat at varying intervals our lungs expand and contract depending on demand. It's not sufficient to be good at inhaling. Indeed, the the more deeply you exhale, the calmer and more capable you become. --from Manage Your Day to Day.

::carefully cultivating rhythm

The rhythm is being rocked in a big way. I'm deconstructing my day and then very deliberately building it back by 90 minute increments. There's a new book project I'm working on. I still have to move this blog and fire up the new things I have planned for it. I'm very excited about the new twist on The Storybook Year set to launch in my own home momentarily. And, I'm super-committed to having firm boundaries in place for computer and smart phone use. I mentioned on Instagram last week that we've been having issues with magically disappearing data on our shared family plan. As I've carefully tracked everyone's data usage, I've noticed things about mine. Admittedly, my first big crime is merely leaving windows open when not in use. But still, I'm seeing that I do have a tendency to just "pop in for moment" and I'm learning that those moments are really robbing me of peace and productivity. 

Last week, I sharply curtailed data usage by taking a four day sabbatical from screens and surfing and social media. It was excellent and will be repeated without hesitation. 

Here's to exhaling deeply and creating space for the things that matter most. (Feel free to take both the image and the hashtag.)

::creating by hand

I finally finished those Quick Change Trousers for Lucy (the ones I cut out before she was born)! And Kristin and I have several more projects lined up for this week. Lots of reading and lots of sewing. Stay tuned for a big edition of needle & thREAD on Friday.

::learning lessons in

Data usage and my iPhone. I asked on Facebook and learned so much!  There are some very infomrative links in that thread.

::encouraging learning in.

Karoline politely declined a playdate yesterday, saying "I was at the beach for a week for dance and then I had dance camp and Stephen had Nationals all last week. I haven't been home at all. I just want to stay home and read."

Yes!

Good girl. I shall carve out lots of time to just hang out and read.

::begging prayers

for Sarah Harkins. Twenty-one weeks pregnant, Sarah went into anaphylactic shock yesterday. She is in a coma in very critical condition. Please storm heaven on behalf of Sarah and everyone who loves her.

Please, please pray hard. 

::keeping house

Ugh. My house looks like I've been gone for two weeks but other people have been here. Today and tomorrow--major cleaning happening. 

::crafting in the kitchen 

Before any cooking at all, these tents are being pitched. Oh my stars, the moth population is out of control.

::to be fit and happy

I'm certain that I've logged more than #150milesinJuly. I'll report official numbers later this week.  I'm working that walking program. It's benefiting me in ways unimagined. Truly, the Fitbit was a brilliant investment. Just brilliant.

::giving thanks 

for a beautiful week with lots family and lots of treasured friends gathered. Stephen's team lost in the semi-finals of the U. S. Youth Soccer National Championship. It was a heartbreaking loss, but the tournament was exceptionally, incredibly great and this group of boys is truly a gift. It was good. Remember this time last year? All the angst over moving the boys and making big changes? It's all good. In the picture above, Stephen's best friend from his old team is there (with his little brother, Nick's friend) to watch Stephen play great soccer with some very good new friends. In the tent picture at the top? Siblings of soccer teammates from several teams, both old and new, all gathered happily. And, remember that magical team of Patrick's? There were guys there from that team, too, on Saturday. And Nick's former coach was there. And the manager from Paddy's youth team, who also happened to be the mom who swooped in and took care of my children on the scariest day ever. Such community.  

I couldn't have scripted it better. So grateful. 

::loving the moments

when Mike and I are both home and both relaxed. Rare moments lately, but they happened this weekend and I'm grateful. 

living the liturgy

We celebrated St. Anne on Saturday. Sarah Anne called the shots, even though we share the name day. There was sushi and chocolate ice cream. Good girl.

::planning for the week ahead

I talked with Ginny late last night and told her I'm all hers this week. There's been a terrible local tragedy. I have no plans except to be there in whatever way I can. Please, please pray.

Gathering my Thoughts Seaside

::outside my window

We overlook the golf course and a swimming pool and a pretty stand of palmetto trees. Scarcely a moment passes when I am not intensely grateful. I am so sensitive to my environment (my husband says I'm "high maintenance" in this regard). This setting is balm for my senses. 

::listening to 

my children playing card games. They have been enjoying one another tremendously this trip. Another thing for which I am unspeakably grateful.

::clothing myself in 

Mornings find me in a tank top and yoga shorts, logging 4-6 miles in the neighborhood before leaving for dance obligations. At the convention center, it's jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. Early mornings are hot, sweaty messes dirpping with nearly tropical beauty. Daytime is an overactive air conditioner in a dark, loud room punctuated with loud music and flashing lights. 

::talking with my children about these books

The Seashore Book

How to Hide an Octopus 

Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water

Seashore: One Small Square

The Underwater Alphabet

A Swim through the Sea

What Lives in a Shell?

Out of the Ocean

Hello Ocean

What's it Like to be a Fish?

Seashells by the Seashore

We're having fun with these this week, bringing them to life in real life.

Also, Shakespeare. Karoline is obsessed with Shakespeare. I think she might know Shakespeare better than I do. (This has everything to do with it.)  So, I find myself talking about plot twists with her all the time and I hear her just dropping a little Shakespeare quote into--you know-- normal, everyday seven-year-old conversation.

:: in my own reading:

I listened to Anna Quindlen's Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake all the way down to the beach. What an incredibly great writer! It's such a pleasure to me to read long, thoughtful chapters woven with great words--such a contrast to many of the memoir books I've recently read, which are really just compilations of quick blog posts. This book is meaty. It was also thought-provoking and jarring. At the beginning, I found myself nodding with the recognition of shared experiences. Then, abruptly, we diverged.

In her arrogance and her misinformation, she has intellectually eschewed her faith. The faith chapter doesn't even make sense in her illogical assumptions. I listened to book on Audible, read  by Quindlen herself--an experience which brought depth to the book. I could hear her voice choked with emotion as she talked about her mother's death, now 30 years ago. I felt her pain and I strongly identified with how cancer in one's early twenties can change the perspective she has on life forever. You never take a moment for granted and you barrel through all of life, determined to squeeze every second out of it for the good. I get that. I live that.  

But I also heard Quindlen's the contempt and the superiority in her voice when she spoke about the Church. I wish I could access my Audible bookmarks so I could share a quote or two.  She has clearly been poisoned by secular thought and one wonders how someone so bright and so well-read has managed to avoid reading the actual teachings of the Church to which she professes to still belong. She says she's Catholic, but she also says she doesn't believe in heaven or hell. Huh? I have so much to say about this book. Maybe we can talk about it again on a needle &thREAD day. At the bottom of it all though, I have yet to find a midlife memoir that ends hopefully. I've also yet to read one that is rooted firmly in faith. Coincidence? I think not.

::thinking and thinking

:: About marriage. At Anne Bogel's suggestion, I've been listening to The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work. Very interesting. Very, very interesting. 

 .

::pondering 

 You're never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream. ~C. S. Lewis

::carefully cultivating rhythm

Every day is a little different here. The dance obligations are inked in. I determined to get up well before the children and make time to walk and spend quiet with God. Everything else that happens during the day is intentional--we don't want to waste a moment--but is dictated by weather and energy levels and budget. It's all worikng rather well. The only glitch has been (and I so can't believe I'm writing this) IT issues. IT issues just follow me around wherever I go. It's absurd now. In ana attempt to save data usage on my phone, I've clearly disabled something critical. And Internet use at the condo is throwing a wrench in some time management and challenging my dependence (and more importantly, Sarah's dependence) on divineoffice.org. Oh, well. I love the internet. I hate the internet. I love the internet.

::creating by hand

I brought my sewing machine. And I cut some very pretty headbands for the girls to give as gifts. Then I realized that I didn't pack the pedal. No sewing happening this week...

::learning lessons in

Data usage and my iPhone. I asked on Facebook and learned so much! Very eye-opening. the post isn't too far down on my wall. I can't figure out how to link to it directly. If someone knows, please enlighten me.

::encouraging learning in

good manners. We are surrounded by people all the time this week. Time after time, my children have opportunities to practice graciousness. 

::begging prayers

 for Elizabeth DeHority

Please pray for people struggling with doubt and faith and fear and hopelessness.

The Pope asks us to pray for this intention in July:

 That sports may always be occasions of human fraternity and growth.

::keeping house

It's always simpler on vacation, isn't it?. 

::crafting in the kitchen 

 Lots of watermelon smoothies (watermelon is $3.99), tacos and leftover tacos, hamburgers on a charcoal grill, South Carolina peaches, and a ham that just keeps on giving...

::to be fit and happy

I'm getting lots of fresh air and sunshine. I'm eating well, and I'm working that walking program. It's taken me a very, very long time, but I've finally learned that self care is not selfish. Period.

::giving thanks 

for safe travels, good friends, and a beautiful place to spend the week.

::loving the moments

when I have a good FaceTime connection and actually get to see my husband's face. 

living the liturgy

 Mass was amazing here. Totally packed and the whole thing was sung. And, we saw lots of familiar dance faces in the parking lot.

Thursday, The Little Oratory series continues. Leila and I chatted about scripture study for this one. Come join us! 

::planning for the week ahead

 Just going with the flow...

Gathering my Thoughts

::outside my window

We have been blessed with absolutely gorgeous early morning weather lately. I'm so grateful! The last three mornings, I've started out on my walks wearing a sweat jacket. Crazy! These walks have been really good for noticing the little pockets of natural beauty in my neighborhood. I think I was missing a lot when I was always only driving by...

::listening to 

Silence. And it sounds wonderful!

::clothing myself in 

Yoga capris, a t-shirt, and running shoes. I haven't yet showered since the morning walk and since I'm walking to meet a friend at lunchtime, I might just hold hold off until afternoon. Then again, I'm going to walk Karoline to and from dance this evening. Skip a shower all day? Need to work that detail out.

::talking with my children about these books

The Seashore Book

How to Hide an Octopus 

Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water

Seashore: One Small Square

The Underwater Alphabet

A Swim through the Sea

What Lives in a Shell?

Out of the Ocean

Hello Ocean

What's it Like to be a Fish?

Seashells by the Seashore

You get the idea. We're going to the beach next week. What are your favorites books about the beach? I'll add them to my list.

AND: tell me your very favorite audio book for long trips and your favorite beach reading for mom once we get there. Please.

::thinking and thinking

About blogs and blogging. The move from Typepad is tedious. And that's my gentle word;-). It has taken and will continue to take a giant investment of time and money. So, I'm naturally thinking about whether this is what I want to keep doing.

I love to blog. I love the words and the pictures and the medium for journaling. I'm not a huge fan of the techie aspect. The learning curve is steep and time consuming. I love to encourage people. I intensely dislike people who want to argue and insult online. So, yes, there has been tension in this decision. We've pressed forward, though, and I really am bubbling over with new ideas. So, hoepfully within the week, you read my words in a new space. As long as you are subscribed to the elizabethfoss.com feed, nothing will change. If you subscribed when back in the beginning, bless your heart and thanks for sticking around. And also, make sure your feed isn't the ebeth.typepad feed;-). I'll share all the moving details with you very soon.

::pondering 

When Our Lord corrected Saint Martha, He said, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things..." [Lk 10:41] Note that she would not have been troubled if she had been merely diligent, but she was overly concerned and uneasy; she was hurrying about and all stirred up. Rivers that flow gently through the plains carry along large boats and rich merchandise. Rains that fall gently on open fields make them fruitful in grass and grain, while violent storms devastate fields and pastures. A job done too eagerly and hurriedly is never done well. "He who is in a hurry should go slowly,: says the proverb. We perform actions quickly enough when we do them well. Drones make more noise and work more eagerly than worker bees, but they make only wax and not honey. So also, people who hurry about with tormented anxiety and solicitude never accomplish much, nor do they do anything well. St. Francis de Sales

::carefully cultivating rhythm

My children are at Vacation Bible School in the mornings this week and there is soccer almost every day and dance rehearsals every evening. The house is mostly empty and I'm understanding how people who send their kids to school and work from home are able to accomplish so much. The rhythm definitely offers a great deal of white space. I intend to not waste a moment of it.

::creating by hand

Sew! I will sew. Or at  least cut things now to sew later. Fat Quarter Shop has a bundle that I click through to look at almost every day. I love Heather Bailey's new Up Parasol. But will I use all those fat quarters or should I be patient and buy yardage instead? But that bundle is delicious and inspiring. I do use fat quarters for all sorts of things. But yardage could be clothing projects...

And around and around we go. 

needle & thREAD is returning!  I've been kind of waiting until the move is complete because every time I upload a picture here, that's another picture I have to upload individually over there (multiply that by 8 years of posts--yeah, loads of fun). But even if we don't finish the move before the end of this week, let's just get back to talking sewing and reading. I've missed it!

::learning lessons in

authenticity and when it's better just to say nothing instead of sharing my whole heart.

::encouraging learning in

An IT class. Yes, folks, during the summer where my own IT issues have me literally tearing my hair out, Christian is taking an IT class online with a professor who communicates horribly. That's the perfect storm for the kid with the print communication issues. Tearing my hair out, indeed. 

::begging prayers

 for Elizabeth DeHority

Please pray for people struggling with doubt and faith and fear and hopelessness.

The Pope asks us to pray for this intention in July:

 That sports may always be occasions of human fraternity and growth.

::keeping house

This is the week to make sure all the laundry is caught up and every hamper is absolutely empty before leaving for the beach. Christian will still be home, but the chance of laundry happening while I'm gone is ZERO. 

::crafting in the kitchen 

I'm planning beach meals and I'm super stuck. Last year, we had a three hour drive to the beach. I cooked ahead the week before and froze things and then pretty much pulled from the freezer. It was efficient but it was also odd. No one seemed to eat. This year, we have a 7 hour drive. I keep asking for meal suggestions and the only thing they want is tacos. But I don't think that means they want tacos every night. So, one night down, six to go. What shall I cook and bring to the beach or should I shop there (maybe not right in the beach town but an hour or so before we get there so that things can stay cold)? Beach week veterans, chime in. Quickly, please!  (Editing to clarify after some great tips on Facebook:  I need to be more clear. These are great tips, but I have a kitchen. We'll probably be eating most meals in the condo. I do, however, have limited space in the car to get food there and I'm not enthused about paying beach grocery store prices.)

::giving thanks 

for a lovely Fourth of July trip to Rappahannock Cellars. We enjoyed beautiful weather, a nice little picnic, the music of Marie Miller, and of course, delicious wine. Karoline asked Marie to pose for a picture with her and Marie ended up handing her the mic and playing guitar while Kari sang. I don't think she'll ever stop being utterly starstruck. (I did get that picture for her and there's a little video clip on Instagram.)

::loving the moments

When we can slip out together on a Monday night to a local wine bar and gather with our church people and hear our pastor speak. Kind of like "Theology on Tap," but for soccer moms and dance dads in suburbia. Mike and I enjoyed a very local date night last night. Sure takes the sting out of a Monday. 

living the liturgy

Leila and I will be talking about the Liturgy of the Hours right here, tomorrow. Please come back and listen! 

::planning for the week ahead

I'm working on bloggity things this week. And working that walking program. And working on getting us all packed up and ready to go to the beach. And working on housekeeping details. And then working my way into a vacation with the four girls and Nick for a week at a dance competition (Nick clarifies that he is only along for moral support). I use the word vacation with very few expectations that it will be at all "vacationy" for me. At the same time, I'm just a couple hours away from meeting with a friend and together, planning in such a way that we are intentional about making what matters most happen while we are there. We're headed to Myrtle Beach. Please feel free to chime in with suggestions!

 All photos (except Kari with Marie Miller iPhone shot) are the kindness of Kristin Foss, who has her own new blog these days.