Week-end: links & life {vol. 35}
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to keep.” -Scott Adams
I’ve let my painting and art-journaling fall by the wayside lately, but I’ll never improve if I don’t get out my books and practice.
from around the web
- 20 Brutally Honest Things Women Turning 40 Want All Women in Their 30’s to Know :: I was going to name a favorite, but these are all good.
- Rigor, Diligence, and What We’re Setting Out to Do :: A great read for those of us planning our homeschool year.
- 5 Secrets of People Whose Homes Are Always Clean :: Number one is huge, and the reason people always seem think my house is clean.
- To the Embarrassed Parent of the Child Pointing at My Daughter :: A must-read for every parent.
- A Ground-breaking New Resource from INFO for Families :: Another great book from my friends Barrett and Jen, but the video in this post is a must-see. Funny — plus Ken shot the video for it!
on the blog (in case you missed ’em):
- Homeschool Plans 2015/16 :: The plan, plus a shout-out to my most-improved student.
- Book-themed Baby Shower Brunch :: Celebrating my grandbaby!
right here at home
The past couple of weeks have been full of a complicated combination of good and hard.
Good included the baby shower, a freshly painted house, a daughter-date with Kathryn, and a few quiet moments here and there.
The hard included major behavior issues with one of the kids, accompanied by questions of how to handle this in the long-term because the status quo isn’t cutting it. Upheaval in the house with work being done. Oral surgery for Kathryn. And upsetting news about an old friend, which hit me really hard for a variety of reasons.
At times, we may feel like we’re pretty close to Having It All Together, but if we’re honest, none of us ever really do. Real life with actual other human beings is just plain messy.
Thankfully, that’s where “grace upon grace” (John 1:16) comes in — or at least, that’s what I’m praying for and counting on.
*Linking up with Kris’s weekly wrap-up.
Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »
Are those peach milkshakes from Chick-fil-a perhaps? My mom and I love those, it’s one of our summer treats. 🙂 I’m glad Kathryn is doing better from her surgery, she’s given me some updates here and there.
Strawberry for me, cookies & cream for her. 😉
cookies and cream is another one of my faves, only behind peach and mint chocolate chip. 😉
And I just noticed those are the same sunglasses she wore in Wilmington. 🙂
Jamie
I just wanted to tell you that over 3 years later, we finally have terminated parental rights on my grandson today. We will be adopting him. This mess has rocked our world but God has been so good! I do not like the journey we’ve been on during this process but I can truly say I am thankful for every bit of it.
I appreciate your blog so much! I know your week has been hairy, but just know you have touched my life in it all. Keep blogging!
Thank you
Tina Stone
Thank you so much for saying so, Tina. Although I know this was probably not the journey you’d have chosen, I pray all the best as you officially begin the next chapter with your grandson.
I like #5 in the 5 Secrets of People Whose Homes Are Always Clean. I just spent time yesterday going through the pile of papers that have managed to collect on my dining table and while i was diligent to put things where they belonged, there were still a few pieces of paper that I just don’t know what to do with them…
What a beautiful blog! So glad I stumbled across your post in the weekly wrap up list! I have a close friend in the final stages of the adoption process and enjoyed reading some of your story. God bless you and your family!
Thanks for visiting and taking time to comment! 🙂
Life is indeed messy when dealing with other fallen human beings 😉 We too have had some rough patches this past week. I am hoping to powwow with another teen mother soon to discuss strategy and better angles. I don’t want to over react, but I also want to make sure I get to the heart of the issue with my kiddo.