Author: admin

My Accidental Pumpkin Patch

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I have an affinity for pumpkins. Just ask anyone.

The question around October 1st isn’t, “Jen, will you go to the pumpkin patch this year?” It’s “Jen, how many times are you going to the pumpkin patch this year?”

I love all things pumpkin. One of my greatest joys is wandering around a farm with vines and vines of pumpkins, going on a hayride, and a good corn maze doesn’t hurt. I enjoy picking out the perfect gourd like most women enjoy picking out a pair of shoes.

A dream of mine was to grow my own pumpkins. (Actually my dream was to grow the pumpkins, then make a homemade pumpkin pie from scratch, crust included, from the homegrown pumpkins. I did just that. Once. And only once.)

One spring I planted seeds and grew about 4 pumpkins in my back yard. A couple of years later we moved and I just didn’t have the space. Then one December, I did something quite without meaning to and my accidental pumpkin patch was born.

This is my very first pumpkin patch. Henry was 3 and Lily was 6.

While my porch is delightfully overrun with pumpkins in the fall, come the day after Thanksgiving, fall is back in the bins until next year. As I pulled out my Christmas decorations, I couldn’t bear to part with my beautiful pumpkins. They were simply too pretty to throw away.

So off in the corner of the front lawn they went. The Hubs tucked them neatly away off to the side of our front yard and there they stayed and were eventually forgotten until about March. After some epic rain we noticed the pumpkins were decomposing. Andy pitched the decaying gourds into the trash and left the innards of seeds scattered on the ground.

Then something amazing happened. A month or so later, with more rain, I noticed some pumpkin leaves. Those baby seed leaves and then large green leaves are unmistakable. We accidentally planted a mini pumpkin patch!!!

I was absolutely giddy. I’ve never been happier.

My original Accidental Pumpkin Patch

I think we grew four pumpkins that year.

Ahh… This is just 2 years ago and they look like babies!!! H (6) L (9)

Ok, can I just stop and cry about how much older they look now? This was just two years ago. This also documents the time that Henry decided to cut his own hair……

Wearing my gardening shoes
Classic Bang Chop

Fast forward to the next year. We did the same thing again. This time the seeds didn’t take. Which didn’t entirely surprise me because I made no attempt to actually plant the seeds. We just leave them on the ground and see what plants itself. No pumpkin patch last year.

This past spring, though, my heart skipped a beat as I peered out onto our front yard. Our lawn has turned into a pretty pathetic weed patch, unfortunately, so seeing those pumpkins leaves brought a big, fat smile to my face. Yes, we had another mini pumpkin patch!

Accidental Pumpkin Patch 2019
I’ve got little ones this year!
This is my only green pumpkin or perhaps an acorn squash.

This year’s patch is different in a few ways. I have 14 pumpkins instead of 4!!! They are much smaller from two years ago, though. I have about 4 different kinds of pumpkins this time which is really fun. I never know which of my pumpkin seeds will take so it’s fun to see which ones grow.

What started as me purely wanting to enjoy my pumpkins a little longer (and then a bit of laziness) has turned into a delightful tradition. It was all very accidental which kinda goes with me, don’t you think? Will I make pies out of my pumpkins or carve them? How long will they stay on the vine? Will I give in and actually plant seeds next year? I don’t know. But that’s all part of the fun.

Our Latest Trip to The Pumpkin Patch Henry (8) Lily (11)

6 Things I Learned This Summer

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We are knee deep in fall around. We’ve already made our first trip to the pumpkin patch and as much as I want to post pics of pumpkin patches and write about my favorite fall things, I need to address summer one last time.

I’m not missing summer. In fact every day that reaches over 80 degrees, I quietly curse under my breath. I just want to wear leggings, boots and scarves, ok?

As I delightfully embrace my favorite season, I am reflecting back on summer and what it taught me. I got this idea by following a favorite writer and podcaster of my mine, Emily P. Freeman. She does this seasonally on her blog.

I honestly tried not to overthink these. These are the first 6 things that popped in my mind.

1.) I don’t ever want to cut my hair short again, ever. The last couple of times I’ve chopped my hair, I’ve loved it at first and then proceeded to grow it out. This last time, I cut it a bit too short and my only goal has been to grow it out. I think I’ve finally learned my lesson. No more above the shoulder cuts for me!

2.) I’m not a rush here, rush there kinda of girl. I’m not a schedule busting at the seams; but thriving off the hustle kinda gal. And that’s okay. I’ve never had a busier summer and it ran right into a very (unexpected) stressful August and September. I still haven’t recovered.

3.) Kids are really resilient if you give them a chance. You know that term “lawnmower parent”. Instead of “helicopter parenting”, we now mow the way clear of any struggles or obstacles? I’ve been guilty of that big time. I’m watching my kids experience disappointment and discomfort, knowing it is character building for them and fighting the urge to clear the path for them.

4.) Every show set in England is so much better to me! Father Brown Mysteries on BBC (Netflix for me) have been such a delightful find for me this summer.

5.) Podcasts are my new favorite. Emily P. Freeman’s podcast, The Next Right Thing is a weekly must for me right now.

6.) I am honestly terrified of saying “no” and letting people down. I knew it was a struggle for me; but this summer revealed that I’m down right scared. Unhealthy? Yes. Something I need to work on? You betcha. Big Time!

Reflecting is good, necessary really. Are there things I’ve learned in this last season that will help me make decisions going into this new season? I think so.

Though my summer was maybe a bit too busy, it was filled with good things. I spent time with family and friends. I saw new places and I’m so very thankful. Here’s to maybe a tad slower fall?

My (Slightly Ambitious) Summer Reading List

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Is summer winding down already?? The schools supplies have taken over Target, fall sports are starting up again and yes, kids are going back to school. Our summer break ended just a couple of week ago and I’m still working on my summer reading list. Before my summer got all crazy, I wrote up this blog post. So can we just pretend that I posted this blog post when I wrote it, way back in June?

Mmmm, okay? Great.

I’ve got so many great books to share with you but first……… let me be honest. Or rather, let me be honest with myself. I’m not going to finish all these books this summer.

I would absolutely love to; but since it’s a struggle to get my one book read for book club each month, 10 books seems a bit of a stretch. Granted I’ve already started a few, one is super short, and I’ve finished one on the list already.

But let’s be real.

I have kids. Laundry. Feeding of said kids. A husband. Netflix shows to binge watch. Blog posts to write. Instagram feeds to keep up with, (check me out at theaccidentaldomestic on Instagram) Friends. Playdates. You get the idea.

But still….I dream.

Whether I finish these books this summer or this year (or next summer), here is the line up. Enjoy.

Have you read any of these? Share your thoughts. Are there any on the list you’d like to read?

Books I’ve Started And Set Aside And Would Now Like To Finish

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

I started this book months ago, maybe even last summer. I had to set it aside to keep up with that month’s book club book and never got back to it. So, I’m picking it back up. This is a fiction read that seems pretty interesting so far.

Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Make for Strong, Confident and Capable Children by Angela J. Hanscom

I’ve enjoyed this non-fiction read every time I pick it up. I go highlighter crazy when I get into it.

Books I’ve Just Begun This Summer

You Carried Me by Melissa Ohden

This is the book club book we will be discussing in August. I actually just finished this one. It’s a memoir of woman who knows that she is adopted, but finds out that she miraculously survived an abortion. This was a quick read and I enjoyed it. Being Pro-Life, I really appreciated this woman telling her story so honestly and sharing how God redeemed relationships in her life and brought healing.

Daring Greatly by Brene’ Brown

So far, I’m loving this book. Brene’ Brown is all about research and backing her findings with years of collected data. While very straightforward; it really dives deep into how shame can and does control our lives, our decisions and relationships. It’s been a very thought provoking read so far.

Looking for Lovely by Annie F. Downs

I listen to Annie’s podcast, This Sounds Fun and really enjoy that. Reading her book is a lot like listening to her talk. I’m enjoying it so far; and am sure I’ll have more thoughts on this as I get closer to finishing it.

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch

This book.!!!! This book is a must read for every parent. Absolute Must. So far, this has been the best book I’ve read so far this summer.

Books I Haven’t Started Yet

Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson

This is a non-fiction/ parenting book. Seeing as the previous book is a parenting book as well, I may push this book to the fall.

Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick

She spoke at our Womens’ retreat this past spring and it was one of those moments where my thinking about and view of Christ really changed for the better. I saw my relationship with Him in a way I hadn’t before, so I really wanted to read the book that our retreat was based on.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This is another book club pick for the summer, so I’ll start reading this closer to the end of summer. We will be discussing it in September.

Oils of the Bible by Erin Rodgers

This book is super short and more of an educational one for me. I can read this in one sitting; but wanted to include it in the list. I’m going to Young Living’s Convention this week, so I’m going to take it on the plane and probably read it then.

Not Pictured But Would Still Like To Read

I have a lot of non-fiction on my list and really feel like I need another good fiction book in the mix. I can only read so many non-fiction books in a row before I need a break.

Also, I’d love to read a good biography.

If you have any suggestions for a fiction or biography, drop them in the comments.

Follow me at theaccidentaldomestic on IG or Facebook and to see how I’m doing on my stack of books and reviews of them as I finish.

Update: At the time of posting this these are the books I’ve read: You Carried Me, Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, Looking for Lovely, Oils of the Bible, and the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (almost).

When You Hit The Ground Running

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We’ve been summer traveling. It’s been fun, to say the least. Seeing new places, spending time with family and friends. No schedule. No routine. Making memories. Not getting nearly enough sleep.

Then home.

In 16 days, I went on three trips (two with my family, one with my Young Living sisters). I was home for a total of two days in between trips.

I came home exhausted. I’m not complaining. (Ok, maybe a little.) Can you complain from having too much fun? Nevertheless, my body and mind were tapped out.

So what did we do as soon as we got home? Hit the ground running, of course. Lily took off to the fair, I headed to book club, got to work on a Women’s Ministry Event, and Andy resumed work. Meanwhile I worked through loads of laundry and literally cups of Family Camp dirt. (We go to our church’s family camp each summer and come home with a lot of the famous “orange family camp dirt”.)

And then my dad had emergency surgery 2 days after we returned home. I won’t get into details; but he had complications from kidney stones which are in BOTH kidneys and still haven’t been removed. I drove over to be with my mom and possibly spend the night while my sister was in the ER with our dad. After 3 weeks of non-stop, we came home to NON- STOP.

Wait a minute. I needed a breather.

I knew my dad’s situation wasn’t life or death; but when your parents get older, sometimes routine procedures don’t turn out routine. You know what I mean? As I drove over to their house with my kids in the back seat this image kept coming to my mind.

I was in elementary school and I walked past my parent’s room. The door was open just a bit and I could see my mom. She was pulling her shirt over her head. My mom was getting dressed while sitting on the edge of her bed and she was crying. She was looking up at my dad with tears running down her cheeks. I would find out later that her dad had just died.

I had to be about Henry’s age, when my grandpa died. Which made my mom just a little bit younger than what I am now.

How did she work full-time, take care of multiple kids and a household while going through something so heartbreaking? How do you do life and keep going (because life just keeps going) when the abnormal, the hard and the tragic happen?

My mom and grandpa lived in different states. Though she didn’t see him as often as I see my parents, she was very close to him and had always been since she was little.

This is what I thought about as I drove over to sit with my mom and keep her company until my sister and dad came home, whenever that would be.

My dad is doing okay. He still has those stones!!! He has a few more procedures to go through. My parents are going to need a lot of help over the next several weeks. Life keeps going; but my priorities have changed suddenly.

Summer is winding down and new things are ramping up. Soccer, Co-Op, a new home school year, and I could go down the lists of “all the things” but I don’t think I need to. I think we all have our lists of “all the things”.

I’ve recently decided that when I feel overwhelmed, which I’ve been feeling lately, I’m going to give myself some grace, slow it down, take that list of “all the things” and just do the best I can.

Hey Mamas, as you go into this week and these final days of summer, let’s slow it down just a little bit longer. As we ramp up for the new school year or maybe just a new season in life, let’s just do the best we can. Let’s not beat ourselves up when we don’t finish the list. Let’s be okay when our normal gets interrupted with the unexpected.

I’m learning this lesson right now. I’m also learning how much sleep I need and that I’m not getting enough. Let’s hear it for naps!!

*Since I wrote this, we’ve had two other trips to the ER for my dad. The stones aren’t out yet. Though he is feeling better, we are waiting for a date to blast those stones!!! I’m praying for only scheduled hospital visits from here on out and no more ER visits!!!

Milestones: Big and Small. They Build A Story.

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The way I process life and all it’s happenings is through writing. I also talk Andy’s ear off which is helpful for me. He’s incredibly patient.

So as I process and now talk your ear off (Thank you to those who choose to read this.), I’m realizing that last week was a week full of milestones for our family. Some big. Some small. All significant.

It was Friday night. I was beyond the point of being tired or even exhausted. I was running on fumes. The weekend was packed and had barely begun. But my body demanded I stop and rest.

The previous week we had gone camping with friends. It was such a fun trip; but let’s be real. Camping is not relaxing. It’s fun; but it’s a lot of work. And it’s dirty. And I got 19 mosquito bites.

The day we got home I got a terrible migraine, followed by another one. It was not a restful weekend. Somehow I managed to get Lily packed for Jr. High Camp (Milestone #1).

Mamas, chime in on this one. Sending your first born off for FIVE DAYS without you and probably not showering is a BIG DEAL!!! Right??? And as I’ve been saying for months, Jr. High should start in 7th grade, not 6th. Ok, that’s another issue.

But we did it. Andy and I packed her up, dropped her off and drove away. Granted she was in a cabin with best friends and her counselor was one of my former students. (Thank you, Lord!)

Just a mere two days later my almost 8 year old FINALLY learned to swim. If you didn’t read my post about it, you can read it here. (Milestone #2)

Four days later my baby turned 8. Even though I’ve specifically forbade him to do such a thing, even begged him, he defied me and turned a year older anyway. (Milestone #3)

So on the eve of H’s birthday, I lay next to Andy, just letting my weary bones be. I took time to sort my thoughts a bit. My muscles were sore from painting Lily’s room that week. I wanted to surprise her while at camp. It took much longer than I thought, though. I did it completely by myself and was pretty much over it by Wednesday. ( Though I was still painting Friday morning.) I swore I’d never paint another room again.

Me: “So much has happened this week. Lily going to camp, Henry swimming, getting ready for his birthday party, family coming in for your dad’s big day, and painting that stupid room.” (Lily loved her “stupid”, new painted room by the way, so it was worth it.)

At this point we both drifted off to sleep. Andy had worked the night before and was operating on about two hours of sleep. I was hosting an 8 years old’s birthday party the next day and needed my wits about me.

The weekend entailed a jumpy house, 8 little jumpers, baseball cupcakes, a family birthday bbq and a big baseball cake. There were presents, laughing, eating and lot of happy memories.

I have an eight year old now.

The biggest milestone (#4) was my father- in-law retiring (sort of) from 30 years of ministry at SRBC, 26 as our Senior Pastor. He’ll be on staff part-time; but he won’t be the head guy anymore.

Faithful. I’ve been pondering that word all week. That is my Father in Law. Faithful to preach God’s Word. Faithful to his wife and family. Faithfully serving others. 30 years of doing anything these days is almost unheard of, let alone serving in the same church, preaching week after week and doing it compassionately. It’s such a rare blessing.

What a week, right? Some of these milestones were big and some were small; yet they were all significant moments. They tell a story about who we are as a family and where we’ve been. Most importantly, it tells about where we are going. Some roads ahead are clear and some, not so much. As I look back at our week one thing is clear. God was faithful so I know he will be faithful on the journey ahead, in the next milestone.

God’s faithfulness and his hand are so evident in all the events of that week and I would be missing so much if I didn’t recognize it.

If it were up to me, I would have spaced out all the happenings of the week. You know, to make life a little less crazy. He’s writing the story, though, not me. And what a beautiful story it is.

Hey Mamas, Trust God, Time and Levi

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One week ago, today, Henry learned how to swim.

This has been a long time coming.

Four days before his 8th birthday, I prayed and prayed, “Lord, let this round of swim lessons be the ones that finally click for him. Let this be the summer that he overcomes his fear of the water.”

Last week was a week of milestones for our family. Some big and some small; but definite milestones.

I’m still processing all the things (which is why you are getting this post today); but I learned a lesson that I’ve been in the process of learning since I became a mom.

The lesson is this. Kids are going to do things in their own time. There are some things that you just can’t push or rush. You have to give them time, trust God (And in this case, trust Levi. Don’t worry. Explanation to come.)

I’ve been taking this kid for swim lessons since he was 3. While he had great, patient, wonderful swim teachers (Thank you Grace and Paul! You are a BIB reason why he is swimming sans floaties right now. All those years of positive experiences in the water, finally paid off!), we’d end each week long session with him still afraid to let go of his teacher in the water. Still not swimming.

We’d swim throughout the summer. And maybe we could have exposed him to the water more often. I felt like we went to the pool often enough, though. Yet, at the end of each summer he was still wearing the floaties and still afraid to let go in the water.

So a few things contributed to him swimming: I think a huge part of it was just maturity and growing up. Every kid is different as when it will click for them whether it comes to reading, getting potty trained, or swimming.

Also, peer pressure. Nothing motivates you faster than seeing all your friends swimming in the deep end without floaties. Parents, don’t underestimate the power of positive peer pressure.

Lastly, I think God drops people into your life to speak to you in a slightly different way than others have before. You hear it, accept it, or just connect with a person in a certain way. You may have heard a message a million times; but a speaker delivers the same message in a different way or when you are in a different place in your life and IT JUST CLICKS.

We only had 3 days of swim lessons for an hour each day. My hopes were high but realistic.

Fortunately, we started these lessons off with him fully putting his head under the water right from the get go. But as Levi pointed out, Henry had a death grip (and he does). He was not letting go.

It’s kinda hard to learn to swim in the deep end if you don’t let go of the hand in the shallow end.

After the first day of lessons:

“Levi is not going to let you sink, Henry. He just isn’t. Even if you began to sink, he’s right there. He’ll pull you up. You just have to trust Levi.”

“It’s hard to trust, mom.”

“I know, babe. That’s the whole thing, though. That’s what trust is. It’s not easy. It is hard. You can do it.”

Second day of lessons:

Levi: “Henry, you just have to make up your mind that you are going to do it and then just do it.”

And he did.

He let go.

He swam. Across the shallow end of the pool.

He then wanted to learn to dive off the side of the pool. And he did.

He made the decision to trust and he just did it.

Or Levi has some sort of magical super power. Either way, the kid swam!

Later that day he was jumping off the diving board into the deep end, without floaties, and swimming like he’d been doing it for years. I was flabbergasted. I was grateful. I was doing a happy dance. I was so proud of him. I was relieved.

The third and final day of lessons was like watching a completely different kid. Where did this fearless guy come from? Two days later we were swimming at Morton’s Warm Springs with family. We had just picked up Lily from Jr. High camp and he surprised her by jumping into the pool without his floaties. Her face was priceless. His face was full of pride.

We asked him, “What made you decide to let go and just swim?”

Henry: “Mom told me to trust, Levi.”

Are you laughing? I am. It’s taken 5 years, and I don’t necessarily think he would have been swimming at 3 if Levi was his teacher. I think it was the right time, the right swim teacher, and it was God’s plan to use this experience to teach my little guy about trust. This is the first of many times, he’s going to need to trust God. Andy and I are going to be able to use this lesson with him for years to come. Hey, God is using Henry’s swim lessons to teach ME about trust.

I hope I remember all this when my kids aren’t doing something in the timeline that I feel is appropriate or convenient for me.

Hey Mamas, as you go into this week, whatever is happening too fast or too slow in your life just remember, trust God. Are your kids taking way too long to learn a lesson or don’t seem to be improving at all? Trust God’s timing. Trust is as equally simple as it is hard.

Are your kids needing to learn to swim? Give Levi a call.

Hey Mamas, As you end the school year, remember this…..

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It’s May which means things are both winding down for the school year while at the same time spinning out of control. Am I right?

End of year parties, graduations, award ceremonies, school open houses, teacher gifts, final tests. If you have kids, there are still birthday parties, family birthdays, and possibly sports (Is anyone else still neck deep in baseball?)

While everything is heightened and a bit wonky in May, we still have to do the normal, everyday mundane little tasks that keep the wheels turning. You know, the little things like cooking, doing laundry, bathing your children and my least favorite task- grocery shoppping. Ok, it’s really a toss-up between grocery shopping and laundry. Anyways……..

So, take a step from the madness of May and look at your year? How did it go? Did your mind instantly fill up with all the ways you fell short? All the things that didn’t get crossed off the list? All the projects and activities that you thought for sure you would do, yet still lay unfinished? Are you automatically thinking of how you failed?

As a homeschool mom, I instantly thought of where I wanted to end up in all my subjects and where we actually stopped. (We are not year round homeschoolers. Mama needs a break!) I thought of the projects and fieldtrips that never came to pass. Yes, I unfortunately looked around at what other moms did with their kids and instantly felt less.

So let’s do something wild and what seems to be against our natural tendencies. Let’s look at what we did well. Let’s celebrate the heck out of it. Let’s end this year feeling like rock stars because in reality we are way too hard on ourselves. Shame never motivates anyone to do better. So why do we heap shame on ourselves, Mamas, by automatically looking at where we fall short and not on where we shine?

Maybe you are feeling awesome about your year. Maybe you needed to read this today. I needed to write it for myself. I’m choosing to focus on what went well. (I’m also reevaluating how I can make next year better.)

Here’s what went well. Here’s what I’m proud of. How about you?

*I taught Henry to read. He’s on the road to hopefully loving books. The fact that I’ve taught both my kids to read has been one of my greatest joys.

*We did our Morning Basket time pretty regularly this year. This is something I’ve been trying to get going for two years. This year we did it. We read some amazing chapter books during that time.

*I restarted my garden this year. Things are actually growing.

*We took some fun, short trips with the kids during the school year. We went to Yosemite in the winter for just a few days (This was on my bucket list.) We’ve hiked more and have gotten outside more with the kids this year.

*There have been a few friends God has allowed me to get to know better and develop deeper relationships with. This has been such an unexpected gift!

I’d love to hear what went well in this past year for you. Let’s celebrate each other!!!

45 Reasons to Be Thankful

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At the moment I’m sitting in a bed and breakfast, in the town of Mendocino, 2 1/2 hours from my hometown. As I look out my room window, I see the white weathered steeple of a church across the street. And I know that just beyond that church, a bit out of my eyesight, is the sea.

I turned 45 yesterday. Andy surprised me (as in I had no idea where I was going until I got there) with a birthday getaway. We are closing in on our second day away. We will head home tomorrow. It’s been so lovely being away, just with him, having an adventure. Two thoughts keep coming back to me and I can’t help but smile.

Number one: I was kissed by a giraffe yesterday! I touched that oddly beautiful face and fed it sweet potato slices. It was pretty magical.

Number two: I am unequivically and without a doubt middle aged now. There’s no denying it, no spinning it, no fudging. I’m middle aged. How. Did. That. Happen?

Just the other day I was 25 and starting a new teaching job. I had just moved to a brand new city and I met this guy…………..

20 years later: 2 kids, 3 dogs, 5 houses and completely different careers

Our life is busy, crazy, messy and I absolutely love it.

Year 44 was hard for me. It was hard and yet so much good came from it. God asked me to do and accept some difficult things. It can be a bit heartbreaking when life and people change and there is nothing you can do about it. So as I look down the barrel of 45, guess what I see ? Yes, more change. But I’m not afraid. Because change has helped me grow. I say, “Bring it on.”

Well, maybe I’m not that gung-ho about change. I’ll be honest. I do know, though, that everything will be good and God will have me where he wants me and how he wants me. That is what 44 taught me.

Being stretched can be scary and super uncomfortable; but I’m thankful for it.. More than anything, it reminded me how I need to depend on God for my strength and peace, completely. I feel like 45 is going to be amazing. I don’t know. I just have a feeling.

The months leading up to my 44th birthday were not my best. On the outside I probably looked fine; but inside I was not myself at all. My heart was sad and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t pull myself out of a terrible funk. Looking back, I had some very unhealthy relationships. I needed to set boundaries, I needed to say, “No, I can’t do that for you.” I painfully needed to do some letting go.

But when I did, it made room for new things. New friendships. Reconnecting. I was willing to open up my mind to new things, even if they were out of my box and comfort zone. I learned (still learning) to not let my circumstances determine how I approach my life.

I spent a little bit of day one of year 45 writing down 45 things to be thankful for. I tried to be as specific as possible. Even if it was something that seemed silly or small, if it brought me joy or taught me a lesson, I wrote it down.

While I’ve done quite a bit of reflecting; I’m doing some dreaming too.
I hope when I’m 80, I’m still trying new things, going on adventures with my family, taking leaps of faith and making room for new friends and possibilities. You know the saying, “God isn’t done with me yet.” ? I can’t think of a better way to look at life.

2 Must Haves Oils For This Cold and Flu Season

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Friends, our family has been hit hard this cold and flu season.

Not only did we get hit hard this season; (It’s only mid November as I write this by the way.) we got hit early.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was not “How were we getting sick again?” and it was barely November; but that I got knocked flat on my butt for a good week. A week! That’s just horrible for a mama. I mean, it’s almost disastrous.

It hasn’t helped that we’ve been covered in smoke here in NorCal; but I saw the writing on the wall. “This is going to be a tough winter.” I was using my oils; but not as diligently as I should have been. I know we need more sleep and need to make better choices to have a healthier winter. So a new blog series is born: How To Stay Healthy This Winter

During this fall and winter season, I’ll be sharing ways I’m helping to keep my family healthy. I know there is no magic pill to keep us 100% germ free; but I’m determined to be more diligent in building up our immune systems.

Have any tips to share with me? I’d love to learn from other moms and grandparents and caregivers.

Here’ s my first two tips and they include two of my favorite oils.

1.) Have Thieves on hand ALWAYS and use it in multiple ways.

My favorite way to use Thieves (The Immune Booster) is to just diffuse it in my diffuser. 5-6 drops and that wonderful blend of Rosemary, Cinnamon, Lemon, Clove and Eucalyptus is diffusing throughout your house.

Thieves tea is my next favorite. This is especially wonderful for sore throats and all the germs that come along during this season.

Rubbing Thieves on the bottom of your kiddo’s feet before they head out to school or even before they go to sleep at night is a great way to boost their immune system.

2.) R.C. (Respiratory Care)

You’ve got a powerful blend of Spruce, Cypress and 3 kinds of Eucalyptus.

I’ve made my own chest rub and it’s super simple. 10 drops of R.C. in a 4 oz. jar of Unrefined Coconut Oil. Blend well.

Diffusing R.C. has also worked well for my kids, especially my little guy.

 

This fall and winter season has gotten off to a rough start; but I’m hoping to turn that around. Praying for healthier days and for the smoke to clear (and the fires to stop) in my beautiful California.

 

Interested in getting started with Essential Oils? Click here. I’d love to help.

And So She Writes:: A Girl And Her Blog

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No matter how far I stray.

No matter how much I neglect her.

No matter how long it’s been since I’ve hit that “Publish” button.

No matter the seasons of my life that come and go, she is steady. She’s always there waiting for me to come back to her. To spend time with her.

My trusty keyboard.

On many days it’s my spiral bound notebook. Or take your pick because I have many spiral bound notebooks.

I need time to stop and a bit of quiet. Believe me. That bit of quiet is rare these days. But when I do have it, all the words come tumbling out onto the page. Today it’s the computer screen.

And somehow from this jumble of words, thoughts, questions and feelings, I piece things together. They begin to make sense. The root of what’s been churning in me, troubling me, begins to come clear. That brilliant idea that’s been trying to surface begins to emerge. What’s been making me anxious, once it’s written down in plain sight, is not so scary as my head was making it out to be. God reveals those deep and quiet truths and my praise and worship back to Him take form in writing.

I just need to write.

I still need people to talk to.

I do.

I have this trusty and loving handful of souls that listen patiently.

But when my insides feel jumbled or I have big things to work through, writing it out has always been my way of sorting all my stuff. It’s how I best process my thoughts and feelings. And sometimes I share those thoughts and feelings with everyone, for some crazy reason.

Maybe because I know others need to hear that they aren’t the only ones who are grappling with life. Maybe because there is a connection people feel to each other when we share and see that we aren’t so different after all. Or maybe we are different and that’s what makes like so beautiful and interesting. Different often lends perspective.

For me I just say it so much better when I write it. I say things through the tapping of the keys and the scratching of the pen that I just can’t say out loud or face to face.

That’s why coming back to this space again and again is something I cherish so deeply. Sometimes the space is my trusty ol’ notebook that no one will ever see but me; and other times it’s right here on this screen. I’m so thankful for a place to share, a place to create and hopefully encourage. I’m equally as thankful for an audience, big or small, who keep reading.

Thanks for reading,

Jen