It’s difficult to condense a season into a few photos. And, to look at these, you might think everything looks ever-fragrant and all-smiles at our house. A more thorough post would include snaps of dirty laundry & dusty corners and a soundbite of a squabble or two. This is just a brief, pictorial record of an imperfect family, living day to day by God’s grace. We have to ask forgiveness when we step on each other’s toes and get selfish or lazy about loving one another. Anyway, here are a few random pieces of fall 2018. You have to catch this fast-moving life while you can.
We took our family photo on a cold day in October
Thinking ahead this year — taking senior pictures before May
Scrabble codes and playing Taboo might get us through the winter
Turkey Bowl #19
A fun rollerskating party in September — thanks to Mo’s orthodontist group
Beautiful sunsets
Our beloved daughters
Making and selling pumpkins this year at 2 boutiques
I’m striving to get the family excited about creating:
! ! ! AMAZING PROJECTS FOR THE COUNTY FAIR ! ! !
But nobody seems interested.
Have the children become jaded about our homespun annual entries?
What’s not to like about painted, woodburned, crayon-dripped, organic birdhouse gourds?
Ava’s 2018 county fair entry
Colored with toxic-never-again-leather-dyes.
Looks like an Incan primitive.
Paint and Sharpie give this an ancient artifact look.
Mod Podge, mod podge & more mod podge.
This Sharpie masterpiece has an honored space in our living room.
I hope they will catch my crafting enthusiasm.
Knuckle-deep in Mod Podge, I’m finishing a repurposed tin for a bride-to-be. She’s an English teacher, so it’s covered with love quotes from famous books.
I carved up her “save-the-date” card and her wedding invite and used them for the front and back of the tin:
“Whatever our souls are made of….his and mine are the same.” ~ Wuthering Heights
“Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.” ~ Hamlet
Quotes from Les Miserables and Pride & Prejudice.
Once finished, I will enclose a gift card.
Like a well-rounded country girl, the bride is registered at Menard’s.
I’m also adding inventory to my Etsy shop ~ Wool Soup. Working with fuzzy wool and cozy cashmere is not appealing on a hot July day, but these months are the best time to get things done:
Crafting is only a small part of summer plans.
There are beaches to be flopped upon, gatherings to be enjoyed and mosquitoes to be fed.
What? The stores are displaying back-to-school supplies–already? 😦
This means certain friends will start talking enthusiastically about homeschool planning. Certain friends like to start school early. Certain friends laugh at my desire to milk the most out of summer.
How kind of my friend Theresa to take the time to stop rolling her Walmart cart, snap this photo, and send it to me.
I love homeschooling.
But I must wait for my Muse*.
She may come in early August.
She may arrive at midnight on September 6th.
(I never know.)
But I don’t think she will come until I’ve finished several Altoid tins and a few more pairs of mittens.
I have always loved to create things. Why? Because I was designed by a creative God. I am made in His image.
Lately, my joy is to gather discarded, recyclable clothing. Then, I make and sell new and usable items, such as:
cozy stuffed critters
warm wool mittens
useful market bags
soft scarves
This mirrors my gracious Creator as well. He is constantly reworking clay-like raw material (like me) and crafting something useful (and even soul-beautiful) that will point people to Him.
But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. — Isaiah 64:8
Cozy neckwarmer made from a cashmere sweaterKids heart mittens constructed from wool sweatersTooth fairy pillow made from a vintage tablecloth and cashmere sweater cuff
My Word Soup 