I recently told you about Becky Higgins’ Project Life Kit that I started for 2010, and it’s been a lot of fun, and so much simpler than the traditional scrapbooking I was doing before. I’m trying to snap a photo a day after for my album, and thought it would be fun to join The Mom Creative’s weekly Project Life Tuesday. So here are the photos from the past week:
Tuesday, February 2nd
Fridge Art from our weekend with Eric and Kim. The Mexican food restaurant, Chuys, rocks. ROCKS! (Marla, if you’re ever in Austin, me taking you to Chuy’s is a must. It beats out Chipotle and Freebirds, hands down. And I love Freebirds, which means that Chuy’s simply rocks!) And “Burn” is a phrase Eric and Kim’s small group in CO uses a lot as a “na na na na boo boo” kinda thing. And because Matt and I are such cool people (ahem!), we were taught its meaning. I used it every chance I got, whether or not it was the proper intended use of it. So there: burn.
Wednesday, February 3rd
Playing with the pots and pans while I fixed dinner. He’s my little chef who loves to be in the kitchen with me rummaging through the pantry or mixing things with the wooden spoon. He baked some amazing chicken pot pie that night!
Thursday, February 4th
While Matt is not a coffee drinker, his daily energy buzz is hot chai. He’s holding off buying some from Sam’s to help our budget a bit, but I had some spare change to swing by Starbucks last Thursday and pick up a chai latte for our special hubby/daddy. We surprised him and swung by his office to drop it off before I took Brennan to get his first pair of real tennis shoes. The blurry writing on the lid is a love note, so it’s ok if it’s blurry and you can’t see it clearly. <grin>
Friday, February 5th
The big boy in his new shoesies! By the way, the boy is going to be severely made fun of because he’s learning all the nouns that I put “y” or “ies” on the end (i.e. doggies, horsey, shoesies, sockies). We went to Sandy’s Shoes and found out that Brennan has a large foot for his age, which should come as no surprise. He’s a size 6, and the gentleman that helped us was amazed at how good he was at walking having just taken off a week ago. Although, he might just tell all his toddler customers that. So far, the shoesies stay on better than his sockies.
Saturday, February 6th
What a cute little hiney! Ever since Brennan was born, after Brennan’s bath, Matt would bring him to me all wet, wrapped up in his towel to give me kisses. The fresh, clean baby smell is totally irresistible and I’d nestle into Brennan’s cheeks while Matt held him all bundled up. But this weekend, surprise, surprise! Matt sent the character out me walking, buck n*aked! It was hilarious! And there’s something about being in only a diaper or completely n*aked that Brennan absolutely loves. He giggles, he’s frisky, he’s foot loose and fancy free! I hope we don’t have a future streaker on our hands. And don’t worry, I’m still nestling into his proper cheeks. Ok, bad, bad joke, I know! <grin>
And for kicks, one more picture for Saturday:
My tennis shoe lovin’, jean wearin’, casual hubby decided on his own, that he wasn’t going to get tennis shoes to replace his worn out pair. Instead, he opted for these brown shoes. Ya’ll, this is big. This is huge! I promise with everything in me that I have never mentioned to him how cool I think it would be if he wore something like these over tennis shoes as his every day shoe. Not once. So when we were at the outlet mall a month ago and he said he was thinking about brown shoes, I was stunned. And when we were actually ready to buy a pair this weekend, with no prompting from me (and he can attest to this), he chose these. I was flabbergasted and excited and swooning! I’d still love him in his old tennies, but folks, the southern belle in me is lovin’ these handsome loafers.
Sunday, February 7th
Super Bowl Sunday with my boys.
Monday, February 8th
Five months have passed since I dusted our bookshelves, so I think it’s about time I get out the trusty dust rag and Pledge, don’t ya think? It was another rough Monday for me and Brennan. So much so that I spent more time than I would have liked going through Antique Mommy’s and Amanda’s archives for any glimmer of hope from posts they may have written about their experiences with their toddlers. Brennan isn’t a monster, please don’t get me wrong. He’s far from it. But my type-A, need-to-have-a-plan kinda personality really clashes with how parenting is constantly changing and full of so many unknowns. I know I’m not the first one to say it, but if only God gave personalized instruction manuals when a child was born, the world would be a better place. Or at least I’d be a better mommy. Someone, just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Steps 1, 2 and 3!
I also am deeply battling insecurity and a raging desire to be more than just a mommy, both of which are gnawing at me incessantly, so bring on the guilt as well. It’s no coincidence that I’m reading Search for Significance for a women’s Bible study at church and Beth Moore’s book, So Long Insecurity, which I can’t put down. But at the same time, I don’t want to read another word because it’s too much to take in all at one time it’s hittin’ so deep. I’m not looking for comment affirmation here, just sharing for a moment. And now I’m feeling insecure about writing that last sentence. Should I have or shouldn’t I have? Oh, Lord, rid me of this malady if it kills me!
As I was dusting the bookshelves, I came to the shelf that has these two giraffes and next to them a book called Tall Blondes. While I was in Africa, I fell in love with giraffes. Their grace and gentleness, their strength and their beauty. I brought home these two wooden giraffes not only to remember this magnificent creature that graces the vast expanse of Africa, but even more so because of their stance: a baby giraffe stretching her neck as much as she can to gaze into the eyes of the larger giraffe whom she knows protects her, cares for her, and loves her more than she could possibly fathom. These giraffes symbolize my time in Africa where my eyes were fixed upon Jesus in a loving gaze that nothing could take my eyes off Him, a real mark in my life with Him. They are a tangible reminder to me of where my eyes always need to be.
And the book? Given to me by Gaga, my grandmother, who knew of my love for giraffes as a going away gift when I left for college. In it is a note penned with her chicken scratch saying how much she’d miss me and pray for me when she talked to God. Oh, I miss her so.
These giraffes are for a day like yesterday, when I need to remember not only how my eyes should be fixed upon Jesus who alone satisfies all of my needs and knows the deepest longings of my heart, but also how His eyes are on me. I cannot flee from His presence and nothing can separate me from His love. Even in my weakness, my mixed up priorities, my lack of knowledge of how to be a mommy, or my raging emotions and insecurity, nothing can separate me from His love, from His constant gaze upon me. I just need to keep my fixed, intent look upon Him.






