A sweet conscience

I have been so proud of Jude lately.  It's not anything that he's intentionally doing, but his sweet little heart has really been showing lately.

A few times I have heard him crying in his room at night.  Often quite a while after he's been tucked into bed.  I went upstairs to his room to find him sobbing with giant crocodile tears streaming down rosy cheeks. He confided in me that he took his coat off during recess at school even though he knew that he wasn't supposed to.  He told me he was really sorry about it and sorry that he didn't obey.  He didn't get in trouble by his teacher, he just knew he had done something wrong.

Last night I picked him up from his class at church and he ran over to me when he saw me, wrapped his arms around my legs and began to sob.  I got down to his level and asked what had happened.  I looked over to his teacher and she gave me and shrug and asked him what was wrong.  He pulled me over to a private corner and told me what had happened.  He explained that at the beginning of class he was rolling around on the ground with another child.  He accidentally bumped into her and she got upset.  He then told her that she talked weird (she's an adorable little black girl with some seriously adorable sass:).  He burst into more tears and said that he was so sorry for saying that to her and he was worried that it hurt her feelings.  She was in a different class at the time, otherwise I would have had him give her a hug and ask her to forgive him. Instead I hugged him and told him that I was so proud of him for being concerned with how his actions affect other people.  I shared with him that God sees what's in our heart and that God knew he was sorry.

I love this kid so much.  He is so stinking amazing!

{all smiles}

This morning my sweet boy prayed for me before I left the house..."Dear Jesus, please touch momma's surgery...let it be good, amen." My 4th maxillofacial surgery was this morning, and I am so happy to report that my bone had grafted beautifully and was strong and sufficient for the implant surgery.  It has been a 17 year journey with a Marilyn Bridge, a failed bone graft, a lot of tears and prayer to make it to this point, and I am so very thankful!  God is so good!

Thank you so much to all of my friends and family who have been praying faithfully over the last 4 months, and for all of the sweet emails, texts and messages of encouragement last night and today.  Thanks for loving me enough to care about something as simple as a tooth.  Megan S. and Sarah T., God has used you so greatly to encourage and lift me up.  Thank you!  My heart is all smiles right now as my mouth will not yet allow much movement:).

Now it is time for a pain pill and a nap.

Blessings,

Sarah

Done...finally.

Well, I finally finished my bedding, you know, after 30 trips to the store, trying each one on my duvet, returning the ones that didn't work and settling for the one on sale that I felt fit my style and worked the best in my space.

Any tips on how to get the wrinkles out of my curtains?  I tried ironing one of them and that did not turn out well. 

I still may paint the wood portion of the head/footboard down the road, but for now I am content with the wood and how it all goes together.  I'm still a little disappointed the pintuck bedding didn't work out for me, but since I snagged this pottery barn lookalike embroidered duvet on sale at Target for $45, it feels meant to be:).

I'm sure my boys (all three of them) will dirty up all this whiteness soon enough...precisely why I buy the $45 version from Target and not from PB.

Pintuck?

Ugh...

I have been eyeing a pintuck duvet set from west elm for quite some time now, I guess since I snagged my ikat fabric for euro shams months ago.  I've seen it on every-other-blog and website, how to do it yourself, the Target version and at Anthro.  I finally picked up the Tarjay version and I just don't think it works for me. I was so set on it, and now seeing it on my bed I'm just not thrilled.  I sort of think it's just not me. It kind of makes me think of meringue pie and the bottom of a wedding dress (I've been working a few too many weddings lately).  I have loved it in other peoples rooms, just not mine.  I'm back to square one.


I'm thinking something classic like this (only with gray embroidery)...

Any thoughts? Help? Have you seen anything that would look great with my pillows?

Thank YOU!

Back in December I posted about a water well that my family is building through Healing Hands International. Today I am posting to thank you for your gracious gifts!  We are a third of the way to having our well built, in just 4 weeks!  Thank you so much for giving and for caring about bringing water to impoverished nations.

Our site was setup for gifts to be anonymous, so I have no way to know who to thank individually, but I do want you to know that your gift is SO appreciated and will go a long way.  Please know that I am grateful for giving hearts and to have friends who know that money should go beyond our own pockets, desires and needs.

Tears of joy rush over me when I see the donations come in.

Thank you!

If you did not have the opportunity to give but would like to, please feel free to give as long as our site is open.

Blessings,

Sarah

1.12.10 {Haiti}

Two years ago today 316,000 people lost their lives in the devastating earth quake in Port Au Prince, Haiti.  300,000 others were injured and 1,000,000 people were made homeless on this day.  We are so far removed from this reality.  We have no idea what this type of devastation looks like.  I caught a glimpse of it last year, and Dallas got an even better idea the year before, but we really cannot fathom this reality.

I miss my short time in Haiti.  I told Dallas once and I will say it again, I could live there.  I would have never thought I could move to a place like that and drag my children along to an impoverished nation, but I could.  I don't know what it is about that place, but it is special.  A piece of my heart is there, my prayers go there and I believe I saw a glimpse of hope in a hopeless place.

Haiti is a devastated nation full of beautiful people.

Anytime I get too superficial, greedy, sad or angry I look at my video and pictures from our trip.  I look at the eyes of the children and think about what their day, year and future holds.  It really sort of puts me in my place.  I am so thankful for that reminder.

I hope you will remember to continue to pray for Haiti.  The work there is not yet done!

Mass Grave {over 250,000 bodies}

You're Welcome!

You will thank me.  I know you will because I have emailed, texted, fb'd and thanked in person my friend Christel for this little secret at least 62 times.  I have been looking for a secret like this for YEARS!

Anyone who has a glass shower door to clean is aware of the nightmarish water stains and mildew that quickly appear on the doors and walls.  A year and a half ago when we moved into this house with the shower that has 2 glass walls (that's how I'll refer to this house when I'm old) I was determined to keeps the new glass clean and shiny.  That went out the window very quickly and out came the comet, lime away, bleach and other harsh chemicals.  NOTHING worked.  It would be clean (bacteria wise), but not look clean.  

After Rhett got Kawasaki's disease I really desired to start using more natural cleaning products.  Kawasaki's has been rumored to be triggered by biological, environmental and chemical factors, and house cleaning chemicals are at the top of that list (thanks John Travolta and Kelly Preston).  This is widely disputed by doctors and researchers, but what kind of mom would I be to ignore rumors started by celebrities?!  

I was sharing the disgust of my shower with a friend and she shared her secret with me!  I honestly didn't think it would work.  I kid you not friends, this stuff worked SO well!  It's like a miracle.  I sprayed it on and left it for about 15 minutes.  I went back expecting to scrub with a brush and it seriously just wiped off with a wash cloth.  It was streaking brown water (yuck) down the glass and walls and it all.came.off. I couldn't believe it.  I moved on to the bathtub, sinks and faucets.  It worked so well on everything!  

Here you go...enjoy! 

In a spray bottle pour 1/4 Dawn soap + 3/4 white vinegar.  Shake it up and enjoy less cleaning time!  

If you have any other great little cleaning tips please share!  I love to hear what works and what doesn't.  

Twenty-twelve

 2011 definitely put a new stamp on my life.  It was a year of giving, change, hardship, trial, joy, faith, healing, victory and perseverance.  2011 may be the year that I look back on as the catalyst for who I will be for the rest of my life.  The spark that lit the flame, possibly.  The year that I decide that just being is not enough...that one person can make a difference, and that with God all things are truly possible.  I am so excited for what 2012 will bring.  The trials, the tears, the pain, the joy and the smiles.  It only grows who I am and who I was designed to be.  To be an example to my kids, my spouse, my family and my peers.  To be light in the darkness and love all around.  To grow in giving and think less about my own needs and desires. 

I can hardly wait.  

I had 1500 miles of drive time over three days to think about resolutions, but I don't have any for this year.  What I do have is an open mind, open heart and an eagerness to be the best I can be in 2012.  The person God is leading me to be.  

My boys had the best time ever in Indiana over Christmas.  We only stayed a day, but it was so wonderful to see my grandparents, siblings and parents.  We rode the quads, took a hike in the pasture that leads to a beautiful creek where we collected geod's, and took wagon rides behind the tractor.  It was tops in my book.  Jude and Rhett played until they fell over with sleepiness.  It brought pure joy to my heart to see my kids experiencing the kind of fun I had there when I was their age.  Pure joy.  Here are a few pics from our adventure. 

 First quad ride with dad

 Grand-dad was giving out tractor rides.

 Sweetness

 Waiting for dad to get up the hill.  I have pics of me at Jude's age on this same 4-wheeler!  I turned it over on my grandpa and I when I jerked the bars going uphill.  I also ran this same quad into a bushel of poison ivy when I was 4 and had to be scrubbed down in the bath.  Yes, Rhett is wearing socks for mittens.

 Grandma Wessel 

Rhett is not amused, but mom is having too much fun!  

We spent 2 nights in Indy and then ventured on to my dad's in Missouri.  That is where we got to wake up to this view...

Oh, and it wouldn't be a road-trip with the Martins if someone didn't throw up.  Rhett did the honors about 30 minutes outside of my dad's and sat completely still for the remainder of the ride with his hands in the 'freeze' position.  Jude followed it up by vomiting at a wedding on New Years Eve, right when we walked through the door of course (we make grand entrances).  Thankfully we were in our home, in private, when it came around to me.  Nasty little bug!  

I was so proud of my sweet little boys on their travel attitudes.  They did wonderfully as usual, and are getting quite accustomed to these long trips. 

Happy New Year!  What an amazing year it will be!