thirTEEN

some of you may know that i have officially been the mother of a teenager for a good nine months now.

you know your life is coming full circle when your daughters pinterest boards are cooler than your own.  :)

i mean, do i really look old enough to have a teenager?  ------------------------------------------------->

#dontanswerthat

this darling girl has been the recipient of all of my worst mothering mistakes.  she was my guinea pig. 

my heart's desire as a teenager(GASP! that's what she is!), was only to get married and have children.

seven was my 'magic' number.

after i had a few kiddos the number decreased, but by God's grace, i think it may just still be our number.
 but that's for a whole different post.  ;)

i got married to my love when i was 18, and one year and one month later, miss elly was born.

baby in arms...we were in LOVE.

now she's growing up on us.  *sigh*

as i look back at all of my naiveness as a young mother, and my millions trillions of mistakes, i see a story that is grace laced in every way. 

i was not always a great mother.  i was a very strict, demanding mama who required nothing less than perfection for a long time. 

of course, i know this is impossible, but it didn't stop me from trying.

i didn't give grace, and so that put a barrier between my very own daughter and myself.

as weird as it may seem, and as harsh as it feels to me, my daughter and i have not always connected in the way i thought we would.

it would take 13 years for me to fully grasp the gift that my daughter is to me and that she was specifically chosen for me.

what an honor and a blessing!

here are a few pictures of her birthday party this past february. 

it was a very bitter cold day, and her brother had a bad ear infection, but we had a great time just the same.

i know it seems late to post this, but i so badly want to document this vapor of a life.  :)

we chose a crafty theme for the maturing girl.

she requested fish tacos and individual nutella cheesecakes.  

#todiefor!

certainly the ONLY way we ended up where we are today is by the grace of God.

and a whole lotta caulk.  because Lord knows, He had to fill in a multitude of gaps that i left along the way.

and He still is.

elly is so much like me it hurts sometimes.

i think that contributed to our clashing.  ok.  for surely it did.

she is a beautiful girl, inside and out, and she is just bursting with talent!

i'd like to say that she is a lot like me in her love of creating. ;)

we both come alive when we are able to 'make'.

she also has a very tender heart, the best kind.

can you even stand the wisconsin sweater?  i am SO making that but with the united states on it!

she did that all by herself, and the sewing is amazing!

also, she has been able to bless a few of my bloggy friends(and others) with these baby moccasins. 

aren't they the CUTEST?

she is a wonderful knitter, a gifted pianist, loving sister, daughter and friend.

family singspiration just would NOT be the same without her.

this season of my life with her has {by far} been the best ever.

we totally 'get' each other, we love to create together, and yes, we share favorite TOMS and certain clothes.

i can break out in, "i just called......to say....i love youuuuuuu!" with fake mike in hand at target and she only gets mildly embarrassed.  :)

hey, that's my job!

so today, and every day, i'm so thankful that God chose ME to be her mother.

watching her grow up has been my privilege and i am keenly aware of how quickly time is fleeting.

we may only have her for a few more years, and i plan on enjoying every little bit.

eye rolls and all.

i hope she never forgets Who she truly belongs to.

she was bought with a price, a very high One, and my prayer is that she will radiate that Life to all those she meets.

Lord, i thank you so much for blessing me with this rare and precious jewel of a daughter.

may YOU shine brightly through her and continue to fill in all of my gaps!

mama loves you, elly grace.

xo, 

mary

go

i'm not gonna sugar coat this, dears.

this has been a hard week for me.

the results from tuesday were exposing my faithlessness in all sorts of ways.

one minute, i'd be walking on water{trusting!} and the next, i'd be in sackcloth and ashes{faithless!}...crying out to God.

as i was curled up in His lap late tuesday night, He calmed my fears, brushed away the tears, and i realized that THIS is what He wants from me all the time.

my complete attention and dependence.  

eyes fixed Above.

of course, all of this uncertainty and crazy turn of events is happening in the midst of the season of thankfulness, and there's nothing better to turn a frown upside down than a mile long list of blessings that are completely undeniable.

so here are a few of my #capturingourblessings from this week.
i have been playing along with rebekah on instagram and i am loving it!

first off, my privilege to vote.  i was able to give the kids a lesson in this as we went into our tiny town voters booth tucked in the basement of independent living apartments.  

there's plenty of old ladies with candy, and the cutest little americana curtains that i'm pretty sure one of them sewed to hide the old school write in voters stations.

i didn't get a sticker, but i felt a deep sense of pride knowing that i exercised my right to choose whom i feel would best represent this country with the morals and standards that are closest to those that God would be pleased with.

america is truly an amazing country.  we are blessed.

i captured this sweetness in the kitchen.  having a loving, Godly father for my children is an absolute joy and blessing.  He loves his children fiercely and always points them to Him.  always.

seeing the daughter/daddy love just about puts me into a puddle.

 

in typical God fashion, He had this package of blessings delivered right to my door step on wednesday.

wednesday would have to be the peak of my faithlessness this week.  

i mourned certain losses, and was melancholy at best.

a few weeks ago, i had seen a giveaway via one of my favorite blogs, Dreamy Whites, so i hopped over here to enter.

as it would turn out, i was the winner among many people who entered, and the timing was so appropriate.

His always is, you know?  He loves in the details.  and i love details.

maria is such a sweetie, and to say she has impeccable taste and incredible gifts would be an understatement.

in my package, i received a beautiful moroccan market tote, a monogrammed antique french linen sheet, two antique french linen pillow cases, soap, a lavender stuffed french grainsack pillow and a sweet sachet of lavender.

all of these treasures are my fave.  

head over to her shop to see more.

having a Bible believing, Gospel preaching, family of brothers and sisters in Christ is an absolute blessing.

we always go to prayer meeting on wednesday nights, 

but this night in particular i craved fellowship with my friends more than ever.

i needed love.

i needed encouragement.

i needed comfort and solace.

and that's exactly what i got.

if there is ever a time to seek God's face, it is now.  

Christians must band together and fight the good fight NOW.

this one may have been stretching it, but as i FINALLY sifted through ginormous piles of laundry, i couldn't help but be thankful for the bodies that fill these clothes that i so carefully fold into neat little piles.

you do not even want to see the mountains that remain, but i made a dent and that is always a good thing!

as i shake the dust off of my feet from this disappointing and rather difficult week, 

One thing remains the same throughout the crashing waves and uncertainty that lie ahead.

yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.

all may change, but Jesus, NEVER.

glory! to His name!

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 100

we, as a country, may have changed and forfeited His blessings by choosing 

sin and self indulgence over obedience to Him and His Word, 

but those who have put their faith and trust in Him have no need to fear.

the events of the week have been a call to action, friends!

a catalyst to GO and BE the hands and feet of Jesus, fearlessly proclaiming His name 

BOLDLY.

God cannot use those who sit, paralyzed in fear and complacency.

i do not want to live in fear and with constant worry.

so i will trust, as well as i know how.

i will spread His hope and the Gospel to the unreached that need to know.

we are SO ready to

  GO.

who do you know that needs to know?

are you with me?

xo,

mary

vintage marquee 'GO' letters found at this fun shop!

happy birthday, kindred!

it was just about two years ago when we pulled up into the high school parking lot 

next to each other in our matching ghetto cruisers(heehee, remember?).

we joked from a distance about the sillyness of it all, mentioning our hopes to soon have vehicles that would fit our families 'legally'.

hers was a loud, old truck(which she still has and loves), 

mine was a gold escort wagon graciously given to us in one of our greatest times of need.

now we have matching vans.  :)

our daughters played on the same home school volleyball team, and as we chatted it up on the bleachers 

we had NO clue that those first few conversations would blossom into such a needful friendship.

for both of us.

she has six children.

i have four.

they match up perfectly.

they are all BFF's. 

and today, i proudly call this woman my best (girl)friend.

she is a true gift from God.

He knew that i would need her.

 and He knew that she would need me.

"Two are better than one:

 for if they fall , the one will lift up his fellow:"

Ecclesiates 4:9,10

she has taught me a lot about friendships.

she is an amazing hostess.

she is as transparent as the day is long, and that is one of my favorite things about her.

she is so real.  it makes me want to be more like her.

she is super fun.

she has a magnetic personality and people are drawn to her. 

she's a hugger, like me(match made in Heaven).

we can cry together.

rejoice together.

complain together.

then apologize for complaining, 

and be honest with one another. 

i love that.  

like we can be completely honest, and that's rare.

she loves me despite my faults and many quirks.

she makes the best cup of joe around.

we've sat up late many a night, drinking coffee until we can drink no more, chatting about spiritual things.

her food is to.die.for.

i have watched God stretch her faith in these past two years.

 stretching that would make most people fold.

but by the grace of God, not her.

she is not afraid to proclaim Jesus, despite the heartache and trials.

God knew that my faith would be strengthened by seeing His awesome power and ability to make what would seem to be a hopeless situation, hopeful, bearable, and even beautiful in SO many ways, 

all because of Him.

beauty for ashes.

oh! and she also lets me post pictures of her on my blog.

(wait...did i ever ask?)  :)

but you know what?

she is too much of a blessing not to share.

so forgive me, k, sandi?

happy birthday to you, sweet friend.

our friendship has changed me for the better and i thank God for you.

we may text more than we talk these days,

but in true kindred form, we are always together in spirit. 

love you.

xo,

mary

praise ye the Lord

Praise ye the LORD for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

Great is our LORD, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.

He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

 

The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.

For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.

He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.

He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.

He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?

He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.

He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 147

i've been pondering this wonderful scripture since prayer meeting on Wednesday night.

i don't know about you, 

but i know several people that i love very much that are facing some serious heartache.

verse number three spoke to me.

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds

i thought maybe it would bless you all, too. 

PRAISE YE THE LORD.

xo,

mary

it's lefse day!

well, it sure seems like i hardly have the time to pull together a 'decent' post these days.
yaknowwhatimean!?
there's just not enough time to sit down and actually gather my thoughts
and say what i wanna say.

do you have that problem?

that being said,
i'm going to do it again.
just bits and pieces here today.
:D

it's lefse making day!
it's lefse making day!

today is the one day of the year that we go over and assist
my amazing mother-in-law in a wonderful tradition.
it's potatoey, it's floury, it's messy, it's buttery, and sugary.
yum.
it's sooo good.

image

so for now, you get a beautiful image i snatched off the internet, 

but i'll be back later to add to this post and show you our fun.

:D

{he was supposed to be smiling}

:D

today, i am embracing the camera.

today, i am thankful for opportunities to do things together as a family.

today, i am asking for your prayers for my niece.

please don't stop.

thank you so very much, friends.

until later today...

praying that you all have a wonderful day!

xo

8.  today i am thankful for interrupted schedules, and the sweet prayers of my friends{near and far} that intercede for our needs.

thank you SO much.

comfort food and a {prayer} request

since i don't have time for my 'most organized Christmas ever' post,

i thought i'd pop in and say hi.  :)

tonight it's all about comfort food over here.

i'm impatiently waiting for the individual meatloaves and baked potatoes to finish baking.

i slathered the potatoes with garlic grape seed oil and the house smells so good.

pretty soon i will pile up the meatloaves with ketchup.

yum.

do any of you like meatloaf with your ketchup?

:D

ok.  enough small talk.  :)

there's something weighing much heavier on my heart tonight.

i wanted to ask you, my friends, a favor.

would you please pray for my niece, Charis?

i have mentioned her before, but not in detail.

she is four.

at nine days old, she received a heart transplant.

an absolute miracle.

she battled cancer this summer{a very aggressive kind}.

she went through two rounds of chemotherapy. 

she is back in the hospital with a terrible mouth/throat infection,

she hasn't been able to eat or drink hardly at all,

and she had a biopsy of her bone marrow today along with a pic line put in.

you never think that something like this will touch your family, 

but when it does, your faith is stretched, and you learn to trust in ways you never thought possible.

i am learning.

my husband and i had the privilege of visiting with Charis for a few hours yesterday.

she doesn't talk much because of her mouth pain, but our time together was precious.

i will treasure it forever.

we are petitioning God to do great things for Charis and her{our} family.

we pray that He will be honored and glorified throughout this time, 

and that His perfect will will be accomplished.

i was reminded this morning that nothing  we experience in this life,

whether it be physical pain, emotional torment, or any struggle of any kind,

is foreign to our great God.

He knows what we are feeling.

he has experienced the pain, grief and devastation that we feel.

we are not alone.

He desires for us to get on our knees before Him.

He never tires of our prayers.

He is my refuge, my strong tower, my hope, my strength, my shelter, and my friend.

so, all comfort food aside, i guess i just wanted to ask for your prayers tonight, friends.

we need them.

xo

7.  today i am thankful for precious moments shared with my loved ones, and my GREAT GOD,  who is my refuge and strength in times of uncertainty and trial.

thank you, Jesus.  

{ten on ten}

my first ever.

here ya go.

our freshly powdered slide and swing set this a.m.

my burnt cinnamon and raisin sprouted bagel with cream cheese for breaky.

{note the messy cream cheese job}

yeah, i was pouting after i burnt the bagel that i  was so looking forward to.

wahhhh!

a mid morning hot chocolate break.

elly.

a trip to our favorite place.

{the thrift}

henry and his new thrift store hat.

{yes, i washed it first. i have ocd, remember?}

beautiful words the Lord gave me this morning.

He has been teaching me a lot about this lately.

:D

slushy snow fort.

homemade chicken and rice soup for supper.

{made with our homegrown chicken}

i'm such a copycat.

 my friend, sandi, is an amazing cook, and she teaches me a LOT.

:D

me and the hankster.

well, i believe that about wraps things up for my first {ten on ten} post.

how fun was that?

:D 

playing around with the camera is kind of fun for me, although i, in no way, pretend to be 

something that i am not.

i am a complete novice,

an admirer of other peoples amazing photo talent.

i would like a better camera.

but this one does the job for now.

i am able to photograph my children and document our lives, 

which i love.

6. today i am thankful for my camera,

 even though it is old and has vision problems.

it views the world through a blurry lens, 
and it functions very slow.

 but it is mine, and so i thank the Lord for it.

i haven't forgotten about the thankful on paper challenge, either.

i have so much to be thankful for, and so many people i want to thank,

it's hard to narrow it down.

but i will.

i definitely will.

also, if you haven't heard about the happy day project, 

check it out!

it's not too late to join in.

bless and be blessed.

happy day, friends.

glad we got to chat today.

xo

linking up here, here, and here.