you have a nice little ministry

I have a dear friend from childhood, Julie, who used to babysit me when I was a baby. Our families were good friends through church and she was always one of my biggest cheerleaders. She has kept close tabs on me over the years and then when she had a baby girl asked me and my sister if we would be her daughter's baptismal sponsors. She named her baby girl Bailey Rebecca and I was so honored and touched. 

Well, Bailey Rebecca is now in high school and that blows my mind. Time goes so fast!

Julie and I were emailing back and forth a lot last week talking about labor and delivery, prayers and the power we have in choosing words of fear or faith. At the very end of one of her emails she wrote that she and Bailey read my blog and that a few of Bailey's friends read it too. (Hello, ladies!) Julie wrote, "You have a nice little ministry just being you."

And that line stopped me in my tracks.

Those words meant so much to me. They're such a good reminder of our calling to simply be who God made us to be. Especially in a day when it seems everyone has a brand and a platform, these words were so simple and pithy and say so, so much. I was touched by this thought and sat there wishing every girl I know could hear and believe these words too. They're the words God would want us to hear and  believe. But the world is loud, shouting its values of popularity and prestige. It's hard to remember this simple calling to shine your light right where you are. 

So this is my motto lately. I told Julie I was going to make her words into art, and this was my first attempt. I want these words around to remind me of the importance of being present and purposeful in my every day, to see my family, friends, community and daily life as my very own, very personal nice, little ministry.

39 weeks

Oh we're getting close, folks. At my midwife appointment on Tuesday they told me I was measuring 40 weeks. According to the ultrasound I had at 14 weeks, my due date is September 23rd (this Wednesday). And according to the calendar tracking from the very beginning, my due date is September 27th (a week from Sunday). It means I've been very confused as to what week I'm on throughout most of my pregnancy. But it also means that the likelihood that I'll have a baby in the next week or two, is very, very good.

Ivar was born one day before his due date and Elsie came on her due date. If I were to bet, I'd guess I'll have this baby late next week. But isn't it funny how it doesn't really matter what I bet?!! This baby will come when it will come. And I am so, so excited for it to come!

This weekend we will try to lay low as much as possible. We've got cousin Svea's 5th birthday party, seemingly the most highly anticipated event of the year for my children. We've got Family Movie Night tonight, and we will watch a kids movie altogether and then later, a mom and dad movie. Last week Rory and I watched She's Having a Baby, which I had never seen before and thought was very sweet. This week I'm hoping for Nine Months (which I've never seen) or Father of the Bride Two (which I have seen).

My niece Maddie's bridal shower is on Monday night and I just have to get to that. I want to be there so badly. And I sort of feel like my body won't relax enough to have this baby until I have been to that shower and back. I hope I'm not jinxing the whole thing by saying that. But even with the other two, I remember actually giving my body permission to go into labor. Finishing the thank you notes and knowing there wasn't much more I could do to prepare I said, "now would be fine." And a day later my contractions started with Ivar...

The best news is that I finally kicked my cold and am feeling 100% healthy. I had a few issues there for a while, but I'm feeling strong again and so, so grateful to be in this healthy and empowered place. I've got people praying for me all over the country, and that is such a good feeling.

I'll keep you posted if anything changes. Until then, know I am slowly working my way through the most divine tub of Ben and Jerry's The Tonight Dough. Oh my word, it is my dream come true in ice creams, thankfully only discovered this week.

And...I had Rory take the picture above of me this morning since I don't really have any of me at nine months with this baby. I don't have many outfit choices anymore, and most don't really show my belly very well. After I put on the dress I decided to do my hair. And then makeup. I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go. Which actually is totally fine by me. Happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend.

Pioneer Woman's new kitchen line

I have followed Ree Drummond's blog for a long time. I'm always inspired by her. I like her television show (one weekend this winter I watched like 12 episodes in a row with my niece Josie. Remember that, Josie?!!) I like her writing style, I like her photographs. I like her cookbooks and everything I've ever made from them. (Her lasagna cannot be beat.)

This week she launched a line of dishware at Walmart, and I want every single item. (Except the basset hound cookie jar. No offense to that dog, I'm just not a dog girl...) But other than that, I can't get enough. When I registered for dishes, more than ten years ago, I chose all bright colored accent pieces (from The Bibelot) to go with my white plates. I still adore them. But I could definitely add to the collection. I'd take one of every tea cup and cereal bowl and ramekin above. And that pretty pitcher and measuring bowl.

So I told Rory his gift giving will be simple for me this year. Just head to the kitchen section at Walmart. I recognize I sound like a commercial right now...so I should mention I am in no way being asked or compensated for blogging about this. I just saw these pictures on her blog and I cannot stop thinking about how badly I want to get to Walmart now...

a kiddie parade

Out town had its big four-day celebration this weekend. It's sort of a mix of cowboys, guns, bank robbers and good immigrant pioneers who defend their town. We participated in Townie Night, a discounted night for all the locals and the Kiddie Parade and went to the big parade. I was looking for cowboy and cowgirl outfits for the kids and asked Elsie to try on a cowgirl hat. She looked at me like I was an idiot and told me with a scowl, "I'm going to be a kitty!" You know, because it was a kiddie parade. So I had one cowboy and one kitty.

She insisted on having socks on her hands like little paws and was very, very pleased.

Ivar got to wear part of a costume that my Grandma Harrington made for my dad, when he was a little boy. He loved being a "roadie cowboy" (his version of a rodeo cowboy) and practicing his lasso. At one point during the kiddie parade he lasso'd his foot and this cracked him up for a good half a block.

Elsie pushed around her pink stroller with her pink kitty, wearing her pink kitty skirt and waved at the very few spectators that came to watch. She was the happiest kitty in the kiddie parade.

extravagant and wasteful

I signed the kids up for preschool two mornings a week. We had our very first day on Monday and it was so fun. The kids were so excited and I love, love, love that they are in the same class. Dropping them off was more adorable than sad...they were side by side playing in the sand box and both stood to wave goodbye to me, beaming and proud to be there.

I love them so much.

Then I looked at the clock and tried to figure out the very best way to use the two hours I had before me. Time like this is so, so rare for me. Rory had hinted that I go grocery shopping as we are out of all staples in the house, but I didn't want to waste my two hours of downtime at Cub. Truth-be-told, I'm not sure how many of these personal hours I am going to have before a little baby joins the mix. This was my time and I felt very protective.

I drove to Caribou and I had my laptop along, but then realized I had forgotten my mouse and what I wanted to work on was a lot photoshop stuff...and not having a mouse would be really annoying. So I drove home and looked around, trying to decide what I could do.

I knew I should accomplish something. But I also knew I should rest. But I knew there really were things I could tackle while alone in the house. But I also knew the day was glorious and sitting in a camping chair outside would be perfectly fine too.

Sara has a new song on her new album that talks about time, and how we use it. How we are called to rest, called to play, called to relax. The song is an invitation to join her on an adventure and she says, "It will be extravagant and wasteful." Those words hit me so hard the first time I heard the song. Because that is how it feels when we're really resting. Extravagant. And wasteful. But we're still called to it. We're still commanded by God to be still, and to set aside one out of the seven days he has given to us to be restored and renewed.

I wish I could say that I poured myself an ice water and went outside. Instead a payed a visa bill, sorted a pile of papers and edited a few pictures. And all the while I wondered why I couldn't rest. And it made me think to write this blog post.

Sometimes productivity does feel restorative. But I want the lack of productivity to feel that way too. And I certainly don't want lack of productivity to feel condemning.  Because it is okay just to be.

I have another chance this week. Maybe I'll be extravagant and wasteful with those two hours.