sisters at the spa

Image

“Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.” Carol Saline

“And I felt closer to you. Because you knew me so much better than I’d realized – and still loved me.” Rosamund Lupton

***

Amanda has had a challenging winter season this year. She and her husband have three children and all five of them have been getting sick on and off, together and/or separately for months. They just got over the latest stomach bug and Amanda was feeling very anxious from the stress of it all. She decided to go to the spa but she didn’t want to go alone. Who did she call? Her awesome sister, of course, and her awesome sister said “yes” right away.

We are all pretty awesome so don’t you think it’s time to take a trip to the nearest spa for some TLC?

When you get there, they will give you a cozy robe and some rubber slippers. They will give you a locker, and you can immediately change into your bathing suit and put on your robe. Then, you will sit in a relaxation room and sip water or juice while you wait for your name to be called. When your name is called, you take a quick trip to the bathroom and then follow your lady to the salt treatment room. It’s dark and peaceful in there. You take off your suit and slide between warm towels and the lady rubs your skin with delicious salts. A ceiling shower is moved over you and all the salt is rinsed away under a drenching shower while you think, “I could stay under here for hours……..” You are gently dried and left to rest and then put your robe back on. It feels so good to be pampered and cared for.

Next, you are taken to another dimly lit room, for a one hour massage. And even if you think that a massage is just not your thing, you will enjoy it. The tension is worked out of every muscle as the pretty music plays softly and a waterfall trickles nearby. The lady won’t talk to you, except to give simple instructions. You don’t have to talk, you don’t even have to open your eyes. Most of the time they are covered with a warm towel, anyway. You turn your mind off and rest and breathe.

When the massage is over, you are warm and feel as if every limb is heavy. You look as relaxed as if you just woke up from a 10 hour deep sleep. Your skin is completely moisturized. You forget that your family was sick this winter and that you spent way too much time cleaning up those messes while trying to be a most excellent mama, and wife, and also work full time for the Eye Doctor.

You feel like yourself again.

You have time to eat lunch and read by the pool while you wait for your pedicure. You have fast conversations with your sister in whispers. You close your eyes for a little cat nap.

You go in the whirlpool, and the steam room. You take a hot shower (with multiple heads) and dry off with a warm towel. Oh, it’s bliss.

After your pedicure, you sit and wait for the toes to dry.

While admiring the sunset.

You are relaxed for the first time in a while, and are ready to face your responsibilities again.

Isn’t a day at the spa worth a little time and money?

We think so!

the dog had a problem and was possibly bleeding

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Shanda

I talk to him when I’m lonesome like;
and I’m sure he understands.
When he looks at me so attentively,
and gently licks my hands;
then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes,
but I never say naught thereat.
For the good Lord knows
I can buy more clothes,
but never a friend like that.
~W. Dayton Wedgefarth

I just downloaded some photos to my computer while sitting in the living room with Rich, David, Caleb, Seth, Sarah, and Grace. Our dog, Parker, was at my feet but I didn’t notice him at all. He is always there. The kids were watching Phineas and Ferb and I needed to think so I could write this blog post so I got up to go to our new addition. As soon as I stood up, Parker did too, and he is the only one who followed me into the room. He is lying at my feet again, oblivious, as I type this post all about him.

We got him when he was a puppy and he is almost 7 years old now. After he grew up out of puppydom, I was so very busy with homeschooling and having Seth and Sarah that he was tied up outside at a doghouse, and left there. That sounds bad. Really, the issue was that if he was ever free, he would run away immediately, up the road, to visit people. It was terrible. We would try to let him in the house with us but if we were not careful, he would literally bolt out the door *like the house was on fire* every time it opened. Consequently, he was tied up at his doghouse more often than not. He had daily walks, many of them, probably four or five a day (or more). We all walked the dog, and Rich took him running. He had plenty of exercise but he was sad, for he was a family dog and wanted to be with his people all the time.

One time I took him for a walk with Sarah in the stroller (not my smartest decision). It was fine until he all of a sudden bolted and tipped Sarah over into the ditch. She survived it, but the dog almost didn’t.

Another time I tried walking him and he was so excited he started racing as fast as he could down the hill. I was so scared (determined not to lose him by letting go of his leash) that I w#t my pants.

He ran up the road and the neighbors called animal control and he was impounded. (two or three times)

He ran up the road and got into another person’s house and tracked mud on her carpet. She came down and yelled at me. I offered to pay to get it cleaned but she just wanted to yell.

One time he got loose when the little boys were getting on the bus and he went right on the bus with them. I could not get him off it (in my pjs of course) until the driver opened the back. I cried all morning, so upset, thinking of the lawsuits that could have happened. Yes, I can laugh about it now but at the time I was thinking about slipping sedative drugs into his dogfood.

Seth and Sarah grew. I had some time to think and solve Parker’s problem. The family (I think it was my sister) encouraged me to look into getting a hidden fence and I finally made some calls and Linda saved Parker’s life from one of boredom to one of luxury. Parker soon grew fat from stealing pizza and butter out of the kitchen at every opportunity.

Training him to obey the hidden fence wasn’t hard once Rich convinced the trainer that he needed to simply be run into it a few times. After he understood his boundaries, life (cue music) was grand again. The guilt I had felt for so long over this animal was gone. Parker was no longer tied down at his dog house or terrorizing the neighborhood.

Truly, he is all reckless love, and never hurt anyone, but his great adoration of humans made him desire freedom and visits at all costs.

He has been a house dog, a true family dog, for a few years now but can go outside any time he wants. He scratches the heck out of the front door whenever he wants to come in.

He is Ethan’s dog. I cannot understand his devotion to me. I don’t snuggle with him or coo at him like his boy. But he is always there. Always by my side. Have I ever told you that I prefer cats? I don’t like dogs, especially big ones? But this dog…..(do I dare say?) has pretty much won my heart.

He loves stuffed animals and has bitten the eyes out of almost all of them. The kids LOVE their animals and never throw them away so we have quite the menagerie of eye-less stuffed animals in this house.

Another thing he enjoys doing with “his” stuffed creatures is burying them outside. I am always startled when I finally notice him silently standing by the door waiting for me to let him out (he sometimes has to wait a while).

It is an event, and it usually takes some time for him to settle on the most perfect spot to bury it.

This is one that the kids rediscovered and brought inside to show me. See Parker’s paw? He wants it back I bet.

Playing memory.

Being a foot rest.

Showing me his special eye-glowing trick while being Too Close to Cat for Comfort.

Making sure everyone is okay.

He loves to go to the coop with me and always begs for a nice fresh egg. If I give him one, he carries it in his mouth gently until we get to the driveway and then he lets it drop (gently) so the egg cracks and he can lap up the goods.

I was treating my puffy eyes with tea bags with kids all over me, and a cat, and still. … he was there.

Being a good armrest.

Yesterday, Parker was bleeding from the mouth and I did not know why. He was lying on the floor just like you see in that picture, only he was on the hard wood in my room next to me while Seth and I were busy sewing a pillow. He made a whining noise and when he got up I noticed two small puddles of watery blood on the floor right where his nose/lips had been. My heart lurched as I touched it, believing perhaps it was just a dried up dirty spot that I hadn’t cleaned up yet (because I keep my floors oh so spotless). No, indeed the spot was wet and slimy. I immediately told Seth to wait a minute so I could look into Parker’s mouth.

(reenactment)

I didn’t see any cut but when I looked at my fingers they were red. He definitely had some sort of bleeding, and I guessed it was internal.

My dog was sick. My dog had a problem.

(dramatization)

I was uneasy for hours, keeping an eye on him. Every time he plopped on the floor to rest I thought he was getting worse. I knew I would have to call the vet if he continued to “suffer”.

UNTIL. Later on, I walked through my room and noticed THIS:

And I knew.

He had eaten a marker in his spare time. I asked him about it later and he said nothing. But his eyes said, “They are irresistible, can I have it back, pleeeeeeeese?”

In my utter relief, I was proud of him for using such a big word and being so polite about it. I also realized once again that in this house I am usually the only one with problems!

***

This is the pillow Seth made.

This is Seth.

And this is an early spring day.

Jacob and Ethan are at wrestling, the rest of us are home but Grace has a singing event later. I have a hair appointment at 3:30 and I can’t wait. I think I will get there early so I can sit in the fireplace room and read fashion magazines (not my typical reading material). Seriously, we have about 12 inches of deep snow but the sun is shining and the birds are all singing deep in the woods and around the house, they are happy and I take my cue from nature: SPRING IS COMING! Thank you, God.

{this moment}

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Shanda

A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~inspired by soulemama

large family chaos (video)

Video

I would like to sit and blog, if only I had an hour and the brain power to do it. Instead, my life has been like this (or, similar) for days:

Everyone is happy and healthy and for that I am truly thankful.

🙂

my dear friend’s new baby

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Shanda

When Joanna came to visit me this summer she didn’t tell me that she was having a baby! She had just found out and it was still secret. I love looking back on those photos from the visit, knowing now that a new little someone was growing and planning on making an appearance eight months later, just hours before “Aunt Shanda’s” birthday!

It’s hard to be over four hours away because I would be there in a heartbeat to hold him, little Josiah, a most darling and precious gift from God. He was born last Tuesday. Look at him! I asked Jo if I could share her pictures from Facebook on my blog and she generously agreed. 🙂

“Let your father and mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice.” Proverbs 23:25

Please please pray for my friend. Her entire family currently has the flu, so she’s dealing with that while caring for this brand new little life.

{this moment}

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Shanda

A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. inspired by soulemama

38 candles

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Shanda

I had a birthday yesterday and for the first time probably EVER I wasn’t all worked up about it. I usually get so excited and expectant and I know there were times when I was a teenager or a young adult when I came crashing down with tears when my loved ones didn’t care about my birthday as much as I thought they would, (SO selfish, *sigh*).

I knew for a fact that I would be busy half the day because CBS is on Wednesdays and after missing three weeks I had absolutely no choice in the matter, I had to be there. So I told Rich from the get-go that he didn’t need to make any plans. We could do something on Valentine’s day for a special treat.

BUT MY HUSBAND, this is so touching to me, had it in his head to spoil me the whole day long, beginning with breakfast in bed. Wednesday mornings are typically very hectic for me, getting five kids out the door and then getting Seth and Sarah ready to go to Bible Study. Yesterday my darling did everything and I left at 8 feeling calm and prepared (what a difference!).

He gave me a bouquet of small roses and I took them with me in a white fiesta vase!

Birthdays are a great day to pray “thank you” to God all day long and that is just what I did. As I was with the ladies (“my” ladies) for four hours yesterday I was thanking God for them and the blessing of meeting so many beautiful women (Debbie W.!) who are family to me because we share the same born-again experience, in Christ. We had our studies, then a special brunch, and a wonderful message from Annie. Then, leadership met afterwards for more fellowship and study, laughter, joy in simply being together.

I left with a full-heart but actually needing a nap and arrived back home to HIM, who was ready to whisk us back out the door for birthday spoiling. We picked up our little boys at school and headed downtown to my favorite little shop, where my Alaskan friend Hannah had arranged to have a gift ready for me to pick up.

Thank you, Hannah, for being so thoughtful and fun. Your gift was a highlight of the day. I adore the locket and the journal. love you.

coffeeshop

I had a bagel with cream cheese and sliced tomato.

The boys had soda. Sarah had an apple juice.

Not much elbow room but I love snuggling in the corners with my family.

Face of love. Face that I love. This man is attractive, generous, tender, kind, strong, and means the world to me.

The chess game developed into bickering, teasing, loud laughing, until I cautioned, “My birthday’s getting worse and worse!” I regret those words and wish I could take them back because I broke Caleb’s heart. He stopped playing, looked at me, and began to cry in sorrow. I held him in my arms and kissed him and told him I was so sorry……. and, because I knew it would cheer him up…..I told Rich the next stop was Barnes and Nobles bookstore. Off we went, where Caleb poured over books (he is an amazing reader for 8 years old) and came away with four new ones. 🙂

I also ran into Marshalls to buy hair products because my winter hair is driving me CRAZY.

My birthday gifts from the bookstore. My mom has the same cookbook (another highlight of the day was talking to her and Dad on the phone, as they called to wish me a Happy Birthday) xo

When we left the bookstore, we drove straight to the High School for Grace, Jacob, and Ethan. Grace showed me this picture of herself on the wall, she is part of the “Singin in the Rain” production this spring and this is one of her costumes. I think she’s beautiful. And happy.

Jacob and Ethan had a wrestling meet.

I think it’s so cute to see the guys all dive into the middle of the mat after warm ups.

Ethan won his, and Jacob lost his. It was fun to be there as a family cheering them on. I got to chat with my friend Nicole, too. She crochets. 🙂

My cake! I can’t get over that it says “MOM” on it, this is a first for me. I LOVE IT. Rich took David and Caleb with him on Tuesday night and the three of them carefully ordered my cake. It was carrot, with cream cheese frosting and probably weighed four pounds.

The kids ate the entire pizza we brought home while Rich inserted my “80 candles” (so he said) into my cake.

I had cake and ice cream for supper!

same smile

a happy birthday

38 candles

I closed my eyes to listen to my beloved family sing.

I look like I have fangs.

taking a deep breath

the smoke gets worse each year

With the love of my life.

VIDEO:

****

This morning it is snowing and and the children have a snow day. Because I had 2 pieces of cake for dinner last night, I have resolved to eat only fruits and vegetables today. I had 2 apples for breakfast with my coffee. We are watching Aristocats on TV, which is Sarah Joy’s new favorite movie. We have watched it four times this week. With all the excitement yesterday, I hope to be more still today, and perhaps even pick up my knitting!

Blessings and much love to all my friends who pass by here today.

“He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.” Proverbs 11:28

“The beloved of the Lord will dwell in safety by him. He covers him all day long. He dwells between his shoulders.” Deuteronomy 33:12

keeping busy (life of a little boy)

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Shanda

He has places to go and things to do.

***

I would like to take a few minutes to tell some Seth stories. Seth is five years old and as smart as a whip. Unfortunately, his brilliance is not tempered with common sense quite yet, so we have adventures with him on a regular basis. Over the last week, I have had several close calls with him that I want to record.

Tale Number One: Sock Monkey

Last week, I was upstairs giving Sarah a bath and Seth was playing like an angel downstairs (or, so I thought). As Sarah was playing in the water, I came to the realization that I had heard the downstairs bathroom flush. It flushed, and flushed again. After about five or six consecutive flushes I ran down to see what the matter was. I found Seth in there, intent on flushing – with the water in the sink running, too. I looked down into the toilet and realized that he was trying to flush down a stuffed animal.

“Seth! What are you doing?”

“It’s my sock monkey. I don’t like it anymore so I want it to go to the ocean, and drown.” he explained.

“Whaaaaaa? What do you mean you don’t like your sock monkey?” I was astounded. He doesn’t normally flush the things he doesn’t like down the toilet. I turned the water off in the sink but I wasn’t about to put my hand in the toilet.

“Seth, you put it in there, you reach your hand in and get it out!” I demanded.

“Whaaaaaaa?” He complained.

“The water is clean enough, go ahead, pull it out!”

He reached his hand down into the water and pulled out…….just an arm! I quickly realized that the arm was charred!

I screamed. “Seth! Did you burn your monkey? You DID! You tried to BURN YOUR MONKEY!”

As I was exclaiming, he reached down and pulled out the rest of it. I screamed again. His monkey was all burned up and he had tried to flush it down the toilet so I would never know. Apparently he had gotten it in the fire (we don’t know why, I don’t know why, and Seth doesn’t know why either) and when it was in flames, he carried it to the bathroom with the fireplace tongs and threw it in the toilet. We had a talk about fire safety but I could tell that he really wasn’t that bothered by the experience. He was mostly upset because I was upset with him, not because he could have burned himself or the house down.

To make things even more interesting, the entire time I was dealing with him, Sarah was up in the tub calling, “MOM!!! I’M READY TO GET OUT!” over and over………..

*****

Tale Number Two: The non-Emergency Call

This morning I came out of my room and heard Seth upstairs in his bed talking away, having a good old conversation. “Who in the world is Seth talking to?” I asked Sarah. “He has Caleb’s phone.” she answered. Okay. I walked on into the kitchen, believing that he was just having a pretend conversation. Rich had thrilled Caleb’s heart by giving him his old disconnected but still working blackberry. Caleb could play the ringtones and push the buttons. I think he could even play a little game on it.

After a minute or so, Seth came down and said, “Here, he wants to talk to you.”

“Whaaaaaa?” I was thinking.

Guess what? When a blackberry is disconnected you can STILL CALL 911! Yep, all that time Seth was upstairs having an animated heart to heart with an emergency phone service worker. The man asked Seth if he could help him and Seth said “no”. (He didn’t need help, he just needed someone to talk to.) He asked Seth if there was an emergency. “No”. Seth replied. They hung up. Seth wasn’t done, so he called him back. He wanted to tell the nice man (Seth knew he was nice, after all-he had *offered to help*) that he got a new calendar and that he had a birthday and mom’s birthday was tomorrow. He wanted to tell the man some stories. He wanted to know if he could go to his house sometime. At this point, the man asked if he could speak to a grown up.

“Yes, we received several phone calls from this number. I guess your son got a hold of your phone. It’s good that he gave it back to you so we knew there wasn’t an emergency.”

I got off the phone and marched it back to my husband. It’s not going to be a toy anymore.

Seth getting into cookies.

Seth’s self photography

Me and Seth (truly, for all his mischief, he’s the apple of my eye)

If the mother doesn’t keep the little boy busy, he will find something to do.

happy valentine brunch

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Shanda

Beloved,
let us love one another,
for love is from God,
and whoever loves has been born of God
and knows God.

1 John 4:7

This morning I had a little brunch for a few of the ladies from my Bible study and used Valentine’s Day as a theme for decorating.

My friend Christina recently sent me three handmade buntings that I was so thrilled to use today. I put one on each fireplace mantle, and I used one as a garland for my seasonal tree. Thank you, Chris! xoxo

Sarah loves this tree and spends a lot of time taking everything off it and then putting the ornaments all on one branch, making up little stories all the while. (I adore 3 year old girls!)

Sweet little ornament from Dawn.

I collect fiestaware and took out all of my red, pink, and white dishes to use. This round platter is black with cherries on it. I love cheerful cherry things, and have a cherry apron and placemats, too. (also perfect for Valentine’s day decorating!)

I always light candles when company is coming. This one was from a shop downtown. The gold leaf is charming.

This candle, from anthropologie, is orange scented and the red jar is thick and lovely. I’ll be able to use the jar again when the candle is used up.

Whole cloves are like tiny pieces of wood.

I put a 7 pound ham in the oven at 8 so it would be done by 10, when my friends were to arrive.

I scored the ham and inserted a whole clove in each cross section.

I used a glaze recipe from my old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and it was delicious. You take a cup of orange juice, two teaspoons of finely grated orange zest, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of ground mustard, and 4 teaspoons of cornstarch, and whisk together in a pot on the stove. Cook until thick and bubbly and brush on the ham in the last 20 minutes of cooking time. The resulting Ham was delicious, simple, and elegant served on a big white platter.

Just be sure to remove the cloves as you carve. Not many people enjoy eating whole cloves.

(they are like tiny pieces of wood)

(actually, cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum, native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia)

We had an assortment of coffee, hot chocolate, and tea to chose from. The sugar and creamer were served from rose fiesta ware. (but of course!)

One more beautiful heart, made by Dawn. Dawn loves me. 🙂

The ladies and I had a fun time gabbing at the table while eating ham, pasta, apple slices, and scrumptious muffins. We talked about everything from our children’s mischief to the problems of internet, with lots of laughter. Thank you Kate, Diane, and Paula for a wonderful morning!

“If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12

{this moment}

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Shanda

A Friday ritual. A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. (inspired by soulemama)

***

Have you heard the quote, “From small beginnings come great things”?