love overflows

our trip cross-country will be happening soon.  i feel like the month of march has been long and short all at the same time.  long because it seems like we are always working on the house to get it ready for sale.  short because there doesn't seem to be enough time to say good-bye and do all the things we want to do before we leave.

i didn't think that i would feel uprooted when the time came for us to move again.  but i do.  in the 8 years that we've lived here, there are roots that have formed and begun to grow deep into the earth.  relationships, places, community...there has been growth here for us.  transplanting will be a little hard (though i don't doubt that we will be just fine in our new environment).

since our decision to move, i've learned two things: 1. God is faithful. 2. God loves his children.

okay, i know those things already, but it's something else to really experience it. He has been so faithful in providing for us the things we need in regards to the move. all in His perfect timing, we have financially been able to take care of the important repairs needed for our house before we leave.

He has provided us with people to help us with our move in different ways.  our church family has stepped up and helped clean our home, fix a window, loaned us their car until we move (right now we only have one and having two allows for more flexibility), painted our upstairs...it reminded me of these verses.  it's like a family.  we share with each other, and help one another out. whatever is needed that need is met so that no one is in need of anything.  it's encouraging to see that lived out amidst our friends and church family.

we see God's love overflowing in our lives (not that it hasn't before), and i am humbled and amazed.  He has loved on us through pecan pie, get-togethers, words of love and encouragement through friends, prayer, tears and hugs.  it has been an overwhelming feeling, and has been a great reminder of God's character, His promises and His will for us.

emma's memory verse last week was from joshua 21:45: not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to.  talk about a timely verse for us.  God came through on his promises for the Israelites, and He will come through on His promises for us.  all we need to do is walk by faith.

the track

i told my husband a while back that something big was going to happen to us.  i didn't know what, i didn't know when, and i didn't know how.  but i knew there was something...i just had this feeling.

i wrote about our crazy roller coaster ride of a year in july.  there have been lots of changes crammed into the past 18 months from aaron's new job location (resulting in an hour commute), ty relocating to seattle this past summer, having a baby, and knocking down our debt list to two more items (sans the house) to name a few.  things were happening, and i've been having this feeling lately that God was preparing something for us...something big.

and now folks, that something big has arrived.  we are moving.  moving back west.  back to where aaron and i first met.  back to when we began our journey together as husband and wife.  back to our beginning.  back to rain city.  full circle.

out of the 4 job opportunities within aaron's company that he interviewed for since we've been in cleveland, THIS seattle one is the one he got.  i don't think it's a coincidence that he got the job.  things have been falling into place for this very moment years before.  i can see that now.  it's like puzzle pieces coming together.  it was kind of like when we moved out here to cleveland.  things fell into place years before the move.  God is so good that way.

i find that God works change, at least for me, when i'm finally at peace with where i'm at, because that's when my heart is truly ready to follow his lead.  a friend told me that despite the ups and downs of a roller coaster, it always stays on the track.  i love that imagery, and one that i've not thought of before with roller coasters.  the ride itself is exciting, unpredictable, and exhilarating.  but it's always on a track.  even when we can't see what's ahead of us, God already has a plan in place.

it will be hard to leave.  i cried that first sunday at church after we found out we were moving.  it's so funny that after all these years of wanting to be back in seattle, it's harder than i thought to go back.  while i won't miss the winters here, i will miss the people.  beautiful, friendly, down-to-earth people.  cleveland is full of them.

there have been little pockets in my day, where i would just burst into tears thinking about leaving behind all the people we care about, or the moments that we'll miss that i thought we would be here for.  we will be leaving friends.  we will be leaving family.  we will be leaving friends that are like family.  that last good-bye is going to suck, big time. but the new adventure that lies before us is exciting. there will be more opportunities before us to do God's work.  there will be new friends.  there will be old friends and family re-united again.

and now, a new chapter unfolds...one that is familiar and new all at the same time.

RE POST: black friday and winterfest sensory overload

i thought it fitting to re-post this today.  it's that time of year again for our family.  i am mentally preparing myself for the onset of THE most exhausting time of year for me and especially my husband. the time of year where our kids will probably see him 1 day out of the week for the 2-3 weeks leading up to christmas.  where 12 hour workdays turn into 15-16 hour workdays for my husband.  thinking about it makes me look forward to christmas day even more...where we can all finally be re-united, chill and celebrate jesus.

side note: winterfest is this saturday.  if you've never gone, it's worth checking out at least once.  also many cleveland handmade artists will be there selling some of their awesome stuff from 3-7 p.m.

originally posted on 05 december 2011.
 
 
much like years past, black friday for us does not involve getting up in the wee hours of the morning (or nowadays it's more like staying up until the clock strikes 12).  well, except for my husband who has to work the day after thanksgiving.

we are not fans of the whole black friday thing anyway.  the madness and long lines just to save some money?  don't get me wrong, i'm all for living frugally and managing your money wisely, but i don't think it's worth the craziness of black friday.  and it makes me cringe a little thinking about what that whole day represents (at least to us).

i just don't see how i can support a shopping day where people fight each other for the same item to the point of injury (or ignoring someone who needed help).  it's appalling.  and what about the workers at these big box retailers?  you have some stores opening up at midnight or even on thanksgiving day.  some of these people are missing out on family time just so that they can serve the needs of consumers hunting for bargains on things they probably can live without?  i know what that's like.  i'm married to a man who has a job where the busiest time of year is this time of year.  the weeks before christmas mean longer hours (for the same pay).  the days leading up to christmas day means our kids don't see him at all (one day he was at work at 5 a.m. and didn't get home until almost 9 p.m.), and i am left with an exhausted husband.  we have dealt with this every year for the past 8 or 9 years, and i can't say that i've gotten used to it.  i've learned to expect the worst in december, but it doesn't get any easier.  while i am thankful that he has a job, and that the busy season means money coming in for his company (which means he can continue to get paid), it's hard to find joy in the reason why he's busy: consumers doing what they do best.

maybe instead spending money on more stuff, we learn to live with less.  maybe instead of buying the xbox or flat screen TV at a huge discount, save your money and wait for the item to go on sale at another time of year.  or maybe consider not getting it and be content with that smaller TV or the more dated game system.  or buy used and create less waste.  what do our actions represent on black friday when we choose to participate in all that madness?  what exactly are we supporting?  i'm not saying you shouldn't go shopping at all, but maybe re-examine the intention behind choosing to shop on that particular day.

*****

so what did we do on black friday?  well, we did spend a little money.  but instead of heading out to the chain stores at midnight and fighting the crowds we hit the local shops.  as i mentioned here, room service had their made in the 216 holiday shoppe opening that night so that's where we headed.

like years past, i have never been disappointed at the quality and variety this store has to offer.  their holiday shoppe always features a nice selection of local artists, from clothing, jewelry and other accessories to paper goods and kids' toys.

then we hopped over next door to say hello at another local favorite, salty not sweet.  i found thee perfect gift for someone.  and i mean perfect (at least in my opinion).  and it worked out because i didn't have a clue yet what to do for this particular recipient.  i'm just a little excited over the find.  just a little.

the following day, we decided to check out winterfest in downtown cleveland after aaron got off work.  when we went last year, we had a great experience checking out the gingerbread homes and tooling around downtown that we figured we'd try that again this year.  note to self, if we go downtown for winterfest again we need to go in the morning or early afternoon.  by the time we arrived, the streets were blocked off and there were TONS of people.  tower city was packed.  people spilled out into public square.  there were people, people and more people.

oh yeah, and we saw some lights, and i think some gingerbread houses and more people.  while it's fantastic to see such a great turnout for cleveland's tree lighting event, being crammed like sardines and worrying that my little ones are going to be swept away by a sea of people is not my idea of fun.

it was definitely one of those experiences where you were glad to be able to go do it once (so that you could say that you did go), but probably won't do again in the future.  as emma so eloquently stated about her winterfest experience (and i think she spoke for all of us): "i'm ready to go home."

so we did.

wordless wednesday::impromptu

sometimes, all you need is a little impromptu dip in the river to turn a good day into a great day.

more wordless wednesday here, here and here

wordless wednesday::a quiet space

we went to the library the other day.

as the boys enjoyed some play time in the librainium...

i found our girl tucked away in a quiet spot engrossed in her books.

check it: more wordless wednesday here, here and here.

hello cleveland

my baby sister and her boyfriend were in town last week.

i haven't seen her in 3 years so i think it was about time for a reunion!

we had so much fun together.

the kiddos loved having the company and getting reacquainted with their auntie michelle and kofi.

this was her 3rd time to cleveland and kofi's very first visit.

we showed them around town.

even with the amount of places we visited we didn't get to see it all.

of course, in addition to the sights we can't forget about some of the food stops we made (noodlecat, the melt and the happy dog), and the sunny afternoons in our yard just hanging out.  it was sad to see them go (though i'm sure they were ready for a kiddie break), but perhaps there will be a cleveland visit round 2 in the near future.

do something: weekend may 11-13

so glad friday is here.  i am looking forward to next week when my husband will be home with us all week AND my sister and her boyfriend will be here to visit!  i haven't seen her in 3 years (such is the problem with living almost on the opposite end of the country from my family).  we will definitely be doing some CLE fun...and by fun i usually mean hitting up the delicious local eats around town (and maybe a little sight-seeing too).

meanwhile, here's a taste of what we may be checking out this weekend...

05.11:

near west theatre, a local community theatre in town, will be showing ragtime this weekend.  the show actually opened last weekend and will run through next weekend.  i will be going tonight for our church's monthly ladies' night, and i cannot wait.  i love musicals, and from what i've read, near west theatre puts on a pretty good show.  adult tickets are $8 (so affordable!) and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

photo source.

last weekend i posted about cleveland public theatre's danceworks performances, which showcased inlet dance theatre.  tonight and tomorrow night, danceworks will be showcasing 2 local dance companies, morrisondance and travesty dance group.  i have not personally seen any of their works, but both pieces being presented this weekend sound intriguing.  tickets, which can be purchased online, run from $10-$25 and the show starts at 7:00 p.m.

it's the second friday of the month which means it's time for the tremont art walk.  get yourself down there and take advantage of the warm weather tonight while checking out some local art and enjoying the loveliness of the tremont neighborhood (one of my favorite cleveland neighborhoods).  art work will be displayed at various local businesses in the neighborhood.  it's free and runs from 6-10 p.m.  print out this map before you go and you will be well prepared for the art walk.  if you drive down, parking is a bit tricky so bus, bike or carpool with friends if you can.

05.12:

it will be a busy saturday for local shop, crafty goodness.  drop-in from 11 a.m - 1 p.m. you can take their mother's day workshop and make a glass tile pendant for your mama for $10.  then, from 5-7 p.m. they will be hosting a craft swap to help you get your craft stash under control.  there is no cost for this gathering, although a donation of a personal hygiene item (see the list on their facebook event page) for the peter jones project will be your admission ticket.

photo source.

the 3rd annual the hooley on kamm's corner will be going on from noon - 8 p.m. where they will close off a section of lorain avenue to allow for the many events going on during the festival.  in case you are not familiar with irish slang, "hooley" means party or celebration, and from the looks of the festival schedule it looks to be a very fun, neighborhood party (of course you don't have to live in the neighborhood to attend).

05.13:

call your mother.  tell her you love her and wish her a happy mother's day!

happy weekend!

do something: weekend may 4-6

wow it's been a while since i've done this list!  we, personally, have a very full weekend of stuff going on.  i'll share with you some of the things we'll be doing and some that we won't but are still cool anyway.

we are a family who enjoy intentional outings on the weekend.  it can be as simple as going to the library or something a bit more involved like heading out to an event.  it's fun.  and most times it's inexpensive (we plan it that way).  most of all, it gets us out of the house and into the community around us.

05.04:

the amazing, new york-based modern dance company alvin ailey american dance theatre will be here in cleveland this weekend!  you don't even know how excited i am.  the last time i had an opportunity to see them was back when i was in seattle.  and i missed them then.  i couldn't miss another chance to see them this time.  who knows when they'll be touring at my city of residence again?  i am looking forward to the show tonight.  my sweet husband has graciously given up his spot as date (i don't think he minded that much), so i will be going with a new/old friend (old as in we've been facebook friends for maybe a year, but new in that we've never hung out together in real life), valerie.  side note:  if you haven't had the chance to stop by her shop yet or check out her work, please do!  she makes some cool stuff.  tickets are still available for this event.  prices range from $10-$70. the show starts at 8 p.m.

photo source

more on the dance front is CPT's danceworks '12.  this weekend, danceworks features local modern company, inlet dance theatre.  i have yet to see this company live, but their work looks phenomenal.  tickets for the rest of the weekend is $25 each, which you can purchase online.  but you get free beer if you go tonight!

05.05:

cinco de mayo aside, get yourself to the screw factory artists' spring open studio.  we've gone to a few of these and we do make it a point not to try and miss one.  this is a free event running from noon - .  in addition to the many talented artists participating, there will be vendors there including coffee for a cause, fresh fork market (sign up for your summer CSA!), the sweet spot, rosy girl baked goods, fired up taco truck and the nosh box food truck.  a treat for the senses!

it's semi-finals for cleveland's burning river roller girls!  if you like roller derby then you don't want to miss out on this fun event at the wolstein center.  we have yet to go, but would like to plan on making a date night out of it some day.  and when all the kids can start tolerating later nights, then we'll definitely be making this a family affair.  tickets are $12 in advance or $17 at the door.  kids 12 and under are $6 each.  doors open at 5 p.m. with the first bout starting at 6 p.m.

photo source

05.06:

this is the last day for kamm's corner's indoor farmers' market!  stop by and stock up your pantry.  their outdoor market will begin sunday 10 june.  if you enjoy going to the farmers' market, the one in crocker park has already started.  for a more comprehensive list, check here.

if one bout wasn't enough on saturday, then you have another chance to see more derby on sunday.  check out the burning river all-star team as they go up against the long island roller rebels from new york at the pla-mor roller rink.  and...ticket prices are much more affordable running at $3 a pop (cash only).  doors open at 10 a.m. with the bout starting at 10:20 a.m.

happy weekend!

wordless wednesday::simple saturday

breakfast and snacks on the curb after a stop at the market.  a perfect saturday morning.

more wordless wednesday here and here.

paczki, paczki!

after living in cleveland for 6 years, i just recently discovered (and by recent i mean 2 weeks ago) this yummy little treat: paczki.

what the heck is a paczki?  well, some might say it's a jelly doughnut.  but i say it's MORE than just a jelly doughnut!

paczki (pronounced "punch-key" or "poonch-key" depending on where you find your information or who you talk to) is a traditional polish pastry.  they are pieces of dough, shaped into a flattened sphere, deep fried, filled with some sort of fruit or cream filling then sprinkled with powdered sugar.  traditionally, paczki was made in order to use up all the lard, sugar, dairy, eggs and all that sweet, rich stuff in the house, because they were not allowed to consume those things during lent.  paczki day in cleveland (and other large polish communities in the united states) celebrate paczki day on fat tuesday, since it is the day before lent.

now, if you've seen my picture (or met me in person) you know i am not polish.  at all.  BUT, i married into the culture, thanks to my handsome husband.  last week, i had everything planned out to make homemade paczki.  after all, i can make a pretty mean pierogi so surely, paczki wouldn't be too far out of my league.  well, i woke up this morning feeling very behind on things.  and making paczki would just back log all the other stuff i want to do.  so i sent my polish-ish man (he's kind of a mixed breed...though that's not such a bad thing!) along with the kiddos to pick some up at rudy's strudel and bakery.

and did they get the hook up thanks to the generosity of our sweet neighbor, lydia (who also happens to be the baker there).  a dozen paczki and an amazingly delicious looking lady finger.

oh man, was it good.

happy paczki day!

gone fishing: the beginning

the last and only time i caught a fish was in elementary school.  that was a long time ago.  so long ago in fact that i really don't remember all the details.  just little snippets: sunshine, quiet, the smell of an old life vest, and capturing a lone fish (maybe we caught more, but i don't really remember).

after that, the only fish i ever caught were nice, juicy pieces of sashimi in my mouth.

photo credit

this weekend we have a plan.  we have a plan to try out some fishing fun with the whole family.  even the baby (though he will most likely be a spectator).  and the time frame also happens to coincide with the start of national fishing and boating week.  whaddaya know!

usually you have to get a fishing license in order to fish, but during national fishing and boating week most states will be offering free fishing days.  unfortunately, ohio's was in may.  but kids under 16 years old are able to fish for free.  so i think our plan is to just have the kids fish.  if this ends up being something fun we enjoy, then maybe we'll look into a fishing license for the adults.  maybe.

i like to eat fish.  this saturday i'll find out if i like to catch fish too.