Super weekend! Details later ... with pics.

Nate has to pick up some extra internship hours on the weekends now and even though that's a bummer ... it's still nothing compared to the 32 hour weekend shifts of last year!

Tonight is Trick or Treat and the girls are dressing up as ballerinas (Mazie is Angelina Ballerina). Mazie has been allowed to wear her ballerina dress in advance today because she has resisted the ever-so-tempting whining and general, dramatic hoopla that comes along with being a girl of age three. We're all happy about this.
Freya is just growing up so fast. She doesn't say any words, but uses lots of hand motions and seems to have excellent fine motor skills like Mazie. I think she is also going to be a very bright girl (with a happy-for-no-reason, I'm just really happy disposition).

I helped my mom declutter her living room, sitting area and kitchen on Saturday. The house looks so open and airy now. My parents have a very pretty home, but my mom's sentimentality sometimes overtakes the homeland and it ends up feeling cramped. She said it wasn't as difficult as she thought it was going to be; decluttering, donating, selling and so on.

I'm still on the path to making eating/exercising goals that are peaceful and reasonable for me. I talked to Nate and them and he seemed to think they were right on target. I am going to workout five days a week .... this can as simple as 20 minutes of pilates to as advanced as an hour or more of intense aerobics/weights at the rec center. I'm trying to give myself lots of room for flexibility as to not get burnt out or give up entirely bc my expectations are too high. I've also set some small eating goals that I talked to Ann about last week (did I mention this already? If so, sorry.). My weight loss will continue to be slow and steady as there is no deadline and this is not a race. I've never gained back all of the one hundred+ pounds I lost  and we discussed my self-awareness in this area and my ability to take a step back and assess the situation as needed.

Ok, I need to go resume my life in the real world. Will post pics later. Gator.

EDIT: here's a quick pic of our princess-ballerina-faeries
(the benefit of homemade costumes ... so versatile).

Wow. I am both touched and inspired by the selfless giving of our friends. I have accumulated so many boxes of household good, clothes, etc. to give to those that truly need them. Some of things our friends have donated just blows me away ... nice things. Things they could sell for a good amount of money. Even my mom (who finds letting go of stuff rather difficult at times) donated a HUGE box of kitchen supplies. I'm proud of her.
I am loving this new motivation to give to those in need ... give them the things that just sit around our house, collecting dust and cluttering up our space. I can't imagine not having a winter coat for my child or something as simple as a pot to cook soup in ... things that so many of us take for granted.
Nate and I have never HAD to buy our children clothes. Everything they have has been gifted or donated. We have been given so much and giving back to others is just simply common sense. It's the way we should operate as humans ... give and take. Do unto others ...
So far we have given two different women hope through our decluttered items. The looks on their faces and the gratitude that silently pours of them is priceless.
There is no tangible item in my home that is worth more to me than that.

I am starting to look at the world rather differently these days. Give, give, give. I don't need a big house or fancy vacations ... I don't need nice cars or name brand clothes. What I need is to live simply, give abundantly and love freely.
Christ called me to do so.

"Courage"
Ting Yuen 

Yesterday was Nate and I's four year anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long already. We've packed alot of things into those few short years. I was trying to think of how we've spent each anniversary thus far ...

Year 1 - We went out to eat at Lino's with Mazie whom was only six weeks old. She slept the entire time.
Year 2 - Hhmmm, I can't remember! I'll have to ask Nate.
Year 3 - We went out to eat at Cerulean (a gift from my parents) and I was super pregnant.
Year 4 - We postponed our date plans because Freya was up until about 4:30 a.m. and then a fuse blew at 7 a.m. waking us all up again. Nate went to the basement to replace it, but that fuse blew as well. I then ran out to Ace, bought a slew of fuses and got home in time for Nate to get to work. We decided that tomorrow night would be a better night to do something. We're tired.

I think we'll get some cheapo dinner and then go on a walk or see a movie or swing by some friends' that are having a bonfire. We'll see. I'm voting for a walk and then bonfire. These friends are becoming our favorites. Is that ok to say? Can we have favorite friends? Anyway.

This morning, around 4 a.m., Nate and (a super hyper. long story) Freya were playing on the living room floor (something is never allowed in the middle of the night, but an exception was made in order to not wake Mazie. Freya is too young to understand and one child up is much better than two. Hence, we broke our own rule)... we had been taking turns being up with her but somehow we both just ended up being wide awake at the same time. I felt so thankful, amidst the sleepy frustration/sadness, to be awake with him. He makes things like that seem easy and he has such a good attitude. We just have a good time together. I truly do adore him.

Here are random pictures of us over the past several years. Enjoy

 

So, I'm on this declutter/minimalism mission and it's fantastic. Two people in need have been helped immensely by extra "stuff" just lying around my house. I've also enlisted friends and family to give to the cause ... I'm calling it the "DECLUTTER FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS AND FOR YOUR OWN MENTAL CLARITY PROJECT". Yep, made that up all by muhself. And by declutter, I mean "clean out your crap already for the love of pete".
It feels good to give. It feels good to have an open, organized home.

There were a few things that I was sad to get rid of, but really ... once they were in the box I forgot all about them. Letting go of tangible things is pretty easy once they're gone.
I was originally going to take pictures of things that meant something to us, but I ended up only taking one and then moving on.

I believe the united purpose of minimalism is finding joy in contentment. Minimalism brings an appreciation for everything I own, everything I do, and everyone I know.
~Josh Medeski

Hey-o!

I'm going through a major life overhaul right now. Pulling back from several relationships/social circles (aka - gravitating toward like minds and hearts), pursuing a minimalist environment (aka - selling/donating an incredible amount of our possessions) and becoming more conscious of waste and frugality (aka - making my own soap, cloth diapering, etc.).

Anyway, I will write more about it at a later date. I have a lot to say.

Nate went to work on the farm for a few days during Fall break. I wasn't able to go because I need to work on Tuesday. I miss him already. I can't believe I spent an entire year doing so many things with the girls and around the house by myself while he was working/schooling. I'm SO thankful that his job and internship are one in the same now.
I'm also very thankful that he is able to work on the family farm to make more income. He takes such good care of us. I was in the college coffee shop the other day and saw a poster for the book study he is leading hanging up. It was a very nice, professional poster that he had a friend design. I was so proud!! He is becoming what he's wanted to be for such a long time and it thrills me to no end to see his confidence rise. I feel so safe with him .... he is determined and responsible. I love to watch him grow and realize his dreams. Love it so much.

Mazie's prayer today went something like this:

"Thank you, Jesus, for the day and for Susie helping me talk like a puppy and for toilet paper. Thank you for Freya and the world. Thank you, Jesus, please help pick up my toys you come to my house."

We leave Florida today. It's bittersweet ... I'm looking forward to seeing Nate and getting back into routine, but having nothing to do all day and having my mom and sister around to help me with the girls has been incredibly nice. I also can't wait to get back to Fall. I'm missing my favorite season.
Nate has a presentation due tomorrow and then things will slow down for him a little bit for a few weeks. Last night he asked me how long soup took to cook in the crock pot. Doesn't that just give y'all the warm fuzzies? Nate made soup in the crock pot.

Some more pics from our time in FL ...

Playing at a friend's house

Rock star

On our way to the aquarium

We got some breaky on the way

This little bug didn't want to wear her special hat

This one did

Outside of the aquarium

Mazie wasn't very enthused about this shell

... but, she tried to be happy

Ok, that's enough. How do we get out?

Fish viewing

Fish

I could stay here for hours

More pics to come later.