Life Lately and Some Favorites

Still no Grandbaby news... Our sweet Sarah is five days past her "due date" and we're all feeling a little impatient. We've been taking walks, getting pedicures, continuing to nest, and getting lots of suggestions on how to convice this baby to put her pretty Mama into active labor. We hope tonight's Cajun Tator Tots help!

We are all trying to wait patiently on the "little woman" which made me think of  the Brad Paisley song. We are also trying to wait patiently for our kitchen to be finished. It's looking doubtful that it will happen before Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow I'll be heading over to the "Festival of Hope," the fairtrade marketplace at our church. Please check it out! It's such a great way to shop and help others around the world.

Here are this week's favorite things:

Book: I finished The Bookshop at Water's End, by Patti Callahan Henry. It was SO enjoyable and delved into the relationships between friends, mother and daughter, love, and small town life in the South. The story went back and forth between the present and past. (Sort of like "This is Us" does.)

Worship Song: "The Breakup Song," by Francesca Battstelli. Fear you will never be welcome here, and yes, there is somebody out there like you!

Quick Campbell's Soup Recipes: Since our daughter and son-in-law live with us, he mentioned some favorite meals his Mom made him. I've done two of them this week (Easy chicken and rice, and beef stroganoff) and they were both a big hit although not super low-calorie. You can find the recipes here on their website.

Friendsgiving: What fun it was to join a lot of my girlfriends from bible study and their husbands for a delicious early Thanksgiving meal. The atmosphere and food were delicious and the company was fantastic. Thank you Lott family for your hospitality! Have you participated in a Friendsgiving before? We've also been hosted by dear friends in the past when we didn't have a working kitchen and/or were in transition. (Thanks Davis and MacIntosh families!)

Holiday Blog Tours: OK, so if you know me, you know I'm kinda/sorta addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. While I watch them I am knitting baby girl's little blanket. If I have time to search around on the computer, you will find me getting decorating inspiration from bloggers. I love seeing their homes. Check out "Home Stories A to Z." At the bottom of Beth's post are 15 other homes you can peek into. I like how they often share where they found their products. I won't really need to purchase ANY decorations though, because last week my daughter and I went through ALL our Christmas boxes and took inventory. Then we had to put it all back in the garage because I live with a man who doesn't believe in decorating for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. I recommend everyone do this before heading out to any Holiday stores or to buy any new decorations. I realized I don't even have room in my home for what I own, let alone anything new! I do hope to switch up the way I use my sentimental collections of Santas, Nativity sets, Snowmen, trees and Nutcrackers.  

I am counting my blessings, and praying for California. I am trusting that God will show his faithfulness to all the victims and their families.

"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory." Isaiah 61:3

Thank you for reading "See Jane Learn" and I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

In His Grip,
xo Jane

I will leave you with a photo of my happy husband in his brand new recliner chair that we named "Mr. Comfy." We haven't picked our couch, but at least HE is happy! It should be interesting to see all the guys "fighting" for a turn over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Friday Favorites, This and That

"Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Psalm 90:2

Happy Friday! Today I have some favorites to share with you and an update on what's been going on around here. The view above was taken from the beach at Pt Ruston. Looking at our Mt. Rainier is always a favorite of mine. Here are five other current favorites:

Worship Song:  I discovered  "My Feet are on the Rock" by I AM THEY while listening to Spirit 105.3 in the car. It's SO good!

Beauty product:
Don't judge, but before my daughter's wedding this Summer I discovered the "Tinkle" razor while watching a YouTube video. It is a very safe, gentle way to remove facial hair. They are sold on Amazon and come in a 6-pack. It's not just for eyebrows; use it for anyplace you want a smoother surface. (My Mama passed on her Norwegian furry cheeks.) Make-up applies easier on a smooth face. The name is goofy, but it's a really cheap, helpful item!

Healthy thought posted on a local fitness chalkboard:
"Don't diet and work out, nourish and train." Isn't that good?

A favorite funny moment on a recent flight:
I think my fight attendant forgot he was pouring me wine, not juice... What do you think?

Favorite gift-book for the expectant Mama:
I found The Very Hungry Pregnant Lady while roaming around "Aunties" bookstore in Spokane, but it's also available on Amazon. My daughter, who is almost 37 weeks pregnant could TOTALLY relate to this hilarious rendition of the classic story about The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This might become my go-to shower gift!

My husband has been traveling a LOT for work and a few weeks ago I finally got to tag along when he went to Scottsdale. Arizona is one of my favorite spots to go for sunshine. We stayed at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass. It was quite a Native American cultural experience. I filled up on as much Vitamin D as I could and hope it will keep with me through the rainy PNW winter season.

I've had a chance to see my Spokane kids this Fall and my baby girl has had two wonderful baby showers. Sarah has been "nesting" downstairs and at the same time, our kitchen is completely torn up for an island remodel. I will show before and after pics when it's finished!

Yesterday at our MOPS meeting we were focussing on friendship. (I love being a Mentor Mom and I have made SO many dear friends due to that ministry.) I am convinced that women of all ages need community! I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my tribe of girlfriends to get together with, do bible study with, and call for encouragement or prayer. I hope you have a small group of close girlfriends too! I highly recommend looking into mops.org or a local group called Village 253 if you are a young Mama.

If you are an empty-nester it can be difficult to make new friends if you've moved to a new location. Try to put yourself out there. I experienced being new in 2010 when we had to move back to Illinois for a time. I made a few acquaintances that really helped my loneliness by joining our village Newcomers club, a Bible study, and asking a neighbor to go on walks with me.  It only takes courage and a smile to begin a friendship.

The countdown to our grandbaby's due date is in 23 days!!! WE CAN'T WAIT!
Thank you for stopping by See Jane Learn. Wishing you a fun Fall weekend.

In His Grip,
xo Jane

A Recap: Our Village of Amazing People and a Wedding

My latest lesson learned: It not only takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to put on a wedding!

It's hard to put into words all the gratitude, emotions and memories I experienced before and during my youngest daughter's wedding last Friday. Between Hoopfest weekend, then moving the about-to- be-married couple over from Spokane we jumped into busy pre-wedding activities that included errands, meals, walks, spending a night on a houseboat so the bridal party could have our home for the Bachelorette Party, rehearsing, primping, and setting up for the main event.

 

We had the rehearsal dinner at Kinza Teriyaki, which both our family's love and where the bride and groom had MANY dates through the years. Thanks, Vanderlinda family. It was delicious and fun!

As Mary Poppins often said, our daughter's wedding was "practically perfect in every way!" We were blessed with a beautiful day, spectacular venue (thank you, Gold Mountain Golf Club!) hand-written vows that had everyone in tears, and an amazing dinner. These photos don't do this day justice because they're from my cell phone. We can't WAIT to get the professional photos back. 

Our daughter and son-in-law's "Best Day Ever" would not have been possible without the contributions of many, many people. I want to give a public shout-out to ALL the friends and vendors who made this wedding so special. If I left anyone out, please know it wasn't intentional!

• Gold Mountain Golf course for the beautiful setting, service, details, and the amazing food.
• Jesse McGee, the best wedding coordinator ever!
• Anita; for altering Sarah's dress and re-making my veil for her. Such a blessing!
• Sue for sharing her lovely greenery and Dawn for delivering it.
• Sara for helping me fix my hair before I dashed out the door, and Michaela for helping with this MOB's eye make-up.
• The Davis family for loaning us their truck for the now-married couple's move across the state, and to cart home wedding decor after the event, and hosting the photographers.
• Loree at American Party Place for the pretty pink water goblets.
• Lisa at Lisa Hysek photography for the amazing macrame' hoops and vintage settee.
• Chapel Hill MOPS for the use of their lanterns.
• Mike, Evan, John, and Todd for driving guests in golf carts out to the woods.
• The bridal party for help setting up and for their love, laughter, and support.
• Olivia and UPS for the pretty programs.
• The photographers; wife and husband team. Alycia and Evan Lovell.
• Amy Barnes, from "Brier and Ivy," for her incredible flowers!
• Amanda Muchmore, the videographer.
• My neighbors, for putting up with a million cars in the driveway, noise from the "Bride Tribe" and 12 months of hearing details.
• My Bible study and Fab-5 prayer posse for on-going prayers.
• Most importantly, God. For ALL the blessings.

My Mama's heart exploded with pride as I watched my oldest son officiate the service and then act as the Emcee. During the reception, I got the privilege of listening to the toasts given by my husband, oldest daughter (the maid of honor) and youngest son (a groomsman.) So much genuine love and respect and laughter was shared!

We celebrated the newlyweds the next morning with a family brunch and time of opening gifts and reflecting on our favorite moments. 

As the wedding notebooks and decorations continue to be put away, it's time to focus on our next special event and countdown; only 122 days until our first Grandbaby's due date!

I'll leave you with the sky God painted for us last Thursday night as a gift the night before the wedding. 

Wishing you joy!

In His Grip,

xo Jane

What I Learned This Spring (2018)

The months of March, April and May were filled with all kinds of change and excitement.
I learned lots of things, about my family, myself and some random things as always:

1. Empty Nests don't always stay empty.
My youngest daughter who is getting married in a mere 35 days announced that she and her fiance' were expecting AND excited to take us up on our offer to let them bunk in our lower level after the wedding to save money for a few months. I certainly won't be lonely when my husband travels! After six years of being in Spokane, Sarah is ready to return to her childhood hometown as she starts her new life as a wife and mommy.

"In Christ's economy, if He ever sends you back, it's because he's sending you forward."             Beth Moore

2. I have more than one Hollywood connection.

Currently, my daughter-in-law Amy is working hard in L.A. to break into the entertainment business as a writer. Sometime soon you might see "Amy Brown Carver" in the credits.

Growing up, my claim to fame was my Uncle Jim. James Pande' Young was the executive producer of the Soap Opera "General Hospital" from 1963-1975. Before that, he had been an actor. He was in the 1951 movie, "The Thing From Another World" and several other movies. He's the good-looking actor on the left in the photo below.

Uncle Jim's ex-wife Judy, was the stepdaughter of a famous actor named Joseph Cotten. He was in lots of movies back in the day. Do you recognize him?

Photo source: Pinterest

Judy's biological mom was Lenore Kipp LaMont and Judy was two when they married. Lenore was a pianist and died at age 56 in Italy. Perhaps my Allie gets her talent for the piano from her! It took me a while to track down some of this information because I was spelling his last name Cotton instead of Cotten.

3. It's an honor and fun to be on a book launch team.
I was excited to be a part of the team getting the word out about Maria Furlough's book, Breaking the Fear Cycle. I  received the book and some extra surprises early, and we have an encouraging Facebook group. My bible study group is currently reading it together.
It never hurts to ask...you might get chosen!

4. It's never too late to take a road trip with your sisters.
My two older sisters, Ann and Jill, live in Indiana. Due to distance, jobs, kids, money, etc. we have never taken a trip together. Crazy right? So...they flew West to attend my daughter's Bridal showers since they can't be here for the wedding. We spent two and a half days in Oregon. We saw the Multnomah Falls, did Powell's bookstore in Portland, ate like Queens at McCormick and Schmick's at the Marina, hung out near the Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, hit a couple McMenamins (Edgefield and Sand Trap), some boutiques, and generally enjoyed just catching up.

                                                       Why do I always "pop" up my knee in photos?

5. My husband and baby Hazel both LOVE their music.
My husband adores the "Yacht Rock" station.  Baby Hazel loves the "Raffi" Pandora station. Young or old, music makes people calm and happy.

6. In my quest to become more of a minimalist, I am failing in certain areas:
I have never been a light packer for trips, I have a plethora of beauty products and make-up and then there are my dish sets: Fiestaware, plastic bird plates from Anthro, simple white and Dansk white with the blue rim that I received for my wedding. Oh, I also have Christmas Spode China...

7. I love the Ocean, but I prefer the warmer beaches.
I know I live on the rugged Pacific Coast and it's beautiful, but I'd much rather spend time on the beach in Florida or Southern California. 

 PNW-beautiful, but chilly

Anna Maria Island, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico

8. I truly am blessed with the BEST friends
I hope all of you reading this have dear friends who will love your children whether they are still in school or are young adults. My daughter was given two bridal showers by my friends and they were so special!

Every day is an opportunity to learn... What did YOU learn this Spring? I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman's blog.

In His Grip,
xo Jane

We Gather, Prepare and Pray~And Eat Too Much on "Fat Tuesday!"

Even though I know God is in control, I admit I still battle fear and anxiety. I learned that one of my favorite bloggers, Maria Furlough, was writing a book about her experience overcoming fear.  I was thrilled to be chosen as part of her Launch team for the book Breaking the Fear Cycle, which is releasing on March 6th and is available for presale. I received my copy early this week and will have much more to share about it soon. I'm almost finished reading it!

Like many people all over the World, we've been hunkered down in front of the TV watching the Olympics. The grit and drive the athletes exhibit is so impressive. The fear they overcome in order to compete and represent their countries is awe-inspiring. Even with all the mental and physical preparation, sometimes the outcome isn't a medal, but an unexpected moment that changes their dream in a split-second.

In the last week, two friends have received news that changed their world in a split-second and fear is involved. No one wants to hear the word; CANCER. Whether it's a routine exam that detects it or advanced tests that confirm it has returned and spread, it is NOT the news that is expected or hoped for. I am not a stranger to hearing that diagnosis.

When you get hard news, what do you do? Well, gathering around the table for lunch and prayer is always a good idea, so yesterday, that's why I hosted a luncheon for my sweet prayer group. Of the five of us, one is a Breast Cancer survivor, one is five treatments away from finishing radiation, and one just got diagnosed and has the battle in front of her. We gathered, prayed, and prepared for the "battle" ahead. Rather than focus on the fear, we are choosing to focus on God's goodness and faithfulness.

Lent begins tomorrow, and it is the goal of my husband and me to use the next 40 days leading up to Easter to focus more on gratitude and less on circumstances.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:4-7

My sweet friend with chickens (and ducks!) brought me a dozen beautiful and unique eggs. Looking at the various sizes and colors was a reminder that although we are all different, with different-sized problems (health issues, job loss, infertility, marriage trouble, etc.) we ALL matter to God and He desires to bring us peace in the midst of our circumstances.

Whatever you're currently facing, I hope you feel peace. Thank you for stopping by "See Jane Learn," and I wish you a very HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. Let's go spread love and joy!
Easter is coming...

In His Grip,
xo Jane

P.S.
In case you'd forgotten, today is Mardi Gras. "Fat Tuesday" isn't just happening in New Orleans, it's also happening at my house! I enjoyed a plethora of carb-loaded treats at bible study and came home with an extra cookie, scone, and apple fritter. We will attempt to return to healthy eating tomorrow, although it is Valentine's Day. As is our tradition, we made Jambalaya for dinner.

On Fat Tuesday a few years ago I concocted Hurricane cocktails, made Jambalaya and then discovered I had my "night before Lent" Mardi Gras dates mixed up and I was celebrating a week early! I wrote about that here.

Hello 2018!

Welcome, New Year! Our little family had highs and lows in 2017, but through it all, God was good. Here's a recap of some of the merriment we experienced in the month of December:

PARTIES!

My sweet bible study friends got together for a delicious brunch, and a few days later we had a girl's night out, sipping wine and painting at a studio called Mood. It was my first time using acrylics and our teacher was wonderful. 

Our Mops Leadership put on a lovely evening at our local country club. I had a couple girlfriends over for a "pre-party" in the bathroom. Just like college days... Mike and I hosted our annual Open House and loved watching our friends mingle.

Despite our city voting against having a Nativity, our local churches got together and set up a beautiful display right downtown on some private property. 

FULL HOUSE!

All four of my kids, plus two daughter-in-laws and our youngest daughter's fiance' were ALL home this year! It was so special to have them all together at our Harbor home. We still don't know if we'll have to put our house on the market this Winter or Spring, but we enjoyed hanging out, playing games, eating and sipping together in our cozy downtown Split-level, with coffee cups, shoes, pillows and laptops scattered everywhere!

7 Seas Brewery Shenanigans

Christmas Morning Breakfast

IT SNOWED ON CHRISTMAS!
We had a White Christmas in the PNW!! It started snowing just as we were heading to Christmas Eve service and continued through the next day. It was beautiful!

WEDDING PREP
The day after Christmas, all the Carver girls headed to the bridal shop to check out our little bride's dress. In another post, I might explain some tips for other future mothers of the bride. (Lots of hidden costs I didn't know about...) 

Mike and I hosted a little engagement party and it was wonderful getting to know our future son-in-law's family. ONLY 185 DAYS UNTIL THEIR WEDDING! I've got some work to do...

SEATTLE DAY TRIP
After all the kids left (missing them!) and the tree was down, we drove up to Seattle on Saturday. We watched the Huskies lose at the Ram by the UW campus, window shopped, admired the city lights and checked out the amazing Gingerbread Houses across from the Sheridan Hotel.

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR
Thankfully I rebounded from my mean cold (two weeks and counting!) long enough Sunday night to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends. We always enjoy hanging out together!

(At the Burnett Hutchins Group gathering in Nov.)

We spent the evening playing fun games while sipping champagne and munching on snacks and chocolate fondue. The guys set off bottle rockets right before Midnight and we watched fireworks over the water and on TV. I was impressed I stayed up until the clock struck 12:00!

WHAT LIES AHEAD?

So many dear people across our amazing globe dealt with tragedy and terribly hard circumstances, and I hope there will be joy and peace for them in the coming 12 months. I am ready for the New Year and am looking forward to all that 2018 holds in store. I'm excited to begin a new part-time job as a nanny for a baby girl, and our very own baby girl (OK, she's 24) is getting married in July! My husband Michael continues searching hard for his new job. Fingers crossed, and continuous prayers going up! 

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world, and I wish you a wonderful New Year! Once we have some exciting job or house news (and a paycheck) we'll send out belated Christmas cards to our sweet family and friends. Thanks for your understanding...

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
ISAIAH 43:18-19

In His Grip,
xo Jane