All the Things Lately

Just your typical Wednesday here in the Harbor. Thor spends his early morning hours outdoors, and then enjoys coming back inside to eat and warm up on our heated bathroom floors. I head out early to care for little baby Hazel, and Mike is on the East Coast this week. Yes! He is working!

It took five months of applying, interviewing and WAITING.  Finally, Human Resources completed their process, and my husband got a terrific job! Although the waiting wasn't easy, we are thankful and knew God was with us each step of the way.

The benefits for us: paychecks, a car allowance, and the ability to rack up some air miles. He now has a purpose and the satisfaction of providing for his family, and I got my laptop back because he now has his own computer! (I celebrated when the box was delivered.)

Mike has to get used to traveling again and I have to get used to him not being home all the time. The ONLY thing I like about having the house to myself is control of the remote and not having to listen to his music on Alexa all day. Oh, and I can have a Chicken Pot Pie for dinner.

My daughters and future son-in-law were able to be with us for Easter weekend. We enjoyed cozy couch time, a great Resurrection morning at church and a yummy dinner.

Did you try out the new way to color eggs?  Using vinegar, Cool Whip, and some food coloring, you can make really pretty tie-dyed eggs. I did a couple things different than the link. Instead of a muffin tin, we put parchment paper on a jelly pan-I think we could have done a variety of colors if we'd used a muffin tin. I put the eggs covered in the "goop" in an empty egg carton in the refrigerator and then accidentally forgot about them. They sat overnight. I rinsed the cool whip off the next day in lukewarm water and they actually turned out great! Sometimes the extra wait-time is beneficial.

Because both my daughters are teachers and were on their Spring Break,  they got to stay a couple extra days after Easter. We were all reminiscing about last Spring when we took a girl's trip to San Diego! If you missed our adventure last year you can read about it here: part one, part two, and part three!

Since it was cold and rainy here, we had a Gilmore Girls Marathon one afternoon, which always makes us feel like eating.  I baked my first Lemon Meringue Pie using a Southern Living recipe. (It should be included in the Eat Like a Gilmore unofficial cookbook!) One of my tips is substituting some almond flour for part of the white crust flour; it is lighter and quite tasty.

Somebody else in our family ALWAYS has his mind on food. One night Thor smelled the milk in my Cheerios all the way from the other room and proceeded to beg...

Sweet baby Hazel, whom I Nanny, is a girlie on the go! She is cruising ALL the furniture. She pulls herself up on couches, tables, and even kitchen cupboards. She is still waiting to cut her first tooth!

I am still getting used to being at Hazel's house without sweet Jake, the family dog, being there. He battled Cancer and is now in "Doggie Heaven." What a fabulous dog he was. I only knew him for two months and yet I fell in love...We had to "put down" our dog Sadie and cat Tigger and so I know how very hard it is!!

We headed to Spokane last Friday afternoon, and wow was it Friday the 13th for us! A crash on the Pass shut down the Eastbound lanes for over two hours. Our normal 4.5-5 hour drive took a total of eight! Ugh. We have certainly been given lots of waiting opportunities lately. That said, we had such a fun time hanging out with our youngest three. 

We ate a late dinner at a new-to-us pub called Saranac Public House the first night, and our daughter-in-law prepared a delicious meal for us Saturday evening. We hit our favorite coffee house, Rocket Bakery for the best bagels and cream cheese, did some consignment shopping, and just enjoyed being together. We stayed with our oldest daughter in her cute apartment Friday and went to the Davenport Tower Saturday. The Tower has a great Happy Hour every day of the week and we met and chatted with a wonderful couple who had lived all over the world.

Due to an unexpected upgrade, we ended up on the 20th floor in the swanky honeymoon suite. Very nice indeed! We will be celebrating our 35th anniversary in June. The kids took advantage of the jetted tub before we left on Sunday after lunch. Aren't they clever? Have I mentioned how much I love my four kids?! (And my two daughters-in-law and future son-in-law?)

That kind of sums up the last few weeks in my little corner of the world. It is well with my soul and God painted a gorgeous masterpiece in the sky tonight as another reminder of His goodness and faithfulness.

.

"The Lord your God is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and constantly loves those who love him and obey his commands." Deuteronomy 7:9

Thanks for reading See Jane Learn. Wishing you a joy-filled Spring.

In His Grip, 

xo Jane

Thinking About Purpose

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

Today I've been thinking about why I'm going into this new year without a lot of changes. It's a good thing; same family, home, job, ministry. Sometimes things or people are for just a season and other times we're called to things because God has a purpose for us. I am resting in the knowledge that right now I'm where God wants me. Here's what my journey has looked like so far:

God knew me before I was even conceived, stayed with me even when I didn’t know or follow him, and all the while He’s been working out the path of my life.

photo source:inspired2prosper.com

Being the youngest of three girls in a family of teachers helped me when I became a teacher of First Grade, Preschool and Kindergarten. I had excellent role models.

Things I learned as an Early Education teacher helped me as I became the Mommy of four children. Chaos? Yep. Practicing reading, figuring out homework, organizing schedules, teacher conferences... So many things that go along with education. 

Choosing to stay home  during most of my children’s growing up years and choosing to teach part-time for several years allowed my family the gift of my time and attention, and it's helped me to value and understand Moms who stay home and those who choose/have to, work outside the home. As long as parents and children are thriving, either option can be good.

My love for mothering and babies has led me to a ministry I love (MOPS-Mothers of Preschoolers) and a part-time job at a baby boutique called Charlie Barnes.

I’m able to chat with new-to-town couples and connect them to local resources because I was once that new person and I have a heart for those trying to put down roots in new places...

Conversations occur with customers as I wrap their packages about aging parents and I can listen and relate since my Mama just turned 90 and has had to deal with lots of surgeries and changes...

The love I have for all things “baby” helps me assist shoppers in choosing that special gift. I get to snuggle and adore babies and toddlers. How sweet to get my "baby fix" since it's not yet my time to be a Grandma. It's especially rewarding when I get to celebrate with expectant parents by peeking at their Ultrasound results and then wrapping up a pink or blue present to be opened later. Such joy!

I have the privilege of working for and with young women who put up with me being old enough to be their Mom.  Since my four children live out of town, I get my "young people fix.” 

I believe my purpose is right where I’m at; loving on my husband and home (and furry babies), parenting long-distance, being available to help friends and neighbors, and loving on the young families that I serve at work and at church. Until I feel led by the Holy Spirit to pursue a different direction, I think I’m in my spot and it's all part of my ongoing story.

How about you? Do you know your purpose? 

In His Grip,

xo Jane

If you want to read a bit more about God's purpose for all of us, check out this link.

Things I'm Loving Right Now

Hi Friends!  This is a BIG week for our family. Our baby girl will be graduating from college in exactly one week. More about that on another day! It seems like just yesterday we were posing for her high school Senior prom!

Since I want to be a person who chooses joy, here's my latest list of "things I'm loving right now":

I love discovering something fun and random on a drive. On the way home from our Women's retreat earlier this month, I spotted something colorful out my window. Luckily my friends in the car are also spontaneous, so we drove closer to see what was happening. A small private school was celebrating "May Day" with an old-fashioned Maypole Dance. It's "roots" are definitely not Christian, but so pretty and festive! These families were having fun and also enjoying a pot-luck picnic lunch. I was reminded of a time when I was a little girl and my teacher had us do a Maypole dance for a program. That was a LONG time ago!

I love being a part of the MOPS ministry at my church. If you know me, you know I've been a Mops mentor for years. When I moved to the Northwest back in '97 I was involved as a Mom and enjoyed being a DGL (discussion group leader) and then on "Core" as the DGL coordinator.   I adore the relationships I have with the Mamas who range in age from 20's-40's, my fellow mentor moms who are all my dear friends, and then of course there are the babies, toddlers and preschoolers... We gather twice a month at church during the school year to hear speakers that talk about relevant subjects and occasionally do hands-on projects.  I'm so impressed by how talented and smart these young women are and the variety of careers they have, or are taking a little break from, while their children are young. There is no right way to "do" motherhood!

"MOPS International encourages and equips moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women and leaders, in relationship with Jesus, and in partnership with the local church. If you want to learn more about MOPS, check out the link at Mops.org.

I love that I have not one, but two part-time jobs that are fun! I get to enjoy the retail world at Charlie Barnes, and also substitute teach preschool at my church. Both allow me to hang out with little cuties and wonderful adults.

I love the "app" First 5 from Proverbs 31. It's free and it's a wonderful way to spend the first five minutes of your day focusing on God. There's a great wrap-up video every weekend too. Right now we're in ACTS and I love that our church is in ACTS too. Double-dosing can be a good thing!

I love this quote: "God never asks us to give up anything without offering something far greater in its place." (Wendy Blight from Proverbs 31 First 5)

This Potluck Recipe is a winner: When I need to bring something hot and yummy to a breakfast/brunch, my go-to is always this hash brown casserole. It's easy and always polished off at Mops gatherings.

Our rose bushes have started blooming! Thanks to previous owners, we have 12 rose bushes. The first rose of the season is one of my favorite colors and is SO fragrant! Since I love having cut flowers in the house, I can save a bit of grocery money when our own "free" flowers start blooming.

I love the way my four kids spoil me. I didn't get to SEE them on Mother's Day, but I got to talk to ALL of them and cards have been arriving. I laughed when I realized how this card was addressed. I bet it made the mail carrier smile too! I AM Mama Sama!... (I also answer to Mom, Mama Bear, Momma, Marmie~depending on which child is writing or talking to me.)

Even though I often wish my daughters and sons were still under our roof, I'm thrilled that they are all thriving!
"Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago. I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don't you recognize it?" (GWT) Isaiah 43:18-19a

What are you loving right now?

In His Grip, 
jane

What I Learned in March

March Madness isn't quite over since there are final four games this weekend and the championship game on Monday, but... the month of March has come to an end and it's time for me to recall some things I learned.

1. Camilla flowers are beautiful, but they aren't really meant for cutting.
We have four bushes in our new yard. I've cut a few stems to bring inside only to realize they have a very short "shelf life."

2. Board game sales are up.
What? I rarely watch the news, but one night on NBC, Brian's replacement said it's true. Families and friends are spending more money buying, and more time playing, board games. Perhaps to compensate for all the time spent on technology? Two of my favorites were mentioned: Battleship (I used to play that with my Daddy when I was little) and Yahtzee (A favorite of my kids.)

3. Wisdom Teeth surgery is fun! 
(April Fools...)  I remember my own experience back in high school, but was reminded earlier this month how unpleasant it can be. My college daughter had to fly home on a Friday morning just in time to drive to the Oral Surgeon, she had two days to be cared for by her Mama, and then she had to fly back to Spokane and attempt to attend night class. Let's just say we were ALL tired of seeing shakes, pudding, soup, ice packs, meds, gauze, etc. I hated to see her go in pain, and her first two days back on campus did not go as planned. Classes were missed. I took pics of her all puffy but I will keep those from social media since I love her...

4. Mr. Rogers continues to teach me.
I loved watching Mr. Rogers with my oldest son back in the late '80's. By the time my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th children came along I just couldn't convince all four to tune in. Oh the sweet lessons he taught. I read a great article about him here.

One of the questions at my bible study yesterday was, "What keeps you from spending more time with Jesus? Television?" Hmmm. Makes this quote of Fred Rogers seem pretty spot on.

 “If we take time," he said, "we can often go much deeper as far as a spiritual life is concerned than we can if there's constant distraction. Often television gives such constant distraction—noise and fast-paced things—which doesn't allow us to take time to explore the deeper levels of who we are, and who we can become."

Photo source: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/09/each-of-you-is-special-just-because.html

5. It's best to "clock out" yourself.  
Sometimes where I work  I get paid to have fun, we will stop or start each other's timesheet on the computer. A couple weeks ago I was leaving and my boss friend and store owner, said she'd clock me out. Four days later when I had my next shift and was about to "clock in" at Charlie Barnes I noticed the green time numbers turning. Yay! I had been working for over a hundred hours! What a great paycheck I'd have! NOT... Silly me. It wasn't real.

6. Taking the 90 day challenge was SO good! 
No, I didn't attempt to exercise every morning to lose these mean 10 pounds... What I did do was stretch my spiritual muscles. I joined my church family in reading one chapter of the four Gospels every day and then answering two questions: What did you learn about Jesus? What did you learn about being a disciple/disciple-maker? My husband and I, my small group, my women's bible study~we've all studied and pondered and discussed what we've read and learned. Thank you Chapel Hill for helping us prepare for Easter in such a meaningful way!

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life." John 6:47

So, how about you? What did you learn in the month of March? I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman at her blog Chatting at the Sky. She always has such great posts! I hope all you sweet readers are having a meaningful Holy Week surrounded by your people. As Mr. Rogers told us, "You are special." 

In His Grip,
Jane                       
xo                                            Thanks for stopping by See Jane Learn.