halloween

We celebrated Halloween at a local elementary school for a harvest party with the Wardle ladies.

I know we post about them a lot. In case anyone doesn't know, Addi and Grace are our friends' kids. They're amazing and we've known them some they were tiny, when they looked like this:

It's so fun to see them develop their personalities and sometimes completely outsmart us. And out-wisdom us. They may be young but they've been such a significant part of our journey.

Addi has always been a free spirit but we're learning about her fierce tenacity and competitive nature. Tonight she would not stop getting in line at the Cake Walk until she got herself a cake.

But she is a creative spirit and all girl. The other night we were driving in the car and the election came up. Addi said, "I'm voting for Mitt Romney because he understands our way. Like if I was roller skating he would roller skate behind me and if I did a flip, he would do a flip. You know what I mean? He gets our ways." The metaphor went on for five minutes and included what would happen if Mitt got to the front of the line of rollerskaters and how he would choose to take turns.

To which Grace responded, "I really don't understand why you're trying to explain this to me through roller skating." Grace is called Little Miss Justice and she and I... we're twins at heart. Watching her tell her dad how to drive, seeing her righteous anger whenever a bad word comes up, and experiencing the significance of her purchase of pink pants (PINK!) makes my heart feel warm. I'd trust her judgment on most things. In fact, her opinion on the election was the same as mine. Carry on, Sister Justice. (But thankfully I know she'll be better at tempering it with kindness than I was.)

No costumes for us this year. There was a big dance party for a non-profit downtown tonight but I worked two jobs today AND bought groceries (big awards, right?). And frankly, we were just tired. Womp womp. Maybe next year. 

death and all his moldy friends

Jimmy's masterpiece?

This morning (this rainy, chilly morning) we made a shocking discovery.

Overnight Jimmy's pumpkin peed his pants (see that liquid on the counter?) and made friends with some nasty black mold.

When we went to pick him up, he totally fell apart. He was beautiful while he lasted.

pumpkin model

Last Thursday our friends had a pumpkin carving party. I was pretty sick and definitely not at my most creative.

Enter Pumpkin A: the Charlie Brown pumpkin.

I was going for chevron, but it just turned out a bit boring.

Then my husband finished up this masterpiece:

Free handed and carved.

And he even modeled with his work of art. I really love that man.

life is full

We've had very full weekends around here lately. As a house, we're hosting pretty often and love that it's cool enough for bonfires. And the most amazing cookies you'll ever know. Nutella, brown butter, salted chocolate chip... I always feel like I'm missing some other amazing ingredient.

Family, when we come home for Christmas everyone needs to block off some time for us to make these. (And I mean you, Grandma!) I'm convinced it won't be Christmas without them.

Our friend Aaron introduced us to the team called The Rooster Party here in Redding. They're committed to supporting creatives across the city that carry a message of hope.

The cause is close to our hearts. They hosted an amazing show that Aaron played in last month. He was amazing, the show was amazing. There is nothing more moving than being part of and/or witnessing someone fulfill a dream.

Shots from the concert

Saturday we helped paint a downtown gallery space for the next Rooster Party event with a local artist. The walls originally sported some crafty weed-paraphernalia murals. And when I say murals, I mean lions and tigers smoking weed. Really beautiful. So we covered them up. And can't wait for gallery opening next weekend.

I also wandered through an arts festival that happens twice a year in Redding called Roses and Rust. I was in love with that yellow trunk. IN LOVE. We really want one for at the end of our bed. Some day! I didn't get anything big but got tons of ideas.

There is something really therapeutic for me about decorating our home. It's a safe place for me and I'm learning how important being creative every day is to my own sanity. Jimmy's loving it too. He's enjoying building and is being really supportive when my ideas seem ridiculous.

We're still praying for a job for Jimmy. We're hopeful that the right one will come through. And in the meantime, life is full.

a rushing wind

I've heard before that sometimes when infants cry incessantly it soothes them to hear a sound louder than their own. A vacuum cleaner, white noise machine, music turned up. I've never, in all my years of nannying, babysitting and working in infant rooms, employed the method. But I believe it. 

The last few days have made me feel disheveled. A new job always means a new learning curve. We're still praying for a great job for Jimmy and our anxiety about finances seemed to grow a bit in the last two days. We're fine, we're really fine. Part of the process is having these moments - to express the frustration and anxiety and then find peace. 

Anyways, by the time I got to this afternoon I knew that I needed to do something that helped me take a deep breath - physically, emotionally and spiritually.

So we went to the lake with the girls. 

It was cold and it was windy - not two things we normally experience in Redding. Whiskeytown isn't normally full of waves but tonight it was.

The wind whipped all around us, sending sand into the air and our dinnertime picnic flying.

But in that moment I believed that the theory about infants is true because I experienced it. 

I needed something louder and stronger and bigger to surround me. Sometimes in my efforts to get everything in its place and organized and under control, I need to encounter something that moves in complete opposition to that effort.

The wind that could knock us over and chill us to the bone. The wind that makes you feel so small and weak and so surrounded at the same time.

It touched the deepest parts of my soul and reminded me that God is so much grander than me and yet is wrapped around every part of our life. 

I just needed something louder today.

And I highly suggest getting around children when big adult problems come your way.

You need Addi's decision to avoid the wind and lay on the ground. You need Grace's two verse song about a father watching his daughter get married. You need Addi's impromptu dance on the beach and admission that saying "occasion" is very difficult to say without front teeth.

You need the team and the wind. 

Something louder.

little bits of whimsy

Current task:
Figuring out where to hang this up in our new space.

Delivering dinosaurs for exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science. Arthur Pollack, 1984. 

Strange, I know. But I think every space should have some little quirky or whimsical piece in it. Something that makes the room feel a bit lighter. Humor. Humor, my friends. 

And this really ridiculous print connected to that place in my little design heart. So I need it. To remember to be humorous. To remember to be a bit lighter. 

finally fall

Today was the first day that it felt like fall here. With highs only in the upper 70s to mid 80s, Redding is starting to make the shift that many others have already made. We're hoping for some pumpkin picking and carving in the future when it's actually chilly outside. We have heard reports of snow cones being served at pumpkin patches rather than hot drinks because it was just that hot out. 

I'd rather have no pumpkins than pumpkins with snow cones.

October has felt like a shift in more ways than just the weather.

Tonight we had a meal and bonfire at our house with some friends. 15-hour roasted barbecue, good company, lots of bread and balsamic, dinner outside and a fire that was actually necessary for us to stay warm. Pulling out a real sweater to wear outside was possibly the most comforting thing that happened all day. 

Redding is truly starting to feel like our home. 

creativity & good news

We've been staying busy working on creative projects during the last week. Having a blank space to do anything with is possibly the most exciting thing to me. Jimmy enjoys it too. We have more projects in the works, but here are a few we did last week: 

Jimmy & our friend Ben built this awesome oversized pallet coffee table for our new space. All wood from free pallets. A few hours of work. We LOVE how it turned out. 

Also in the living room, an inexpensive solution to a blank wall. $1.19 for wire hangers, free magazines that we already had. We can change them out with the months/seasons. That branch is not staying there. Hopefully it'll become a pretty gold and go in our room. 

We're currently in the process of overhauling some side tables (that we bought off Craigslist - 2 for $5!), making a blanket and possibly some new curtains, and a side table to hold our TV. This is exciting stuff. 

AND THE BEST NEWS YET: 

I GOT A JOB TODAY! 

Finally! Such an answer to prayer. We are so relieved and excited. The position is awesome, flexible and I get to work from home. It's an awesome opportunity. We are so very thankful.