growing new eyes.

So, when I was young, I knew everything.

Now that I'm getting older... I see how much there is to learn.

When I was a teenager, I painted a mural with the quote:
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes" (Marcel Proust)  I thought I was painting my sage-like perspective on that canvas.

Now that I'm older, I see those new eyes fluttering open.

There's an incredible re-birth that a parent is granted.

You get to see the world afresh through their dewy new eyes, and marvel at the things your eyes forgot were remarkable.  And the questions!  'Why is that the way it is?' 'Where does it come from?' 'How does it do that?'

And you start to see how little you really know,

and how glad you are to embark on this 'real voyage of discovery' right alongside them!

 

Today we watched the life cycles of a butterfly.

She coloured in a few of her favourite ones from our recent trip to a butterfly conservatory.

We hiked down to the river, collecting rocks, flowers and clam shells.

(Were they clams, mussels, or oysters? Thanks internet - clams!) 

God's wild world of wonder is unfolding new wings before our hungry eyes.

The marvel and the mystery.

The gratitude and the glee.

The wonder and wisdom.

 This mama's heart is in it's own metamorphosis.

Mel ;o)

a walk. a wreath.

:another family tradition:

The annual hike to collect cedar and nature's supplies to create a rustic wreath together.

 A beauty-full weekend indeed!

Mel ;o)

 

In print! The making of our book:

 So excited!!

Here's where my creative energies have been focused for the past while, friends.

I've been illustrating the story my husband wrote to propose to me with!

13 watercolour illustrations.

Adding the text he had written years ago.

Formatting the book and ordering from an online photo book company (Picaboo).

It arrived so quickly!

Finally, a late anniversary gift for my husband, and a delightful storybook to now read to the three bunnies in our nest.

Here's a couple sneak peeks:

That sweet man nervously read me this story almost 7 years ago, over a plate of sushi.

I didn't even clue in until the final paragraph that he was using the story of two bunnies who fell in love in the woods to propose to me.  It's a tear jerker!

So, next time you come over for tea, I'll read it to you.

*P.S: the illustration on the back cover is the exact depiction of our wedding cake too.

Now I've got the bug to want to team up with him and make children's books! 

Mel ;o)

away we went:

Well hello again.

For the two of you out there who may have thought we dropped off the inter-webs recently... well, we did.  This was our little family getaway.

A family conference camp.

A week of meeting new people (and large Dutch families!).

A week of hearing great messages and singing.

Of gorging on carbs and sugar... and drinking lots of coffee.

Little sleep, and lots of baby holding.

Exhaustion and encouragement.

Fun and fatigue.

The kids had a great time it seems.

Azriel was eagerly running up to kids and saying: "Do you want to be my best friend?!" and then they're all running off squealing and catching frogs.

Hudson stayed close, and liked playing with the water fountain.

Talia warmly smiled and cooed at all the people beaming down at her.

We survived another family vacation.

Now, Ben and I just want one to recover!

But, it's nice to be back in our nest,

Mel ;o)

swim. sink. stand.

Profound truths wrapped in pint-size packaging seems to be the story of my life lately.

Like the way a family trip to the beach ended up becoming an epiphany for my heart.

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You see, my daughter, at first sight of this beach started squealing with delight.  Running in and out of the water, splashing, giggling, bubbling over with the euphoria of it all.  Clearly we just don't go to the beach that often... for the wonder of this experience had not become common place for her.

She eagerly wanted to venture out deeper, holding to her Dad - or myself for safety.

I wanted to give her a taste of swimming by holding her up in the deeper waters.  When she realised the waters were over her head she started to get panicked, and clung to me like a bur.  When the footing beneath me started to swirl and soften I began to panic too.  (Swimming with a child clinging to me didn't seem that ideal).  I tip-toed back towards shallower waters, and when my foot felt a large rock, I stood.  Safe.  Secure.

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Now all of us have a knack for getting ourselves 'in over our head' at one point or another.  But sometimes life gives us a real dunking that we aren't prepared for.
Grief: maybe you've lost a loved one, or a friendship.
Depression: maybe you feel stuck in a pit you can't get out of.
Anxiety: maybe the bills and the ills are stressing you beyond your limits.

I don't know what waters you are in currently, but I think we all can relate to that panicked state of not knowing where to find our secure footing.  My own heart has been facing that ebb and flow lately of peace and worry.  trust and fear.  joy and sadness.

I thought of my daughter, panicked when the waters threatened, secure when the rock below us held firm.

The verse (song) came to mind:
"When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the ROCK that is higher than I"
Psalm 61:2

Sometimes you just need to get dunked in a lake to remember this truth.
Sometimes you just need to grab some crayons, sketch this verse out and tape it to your door.
Etch it on my heart.
Pray it through the storm.

What I've discovered afresh:

You often appreciate the rock much more when you're faced with drowning.

You savour the meal when hunger was your companion.

You have a grateful heart when you see your needs met.

You see God at work when your strength is gone.

I don't know what waters you're in currently.

Maybe you feel like no one else can see how deep you're drowning inside.

But God does.

I pray He's the ROCK that you stand on,

and the LOVE that you drown happily in.

swim. sink. stand

which posture will your heart take?

Mel ;o)

sweetness savou(red):

* a berry good time indeed *

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Happy Canada Day/Weekend fellow canucks! 

Mel ;o)

A.musing.mama! 3.4

Ok, so this isn't so much a *funny* comic from our life.. as much as it's a sweet moment that I wanted to remember.

Because some days that girl can push our limits.

Some days she can feel like a bur clinging to my side the entire day... and even a trip to the bathroom is met with "whatcha doing mama?!"

Because some days she like to throw down - and in her dramatic tone cry that 'this is the worst day ever!!' and 'no one lets me do anything!!'.

So when she grabs a dandelion, puffs her lips into a kiss and blows with all her might, and then whispers: "I wish, I wish... with all my might, that we'd be a family forever" my heart glows.

Then I remember, she's our special treasure.

She delights in being a part of our family.

And, the reason she may cling like a bur is because she loves us all sooooo much!

Have a sweet weekend friends,

A.musing.mama,

Mel ;o)

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Catch up on previous comics HERE!

 

 

 

 

A.musing.mama! 3.4

If you live within a forty-mile radius... and hear a blood-curdling scream, no worries, it's just our son with a tiny bug fluttering near his face.

Good grief, going to the park is an exercise in torture for the wee man.

Any tips for getting your kids to not fear a fly?

Also, our older daughter shrieks the street down when she spots a worm/caterpillar.

 So either way, going outside is an adventure!

A.musing.mama,

Mel ;o)

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You can find the previous parenting comics HERE!

 

a park, a praise.

It's been a fun-family-friend packed weekend here and I hope yours is going well too!

One of our favourite things to do is take a hike through the 'woods'.

(You locals will recognise the park with the pagoda bridge).

 ---

We bumped Talia's stroller down the path... jolting and jerking it over the rocks.

While little Hudson likes to meander like molasses on a warm day.

Azriel skips along like a woodland sprite (as long as the reward of a 'picnic' or 'snack' is anticipated).  She borrowed my camera for a bit and eagerly went snap-happy wanting to "take pictures of all of God's creation!!"

That also meant 7 consecutive shots of the ground.

I spared you those pictures.

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Being around nature is like the recharge button for our spirits.

Seeing the leaves budding with glowing greens.

Smelling the damp earth and the birth of blooms.

Squinting at the crystal kaleidoscope of sunlight off the river.

Birds chirping.

Bugs buzzing.

Sun glowing.

Sky blue'ing.

All things bright and beautiful,

all the praise of God's creation.

Where have you and yours been adventuring?

Mel ;o)

 

 

 

in pictures....

a weekend in pictures.

a getaway.

a family reunion.

sunscreen and sand and squint lines.

coffee and conversations and chocolates.

reading and relaxing and robots.

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Overall, a happy mother's day weekend.

Though coming home from a getaway with kids is a bit exhausting... we almost need a holiday from the holiday... you know what I'm saying?

Hope your weekend was a loverly one friends!

Mel ;o)