A fulfilled resolution.

One of my new year's resolutions was to re-open my long vacant Etsy shop, re-design & re-name it, and sell one item.  Just one.  I learned to crochet a little over 1 year ago ( inspired by my neighbor and supplied with hooks & yarn by my mom-in-law) and it's been a love affair ever since.  I love that it's 100% portable, and I love the idea of taking a shapeless lump of wool and making something useful and functional from it.  It is the perfect creative outlet for someone with 4 kids under the age of 5. :)

Anyway, tonight I made my first sale.  And the shop's inspiration was totally stoked :)

We sold our "Loop Booties" in Ivory.

Yes, my first customer was my mom:)  But she seems to be my biggest fan, so that makes sense.  A big "thank you" to you mom, for helping me reach this goal!!  It's just a "for fun" creativity outlet, but it's incredibly nice to have somewhere to "go" every day that is clean, organized, and crumb free. :)  And that's just mine.

Loop booties are officially sold out, but more are on the way!

Check out our shop for a few more items and many more on the way!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetRowena

The Special Mother

Ben saw this hanging in the waiting room of Eli's speech therapist and shared it with me.  I love it. :) I certainly can't lay claim to all of these positive traits, but the parts about never taking a word or step for granted... I know- and am thankful-for those miracle moments.


The Special Mother 

by Erma Bombeck 

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, 

a few by social pressure and a couple by habit.

This year nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. 

Did you ever wonder how these mothers are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth

Selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. 

As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint, Matthew."

"Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron Saint, Celia."

"Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron Saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."

Finally he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a handicapped child a mother who knows no laughter? 

That would be cruel."

"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair.

Once the shock and resentment wear off she'll handle it."

"I watched her today. 

She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother. 

You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of it's own. 

She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." 

God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. 

Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect.

She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied. 

She will never take for granted a spoken word.

She will never consider a step ordinary. 

When her child says momma for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it.

I will permit her to see clearly the things I see--ignorance, cruelty, 

prejudice--and allow her to rise above them. 

She will never be alone. 

I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life 

Because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air. God smiles.

"A mirror will suffice."

Our 2013. Scratch that. 2014.

That title is no joke.  I actually just finished an email where I ended it with a reference to it being 2013. I just stood up to check the calendar and saw that it is, indeed, 2014.
Mommy-brain is a very real thing.
In the few weeks since Christmas we've grown to a family of 6.  Rowen came along on Dec 20, and 4 wks later we received our first phone call from CPS for a 4 year old boy.  That was, of course, a day in which mom & dad were still in their pajamas at 10 am and we'd already battled the wills of another special 4 and 1 year old.  He arrived that day around  lunchtime, almost 2 weeks ago.

It's funny, looking back on your life, at the way God orchestrates all seemingly small moments in preparation for these big, earth shaking ones.  Overnight I've gone from dragging myself out of bed for the first 7:30 wake up to eagerly jumping out at 5:30 for an hour to myself.  I remember as a child, waking up to my mom-showered, dressed, making breakfast- and knowing that she'd been up hours earlier, reading her Bible and praying.  I don't know how I knew that- I can't remember if I asked or was up to witness it, but I remember wondering in my heart how the Bible could POSSIBLY be interesting enough to wake up that early for it.  Now I know that the only way to get to the end of the day without clenched fists full of hair is by constantly abiding in the refuge of Jesus.  So thanks mom, for that memory.  Even at the (almost) age of 30, you are still leading me to knowledge of the truth.  I think of you every morning.

This is an exciting time of life.  Ben marveled the other day that despite this being the craziest and most uncertain time of our marriage, he feels peace. Not well rested, not necessarily calm, but just a deep, fulfilling peace knowing that we are right where we are supposed to be-making lots of mistakes, saying countless "I'm sorry's", but in those moments gaining opportunities to present the gospel in real life.  Discipline, followed by forgiveness and mercy.  Being stretched is never ever comfortable, but we have hope in knowing that these "light & momentary struggles" are achieving for us something so much greater.  It is exciting in the midst of crumbs and dirty dishes and laundry to know that you are working for something so much larger than yourself.  It's indescribably frightening too.