We chatted about how we are actively slowing life down, finding more time to just be with family,
raise children without rushing here and there and purposefully cutting out activites from our schedules to ensure this life is enjoyable and quiet.

It was refreshing to speak to another mom who felt the same urge, the same inner calling to put the brakes on the crazy, hectic life so many families seem to live.

If there ever was a time to be slow, now is the time.

As many older mothers have told me, the days are long but the years are short. I do not want to miss the days as the years fly by.

Thankful to be slow today as it has given me a chance to rock, hold and tend to our littlest one who is just going through a slight ailment … the ailment of teething, I think [accompanied by some stomach sickness ... not fun, for sure].

 Bothered with the possibility of more teeth poking through her pink gums,
Leia has been unwell since Thursday …
for a fleeting moment, a casserole dish filled with cool water seemed to thrill our littlest daughter and make her forget her wee little suffering this afternoon.

We love her goofy little smile.
She is just so much fun, even when teething … she suffers rather quietly and we all wait for the teething pain to pass.

Life truly is better in the slow lane.

[Just imagine ... five daughters, each learning how to cook, eventually helping out with the cooking and baking ... now blessed am I!]

The Lord has been speaking to me about my voice.
How I answer my husband. How I answer my children. What I say outloud.
Whatever comes out of my mouth should glorify God and uplift others.
My dear, sweet grandmother is the best example I know -she never speaks ill of anyone, even if they have hurt her.
She knows when to stay silent and when to speak up.
She guiders her conversations along the rule of: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

We, as wives and certainly as mothers, need to guard our tongues and our words. Are our words uplifting to our husbands? Are they encouraging to our children?
Even in times of rebuke, the words can still be gentle, graceful and wise.

                                                If your patience is wearing thin after a long day of mothering, working or homeschooling and just living life, we still have no excuse but to guard our words.

And still, you may say the right words but your tone may be wrong.

Our children certainly learn from example, by words and actions.

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

Let my words be gentle and full of grace, so that my example will be upright before God and these little eyes.

[Mother's Day 2013]

A weekend when Mother’s Day is more than beautiful flowers … more than a gift your husband had to rush out and purchase last-minute … when it is more than receiving…

And, I have to admit.

It has taken me quite a few years to go to this point, but I see it now.

Selfishly, I am guilty of silently complaining about the lack of attention on this one and only day, set aside in May to celebrate the joys of Motherhood.
Many past Mother’s Day, I might have felt discouraged that my husband had to work and that the girls were still too young to spear head a celebration on their own  …

…or that the chores still needed doing, the cooking still called, the tasks needed tending …

You may wish for your children to rise up and called you blessed. Or simply to not rise up before 6 a.m. Or get dressed on their own?
You may hope for a pretty breakfast laid out for you on this one special morning. Or just for breakfast to clean itself up …
You may wish for the house to just.stay.clean.
You may wish for acknowledgment of all that you do day in and day out.
You may even wish for a simple homemade card or craft from your sweet children. 

… but, truly, Motherhood is not about the accolades, is it?

And if your children are young still, it is not about being noticed or praised by them. Or even by the world.

This wonderful God-given  job of being a momma … it is a honorable, beautiful calling, a responsibility the world has lost sight of as important. Being a mother means putting your family first and your needs second. Being a mother means learning that Jesus is the only one who will satisfy when you feel like no one understands.

Being a mother means on those long nights of no sleep your strength is found in Christ alone. Being a mother means your  Mother’s Day may not be about receiving but about continuing to give and serve your family – just as Christ loved and served us. In a society where ‘it’s all about me’ and ‘You deserve it’ are more often said than “How can I serve you?”, it’s very acceptable to be caught up in the worldly trap of assuming you deserve praise for your daily work. It’s all too easy to feel sorry for yourself when the day goes by and flowers are not delivered on the holiday designated to celebrate a mother’s work.

Instead … maybe it’s time to make this Mothers Day be about giving and not receiving. About servanthood, not about entitlement. About thankfulness not selfishness.

So my Mother’s day wish for you ….

This Mother’s Day, may your gifts be the kind that cannot be purchased at a store  …

May you receive joy in exchange for a servant’s heart.
May you see thankfulness in the day ahead of you where hair needs brushing, laundry needs washing, problems need solving, fights need calming and breakfast that still needs making.
May your gift be receiving a hug from your little one’s tight arms around your neck.
May you look you into your child’s eyes and know you are blessed to be a mother.
May you realize the gift that you have been given when they placed that wee little baby in your arms for the first time all those years ago.
May you rise to the responsibility you have in raising this child for it is enormous and sacred.
May your gift be realizing no one else can take your place  – that God has set you apart for your child and your family.
May your Mother Day gift be realizing your calling, although noble and sacred, may be criticized and torn apart by society urging you to follow a different direction.
Do not let this discourage you. Instead, protect your title as mother and embrace it whole heartedly.

This Mother’s Day, may your gift BE your children.

                                                         Go and celebrate the joy in serving and loving them and know you are investing not only in the daily life but also in the eternal.

Happy Mother’s Day. xo

Sometimes, you just need to stop.
And celebrate. Life is full. And days are scheduled. There is always a to-do list.
Business always needs tending.
Tasks need finished.
But sometimes, many times, it’s wonderful to stop and celebrate with those you love.

As promised, a post in honor of Leia Hyacinth’s first birthday …
we celebrated with the color of sunshine (or God’s color, as Lucia calls it), chick-shaped cookies and lemon squares, fluffy chicks and sweet laughter.

[love notes for Leia...]

We are SO VERY thankful for each and every precious birthday the Lord allows us to share with our children.
I always knew I’d love being a mother … but I never knew my heart could hold so much love!

Life is hard sometimes. A lot. We all know that. And we know families have their own strife and complications …
but I pray the sisters will always keep each other close at heart as they grow …

“Having a place to go – is a home.
Having someone to love – is a family. 
Having both – is a blessing.”
  ~Donna Hedges

]]> http://gigiphotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=8271 4 http://gigiphotography.com/blog/?p=8262 http://gigiphotography.com/blog/?p=8262#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 20:42:29 +0000 admin http://gigiphotography.com/blog/?p=8262

O May, sweet-voice one, going thus before,
Forever June may pour her warm red wine Of life and passions
–sweeter days are thine!
-Helen Hunt

After a long, cold winter of snuggling down inside, hibernating together and keeping our noses in the books,
the girls and I are really loving this gorgeous new spingtime (summer? ) weather …
you may not catch us indoors for the next four months …

The sunshine is so alluring and refreshing. We are finishing up schooling in the outdoors, as well.
There is nothing like doing your math under the morning sun and the birds singing beautiful greetings around you … and … backyard swinging/tadpole hunting days are here.

Enjoy the sun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An afternoon of beautiful laundry, washed and clean from the weekend birthday party to celebrate Little Leia …  drying in the spring wind …

warm, soothing sunshine…

                                a pretty yellow frock…

tiny blue flowers bursting with color …

and feathered friendships…

a little bit of tranquility…

… truly, I am thankful for the simple, tiny blessings that warm my heart.

Every day has a bit of an adventure in it … life is rarely grey and dull.

A bit of sunshiney-yellow-happiness touching everything.

{Birthday photos of Leia’s party coming soon.
It was such a delightful afternoon together.}

The girls’ grampie has kindly agreed to increase our chicken flock this year…
[he keeps hens for our family at his home in the valley]
which means, adorable, fuzzy, too-cute-to-leave alone little chicks this spring…

The chicks are very patient with all the attention – such sweet, little things. All the girls are enamored with this fuzzy, little friends.

[discovering where ears are on chickens!]

This one is Lacey’s favorite.
They’ve named them all, of course.
This sweet little thing is Peace {She’s the quietest of the bunch.}

I wonder which one will be entered in the county fall fair this year …. we always have such a fun time with that experience …

We think we may have even adopted a wee little rooster in the flock … time will tell.  Not sure if Grampie will want to keep the rooster though!

Currently, a petition is circling for Orangeville residents to sign if they believe in the value of backyard hens.
You can sign it right here if you feel so inclined.
A lot more support is needed in order to convince the local council that this would be a positive change for a community …

You all know I support anything home grown!

These lil’ chicks will not be laying eggs till the winter, but we still have our four other faithful hens that are doing such a great job for our family …
I can honestly say, there is no comparison of fresh eggs vs. store-bought.

As this article states…

… once you get used to good eggs, there’s truly no going back.

“Chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken,
Lay a little egg for me …

Chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken,
I want one for my tea …

I haven’t had an egg since breakfast,
And now it’s half past three …

So, chick, chick, chick, chicken,
Lay a little egg for me.”