Seven Quick Takes - The What We've Been Up To Edition

-- 1 --

Shortly after Daddy returned from Italy, we went to Minnesota for a long weekend. My MIL threw a wonderful graduation party for my DH, so though we were only in the Cities for three days, we were able to visit with many family members and some of our dearest friends.

-- 2 --

We left the girls in MN for a week of dancing with their friends because we thought we were going to close on our new house that week. Long story short -- we didn't. As of today, progress is being made and, hopefully, we'll be closing some time in the next week.

-- 3 --

We had a professional family photo taken for the first time in years (by a fellow blogger traveling the country in an RV with her family and taking pictures along the way). I can't wait to see the results!

-- 4 --

Almost all of the toys are packed. It has been too hot to play outside, too hot even to go swimming. LEGOS have been my lifesaver.

-- 5 --

I have been reading some wonderful books this month. I just finished Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life. I am in the middle of Kristin Lavransdatter -- why had I never heard of this novel until this year!?! And I'm finding Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living to be inspiring -- plus, with moving, I think I'm ideally situated to simplify and organize without the hassle of tearing up the house. I get to start with a blank slate!

-- 6--

Despite the fact that we haven't moved yet *panic* and I haven't even started planning and ordering books for the new school year *deep breath* under obedience to my husband, and in accord with our new family mission statement, I am planning a family vacation. We are going to Pepin, WI, Walnut Grove, MN, and DeSmet, SD ... can you guess why?

-- 7 --

A few days ago I mixed up some of this and put it in the freezer. I forgot it was there until just now. I suppose I can't have any yet -- it's only 10:30 -- but it is Friday, and we're having company for dinner, so I can start counting down at least. I'm going to try to finish packing up the lower level before then! Gotta run!

Have a great weekend!

And go visit Jen.

Seven Quick Takes - Volume 13

*** I know it's not Friday --
I wrote this in the car last night and couldn't post it until now. ***

-- 1 --

My DH has been home for a week now. We’ve been finally enjoying some time together as a family. This summer has been/is crazy -- first, all the flooding and busyness of helping people sandbag and evacuate, then Daddy in Italy for two and a half weeks, and now preparing to close on our house next week and move.

-- 2 --

Back in ’96 when Hubby and I were in Italy for a semester as undergrads, we took a weekend trip to northeastern Italy. We visited some small towns near the Slovenian border and one night tried a delicious strawberry liquor -- fragolino. We have never since been able to find it, even on return trips to Italy. Look what my DH found and brought back for me … along with a new purse! (I think he was getting tired of carrying my lipstick and license, etc. in his pocket when we go out alone and I don’t have a diaper bag with me!)

-- 3 --

Daddy also brought back souvenirs for the kids. They each got a Kinder Surprise Egg (which I just found out when I googled it are contraband!?! oops.) and a wall plaque of their patron saint. The older girls got rosary bracelets, The Boy got a crucifix for his new room, and The Baby got a new “baby.”

-- 4 --

The first morning Daddy was back we went out to brunch, which was very enjoyable, but what the kids REALLY wanted was Daddy’s homemade pancakes. He obliged the next morning.

-- 5 --

The Baby is really a Daddy’s girl and hasn't left his side since he got home. One of her favorite things to do is to eat breakfast out on the deck, listening to and watching the birdies. She brought Daddy with her this week. Two and a half weeks missing Daddy must seem like an eternity to a two-year-old.

-- 6 --

This weekend we’re back in the Twin Cities. The two older girls are very excited to be spending a week with their friends attending a special workshop at their dance studio. It just so happens that a friend from Bismarck is passing through the Twin Cities on Friday on his way back to Bismarck and can pick the girls up and bring them home. We can’t stay the whole week because we’re scheduled to close on our house this Friday.

-- 7 --

While we’re in town, my MIL is throwing a graduation party for my Hubby, so we’ll get to spend time with many family members and friends on our short visit to Minnesota.

Hope you all have a great weekend, too. And check out more Quick Takes at Jen's.

the view from here

Check out what's in my backyard right now.

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

We have peony bushes here that I didn't know about --
they were done blooming when we got here last summer.
(I'd love to take some with me when we move --
any gardeners out there who can give me some advice?)


{happy}

We're very happy that Daddy's itinerary says he's coming home today!


{funny} and {real}

Our Christmas wreath is still hanging by our front door.
But it matches the stonework so well, don't you think?

Wordless Wednesday - Ninety Degrees

Peter and Paul

Praise to you, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in your great mercy
have given us new birth and hope
through the power of Christ's resurrection.

Through the prayers of the apostles Peter and Paul
may we who received this faith through their preaching
share their joy in following the Lord
to the unfading inheritance
reserved for us in heaven.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen.

(Opening Prayer, Mass during the Day, Solemnity of Peter and Paul, Apostles)

Toward an Intentional Life

First say to yourself what you would be;
and then do what you have to do.
(Epictetus)

Appealing to my love of order, and realizing that we are moving into a house that is quite a bit smaller than the last house we owned, and smaller than the one we are currently living in, I picked up Organized Simplicity about a month ago. The title itself was appealing to me, but I've also seen it mentioned more than a few times around the blogosphere.

In 1967, Charles E. Hummel wrote and published an essay entitled Tyranny of the Urgent, stating that the "greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important." We spend so much of our energy and time putting out fires, answering phone calls and e-mails, and in the meantime, we let the most important things in our life pass us by. In the twenty-first century, many of us respond to the tyranny of the urgent. We let the things we value most take a backseat to whatever is begging for attention in the moment.

Hmmm ... that sounds way too familiar.

One of the steps toward living an intentional life that has been on my mind and heart (again) is to create a family purpose statement. This has come up over and over again through the years. I have started work on it, only to put it aside and forget about it. One of my goals this summer is to actually complete it, and create a family crest, before the school year begins. This is the third chapter of Organized Simplicity.

Now that the kids are older, it's been fun to involve them in the process. I sat down and "interviewed" each of the older three and Daddy, after answering the interview questions myself first. I asked them things like: What are the strengths of each member of our family? Collectively, when are we at our best and when are we at our worst? What could we do better as a family? What would we like people to say about our family and about our home? What is the main purpose of our home? What does our family look like in ten years? What is the purpose of life?

It was interesting to hear what the kids had to say, and comforting to know that, despite our lack of intentionality lately, Daddy and I are still largely on the same page. I was also happy that we were unanimous is our response to the question on the purpose of life: in its simplest form, "to get to Heaven."

The next step is to sit down, when Daddy gets home, and look at our answers together, see if we can identify any themes, develop a list of adjectives to encompass them, and start creating our statement.

In the end, the goal is to have a clear, concise, workable purpose statement that accurately reflects your priorities, your personality, and your vision for your family.... It will help you make decisions, feel confident about saying "no," and be a bit better at focusing on the important instead of the urgent.

So ... any advice? Have you created a family purpose statement and/or crest? Do you have a name for your home school or a motto? How did you get there? How does your purpose statement serve your family?