The divine in me bows to the divine in you.

The quality of our lives depends on how we respond to the light that comes from others. It beckons to us– this light– to see them as they are, to respect, to revere, to embrace, and above all– to love. It seems to come naturally for us to resist this light and what it asks us to do. We are naturally self-absorbed. But, when we’re soft and sensitive and other-minded we can sense that light in human beings, in nature, in God.

I think I’m starting to understand what Jesus meant when he said the “he who will save his life will lose it, and he who will lose his life will find it.” When we yield to the light that beckons us to love and serve we shed our self-centered motivations, the pretenses we create in trying to prove we really are what we think we are, and our own authentic divine nature can shine through. In losing our self-centeredness, motivated by honest love, we become our true selves.

Relationships are everything.

Namaste.

(Oh, and check out one of my very favorite things on the internet: Yoga Today)

I have a japanese maple tree right outside the window by our kitchen table. The leaves are such brilliant colors, it’s branches so delicate, and the seed helicopters so perfectly miniature.

I’m a minimalist when it comes to jewelry and have always thought one of those little maple helicopters in silver would be my dream necklace– so I searched for just the right thing on etsy and never found it. In the process I read about pmc (precious metal clay), which you can sculpt like regular clay, then fire it, and you’re left with 99.9% pure silver. A little more searching and I came across this and I decided to try it out.

Here’s the nature-girl jewelry! I’m hooked! I love making things that have some magic to them– starting with one thing, ending up with another. These are some of my first attempts. The one on the card is a birthday present for someone

I can’t even say in words how thankful I am for spring weather. We had a teaser at the end of March, then (much like most everyone else in the US) we went back to winter. Snow for Easter?! I’ve been desperate for the sun to come out.

Now, check out this set-up:

I’ve been brainstorming how I might go on bike rides with 4 kids. I decided that if I had a seat on the back of my bike for Logan, then I could put the car seat in the trailer for Ian. Then I could take advantage Jonah’s newly acquired training-wheel-less riding skills, put Brenna on her bike, and we could cruise the neighborhood together. Even better, we could get a trailer hitch bike rack for the back of the van and I could take the kids to explore the bike paths around town. I was even eyeing the perfect mom bike, figuring out how many journals and prints I’d need to sell in order to get it.

Well, Barry decided my bike dreams were far too worthwhile to go on being dreams. He got the bike rack and the perfect seat for Logan and we set them up on my old mountain bike. That was all well and good– but my mother-of-four bottom parts were not so happy with the seat situation there. I was beyond excited when we stopped at the bike store to test drive Electra Townies and Barry had in mind more than just a test drive. Now this pink-pearl girlie beauty is all mine. I’ll sell prints and journals one of these days so I can deck it out with fenders and a basket

I’m not going to post pictures of me actually riding the mom-mobile because it would completely destroy the romantic picture I have in my head of how cool I look riding it. Just imagine me with a stylish gray helmet, cool shades, long flowing hair, very cute shoes, and just as cute legs to push those pedals with.

but chub for these little cheeks. That and the occasional basket full of clean laundry. Unfolded, but clean nonetheless.

The quilt he’s snuggled in is so perfect. April made it. We are truly kindred spirits. She can read my mind and knows my tastes perfectly. She moved away–been gone for about a year and a half. A gift like this is a sort of two edged sword. I love it, love it, love it and want to take everywhere I go. It also makes me miss April so much!!

Life here has been good. So good. I love babies. Or should I say my babies. I wasn’t much of a goo-er over babies until I started having my own. I love how they smell, the sounds they make, their breath… I love that every two hours or so I have to sit and snuggle to feed them. Really, I wish I could freeze time–or just slow it down and have a 2 week old baby for 2 weeks. No such luck. I feel like the month of March hardly existed and now it’s what, April? Yikes!

And look at him– he’s huge! I’m not sure how much he weighs now at 5 1/2 weeks, but at his 2 week check up he was just shy of 9 pounds and had grown an inch and a half!!

I just look at him and say to myself, “Remember this–how he looks, how it feels to hold him. He won’t remember this time– it’s all mine. These short months of tininess are God’s gift to mothers. The sweetness, perftection, complete dependence are just for me– to treasure, to see everytime I look at him, for the rest of his life.”