Living in the Moment: March Edition

Hmmm.  Between two months of pneumonia (we all caught it back in Jan/Feb), followed soon after by 6+ weeks of Big Dude’s broken ankle, we’ve all been hunkering down at home lots more than usual.  No interesting photo-daytrips.  Way fewer beach sunsets (must change that STAT).  We’ve delayed planned outings to the aquarium, sand dunes, and Joshua Tree.  Gotta admit:  it’s been a little ho-hum here in Kellerville. 

So, the whole purpose of this Living in the Moment blog circle is to simply capture our “moments”, mundane though they may be; and to find the beauty that’s truly right there in the everydayness of life.  That’s the song I photographically sing.  It’s a vision (“lifestyle”) I’m completely sold out for.  But.  To speak quite honestly … sometimes (like now) I lose that vision for my own everyday life.  My kiddos aren’t un-self-conscious little ones anymore.  They don’t do big new milestone things each day.  In fact, a lot of what we do (food, school, computer, exercise, tv/movies, chores) looks an awful lot the same every single day.  They tolerate my camera, but I think they probably appreciate more when I’m not all up in their personal space clicking away.  So, that said … this month I’ve tried to be very intentional about capturing our “ordinary”, our “mundane”, our typical at-home life … all without being intrusive or “too much” or just plain annoying.  Here are our “moments” …

A little friendly game of Yahtzee.  Guess who wasn’t winning?


School and Minecraft, side by side …

Always picking through a “news”paper …

Cooking up tortillas for Egg-ritoes (standing on the dog bowl gives him a little extra reach!) …

Weekend Movie, mess and all … (methinks this was Wreck It Ralph)

Kindle-ing (Every Word) and Xboxing, side by side on a Saturday morning …

Dog Dude, hanging out, like always.

School.

I’m perfectly fine with you guys hitting/stabbing each other with swords & sabers.  Just take the battle outside …

Giving Toady some exercise – lap swimming in the tub …

After eschewing “teaching to the test” (and, in fact, skipping all the testing) all these years, we’re doing some SAT practice, ‘cause, y’know, there might be scholarship money involved.

And when the ginormous SAT prep book isn’t in use, it makes a handy little platform for the Little & Middle Dudes’ Twisted Critters (Klutz book creations – highly recommended!) …

Knitting.  Yes, knitting.  Little Dude got lots of craft projects for his birthday.  And Middle Dude got wrapped up in most of them (grin) …

Yet another birthday-gift-project – Tasty Science (it wasn’t – “tasty” that is) …

More school, errr, blogging.  But, y’know, in homeschooling the lines between life and school get blurred sometimes.  And blogging = writing = school (see how that works?).  But, the thing here that totally cracks me up?  The Teen, way back to his earliest school days, has always needed to tap, twist, flip, drop, flick something.  It used to just be pencils. 

Skylandering …

Perplexed by Perplexus …

Please go check out Anika's blog next.  If you haven't yet had a large enough dose of boy-life, I guarantee Anika's household of boys can top you off.  :-)

The Stone Rolled Away

 

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning,

the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this,

suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground,

but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the Living among the dead?

He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee:

‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners,

be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”

Luke 24:1-6

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb

and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been,

one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.”

At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said,

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father,

to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”

And she told them that He had said these things to her.

John 20:11-18 

Darkness Fell over the Whole Land …

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed.  

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals—

one on His right, the other on His left.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him.

They said, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

The soldiers also came up and mocked him.

They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him:

“Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him.

“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But This Man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,

the sun being obscured.

And the veil of the temple was torn in two.

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit.”

When He had said this, He breathed His last.

Luke 23: 32-46

BEACH: Brittle Star edition

Seeking brittle stars …

They blend right in, hiding in plain sight.

BEACH cont.

BEACH.

All beach.  All week.  All from an evening in January (before Big Dude broke his ankle).  Just the two of us.  Twilight.  After a storm.  Twinkly, lovely light that changed from blue hues to golden yellows to peaches to fire-y red drama.  So much beauty.

to be cont...

A Little Pretty.

Sometimes after a whole slough of dude movies, and Xbox, and potty humor, and Legos everywhere, and, even reading The Count of Monte Cristo (this month’s book club selection), I just need something … girly.