this moment

{{{as inspired by soulemama- one single, wordless moment that is worth hanging onto}}}

have a happy halloween weekend!

resolution

Remember the big ol' road trip we took this summer?  All the way to Pennsylvania and back?  There was so much beauty to behold on that trip.  From the people we met to the waterfall we slid down- it was all so lovely.

While we were in Western North Carolina (my mistress state, as my friend calls it), I made a resolution.  I resolved that when I returned home I would try my hardest not to pine for the mountains, the rivers, and waterfalls that this area abounds in.  I resolved that I would find the wonder and the beauty in that which surrounds me at home.

Moonpie relaxing in a tree.

A few weeks ago a friend invited us out to her new home.  Her  home is very close to a campground on a lake- about 15 miles from me.  She suggested that we go out there and check out some of the nature trails- and I'm so glad we did!  It was beautiful- and just what I needed.
The next weekend we loaded up and went out again as a family.  This time we explored the lake front, and of course, the lake.

We did a little hiking and found this amazing tree covered in Spanish moss.  It was like a dream.  I wish you could have seen it with me.  It was so huge and welcoming.  I've been thinking about that tree this week, ready to go back and sit under it again.

I  must confess that this morning when John rolled over to check the weather for the day, my heart dropped a little when he said "high of 92 degrees".  I may have mentioned to him how I wish we were back in our little cabin, high in the Blue Ridge mountains.  But that thought doesn't make me any less thankful or amazed at what I have here.

sweat-free holidays

I just found this shopping guide for sweat-free shops.  It is not every sweat-free company in the world, but it is a good place to start!  Check it out!

Now- I have to go figure out why blogger erased all of the blogs I follow!  Any thoughts on this?  What's a girl to do???

porch update

Here is our home with our current color scheme.  See below for links to the new colors going on as I speak!

John is on the front porch painting away.  He mentioned last night that he thinks we should update the light fixture.  So, my dear friends, any thoughts on what style of light fixture would go best on my porch?  I love barn style pendants, but I don't know if that would be best.

I really like these.  I think the pop of red would be fun with the taupe walls, teal doors and butternut window trim.  I really love the last one.  Pretty dreamy.  However, I'm not loving the price tag on these.  They are all $100-$200+.

Anyone have a great source for less expensive, yet similar pendants?  We generally have very good luck at Lowe's when looking for lights.  I think the current one we put on the porch cost about $20 on super clearance.  But I never see anything quite like these.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think the barn style even works on my house?  Or would you go for more of a craftsman look?

Fair Trade October

Today, in celebration of Fair Trade month, I am highlighting Satch & Sol out of Seattle.  Satch & Sol offers the sweetest, most unique children's items.  The first time I saw their cozy little slippers was on Waldorf Mama's blog.  I loved the look of the slippers, but when I found out that the company only carries fair trade goods, I was plain smitten!
Satch & Sol describes their business practices in this way:


Satch & Sol partners only with artists involved in fair trade entities. Satch & Sol is applying for membership to the Fair Trade Federation.
To Satch & Sol, Fair Trade translates simply to paying appropriate amounts for handmade products no matter where in the world they are created. Under fair trade conditions, artists are better able to earn and provide livable wages, child labor is prohibited, communities are economically strengthened, and families are more able to live together versus searching out work at far away factories.

Not only are there these delightful slippers, but they also offer mittens, hats, sweaters, hair bows, purses and ornaments.  And while you will pay more for these products than let's say, at the Big Blue Box store on the highway, just remember that there is a reason their items are so cheap.  Somewhere along the way, someone is being marginalized.  

 To celebrate Fair Trade month, Satch & Sol is generously offering a 15% discount on all of their beautiful goods!  Just use the savings code FB15.

Thank you Satch & Sol for the good work that you do!  And double thanks for the discount!

current events

1.  I may have inadvertently bought my 4 year old son a pair of skinny jeans this weekend.

2.  Anyone else mildly disturbed by the images of the half naked Chilean miners?  I know- it is a serious situation and I would love to stay abreast of the details, but there's just one too many pair of ninnies staring back at me.  Can't even read the article.

3.  I planted garlic for the first time this weekend!  I also planted store bought transplants.  GASP!!!  I was, on the one hand, ashamed of myself, but on the other hand, giddy over how I now have an instant garden with actual plants!

4.  Know what's cuter than an old man?  A little boy that likes to dress like an old man!

5.  Our house is almost 3/4 completely painted!  Right now it looks a little like a mullet.  The front is completely different from the back.  But we're getting there!

6.  I'm featuring a great company tomorrow for Fair Trade October.  They are even giving us a special discount!  Stay tuned!

fair trade friday (on thursday)

October is Fair Trade month- what a great time to begin the conversation about the importance of Fair Trade!  I'm hoping to highlight certain businesses and organization at least once a week (on Friday) for the duration of the month.

The term "fair trade" basically means the workers are being paid a fair wage for their work and they are being treated humanely in their work environment.  Also, yearly inspections verify that workers are not enslaved.  In a perfect world, Fair Trade certification would not be necessary, because we as humans would treat other humans with respect and dignity.  But we know that is just not the case.  As consumers, we have the ability to vote with our dollar.  We say what matters to us by how we spend our money.  The bottom line is buying Fair Trade matters.

Look for this logo to make sure the product you are buying is Fair Trade.

There are a few hot topics in the Fair Trade spectrum- coffee, sugar and chocolate.  These three items are ones that are most likely to be produced by slaves.  Did you get that?  Not just a farmer being paid unfairly, but people being oppressed through slavery!  

Chocolate is a $13 billion dollar industry worldwide!  About half of the chocolate produced worldwide comes from the Ivory Coast of Africa.  These cocoa plantations are mostly worked by slaves.  And not adult slaves.  Over half of the world's cocoa beans are harvested by child slaves.  These are children that have either been kidnapped or sold by family members- usually for about $30 USD.  That is appalling.  It is horrific to think that our ability to buy a cheap candy bar at the corner store comes at the expense of a child.  Salia Kante, director of the Save the Children fund in Mali has been quoted as saying:

  "People who are drinking cocoa and eating chocolate 

are drinking and eating the blood of children."  

Remember when people stood up and said that we wouldn't eat tuna fish at the expense of dolphins?  Do you remember what happened?  It changed an entire industry!  The tuna boycott actually worked!  
Halloween is around the corner.  What would happen if all of that halloween chocolate just sat on the shelves, going unsold?  Do you think that would send a message to the big chocolate producers?  I do!

Let's take a stand together!  Let's tell big chocolate business that we won't buy their chocolate unless it is Fair Trade certified.  Let's make the message clear that we will not tolerate the enslavement of children so we can have our cheap chocolate.

Let's start, in this Fair Trade month of October, by "just saying no" to conventional chocolate.


Fair Trade chocolate:

• Cadbury- I was so happily surprised to see this!  Big business stepping up to the plate!
• here's a great list already written out for me!

Trick or Treat alternatives:

• Fair Trade chocolate
• Yummy Earth lollies (grab the kids and watch and the video!)
• spider rings
• pencils
• raisins (just prepare for your house to be egged)

Any other creative ideas?

***for more info on chocolate slavery see Stop Chocolate Slavery

{{{and yes, i realize i'm publishing this a day early.  just couldn't wait!}}}

some answers

Thank you for your kind words about our recent announcement- adoption!  I wanted to try to answer some questions I've been getting here and elsewhere.  Here's something I'm learning pretty quickly about adoption- the more answers I get, the more questions I have.  We have just resolved to be okay with lots of unknowns for the time being.

So, YES!, we are adopting!  We have chosen to adopt domestically, from an agency in East Texas.  The agency we are working with primarily places newborns.  When we began sorting through all of the options for adoption (there are many), we decided that for where we are right now, and for the personalities that already reside in this home- bringing home a baby would be best.  We actually discovered that because of the size of our home and the fact that our children, of opposite sexes, share a bedroom, that we couldn't adopt over the age of 2 (through the state).  

Our road to adoption has been a long one.  Being one that tends to go on a bit about things, I will do my best to keep it short here.

My first recollection at wanting to adopt is when I was in high school.  I was so moved by the plight of girls in Indian and Chinese orphanages that I was sure that one day I would simply bring them all home to live with me.  It would be that easy!  

After marrying, adoption was on and off of my radar.  John and I would talk about it...but in no way were we even moving towards it.  John knew it was a desire of my heart to "one day" adopt.  That's it.  

Fast forward.

About a year and a half ago my heart began feeling convicted by the scripture:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27

After discussing my conviction with John, we decided that we would consistently be in prayer about what God wanted us to about caring for the orphan and the widow.   Somewhere during this time I became pregnant- after trying for about two years.  We were ecstatic, but that didn't change our prayers.  After we lost our baby through miscarriage, my heart was broken.  As was my obsessed desire with getting pregnant.  I didn't want to be pregnant with another baby.  I was scared and honestly, I just wanted my baby back.  After a few months of healing, I returned to this prayer for the orphan, and what our role as a family was to be in orphan care.  My desire to adopt was very real at this point.  But I felt as though it was coming from a selfish place.  A place that said "me, me, me- I want a baby."  Ugh.  Ever gross yourself out by your own selfishness and depravity?  Well, I was pretty sick of myself by this point.  So to my prayer for the orphan was added a prayer for God to sanctify me.  To reveal to me these stanky ol' places in my heart that screamed "ME!!!" and replace it with what He wanted for me.  As I began working through my own junk, the conversation about adoption stopped around our house.  And let me tell you, when I allowed God to break through and clean out the selfish places in my heart, I saw a shift in John too.  He began bringing up adoption.  Reading articles.  Seeking out other dads that have adopted.  Whoa!  This was new!  The more my desire for adoption was coming out of a self-less place, the more excited about adoption my husband was becoming.  


While we were on our big road trip this summer, we were talking about adoption.  I was sharing with John the work the Lord was doing in my heart.  That He was changing my desire for adoption from being just about getting a baby, to be more about caring for the orphan in need.  That I wasn't fooled anymore into thinking that adoption was only about getting a baby.  That I knew now that it was a beautiful, tangible picture of our adoption as sons and daughters to God almighty.  That our offering our home to a child that needs one was less about us, and more about offering hope and family to one that had neither.


On the way home John told me that he wanted to start paperwork as soon as we returned.


So that is where we are now.  We have chosen the agency (which was harder than I thought).  We have found one that cares for the birth mother in such beautiful, real ways.  She and her child are their first priority.  Their real goal is orphan prevention, and we love that.  Because of the mission of this agency, they place very few children.  We are okay with that.


We have been accepted by the agency.


We are now filling out our packet of paperwork.


There is no real timeline.  It could take 6 weeks.  It could take 2 years.


The mother that chooses us, could then change her mind after her baby is born.


There are so many unknowns.   


Adoption is hard and good and messy,
 and it is now our story.

growth

The seed has been planted.

We are so excited to watch our family grow!

"And there 

hidden in the garden 

was my heart"

-Anonymous