when life hands you a giant bucket of lemons...

**this auction is now closed. thank you, dear bloggy-friends!**

i brought the pot and the dirt and the lemon seeds from my house.
jeremy didn't know what i meant "wait a while."
he didn't know the lemon blossoms wouldn't come by thursday.
i explained.
if you want something to grow and be so beautiful you could have a nice day just from looking at it,
you have to wait.
meanwhile you keep watering it
and it has to have sunshine
and also
you talk to it.
so jeremy goes, "hey, lemon bloom." and then he says, "go for it!" and he sits right down in front of the pot of dirt and watches.
i'm coming through with jilly on my hip
and her hands are full of sticky - i don't know what
and i see...
just an outline against the sooty window
this little kid sitting beside an empty pot of dirt
and i guess he's concentrating... or praying.

-excerpt from chapter eleven of "make lemonade" by virginia euwer wolff


for years miss stephanie has shared her sweet family with blogland. she's planted seeds in me of domestic goodness. she's got lipstick on when her husband comes home from work. dinner made with a swirl of her apron. afternoons spent making art with her children that would adorn their hallways. music on - ready to push back the furniture and dance a bit. in the last few weeks as i've anxiously awaited for updates on her recovery my heart is blooming with seeds she's planted of bravery. of spirit and love and hope and peace.

* * * * *
gabrielle over at designmom has declared today nienie day. auctions have been setup all over the blogosphere in hopes that we bloggers can some how come together for this family who needs us.

let's make sweet nie some lemonade.

up for auction are a pair of mama/daughter handmade aprons. in perfect nie fashion. i will wrap them up pretty and send them off to the winning bidder.




**this auction is now closed. thank you, dear bloggy-friends!**
how to bid? leave a comment in the comment section below with your bid amount {in full dollar increments} and email address. i will end the auction on sunday august thirty-first at ten pm {pst}. i will then contact the winning bidder and they will submit payment to the "stephanie nielson fund" paypal account and send the receipt to me and i will send the aprons your way.
thank you for joining me here today. i am grateful for the chance to do some small something for my dear friend.
you can read updates on stephanie and christian at her sister's blog. feel free to donate on your own and be sure to keep the nielsen's in your hearts and prayers. this will be a long journey for all of them.
happy bidding!
love, lindsay

the tiny *wonder* of you...

lindsay's journal entry - june. twenty fifth. two thousand and eight.
:camp zarahemla:
dear baby,
the beginning weeks of you has found me here - the early days of summer nestled up to a warm fire. miles away from the boys i love. i've been given charge over a small group beautiful young women. though i'm not sure why, exactly. unless it's the fact that i needed them as much as they need me. i was sleepless, anxious and nervous in preparation for this. they are eager to be fed whatever spiritual energy i have to give. some have heavy hearts and some are full to the brim and spilling over the excitement of teenage life and love. i hope to have reached them all in some way by the end of this week. they have definitely each left their giant girl stamps on my heart.
when i first walked onto our camp, i wandered straight over to the edge of the bank. complete awe at the view before me. the expanse of evergreen, the bright green lake, the sounds of birdies and croaking toads. sweet purple wild flowers and a beautiful deep wilderness surrounded me.
i felt a tinge of heartache at the wonder of my boys back home. wishing they could sense this all with me. though my heart is also very full that this opportunity was given to me. me.
a family of geese were floating across the water. {a mama and her four babies following close behind}and i thought of you. my wee babe. here with me. i've been so busy that i haven't had a real moment to take the thought of you in. during that still minute you were the only thing on my mind. my heart swelled with deep love for the blessing of you. you, my sweet baby, have shared these few days of overwhelming spiritual awareness with me on the banks of this lake.
i am getting ready for you. for your turn.
someday i will bring you all here. andrey and i will look on in amazement as you and your big brother, lucas jude skip rocks, catch toads, climb trees! i will tell you this story of when you were safe in my belly on that day with me. my secret slice of just be brave.
i love you.
mama

birthday for a boy

such a happy day! tonight this tri-city chapter of our family will throw a little party to celebrate my first-born nephew, mr. gabriel. sweetest, smartest, happiest, wisest nine year old boy i know. i'm so glad he was born!

:you've got to give a little:

{click on image for the html to post this in your own blog}

i'm going to take her challenge. to stay open-minded and be nice to someone who is different from me. i've found in my life that the people that have the most to give and offer come in so many different packages. i was talking to the passionista the other day about how i have a hard time - even in my own little family to just let my boys be. let them be who they are on their own. without me trying to make them more like me - or how i think they should do this or that.

i'm hoping to give them some space - and see what our week looks like when i give up a little control. i'm hoping to dust myself off and make a new inspiring friend. i'm challenging myself to atleast take the time to throw a smile in a new direction.

will you try, too?come on. let's start a friendly revolution. i love the sound of that. spread the word. and be sure to sign up for amy's big fat giveaway while you're at it.
love, lin