Inspired

 

 

 

 I have had an app for instagram since I assumed my brother in law's iPhone contract a couple years ago. It wasn't until a mentor of mine repeatedly encouraged me to check out her daughter's instagram account, with the assurance that it would be worth my time, that I bothered to learn out how to use it. While I have enjoyed sharing my filtered, grainy photos with the world, I have enjoyed following other like minded mommas and other creative soul's even more. I had no idea that instagram could be such a incredible source of encouragement and inspiration. When I flip though my feed at the end of the day, (while nursing Levi to sleep), I am continually reminded to cherish my children and husband, to nurture myself, become the woman that I want to be, to embrace my life, to face challenges without fear, to see the beauty around me and live life to the fullest. Not only are the photos unpretentious, but they abound with the ordinary and beautiful things that make up people's lives. My favorites are those that are quick to share their joys as well as their sorrows, their insights as well as their failures.

These are just a few snapshots of people I have started following.....

 

 

 And let me assure you, my friend's daughter who goes by the name mamalyontamer, did not disappoint. She is truly an inspiring and incredible woman.  Her pictures are lovely but it is her words that rattle and revive the soul.

"For the days pre- children.
Every morning spent lazily in bed, rising slowly.
Every meal savored in slow fork to mouth motion.
Every train of thought carried out, and conversation with out interruption.
To every walk holding each others hands, and embrace held bodies together.
Replaced by early mornings, before the rising sun, shared meals, and someone eating off your plate and fork,
Holding a little hand in between us, and a small body wedged in between our embrace.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart,
Nor a place to stand up for your rights,
But to be changed, moving away from desires of our own,
To laying our desires down for someone else,
For a breaking at times, and a mending that is made beautiful"

- Amanda Lyon

 

Quote

 

 

"The atmosphere of your home is the soft, sweet soil that will help hold the roots of everything you want to pour into your children. It's a lot like a little greenhouse—where the climate inside is so different from that on the outside and is perfectly suited for raising your young plants. And while all the comforts of an inviting home are something I've always loved and tried to provide, the real heart of the matter lies with us, the parents. Our attitudes and mindsets day to day do more to create an atmosphere then any magazine-perfect home ever could. Because it's not really about the externals, but the internal. The heart, our thoughts. From those flow our actions and our words. We as the parents have so much power in this it's crazy to think about.How crucial it is for us as homeschool moms, who are pretty much at home with our children 24/7, to cultivate this atmosphere first in our own heart and life. Only then can it flow out into everything we hope and dream for in our homes."

                                                        -Words by the lovely Toni Weber from #Wildandfree

This is: Heidi

 

 

This is Heidi

 

She is wise beyond her years.

She is brave

 She is strong and yet playful.

She is a mother to three incredible humans

She is a missionary on the west coast

She is a visionary

She is funny (in a corny sort of way)

She loves chocolate and fruit (and would live on them if she could)

She is an extrovert

She is self depreciating

She is beautiful 

She loves Jesus

She can't accept compliments

She is well traveled

She plays the piano and sings beautifully

She loves all shades of blue

She is nearly always tired

She is articulate 

She is married to a Norwegian Priest who looks like a model 

She has the strongest hands of anyone I have ever known

She dreams of living in a tiny house someday

She is humble

She enjoys discussing conspiracy theories

She is an incredible friend.

 

My Stash

Today I thought I would share a snapshot of my baby wearing stash...

 

  Some might find it odd that I am so sentimental about these pieces of fabric, but they have become so incredibly precious to me. When I glance at them, overflowing a basket in the corner of Levi's room, I am flooded with memories. Memoires of curled fists, sweet breaths and mushed lips on my chest. Memories of little bodies unfurling against my own. Memories of the emotions that I felt over the years that I carried them in my womb as well as on my chest. Memories of my hopes and expectations of motherhood.
 

 On the practical side of things, my carriers made it possible for me to clean, cook and even use the washroom while keeping my babies close and content. When shopping, they allowed me to have my hands free to push a cart, hold a toddlers hand, and even nurse discreetly. Do I dare even give them credit for helping me bond with my babies in the sleep deprived weeks and months following their birth? Surely, my arms would have seized up and fallen off from exhaustion otherwise.

 

Those lovely woven strands helped me get my babies to sleep when nothing else worked. In Norway they allowed me to traverse a steep mountain so that I could enjoy the most breathtaking view of a lifetime.  

 

 If I had to name my most valuable "baby survival item", my carriers would take the cake.  

 

 

Missing from this pile is a becco butterfly carrier (which was accidently left on a mountain in the interior) and a maya wrap in olive green, which I lent to someone and have not been able to get back.

 

 

 

 

 

I recently had this lovely ring sling made from a piece of fabric that I purchased in a market in Guatemala when Nathaniel and I were travelling. It is thick, cushy and glorious! I am so happy that I can finally use it, especially since my baby wearing days are numbered.

 

This is what the baby wearing world refers to as an "action shot".

 

 

Another recent addition to my stash has been this pretty little linen sling by Sakura Bloom.

 

 

This Mei Tei by Baby Hawk has been with me since Amelia was born and has saved my bacon on numerous occasions.  It is great for running errands AND long hikes. This is one of the few that Levi will still fall asleep in when we are away from home.

 

 

 And then there is my hand-woven girasol *Sigh* I don't think I will EVER be able to sell this. I love the color arrangement, the texture, the weight and the length. I often refer to it as my "coat of many colors" from the musical "Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat."

 

 

 Levi is currently 11 months old and while is exploring the world at a breakneck speed and yet I can feel his whole body relax when I snug him into a carrier. I plan on baby wearing for as LONG as he allows me to.

 

 

This one is four and she still loves getting carried around from time to time. It is certainly easier than giving her a piggy back ride.

 

This little man

   This little man loves

growling

being near the vacuum cleaner and anything else that makes noise

berries

cuddles

emptying my cupboards

climbing stairs

showering with me at the end of the day

giggling with his sisters

going on bike rides

eating sand

being in the water

nursing to sleep

dragging my baby carriers around the house

sampling our plants

throwing food on the ground

melting my heart