Among the Daffodils

After I dropped Lottie off at school Mr. Nielson and I drove to our

 property in the pouring rain

I needed wide open spaces and quiet.  

I wanted to wander for miles without seeing a soul.

Success!

We hiked around around the muddy trails while Angus sniffed and 

smelled every tree, every branch, every blade of grass, and bush.

We came upon a part of the property where an old structure of some kind 

had been built, now it's covered in vines and fallen down trees.

Then we wandered deeper into a magic little area where thousands of 

dainty yellow daffodils were growing in clumps in the wet ground.

I felt like I was on a set of a Nicholas Sparks movie.

I must have taken 300 photos because It was so amazing.

Spring here in North Carolina is pretty gorgeous-

and I know it will get even prettier as the months move on.

Then it started to rain even harder and so we ran back to the car,

the property is so beautiful in all seasons and weather, and I am 

loving all the little discoveries we've made.

I'm not excited however for the ticks who are probably

asleep under the leaves or in hiding in trees waiting for warmer

weather when the Nielson family (and dog) will be perfect

places for them to hide and live.  YUCK!

Daily Tasks

Lottie crept in my bed sometime in the middle of the night

because she had a bad dream.

 I love that she feels safe under my covers and in my arms.

I'll be sad when she doesn't sneak in my bed anymore.

When my alarm went off I slid out of my cozy spot and on on my knees

leaving her in my comfy bed alone.

I wake up 20 minutes before I get the kids up so I 

have a few minutes to pray and get myself ready.

I can tell spring is on her way because the mornings are 

becoming less and less dark when I wake up.

I like that.

The night before I had made five sack lunches, 

including three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, 

one peanut butter and Nutella sandwich, 

and one peanut butter and honey sandwich.

This task is something I do Monday-Thursday each night before

I retire for bed. As I was slapping peanut butter on store bought wheat bread,

one of my favorite talks from Jeffery R. Holland came in my head,

particularly these words:

"To all of our mothers everywhere, past, present, or future, I say, 

“Thank you. Thank you for giving birth, for shaping souls, 

for forming character, and for demonstrating the pure love of Christ.

” To Mother Eve, to Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, to Mary of Nazareth, 

and to a Mother in Heaven, I say, 

“Thank you for your crucial role in fulfilling the purposes of eternity.” 

To all mothers in every circumstance,

 including those who struggle—and all will—I say, 

“Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. 

You are doing better than you think you are."

I am so grateful for the little tasks that I do daily

that make me a mother one PB&J at a time.

6:40-11:00

Today I woke up at 6:40 and took Angus running.

After which at 9:00 I took Oliver, Nicholas, and Lottie to the dentist

 (only ONE cavity between them!).

Around 11:05 Lottie and I left Ollie and Gigs at the dentist office 

to get gas and a Gatorade. And because we were super bored.

11:40 picked up the boys and drove to Chapel Hill where

we met Mr. Nielson for lunch.

1:00 I visit Trader Joes 

where I buy a couple bunches of adorable pussy willows,

tulips, and chocolate covered pretzels.

2:05 home, clean up, and wait for the girls to get home from school.

4:00 connect with the girls, help with homework, sweep the floor.

5:00 take Lottie to another grocery store to 

get stuff I forgot to get at Trader Joes.

6:00 set table, light dinner candles, and eat dinner.

6:45 Family Home Evening, study, discuss prayer, and Christ's

Sermon on the Mount.  Then Lottie wrote a talk all by herself about

Jonah and the Whale with hand-drawn pictures.

 Turns out, it was the best story I've ever heard.

8:30 strawberry shortcake

9:00 showers, bed, make lunches for tomorrow.

10:00 kisses, lights out.

11:00 night night.

Rainy Weather

 Chapel Hill has seen it's fair share of rainy weather

this last week, not that I 'm complaining,

 I love the rain and gloom, but when the sun came out for a little bit

 we took full advantage of the warmth.

We got the bikes out, shorts on, and felt the wind in our hair.

It was glorious.

I hear the weather this week will be a little more of the same.

 Bring it on, I can handle it!

The boys had a wonderful weekend camping with the scouts

 in the flooded South Carolina Congaree National Park.

Back at home, all four of us girls slept in my bed.  

The girls tried to get me to watch the five episodes of Victoria

 that I've missed in the new season.

I barely hung on for the first 20 minutes of one. 

 I'm old, dangit!

Help from Angus.

I spent most of the day at the table preparing a talk I am giving at 

a women's conference here in Apex.

I was asked to share my thoughts and experiences about

 the healing I found and still find through Christ.

A big thanks to Angus, who gave me some

 good pointers and tips as I typed away.

(His head on my arm wasn't inconvenient or annoying at all!)

This weekend will find Mr. Nielson and the boys in South Carolina

at a scout campout,

and the Clane will be gone most of Saturday 

finishing up their last Drivers Ed class.

Licenses, here they come!

I hope I get a chance this weekend to get to our property 

in the country to walk around, breathe, and dream about our future home.

I cannot wait to start building.

While I am grateful for the tiny little house that we are renting and bursting

at the seams living in, I am so ready for space and walls with

 paint color that I picked out-- and you know, stuff like that.

* * * * 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Spiritual Enlightenment: Turn On Your Light

Don't goooooo

On my run this morning, I stumbled upon spring.

Out of the earth popped bunches of little perky yellow daffodils.

My local grocery store is selling daffodils by the bunch, 

and I've been buying them for weeks now.

But I can't let go of winter yet.  

Today it rained all day today and temps were in the 30's.

I loved it.

I loved it soooo much.

(I should move to Alaska, and I probably would but

 I'm just afraid no one will follow me there).

I made Hygge pudding for an after-school snack, and

I watched Claire shovel it down as she sat at the dining room table

preparing for her ACT, (which is today...good luck Claire!).

This type of weather calls for any kind of hearty food, so

for dinner I made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

A classic winter dinner, plus it's a fast meal since

four of my five Little Nies had mutual.

I went upstairs to finish up some last minute laundry before bed

and went into the boys room to find 

Fern sleeping and pressed up against her container.

I think she's still in winter mode too.

When I was 16

Tonight Jane blew out her birthday candles (a day late).

I thought it would be cool to listen to the music I was into

when I turned 16 in 1997.

(I would post a photo of me when I was 16, but my scrapbooks

are all packed away in storage, but just picture really sweet short hair).

Jane already listens to The Cranberries and The Smiths anyway, so 

my playlist (some of it anyway) was pretty cool.

I know there is sooo much more that can be added to my list,

and some of the music was older when I listened to it.

I guess I'm a product of seven older siblings.

And also, I could have added (but was a little embarrassed) 

to play The Backstreet Boys and Eagle-Eye Cherry.

* * * * * * * *

Natalie Imbruglia- Torn

Dave Matthews Band- Stay 

Cake- Never There

The Wallflowers- One Headlight

The Verve- Bitter Sweet Symphony

Third Eye Blind- Semi-Charmed Life

Savage Garden- I Want You

Sarah McLachlan - Building A Mystery

Annie Lennox- Waiting In Vain

Jewel- Hands

Mazzy Star- Fade Into You

Weezer- Buddy Holly

Fiona Apple- Shadowboxer

Beck- Where It's At

Crash Test Dummies- Swimming In Your Ocean

Michael & Janet Jackson- Scream

U2- The Sweetest Thing

All about Jane

Jane's birthday this year happened to land on Presidents Day 

which meant: NO SCHOOL, which meant SLEEPING IN,

and also meant doing whatever she wanted to do during the day.

So naturally she wanted to sleep zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Around 11:00, the birthday girl stumbled down the stairs to find

Christian making his famous whole wheat waffles.

I served her a waffle and added sprinkles and a candle because that's

really important to do on a birthday, plus it only happens 

once a year, (the sprinkles and candle bit).

Then Lottie "helped" Jane open her presents.

After watching a few of her favorite cooking shows on my bed,

we did what she said she didn't want to do: shop.  

We needed to exchange some of the birthday clothes I picked out for her.

It started out a little rough, but by the end the shopping trip turned 

out to be sweet and short.

We met the boys and Lottie for an early dinner/late lunch 

at Jane's favorite pizza place then drove to the best

ice cream joint, Maple View Farm for classic banana splits and ice cream.

Earlier I had made Jane a chocolate cake,

 but we were all too stuffed to even consider eating it.

So that will probably happen tonight after dinner. 

 It's fun to spread birthday traditions out anyway.

We came home and watched two episodes of TURN

 (Jane's obsession).  Christian and I have to monitor the episodes

like a hawk since there are some major inappropriate moments.

Also to note: watching a movie/TV on a school night is not normal at our house.

This only happens on special days like birthdays.

Happy sweet sixteen Jane!

The rest of the week we gear up for the ACT, drivers ed, 

Scout campout, 

and I am speaking (check it out!!)

Ginger Jane is 16

Someone is SIXTEEN today in the Harlow House!

* * * * * * * * *

Miss Jane Bronwyn aka:

Ginger Jane

Jane-bug

Buglit

Janie

Red

Janer

Winnie

Dear Jane, I love you so much.

Today is a very special day, and sixteen is a very special number,

but most special of all is YOU! 

Since I have lived with you now for SIXTEEN years, I know

some things about you, and 

I know your ideal birthday doesn't include shopping

of any kind because I know you hate shopping, unless it's to the

bookstore for a good book (that you always finish that day).

But it does include a rainy day-(the drearier the better, amiright?).

And it probably includes you wearing your hyggebuksers around

the house whilst eating delicious breads with delicious cheeses,

 and drinking grape juice.

 You may have the same color of

hair as Princess Ariel and Princess Merdia

(and Merida's stubborn/spicy-ness),

but you are Princess Belle at heart.

Soft, gracious, kind, selfless, smart, thoughtful, and you love books.

I am convinced every household needs a Jane.

Life is so much more interesting, so much more enjoyable, homey, 

spicy, and tasty (Jane makes the BEST BREAD).

You are one of a kind sweet girl!

I love you.

!HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Valentines Day in the Harlow House

Nielson Family Valentines Day:

6:40 am-

Up.

7:00 am-

I came down to the kitchen to find Oliver making eggs

for Nicholas.  Yes, you heard me, Ollie woke up extra early

to make his best friend, his buddy, his brother breakfast.

7:10 am-

 Pack the Little Nies lunches in

cute bags with Valentine letters 

and heart shaped PB&J sandwiches.

7:45 am-

Drop kids off at school

8:00 am-

Run with Angus

9:00 am-12:00 pm-

None of your business

12:05 pm-

Lunch date with Mr. Nielson:

Flowers-

All day

1:05 pm-

Mr. Nielson attends Lottie's daddy (or the students male figure) 

Valentines Day party where they

built catapults and shot conversation hearts into a bucket.

  

 3:30 pm-

The Little Nies are home from school and

Lottie dumps out her Valentines from her friends 

and shares her treats with all of us, except Nicholas because it

was kind of an "off" day for the two of them.

Then we exchanged family Valentines to each other

with stuff like treats, books, stickers.

7:00 pm-

Heart shaped pizza's topped with arugula, spicy kale, three different cheeses,

and a variety pink drinks.

(Mr. Nielson usually always adds sweet potatoes, feta cheese,

and rosemary to his pies).

During dinner and under candlelight we

went around the table sharing what we love about each other.

It was the highlight of my day.

Oh man how I LOVE my family.

9:00 pm-

Playing our new 2019 Love song while eating

 a smorgasbord of chocolates.

Then I forgot it was only Thursday and not Friday.

Soooo, it off to bed.

Happy Valentines Day to one and all, 

and a very happy weekend!

Spiritual Enlightenment: 

It Is Not Good for Man or Women to Be Alone