i ♥ yoga.

{trying to set a good example}

bread and daisies.

As I watch these two little hearts grow everyday I am left with a desire instill in them things that are precious to my heart. The list is quite long but there are two gems that are very close to the top; gardening and baking. I don't know what it is, and call me silly for saying it if you so please, but there's just something about gardener's and baker's...they've got a sparkle in their eye, a certain beat in their heart and perpetually dirty hands (at least I have dirty hands when I bake). It might be from creating things and tending things or even taking the time to do something beautiful and tasty, but there's something different about 'em. I hope to leave my kids with a set of skills that enables them to do both of these. There's nothing like giving someone a loaf of freshly baked bread or a vase of home grown daisies.

fill my cup.

{Rhys and Ammie have a sprinkler pad in our yard where they are now spending the majority of their summer days. They are quite funny to watch, with their silly toddler antics and all.}

I had just sat down on my cozy patio chair all ready to snuggle up to a new book when Ammie ran up to me asking for some juice. I was rather hesitant to the idea of marching back inside the house , so I handed her a cup from the table and told her to fill it up with her sprinkler. She got excited and ran over to the pad. Having seen this, Rhys grabbed his cup off of the table and followed suit. Being almost four Rhys fully understands how to fill up a cup from a stream of water. Being almost two , Ammie does not. She took her cup and placed it on top of the stream, then checked to see if she got any in by tipping it over and looking inside. This was repeated enough times for her to get annoyed and for me to solicit Rhys' help. I asked Rhys to ask Ammie if she would like Rhys to fill up the cup for her. So he asked. Amelia screamed and ran away with a firm toddler grasp on the cup, only to come back and try, rather unsuccessfully, again. She didn't want her big brother touching her cup...she wanted to do it herself. Rhys offered his help again. She ran away again. Then she tried again. And she failed again. She got frustrated again. She screamed again. He offered again. Ammie would not let Rhys fill her cup with a refreshing drink of cool water. She just wouldn't give it over. It was a hot day, and she needed the sip.

As I watched this scene unfold before me I couldn't help but notice how similar I am to my stubborn little girl. I hold my 'cup' with such a tight grasp and I want it filled up with patience, grace, and love. I try and try and try to fill it myself, even though I don't have the strength or the power or the wisdom. Even when help is right beside me...being offered! God stands there wanting me to pass him my cup so I don't have to run on empty, but all too often I just run away and try to do it myself like a stubborn toddler.


Within a few moments Ammie figured out how to fill her own cup. She decided to just watch and learn so I supposed that's where my analogy stops. Even so, the whole scene stuck in my mind for long enough that a prayer was made and my heart was affected (and I'm pretty sure that's what counts).

cross it off.

{photo taken by Dan Neufeld. found here}

I'm not even sure words can properly describe what I felt about Monday night. I had fairly high expectations about seeing Coldplay in concert because I've seen a number of videos of them playing live shows and heard from others who've attended their concerts that it's an amazing experience, so naturally I was expecting to be blown away. Well, the band went so over and above what I was anticipating that I'm left rather speechless other than to say it was one of the best nights of my life. It was like going to the happiest most wonderful birthday party in the whole world. That sounds so cheesy, but James and I talked at length about how joyful we felt after we left. Our jubilation could have been brought on by their set list (they played every song I was hoping to hear, including 'Fix You' and 'The Scientist'), it could have been the massive yellow balloons that were thrown into the crowd during their song 'Yellow' (which burst, issuing forth small clouds of confetti at the songs conclusion {video of balloons found above this post}), it may possibly have been their acoustic set played on a small stage at the back of the arena in which they sang our song 'Green Eyes'...or it could have been the whole darn thing! It was seriously that good. I'm also glad that I attended the show with James and my brother-in-law Garrett, both of whom sang along louder than I did. Those of you who've read my 'Bria's Bucket List' post might remember that attending a Coldplay concert was definitely one of the things that I wanted to do before I died. CROSS IT OFF!

Now I'll need to decided what should be crossed off next...go Skydiving???

things that make me smile.

{being friends}
{gerber daisies}
{early morning studies}

{my superheros}

{stolen kisses}

{babies in bonnets}

random bria - i am a busy bee.

I recently noticed my friends status update on Facebook read, 'Jane (name is changed) is looking forward to going on maternity leave in two weeks!' One of her friends had left a comment underneath the status saying, 'Gee, I wish I could go on a vacation for 9 months!' I was disgusted that someone out there thinks that maternity leave and staying at home with your children is a vacation! Sure, it's not conventional work...you don't have a boss, you don't have deadlines, you don't have to hand in TPS reports, but BY GOLLY IT'S STILL WORK! So in celebration of being a stay at home mom I am giving you a list of things that I've accomplished by 10:30 today. Here you go:

(in no particular order)

• packed up all of the garbage and recycling and put it out
• made muffins
• set-up a tea party for Rhys and his imaginary jousting friends
• made coffee and then had a cup with James
• pondered what it means to be a godly woman
• fed the kids
• made soup
• cleaned the kitchen
• cleaned-up the tea party
• folded some laundry
• thought about the characters in the book I'm currently reading
• got the kids dressed
• taught Rhys how to properly wash dishes
• got myself dressed and ready for the day
• called my sister and my mother and asked them questions about soup-making
• and, finally, wrote this blog!

There you go! All by 10:30.

too tired for words...just pictures.