naptime diaries

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Naptime Diaries

A not so manic Monday

I love that song, "Manic Monday" by the Bangles. I remember my mom singing it when I was a kid.
My Monday isn't manic, though, so that's good... just a catchy song.

I hope you had a lovely weekend. Mine was pretty low-key. Saw some friends and family, got some things done around the house, Church and brunch with Nick, and my little niece, Faith's, 10th birthday!

Planted flowers just in time for the rain. I love planting flowers in the spring. We don't have a yard yet, so its all potted and container plants for me. I love love love red geraniums. And this year, I bought a window box for our front porch. It really brightens the place up, don't you think?!

 
On Friday, I went to Barns & Noble to buy two new books. Normally, I order off Amazon or go to Half Price Books, but these two fell into the "instant gratification" category because I wanted to start reading them over the weekend... which I did, thank you very much. Bread & Wine is written by a blogger, writer and woman that I love to follow on Instagram. I started reading this... the verdict? Inspiring, thoughtful and makes you want to have your best friends over for dinner ASAP.
The Big Truck That Went By is a book I've wanted to read since we got back from Haiti. Still haven't read enough yet to have much of an opinion, but I'll let you know!

 

 

 The reminder on my kitchen chalkboard right now is really encouraging for me so I'll share with you...

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.

 

Have a great Monday afternoon. Is it sad that I already wouldn't mind rain so I don't have to water my plants? Ok, ok, that's a pathetic idea for one day of having them planted, but I like rain.

A favorite quote... because it means more than just the rain~

 

Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.

 

Its been attributed to many different people, but I've always heard Bob Dylan.

 

Happy Monday.

Let's go places,

Caeli

 

Tuesday morning

Good morning friends,

My dad started off lovely... coffee with a favorite friend.

But, you know what the best part of the day is?! Its the day my little nephew came into the world. Boy, oh boy, do I love him. Happy 3rd birthday, Monkey!

Its funny how a 3 year old child can teach you so much about love. You know what I love about kids? I love the way kids love. They love without reservation. I became really aware of this fact while Nick and I were in Haiti. Kids love so fully and freely. There aren't rules or hesitations about who to show love to... when a child loves, they love with their whole self. 
The best part about knowing a child's love is that we truly can and should learn from its tenderness and sincerity. In scripture, we learn how much Jesus loves and appreciates children. And, he calls adults to love like children... wholeheartedly and without reserve. 

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." -Matthew 19:14

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17
   He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37



The soul is healed by being with children. -English Proverb

Children are the hands by which we take hold of Heaven. -Henry Ward Beecher

Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work. -John Trainer

So, today we celebrate my little nephew's 3rd birthday!
I love you, Mason! I love the way you love your family and Jesus, and I love your constant curiosity. I love how you always ask, "Why." I hope you don't ever lose the desire to know more than what's offered... a pursued curiosity is powerful! Thank you for what you teach me about life... I can't imagine the last 3 years without the gift of being your auntie "Taya." 

Haiti Part 1: How the trip came to be...

Gosh, its been too long to go without writing about Haiti. We've only been home for 2 1/2 weeks, but they've been full and busy weeks, that's for sure. I've been literally thinking to myself every day, "I need to gather my journals and blog about Haiti." And it just hasn't gotten done. I think its because when you go on a trip like this one, its hard to imagine writing something that is going to do it justice. 

To say Haiti was a wonderful experience is such an understatement. I feel like Haiti is this beautiful jewel I'm holding and I need to try to describe it to someone that can't see it. The idea of writing and sharing my experience of Haiti is very intimidating... I don't want to miss a single moment or forget to capture something special. I know I will miss important, life changing details, but I want to share what comes to my heart though a series of posts. 

I'll start by saying this... I slept on a very small cot in a very hot room with a few cockroach sightings before bed. (Insert screams here.) My bed at home is very large, in air-conditioning and smells like freshly cleaned sheets and a bamboo candle. And you know what? I'd trade any night sleep in my bed for that cot just to wake up one more morning to those beautiful faces of the kids at the M House. 

Before the trip, many people asked, "What are you going to do in Haiti?" Before we left, I knew where we were going and where we'd be staying, but I had only a broad definition of what we'd be doing each day.

Now, I feel weird calling this Haiti trip a "mission trip." The only thing I could offer these children was love... and you know what? That love was enough. It was exactly where God called Nick and I to share our love for 10 days. I feel like these kids served us more than we served them. They opened up their home to us and their personalities and hearts taught me more about selfless love and about Christ than I could ever seek to learn through my own understanding. 

I should share some background info first, though.

Nick and I started attending a new church last spring, The Church of the Open Door. We have really enjoyed the teaching and the Truth that is preached and practiced there, and I love the changes I've seen in so many parts of my life since attending Open Door regularly. Right before Christmas, I shared a bit about something Nick and I had been struggling and wrestling with for a while. At church one weekend, there was a brief announcement about a team of 12 that was traveling to Haiti in January. I didn't think much of it until I came home, and a few days later I noticed online that there was a team going in April as well. When I see something that interests me or sparks a longing in my heart, I instantly do whatever I need to do to make it happen. This is another thing God and I wrestle with... sometimes I just feel like my ideas and plans are just so much better than His!! ;)

Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

This verse had been coming to my mind a lot at the time, so I really challenged myself to be patient and wait on the Lord to give me a prompting to follow through with applying for the trip.

A few days later, I mentioned to Nick about my desire to possibly go to Haiti in April through our church. 
Oh, gosh, I love Nick Wenner.
I got my sign from God when Nick just casually said, "That sounds amazing. Let's apply together so I can go too." 
What?! SWEET!

So, our deadline for applications was December 15th. Mine was in a week early. Nick's was in right before the cut-off. Not knowing much about the trip and considering that our new church felt very large and we were certain many would desire to go on this mission trip, we just left it in God's hands to see if anything would come from it.

After Christmas, while vacationing in Hawaii with Nick's family, we each got a call from the church and they discussed the trip and did a short phone interview and we were accepted on the mission trip to Haiti in April! 

Next ~ Haiti Part 2: Where exactly are we and who are these people we're traveling with? 

Currently

Hope you are enjoying your morning...

Here's a random post to look through on this sunny Saturday!

Enjoy the weekend!

Current organization victory~ I cut down ice cube trays to fit in this piece of furniture I found at an antique store. Its much easier to find earring pairs! 

Currently drinking~ Kirkland k-cup coffee with a splash of organic half and half from Trader Joe's

Currently reading~ One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Currently loving this sign that my little sister gave me!

Currently burning~ Illume candle in Fig & Mint

Currently grateful for~ Celebrating my mother-in-law! We went out to dinner for her birthday last night, but gathered at our house before to open presents and hang out. I'm always happy when the toy basket comes out when L&M are here. M also found our foam roller behind the closet door saying, "hey, look what I found!" :) If you've heard him talk before, you know exactly how he says that!

Currently bummed about~ My favorite store in Maple Grove, Stonecrop, is for sale. The amazing owners, Jim and Kathy, are retiring. They are looking for buyers though so I hope this little store stays because we need it. Its such a great addition to our city.

Currently happy about~ SUNSHINE!

Currently in awe of~  God loves me for who I am. And He loves you for who you are! YES YOU! :)
"God's unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures. It is true whether we believe it or not. Our doubts do not destroy God's love, nor does our faith create it. It originates in the very nature of God, who is love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son."
-Jerry Bridges

Go places... 

xoxo,

Caeli

Friday favorites for a clean home

Here are some of my favorites...

I love love love Thieves Essential Oil from Young Living. 

Its a blend of clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary.  Its a great addition to cleaning and its a great support for the immune system. 

Some of my favorite uses for Thieves Oil:

~Mix 1-2 drops with water and gargle for a sore throat

~Place a drop on your toothbrush to sanitize it

~Mix with baking soda to clean bathroom tubs and sinks

And my personal favorite:

~Use around the house to disinfect floors, bathrooms, counters, toys, etc: Grab an empty spray bottle, add 20 drops of Thieves, 16 oz of water and a few drops of a natural liquid soap. Shake well and spray for cleaning, deodorizing, disinfecting or a great air-freshener. I mix up a quarter amount of this into little bottles to use as air fresheners around the house... totally safe and chemical free! 

Here are a few other favorite cleaning products of mine:

I like both the Norwex Liquid Dish Soap and Seventh Generation's (you can buy this at Target).

Vinegar and baking soda can do just about ANYTHING, trust me on this! Check out my Pinterest board for some ideas I've found helpful.

The Norwex Mop System is my personal favorite, but any microfiber mop is a great start.

And I love the Norwex microfiber cloth and polishing cloth. These two clothes can replace pretty much all cleaning products in your home. 

Just so you all know, I do not sell Norwex.  I just truly like some of their products! I do know someone that sells them though if you need a referral for where to buy them.

Another line I love is Shaklee. Their Basic H (an all-purpose cleaner for just about everything) and Basic G (a disinfectant) are great if you want some chemical-free products that really work! These products are really concentrated (mix small amounts with water to clean), inexpensive, and last forever. I still have the same bottles from two years ago. I'm considering having our cleaning crew at Pallet Service use these products for cleaning the office building.

 Pretty simple, huh? And really affordable. Right now I'm working on coming up with a good solution for cleaning toilets chemical-free (yucky job, right?!) and I'm looking for a good dishwasher detergent. I have some ideas and I will let you know what I find out! 

Anyone have any good tips to share?! Let us know...

If you like reading this blog, please consider becoming a follower. You can add my blog over on the right side of this page. :)

Happy Friday!
Go places.

xoxo,

Caeli

~A few words of encouragement~

Don't we all need encouragement some days? If you do, I hope you find these helpful!

I don't know who quoted this, but I have it written on my chalkboard in the kitchen right now:

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't happened yet.

At our Bible study yesterday, my leader shared a really cool poem or quote and I can't remember the source, but part of it went like this:

"God has a plan. Don't go looking for the plan. Go looking for God. When you discover Him, you'll discover the plan for your life."

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Quite honestly, most people are quick to “write someone off.” But our God is a God of the second chance. Learn from One who is patient with you, and you’ll learn to be patient with others.

– Woodrow Kroll

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Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work. – Peter Marshall

 

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That world outside there is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity, it's waiting for a new demonstration of Christianity.

Author: Leanard Ravenhill 

 

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Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.

– John Ortberg

 

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There are some prayers that are followed by a Divine silence because we are not yet ripe for all we have asked; there are others which are so followed because we are ripe for more. We do not always know the full strength of our own capacity; we have to be prepared for receiving greater blessings than we have ever dreamed of.
-George Matheson

 

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Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to sleep in <!– google_ad_section_start(weight=ignore) –>peace<!– google_ad_section_end –>. God is awake. -Victor Hugo