Little Lady & Her Bug

Last Sunday, I was sick and needing some rest, so Erin and I laid out a quilt from Grandma Edna under our little cottonwood tree and enjoyed the day.

Erin made a little friend.

What a challenge to get a picture of a 3 year old little lady and her lady bug! 

Lots of squeals.

Lots of giggles.

Lots of coaxing.

Lots of exclaimation.

Works in Progress

{Just wanted to share some previews of a couple projects I am working on.}

*One inspired by the sounds of our prairie*

*The other inspired by Kelly Rae Roberts ~ projects from her book Taking Flight*

Will show progress and the finished product soon!

*Seeing*

Seeing. 

Right Here. 

Right where I am.

Yesterday morning I went for a walk.

Here.  At home.

As an afterthought ~ I grabbed my camera.

My camera is a window.

To my world.

That sharpens my sight.

With it in my hand ~ I look ~ I peer into my world.

Where some worship with song. . .

My worship of God is best expressed

In delight of really seeing

My worship instrument is not a piano

Not a guitar

A camera.

In Ecclesiastes, it urges..."Do not let the foreigners steal your joy"

Foreigners to God's perfect creation

like weeds, sickness, tangled webs of wounded hearts, harsh winds on the face & soul, plagues.

Look past the foreigners to see the beauty that is still there

Despite the fallen world around us.

His glory is still here.

To see.

To savor.

Gold is not found in a mountain of pure shimmer.

It is found in the deep dirty darkness

Of a mine.

It takes looking.

Seeing.

Focus.

This prairie is a mine.

Filled with beauty.

It just takes looking.

Focusing.

Savoring the beauty

among the thorns, the grasshoppers, the wind, the mud.

It takes intention.

My camera

Gives me intention.

Helps me see and celebrate

And savor the season that I am in.

Spring. 

Thirty-six years old. 

Wife of a handsome good-hearted rancher. 

Mom to kids 10, 8, 3.

There is much to savor

About each of these seasons.

Right where I am.

Right here.

Seeing.

C~2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw

Artistic Mother Project

The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole is a treat I bought for myself recently.  And what good is a book that just gets read, but inspires no action??  So I committed to do the projects in it.  Week 1 was making my own background papers and Week 2 is a poetry journal.  My mom will be so excited that Week 3 is a "poetry tote" which requires that I sew!  Really stretching my wings here.  It has taken me a month to get the first two projects done...doing a little here, a little there.  I definitely do not sit down and do an entire project in one setting.  This was about 17-step project!  But fun!

So in the poetry journal, there's a copy of a photo of my Grandma Marj and me (about 2 yrs. old) taken by my Aunt Linda, I believe.  There's a quote from Roger Tory Peterson...Grandma's favorite bird book were always "Peterson".  A bit of my friend Shelane's precious handwriting.  A stamp from a check mailed by one of my MK customers, a bit of scrap paper that was part of the wrapping of my robin's nest necklace gift from Jim, and the background paper that I made in the first project...and some various odds & end from my scrapbook supplies.

I made a weekly to-do list from one of my background papers.

And chore-lists for the kids...

My Syd

In this face

I see

answered prayers.

Victory over a struggle.

Sincere smiles.

Not forced.

But easy smiles.

A thankful mom.

Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.

photos~poem, copyright 2010 Jodene(Jodi)Shaw

Mother's Day 2010

Erin Grace has been waiting for the dandelions to turn white. . .

we went to the yard a couple weeks ago to pick dandelions

I told her we could not pick them if she wanted them to turn white

And that we'd have to wait.

So she said, "Ok, let's lay down right here and wait."

At last, Mother's Day . . .she says, "Oh LOOK!  There's white flowers . . . and so I wrote the experience as my first entry in my poem journal {one of my projects from The Artistic Mother by Shonna Cole}.

And my Jim remembered the Robin's Nest necklace I loved from Hazelnut Cottage . . . 3 eggs for my 3 babies.  Yes, that's my pores, my scars, my wrinkles, and my new favorite piece of jewelry...took the picture myself.  I'd call it a "reverse macro".

Sydney Jo had a sweet little piggy that she made for me to go with the little lady bug from last Mother's Day.  And my son made lovely stationary that he hand-stamped.

~A beautiful day to be a mom~A beautiful day of life~