Uncategorized – Page 18 – everything He gives

growing up

August 9, 2018 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

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He’s long overdue for a “big boy” bike, my boy. He had a little bit of birthday money that I set aside for a new bike, and Brandon looked for awhile online before settling on this one. It was a real treat to watch him open that box and help daddy put the bike together. When he realized it didn’t have training wheels (he’s just been riding a strider) he panicked a little bit and didn’t think he’d be able to do it. It’s a bit big and heavy for him, so I was a little concerned, too, that it would be too hard. Then, we had rain for days so he couldn’t take it outside to try it. Finally, the sun came out and he tried it out on the grass. He pretty quickly caught on to riding Phoebe’s (a bit smaller) bike without training wheels but didn’t feel comfortable with his bike. By day two, he had it down. He called me to come outside and see, and there he was pedaling it around with a big grin on his face.

Often this little man of mine balks at something new and I hear a lot of “I can’t”s from him before he’s really given it a try. Our homeschool co-op starts up on Monday (in just a few days!) and as Noah thinks about school starting, he’s been panicking and saying “but I don’t know how to read or write!” Oh, sweet boy, that’s the whole point, I say. I keep reminding him about his bike, how he thought he couldn’t do it and that he’d HAVE to have training wheels. And then by day two, he had it down and has been out riding it every day since. I can’t believe this has been my last summer with this guy before he starts formal (home)schooling. And I can’t wait to have time with him, to work with him on letters and sounds and seeing his little mind come alive with the joy of learning and realizing he can do it! He’s growing up!

yarn along

August 7, 2018August 7, 2018 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

I bought this crazy fun happy yarn over a year ago and tried to cast on for socks but was so sick in my pregnancy with wren that they idled for awhile before I ripped them out. This yarn is so bright and different for me, I wasn’t much in the mood to work with it. But lately I just craved wood dpns and the bliss of simple vanilla sock knitting and these socks are literally flying off my needles. I cast them on on Saturday and in three days I’m nearly onto the foot of the sock, which is pretty fast for me. It’s hard to capture the color accurately because it’s so neon-y but this is fairly close. The yarn is addicting to work with because of the constant variation in color. I’m knitting these for myself, hoping to maybe attempt to make one pair of socks for myself each season of the year, so these will be summer socks since the color is summery to me (of course i’ll be wearing them in the winter). I think they’ll be fun to have on dreary grey winter days. Also, my girls are so terribly jealous and coveting my crazy yarn so maybe some more fun neon pink yarn will be in my future. I don’t mind.

About half way through Devoted: Great Men and their Godly Moms (affiliate link) and loving it so far. Highly recommend. Short stories/biographies and so much encouragement for every sort of mom.

I’m joining up with Nicole’s Crafting On to share what I’m reading/working on this week. As always, I’d love to hear what you’re making and reading too!

yarn along

July 31, 2018August 1, 2018 MarthaKimball4 Comments

The skies are brooding, ready to open up any minute. I am just sitting down with a cup of afternoon coffee, which I never ordinarily make, but after a busy morning running errands and sitting for 2.5 hrs (!!) in eye appointments for the children and then hurriedly mowing the lawn for the last couple of hours before we have a few days of heavy rain… I think I’ve earned it. 🙂

Yesterday I took the kids to the Greenville Zoo for a fun day trip before we picked up my parents from the airport in Greenville. It was a super fun day but no naps were had by all and today the house is quiet and hopefully the younger babies sleep and we have a more peaceful afternoon.

I finished the test knit hat for Noah and you can see finished photos of it on instagram or ravelry. I’m making more headway now on Wren’s like sleeves top, beginning on the front/bodice portion of it. It is so lovely to knit with Cestari, even if it is primarily cotton. This yarn is super soft and just so soothing moving through my fingers.

I just ordered the book Devoted by Tim Challies (affiliate link) with some birthday money and am excited to start it. It’s a small book about the lives of the mothers of some of the most influential theologians and men of faith in history, and I’m curious and hungry for the mothering tune-up I so need. I feel the need regularly to immerse myself in books that sharpen, encourage, and shape me as a mom since this is probably the most impactful and important work I will ever give myself to. Still have a few other books on the go as well.

Anything good that you’re reading or working on lately?

Joining with Nicole’s weekly Crafting On and Ginny’s yarn along.

yarn along

July 24, 2018 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

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Still knitting on wren’s like sleeves top here and there between working on my campside shawl and a test knit hat for noah. I’ve been having some pain in my wrist and elbow, so I’ve slowed a bit to rest and not overdo it.

Picked up a few books from the library, Homeschooling with the Brain in Mind and Play the Forest School Way. You can tell what I have on my mind! Play the Forest School Way is one I wanted to look through before I buy it and I do like what it offers.

Joining with Nicole for this week’s Crafting On.
Affiliate links included.

no big plans

July 23, 2018 MarthaKimball3 Comments

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Quite a few people have asked me over the last few months if we have any big plans for summer. I was sitting in a dentist’s chair last week and she asked me about summer plans, and when I said no, not really, she looked truly puzzled and like she maybe felt a little sorry for me. Any big summer plans? Fun trips scheduled? I had hoped to make a checklist on our kitchen chalkboard for our summer goals, but really we don’t have much on the agenda and I think that’s the point. I feel a bit small and a bit simple but these are our big summer plans: being home, watching things grow. Having time together. Swimming at my parent’s neighborhood pool or in a river nearby. Hiking, camping. Catching fireflies. Trying out the pop-up camper in our backyard, then taking it out on the road. Enjoying the afternoon storms. Watching tomatoes ripen on the vine, swiss chard push up from seed. Reading together. Yarn, pulling through fingers. Quieting. Regrouping for a new school year. Letting there be long stretches of unplanned day, enough time for some boredom even. Don’t such fascinating discoveries and creativities come out of a little boredom? Also, the not-as-fun essentials of some medical appointments for the kids, learning about some changes we will have to make in our schooling with phoebe, working on house projects that are neglected during the busyness of school.

A homeschooling family of six on one income makes for tight years (financially) especially with the special dietary and medical expenses we face. Truth is, we are happy to make the sacrifice to be together and enjoy these little years and raise our brood. It is the main reason I homeschool: time together. It is costly in the sense that we do have great limitations, but I do so hope and believe we can still make great memories together with our family even with our simple summer of no plans. (Of course, don’t misunderstand me. We are so imperfect and the proximity can often cause us to grate on one another.)

Brandon is working some Saturdays to help pay for the new AC unit we will have to soon buy, so it was a bit glum this weekend without him. Then he called on his way home Saturday and said he wanted to put up the pop-up camper and have the kids sleep in it for the first time. It was stormy and cool and the perfect evening to do so, and the kids had such a blast. I opted to sleep inside with baby wren which was a bit of a treat for me, too (a quiet house!)

I read the other day that the word Sabbath literally means “to stop,” and so we try to plan some time into our weekend where we cease. Where the work sits untended, the laundry stays in the basket and wrinkles, and we allow ourselves to just be. To rest and to even be a little bored and agitated with the slowness of the pace and “unproductivity” of the day. It reveals to me how much I mix my sense of accomplishment with my sense of worth, how much I need to produce in order to feel worthwhile. The permission to rest is so wise and kind of God, and I have to tell my soul and my God over and over in those moments of tension (when I fight rest) that He is our provider and the One who carries us, not our own work and effort. When we “sabbath,” or cease from working, we fast from reliance on our own strength + work. We remind our soul that we are dependent on a good and faithful Provider. We say to the world that our confidence comes from whose we are, not the work of our own hands. Maybe summer could be sort of like the sabbath of the seasons?

Anyway, I feel a bit ramble-y and scattered but hopefully you are encouraged, as I am, to rest a bit and enjoy the slow and even boring/mundane parts of summer instead of needing it to be big and flashy and busy. May you find in your limitations a wise and kind boundary set by your God. I have thought often of Psalm 16:6, which in my earlier meditations of it always seemed sweet to me when my boundaries/limits were easy. But it is a hard thing to thank God for (limits/boundaries) when they are difficult and truly limiting. It presses us to cast our eyes beyond what is temporal to the delightful inheritance that is being kept for us.

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord,
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:5-8 esv

Ps. Refrigerator pickles recipe pictured above from Allison Little on Instagram, and they are truly the best pickles I’ve ever had.

yarn along

July 17, 2018 MarthaKimball2 Comments

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Last week was hard with some unforeseen life circumstances that I’m still reeling from. My knitting also seems to have had a rough week. I guess it’s good for people to remember as well as myself that life isn’t always smooth and easy and neither are our knitting projects, right? I love when I have a project on the go that is easy to pick up and work on, something that’s cruising along smoothly. But the reality is that sometimes a project is troublesome and frustrating. Anyway, I had picked up my campside shawl and was nearly done with it but somehow I had made a mistake and my stitch count was off significantly enough for the eyelet design to be off kilter. I tried to improvise and see if I could make it work but after nearly finishing, I had to admit to myself it was bothering me too much. So, rip rip rip. I’ve started over. It’s always hard to rip out hours and hours of work, but the reality is I’d like a better finished product so it’s worth it. Plus, it’s enjoyable to knit so I can’t complain too much.

Then I tried to cast on a Like Sleeves top for Wren in some Quince + Co Tern that I have, but it doesn’t look like I’ll have quite enough yarn. So, then I picked up some Cestari sock collection cotton/wool blend yarn at a local yarn store and have cast on again for the Like Sleeves top. I decided to cast on the 12 month size for some reason but am kicking myself because she’s only 4 months and I’m wanting it to fit her now, so maybe I will rip out and cast on for the 6 month size, or more likely I will just decrease and call it good. Sigh.

Not much reading happening, am waiting on some library books to be available, but in the meantime I am reading Begin Again for review. I can’t say I’m into it quite yet, but I have heard others recommend it.

Linking up with Nicole’s weekly Crafting On.

a birthday shawl

July 9, 2018 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

I bought this yarn with birthday money, catching one of Ginny’s summer yarn updates. I always swoon over what she makes, she has such great taste!

The yarn is gorgeous, naturally dyed but with the most beautiful speckles. Truly, I don’t know how she does it! It is such a bright and happy color, and the yarn is really lightweight making the shawl feel airy and summery. The yarn is 100% american wool, single ply fingering weight, very soft yet with a rustic feel to it.

I knit the antarktis shawl pattern, which I’ve knitted twice before for gifts, and it is sheer enjoyment to knit. I modified the pattern a bit by adding some repeats, wanting to use as much yarn as possible. I cast off before adding much of a lace border, thinking to save a bit of yarn to maybe add a couple of tassels on the corners of the shawl. Should I? I can’t tell. I think I like it how it is.

I finished the shawl a week ago or so, and slipped outside after a shower to take a few pictures in the last light of the day, thus my wet hair and glasses. I have been grabbing this shawl often in the early mornings or late evenings for a luxurious simple summery wrap and I love it so, so much.

the things that ground me

July 5, 2018July 5, 2018 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

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Yesterday was July 4th, Independence Day, and we had a happy day together doing simple, fun, local things. Earlier in the week the children had picked out a dessert they wanted me to make (from this cookbook), and we had shopped for the ingredients together. I began making the custard early in the morning, finishing in time for us to scoot to the parade in our little town. I don’t think I’ve taken the kids to a parade before (or can’t remember?) except for the local Parade of the Tractors that we happened upon last year. 🙂 It was pretty simple and short, but still fun to do something festive together. Daddy worked part of the day, so we missed him but made the best of it. When we got back, the kids played in the sprinkler and cooled off while I prepped lunch. During nap time I finished the dessert and spent some time in the breezy sunny afternoon browsing through the garden. Later, the children went through the garden, Phoebe picking the ripe tomatoes from her plants, gathering romaine for dinner and our first cucumber (which was amazingly delicious). The kids each helped decorate our dessert tart and after dinner/dessert we found a good spot in town to watch fireworks. Some dear friends met up with us last minute and it was so very sweet and fun to watch our children experience the fireworks together. My heart was full. I was thinking about it yesterday while just living a simple yet fun day at home: these are the things that ground me when life feels hectic, busy, full.

I’ve reached this point in motherhood where I feel overwhelmed and out of breath (on a soul level) pretty much daily. I feel like I’m spinning plates, one after the next, and dropping half of them. The things I love, the things that feed my soul and creativity often get choked out in the “churn” of the day, though I fight to squeeze them in in smaller quantities. I long sometimes to step back and have everything stop for a second so I can catch up. My children need things from me that I can’t always anticipate or understand or feel able to give. Decisions need to be made that overwhelm + cause anxiety. I think as mothers we are constantly measuring: measuring how we are doing, if we are doing enough for our children, enough for our husbands, friends, etc. We are evaluating and analyzing all the time, feeling guilty most of the time and certain we are probably not measuring up. This week I’ve been asking some questions of myself that are hard, facing some decisions that have caused me to lose some sleep. It all feels like a state of constant churning.

So I seek out the things that ground. The scriptures. The garden quiet, plants growing steadily and unobtrusively, swaying in the breeze, buzzing with bees and birds and life. Knitting. Evening tea with Brandon. Prayer. Singing. Watching the family of blue birds nesting in the birdhouse in our garden again this year. Listening for those little “chirps.” Making food for our family. Snapping photos. Working with my hands. Being in the wilderness. Paying attention to and getting to know our own little town, seeking community in our church.

These “grounding” things aren’t always available to me, but I seek them out when I can. They help settle me and remind me who I am and where I am on this spinning planet. Maybe you feel like that sometimes, too. I hope you can find a few things that help you feel your feet on the ground and remember that you are human in this place. Limited, loved.

yarn along

July 4, 2018 MarthaKimball4 Comments

I’m hearing summer’s first cicada this morning as I type this, as the heat and humidity build outside. I’ve been working little bits each day on spreading fresh wood chips around the kid’s play gym, the garden, and the flower beds around the house but I don’t think I can bear the heat and sun this morning. Maybe this evening. Brandon and I often do yard + garden work amongst the fireflies after the children are tucked into bed and the day’s heat has subsided. This week is about settling back into our ordinary routines, the daily and weekly things that ground us. I have a lot of organizing and planning to do in the month of July to get ready for the next school year, hunting for good prices on books + curriculum, restocking supplies, tidying our school room and maybe adding a few items for interest + curiosity. Phoebe does testing for the first time in a week or so (our state’s annual requirement) and I’m eager to see how she does.

I’ve finished up a few projects, and I’ve been trying to get a new shawl started (using new-to-me brioche stitch) but I cannot seem to get just the first rows right. I will figure it out eventually, but when I just need something soothing to pick up and knit, I’ve been reaching for my campside shawl. I’ve been working on it again (after a year hiatus) for a few days but already it’s flying off the needles. It won’t be long. (I stopped knitting this shawl last year at this time when I was so sick with my pregnancy with Wren, and couldn’t even look at yarn. Oddly when I pick it up, I have had waves of nausea just in the remembering. Its so strange, how our circumstances and memories get knitted into our projects.) This is one I’m thinking about offering for sale, though I have no idea how to price it really. So many loved ones and friends have asked me to sell things I knit, but I’m not sure exactly how to go about it since I don’t plan to regularly sell things, and just would have random items up for sale here and there. Any suggestions? I’m thinking to offer it for sale through instagram. Also, any interest in buying some hand made items from me?

The kids and I have been reading this new book, 100 Bible Stories for Children, which I am reviewing this month. We have read the Jesus Storybook Bible every evening together for years now and have read through it countless times, so it’s always nice to put a new bible storybook into rotation. I really like how this one shares stories that aren’t often included in children’s bibles, and I can tell my older kids are fascinated with some new-to-them stories. The stories are relatively short yet true to the original text, and the illustrations are beautiful. My kids keep taking it to their rooms and spending time poring over the pages, so that’s a sign to me of a good book. I would recommend it!

Joining today with Ginny’s monthly yarn along + Nicole’s weekly Crafting On.
Affiliate links included in this post.

Also, thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

all together

July 2, 2018 MarthaKimball2 Comments

How can June already be over? It was a blur of busyness and family, celebrating and feasting. I didn’t get many photos on my birthday, but it was a happy day. I forgot how eager the kids are on anyone’s birthday to open presents, so I was barely out of my bedroom to get coffee that morning before a gaggle of little ones with tousled hair were pulling me to the kitchen table to see their gifts. I wanted to wait and maybe do gifts later, but they would have none of it. Brandon had taken them for a walk the night before to a grocery store nearby (while I was out with a girlfriend for coffee) where they picked out small gifts for me and cards. Philippa had picked some natural handmade lavender soap, noah had picked a charcoal infused loofah. Phoebe had been working on a handmade gift for me for a little while, a small wooden bird that she added stitching to. She had named it “Louis,” though it’s supposed to be a girl bird, and she was really quite tempted to keep it herself. She keeps asking me where Louis is and if I’m taking care of ~~him~~ her. Brandon gifted me a couple of books I had on my wishlist, as well as a set of chiaogoo interchangeable needles. I cast on with them right away for a birthday shawl of sorts for myself with yarn I purchased with some birthday money, and it has been such a treat knitting with them! One of my brothers treated me to a 3-month coffee subscription to Counter Culture coffee and it has been one of my favorite gifts of all time! Later that day we went over to my parents house, as my mom and I share a birthday and we try to get together on it when we can. Mom treated me to a manicure/pedicure and then a dinner out to the only restaurant we can really go to with Phoebe (with a dedicated gluten free kitchen). It was a fun and busy day! I felt so very loved and spoiled and blessed and full.

The next day, family began streaming in. My brother from Canada and his wife were surprising mom for her 60th birthday, and my other siblings and their families were all arriving in the next day or so. Father’s day (Sunday) we gathered to celebrate mom’s 60th together, and it was truly unforgettable. It was the first time ever that we have *all* been together. We celebrated, ate, gave her a couple of special gifts, and ended the evening with singing together. I think we will all look back on these recent days we had together with joy and fondness. So much has happened in our family story, so many stories that aren’t mine to share–but when I look out across the landscape of our family, I see so much redemption that has come out of so much brokenness. We have an enemy who has tried to dismantle, break, ruin, and destroy our family in very painful ways, and we have seen hard years together. But here we are, still standing. Still together, by God’s grace alone. Still going forward in love and forgiveness and hope secure in a God who is able to hold us fast.

Ps. I actually did pretty horribly at taking photos with my camera while everyone was here. I really only brought it to the picnic, and got a random smattering. But here’s a special video clip that I’m thankful I captured.

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