Smells

I know...funny title...but really, there are a few things that really have an impact on us whether we choose them or not.

Like Music, and smells. For some reason those two things can flash me back to a time and place in a second.

This week I had another one of those moments. Since we moved things are being discovered that may have been hidden for a while. For example, my favorite body spray is "love spell" and I wear it all the time. To me it reminds me of grape fruit, fresh, bold and happy.

As I was fumbling around under the bathroom sink looking for something, I found the bottle of body spray I took with me to Ghana. It is called "Amber passion" (okay silly name..but so is love spell) I thought to myself, "this spray is a little bit spicy and warm smelling, maybe a good one to wear in the winter time." So I popped it up on the counter for later.

Later when I decided to take off the sweat pants I had been wearing for two days (being cozy in our SNOWY Wa weather) and pop into the shower....I opened the Amber body spray and started to spray....

I picked this spray for Ghana because of a very meaningful time I had with the Lord prior to travel when He spoke to my heart and told me to name Victoria...Victoria Amber Blaske. I am kinda "visual" when it comes to things the Lord wants me to know and remember....seems to help keep my heart focused on what He wants :O)

So, I "spray" the mist. and I am INSTANTLY taken back to a FLOOD of memories:

*Taking a bucket shower in the BH guest quarters
*smell of things burning in the early hours of the a.m.
*sounds of the goats and chickens coming into my window at all hours of the night and day.
*Sitting in the breezy upstairs patio eating with Romana
*riding in the taxi...WISHING I could smell the "amber" spray.
*wearing a pony tail every day
*wearing a skirt every day

on and on it went....How could "amber" body spray flood all this back to mind.
It was the one constant thing for 7 weeks that I used everyday.

the interesting thing was that the heat and humidity seems to make it smell less than our dry air here....but It still, obviously impacted me.

Later that night Victoria and I were in the kitchen getting some things ready to bake.

I pulled out our bucket of whole wheat flour and popped off the lid.
She was right next to me.
With out hesitating she put her whole hand into the big bucket and said
"Ohhh Mom, That SMELLS so good!

Where did you get "Tombrown" Ohhhh mom....this is sooooo good. Our family got Tombrown when my Aunt had her last baby. The whole village got to enjoy that day!"

It hit me....."Thanks Lord for the "smell" reminder earlier in the day".......How many daily things (sights/sounds/smells) trigger things in my kids hearts and minds that take them back to things they remember.....good bad or otherwise?

God is soooooo detailed in how he loves us and lets us connect to our kids and others.

Victoria and I spent the next bit of time playing in the flour, (tombrown) with our hands, EATING it PLAIN....(yes that was what she loved and how remembers eating it...it was like watching her eat a "lick-a-maid") We put a bit of water in it because she said that is how they would fix it for visitors, neighbors.

I am thankful this Christmas for so many things....but this week it is for SMELLS and how God is using them to open doors of connection to my heart of how He is SOVEREIGN , and the door of attachment with my amazing daughter!

Can not wait to see what the next "smell" brings....good, bad, hard or wonderful....we remember for reasons we may never fully understand.

MOM

Sometimes it just hits my heart that ALOT of who I am is because of my awesome Mom!

This post is for you Mom!

We moved...
Big undertaking...

The boxes were in the house, the kids were sleeping in their new rooms, we were IN!
But were we settled?
NO
The next day my Mom drove up from Seattle ready to help us make this house our home.
She did not spend a few hours BUT a few days with us as we made our way around the boxes and became familiarized with the house.

At our old house she Vacuumed the WHOLE thing....ohhh yes, did I forget to tell you that on Wednesday before our Friday move, I hurt my knee and could not walk with my weight fully on my leg? (that is another story....goes something like the Lord saying to my heart.."Carrie you go until it is all done...but you leave a wake of people in your dust...so guess what? you get to slow down and LEAD with LOVE!"
thus the above scenario of my Mom vacuuming :O)

As we wrapped up the cleaning at the old house, we lived life while unpacking. Kids to school, lunches packed, laundry etc...all the while my mom went from closet to closet getting the kids clothes sorted, hung and put in drawers.
Also from cupboard to cupboard unpacking and reshuffling the silverware 3 times until we found the BEST spot for it. (Dave is still not sure about this decision..love you babe!)
Basically she worked while we worked, she worked while we ran around, she worked even when I had to sit and put my hurt leg up.

So Mom, THANK YOU does not seem like it carries the weight that is needed for the love and admiration I have for you...but please know that I love you.
I love you for:
Picking up pictures and not being afraid to hit a nail into the wall to hang the first pictures when I was unsure....in the end it ALL looks AMAZING!

for engaging kids to work along side of you as they told you stories that sometimes lasted 30 mins or more...and you stayed engaged

for eating cheese sticks and ham because I did not have the right kinds of food for you to eat :O( You never complain.

for buying milk and grocery's for us because Dave's check book was packed somewhere.

for sitting under blankets by the fire at the end of a long day and watching Disney movies with us.

for looking beautiful the WHOLE time you worked.....and when you played, and when you sleep...no wonder why Dad loves you. You radiate no matter what you do!

for seeing the "God Factor" in all of life and being willing to let that spill out in all your conversations with me and the kids!

for being a GODLY example of servant-hood!

Some day when I grow up..I want to be like my MOM!

Thanks MOM!
.

Marathon!

Have you ever desired to run 26 miles? (some of you have accomplished this HUGE task and some of you "think" about it...and most of you, including myself pass-out just at the thought of running ANYWHERE!)
Well not so for Victoria!
The school district we live in has a great event for all kids k-5th grade.
From September to November the kids can run "laps" each day during recess.
Parents volunteer to mark their lap cards... laps accumulate into miles and the kids earn little plastic feet that hang on a necklace. These represent the distance they have completed. Her little necklace was full! She proudly wore it each day and hung it on her bed post at night.

The kids who run 25 miles by the middle of November get to run their last MILE around the High School track at night under the lights.
Victoria got to do this with about 130 kids from her school and other elementary schools in the district.

When we got into the car, the sky was clear, dark and the air was crisp. By the time we got to the High School, the wind was blustery and cold. The kids all lined up, music started ( i like to move it move it and who let the dogs out...kinda fun)
This is Victoria in the pink sweats... she RAN her heart out the first 2 laps of the four)


Notice here the PINK cheeks! After the first two laps the rain began, it was like little ice pellets that blew sideways because of the force of the wind. Did that stop her..NO...but she had NEVER run in the COLD like this and her chest and throat began to hurt. We all decided to do the last laps with her. (walking mind you :O)

Here is our super runner on the award stand getting her medal!
It was a GREAT DAY!
In the morning of the same day we all got to go to the Superior court for National Adoption Day....but that is another story!

It was a BIG day for a very BIG hearted girl!

We love you Victoria!