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100 Beautiful Days of Motherhood: A Little Path {16}

Today, we found a little path.

And though there was laundry in the hamper at home, waiting to be folded, and flashcards in a mess all over the living room floor, and a pot in the sink with burned-on oatmeal that was my reason for procrastinating doing any of the breakfast dishes, we took the little path.

We took the little path and we found a bridge with trolls underneath, and a pond with snails. We found a barn, red, with rafters fit for swinging, and a fountain of cold water for adventure-thirsty throats.

Even though at home there was dinner to be made and piano scales to practice and an exercise routine that has been hopelessly neglected, we took the little path.

We took the little path and we found a jungle of monkey bars. We found swings that fly up to heaven and swoop to earth again, like swallows. We found giggles and running feet and outside voices.

Even though at home, there was a writing lesson to complete and a table set with textbooks where the dinner plates should be. At home there was a dishwasher to unload and that confounded pot waiting to be scrubbed.

But today, we found a little path. And we took it.

1K Giveaway!

This past week, Five in Tow reached another milestone: over 1,000 Facebook fans! I have planned a week of great giveaways to celebrate your faithful readership. I am so thankful for each of you!

I am also thankful for a great group of fellow bloggers and sponsors who gladly stepped up and offered some great prizes. I received so many donations, in fact, that I get to offer several prizes daily for eight days!

Would you like to see what you can win? Take a look…

Monday

Whether you’re newly married or an oldy-wed like me, keeping romance alive in a marriage can be hard work. Jami Balmet makes things easier with her e-kit packed full of creative (and doable!) ideas for romancing your spouse. You can win one in time for Valentine’s Day!

Speaking of romance, nothing says love like a homemade dinner. You may not be a raging gourmet, but anyone can cook with the help of Rachel Ray! Shock your spouse by whipping up a great dinner in less time than it takes to watch a sitcom. Win a set of Rachel’s cookbooks, donated by the fabulous newlywed, Emily Gardner of Primitive Roads.

Tuesday

One of my favorite companies is Hazelaid. Their products have helped my family so much, I brag about them everywhere I go (including here). Hazelaid has donated a $25 gift certificate to one winner! The only bad thing about this prize is you will have to choose your prize. That is tough stuff.

Tuesday also gives you the opportunity to get to know my friend Emily Cook through her book, Tend To Me: Devotions for Mothers. Emily is a mother of six with a precious heart and God-filled story. She is a constant source of encouragement to me as I follow along with her.

Wednesday

Right smack in the middle of the week, just when you’re feeling the most overwhelmed your household responsibilities, I will come to your rescue by offering you the chance to win Kayse Pratt’s e-book, Getting It Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System That Works. Oh. My. Goodness. I think she wrote this just for me. It contains everything you need to keep (or find) your sanity except for chocolate. You have to provide the chocolate yourself (or win it on Saturday, ahem).

After all that home organizing, you deserve a prize! How about jewelry? Enter to win a handmade necklace of your choice, donated by The Mighty River Project. Each necklace is made by artisans in Uganda, and each and every necklace helps to end the problem of poverty in that part of the world. It just doesn’t get much better than that.

Thursday

Thursday is all about the tremendous job of childbirth and parenting. First, I will be giving away Angie Tolpin’s groundbreaking book Redeeming Childbirth, graciously donated by the author herself! It is a must-read for all moms!

I will also be giving away the book 21 Ways to Connect with Your Kids. Cheri Gregory is sponsoring this giveaway. She will also provide a personality assessment and make personal applications for you to use with your child. I wonder if she’ll do five?

Friday

Friday night is date night! That means I’ll be giving you yet another chance to win Jami Balmet’s Rekindling Romance kit.

Also, my friend Sunny will be shipping one winner a box of Belgian chocolates straight from her home in Belgium! Those are almost too good to share. Almost.

If your date night takes you out into the chilly night air, you’ll be thrilled to win a hand-knit scarf from Auntie Annie. She’ll make it to order!

Saturday

Saturday, I have the pleasure of giving away some fabulous Norwex products, donated by my long-time friend, Andrea McNally. These are the ultimate products for cleaning, as I wrote about here.

With the help of Norwex, your Saturday chores will be done in record time. So…why not kick back with a little light reading? Vicki Lucas is giving away a copy of her young adult Christian fantasy book, Toxic. There’s an epic battle between good and evil, the potential of global destruction, and a story that will strengthen your faith…what more could you ask for?

Sunday

Sunday is a day of rest. One winner will be able to get away from the weekly grind with a prize package that includes homemade soaps and lip gloss individually crafted by Sharon Rowland of Lovin’ the Lather.

If the children have not interrupted you a million times while you soaked in the tub, you might have some time to journal. Author, speaker, and life-coach Laurie Wallin is giving one lucky winner a beautiful journal. If you need help filling it, she’ll gladly help you find a million things to be joyful about!

But that’s not all! Author Jessie Gunderson has been published in the devotional If I Can Do All Things Through Christ Why Can’t I Find My Car Keys? She kindly donated a copy for us because she knows most moms could use a book like this. Also, the proceeds of this book go to help fund her family’s adoption efforts. Now that’s cool.

Monday

Janine from True Aim Education is giving away a complete Christian preschool curriculum from Blue Manor Academy. Whether you’re thinking about homeschooling long-term or just want to give your child a head-start, this package will provide everything you need. This is a tremendous prize package! Be sure to tell all your friends with preschoolers to enter!

Doesn’t this sound like a lot of fun? Come back Monday, and every day all week, to enter. Each giveaway will be open for three days, and you’ll have lots of great chances to earn extra entries by visiting our sponsors and sharing your favorite posts. It will be a roaring week here at Five in Tow!

I hope to see you all back here first thing Monday morning!

100 Beautiful Days of Motherhood: The Stuff of Shadows {8}

The view sold this house. I walked into the living room, newly pregnant with the news of twins, and was captivated by what I saw in the window. On that crystal-blue day, I could see the rise and fall of the Olympic Mountains and the calm tranquility of the Pacific Ocean as it worked its way through the fingers of the Puget Sound. I could see trees where eagles sit and a valley hued in purples and blues. I could not take my eyes away long enough to notice the mint-green paint in the kitchen or the outdated gold light fixture above the table. It did not really matter when the house came with a view like that.

Nearly five years later, I have not grown tired of looking out my window at all that can be seen of this world. It is comforting and peaceful to be able to see so far, to know all that can be seen in miles and miles of looking.

But today, the view was hidden. The fog unfolded off the ocean like the fabric of a veil, keeping common things from sight, hiding both the known and the unknown. The valley below us descended into deep uncertainty.

Today, I was living behind a veil.

All my certainty faded away and I felt a little bit like a child, longing to see in the dark. I wanted the comfort of living on a mountaintop, but I was in the valley.

Some seasons of motherhood are like that, when the fog clouds my vision and I can only see in vague shapes and shadows. My eyes strain to focus, to deduce clarity from the dimness. But it is not there.

I wonder, some days, if I’m walking in the right direction, or if I’m making any progress. When the children fall into the same old fight or I find myself muddled by some unconquered sin, when my mind is filled with more questions than answers and I can’t even imagine how all this is going to turn out right, I wonder. How can I keep walking where I cannot see?

On those dark and uncertain days, when I cannot see where the next step leads and I feel uncertain in my footing, it is good to know that my destination is secure. I grab onto that when I can’t grab on to anything else. I am heir to a promise that one day, I will see clearly. One day I will know without shadows, understand without doubt, and see from one limitless horizon to the other.

But for now, when the fog settles in and I cannot walk where I feel most secure, I rest in the knowledge that what I know to be true does not change just because I can’t see it. The mountains are still there. The ocean is still there. And God is still there. Sometimes, His face is hidden so I can see His hand, leading and guiding me over the unfamiliar terrain and around the obstacles I cannot see.

I look before me and I cannot see the road. But it is okay to walk where I cannot see because it is not my eyes I trust.

I trust in the One who sets my feet upon a rock.

I trust in the One who makes shadows flee.

I trust in the One who tears the veil.