Kara Noel Lawson

July 27, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

The Front Yard AND a Healthy Giveaway

The back yard is a place of fun. It’s safe and our green grass (which is mostly weeds but looks like grass when it’s mowed short) beckons us everyday for family picnics, baseball games and reading aloud.

Our backyard is one of the top reasons we bought this home and it still makes me happy every time I look out the window, or make a trip to the compost bin, or when I’m out pulling weeds – so like umpteen times a day.
It’s familiar and wonderful.

But recently we have been exploring uncharted territory.
The Front Yard.
We live on a kinda-busy street… it’s in the heart of a neighborhood, so that cuts down traffic, but it’s one of the main streets to get around in our neighborhood.
It all started when our oldest son was ready to learn how to ride a two-wheel-bike. We don’t have the space in our safe haven of a backyard. We had to move forward… to the frontlines… I mean yard.
Eeek.

It turns out, this simple switch had changed us from a couch potato family in the evenings to an active family. Now, I have to admit, we already are a pretty outdoorsy family. We do lots of physical things (like our neighborhood sunset hikes, a pic of one below), but our evenings had become more of a routine and less of an adventure.
I hate that.

I know it’s silly but there’s no reason you have to be stuck in a routine… even on school nights. (gasp)
I’m not saying stay up till midnight on a school night, but I am saying, be careful of routines. I feel like too much of a routine speeds up the short time we have on earth by blurring everything and everyday together.
And that’s a shame.
And sad.
And preventable!!!!
The front yard has spiced things up and it wasn’t even that difficult.
Small Things are Big Things, friends!
I’ve pulled out a chapter book to read aloud to the children on the small patch of grass in the front yard. We hang out there, ride bikes/scooters, create chalk drawings, and I flag down and chat with anyone who walks by our little circus. One teenager we saw a second time said, “I remember you guys, your little son was doing hand stands in your driveway the other night.”
Ummm… yep… that was us.
And with our circus, clothing/shoes are usually mismatched, pajamas or optional.
True story.

typical evening at our place

If you are looking for a way to go from a family of couch potatoes to an active family here are some ideas:

Make a list. We did a summer bucket list this year because this is our first real summer. Ya know, before school starts, it’s an endless summer and you don’t have to plan activities around any schedule… except the nap schedule.
Our summer bucket list has been super helpful and it’s filled with simple things.
See…

Sign up for something. Anything… as long as it’s active and involves the whole group in some way. It’s great to have some real accountability while making new habits and you’ll create community while being active.

Buy tickets and make traditions. Communities have events. A lot. Do an internet search and try something new and create new active traditions. We recently went to a baseball game and on a watermelon picking tour at a local farm. With both, I felt like it was a waste of money when I bought the tickets, but afterward it felt like the beginning of something new. And I like that. (Side note: I want to move to a farm so if you know anyone who is giving one away, I’m interested.)

Don’t buy tickets and still make new traditions. Communities have free stuff too. Do an internet search and do something. We go to the flea market every month and to the beach every week. Wait… is that a routine or a tradition? Because a routine is bad and a tradition is good. OK… a routine some action that feels hum-drum and dull and is making your life an insignificant blur. And a tradition is when you really look forward to something you have done many times in the past. Sound legit? Because I just made it up!

Thanks for reading friends!
And if you want to read more about creating an active lifestyle for you and your family check out Sexy Mom’s Running Club. The creator, Becky Reese, a mom of 5, has made it her personal mission to empower moms across the country to feel beautiful no matter what their size. She founded Sexy Mom’s Running Club to help busy women make themselves a priority again. Becky has created a pretty activewear line for women in sizes 10-18. And she has partnered up with Melissa Lanz, the author of The Fresh 20 cookbook for a giveaway here at Small Things.
You can win one item from the Becky Reese line of activewear and a copy of the Fresh 20 cookbook. I’m so excited about this cookbook!! It’s basically and “meal planning service that uses only twenty seasonal ingredients per week to cook five weeknight dinners.” And the photography is just lovely!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

July 24, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Mail from Heaven and To Heaven and Back

Cora Jane and I were in the backyard spray painting one of her room projects (I can’t wait to share her room after the RV Trip series) and she said,
“I would like some mail from Nannie.”
My throat clenched up and my heart ached (again).
My mom would often send the children stickers, pictures and sweet notes. Nothing big or expensive. Just small things with great love.
Just because.
Small things are big things, my friends.
(I’m going to go cry now… whew… I’m back.)
Then she looked at me and said, “I know she’s in heaven but she might want to send us something.” I was starting to explain that heaven didn’t work like that, but she looked at me and said, “I know God is very busy, but he loves us so much and he can do anything. REALLY. Like lift a skyscraper. And if God is too busy, then He can send His angels to deliver the mail from heaven. REALLY. They do errands for Him, ya know. And I really think Nannie wants to send us something.”

Well, golly-gee. What the ef’ am I supposed to say to that????

So I sadly tell her, “You never know.”

And, well, we don’t know.

My head says, dead people can’t communicate from heaven. I believe there is no pain in heaven and if my mom knew how much pain we were in she would be in pain and that’s impossible. (There’s other reasons too, but that’s better for a conversation.)

But my heart says, God loves us so much and he can do anything… like lift a skyscraper. And He can send his angels to deliver messages… they do errands for Him, “ya know.”

The last time I hung out with my mom (before she fell) was some of the sweetest time we have ever had. What a gift!! She had just decided to come over to my house every Friday to help me and be with the kids. This was huge for me, and the kind of help I’d never had before. I was beyond excited. She fell a few days later and we never got to have our Fridays together.

After she was gone, Fridays were are the worst for me. I felt like I was mourning something that “should have been” every single week. The first two Fridays after she died were stormy and it even hailed. The weather made it even more heart wrenching because my Mom LOVED the rain and hail was always an exciting event. It hails so rarely here it is always a big deal. And having it hail so often was quite an event. I’d watch the hail on Fridays and daydream about what my mom and I would be doing if she had never fallen. But it wasn’t till after I read To Heaven and Back by Mary C Neal, MD that I thought that could have been a little mail from heaven.

One of our close friends gave me the book. (Or maybe she just let me borrow it. I better find that out.) The author, Mary, had a near death experience and then wrote about it. It’s a great book. But the part that hit my heart was about messages she received from her son and stepfather after they died – both were in the form of flowering plants that hadn’t bloomed before. May says, “I know that Willie send us a message that day through the roses; one of appreciation, love, gratitude, and a sense of apology for leaving.”

I wonder if that’s what happened to me as well. But it had to happen a few Fridays for me to understand. I’d like to think that my mom is saying that she’s sorry she had to leave but she’s OK… beyond OK, in heaven. What a comfort!

Maybe Cora Jane is right and Nannie does want to send her something. I can’t wait to see what it is!

Do you believe we can get messages mail from heaven?

###

Since I’m going to use this as one of my personal bookclub posts. Here are some other thoughts on the book:

Another theme in the book is Mary’s role as a working mom. She says that it’s “healthy and essential to re-evaluate this balancing act occasionally and make changes when needed.” I couldn’t agree more! If you’re feeling pulled in too many directions, re-evaluate and change. p37
During her heaven experience, Mary describes reviewing her life. But instead of watching a movie of her experiences she was shown the impact of her actions, decisions and human interactions. Even up to dozens of times removed from the actual event. (Small Things are Big Things, folks!!) I think this is so interesting and a great perspective to have during our short lives here on earth. p57
Mary talks about the period of time while she was going back and forth from heaven to her body and the people trying to revive her from drowning. I love how she uses the comparison to a child asking for more things before bed (you’ll have to read it to know exactly what I’m talking about). It also gave me comfort hoping that while my mom was so close to death for so long she was being held closely to Jesus and not scared or sad to leave us. p73
Pray. Do it. Always. We are a living prayer to God. p94
After her son, Willie’s, death Mary was surrounded by a wonderful community (just like we are) but she taped this “Daily Creed” to her fridge and I think it’s a great thing to remind yourself everyday. Below is hers, but you can make one specific to what hits your core. i.e. I believe God is real. I believe the number on my scale doesn’t measure my worth. I believe my children are gifts from God. I believe what I do matters to God.
Mary’s Daily Creed:
I believe God’s promises are true.
I believe heaven is real.
I believe nothing can separate me from God’s love
I believe God has work for me to do.
I believe God will see me though and carry me when I cannot walk.

Thanks for reading friends. Now I get to tell you, what you do matters. You are valuable to me and more to God. And I like you.

July 23, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Voodoo Doughnut is the Best I’ve had

Voodoo Doughnut is a MUST see in Portland. It’s open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week so there really is no excuse NOT to go. And the doughnuts are amazing.
The best I’ve ever had.
B.E.S.T.
We went later in the evening and the place was packed with a line out the door. I felt like it was more of a seedy part of town, but I also felt very comfortable there even with the kiddos in tow.

The building is painted with gold sparkles. The kids loved it, and I always adore places that go over the top with their chosen décor.
Life is short.
Paint the walls with gold sparkles.
Hells yeah.

The kids were tired and Eli was throwing up. But they were super into it.
(SIde note: He randomly throws up ever 3 or 4 months. Weird, right? Any suggestions about what it could be?)

Then we ate doughnuts.
And it was good.
I tried the bubble gum, maple bacon, oreo, the fruit loop one and the plain chocolate one. My favorite one (by far) was the plain chocolate. I’m a simple gal.
It was sooooooo yummy I’ve thought about it way too many times since our visit.
I love doughnuts.

If you’re looking for a wedding location… they have that at Voodoo too! Here’s a funny Voodoo wedding story one of my instagram friends, Jenn, shared with me… The night before her cousin’s wedding the officiate got very sick. They couldn’t find a replacement on such short notice, so the whole family went to Voodoo Doughnut early in the morning for the official wedding. Then they had the rest of the day as planned.
How rad is that memory? If I could go back to my wedding… I wonder what I would do… maybe Voodoo.

Nature and Nike in the morning.
Organic dinner and Hopworks.
And midnight donuts at Voodoo Doughnut.
I’d say we nailed this Portland thing pretty well.
We sadly left our friends the next morning… after Mrs R made breakfast… of course.

View our whole trip here:

July 21, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Hopworks Urban Brewery is for Kids and Beer

If you happen to be in Portland for dinner and are looking for a casual yummy place, I recommend Hopworks Urban Brewery. It’s yummy, kid friendly and organic. VERY organic.

I’m not sure if you are familiar with the many Portland stereotypes.
I wasn’t.
Our friends introduced us to the show Portlandia and it has this great bit (below) about Portlandians going out to eat. After seeing the clip then reading the Hopworks Urban Brewery’s menu I was in stitches. People in Portland don’t just dabble in organic. They bleed it… humanly and in a natural cage-free environment.
Obviously.

Hopworks is a yummy place to eat and it as an entertaining little kid area. Some restaurants just get it. Parents like to eat too. And they will order more, if they get to sit and chat while their kids play.
True Story.

Get the Pint O Pretzels. You won’t regret it!

And if you need to know a little more about Portland or just need to laugh so hard, you can’t breath, watch this clip… like 20 times.
I’m crying because I’m laughing so hard…

View our whole trip here:

July 20, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Tualatin Hills Park and Getting some Nike Love

We are blessed with great friends.
But sometimes they move away to follow their dreams and it’s bittersweet. Bitter because you’ll miss doing everyday life with them and sweet because now you have a free place to stay on vacation.
We called the Riffs en route (as was the nature of our RV trip). They are the kind of friends described above, who had moved to Oregon and they were totally open to have all 6 of us for dinner that night (need that chicken recipe Lynne). AND they were up for entertaining us for a couple of days.
We have good friends.
The next morning Mrs. Riff made us breakfast, which was pretty rad, then we putzed around till lunch time when we decided to picnic at the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District. If you are passing though Beaverton Oregon (or live there) this is a great place for a day out.
Mrs. Riff packed us lunch and we met Mr. Riff on his lunch break to eat.

The Tualatin Hills Park is 1,300 acres of natural plant habitats and is filled with fun trails. They also have some great events, classes and nature-y things. We walked and explored and climbed and just had fun. The kids get along great.
And they are cute.

Especially these two. They are just a month apart but could be twins. Except for the hair color… opposite twins. They walk and talk with the same mannerisms and voice inflections. AND they are adorable together.
Like cute overload.

Things to know, if you go…

It’s free. Great for a rest stop if you are traveling or for playdates (hello mom’s groups) if you live close to the park.
It’s shady but light, so you can get some great pictures (hello family pictures).
Bring food because there isn’t a snack shack or restaurant… but I think I remember a drink vending machine.
There isn’t an actual playground, but there’s dirt and sticks and bugs so kids won’t get bored.

We got home for naps then went to the Nike company store. Mr. Riff works at the Nike World Headquarters. Remember that dream-following I mentioned way at the beginning? Yep, his took him there.
I’m just gonna say, if you don’t have a friend who works at the Nike World Headquarters, you should get one. Just stand outside the office and try to meet people (maybe bring baked goods), because they get 50% off at their company store. We picked up a hat for Cora Jane because she put in on and has daddy wrapped around her little finger looked so darn cute.

And I picked up some running shoes, in a size 12. Yes, 12.
My foot was a size 9 before kids and now it’s not. I think they were the only women’s size 12s in the whole store. Good thing I liked them… and I like being seen from 3 miles away.
Hello neon yellow.

Then we had some adventures in Portland.
I’ll tell ya next post!

View our whole trip here:

July 18, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Spray Painted Stepping Stones

Our house came with 40+ 70’s style hexagon red-ish stepping stones. Brad wanted to throw them out as soon as the house keys were in our hands. But he married a crazy DIY addict who hoards any potential project materials. After some discussion (ahem), we kept them, and I’ve just used some to make a happy path to our compost bin.
Now what should I do with the remaining 34?

Grab your favorite spray paint colors and spray the tops of the stones. No need to worry with the sides because they are covered.

The stepping stones just needed one coat of spray paint. If you want extra staying power, you can seal the paint with a clear coat. I didn’t seal mine because I wanted a quick project.

Dig a shallow hole around your stepping stone, place the stepping stone and pack the dirt around the stone. Be sure the stone is sticking 1/2 to 1” out of the ground, because if it’s level with the ground or lower, you’ll hose it off to take pretty pictures and it will get mud all over the top and you’ll get all flustered and give up on the pretty pictures.
True story.

I love my happy painted stepping stone path.
I love that I can boast about my awesome creation to my husband who wanted to throw the stepping stones out, made from junk.

Happy DIYing!

I’ll be finishing our RV Adventure next week. I was off the computer because of technical malfunctions. Boo. I can’t wait to share all we’ve been up to.

July 4, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Multnomah Falls is Lovely and I want to Live There

We go to church every week.
Even on vacation.
We are those people.
While on the road and around church time we googled churches in the area and found Calvary Chapel Ontario, Oregon.
So we went.
Great message. Awesome people. And we met a rad family and almost had lunch with them at their house, but we wanted to get on the road so it didn’t work out.
True story.
After church, we got back in the RV and continued our trip toward Beaverton, OR to stay with good friends.

While in route, one of our friends mentioned Multnomah Malls. I googled it and it looked AMAZING!!
So we went.

kids in front of Falls

Oregon is green with trees everywhere and I just love it. It’s like all the extra oxygen makes you happier. The Multnomah Falls Footpath leads to the Benson Bridge, which was built in 1914. It’s only .2 miles and easy for kiddos to hike. Tess insisted on walking the whole time… it was annoying adorable. There is another path that leads to the top, but it’s a mile and we were just there for quick trip. I’d really like to go again and explore all the trailheads (there are 6!) because it’s just that beautiful. And I want to go inside the Multnomah Falls Lodge at the base of the Falls. It was built in 1925 as a rest stop for travelers and looks lovely!

Things to know, if you go…

Parking is tight. There is a lot near the lodge but you might need to search for a parking spot or park farther down the road. RVs can park in the reserved bus parking.
It’s an easy walk to the first bridge so no hiking shoes are needed. But if you plan on hiking one of the 6 trails, you won’t want to wear flip-flops.
You can pack snacks for the hikes but the Multnomah Falls Lodge at the base of the Falls has a restaurant, visitor center, coffee shop, and hot dog stand. So you can grab a bite there if you like.
Tons of photo ops. There is greenery everywhere and the tree coverage makes for great lighting.

We got into Beaverton just in time for a homemade dinner with old friends. Don’t you just love friendships that can pick up right where they left off?
It’s the best!

Day 10 – Traveled 438 miles

View our whole trip here:

July 4, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Old Faithful is Old and Nature is Pretty Amazing

We couldn’t leave Yellowstone National Park without seeing Old Faithful.

The weather was cold and rainy and snowy but we were blessed with 4 hours of sunshine while we were at Old Faithful.
It was pretty sweet.
Since Old Faithful is… um… faithful, the park rangers post predicted times for the next geyser explosion – Intervals range from 60-110 minutes. We had quite a bit of time so we went exploring at the Old Faithful Inn and then to the visitor center to learn all about geysers.

Then we watched the show.
Cy was super into it.
Obviously.

We had a quick lunch at one of the cafes because we wanted to get on the road and to our next destination.

everyone smokes in wyoming old skis repurposed into bench

Things to know, if you go…

If you want a seat to see Old Faithful erupt, then get to the viewing area early.
The eruption times listed are just predictions and can vary quite a bit in time. We had many countdowns and I was praying that when my littles got to “3…2…1” it would explode. It didn’t.
Stay on the paths while walking around. The ground in certain areas is thin and has scalding hot water/mud underneath and can kill you. I have no idea why this scared the poo out of me but it did. Maybe because Cy runs and doesn’t listen (EVER) and is like a ninja when he disappears from our side.
There is all sorts of food around Old Faithful. Quick, like the café or sit-down restaurants that serve bison meat. Yum! But I would bring food next time if we were doing a fast meal again.
The visitor center is fun.

We drove till late at night and I had mentioned our progress on facebook. One of my childhood friends commented that if we were in her area we should stop by… um… we were going to be in her area in a couple of hours. And needed a place to park the RV.
That was easy.
We pulled into Boise, Idaho late at night, got to chat for a bit then went to bed. The next morning we left just as the sun was rising. I wish we could have stayed longer, but I’m so thankful for the visit!. (Congrats Julie on #4!! 4 kids is the best ever!!)
Below is a lovely Idaho sunset…

Day 9 – Traveled 424 miles

View our whole trip here:

July 3, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

National Museum of Wildlife Art is Just Right for Kids Too

The day we drove down to Jackson Hole we saw a strange building.
So we went there.

It turns out the “strange building” is the National Museum of Wildlife Art and houses the largest collection of wildlife art in the nation (maybe the world according to one docent). The museum started when two families gifted each other with wildlife art. As the collection grew they decided to put it all together. The actual museum building was modeled after ruins of Slains Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
I love stuff like that.
LOVE!!!
Big pink-puffy-paint-heart love.
Hey, we have lots of nice art.
Yeah.
Let’s put all our rad stuff together and start a museum.
OK.
But instead of a regular museum, we’ll build the ruins of a Scottish castle in Wyoming.
Hells yeah!
At least that’s how I like to imagine the conversation went down.

The art was lovely, but we spent our time in the small but power-packed Children’s Discovery Gallery. The whole area is interactive, complete with an art area, animal dress-up costumes puppet show stage, and a reading nook.
Dear National Museum of Wildlife Art,
It took all my restraint to not snip a few of those amazing leaves in the entry to the kids area, and pop them into my purse. They are just lovely and I want to fill the celling of the kids playroom with them.
Sincerely,
Kara Noel (who would never actually steal anything from anywhere)

Outside there is a great trail with almost 30 outdoor sculptures and a marmot den. See if you can find the marmot a couple of pictures down…

Things to know, if you go:

Walk the sculpture trail around the museum.
Upon entry they will give each child an age appropriate satchel – called a Critter Case – filled with fun stuff to keep them busy in the museum. It’s awesome! Four satchels was way too much for my young kids and I ended up holding everything. If you have older kids or fewer kids you’ll be fine.
There is a café in case you are in a bind for food.

View our whole trip here: