Sincerly, KALA

So I've been really committed to this blog for about a month, and I've avoided going into to much detail about myself, just for the sake of avoiding making this blog a showcase of "ME". I want this to be a platform to share the things that inspire me, encourage me and spur me onto being a better follower of Jesus, wife, mother, friend, and person in general, in hopes that they might do the same for you. I do realize though, that I do need to be a little vulnerable, and show a little more of who I am, aren't we all here to relate to each other anyway? To form a sense of community in a culture that has placed more value on the individual than than the whole? So with that said, I'd like to share with you a bit of what my life is like, in the form of these photos my friend Aiyana took for me.

I have a few tattoos. The first one I got when I was 18, the peacock feather across my chest. It says, "Create in me a pure heart" it is from Psalms 51, which is a bit of a home base for me, a source of stability and confidence in God's ultimate supremacy in my life. The second is the word "Acholi" on my inner arm. I got this one after my trip to Uganda, where my life, heart and mind was forever changed. One woman in particular seriously rocked my world, her name is Betty and she is from the Acholi tribe of Northern Uganda. She would sing this little song, a prayer really, about her people and the place that most of them had to leave in fear of their lives, "In Acholi land there will be no war, In Acholi land there will be more peace". When I got back I knew that it would be easy for me to separate the things that I had seen and experienced when I settled back into the culture of North America, so I wanted a constant reminder. The third, is on my foot, and I got it when I met my husband, when I realized he would be my husband. it says "Beauty For Ashes" which is from Isaiah 61.

We are a coffee family. My husband is a coffee roaster, so I am constantly exposed to the "coffee culture", Im almost as obsessed as he is. I am the woman you see at the cafe with her baby, giving him finger tastes of my espresso, I want him to taste it, I want him to know what it is that helps provide our family with sustenance, and appreciate it. Currently, my go to has been from Handsome, the Burundi. 

 When I am home I spend most of my time in the kitchen, if I am not knitting. I think living in such a diverse city has really opened up my mind and palate to appreciate many different kinds of foods and ways of cooking. Having a child has only intensified this, I want him to have the best that I can offer, to experience the joys of eating delicious food together, and the blessings of the ability to eat well, to be healthy. This makes my cooking style a bit jekyll and hyde. It is not uncommon for me to mix bacon with kale, or butter with whole wheat flour. I used to be a vegetarian, but that period of my life ended when I got pregnant with Julian. Since then, I have been on a bit of a journey to discover my ethics when it comes to food, to feeding my family, honoring the creation God has given us as a gift and keeping mindful of the fact that my choice of food has an effect far greater than I realize on most days. Sustainability is important to me. With that said, I want to share my foodie experiments here with you, here is one of my favorite things to make to top pancakes, quick breads, or honestly, just eat out of the fridge late at night. 

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Knitting is a huge part of my life. I started a few years ago, after Xavier and I got married. It was my way to spend time with him, to be "alone together" while he read his books, or wrote music. When my pregnancy with Julian got pretty uncomfortable, I sat and taught myself how to really knit, not just a rectangular garter stitch scarf, and I fell in love. It was a new way to constantly push myself, to progress, to have forward motion when life seems to hold me in difficult seasons. I am currently really into lace knitting, the yarn overs and decreases are like a little dance for my fingers. In the summer time it is harder for me to knit, I am a serious woolie, and the other stuff, cotton, silk, linen, just doesn't cut it for me, so come fall you will be seeing much more knitted somethings.

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I have been married to my husband for about 3 years now, he is 12 years my senior. I love being married to an older man, he is a refreshing source of stability. a hard worker and committed to our family. Im not going to say marriage is easy and always blissful, because that is a lie, and you shouldn't believe anyone who tells you that. It is hard work, but it is so worth it. I like to look at the collection of books we keep by our bed, the ones we tend to reach for when we need something familiar and comfortable, its a interesting way to see what is going on in each of our hearts and minds. 

If you look at the black and white photo on the lower shelf you can see little baby Julian, in the tummy. Our son is about 18 months old now, and it has been a sweet and salty and sour whirlwind of an experience. I've made some mistakes, I've made some solid decisions that I am proud of, but Im not perfect, I want to share some of those experiences on this blog. Julian is quite the character, he loves his little best friend Omi, who I nanny, and loves to eat beans, greek yogurt and cumin roasted butternut squash. Although, somedays he just asks for cookies, and I don't blame him. He delights and surprises me everyday, and occasionally infuriates me, like the time he flushed my iphone down the toildet because I would not read him "Have You Seen My Cat?. Ok, maybe he just thought it would be fun, but there is a part of me that really thinks he did it on purpose. He has a serious milk addiction and I am taking suggestions as to how to break him of this obsession. (Seriously, he could drink a gallon of milk if I let him.) The evidence of this is in his cubby thighs and fat rolls, which I kiss and pinch at least once or twice (ok more like ten times) everyday.

   So there you have it. These are for the most part, the most important things in my life. Im here to share them with you, to have community, so connect and inspire and be inspired.

Sincerly, 

Kirstin.

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Photo credit 
(YawniTiger)
Dress:
(Recyled Flour Sack, Sweatshop Free )