Since school is beginning very soon, I thought now would be a good time to do a quick overview of our summer so far. It’s been delightful to say the least! June started out with a half marathon, which I completed with two friends. It was much harder than anticipated, but I finished and was thankful for the challenge!
July was full of some sickness, but was trumped by the ocean, soccer camp, girls’ camp, wrestling camp, and family time.
So far, August has been beautiful. Our dear friends came to visit us from Ohio. Ruthie and I go all the way back to age ten. Lots of front porch talks, a trip to the beach, and seeing our kids play with each other was such a joy. The garden is bursting with color. Matthew made the girls’ room a lot more fun by hanging their bed from the ceiling. It is only accessible via a ladder and monkey bars. Notice, my oldest daughter has to bend over a bit to look like the same height as her mother. Matthew is doing marvelously well health-wise. More on that later.
God has been so faithful and good to us. Summer isn’t over yet, and it’s been grand so far.
adventure
Cleared For Take-Off
Since it’s almost been a month since we went down to North Carolina, I thought it was high time to get my pictures together from our trip. Oceanus did well driving down there. We missed one exit, which gave us an extra long and lovely drive. We even touched into Tennessee, which was unexpected.
A few of the highlights of our time with my brother and his family was of course seeing them, and also touring the airport where he works and serves missionary candidates. The ministry he helped to found is called Compass Aviation, and its goal is to give training and experience to pilots and mechanics who are wanting to serve on the foreign mission field. Please, check out their website to learn more and pray about how God can use YOU to get planes flying and pilots and mechanics to their destination. Here is my amazing brother:
It was an honor to hang out with my super-cool nephew (who is also a pilot and mechanic). I watched this young man grow from babyhood on up, and I am thrilled to see him going on strong for the Lord.
One evening, we all headed to the airport for some plane rides. Betty had never been, and was the most excited to fly.
John let Elijah talk over the radio and even let him fly for a bit:
Funny story: when I was in the plane with Elijah & Betty, my brother did a CRAZY swoop during take-off which made all of us scream SO loudly. It was fabulous. Betty loved every second, the thrill-seeker that she is.
She loved it so much, in fact, that this is what she did for most of the time she wasn’t in the airplane:
The evening was filled with beauty and joy and an immense amount of fun.
On Saturday, we celebrated Aaron’s graduation from High School. It was one of the most blessing-filled ceremonies I have ever attended. My brother and sister-in-law homeschooled him, and did a fine job indeed. Our whole family was very inspired.
So proud of you, Aaron! “You are now cleared for take-off!”
It was hard to drive away from our Southern family, but our memories with them are incredibly sweet. I am beyond words of thankfulness for the blessing of our family and all its extensions. At a rest stop on the way home, we stopped to stretch.
Excited to see where these kids will fly in life.
2 Months, 1 Amazing Guy, 5 Kids, 1 Rabbit, and 22 Bobby-pins
We stood on the edge of the woods, arms around each other and Nadine started to quietly sing: “Nah-nah-nah-nah, nah-nah-nah-nah, hey, hey, hey, good-bye.” Matthew and I hugged her close and sang along, our mournful song stretching past the trees and into the May evening with respect and emotion. A pile of stones marks his grave, as this week we said goodbye to our first pet. Toby was Nadine’s rabbit, and she loved and trained him well. I will miss watching her train him on the front porch and take him for walks around the block on his little leash. The words sharpie-d onto his grave-stone say it all:
On a happier note, our school-year is done. We are schooling all year, which basically means we are taking a short break before starting again! This allows for longer breaks during Christmas-time and the dreaded February blues. Today I have an incredibly special place to school-plan. While Matthew works on a side job, this is my view:
I do not take this for granted and have spent most of my morning in awe of the fact that there is no one needing me. In fact, I even managed to go to the bathroom without anyone yelling, “MOM!” Because as every mother knows, the time when every child all of a sudden urgently needs them, is the moment the bathroom door closes.
In the past few months of non-writing, there are mounds of funnies jotted into my phone’s notebook, along with lots of pictures. Our spring has been full of gardening, school, organizing, and purging. Recently, we’ve been going room-by-room throughout the house and deep-cleaning every nook and cranny. This is useful for two things: to get rid of what is not needed, and to find lost things. I don’t know about you, but there are a few items in our home which notoriously get lost throughout the year: bobby-pins, scissors, pencils, pens, hair-ties, hair-brushes, and socks. There is a small list of things of more value and meaning which have also gone missing, and this was another reason for the deep-cleaning. Unfortunately, those things still haven’t been found, but we do have a FULL jar of pencils, pens, and scissors again. As well as this nice array of 22 bobby-pins confiscated from one room alone:
My heart is so full of thankfulness for the five amazing gifts God has given to us. They bless our lives more than words or pictures can express. But I will try to express it anyway.
Nadine has such a huge heart. This was shown so clearly this week when she lost Toby. How she carried him bravely from the accident and stayed with him and didn’t shy away from showing her grief. She has been babysitting and absolutely loves kids. Her passion for horses has not been abated, and she loves to spend her free time writing letters to her amazing friends. She is keeping alive the art of creating home-made envelopes and giving the post office lots of service! She holds the highest record on “bop-it”, which is like a concentration game: 250. I think my record is 21. She sang her first solo and did a beautiful job at their end-of-school play. She is a strong girl, and loves to arm wrestle. I love how she cleans up the kitchen at night for me, when I’m feeling like toast. Her energy is exactly what I need sometimes.
Elijah is growing up, like boys do. Our recent trip to the Franklin Institute to see the “Art of the Brick” Lego display was pretty epic. He and Jack have been building all sorts of things in their spare time, making guns that shoot legos, and vending machines that actually work. It is beyond me. He is often my side-kick in the kitchen. He recently made some chicken curry that was pretty bombdiggity. He did a great job a couple weeks ago, helping Matthew at our church to teach a lesson about lying. He has a gift for music and I absolutely love listening to him jam on the guitar. It is his new passion, and he brings us great joy to hear him play and sing.
Jack finished up his year of wrestling, turned 9, and all sorts of other momentous things in April. At the kids’ end-of-the-year school celebration with their co-op, they performed a musical called, “Rats”. Jack was one of the rats, and I learned something I never knew about him before: that boy can act! He was not afraid on the stage, and he actually hammed it up quite a bit. He is fearless on his bike, which is sometimes not a good thing. He loves to hold hands, and can give the best shoulder massages. When I think of Jack, I think of a strong, tame, hug-gable tiger.
Elsie is a fearless, yet at times, shy girl. She has the most beautiful singing voice, and the ability to pick up songs on the piano naturally. She did a great job at the end-of-the-year play as well. When she has two wheels under her, she becomes very bold. The other day our family went to the skate park together and she was the only girl in the entire park, fearlessly rollerblading between some crazy fast boys on jumps. She prefers to be outside, and has the best imagination. Her end-of-the-year science experiment with flowers and colored water worked out well, and it was fun watch the flowers turn into different colors. She turned 7, got glasses, and seemed to grow up all in a matter of months.
Betty, who is four (which really means “I’m almost five”), tops our charts with hilarity. She adores school, her yellow crocs, and being a part of everything. Like when the kids were all playing “Truth or Dare” in the car. She piped up: “Truth or dare? Truth is, I dare you to jump out of the window!” Elijah calmly answered, “Betty, I’m not going to jump out the window.” She probably crossed her eyes, which is something she does a lot of right now when she’s annoyed. She recently learned how to ride a bike without training wheels, had her first three-legged race, and a host of other firsts that come with being under the age of five. She tells stories which go on for many minutes. The most recent one she told started off like this: “Long ago, when I was three…” She loves “noodle” cookies (snickerdoodles) and “reading”. When we were gardening last week she exclaimed, “There’s a lot of bees in this village!” I must have said, “Sweetheart” to her at some point because she looked at me with a dead-pan face (as she always looks when she says things that crack us up) and said, “Sweetheart?! Why do you always call me sweetheart?” I was so taken aback, I wasn’t sure how to respond! 
Another highlight of our spring was saying hello again to my parents who recently just arrived back from Africa. It was fun house-sitting for them, but much more fun having them back again. You can read all about their trip here.
Meeting our international travelers at the airport. I love hellos!
Matthew has been doing pretty well. I don’t think I could be more thankful for him than I am right now, although I know tomorrow it will be more, because that’s how love is. It grows with time. And though we’re not old, we’re older than we were, and I have time on my side to say without a doubt: It just gets better.
Halfway To Seventy
Every time March rolls around, I get very excited. I love birthdays and am not afraid of them. I am now officially halfway to seventy:
Today we got a foot of snow for my birthday. It was PILES of fun, and I’m thankful Matthew was able to work from home! This week was full of surprises. It began with an early birthday cake, made especially by our cousin, who owns The Master’s Baker. Seeing as though we didn’t even have a wedding cake, this was my first experience at receiving a professional custom-made cake. Isn’t it gorgeous?
Since winter is here and all, we decided we would take it by the hand and have fun with it. My next surprise was a night away with everyone at Bear Creek mountain resort, for our very first family skiing adventure! 
The last time I went skiing was on my 19th birthday. My best friend, Rebecca, was giving me clues on what to do to prepare for this epic surprise she had planned with my sister. She told me things like, “Make sure you shave your legs,” and “Dress nice!” When my birthday rolled around, they blindfolded me and brought me downstairs to the kitchen where I was met by Matthew, his brother, and Rebecca’s brothers. Matthew handed me my “treasure map” to the surprise: a map of the ski place we would be going to that day! I laughed and said, “Good thing I shaved my legs!” before running back upstairs to change. It was a great memory. That may have been the time I kept skiing backwards and couldn’t figure out how to turn myself back around, which only came in handy when I wanted to wave at people as I passed them. It also may have been the time I accidentally went down a black diamond, without knowing how to slow down at all. I do remember flying past Matthew, and truly hoping I would make it down to the bottom in one piece.
Funny how time telescopes when you find yourself in the exact place you have been in the past. I wasn’t skiing backwards or even down a black diamond. Yet all of a sudden I felt the same freedom mingled with danger, and I was 19 again. Except when I fell. Then the nostalgia went poof like the snow in which I landed, and I was definitely thirty-five. And I definitely had five people I had birthed from my body, sharing the ever-expanding niches of my heart. I don’t remember what it is like to be completely separate from those feelings of mother-love. To do anything apart from my mind, body and soul being so deeply connected with another human being. I would rather be halfway to seventy and not remember what it’s like to be independent of those feelings, than be nineteen and have no idea what I’m missing. And as exhausting as motherhood can be, it’s even more exhilarating than that.
My breath caught more times than just when the wind whipped my face. As I skied next to Elsie while she zipped to the bottom of a hill, red cheeks, one strand of hair constantly falling out of her hat and helmet, I smiled at her bravery. She went from being scared to death to go down the hill, to falling, to dusting herself off and saying, “Let’s do it again!” It caught when I saw Nadine gracefully maneuvering the snowy hills, her tall self looking so beautiful. She was so helpful with Betty, both on the slopes and the night before, when we had supper together.
She’s a wonderful big sister. So is Elsie, who is also not afraid to perform interpretive dance in the middle of a restaurant in pj’s and socks.
I laughed at Elijah, my crazy, creative boy, who thought to video himself while he skied and then simultaneously wiped out at the bottom.
I found it hard to breath as I watched Jack plow recklessly and fearlessly down hills and over jumps, creating a puff of snow when he fell.
He wore his t-shirt around his face for most of the day.
I found it especially hard to believe my baby bear is growing up enough to have a ski day of her own. She absolutely loved it when Matthew held her waist all the way down the hill. I almost cried when her little voice called down to me from the ski lift and she waved her little mitten hand and went higher and farther away from me. When her daddy was not able to ski with her, this is what she thought about the whole idea:
Yes, this is her “I’m-happy-and-I-know-it-but-just-not-about-skiing” face.
Our day ended abruptly when I got a call on my phone, just as I had sat down in the lodge with Nadine and Betty and a hot cup of tea. It was Matthew, and he said Elsie had fallen getting off the ski lift and he wasn’t sure if her arm was broken. My throat had a lump in it when I saw the snowmobile with a red cross on it make its way to the ski patrol, a tiny bundle on its sled. I told Nadine to pray and then ran over to meet Matthew. This darling little thing was getting checked out, and we still weren’t sure about her condition. After a lollipop, an ice-cream bar, and many attempts by the sweet ski patrol medics to get her to smile, Matthew got the rest of the crew packed up and we left. I experienced one of the most frightening and harrowing drives through ice and sleet and snow, but made it to the hospital near our house. Long, happy story short: her arm is not broken! We are so grateful to God.
When Matthew and I collapsed into bed, he sighed, “That was the best day ever.”
I would have to agree. And this time, I didn’t even have to shave my legs.
Don’t Forget To Wash Your Hands
December started out with a bang, as I supported an amazingly strong woman through over forty hours of labor. My friend and fellow doula, Sarah, came to spell me for a few hours the last night of November. Then on the evening of December first, another baby girl came into the world. It was an honor to witness such strength and endurance as that mama displayed. I am constantly reminded of the incredible stamina and tenacity we as humans possess.
After that sleepless weekend, we were presented with “the bug”, as my children so fondly have named it. It really began Thanksgiving night with Betty getting sick outside, just as we arrived home from a wonderful day with my family. The bug slowly made its way through all but two of us: Jack & myself. So, after a few days of birth jet-lag and a few days of sickness, we made it to this week, where we have had to reel ourselves back into school again. Our attempts have felt somewhat like crash-landings a few days this week. There’s nothing gentle about reality.
Yesterday we had an adventurous trip to Trader Joe’s, where I was meeting Matthew’s mom who was going to take the kids for the afternoon. Upon arriving, Elsie had to go to the bathroom, so we all trudged into the store. After about five minutes of waiting, it was evident we were going to be there for awhile. So I sent Nadine with the others to look for the stuffed hedgehog and claim the prized lollipop that comes from finding said hedgehog hidden somewhere in the store. Five minutes later they returned, all sucking lollipops, and we hung out to wait for Elsie some more. Others joined the small area, waiting for the bathroom to be free. Then Betty, who really has no filter, put her face to the door and yelled: “Don’t forget to wash your hands after diarrhea!” I quickly tried to shush her, while holding back laughter. Of course Elsie yelled from the recesses of the bathroom: “What?!” So Betty quickly repeated her reminder in the same volume. I just about lost it, standing about ten feet from the eggs and milk section of the store, where busy shoppers were probably only wanting to think about food. I never did make eye contact with the man waiting near us.
Tonight the girls were playing their most recent game of “Holly & Annie”. Usually it begins with them meeting eachother after a long absence, and both of them determining how old the other is.
“Holly!” begins Betty.
“Annie!” Elsie replies, and they hug.
“I’m seven years old!” says Betty. (Elsie whispers: Seventeen) “Seventy!” Betty corrects herself. (No, no! Seventeen, Elsie whispers again.) “Seventeen!”
“Wow! I’m eighteen!” gasps Elsie.
“Wow! I’m almost bigger than you!” exclaims Betty, and so on it goes until they go to Hawaii or some such place. It usually is Hawaii, actually.
Recently, an incredibly sweet young lady approached me with the offer of a lifetime: to come be at our home every week for a few hours to do whatever I need her to do. That right there is an offer money can’t buy. We look forward to our weekly visits from her. Often she helps with school, or sometimes she is just another ear for this tired out mama to talk to and I know my words find acceptance and not judgement. If ever there was opportunity for her to judge, it was last week. She was supposed to come Thursday at 9AM. I woke up at 9:05. Every morning, I always lay in bed to try and remember what day of the week it is, where I need to go, who is coming here, etc. I got to that last thought and sprung out of bed to look out the window. Yep, her car was there. I stumbled downstairs to find one of the kids had woken up before me and welcomed her inside. She looked at me and laughed. This here is what we call: real life. Every day I don’t have it all together. Every day I miss stuff, mess up, fall down, or give in to the pressure of life. It’s important to be vulnerable about one’s humanness. I do not wake up gracefully. It was both humbling and hilarious to welcome a guest into my home with a sleepy voice and crusty eyes. Whatever came out of my mouth, every word was really saying, “I forgot you were coming. Forgive me while I go make some tea and clean up the supper dishes I was going to wash before you got here this morning.” Yes, this real life stuff is just that: real. Not fake or put together.
The same person who saw me in my pajamas and morning hair also offered to help me clean and rearrange my room today. I say this to encourage some of you who may be on one side or the other of this coin of life. If you have time on your side, find a mama who looks tired and worn out, and offer a chunk of time to her out of love and not self-gain. The rewards will be eternal, I guarantee you. If you are a mama and someone offers to help you, take them up on the offer! Nothing baffles me more than when we as women shrug off the need for help because we’re too proud to accept it, we’re too embarrassed to air our dirty homes, or we’re too busy to slow down and let someone into our life. I was embarrassed to my core when she saw every single thing that was under my bed. At the same time, I felt a freedom in letting go of my facade that I’m all put together. Just like you, my clothes, my house, my dishes and my hair all get dirty. If you didn’t know it, now you do. It’s a constant battle, to admit my humanness and my imperfections. I’d much rather have an instagram life, but just as quickly as you glance at that perfect picture, reality smudges the lens again.
All these imperfections make me long for more. Thanks be to God, there is more! There will be a day, where there will be no more sickness, no more pain, no more mess-ups, and no more tears. Excellence and beauty will never be tarnished by sin again. Home will be perfect and complete because Jesus is there. If you know Him personally, one day perfection will be your reality too. Until then, let’s love eachother through the bad breath, messy hair, and clutter. And let’s not forget to wash our hands after diarrhea.
So thankful for these five.
Flare-Ups, Squeaky Brakes, and Thankful Hearts
Fall is doing its steady march toward winter, and Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I know time does not in actuality move any faster each year, but the feeling of it moving extra swiftly is real.
The past month has been full of life. I’ve been staying up late at night, finishing projects that require silence, as silence is hard to come by around here before 10pm. So naturally I’ve been sleeping in a bit later as well. Yesterday, Betty came to snuggle with me. She convinced me it was time to get up, because, “Look! The sunshine is awake!” She has been full of so many funnies, I don’t even write half of them down. Yesterday there was a spider crawling on the ground. Not a normal sight in our house, and she was more freaked out than I thought she would be. After awhile of being on the couch, she starting dancing up and down and said how she had to go potty. She didn’t want to leave the couch because of the spider (which was long gone by now). She even tried to talk herself out of being scared. “Spiders don’t live in houses. They live on spider webs.” It didn’t work. “I’m scared of spiders. I don’t know where to go.” Elsie had the perfect solution: walk on the floor all around the carpet, and don’t touch the carpet where the spider was last seen. Problem solved. Their cute little feet tip-toed all around the carpet and walked to the bathroom. She also loves to sing. Sometimes she pulls out my guitar and sings all about Jesus. At the particular moment one of these was taken, she was singing a song about Jesus and rock-climbing on a mountain. 
We were looking at pictures yesterday, and Betty kept thinking photos of Elsie were of her. We determined it was their hair that seemed so similar. She looked at Elsie, stroked her hair and said, “I know. Now your hair is growed up!” I’m not the only one amazed at how time is passing.
This weekend we went to see some friends in a ballet of Snow White. I took the girls, and it was absolutely hilarious sitting next to Betty. She followed the story really well, but her ongoing commentary was a hoot. At one point, she was watching one ballerina, who was supposed to be a bird, doing some flying leaps in the air. She whispered loud enough for everyone around us to hear and chuckle, “How does she do that?! You know, mommy, birds can’t dance. They fly.”
Elsie is an avid reader. Her favorite place to read is the top of the stairs, after everyone has gone to bed. We can hear her voice, drifting down the stairs, and it usually gets louder the longer she reads. She is keeping track of how many hours she reads, and I believe it is up to fourteen hours. She certainly keeps us on our toes. She is my faithful companion when it comes to running errands or tidying the house. She has been reading a book about astronomy, which led us to a discussion about how the earth is floating, and she said in an awed voice, “God is just doing His powers right now!” 
Jack is wrestling again. A few weekends ago, Matthew took the boys to a wrestling tournament and Jack got third place. Elijah wrestled as well and got fifth place. Jack has decided to stick with it for the rest of the season, and it’s fun to watch him. He is also becoming more of a reader. He even brought his book to the grocery store last week, and was seen reading in the cart. This was a first. Jack takes up a lot of energy, but his heart is solid. 
The blur that is Jack, pretty much sums up how he lives life.
Elijah just turned eleven! While the boys were at the wrestling tournament, the girls, Matt’s mom, and I all worked hard to switch up bedrooms to surprise them. Nadine has her own room again, the girls came downstairs, and the attic is now a boy haven. The exclamation point up there is the drum set we got Elijah for his birthday. He is a gifted musician, and it’s fun to hear him improving on the piano and drums. He is pretty sure his voice is changing, and though it’s scratchy some days, I’m not convinced yet.
Nadine claims she is constantly hungry, which could be the contributing factor to the extra inch in height she has seemed to procure lately. Yes, she is taller than me. She loves to write, and is currently working on a fabulous chapter book for kids. She babysits regularly and gets a lot of practice with her own siblings. She is currently taking a small break from horseback riding, but is excited to get back in the saddle soon. I love her zest for life, though it often makes me feel exhausted. Much of what she says and does makes me chuckle, when I remember how similar I was at twelve. 
Matthew had a scare at the beginning of the month, which sent us down to Jefferson Hospital. Turns out it was not as bad as we were thinking, but there was enough inflammation to get our attention. Then this week his voice started to take a downhill turn again. After today’s appointment with his Rheumatologist, it was determined he will begin Rituxan infusions again to see if we can nip this in the bud before it gets to be where he was a year and a half ago. We are thankful. When he talks and I hear his voice catch and sound hoarse, I immediately give my fears back to the God who knows exactly what’s going on inside his body. Every day is so incredibly precious with this man I love.
The snow forecasted for today has started to fall. Our van is in the shop, getting its embarrassingly squeaky brakes fixed. I actually have gotten wide-eyed looks from people as I pull into a parking spot and come to a stop. They look like they would like to throw something at me for the pain I’ve caused their ears. I pretend like I didn’t hear anything. Squeak? What squeak? Last month our friend did some body work on it. I am embarrassed to say, but I backed into a boat trailer one September afternoon. Thankfully, the trailer suffered only a broken tail light. Oceanus was worse for the wear. On top of that, I could barely get gas in the tank because there was a small metal flap that had broken off and was hanging in such a way so the pump nozzle would get stuck. So, one night Matthew was trying to fix it. He had a pencil in his hand to hold up one side of the piece, while he tried to bend it with some pliers. It was dark. He was holding three things with two hands. It happened. He walked in the door and I said, “You did not.” He did. The pencil dropped into the gas tank. It was actually kind of funny. Even more funny was explaining it to our friend. He actually was able to fish it out for us. Now we have a pencil-free and dent-free van. Oh, and hopefully a squeak-free one soon as well.
There is much to be thankful for today and always. Happy Thanksgiving!
When Sparks Fly and Cracks are Backed
It’s two o’clock, and I am finally eating lunch. The quiet scribble of one person doing their writing homework is like music to my ears, while the hot tea is like medicine for my harried brain. Outside, the boys are reading on the trampoline. You know, between jumps. This morning was full of dictation, reading out loud, and lots and lots of math. Math four times around each day has both enriched my brain and caused it to temporarily shut down for the day. A few facts I have learned today:
The moment I have to use the bathroom is the moment everyone has a need of great importance.
Informative speeches are impossible to write. (That fact is up for debate. Maybe the person claiming it should write a persuasive speech to prove their point.)
It is not difficult to make deodorant, and it smells amazing.
I often wipe my nose on my sleeve without even thinking. Please tell me this is something moms with small kids often do.
Receiving a big box with a smile on the side is a huge reason for celebration. Especially when the box contains a new heating element for the stove.
Ah, the stove. About a week ago, I was testing out some recipes for my first ever cooking class.
As I preheated the oven for some grain-free corn bread, I noticed a small flame dancing inside the oven. This would not be a problem if we had a brick oven, but ours happens to be electric. I tried to blow it out, because this has worked in the past. When it seemed to get bigger and start spreading, I called Elijah to grab the fire extinguisher. I ordered everyone outside, while we unsuccessfully put out the sparking flames. Finally, I told Elijah to run get our neighbor, while I called 911. Fortunately, I was able to tell the dispatcher never mind, as our neighbor ran over with a big fire extinguisher and the grand idea of flipping off the breaker connected to the stove. The second he did that, the fire fizzled into nothing. What a bunch of excitement. And mess.
Of course my cooking class was in about ten hours, and I was now without a stove. Enter: wonderful neighbors again. Thankfully, their stove was just fine, and the classes were able to go on as planned, with just a little extra walking. I also paid double to have someone overnight a new heating element. How exciting it was to receive the box. The thrill died about as quickly as a blown-out candle when I pulled out a completely bent element that would not work at all. Thankfully, you can return things in this country. The box we received today with the smiley face on it contained a just as happy part, which will be responsible for much delightful baking this fall.
Now, seven hours later, I can hardly believe another day has passed. Often you can find out what filled my day, by glancing at the open tabs on the computer: Aromahead Institute, Patchouli, Artemisia, DIY rope rug, Amazon, Crockpot Bacon and Goat Cheese, Elderberry Syrup, Hillsong Acoustic Sessions. The other way to find out what has filled our lives the past couple of weeks is to dump some photos from my phone:
Winter clothes turnover day, many Betty faces, our own William Tell, walking Toby the rabbit, school planning squeezed in during piano lesson time, late night Bible studies, and lots of tea.
This week we also saw our whole Weldon family, including our Italian family and the college boy, which was a huge treat!
Sleepy head Betty, and her outfit of choice this Sunday: red silk and black velvet Christmas dress, blue cotton tights with pink flowers on them and black patent leather shoes. She has been asking a lot when Christmas is coming. She asks in such a way that makes it sound like a person is coming to visit us very soon. My week has also been full of aromatherapy school, pumpkins and the chiropractor. Whenever we go to the chiropractor, Betty grins, gives a big sigh, and says she loves getting her “crack backed”.
This year, the four bigs have also been involved in a homeschool co-op. Their science teacher took these great pictures of them in his class as they were learning about density.
This was the scene around the table tonight. We’ve got four readers, taking turns reading around the table. It is one of my favorite parts of the day. As is this time: hanging out with my man. Good night.
Run Wild With The Hope
Amazing experiences are like pearls hidden in a shell. Unless you know there is treasure inside, it is just an ugly shell. This weekend may have looked like a crazy-dirty-roll-my-eyes-at-another-race-type-run to most people, but if you can be patient, I hope I can unpack and share with you some treasures I found hidden in the rough.
It started as a team of twelve people I barely knew. Names painted onto a van. It ended very differently.
We had two vans, with six runners per van. Every runner had three legs to complete, so we made check boxes for each of us to fill in as we finished. Art meets brawn. Or something like that.
As second runner, I waited for my first run and tried not to think about how cold I was. I imagined the warmth that would soon be coursing through my blood once I got going. Once Bonnie tagged me, I was off. 
I had a two-mile climb before cresting the hill and experiencing an incredible view. The van drove by me to yell through the windows, words of encouragement. And I listened to words of worship and blessing through songs in my ears.
And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And with the prairies I am calling out Your name…
And there is still a faith
That can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I’ve seen love make heaven ring…
From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever ’til you see
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song
Not sung in vain
And I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name.
I slowed my pace to catch this view with my phone. It doesn’t do it justice. I felt so free up there, maybe a bit like how a bird feels when he’s flying across the beauty only visible between earth and sky. I could feel the glory of the mountains breaking into song and the trees clapping their hands. I was spectator to the majestic song of praise that is constantly being sung. My feet kept time, I met with my Maker up there, and it felt like holy ground.
At the second exchange, I tagged runner 3, and we were off to encourage him. Sometimes it meant screaming through open van windows, and sometimes it meant using sidewalk chalk along the craziest climb of the race. 
Through each exchange, each runner tagged the next.
There was a particularly breath-taking view along the way, right before Matthew’s first run.
Who spoke the Earth and sky to form
Who sets the sun and calls the dawn
Who breathed me out of dust to life
With the will to trust or run and hide
I will stay should the world by me fold
Lift up Your name as the darkness falls
I will wait and hold fast to Your word
Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You
Who loved me through my rebel way
Who chose to carry all my shame
Who breathes in me with endless life
The king of glory Jesus Christ
After Matthew ran in to finish leg 1 for our van, we headed to another exchange to wait until van 2 finished their first leg. We slept, refueled, and played Phase 10. It’s always more fun when you win.
I was a bit nervous about running through the night. Donning my headlight, strobe light, and reflective vest, I headed out into the darkness. They weren’t the only things lighting my way.
For all of this life
Your Spirit ignites
A heavenly fire
Untouched by the night
You opened our eyes
Turned death into life
Revealing all truth
There’s no one like You.
In the midst of the darkest night
Let Your love be the shining light
Breaking chains that were holding me
You sent Your Son down and set me free
Everything of this world will fade
I’m pressing on till I see Your face
At a few points during that run, my team pulled over and got out of the van to cheer me on. I’m having a hard time putting into words how that actually made me feel. It was a condensed version of life, really. We all go through dark times, when fears are tangible and light is dim to nonexistent. The second I took my eyes off the light from my headlamp, and darted them into the woods lining the dark road, my heart could feel the darkness. When our eyes are fixed on the light and power that is Jesus Christ, we are truly set free from the fear of darkness. Because darkness is really just the absence of light. Dark times can also be very lonely times. There was literally not a speck of life on some stretches of that road. When those cheering voices came into view, the feeling of loneliness and isolation was immediately overwhelmed by love. Love stands outside on a cold dark night and yells your name until you smile and find more strength in your weary legs.
When we finished our night runs, we were able to rest for a couple of hours at one of the exchanges. The third and final leg began right at dawn. My legs were sore, but quickly the adrenaline gave me an extra boost I didn’t think was possible. We had a few people’s cell phone’s taking pictures along the way. This one is not from my particular leg, but every run had the ever-encouraging “one mile to go” sign posted and blinking. It was pretty exciting to hand off the bracelet one more time, and then revel in the joy of being finished.
Finished running, maybe, but not finished cheering on my team.
When we all completed our legs, we ate a delicious meal before driving to the finish-line in Washington D.C. I even managed to wash my hair and self in the small bathroom sink at Panera. Glory. 
The view was gorgeous from the finish line, and then it began to pour. Van 2 team did an amazing job of enduring over very difficult hills, through the night, and in the rain. A few minutes before our last runner crossed the finish line, the sun came out and smiled on our tired but happy team.
Driving home, the sun kept on shining. Check marks on the windows reminded me of hundreds of miles run. Goals accomplished. Hills conquered. Darkness overwhelmed by light. No longer just names painted on a van. Real souls, with stories of their own. Real hearts that pump blood through their bodies. Bodies capable of more than each of us thought possible at times. Names turned into friends. Friends who made me laugh to my core, and changed me in some intangible way I haven’t quite figured out yet. But I know I’m better because of them.
I’ve been shaken up a little. Pushed out of my comfort zone a lot. And somewhere out there on the road, I found a part of myself I didn’t know was missing.
When I agreed to this race, I only saw the shell. I was skeptical of the entire idea. Yet through the hard work and grit and grime, a real pearl emerged. It reflects teamwork, laughter, determination, and friendship. Unique and priceless. Press on. You never know where the next road will take you.
200-ish Miles and At Least One Shower
I mean to take showers every day. Really I do. But I often tell myself that it will happen after I exercise. It’s a lovely treat to wash away all the stinky sweat after a good run. But when I forget to shower… I mean, exercise… I will usually be reminded by my sweet 6-year old. It’s pretty bad when she looked at me yesterday afternoon as I stretched my arms in the air and said, “Mom! This is like the fifth time I’ve told you… You need to shave your armpits!” Oy! My oldest sister used to remind me to take showers. Now my daughter does. As I’ve said before, it’s not my favorite thing to do.
This little girl is the queen of pull-ups! She can do three dead-hang pull-ups in a row, and at least a dozen times a day I see her going down to the basement to practice yet again. She is a funny girl. The other day she said to me, “My life is changing. Everything I used to like I don’t like anymore.” I think we were just having a meal she wasn’t too fond of eating, but from her point of view, it was much more dramatic than that. She loves to sing and dance and do one-handed cartwheels. She is growing out her hair and can hardly wait until it’s down to her waist.
“I don’t want my hair in a pony any more,” Betty said to me. “I want it in my ears.” I think she meant “behind my ears”, but that’s ok. I understand her sweet three-year-old vocabulary. Which is really quite astounding. She is a precious girl with a lion’s heart. She can count very fluently until about ten, then she says things like, “Eleventeen, twelve-teen, thirteen…” But she is improving daily on her school work, and sits for HOURS at her little desk. She isn’t afraid of bugs. “Real bugs fly like this!” she told me one time, flapping her arms like a bird. “I really like ants and lightning bugs.” Betty reminds me to use special things every day, because every day is special. Like when she wears her most beautiful dress. It’s a creamy butter yellow with tulle all around it. I used to think it should only be worn on very special occasions. Now it is worn to ride bikes, climb trees, and during sword-fights, because every day is special.
Our week was short but very full. The boys find reading much easier dressed in soldier gear. On Sunday, we had the privilege of meeting Jay, from Kenya! He was a graduate from Compassion International, and we heard his story last week at the mobile experience. Nadine has her boot off at last, and this morning the stitches came out too. She isn’t up to running yet, but not having crutches or a big boot is a huge blessing! Getting back onto a horse, bareback, was a huge highlight for her this week.
This weekend, Matthew and I will be running in a 200 mile relay with other people from his work. I am runner #2 of 12. Here is a look at my three legs of the race:
I’m a little bit nervous about it, but excited too. This weekend I got my longest run in that I’ve had since March… so I hope I survive!
Nadine told me to take lots of pictures of this weekend. I’m mostly excited to be with Matthew for a a couple of days, even if it is doing something rather crazy. And in honor of Elsie, I’ll be sure to get at least one shower.
From Kenya to Valley Forge
Yesterday we traveled to two countries. Compassion International has a mobile experience where you can walk through two lives of children and hear their stories through an audio tour. It was amazing.
It was difficult to hear of their circumstances, as Elsie’s eyes show so clearly. It was plain hard. But so good for them to experience life outside their own.
We highly recommend the Compassion Experience, and encourage you to consider sponsoring a child!
After a successful trip to the Dr. for Nadine’s toe, we celebrated its steady healing by having a picnic at Valley Forge. We have never been to Washington’s Headquarters before, so we really enjoyed exploring around his house.
Then Jack really wanted to see the “squirrel’s house”, so we headed in that direction. Yes, he did hand-stands along the entire way.
Elijah was such a good big brother, giving piggy-back rides to all his sisters! This one was especially hilarious.
Betty was hot and tired. And cute.
At last we found the squirrel’s house. (That’s what we like to call it). We knocked and knocked. No answer.
What a delightful day, overall. In the words of Elsie: “You wore us out, mommy!” I am so thankful for my children, and for each day we can spend together.
Grow Old With Me 