family

An Afternoon in Philly

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A little while ago our family took a day trip into Philadelphia.  No agenda.  Just ourselves.  We had a meltdown from the 4-year-old, so I took just the tall crowd up the Art Museum steps for some fun pictures.

We saw five different weddings being shot around the Art Museum.  Couldn’t help sneaking this picture.

It wasn’t until I was shooting pictures of our kids when I saw how funny their outfits were.  About 99 percent of the time I let them choose their own clothes.  Sometimes I veto a certain ensemble when we are going someplace nice.  Usually I don’t.  They are who they are.  I love their confidence.

Shadows are such close friends.

Yes, Jack was carrying a gun in the city and brandishing it while he ran down the steps.  One gun was bright blue and the other was a marshmallow blaster made of PVC piping.  Always ready for battle.

The tears flowed for quite a while before finally subsiding.  I love these kids!

Not every day do you see a UFO on wheels!

At last, her sweet face came out for a smile.

Can you guess where this is?

If that was you behind us in your Ferrari, you made my boys’ day.

I love Philadelphia.  It’s my favorite city with so many memories made there.  I can always be persuaded to spend a day in Philly.

Running Through The Night and More

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After my last weepy post, I have been blessed by the hugs, reassurances, and reminders of faithful friends all around me.  It is difficult for me to know the balance between honesty and what could come across as, “Pity me, please,” that is so often inundating our lives… or walls.  It is my true hope that I can be real both in life and in writing.  That what you see is what you get.  I have daily struggles, and validating that fact is better than ignoring them.  I want to convey a well-balanced story of my heart and life, without being depressing or making one cock their head and wonder if everything is always perfect.  My life is an open book, and I hope I can be courageous enough to show you not only the beautiful parts of it, but also the difficult and sometimes ugly.  Ultimately, everything points to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of my faith.

This week has been full of spring-time activities.  A long-anticipated visit from an old friend.  Night-time talks on the front porch.  Roses from our garden in full bloom.  Putting a bathing suit on Betty for the first time.

Strawberry picking with the kids.

The boys decked themselves out the other day in this fashion.  Paperclips in their ears, gaudy jewelry, and the usual bling all over Jack.  They love to be tough and strong.  They can also be so gentle and loving.  I am constantly amazed by this sweet balance that both they and their Daddy possess.

Speaking of Matthew… he took me on a date Friday night.  We enjoyed live music at Burlap & Bean, with some delicious coffee and tea.  We had some much-needed time to reconnect and pray together.

Tonight he is running through most of the night in preparation for his ultra-marathon next month.  We will be posting more details about it soon.  I plan on interviewing him myself to answer the many questions poised his way.  In fact, if you have any questions about his goal of running 100 miles in 24 hours, please post them in the comments, and I’ll be sure to add them to the interview!

God painted a beautiful rainbow this evening.  I ran outside in the rain with a cardboard box on my head, squealing at the sight.  I always try to imagine I’m Noah, seeing a rainbow for the first time.  It always works, and I’m amazed every time.  God’s promises will never ever fail.

A Beautiful Birthday

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Today was my birthday, and it was truly a special day.  All week, the moment I sink into the driver’s seat before going somewhere, the kids have broken out into a hearty rendition of “Happy Birthday”.  I’ve felt the excitement growing.  I love birthdays.  Then this morning it arrived!  I woke up and was served a delicious waffle and hot tea by my husband.  He took the entire day off work just so I could have some time alone.  He shooed me out of the house and I perused thrift stores and had lunch at my favorite cafe with a good book to keep me company.  I perused more thrift stores and didn’t feel the rush of people needing me.  The press to answer questions and solve problems was lifted for a few glorious hours.  Notes, messages, a few cards and lots of love was poured out today.  Matthew took the kids out on a mystery trip and came home with something I’ve always wanted but would never buy for myself: a glass tea-pot and flowering tea.  Nadine mopped the floors for me.  Then, I invited some girl friends over for some much-needed hang-out time.  When my sister arrived, she said she brought one more thing with her.  Thinking she forgot something in the car, I just about fainted when my other New York State-dwelling sister popped out from around the corner!  What a delight to see her face and laugh our guts out all together.  I’m so bummed I never asked my fabulous photographer friend to take a picture of us sisters together.  But, here is a snapshot of my day in part:

Chocolate,flowers, tea, sisters, friends, messages, more tea, surprise packages, drawings, and many renditions of “Happy Birthday” have made today so incredibly delicious.

And Then There Were Twenty-Seven

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There’s a ripple effect going on right now.  It all began seven years before I was born.  In an African hospital my brother was born.  My mom and he both had malaria… but lived.  Next came my sister, right before Christmas.  Then my other sister was born.  Two years later, I arrived and haven’t left since.  I remember being three years old and waiting for the sound of the airplane coming from over the hills of our little station called Nyankunde.  That sound meant my brother and sister would be home from boarding school!  I remember the homecomings and then the days without them again.  I know now just how incredibly difficult those years were for my family.  Missionaries often get a reputation for being above the ability to experience sorrow or regret or even make mistakes.  As a grown-up now, I know that this is not how it was or is.  The reality of life hits me every day, and I think often of how my Mom did all these crazy motherhood things in the middle of Africa, without the ability to update her life for the world to see and to give her applause or comfort as needed.  Yes, those couple years of boarding school were more difficult than I will ever know.  Even though we didn’t always get along, my brother has always been someone super duper amazing to me.  He was knowledgeable in all things from airplanes to card-tricks.  He knew how to solder a pack of duct-taped-together D batteries to a little hand-held Donkey Kong video game, so that it would basically never die again.  He taught me how to master the rubiks cube and ride a motorcycle.  He has experienced many life-threatening episodes throughout his life, and has displayed God’s power in so many ways through his endurance and faith.  It’s hard to live almost 600 miles away from family, and any chance we get at building memories with this part of our family is special.  Last week we had that privilege!  
A day at Valley Forge for a picnic, a walk, and memory-making is always a treat.

  I have more I can write about my sisters, but I will save it for another time.  I love this model-like shot of B&H sporting the shades.


We kept hearing the booming of a cannon, and walked to where they were demonstrating how a cannon was fired during the Revolutionary War.


It was delightful when Matthew met us after work.  There’s nothing sweeter than seeing two girls in Daddy’s arms at once and watching Betty’s little feet swinging happily.


Later, at Grandma’s house there were dress-ups to be had, and super-secret hide-and-go-seek spots to be found.  Can you see Brian on the red Escape?  Look very hard.

I often think of the years our family has had together.  Seventeen cousins (four which were missed this week), four amazing spouses for each of us “original” kids.  The African soil on which our parents raised us has left its marks on each of us in different ways.

  These amazing kids are treasures!  So thankful for the cousin bond that I pray lasts a life-time.  I wonder just how many places they will go, and how much the world will change because they are in it.  Praise God for the courage of my parents to go, to be different, to pray for their kids, to pray for our spouses, to pray for our kids.  The fruit of those prayers is being seen in seventeen little ripples going out into this world, effecting this generation and I pray, eternity.

Scrumptious Birthday

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Last weekend, we celebrated Rachel’s 11th birthday.  Rachel is my niece, and she’s a special girl to all of us.  Her recent long stay in the hospital was so difficult.  How thankful to see her happy, cheerful face again!  There was a lot of love and craziness going on the other night!


This little munchkin with a heart on her bum, knocks my socks off every day.  She personally doesn’t care for socks herself and pulls them off whenever she can.  Her sweet baby booties are just about too small for her, but they keep her feet deliciously warm.
 

Speaking of delicious, her eyes are so chocolatey.  She’s sweeter than the peppermint patty that I’m eating right now.


This one is growing up too fast for her mama.  Some days I’m lost between the fact that she’s not five anymore, and that double digits are upon us this year.  

Birthdays are special because they celebrate special people.  After cake and more cake, what party isn’t complete without the Oreo game?  I was thrilled to catch my first cookie ever, playing this game.  Usually it gets caught pirate-style, in the hollow above my cheekbone.  This time it slipped straight into my mouth and surprised me more than anyone!

Life is sweet when it’s full of children and birthdays and cookies.

Snap-O

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Today, after a wonderful morning with my kids, unexpectedly meeting delightful friends in a parking lot, and filling our fridge with much-needed food… something went snap.  Was it the thirtieth time of stepping over that puzzle on the dining room floor?  Maybe the crunch under my feet of the seventh goldfish meeting it’s demise.  Perhaps it was the picking of the the lock in the front door with a jack knife.  No, I bet it was that last time someone said they were hungry, even though they just ate eleven minutes ago.  Whatever the case, this mama went “SNAP-O!”  Snap-O.  Sounds like a fun game!  It’s not.  It’s dreadful, really.  It’s when your mouth opens and things rather loudly come out that aren’t nice.  It often leads to tears.  It must be followed up by apologies, or snap-o becomes contagious.

A wonderful admonition came when I was talking on the phone to Matthew and he reminded me (again) that they are children.  I thought maybe I got that by now.  Sometimes I forget, though.  Sometimes I expect so much out of them or myself and before I know it, “SNAP-O” comes flying at me like a deck of cards being released and I stand there blinking and confused.  I get tired of picking up the cards again, but thankfully forgiveness deals me another turn.  God is so gracious.

Then there was rollerblading through the kitchen,  a crying baby who wanted to be held, and multiple requests for food.  Relief came when Matthew walked in the door and offered to take the kids to the park so I could finish making supper.  I didn’t realize how much I needed that break until it came.  Peace reigned supreme as he called from the front door, “I have all of them!”  Even Betty?  Even Betty.  Twenty minutes later they came back with rosy cheeks and Betty was all smiles.  She knows she’s hot stuff doing big girl things like playing at the park with her brothers and sisters.  Her grin couldn’t be erased.

This weekend was fun and relaxing at the Weldon’s.  We enjoyed a walk, good food, and being together.Outside, the sidewalk chalk scrawled out just one request: snow, please.
The snowman lights echoed the request.

Cozy warmth beckoned me back inside, where the sound of Adele filled the kitchen and the sight of busy little chefs were hard at work.Elsewhere, the boys found things which their hearts enjoy.


Family is so incredibly special to me.  I have to focus in on these amazing moments of love…especially when I feel the Snap about to fly.

Morning Tea and Other Things

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For some reason I woke up way earlier than usual this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep.  My morning routine includes shuffling to the tea kettle, putting some water on to boil and making a nice big mug of hot tea.  I was sad to find all of my good British Blend tea gone this morning.  I had bought some cheap tea this week, knowing I was running low.  I had an open mind, willing myself to find it just as delightful and delicious as my favorite, more pricey kind.  My mind closed up pretty quickly after that first sip.  Oh, well.  There are just some things that I won’t scrimp on, and tea is one of them!  Give me beat up furniture and hand-me-down clothes, but I’ll take good tea, please!  So, with my mediocre cup of tea this morning, and before any more time goes marching into the past, here is our second half of Christmas: Syracuse style.  We dearly missed our North Carolina gang!  Without too many words, here is a snapshot of our short but wonderful weekend:

Chess games, superheroes, carrot-eating boys, silly gifts, meaningful gifts, cute kids, and lots and lots of joy.  We took a wet walk to a nearby park.  My favorite shots include a sneaky behind-the-back-photo of Abby and her mom, and Betty being snuggled by Uncle Beck.  Our usual “sister picture” never happened, but I do have an almost sister picture.  Can you find it?

  This boy was in his glory, surrounded by boy cousins his age, legos, nerf guns, and apple pie.

I’m so thankful for family, and every minute spent together is so special.  We borrowed Matthew’s parents’ “big red van” for the trip, because our van is just super tight for more than a two-hour trip.  The whole time driving, whenever we would hit a bump, it would feel like the roof was about to fly off.  There are other interesting noises it makes as well, so we  weren’t sure if what we heard was legitimate and didn’t think too much about it.  The day we got home from NY, we drove to the Sodies’ house to help demolish their kitchen and repair leak damage.  On the way, we hit the lip of a curb right before entering a small train tunnel.  The bump was so huge that the entire front windshield spider-webbed in an instant.  Everyone was crying, and we made our way the last five minutes to their house.  Thankfully, we were able to get it to a place that day to get fixed.  The entire drive there, I could hear the glass crackling and I was so nervous.  
When Heather & I went to pick it up, the guy told us that it was a good thing the windshield cracked, because it was barely being held onto the roof and something much more serious could have happened at any time.  So, even though it was scary, inconvenient, and not in our plan, God protected us and preserved us from something worse happening down the road.  So thankful!  Also, Matt & I weren’t imagining the sounds that the roof was about to fly off!


Thankful for a great many things this new year.  I am even thankful for my mediocre cup of tea.  It’s hot, and because I woke up so early, I got to spend some time with Matthew before he left for work: a rare treat.  Next on the grocery list: REAL tea.

To: You

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Christmas this year was full of mixed emotions.  When I found out that one of my dearest friends lost her dad very suddenly, two days before Christmas, the sadness that mingled with joy was so palpable.  It was like oil and vinegar that just don’t mix.  So often the ache kept rising to the top.  Knowing that someone is spending Christmas with the One we’re celebrating is joyous too… just hard for the ones left behind.  It made me extra thankful for every moment spent with our family this weekend!

This is the first Christmas morning we have ever woken up in our own house!  It was a lot of fun to host the Weldon family.  One of the highlights was talking to Will & Rebecca on facetime.  Matt put them in a bowl of coffee beans so we could all stand around and see them… it was hilarious.  We miss them terribly and would gladly have given up coffee to have them with us!  What a treat to see and hear them, though!

The cinnamon rolls and monkey bread were a hit.  There were light sabers and nerf darts galore.  Battleship, puzzles, and other classic games are being played as I write.


The whole day was wrapped in coziness and love.


One of my favorite presents to give, was this chess/checkerboard table for Matthew.  The table was rescued by Rebecca about four years ago when Matt’s parents moved.  It was black and somewhat ugly.  She saw beauty in the rough, painted it white, and her daughter used it as an art table.  When they moved to Italy, she gave me the table to take care of and I decided to paint a checkerboard on it.  My friend Emily came to my rescue with baby food jar lids so I could complete the project with checker pieces!  I spray painted each lid with brown and white and the opposite-colored star from a stencil I cut out of a little card.  My hands were mysteriously covered in brown paint for three days, but it was super fun to make!


My favorite gift that I received was a home-made necklace from Matt’s sister, Heidi.  She made this fabulous piece out of an old spoon!  I love the class, charm, and uniqueness of it.

With every present under the tree, came the reminder again of the best gift of all.    A child was born with simplicity and everything natural that a baby brings.  He was simply wrapped in cloth.  A fanfare of shepherds and stable animals welcomed him into this world.  His destiny was our salvation.  From: God.  To: You.  Merry Christmas!

My Five

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Elsie loves to sing.  I love it when the other kids notice things about their siblings.  Today Nadine said to me, “You’re right, mom!  Elsie does like to sing!”  Apparently she sings every night in bed after I go downstairs.  Her current favorite is, “Zaccheus was a wee little man…” Except that she calls him “Ikea-us”.  He used to be just “Ikea”, but that changed to “Ikea-us”.  It’s too funny.

She also loves to sing, “A joyful heart is good medicine”… and she is truly good medicine.  She is swiftly changing from a toddler to a big girl who loves to help me clean, change diapers, and cut onions.  She still doesn’t like to go upstairs by herself, but she sure likes to roll up her pant legs by herself.  She would prefer that I get her a drink of water, but when it comes to washing her hands, I take a step back.  She is morphing into a beautiful butterfly and she loves her pretty wings.  I treasure the moments when she’s still tucked in the cocoon of baby girl; when she barely folds onto my lap and we snuggle close.  Her hair is almost never done, mostly because there is some sort of thing in my brain that doesn’t think that way.  When I do dial in to the fact that it’s time to do something with her little mop she prances in front of the “mee-ya-your” to admire her “hair cut”.  Sometimes she even has “two haircuts” or pony-tails.

We have funny little dialogues like this one:  As I was looking at some zucchini and wondering what to do with it for supper, Elijah said, “It’s a pickle!”  Elsie then said, “No, it’s an olive!”  I chuckled with, “Actually, it’s a zucchini!”  Of course, since it was funny at the time, it remained funny for the rest of the day and at supper Elijah declared that he didn’t like pickles.  Sorry, mister!

Betty seems to know that she is going to be a big one-year-old soon, and is doing all sorts of big girl things.  She loves to pull herself up on everything and grin, proudly showing off  her three teeth.  The second her diaper comes off, she crawls as fast as she can go.  She loves to play with Elsie.  They cook together with the play dishes and have a grand old time in the kitchen.  In my kitchen, she loves to bang pots with wooden spoons.  She also brushes her hair whenever she is holding a brush… just when do they figure these things out??

Jack learned how to read the book called, “Mat” this week.  It was such a huge accomplishment for him.  He looked like he won a thousand dollars when he got through it the first time.  His desire to read is the strongest it’s ever been, and that encourages me so much.  Most of the day is spent dueling bad guys and balancing mid-air between two chairs, but the moments he takes his time in his books, are fruitful moments.  He challenges me so deeply, but he also tugs my heart so strongly.  His bed is the one cozy spot in our house that gets sunshine, so I sometimes hide on his top bunk with a book when I need a few minutes alone.  It remains my best-kept secret.

Nadine was recently given an early Christmas present of a bunny.  She tends to it very carefully and thoughtfully.  She is reading in bed every night, which is new for us.  It’s exciting that she is starting to love to read.  At a recent church function, she surprised us all by grabbing the mic and singing “Silent Night” solo and a capella!  She does a very good job babysitting Betty while I make dinner, or if I need to do something.  Whenever we get to hang out by ourselves, I will take a good look at her and feel like this little baby girl I used to know took flight, and a beautiful young lady is standing in her place.

Elijah is also reading up a storm.  He would rather be on the computer, but we’re pretty strict with the time spent in front of screens, and encouraging time spent in front of pages!  He is diligent when he sets his mind to it, and I love how his eyes light up whenever he learns something.  He has a way of standing very close to me, multiple times a day, and clearing his throat and snapping his fingers right before he wants to ask me something that he’s pretty sure I’ll say no to anyway.  His persistence is astounding.  He is thrilled when he gets a chance to listen to the ipod, and he dances like no one’s business.  Sometimes he’ll send me questions inside a paper airplane.  He gets so tickled whenever Betty does something cute, and I’m constantly reminded of his babyhood when I see her grin.

These children are amazing gifts.  I’m constantly figuring them out and discovering more about them.  One thing that is consistently true for each one, though, is how much they love to spend time with me.  Today it meant setting up the play kitchen in Betty’s room so Elsie & Betty could pretend together, and I had a few plastic sandwiches to eat.  It also meant cleaning the boys’ room with Jack and guiding him through the process.  He loved it.  It means listening to them read, or actually looking at what they drew.  It means sneaking up to their bed at night before they’re asleep and telling them they can go to the store with you all by themselves… in their PJ’s.

This mommy thing drains me to my very core, while filling me up to the brim.  My energy might be gone at the end of each day, but my heart is full.

Thirty Thankfuls

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The last month has been full of fun memories and thankfulness.  Thanksgiving day morning began a new (hopefully) tradition for our family.  We went over to the local highschool track near the Weldon’s house and ran a 5K.  Our own free turkey trot.  It was even complete with Indians and a turkey (i.e. Nadine).

Things I am thankful for:
1. Healthy bodies and the ability to run 3 miles with my kids and family
2. My amazing husband, who pushes me to get over just how I’m feeling and inspires me to do what’s hard, real, and lasting!
3. Monkey Bread

4. Enough mashed potatoes to go around for 29 people… twice… with leftovers.
5. Cousins who make the world brighter, happier, and more fun!
6. My own, personal barista, whom I love not only for his good looks, but also his finesse in coffee-beverage-making-skills.

7. My sisters, because my world would be all grey without them!
8. The laughter that comes at funky hours of the night when parents should be storing up energy for the following day, but instead decide to make memories together.

9. Boys who are warriors at heart.  I would feel safe in any dark alley with these guys.  (Notice the turkey bone weapon)

10. Gorgeous weather to take family photos!

11. Five healthy children with such distinctly different personalities that there are never boring moments throughout each day.

11. Imaginations of boys with sticks in tall grass.

12. Creative photo ideas!

13. Betty with her 3 teeth that make me grin and want to kiss her a million times!

14. Clothes to wear.
15. Family times.
16. Nadine Ruth, my tall girl who wears my shoes and loves life.
17. Elijah Watt, who figures out how to fix stuff for me, and asks me questions through writing notes to me.

18. Heather who lives so close now, and is a constant source of encouragement and inspiration to me as a wife, mom, and homemaker.
19. Sherry, who doesn’t live that close, but doesn’t let distance get in the way of staying close in heart.  She too is a huge fountain of inspiration and encouragement to me.

20. Re-enactments of battles long ago.

21. I will mention cousins again, because they are so special to us!

22. Elsie Rose, who smiles and sings and laughs so much each day, the world is truly a happier place because of her.
23. The way she sings, “Who broke the ark?  No one, no one!  Who broke the ark?  Brudder, no one!”  Instead of, “Who built the ark?  Noah, Noah.  Who built the ark?  Brother Noah!”

24. Betty Ann, who sits in leaves and still smiles.  She loves life.  She loves food.  She loves to be loved, and it’s such a privilege to love her.

25.  The way cousins interact with eachother, no matter the age.

26. Food to eat.
27. Jack Taylor, and his strength, twinkly eyes, and desire to conquer.  He’s tough, but his heart so wants to do what’s right.

28. My husband.
29. Our home and every inch in it, because we use every inch!
30. Above ALL of these things, I am thankful for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  I am thankful for His written word, the Bible, and that it is becoming more alive to me as I grow older.  Thank you, Lord, for this month, and for every day and hour we are given to live for you here.