With over two weeks of school under our belt, we have so many fun adventures already embedded into our memories. Since Nadine’s broken toe, five weeks ago, we have made several trips to the orthopedic dr. to make sure everything is healing as it should. The plus side to this, is we have been making celebratory stops at Valley Forge and enjoying picnics and fun there together on the way home. We love the history and beauty of the park. A few weeks ago we were at Washington’s Memorial Chapel and acted out Romeo and Juliet. We are learning about Shakespeare in school.
Other things included in our school days are much reading, taking walks, and going places. Notice Betty playing “Dr. Bosler” (that is our chiropractor). Nadine is making quite the impression on her. The injured digit of choice is the toe these days. The boys love to hang out together in their room and “talk”. Jack creams me in Mancala every single time. The score is usually seven to whatever number the pile of stones is on his side. Elijah is obsessed with the microscope. He took pictures of what he saw through the viewfinder, and made a collage of it for me.
Last week, we went to the shore house for the weekend. We played at the park, went to the beach, took naps in the tent, and watched the ferry come in one evening. On our last night there, Nadine stepped on something very sharp with her UNINJURED foot, and sliced the bottom of it open pretty badly. So, Matthew and I spent the next four hours at the ER with her.
At least she was able to get some fun in on the beach before it happened. Now the poor girl has a boot for her right leg, and a special shoe for the stitches on her left. Thankfully, she can put pressure on her broken toe foot now, so she doesn’t have to figure out how to walk without both feet.
This last collage shows just a glimpse of our past week. Another picnic at Valley Forge (more pictures of that later), beautiful sunsets, laughter in the car, many handstands, working on chores, reading, visiting Matthew at work, and how I often feel after a full, busy day of mama-ing these five amazing children!
I hope you enjoyed life from the point of view of my phone camera. Life is indeed beautiful.
love
Oh I Would Run 3 Miles or More Just To See You Walk Right Through That Door
Today was our “official” first day of school. Everyone dove in excitedly, and we got everything done that was on our schedule! We waited all day for Matthew to come home, because we knew he was driving home in something pretty special. If you heard the screaming from the West End, those were our children excitedly welcoming their Daddy home from his first day of work at Rittenhouse Builder’s. In his “new” truck, no less.
A few weeks ago, he was offered the position of a project manager at Rittenhouse, and after praying about it the Lord confirmed that this was the right next step to take! He even provided a much-needed new truck for Matthew, and medical benefits. We are incredibly thankful. We were not looking for a new job, but God fit Matthew for this perfectly. I’m so proud of him! Elijah is too, but he was just tired of smiling into the sun.
As for the teacher of those wild and amazing children… she needed to pound out some miles tonight. So, this is me, after running practically all uphill for 3 miles to go fetch Matthew’s old truck and drive it home. Because that is just something we like to do. Or, it might have something to do with the fact that I’m training for a relay race taking place in three weeks. I am slotted for 15 miles, split into 3 runs over the weekend. I’m pretty excited since Matthew and I will be doing it together with a team from Rittenhouse.
So, that was our day in a nutshell! I’m excited for new beginnings, overcoming challenges, and a gracious Heavenly Father who is holding us through it all. The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad! (Psalm 126:3)
The Week Heaven Partied
Our three youngest children have been missing their oldest siblings something fierce. Nadine & Elijah are both at different camps and we haven’t seen them in almost a week. Before this, everyone was involved in day-camp and Vacation Bible School. It was a crazy week, full to the brim of excitement, while at the same time draining to my energy levels and gas tank. It was worth every second, though, especially because of what happened.
Elsie was attending kiddie camp and had come home with some homework. We sat on the front porch together and got into a discussion about being born again. She asked the same question Nicodemus asked Jesus in John chapter 3: “How can I be born again?” She understood it in a new way and wanted to be saved from her sin. It was her decision, and she prayed on her own to receive Jesus. That night the angels had a party.
The following week, the three oldest kids had their day camp at the same location. On Wednesday morning at breakfast, Jack said to me, “Mom, I have something to tell you.” I asked him what it was, and he said, “Yesterday at camp I became a Christian.” He grinned. It was just like Jack, to process it himself for an entire day before telling us. And the angels had a party on Tuesday.
That night, we were having family devotions. Nadine said, “Today at camp I became a Christian.” Elijah kind of rolled his eyes and said, “Again?” She replied, “No, I don’t think I was a Christian before. And I don’t remember becoming a Christian.” I reassured her what a wonderful decision that was. Sometimes it’s hard to know for sure if you believe because your parents do, or because you do. Now she knows it’s her own, personal decision. And the angels partied on Wednesday.
Thursday was the last day they were going to day-camp. Elijah was in a stormy mood and everything and everyone was wrong. I picked them up from camp that afternoon and the storm continued. Eventually I had to send him to his room because the cloudiness and moodiness was getting out of hand. When it was time to sit down for supper, he came downstairs. He wanted to talk to me in the living room. We sat on the couch and with tears rolling out of his eyes he told me, “Mom, I just became a Christian in my room.” I could hear the party going on in Heaven on Thursday.
Now we pray for sweet Betty to come to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. She has four little evangelists and their parents aching for her heart to be captured by His love.
What a week. Revival has hit the Weldons. When the big kids come home from camp, we are going to follow Heaven’s lead and have a big party!
Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make His mighty power known. -Psalm 106:8
“Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” -Isaiah 45:22
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” -Acts 16:31
“Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” -Isaiah 45:22
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” -Acts 16:31
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. -3 John 1:4
Finishing With A Smile
The weekend has come and gone. Hours of preparation, driven into the pavement, mile by mile. The weather this year was amazing. I even had to wear a jacket through the night to ward off feeling chilly.
On Friday evening, we delivered the three youngest to my in-laws and picked up Matthew’s race packet. He got checked out by the race doctors, and then we went home to rest. I barely slept, full of excitement and wonder for the following two days. On Saturday morning I drove to Philly to drop him off at the start line, with his cooler of food and drinks, and said good-bye. Then I drove with a friend to drop Nadine off at girl’s camp for the week! Elijah went with my mom where he then was driven to soccer camp on Sunday. What a crazy, emotional day of saying goodbye!
By the time I finished dropping her off and made my way back to Philly, it was about 7:30 pm. I drove the race loop where Matthew was running, in hopes of seeing him. I found him around mile 3 of 8. He was with his buddy from high-school. What a blessing, since the previous few hours he had been struggling with some major stomach discomfort. When he made it back to the start/finish line, he lay down on the ground and said he felt like throwing up. His stomach was not happy. At this point in time, a slew of friends and family had arrived, and we chatting around him, some praying, some just talking. We waited it out for an hour or so before he finally sat up and ate something that agreed with him.
The next two loops were run with different friends. I was able to pray and see the lights of Philadelphia in the middle of the night. Then two girl friends of mine came to sit with me through the night. I never felt alone, which had been one of my anxieties. I didn’t realize how much this had been weighing on me until I sat there with them. It was pretty special. How important it is to be there for one another!
Once 4 am rolled around, my half-marathon buddy, Gail, and I fast-walked with Matthew through the dawn. It was incredible starting off at night and ending in day. We met a fellow lone ranger on the path who was pretty discouraged, and he started to keep pace with Matthew. Once we finished that loop, it was already 6 am, and so Matthew started out for his 10th loop and then some, alone. The total mileage he logged was 88.5. His goals were to finish at 10am, have fun, finish with a smile, and be able to walk to the car unassisted. He did all these things, and I couldn’t be more proud.
1- Our last time all together for a week!
2- One last nap, storing up reserves
3,4- Getting all checked in for race day!
5- Lots of melon for the runner
6- When I first spotted Matthew, 9 hours into the race. I beeped my horn like a crazy woman and cried a bit too.
7- A four-year tradition of sidewalk chalk
8- Servant-friends, helping Matthew through the hardest part of the night
9- An art museum steps walk/talk/prayer time
10- Hot tea, words of encouragement and lots of love
11- Almost there
12- Sleep for a long time
He ended with a smile.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7
From Kayaks to Clark Kent
It is most definitely time for a photo dump. Halfway through June, and so much has happened! We went to Marsh Creek during Memorial Day weekend and had a fabulous time! The weather was gorgeous, and Betty was so cute in the canoe. Elijah experienced solo kayaking for the first time.
There have been moments of frustration and moments of sweetness. We still have Toby, who loves to go on walks with his little vest and leash on his back. 
The Weldons recently had a family reunion/anniversary party and there was a fabulous glam cam there. We took full advantage of the fun:
And just because I love it:
The kids and I recently went on a field trip to Harrisburg. What a beautiful building and fascinating history! The photo of the bookshelf is of a treat I found on it one day: superglue, super-glued to the wood. On Father’s Day all Matthew wanted to do was have a workout in the park, so he and a friend met there and did just that. Elsie and Betty continue to be “twins” every day, and it’s hard to keep their two “twin” outfits clean… but on the days they are dirty, they seem to figure out another way to manage the job of looking as much like the other as possible.
The small photo of the girls sleeping is a tiny glimpse of what has been filling my weeks. We have rearranged five rooms of the house to accommodate an office for Matthew. As his business grows, so do the papers and the need for a spot to do his at-home work. Happy Father’s Day to him! I will post pictures o the finished product soon. As an exclamation point to our week, Jack got glasses! We are excited to see if they help with the challenge that school has been for him this year. We may not have Mary Poppins living here, but Clark Kent is in the house.
A Day to Recharge
Celebrating life, love, and marriage. God blessed us with a whole lot of delight today.
A Bug Tie, Three Tissues, and the Truth
This morning I texted my friend the following: I was up til after 3am because my bug tie has an ingrown toenail! Wow. I have never experienced pain like that before… A few seconds later she wrote back: What!? What’s a bug tie? Worse than childbirth? I laughed and laughed. Silly auto-correct. I meant to say “big toe”. A few days ago my big toe started to hurt a little bit. Soon it escalated into a big pain. So big it became a bug tie. Believe me, you never want to experience a bug tie. They’re the worst.
Besides all the excitement of soaking my feet (sounds so fancy, I know), life marches on. I’m tired. I bent over at least a thousand times this weekend alone. I can’t remember if I shaved both armpits or just one side this morning. I can’t remember if I even took a shower. I know I forgot to eat lunch. Every time I went to the bathroom today someone needed me. I keep forgetting to buy toilet paper. We have three squares left and only a few tissues left in this entire house. I think my kids ate ice-cream for lunch. I never made my bed. I forgot to dry the laundry. I remembered how I forgot to put something important in the mail. I know I’m not alone. This is for all you tired women and mamas out there.
When life feels like it’s marching over you like a herd of elephants bent on crushing you to your core, He sees. When the last ounce of energy was used up tucking that last baby in and another one asks for a drink of water, He sees. When you sit on the bathroom floor and scrub the mysterious brown streaks off the wall, that you would like to believe are from muddy shoes, He sees. When you feel like a laundromat, conductor, referee, dictionary, and Cinderella, all in the same moment, He sees. When your words seem to fly back into your face like a boomerang, He sees. When you sneak into that one secret spot and hug the three tissues left to your name, He sees.
Motherhood isn’t about getting a gold star because you did everything right. It isn’t about being noticed or praised or looking good. It’s about loving and loving some more, and when you don’t think you can, you love even more. It’s a no-pay job with eternal dividends. It’s exhausting and frightening and rewarding and exhilarating. No two days are alike, which is why we’re so flexible and resilient and oftentimes reduced to a puddle of tears, clinging to the edge of our sanity alongside that tissue. We’re tired, I know. But please, don’t grow weary of doing good. God’s Word says in the right time we will reap a harvest if we don’t lose heart. If we don’t loosen our grip on the courage it takes to keep on keeping on. It’s a process, this growing weary. It usually begins when we think we got this mama thing under our belt and need a little humbling. But mostly we become weary when we take our eyes off Jesus, who is the only One capable of infusing our war-weary bodies with supernatural strength and stamina. Giving up is a choice. The enemy wants you to give up, give in, and crumple under the load. Jesus wants you to keep your eyes focused on Him, not your surroundings, and let Him sustain you.
As women, I think we tend to fall into two big traps. The “I’m-not-good-enough” trap and the “I’m-not-as-good-as-her” trap. The second we entertain those thoughts, the enemy pounces in with a volley of lies. Those arrows sting and are deadly if we don’t counter-attack with the sword of truth: God’s word. And the truth is: You are perfect in Christ. You are not like her because God needs you to be who He made you to be. The truth is what sets us free to be who we are created to be.
So, those clean counter-tops you wish you had do not define who you are. You are a beautiful woman with a glorious gift of music. The issue you have with speaking your mind does not define who you are. You are a woman whose heart is so generous, you don’t even realize you’re giving. The hidden clutter doesn’t define who you are. You are a true friend who sees a need and meets it without being asked. Your hoard of shoes, or clothes, or cars, or cookbooks are not what make you amazing. Your ability to welcome people into your home at any time, and always speak well of others is what makes you amazing. Your inability to carry a child within your own body does not make you any less of a woman. You have the uncanny ability to create beauty and inspire others to do the same. Your heart is no less able to love and sacrifice just because you never birthed a child. Your unborn babies do not make you a failure as a mother. Your heart is so much fuller because it loves someone no one else has known. Mothers, women, you are so perfectly custom-made by the same God who created the stars and flowers and every grain of sand. He makes no mistakes. Stop believing you are not enough. Stop believing He messed up when He made you. Don’t stop believing you are exactly what He was going for when He began to fashion you in your mother’s womb. He sings over you, He cherishes you, and He never condemns you. Start and never stop believing that truth.
Nothing But Good Things
This week Matthew turned 32, meaning I have known him for exactly half of his life. This week there have also been three incredible blessings as far as his health is concerned. About a week ago he called me in tears, because he could actually hear me over the phone with his bad ear. We’ve been experimenting with rubbing essential oil behind his ears, and will continue to do so. Last weekend, he was able to see all 3 (out of 4) ENT’s at Jefferson hospital in Philly. The ear guy is pretty sure his constant infection will clear once his sinuses get under control. The nose guy agreed, as long as the throat guy thought putting him under was no longer risky. After scoping him, the throat guy saw improvement from last time in his subglottic region and agreed to doing surgery. So, on the 28th he is scheduled for a thorough cleaning out of his sinuses, and another balloon dilation of his stenotic area. Today, he saw his rheumatologist who oversees his blood-work results and is in charge of his treatment. He told Matthew he saw “Nothing but good things”, for which my heart is leaping with joy! After surgery, he will begin weaning himself off of prednisone. This all-too-familiar road is marked with many promises of God’s presence and goodness along the way. We praise Him for today and the ability to live and breath and have each other! This was the best birthday present ever!
This week the crocuses started to show their happy faces in the garden! When we were outside, unbeknownst to me, Betty picked all of them into a purple bouquet. She came running over to me with a HUGE grin on her face. I was very tempted to scold her for picking the ONLY flowers in our garden. God spoke to me in that moment, through her joy and smile, and told me I would crush her spirit if I corrected her in impatience or anger. So I knelt down and met her joyous face with my own smile. Gratitude for her love gift made it even sweeter.
Amidst the sweet, there is also the crazy. If a video had been rolling of our dinner the other night it would have looked a little bit like this:
Jack was karate-chopping carrots intermittently with a knife and then his hand. Next to him, sat Elsie, singing “Let it Go” at the top of her lungs. I looked across at Nadine, making crazy faces while Elijah went on and on about how her hair looks in the morning. In addition to his narration, he continued to blather nonsense about gaseous terrain on the planet Venus. Not to be undone, Betty stood in the middle of it all, crying with her stuffed animal in hand, because she didn’t like what was being served for dinner. Matthew and I looked at each other.
Sometimes this is how life rolls. It’s rough, it’s silly, it’s beautiful. Full of good things.
La Famiglia
Before more time goes by, here are the closing remarks via photo, from our special family fortnight.
A rose among thorns, Heidi between her brothers.
We had a “see who can hang the longest from these freezing cold monkey bars” contest. Jack was the one to beat, and his daddy rose to the challenge and won.
My ever-present comedian.
The series of these photos was hilarious. We had a photo-bomber named Jack darting in and out from behind us. Among the lot, there is not one of all three coupes kissing. We tried. The middle couple were pretty oblivious to all the crazies. So cute!
The cousin shot didn’t work out too well. It was cold. Betty was sad. Elsie was silly. That’s life!
Sisters by love, not blood.
So blessed.
Italian Surprises
Surprises are the spice of life.
We had a surprise brewing for a few weeks now. I kept it from the kids, excitement building in my own heart. It had been almost three years ago since we saw these sweet faces, flown straight from Italian soil to our side of the ocean!
One night previous, Elsie had just been in tears for her cousin, Hannah. She missed her so badly.
Few words are needed. It was a blessed week and a half. So thankful we were able to see them a few times and cousins were able to connect over dress-ups, dance-parties, and sidewalk chalk.
In the between days when we weren’t at Matthew’s parents house visiting, we kept busy with the usual school and business of life. Soon I will post pictures of our entire family together. What a beautiful week it’s been.
Grow Old With Me 