Have you ever wondered what it is like for our family to homeschool? It is difficult to capture, but I did my best. One morning last month, I secretly set up the camera to record my five diligent students, hard at work. This does not include the living room, where someone else was working for a while, or the mayhem that is also called “lunch”. Yes, I ruffle my hair sometimes when I’m getting tired. Look for it. So, here you have it, in high-speed. ONE day in our life. Every day is different, so maybe I’ll do another video in the future. I hope you enjoy!
mommyhood
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.
Life in Collage
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.
There’s A Small Town In My Living Room
I think I just overheard a voting session going on downstairs, so I walked down to investigate. Right now the kids are playing a game called “Town”, in which they are all voting unanimously as to which jobs they will each have in the game. Elijah, who is the president, leads the way. He just told everyone: “The money will be returned to you post-haste.” Jack and Elsie are the mail men, Nadine is the store-keeper, and Betty is the pie-maker. Except for one problem: she doesn’t want to cook right now. So, Elijah called a town meeting where everyone offered their suggestions as to what she could do. “Who votes for Betty to be garbage collector?” Everyone said, “Aye.” The motion didn’t pass because Betty didn’t want to collect garbage. It was determined that she will help Nadine with her shop-keeping with jobs like: running to the bank (Elijah) for money, counting it, and putting it in the shop-keeper’s cash register. The post office is busy writing AND delivering mail. Mr. President is happily handing out money, calling meetings to order, and keeping things in order. “I have come to the decision that we need to have a police station and a police man for shooting, stealing and other suing consequences. Who should be the first annual police man? If something happens, you call the president and I will call the police. He shall remain in my jail.” After going through everyone’s names, and a resounding “Nay” for all to become policeman, except Jack, it looks like Jack is the official “new annual police man.” I think they are swearing him in to office. I hear: “Arise. And sit down.” No, actually this is court in session now. Nadine is speaking: “I am suing Jack Weldon. When I was sleeping, I saw Jack stealing my helicopter. It is worth 200 dollars and it is officially stolen.”
Elijah is calling Jack to the stand: “J-A-C-K,” he spells out his name.
Jack tries to defend himself. “Elijah, I was going to MAIL it to you!”
The questioning continues. “Is it true that you went into the store and took the helicopter without paying?”
“Yes.”
“Was it a helicopter?”
“Yes.”
“Was it worth 200 dollars?”
“Yes. Can I say something? I’m going to pay her 200 dollars when we’re DONE this meeting!” He gives a big sigh.
Elijah really is a kind soul. His verdict: “Since this is the first sue we’ve ever had, I’m giving this as a warning. You will not have to pay 200 dollars or go to jail or anything. You will have to pay 20. Meeting adjourned.”
Then, “I’m officially closed. I’m sorry I’m closed, but I really have to pee,” says Mr. President. “Please, hold your thoughts.”
I just might be laughing really hard over here. I love it when they imagine up games like this.
In the past week or more, our little “town” has had a ton of adventures. The biggest one began on the last day of July.
Nadine was running from a bee, her brother, or both, and she tripped going up the concrete steps of our front porch. I heard her crying and there was a deeper pain in her cry than a typical hurt, which kept going. A day and x-ray later showed her big toe to indeed be broken. So, last Friday we headed to the orthopedic doctor to tell us if there was anything special we should be doing, and to get a better idea of what kind of a break it was.
As we drove to the appointment, Nadine and I were bouncing along in the Eurovan, windows down, enjoying the first day of August. I glanced down at the dashboard and it dawned on me that the gas was really low. Like, lower than the really low it was the night BEFORE when we were driving home from somewhere. I just had driven past my favorite exit for gas. Two more exits to go until a gas station was nearby. I wasn’t really nervous, but something inside of me just kept looking down at the dashboard and up at the exit, which all of a sudden seemed much farther than one mile away. Then it happened. Our van started to sputter. I’ve never been in this situation, but I was pretty sure we were running out of gas. Thankfully, Oceanus has manual transmission, so we coasted off the exit ramp and through one light. I tried to start her again, and we were able to get enough oomph to go through one more light before she gave up her last puff of fumes and coasted to a stop. In the left hand turn lane. Within sight of the gas station. Nadine was talking to her friend on the phone, and I told her to stay on the line with her until I got back. So, off I went with the keys, in my sneaks, running across intersections with “no pedestrian crossing” signs everywhere. After asking a few random strangers in the Wawa parking lot if they happened to have a gas can in their vehicle, I bit the bullet and bought a new can (to add to the three we already have in our basement) and filled it with two gallons of gasoline. Then a sweet lady drove me back to the van. Next thing I know, a friend pulled up behind us to see if we needed any help. It made me feel so much less like a crazy woman having her there with me!
Back on the road again, we filled her up with gas, and made it to the doctor only ten minutes late. The verdict is she has a fracture right on her joint in a tricky place. So he gave her a giant nifty boot to keep her foot flat and stable. She’s also gaining speed on a pair of crutches. Love her spirit. This week as a family we have been reading James chapter 1. She took the “falling into various trials” part very seriously, and now we’re getting all sorts of practice with “counting it all joy”.
Our week has been full of other things too! We started school, on a small scale. It is an opportunity to work out kinks and start slow. Seeing them eager to start has been encouraging! Nadine informed me, after just one day, that I have “improved so much as a teacher!” She makes me chuckle. On Sunday morning I had the honor of watching a sweet baby be born. That never gets old. On Wednesday we went to Marsh Creek with sweet friends to celebrate a wonderful birthday and to watch the sunset over the water. Beautiful! On Thursday we made an impromptu road trip to NJ to see more wonderful friends and played on the beach for the first time in years! I’m still picking sand out of my hair, and I only went knee-deep in the ocean.
I think the small town downstairs will be needing lunch soon, so I better take up the unwanted role of “cook” and whip something together. Hungry townspeople spells g-r-u-m-p-i-n-e-s-s in our near future. I hear there is a library now, and the police station is “officially open”. “Sometimes it’s open, sometimes it’s closed,” says Jack. Nadine counters with, “I just don’t think anyone is going to be bad! But, it’s good to have anyway.” Elsie is protesting her job as the mailman, but after some encouragement she just told the president, “I’ll still be the mailman, but when I get a new job, I won’t.” My, this is so fun. In the words of Mr. President, “I’m sorry I have to go. Please hold your thoughts.”
The Wind is Blowing Our Faces Into a Smile
There are many lost journal entries this month, as I’ve either been too exhausted to sit down and write, or I’ve been too wiped out by the end of the day. One of those two. Starting with tonight and working my way backwards, however, I will attempt to do a brief overview of our May Days.
The weather today has been awesome. Matthew experienced hail the size of small golf balls where he was working, and we experienced sunshine and dark clouds, changing back and forth all day. I had to explain to Betty five times tonight where all the snow went.
Elsie is my helper. I told her if she wore goggles while she chopped onions, they wouldn’t sting her eyes as much. The other day when we were driving and smelling cow manure which wafted through the open windows, she said: If I could pop my nose off whenever something is stinky then put it back on when something smells good… Well, that would be great. Speaking of smelly, Nadine had this descriptive offering of armpit odor: they apparently reeked of rotten chemicals with hotdogs dipped in mayonnaise. Yum.
Right now my dad is in Africa. In fact, this week he was able to visit the station where I was born and raised. Partly because I was feeling especially nostalgic, and partly because the kids have been begging to pop into our “old house”, I decided to do just that. We stopped in, and it is now a dentist office. Everything is bright blue from the outside. The downstairs is completely different, but the upstairs was just the same. It’s hard to believe I stood on those stairs in my wedding dress over 12 years ago! In my old bedroom, the inside of my closet door still had the glow-in-the-dark paint signatures of my siblings and friends, from back when I was a teenager. There were even a set of my nephew’s baby footprints, glowing in the dark when we shut the door and stood inside the closet. The same day, my same nephew, had just flown his first solo flight!
School is winding down, with our last week stretching out before us! I have learned way more than the kids, I’m sure. Nadine has become a much more confident reader. Elijah has improved in his math skills. Jack is reading and writing. Elsie is also reading and writing. Betty loves books and can write a few letters of the alphabet. She told me the other day: I don’t want to take it easy. I want to take a break. They love games, and have really improved in so many areas. I have a nice-sized list of things I am changing for next year. As my ever-wise husband has told me: this teacher and mama must keep a tight ship. This week Betty also overcame some of her fear of bugs. She managed to pick up fuzzy “calipitters” for hours on end with her second cousin, and she also willingly let an ant crawl onto her hand. She told me very excitedly the other day: Mom! Mom! Guess what? Lady bugs climb on trampolines.
Besides book work, we are out and about for so many activities. Nadine’s horse club has been a huge blessing for her. Elsie & Jack have even gotten a turn to ride when we pick her up at the end of the day. Field trips, archery, friends, blowing bubbles, picking flowers, and riding bikes leaves mama pretty exhausted some days. I am no longer the endless source of energy that I see in my children. I remember having it. I know it once existed. But it has been sucked out of my veins and into their own. So now they just borrow my phone to take pictures of their tired mama.
We do have a lot of fun around here. The beautiful moments of this month I think can be summed up in this one picture of Jack:
Our windows are down. The wind is blowing our faces into a smile. Summer is just around the corner.
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.
When It Comes to Five
Maybe it’s the way her hair curls to beautifully, or the way her smile has always been exceptionally bright. Maybe it’s her ability to make people feel special. Maybe it’s a little girl trapped inside a woman’s body, that comes out when she’s excited or playing a game. Nadine loves creatures with fur, especially the ones that neigh. She has friends she calls on the phone, can clean a kitchen well, and loves to write letters. A woman of habit, she sleeps in the exact same position every night. Her little sisters adore her, and the other day Nadine said something funny to Betty: You know English fully now, don’t you? When we were eating bacon the other day, Nadine discovered she actually liked it and said, I think I’m finally coming to my senses about it. You got that right! Today she started back doing a special homeschool girls’ horse club with a few girls her age. She proudly donned her helmet she’s been dying to wear since Christmas, and I left her happily basking in the environment where she thrives.
Maybe it’s the way his bright blue eyes haven’t changed since he was a baby. Maybe it’s the way his body is swiftly changing into a young man. Maybe it’s the way I look at my phone and see a note from him telling me I’m the best mom ever… usually on a day when I’m feeling anything but good. Maybe it’s the way we both connect through music. The other day he walked into the kitchen and “Don’t Stop Believin'” was playing on the sound dock. He sighed and said, I love Journey. His peace-loving soul hates conflict and strives for resolution. Right now he is taking archery lessons and is one of the best shots in his class. He is counting the days until he can drive a car, and I have to remind him how awesome it is to be a kid. His feet are bigger than his mama’s. Today he was looking for the peanut butter in the cupboard. He poked around a bit then said, Maybe you can see it, because you’re taller. He paused and looked at me, then added, Well, not that much taller, and chuckled. He is a good observer. Once he saw how Elsie had dressed herself. I don’t remember the exact outfit, but generally it has to do with stripes, polka dots and flowers combined. He said, Mom, I always thought Elsie would be good trend-setter. When I asked the boys why they had their shirts off the other day (when it wasn’t hot outside) Elijah said, Because it makes us stronger!
Maybe it’s the way he is always catching up to his growing body. Maybe it’s the way his giant puppy paw hands will one day match the rest of his muscular body. Maybe it’s the way he leaps over three stairs at a time in his roller-blades and makes this mama’s heart beat very fast. Maybe it’s the way his heart tips the scales of my own when he wraps his arms around me and tells me he loves me. Maybe it’s in his smile that’s so big it makes his eyes squint closed. For Jack, an umbrella becomes a parachute, taking him to another world where there are things to fight and conquer. He is okay with going to the store wearing a button-down shirt, soccer shorts, boots with no laces, a holster with gun, and a cowboy hat. The other day said something very funny: Mom, I just have a question. If you pick your nose at night do you need to brush your teeth again? Today we reviewed our neglected chore charts. Orange marker in hand, Jack checked things off one-by-one. A few minutes later, I heard someone mowing, which is still a rare sound, after such a winter. For the longest time I thought it was our neighbor, then I poked my head outside to check on the boys. There was Jack, in his pajama pants, clip-on “pirate” earring, and flip-flops, mowing the grass for the first time this year. I didn’t even know if the mower would start. Elijah was right behind him, weed-whacking. They took the “yard work” part of their charts very seriously, and I think we’ll be keeping those chore charts handier. 
Maybe it’s the way she likes two little strands of hair un-tucked from her ponytail, so she can smooth them behind her ears. Maybe it’s the way she wears stripes with polka-dots on most days. Maybe it’s the gaping hole in her smile where her tooth was knocked out last year. There’s something about Elsie that makes me chuckle whenever she walks into the room. She loves friends, changing outfits, and monkey-bars. If all three are included on any given day, it’s pretty much the best day ever. She loves to sleep with her stuffed bunny under her head, just so. 
She also sleeps in a different position every night. She likes to do her own hair these days, and she likes to “babysit” Betty. She’s a terrific helper and does things almost always with a cheerful heart. Currently, she is wearing a purple shirt, red vest, shorts, striped socks up to her knees, and sparkly shoes. She sings hymns and songs and says the books of the Bible with lightening speed.
Maybe it’s the way she cocks her head and smiles. Maybe it’s the way she says, Bless you! whenever she sneezes. Maybe it’s the way her hair is still uneven from the perfect haircut she gave herself many months ago. Maybe it’s the way her brown eyes pull me in with their sweet chocolaty-ness. There’s something about Betty that makes me scoop her up and cover her in kisses whenever she walks into the room. She loves her dollies, taking care of people who are hurt, baby spoons, and the color yellow. To emphasize something of great importance she will say, “So bad”. For instance, I want to button my shirt so bad! I need a banana so bad! Sometimes she will say, Mom! I have a secret! Then she’ll whisper in a voice loud enough to hear all around, Please, I want a chocolate chip! I mean three chocolate chips! She still loves receipts as “taggies” to hold while she sucks her fingers. The other day she exclaimed: I found them all! Seriously! After finding a pile of receipts in her little purse. Seriously. Her vocabulary is hilarious. There aren’t always darling moments, but there are many funny ones. Like today, when I laid her down for her nap… for the fifth time. Without a word, I carried her back upstairs, put her in her bed, tucked her covers around her and walked out. She cried behind my retreating back: I’m not a baby! I’m not a baby! To which I chuckle. In fact, you are. You’re my baby. When she’s not a baby, she is doing her own schoolwork, and already knows how to make an H, B, and E. You’re still my baby, Betty.
Maybe it’s a combination of five hearts, all with their own special places in my own. Whatever it is, I love these beautiful children. Seriously.
End of February Highlights
There is no such thing as an empty week in this household. Snow forts, lots of books, and fun with friends were just some of the highlights.
The girls are often dressing up… here are a few shots of Elsie twirling. Her dream is to take ballet soon.
The ice-caked trees never cease to amaze me with their beauty. Entombed in glass, one day soon they will come back to life.
Betty loves to help shovel snow. Trouble is, there are no shovels her size. My garden trowel is a good substitute for now.
Jack had a small run-in with a shovel one night.
School sometimes includes looking through the dictionary. It’s not hard to believe how funny they found the word “underpants”.
This week we also began nature journals. I love how most of them spoke of spring, while drawing snowflakes.
Betty enjoys playing the little games I find online.
The highlight of my week happened on Monday when my dear sweet friend, Sarah (who lives in England), showed up at my front door. She and I spent a few hours together in the city. We’ve known each other for over half of our lives. It’s a beautiful thing when entire continents and years can’t stop friendship from growing.
Making More Than Babies & Lunches
There’s a secret between us. Yet it’s no secret at all. It is loudly spoken by the way he looks at me, the notes he leaves me, and most definitely by the five children who grace our lives.
Our love was strong from the start. Yet its strength was like that of a seed: its full potential unknown until put into the right environment. After four years of waiting, we were given perfect freedom, wrapped in holiness, that first night so long ago. What was once forbidden was now ours to hold. Each, the other’s, to have and to hold, til death do us part.
Nine months later, a sweet darling baby blessed us. I struggled with the holding on part, and slowly he grew farther from me. He no longer had all of me. I felt needed and needy, exhilarated by new life and exhausted by it too. I was leaking tears and breast milk, of practically equal amounts. And as I held this child, I didn’t realize he was drifting farther from my arms. Fear gripped my body, mind, and soul and I closed out the very thought of ever experiencing pleasure again. I was forgetting: he was my husband first.
A few months later, the distance was breached. Our secret, though dangerously close to ruin, was restored and renewed. Trust replaced fear. We had become as blue and yellow, independent of each other. Now our bed melded back into a beautiful shade of green. Our discordant solos became one unified symphony again. It took me awhile to truly grasp: children should never replace the love, care and attention we give to our husband. I’m told one day our children grow up, and am starting to believe it. They are not given to make strangers of us or dull us, but rather to sharpen and enhance what has already begun.
Exhaustion is real, I know. It is not an eternal excuse, however. We miss sleep for football games, favorite television shows, another chapter of our book, and an extra cup of coffee. Can we not sacrifice sleep for love?
Often I forget to make our bed. The past couple of days, a little small fairy, with one missing tooth, has secretly been making our bed and tidying our room. I think of her humming little self, smoothing back the covers and fluffing the pillows. Deep in her heart she knows how much we love each other. This messy bed speaks of love and togetherness. Its crumpled sheets hold a secret. I’m never ashamed they should know. The time one of them barged in, because sometimes love has no schedule and can’t wait for candlelight and quiet, I was embarrassed but not ashamed. He declared he was NEVER getting married, and we laughed to ourselves and held on to our secret.
Tired mamas, hold on to your man. Don’t replace him with your baby, your phone, your mother, or your wallet. Nurture him, because he’s hungry too. He’s hungering for you. When you become unavailable until an undisclosed date, he may eventually feed his soul, mind and body at some other source. I know you feel needed every. single. moment. of. every. day. I know you feel about as undesirable as a week-old hoagie. I know you sometimes feel like you don’t belong in your skin. I know you bear the marks of motherhood in so many places and in so many ways. I really get how a hoodie and stretchy pants are the outfit of choice these days. I understand how the thought of making sandwiches crosses your mind much more frequently than the thought of making love. I totally understand.
Yet I implore you to safeguard this secret with your life. Never share it with another. Always, always, whisper it frequently to each other.
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the Lord.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
he would be utterly despised.
-Song of Solomon 8:6-7
Five Little Minions
We have woken up to snow so many mornings this winter! Today’s snow dumped another six to eight inches on top of what was already there. A couple of weeks ago, the kids made a fabulous three-door hobbit home in the front yard. Hours upon hours were spent carving it out of the snow with my garden trowel. I love their creativity!
After hours in the snow, hot tea or hot chocolate are a welcome treat. Elsie is my usual tea-girl and loves it just like her mama.
Last weekend we finally were able to meet the newest cousin on the Weldon side of our family! Taylor Grace fought her way out of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and is home and smiling! What a treat to snuggle and love her in person.
We celebrated Christmas Part III, since she was admitted to the hospital Christmas Eve. It was simply delightful.
One of our favorite gifts: five little minion hats, crocheted by Aunt Heidi! They are a scream.
A collection of life through the lens of my phone:
Grow Old With Me 