quotes

Thursday Quotable’s

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When food is low, but you have one can of whipped cream hidden in the back of the fridge… tada!   Dessert in a can.  The kids had fun squirting it into their mouths.  Elsie preferred spooning it out of the lid.

Elsie says very funny things.  For instance, after watching the older two playing a chess game, she came up to me and said, “I want to play chest!”  Oh my.

Then she came downstairs wearing panties and a sweatshirt.  I asked her why she wasn’t wearing any pants.  “Uh, because I’m hot.”  Then why are you wearing a sweatshirt?  “That’s because I’m cold!”  Of course.

Upon having a little friend over who wanted to jump on the trampoline, Jack said to me, “She’s the customer!”  He proceeded to go jump on the trampoline with her.  The customer is always right!

I’m not the only one lamenting summer’s farewell.  Nadine said sadly to me, “But I haven’t even finished growing my tan skin yet!”

We have started school this week, and everyone has been super excited about the new books, new approach, and new year!  Before we step into our last day of school for this week, I have to share this cute sight that is sharing the kitchen table with me:

  Happy Thursday!

Getting Summer

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I find myself saying “Gotcha!” a lot whenever I pick up Betty.  It can be in a reassuring voice after she’s fallen, or in a fun voice as she is being tickled.

I didn’t realize this until today when Nadine said, “Gotcha.”  Then she paused before exclaiming, “I’ve never said that word before!”  Then she went on to say, “Would someone please explain what that means?” Seeing as though I was the only one in the room at the time, I took the liberty of explaining it to her.

She was unloading the dishwasher at the time.  I had just sat down after teaching school all morning, cooking lunch, and doing some other things.  Nadine said, “It must feel good to take a break!”  I chuckled at her comment, nodded my head, and sipped my tea. I had just started my lunch.  Somewhere in between scrounging up five lunches with very little food left in our cupboards (I’m determined not to go shopping this week), cleaning up multiple spills, cleaning up one messy baby, laying said baby down for her nap… I finally sat down for my lunch.  This is what often happens after the feeding frenzy we call lunch.  Our kids are eating machines.  I can pretty much honestly say that our fridge is empty.

There is a little milk left, 4 eggs, one block of cheese (which is odd to still have), and a bag of peppers,which has now been roasted and pulverized into salsa.  There is a jar of jam, a few olives and some mustard.  Oh, and relish and garlic!  We have some ice-tea too, but that is about it.  We’re out of cereal, bread, and fruit.  We have many tomatoes and butternut squash.  It’s so adventurous cooking only with what you have!

Speaking of cooking with what we have, our garden has been such a blessing this year!  For the past few days, this is what I get, plus some squash:

Every dinner includes tomatoes.  I find that if I just roast them up, blend them up, or cut them up right away, not one goes to waste.  They are just pure loveliness.  Elijah took these pictures of the gardens this week:

I relish every color, every flower, every taste of summer.  I will be hanging on to it with my last bit of strength, even while fall sneaks up to take its place.  The changing of seasons is like a game of musical chairs, except there is only one chair.  As the music of summer starts to fade, and the rhythm of fall is about to begin, I feel badly for the one about to get kicked out into the march of time again.  I just want to grab summer forever and say, “Gotcha!” and never let go.

Magical Dream

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“Last night I had a magical dream,” Nadine said this morning.  When she tells us her dreams, it is best to get comfortable.  Sometimes it can take the entire length of breakfast, as she picks apart every detail that she can remember.  Underneath all of those curls, there is a very active mind, which doesn’t even really stop thinking while she’s sleeping.  Her description of her dream went on, “It was also interesting, weird-ish, and strange-ish.   Santa gave me a magical spray that made everything invisible.  I tried it on everything, and it never ran out!  I even tried it on a witch, but it didn’t work on her and she told me to try it on someone I didn’t like.  Then I was a lifeguard at girls’ camp!  We went up the hill and the car was cardboard so we kept falling out of the car.  The witch came back, and she did kung-fooey on me but I kicked her with my legs.”  Kung-fooey.  That is my favorite part of her magical dream.  Like Kung Fooey Panda.

Other early morning conversations have gone like this:

Nadine and Elijah were discussing different colors that portray different holidays.  Some were quite obvious, but then they moved on to more difficult ones.  “What about April Fool’s Day?  asked Elijah.  “I think Green, purple, and tan?”  “Presidents’ Day?”  he asked next.  “Brown, black and white.”  “Why?”  “Because their hair is brown, black and white.  Some are blonde and bald too.”  Of course!

Then Nadine told me a very vivid dream that gave me shivers up and down my spine, “I saw Jesus and He said, Follow me, and I will show you something wonderful.  Do you think it means something?  Like that Jesus is about ready to come and get us?”  Elijah answered, “I don’t think so, but I hope it!”

That would be beyond magical.  It will be perfect in every single way.

What on Earth???

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The other day Elsie said something so funny, yet so profound.  Matthew was working on something and instead of asking him, “What on earth are you doing?” she asked, “What are you doing on the earth!”  It is a valid question, you know.  One that we all should answer.  What am I doing?  Besides the obvious course of survival mode we all habitually travel to remain alive?  There have been definite days in my life where I barely survive.  Days with little feeling of hope, excitement, or feelings of fulfillment.  What am I doing on this earth?  Is my purpose far-reaching, even eternal?  Was I merely put on this earth to wipe babies’ bottoms and cook one-thousand-and-ninety-five meals a year?  Or is there a deeper purpose for my existence?

Yesterday was one of those days when it was pretty hard not to feel the breath of heaven wash over my soul.  I know that sixty-two degrees in January, in Pennsylvania, is not normal or to be expected.  I also know it is fleeting.  My entire being craved the sunshine and warm air so intensely that I feel like it was a gift from my Father sent to bless me personally.  I also know it blessed many other people as well!  I had the privilege of sharing the afternoon with some friends from church, and we took a nature walk through a near-by park.  The outdoors called our names and we just hollered right back, “Coming!”  And we went.


Betty was so cute with her little friend, Will.  She is one month older and liked trying to hold his hand.  They were so sweet together!


We explored the water and soaked in our fill of Vitamin D.

This is one reason I’m on this earth: to love these amazing kids who love life and the God who made them.

Oh to see more clearly that when I love them… what I am doing on this earth is making a difference in eternity.

I am so thankful for every moment on this earth.  There are glimpses of glory and heaven when the sunshine kisses my skin.  Then there are glimpses of how temporary our time on this earth is.  On our way home from the park we were almost hit head-on by someone speeding around the corner of a tight turn.  A flash of how fleeting and wonderful each moment we are given flew through my mind in an instant.


This morning when I got up, the kids had been awake for a little while and told me they had a surprise that I would really like.  Yesterday they had made me breakfast, so I was pretty curious what they had up their pajama sleeves this morning.  I shuffled downstairs to my chipper children who had finished two subjects of school already.  Neatly and correctly.  This has never happened before!  It touches my heart when they think of these kinds of things on their own.  It gives me hope to counter attack the doubt that sneaks into my thoughts sometimes.  My kids are messy, loud, and don’t always make the right choices.  Guess what?  Neither do I.  But they are also growing, learning, and come up with the most brilliant ideas!  I learn from them every day, and even though I love them so much, I need to tell them so better.  Hug them often.  Say, “You’re so smart!” more.  I can’t take it for granted that they’re alive!  I believe God created them to do unique and awesome things while they’re here.  Somehow He entrusted me with this crazy huge job called Mothering.

So, what are you doing on earth?

That’s Why God Made the Moon

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Tonight we were driving home when Elsie spotted the full moon.  “Look!  I see it!  It’s a new moon!”  She wanted her window down so she could see it even better.  “I’ve never seen that one before!”  All the way home, she just kept exclaiming over it.  I thought how God must be smiling.  Perhaps a lot of us went all evening without regarding God’s amazing creation.  But there was a little girl who worshiped and praised the God who made the moon.  We often make worship out to be something more fancy than it is.  I’m just learning that it doesn’t land at a certain time or place or have to be done a certain way.  I’m thankful for a God who accepts our worship from a pure heart.  Jesus said in John 4-:23-24

“But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.  It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”

I love that Jesus spoke those words.  He only wants our true selves, adoring Him.  It may be with a guitar in hand.  It may be with our hands in a dirty pile of dinner dishes.  It may be with a pen and paper.  It may be with our feet hitting the ground as we run.  It may be with our faces bowed low to the ground, or it may be with our faces looking upwards in the night sky at the moon.

Top of the Mornin’

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When this little girl comes downstairs, there is usually a mess of curls, a sleepy look, a funny outfit, and a big appetite attached.  Elsie is the queen of funny outfits.  Yesterday I held back a burst of laughter when she walked into the room holding a dirty nerf sword and wearing a gorgeous pink lacy dress, purple crocs, a small black motorcycle helmet, and a backpack.  She looked like she was on some sort of fabulous mission.  Princess biker chic with a little ninja action.  She is always my splash of pink in the middle of  a muddy day.  And we have had a LOT of mud lately!


Last night Jack told me that he really wanted to be a police officer when he grows up.  “Really, mom.  They have cool handcuffs, carry a gun, and eat donuts.  They really do eat donuts!”


At least I can help him fulfill part of that dream and get that boy some donuts!

August Don’t Rush

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Something about it being August makes me want to soak up every last ounce of summer fun. We’ve had plenty of slow-moving mornings and late night adventures.  We’ve had blueberry picking adventures and ice-cream suppers.

The other night after I finished reading the creation story to Elsie I asked her, “What did you learn today? What did God make?” After thinking a few seconds she replied heartily, “Waffles!” Then, to go on and show you what a conversation with her is like, she proceeded to say, “God made my legs!” Then, pointing to her knees she said, “There’s something in my legs.” “What?” “Stars!” I said, “No, silly. Bones!” She proceeded to go on, “I don’t like to eat bones. Bones are for dogs. I like white dogs. I don’t like big dogs. Big dogs lick me on my foots and my hand.” Then, she is reminded to look at her hands. “I need to get my nails off. Mom, can I go to Heidi’s house to get my nails off?” You see, Aunt Heidi always paints her nails. That, my friends, is just a smidgen of what a conversation with Elsie is like.

As we were driving last week Nadine very confidently said, “I have a GPS in my head and it’s telling me that it might rain today.” Elijah, just as confidently said, “That’s a thermometer.”

  

 Summer is full of hoses and swimming pools and ice-cold cokes.  It’s the sweat on your body and the drippy wet circle left under your cup after it’s been sitting on the table for one minute.  It’s the smell of tomato vines and basil leaves and the sound of children splashing.
 
 For me, this summer begins the start of running minimalist-style.  My shoe-maker styled my old sneaks the way he styled his, and it’s training me to run on my fore-foot, not my heel.  Fun!  So far my foot injury has been non-existent and I can feel other muscles that have never been used in running before, getting a good work-out.  I’m up to two miles without stopping, but haven’t reached the “I love running” stage yet.  
 Oh, August, please don’t rush past me like the rest of your summer friends have.