I Just Want A Yes

June 8, 2015June 8, 2015 / amylynw / 10 Comments

One thing which bothers me is when one of my children asks me for a snack as I’m cooking dinner. About a week ago, my littlest was doing just that. As I looked at her and firmly told her, “No,” she sat down on the floor, tucked her head in between her knees and cried dramatically: “But I just want a yes!” The outburst stopped me in my tracks. It almost felt like her words were being interpreted from my own heart’s silent prayer to my Heavenly Father. I just want a yes.

This week was a rough one for me. That same particular little girl started having a fever and alarmingly swollen lymph nodes, warranting a doctor’s visit and a round of blood-work. 2015-06-01 14.07.46
Thankfully, the blood-work came back normal, but the next day she developed a scary-looking rash on her forehead/scalp area. To make a long story short, 3 doctor visits later and an incredibly high temp of 105 at one point… she was diagnosed with Lyme’s disease. Lyme’s is a tick borne disease and nothing to take lightly.
This was the point where I began to ask others to pray for us. It was going on five days of constant fever, and Thursday night she was unable to walk up the stairs or move her leg from standing to sitting. She hadn’t really complained yet, despite how wretched she felt, so when she started to cry about her leg hurting so badly, I knew she was in a lot of pain. God promises us tremendous power is made available through a good man’s earnest prayer. (James 5:16) I just wanted a yes, but realized God wouldn’t change in any way if He said no.
We went to bed Thursday night, the only difference being we were completely surrounded by the prayers of so many. It was like a thick blanket or wall, surrounding her on all sides throughout the entire night. It was palpable. On Friday morning, I woke up to a sweet, smiling face in my bed. She had climbed up without any pain or problem and said, “Look at my ear!” (which is where the rash had started). It was completely normal, and there was no rash anywhere. Her fever was gone completely. She was smiling. I’m so thankful He said, “Yes!”

The night before, I had told the Lord again that she was His. I am convinced of God’s goodness and faithfulness not because of what He will or will not do in my life, but because of Who He is. We can not sit on the floor and scream: I just want a yes! If we interpret what He does based on what we think is good, or what we think He should do, we misinterpret His character. Our definition of good is limited by time and space and is tainted by our own selfishness. We can’t see the big picture. Just because I told Betty “no” to having a snack, didn’t equate me as a bad mom. In fact, I said no because there was something even better just ahead if she would just trust me and wait for it. God always acts in accordance with His character and not just according to what we think is good. Having Him take one of my children is something so difficult that I can not even begin to imagine or even dwell on it for one second because of the ache it produces in my heart. However, I was swiftly reminded this week that everything God has given to us can be taken in an instant. Yet, no matter what, God does not change in His goodness, His faithfulness, or His nearness.

Jesus said in John 14:27- I leave behind with you- peace; I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world. You must not be distressed and you must not be daunted. This verse popped up twice on Thursday. Once, on a crumpled piece of paper that survived an entire heavy duty whirl in the washing machine. (When does paper ever survive a wash?) God knew I needed to hear from Him and be reminded that circumstances don’t change His gift of peace.

The scariness of the situation didn’t shift the truth of God’s nearness. I also read this reminder: Never forget the nearness of your Lord...He is right here with me. Don’t worry over anything whatever. Whenever you pray, tell God every detail of your reeds in thankful prayer, and the peace of God…that peace He knew we so desperately needed, so He left it with us when He went back to Heaven… Which surpasses human understanding… if you’ve experienced it, you know it… Will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus. This peace doesn’t come and go, but is like a sentry over our hearts and minds: keeping worry out and keeping peace in, so we can rest.

Flare-Ups, Squeaky Brakes, and Thankful Hearts

November 26, 2014November 26, 2014 / amylynw / Leave a comment

Fall is doing its steady march toward winter, and Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I know time does not in actuality move any faster each year, but the feeling of it moving extra swiftly is real.

The past month has been full of life. I’ve been staying up late at night, finishing projects that require silence, as silence is hard to come by around here before 10pm. So naturally I’ve been sleeping in a bit later as well. Yesterday, Betty came to snuggle with me. She convinced me it was time to get up, because, “Look! The sunshine is awake!” She has been full of so many funnies, I don’t even write half of them down. Yesterday there was a spider crawling on the ground. Not a normal sight in our house, and she was more freaked out than I thought she would be. After awhile of being on the couch, she starting dancing up and down and said how she had to go potty. She didn’t want to leave the couch because of the spider (which was long gone by now). She even tried to talk herself out of being scared. “Spiders don’t live in houses. They live on spider webs.” It didn’t work. “I’m scared of spiders. I don’t know where to go.” Elsie had the perfect solution: walk on the floor all around the carpet, and don’t touch the carpet where the spider was last seen. Problem solved. Their cute little feet tip-toed all around the carpet and walked to the bathroom. She also loves to sing. Sometimes she pulls out my guitar and sings all about Jesus. At the particular moment one of these was taken, she was singing a song about Jesus and rock-climbing on a mountain.
We were looking at pictures yesterday, and Betty kept thinking photos of Elsie were of her. We determined it was their hair that seemed so similar. She looked at Elsie, stroked her hair and said, “I know. Now your hair is growed up!” I’m not the only one amazed at how time is passing.

This weekend we went to see some friends in a ballet of Snow White. I took the girls, and it was absolutely hilarious sitting next to Betty. She followed the story really well, but her ongoing commentary was a hoot. At one point, she was watching one ballerina, who was supposed to be a bird, doing some flying leaps in the air. She whispered loud enough for everyone around us to hear and chuckle, “How does she do that?! You know, mommy, birds can’t dance. They fly.”

Elsie is an avid reader. Her favorite place to read is the top of the stairs, after everyone has gone to bed. We can hear her voice, drifting down the stairs, and it usually gets louder the longer she reads. She is keeping track of how many hours she reads, and I believe it is up to fourteen hours. She certainly keeps us on our toes. She is my faithful companion when it comes to running errands or tidying the house. She has been reading a book about astronomy, which led us to a discussion about how the earth is floating, and she said in an awed voice, “God is just doing His powers right now!”
Jack is wrestling again. A few weekends ago, Matthew took the boys to a wrestling tournament and Jack got third place. Elijah wrestled as well and got fifth place. Jack has decided to stick with it for the rest of the season, and it’s fun to watch him. He is also becoming more of a reader. He even brought his book to the grocery store last week, and was seen reading in the cart. This was a first. Jack takes up a lot of energy, but his heart is solid.
The blur that is Jack, pretty much sums up how he lives life.

Elijah just turned eleven! While the boys were at the wrestling tournament, the girls, Matt’s mom, and I all worked hard to switch up bedrooms to surprise them. Nadine has her own room again, the girls came downstairs, and the attic is now a boy haven. The exclamation point up there is the drum set we got Elijah for his birthday. He is a gifted musician, and it’s fun to hear him improving on the piano and drums. He is pretty sure his voice is changing, and though it’s scratchy some days, I’m not convinced yet.

Nadine claims she is constantly hungry, which could be the contributing factor to the extra inch in height she has seemed to procure lately. Yes, she is taller than me. She loves to write, and is currently working on a fabulous chapter book for kids. She babysits regularly and gets a lot of practice with her own siblings. She is currently taking a small break from horseback riding, but is excited to get back in the saddle soon. I love her zest for life, though it often makes me feel exhausted. Much of what she says and does makes me chuckle, when I remember how similar I was at twelve.
Matthew had a scare at the beginning of the month, which sent us down to Jefferson Hospital. Turns out it was not as bad as we were thinking, but there was enough inflammation to get our attention. Then this week his voice started to take a downhill turn again. After today’s appointment with his Rheumatologist, it was determined he will begin Rituxan infusions again to see if we can nip this in the bud before it gets to be where he was a year and a half ago. We are thankful. When he talks and I hear his voice catch and sound hoarse, I immediately give my fears back to the God who knows exactly what’s going on inside his body. Every day is so incredibly precious with this man I love.
The snow forecasted for today has started to fall. Our van is in the shop, getting its embarrassingly squeaky brakes fixed. I actually have gotten wide-eyed looks from people as I pull into a parking spot and come to a stop. They look like they would like to throw something at me for the pain I’ve caused their ears. I pretend like I didn’t hear anything. Squeak? What squeak? Last month our friend did some body work on it. I am embarrassed to say, but I backed into a boat trailer one September afternoon. Thankfully, the trailer suffered only a broken tail light. Oceanus was worse for the wear. On top of that, I could barely get gas in the tank because there was a small metal flap that had broken off and was hanging in such a way so the pump nozzle would get stuck. So, one night Matthew was trying to fix it. He had a pencil in his hand to hold up one side of the piece, while he tried to bend it with some pliers. It was dark. He was holding three things with two hands. It happened. He walked in the door and I said, “You did not.” He did. The pencil dropped into the gas tank. It was actually kind of funny. Even more funny was explaining it to our friend. He actually was able to fish it out for us. Now we have a pencil-free and dent-free van. Oh, and hopefully a squeak-free one soon as well.

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There is much to be thankful for today and always. Happy Thanksgiving!

When Sparks Fly and Cracks are Backed

October 23, 2014October 23, 2014 / amylynw / 1 Comment

It’s two o’clock, and I am finally eating lunch. The quiet scribble of one person doing their writing homework is like music to my ears, while the hot tea is like medicine for my harried brain. Outside, the boys are reading on the trampoline. You know, between jumps. This morning was full of dictation, reading out loud, and lots and lots of math. Math four times around each day has both enriched my brain and caused it to temporarily shut down for the day. A few facts I have learned today:

The moment I have to use the bathroom is the moment everyone has a need of great importance.

Informative speeches are impossible to write. (That fact is up for debate. Maybe the person claiming it should write a persuasive speech to prove their point.)

It is not difficult to make deodorant, and it smells amazing.

I often wipe my nose on my sleeve without even thinking. Please tell me this is something moms with small kids often do.

Receiving a big box with a smile on the side is a huge reason for celebration. Especially when the box contains a new heating element for the stove.

Ah, the stove. About a week ago, I was testing out some recipes for my first ever cooking class.

As I preheated the oven for some grain-free corn bread, I noticed a small flame dancing inside the oven. This would not be a problem if we had a brick oven, but ours happens to be electric. I tried to blow it out, because this has worked in the past. When it seemed to get bigger and start spreading, I called Elijah to grab the fire extinguisher. I ordered everyone outside, while we unsuccessfully put out the sparking flames. Finally, I told Elijah to run get our neighbor, while I called 911. Fortunately, I was able to tell the dispatcher never mind, as our neighbor ran over with a big fire extinguisher and the grand idea of flipping off the breaker connected to the stove. The second he did that, the fire fizzled into nothing. What a bunch of excitement. And mess.
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Of course my cooking class was in about ten hours, and I was now without a stove. Enter: wonderful neighbors again. Thankfully, their stove was just fine, and the classes were able to go on as planned, with just a little extra walking. I also paid double to have someone overnight a new heating element. How exciting it was to receive the box. The thrill died about as quickly as a blown-out candle when I pulled out a completely bent element that would not work at all. Thankfully, you can return things in this country. The box we received today with the smiley face on it contained a just as happy part, which will be responsible for much delightful baking this fall.

Now, seven hours later, I can hardly believe another day has passed. Often you can find out what filled my day, by glancing at the open tabs on the computer: Aromahead Institute, Patchouli, Artemisia, DIY rope rug, Amazon, Crockpot Bacon and Goat Cheese, Elderberry Syrup, Hillsong Acoustic Sessions. The other way to find out what has filled our lives the past couple of weeks is to dump some photos from my phone:

Winter clothes turnover day, many Betty faces, our own William Tell, walking Toby the rabbit, school planning squeezed in during piano lesson time, late night Bible studies, and lots of tea.
This week we also saw our whole Weldon family, including our Italian family and the college boy, which was a huge treat!

Sleepy head Betty, and her outfit of choice this Sunday: red silk and black velvet Christmas dress, blue cotton tights with pink flowers on them and black patent leather shoes. She has been asking a lot when Christmas is coming. She asks in such a way that makes it sound like a person is coming to visit us very soon. My week has also been full of aromatherapy school, pumpkins and the chiropractor. Whenever we go to the chiropractor, Betty grins, gives a big sigh, and says she loves getting her “crack backed”.

This year, the four bigs have also been involved in a homeschool co-op. Their science teacher took these great pictures of them in his class as they were learning about density.

This was the scene around the table tonight. We’ve got four readers, taking turns reading around the table. It is one of my favorite parts of the day. As is this time: hanging out with my man. Good night.

A Crazy-Hair Day

October 10, 2014October 10, 2014 / amylynw / Leave a comment

A week ago I wrote this, before being interrupted for another week:
Right now one boy is blaring classical piano music throughout the house. Two kids are playing a board game, and the other two are building with blocks and dancing at intervals. I snuck out to the front porch, literally hiding a brownie in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. Just five minutes of peace would be super. It’s been a long afternoon of school, apple-sauce-making, supper-cooking, and I’m not even cleaned up yet. Time for tea and an undisclosed chocolatey snack.

It sounds all too-familiar, like I was about to type the same words now… as I lick the melted chocolate off my spoon and swallow the last sip of afternoon tea. The kids are all in their rooms practicing how to be quiet. I had a long but beautiful day being a doula yesterday, arriving home close to 2AM. Needless to say, I was pretty exhausted. The last thought I had before drifting off to sleep was: I hope I get breakfast in bed. My super amazing daughter must have known (you see, when you pray, the Holy Spirit is listening, and can communicate that need to someone else who is listening to Him). Her sweet self prepared this breakfast for me, and we enjoyed a lovely morning in our PJ’s.

By lunch-time, however, my lack of sleep started to kick in. I started making scrambled eggs and dropped one on the ground. I snapped at the children I loved so much. Then, I stopped and apologized for my grumpy attitude. Everyone suggested maybe I needed a nap. Then Nadine smoothed the air even further with her honest comment, “You know, Mom? Your hair looks CRAZY today!” I burst out laughing. It still looks crazy, by the way.

The text I sent to Matthew, which prompted my apology to the children.

So, Betty and I decided to take a nap, even though she is “never tired”. Like the other day, when she told me, “My tummy hurts. I’m tired of falling asleep.” Then this happened:

Today she told me she wanted to “talk” before we fell asleep. Thus began our conversation: “I have a question.”
“Yes, Betty? What’s your question?”
“When will I be six?”
“After you’re five.”
“Will I always be six?”
“The whole time you’re six, yes.” We then proceeded to practice counting up to six on our fingers. She is dead set on being six.
She says some pretty hilarious things these days. The other night she lamented in a very sorrowful voice, “Everybody makes me so sad.” When I asked her what would make her happy, she replied, “If you make chicken.” She asked me this out-of-the-blue question the other day: “Mom, can I put this rock in my pocket?”
“Um, sure,” I replied, puzzled.
“Just in case I need it for something.” Good to know she’s prepared.
When I asked her if she wanted apple sauce or yogurt for a snack she answered, “Hmmmmmmmm. I think my body wants yogurt.”

Last weekend, Matthew surprised me with one of my favorite date days ever. We were given tickets to Chester County Day, and drove all around the area touring historical homes, barns, and grounds. It was so beautiful, inspiring and refreshing.

I’ve been slightly obsessed with Instagram the past two weeks. The photos aren’t a false impression of my life, so much as they are a bit of an incomplete picture of it. You might see a shot of apple crisp, but in the background you can’t see the piles of dishes I just washed or have to still wash. You might see us reading books on the front porch, but you can’t see the dirt on the ground, or feel the mosquitoes trying to bite us. You might see the photo of a budding piano-player, but only we can hear the same three songs being played hundreds of times on the keyboard. You see the flower, but not the weeds.
This week’s favorite photos are as follows:

Jack’s ongoing collection of shiny things. A healed bone in Nadine’s big toe. Rock-climbing date with my Elsie Rose. Nadine’s 12th birthday, complete with crepe cake. Love and Daddy. The baby-waiting game. Beautiful clouds that make me wish I was a bird.

The boys just dug out some old CD’s, and we’re rocking out to the Kry, one of my favorite 90’s music memories. The girls are “secretly” rearranging their room (even though I could hear the furniture scooting all around their room from where I lay in bed while attempting to nap). My hair is still crazy. My heart is full.

Only 179 More Days

September 22, 2014September 22, 2014 / amylynw / Leave a comment

Last night I pulled out the half-dead morning-glory vines and squeezed back tears. My feet crunched dead-ness all around, and I fought the yucky pit in my stomach that creeps in every year around this time. This morning I put on shorts, somewhat in defiance, but succumbed to long pants because my body just can’t take anything below seventy degrees. Then I heard somewhere how today it’s fall, which means my favorite time of the year is over. So I did what is only natural for an African-born gal to do. I cried. Mourning the loss of barefoot days, flowers in abundance, fireflies at night, and countless hours spent outside, without having to worry about a coat or something to cover my feet. I may have even found a counter to check off how many days are left until spring. There are 179 more days. But who’s counting?

So, yeah, I cried over the phone to my ever-patient husband, who didn’t laugh at me for the hard morning I was having as a mom and as a summer-loving girl. But I’m not the sulky eleven-year old that I used to be. Yes, I still resist the urge to slam my bedroom door, and sometimes the door swings out of my hands a little faster than I was hoping it would, and makes a louder bang than I truly intended it to make, but I’m growing up. So, when seasons change and I let my dislike of it get to my very soul, there is a problem. I’d like to think there’s a problem with the thermometer or perhaps even the entire earth, but honestly, there’s a problem with me. There’s this tricky little part in all of us that quickly gives in to difficulty. It’s the part in us that needs words like, “In everything give thanks,” and “Endure hardship like a good soldier.” So when everything is wrong with the world, and people who love fall move to my hit-list, there is problem inside my heart. I have failed to give thanks, to see the beauty in change, and to wonder at what this change will bring to my life.

Things that thrill me no matter what season: sunshine, my man, running, fresh veggies, aromatherapy school, my amazing children, and music.

So, I choose joy. Even though I want to curl up in my bed, with chocolate and hot tea until the first day of spring, I simply can not. I will embrace this colder season of life with dignity, grace and strength provided from the God who made me, knows me, and never leaves me. I will keep donning my sneakers (along with many other layers) and run with endurance. I have goals to accomplish. Children to teach. Things to learn. Places to go. Life can’t stop just because the sun is further from my part of the globe. It’s time to pull out my scarves, check my thankfulness-meter, and perhaps buy a few mums to brighten my dead-looking garden.

Memory Lane Colliding With Today

September 16, 2014September 16, 2014 / amylynw / 1 Comment

Today I’m feeling nostalgic. Eight years ago, what was going on? Well, Jack was five months old and a crawling maniac. Elijah was into drinking tylenol, and wasn’t quite sure what hospitals were for.

Four years ago, we had recently moved.

Three years ago, we couldn’t imagine life without Betty.

Two years ago I publicly confessed my dislike of showers. I am also reminded that it’s time for another secret invitation soon.

One year ago, a baby was born. The pictures into my children’s personalities are still so similar, it is uncanny.

Today, these five keep me overwhelmed with joy to be their mama.

This year we decided not to do Awanas. The little girls were disappointed, and all on her own, Nadine initiated starting a “girl’s club” with Elsie & Betty, where they will memorize verses, do crafts and study the Bible together. She has it all planned out, and I’m excited to see her organize something like this! Tonight she even sewed a little vest for Elsie to wear during club. She will be starting her first steady babysitting job tomorrow, and is also involved in a Bible study/horse club with girls her age.

Elijah has definitely hit a new phase of life. Between moodiness, possible changes going on in the voice department, and a little more moodiness, he is growing up… and sometimes that can make one unsure of themselves. One thing is for certain: that boy can play the piano! Only three weeks into starting lessons, and he is already grasping it in a remarkable way. I’m really proud of him. His musical talent doesn’t only lie in his fingers. He memorizes songs like no one’s business. In his own words: “I know this song like I’m breathing.” He also knows how to tell jokes and make us laugh.

In looking back at pictures, I noticed that Jack is still wearing the same orange shorts he wore about three years ago. He keeps growing taller, but his waist stays the same. He can more often than not, be found upside-down. Today I gave him a chair to carry out to the trash, since it had broken beyond repair. Not too long after that, I found him, armed with spindles.
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Yesterday he came up to me and asked, “Mom, has my voice changed?” I told him, no. He said, “Oh, good.” Then Elijah piped up: “We already talked about that, Jack.” His reply: “I know. But not with Mom.” He also asked me if I could see any hair on his chest yet. I hugged my little boy with the smooth, beautiful face and feet as big as my own, and wanted to bottle up his boyish ways forever. When I asked him to vacuum off the front porch the other day, I noticed the sound of the vacuum was going on for a lot longer than the task required. I peeked outside to see him doing this, using the front door as a mirror:

I love the dirt under his arm-pits and the sweat and grime covering his body. He is one-hundred-and-fifty percent boy.

Elsie still likes shoes, still likes to work hard, and is still enthralled with hair. On Sunday night, she came downstairs after being tucked in and asked if she could “tidy up a bit.” I thought about it for about a half second. She proceeded to pick things off the floor, put them away, sweep the kitchen, wiped this and that, and made a huge difference in the outlook of the downstairs. She voluntarily pulled out each of her baskets and folded all of her clothes just perfectly before putting them all back. This girl is my inspiration for organization and cleanliness. She is also a singer, and often sings Betty to sleep at night.
Betty loves to learn. She can read, “I am Betty.” She often adds an “H” somewhere in her name, because she just loves to write H’s. She can also sing entire songs, and I am amazed at her memory. Don’t be fooled by the frilly shirt and patent leather shoes. This girl can climb. In fact, the entire time she climbed the eight-or-so-foot fence, she sang: “I’m a climber, I’m a climber…” Yes, yes, she is.
It’s been awhile since I put together a sleepy collage. I love to sneak pictures of my beautiful babies when they’re asleep. Just looking at them is making my eyelids droop. The only one who sleeps pretty much the exact same way every night is Nadine. One morning, Betty came downstairs and giggled, “Mama, Elsie’s head was on my tummy when I woke up!” They are so funny when they sleep.

200-ish Miles and At Least One Shower

September 11, 2014September 11, 2014 / amylynw / Leave a comment

I mean to take showers every day. Really I do. But I often tell myself that it will happen after I exercise. It’s a lovely treat to wash away all the stinky sweat after a good run. But when I forget to shower… I mean, exercise… I will usually be reminded by my sweet 6-year old. It’s pretty bad when she looked at me yesterday afternoon as I stretched my arms in the air and said, “Mom! This is like the fifth time I’ve told you… You need to shave your armpits!” Oy! My oldest sister used to remind me to take showers. Now my daughter does. As I’ve said before, it’s not my favorite thing to do.

This little girl is the queen of pull-ups! She can do three dead-hang pull-ups in a row, and at least a dozen times a day I see her going down to the basement to practice yet again. She is a funny girl. The other day she said to me, “My life is changing. Everything I used to like I don’t like anymore.” I think we were just having a meal she wasn’t too fond of eating, but from her point of view, it was much more dramatic than that. She loves to sing and dance and do one-handed cartwheels. She is growing out her hair and can hardly wait until it’s down to her waist.
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“I don’t want my hair in a pony any more,” Betty said to me. “I want it in my ears.” I think she meant “behind my ears”, but that’s ok. I understand her sweet three-year-old vocabulary. Which is really quite astounding. She is a precious girl with a lion’s heart. She can count very fluently until about ten, then she says things like, “Eleventeen, twelve-teen, thirteen…” But she is improving daily on her school work, and sits for HOURS at her little desk. She isn’t afraid of bugs. “Real bugs fly like this!” she told me one time, flapping her arms like a bird. “I really like ants and lightning bugs.” Betty reminds me to use special things every day, because every day is special. Like when she wears her most beautiful dress. It’s a creamy butter yellow with tulle all around it. I used to think it should only be worn on very special occasions. Now it is worn to ride bikes, climb trees, and during sword-fights, because every day is special.

Our week was short but very full. The boys find reading much easier dressed in soldier gear. On Sunday, we had the privilege of meeting Jay, from Kenya! He was a graduate from Compassion International, and we heard his story last week at the mobile experience. Nadine has her boot off at last, and this morning the stitches came out too. She isn’t up to running yet, but not having crutches or a big boot is a huge blessing! Getting back onto a horse, bareback, was a huge highlight for her this week.
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This weekend, Matthew and I will be running in a 200 mile relay with other people from his work. I am runner #2 of 12. Here is a look at my three legs of the race: 2014-09-10 15.20.15
I’m a little bit nervous about it, but excited too. This weekend I got my longest run in that I’ve had since March… so I hope I survive!

Nadine told me to take lots of pictures of this weekend. I’m mostly excited to be with Matthew for a a couple of days, even if it is doing something rather crazy. And in honor of Elsie, I’ll be sure to get at least one shower.

From Kenya to Valley Forge

September 6, 2014 / amylynw / 3 Comments

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!
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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.
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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

September 6, 2014September 6, 2014 / amylynw / 1 Comment

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.

Oh I Would Run 3 Miles or More Just To See You Walk Right Through That Door

August 25, 2014August 25, 2014 / amylynw / 2 Comments

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.
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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)

Grow Old With Me

(the story of our life)

thankfulness

I Just Want A Yes

Flare-Ups, Squeaky Brakes, and Thankful Hearts

When Sparks Fly and Cracks are Backed

A Crazy-Hair Day

Only 179 More Days

Memory Lane Colliding With Today

200-ish Miles and At Least One Shower

From Kenya to Valley Forge

Life in Collage

Oh I Would Run 3 Miles or More Just To See You Walk Right Through That Door

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