What Rhymes With Watermelon?

Between watermelon feasts and swimming pools, it truly feels like summer.  Elijah is best at cleaning out the watermelon “rhyme” as he was calling it.  Although he didn’t eat all of these in one sitting, as a family, we have downed one watermelon per day for the past three days.  It’s been delightful.  Two fresh ones sit in the fridge waiting their consumption.

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I have especially enjoyed it tossed in a salad.  Today I crumbled up leftover hamburgers (which had pureed carrots, zucchini, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and basil in them), pulled some swiss chard from our garden, threw in a few leftover sweet potatoes, and diced watermelon.  YUM.  Summer in a bowl.  A little salty, a little pesto hint from the basil, and sweet from the watermelon.  It was amazing.

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Betty came downstairs wearing these overalls.  They used to be her Daddy’s!  Everyone has worn them at least once.  

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The other night I had Nadine tuck Elsie into bed.  A half hour later I walked by her room to see Elsie looking up at her in rapt attention while Nadine told her a horse story.  I was about to say, Go to bed, now!  When Nadine mouthed over Elsie’s head: I’m having so much fun!  The giggles and stories persisted until very late.  Who am I to stop sisterly bonding?

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Our gardens have fairly popped with color and growth!  I spent awhile in the dark tonight, weeding foot-long elephant grass from my daisies.  There is something incredibly peaceful about nighttime gardening.  Every day a new flower appears.  Currently my favorite are the tiger lilies.  The sight of them is something to behold, but I wish I could post how they smell.  Smell is not something easily stored up or snapped into a scent-o-graph.  If I could, I would capture the glamorous and deep perfume of a lily.  Instead, I get its yellow pollen smeared across my face when I bury my nose inside of it to remember the smell deep within my memory bank.

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Ushering in July

Mommy, I love you.  Mommy, I kiss you.  Mommy, I will not be afraid.  These are just a few of the sweet things Betty said to me as I tucked her in tonight.  Her vocabulary, personality, and fine motor skills are fairly exploding.  She’s like a burst of colorful fireworks.  I don’t know how she will express herself next, but I know it’s going to be bold, bright, and beautiful.  She makes an impression on me every day and leaves her special mark on my heart that only her smile and dark brown eyes can do.

The last week has been full of strawberry picking, rain, new flowers showing their happy faces, rain, gorgeous sunsets, rain, old friends, rain, reading during quiet hour, more rain, and lots of games.

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I’ve been working on rearranging furniture and purging.  We actually got rid of about 75% of our movies.  I love how the kids were right on board with the idea of filling a laundry basket with videos and dvd’s. Out they went, along with the TV, and no one has complained once.  We can still watch movies on the computer, and each child has a preset 30 minute allotment on the computer each day.  Their account will automatically shut down after 30 minutes, which makes it easy for me and it has just about completely eliminated computer whining on their part and nagging on my part.

I also painted this reminder on the wall by our front door:

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Elsie has had an incredibly loose tooth for the past week.  Tonight I overheard this conversation between her and the boys:

Elijah: Elsie, if it falls out of your mouth while you’re sleep, you’re gonna die.
<Big pause> Then, on a lighter note, Elijah says: When you wake up and just look under your pillow, there’s a dollar.  Right, Jack?
Jack:  Mhm.
Elijah:  Yeah, it’s like a fairy.  She’s invisible.
Jack: It’s actually… an angel.
Elijah:  I could get the pliers and pull it out and there actually will be no pain at all.
This is about the time Elsie came down with a very worried look on her face, and the idea that maybe we should just use our fingers to pull it out came into play.  The tooth remains, and I certainly hope she doesn’t swallow it in her sleep.  Our kids have been known to swallow their teeth, but never while sleeping.

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So far our summer has been pretty swell.  I think this last picture captures my sentiments spot on perfectly:

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Happy July!

 

 

Hope Postponed

When I was younger than my oldest daughter, I met two very special girls who walked alongside of me through life.  They walked the same African dirt roads with me.  They knew all of my awkward crushes and we all guessed at who we’d marry one day.  We fought, we made up, and we eventually grew up.  Our places on the map are scattered, and our visits are rare.  So, when the opportunity came to possibly see one another last weekend, my heart “soared on the wings of anticipation” (my favorite quote from Anne of Green Gables).  I prayed day in and day out that a way would be made possible to get my longing heart to Oregon.  I was reminded over and over of this verse:  Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.– Proverbs 13:12

I had many gut-wrenching moments over the past weeks, but was determined to trust the Lord with whatever answer He gave me.  He gently told me, Not this time, Amy.  It wasn’t easy to accept that answer, but I know His ways are best, and experienced His grace to comfort my aching heart.  I love the promise in that verse: after experiencing the waiting, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and the fulfillment is greater than the original longing.

It’s kind of like gardening in the dead of winter.  We planted many seeds, and looked for weeks and weeks at barren ground.  I hoped and prayed for beauty to rise from the ugly dirt.  It would have been great to experience instant beauty.  But God doesn’t do the next-day-garden.  He teaches us how to be patient, and sometimes we even feel a little sick when we wait.  Then, life starts to emerge from what seemed impossible.  Those first blooms are the fulfillment of all those longings.  We forget the emptiness when we are so full.  Yet we appreciate it so much more because of the hunger.

Hope postponed grieves the heart;
    but when a dream comes true, life is full and sweet.

June 2013

Sometimes it helps me to write out a verse in my own words.  This comforted me:  When a desire which you expect to be fulfilled, is delayed until the right time, your heart feels sick.  But when a strong desire for something that is unattainable becomes a reality, it is like eating from the tree which gives life.

Maybe you’re waiting for something which seems unattainable.  His answer might be yes, it might be no, or it might be it a little longer.  When it’s perfect, He will make it a reality.  Don’t spurn or wish away the aches that come along with the waiting, though.

For me, it wasn’t the right time, and it may never be this side of Heaven.  But I know for sure that one day we will experience an unbelievable reunion.  We won’t need plane tickets, and we won’t ever need to say goodbye.

In My Head

Yesterday, Elsie came down to the kitchen with a coonskin hat on her head, and a silky pink polka-dot cape around her neck.  In a very serious voice she asked me what I too have been wondering lately:  Mom, is it going to rain every day?  We’ve been caught in so many deluges the past two weeks!  I’ve hung up clothes, only for them to be washed a dozen times in the rain before finally bringing them inside to the spin cycle and clothes dryer, because I really needed that shirt.  I’ve gotten showered while running to move the car.  Finally, today I was able to bond with the dirt once again and discovered my first daisy!  Zucchini growing, flowers planted from seed, now blooming.  It does my soul good.

On Wednesday we made out with a huge bin of K’nex for $5 from a used sale.  Elijah has been skipping breakfast for the past two days in order to build this amazing contraption.

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He often leaves me notes on my phone, can fix bikes, and loves anything electronic.

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He also loves apricot jelly.  When he was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for himself he saw me about to say something and interjected: I know, I know.  No more jelly.  That’s what you always say when there’s an inch of jelly on my bread.

I have a knack at going grocery shopping either dangerously close to lunch time, or at midnight.  This particular time it was right around noon.  Everyone was hungry.  As Elsie remarked, her tummy felt backwards. To make up for it, I let the kids pick out a few special items to eat, and we had a spontaneous picnic at the splash park.  As we sat on the grass, eating, Elijah looked at me with his orange fingers and said, The one thing that makes me think I’m dreaming is that you would never say yes to Doritos.  He grinned and licked his fingers.

Matthew’s youngest brother just graduated from highschool.  I’ve known him since he was three years old, which makes me feel very old.  What a wonderful young man Jacob has become.

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The other day Elsie asked me: Does God hear you when you talk in your head?  It’s a wonderful thing that He does, because most of my talking to Him is done that way!  While wrestling wet babies out of the kiddie pool.  While putting certain children on time-out steps and wondering what on earth to do next.  While wiping tables, bottoms, and countertops.  While slicing onions and running through a few recipes in my head.  While picking up again and again and again.  While driving with the background noise at a deafening level.  While running a few city blocks in silence.  While peeking in on sleeping cherubs in their beds.  While doubting, fearing, rejoicing, and giving thanks.  He hears our silent prayers.

The past week it seems like our kids have fallen asleep in the weirdest places.  While watching a movie, the boys fell asleep like this:

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The other night Elsie fell out of bed and kept right on sleeping.  I couldn’t lift her back onto her bed, and thought Matthew would before we went to bed.  He forgot, and the next morning Elsie informed me that she slept on the floor all night.  I felt bad, but it didn’t seem to bother her!  Then, one night Jack was determined to wait up until Matthew and I came in from the front porch where we were talking.  When I came inside to get something, I almost tripped over his sleeping body.
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Both Elijah and Jack had the privilege of going to work with their Daddy one day the past week.  Jack created a few things out of scrap wood.  Here he is, holding his “Goliath Sword”.DSC_1271-001
Besides all of the usual keep-the-house-clean-feed-the-bellies-do-laundry-pull-weeds-kind-of-days, I’ve been burning the midnight oil and writing papers to finish up my doula recertification.  I am one credit away from mailing in all my paperwork that I’ve been working on for the past three years.  I am so excited to check it off my list and delve into school planning for next year.  I sold all of my books which we used the past two years, and am excited for our new ones to arrive next week!  I am hoping to plan out the bulk of the year before truly relaxing for a couple of months.    Matthew has been an incredible support for me as I have pursued my dreams and goals.  We are enjoying doing cross-fit together and eating 100% paleo!  More on that another time!  I do just want to say how incredible Matthew’s health has been since zeroing in on his diet.  I have finally come alongside him in eating a disciplined diet and it’s such a blessing to be united in this area.  God is teaching us many things as we wait on Him and trust Him with our unknowns.  When He says, This is the way, walk in it… we have no choice but to obey.  It might just mean eating more vegetables.  It might mean how we do school.  It might mean staying put.  It might mean moving forward.
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May Highlights

 

May went so fast that when June came around, it took me until the evening to realize it.  It was full of a weekend hiking trip with friends, imaginative creations, monopoly games, parks, picnics, doctor visits, grocery trips, reading, bacon, walks and more.  Here is a condensed collage from my phone pictures from May:

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I have a lot of words, but they’re all stuck in my brain.  Our hike was amazing, despite the rain that started about a mile from our camp site.

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If you were perhaps feeling sleepy right now, you might want to curl up in bed after seeing these:

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The older two pretty much sleep in one of two positions every night, all night long.

 

Accidental Gardener

Mommy keeps getting up, Mommy never sits do-own, Elsie is singing in her little sing-song voice, as I make pancakes, flip pancakes, and feed ravenous children.  Feels true most days.  That girl is pretty perceptive.  She is also reading whole books.  She is what I call an accidental learner.  Didn’t really try to teach her, but somehow it happened.  All of a sudden she went from cat and dot, to Funny funny Jane went down with her yellow boat… or something like that.

I’m what I like to call an accidental gardener.  I tend to toss seeds in the ground, convince myself I’ll remember what I planted, and promptly forget.  I also re-potted some zucchini… or yellow squash… not sure which.  Guess we’ll find out in a couple of months!  Into the ground they went.  The tee-pee village is planted with beans, or peas, or something that climbs!  I just forget which is where.  I think I’ve mentioned before that I like surprises!

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Some surprises I don’t like in particular are those of the check-engine-light variety.  This week we’ve been stuck at home while the van was in the shop.  Then we were given the word we really expected to receive years ago: Your van is not worth fixing.  It just might crumble if they fix the list of things that need attention.  It wasn’t really a surprise, I guess.  It’s like thinking spring will never come, just because it feels like winter will never end.  Yet spring surprises us every year.  So even though it felt like our van would never die, its retirement was guaranteed.  Sixteen years old, almost 240,000 miles… it’s seen the birth of three kids and experienced the growth of five… traveled cross-country, up north, south, and west many times, and in general gets good use.  We couldn’t be more thankful.  We shopped for it when we lived in Honduras, and prayed for no one to buy it when we found it online.  Awesome story of how God provided it.  He obviously had it marked out specially for us.  And He can do that again.

After writing all of the above, life happened!  Not wanting to be known as the mommy who never sits down, today I sat down.  Not mindlessly, and not to give in to the melancholy that was swiftly setting in from anxious thoughts rising to the forefront of my mind.  I sat in the sunshine, red mug in hand, Bible open. IMG_0656

Yes, I had a chattering shadow, but I’m learning how “quiet time” in my heart doesn’t necessarily  mean it’s quiet all around me.  My eyes fell to the page, heart aching to be filled.  Hungry, like it’s been awhile since a good meal.  Colossians 3:15 filled me up: Let the peace of God rule in your hearts…and  be thankful.  A two-fold, sturdy step for my anxious heart to take hold.  First, I had to ask myself:  What else is ruling?  Myself?  Worry?  Anger?  Usually what’s in charge is the first thing that is evident to those around you and to yourself.  I knew peace was not ruling.  It felt a little bit more like uncertainty and a swiftly beating heart was ruling, every time I looked out the window at our sad, sad van.  Saying He will provide, to others, is much easier than telling it to myself.

Let the peace of God rule.  Allow it, invite it to permeate every inch of my heart.  Spread it around like flower seeds and watch it grow.  It will produce more peace every time.

Be thankful.  Oy, that’s a hard one, when all I want to do is complain, compare, and covet.  It’s non-negotiable, though.  As any grammar freak knows, this is not a question, nor a statement, nor an exclamation, but a command.  With all commands, we can choose to obey or not.  The consequences of not obeying result in all the things we fight against: complaining, comparing, and coveting.   Thankfulness brings Christ right into focus, fading out what doesn’t matter.

So, as we step into the unknown, I am reminded: my God is the God-Who-Provides.  He is never accidental in what He does.

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Life Unedited

Today as I went to make our bed, I turned down the sheets to discover a small baby doll with lots of purple corn chips scattered around her.  She lay quietly in the sheets and I could tell she didn’t want anyone to know about the chips.  I had to choose a smile over a bubbling up annoyance.  I wonder what was going through that little mind while they ate chips in Daddy & Mommy’s bed.  I also wonder what my reaction would have been had I climbed into bed tonight in the dark and felt those things crunch beneath me.  I’d say their pain level upon contact with skin is akin to legos.

Elsie learned how to ride a two-wheeler all by herself this weekend.  One push, and she was off.  Someone generously gave her their old hand-me-down which fits her perfectly, and now she is cruising around the block like she’s always known how.  In a dress, no less.
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She also has her first loose tooth.  She is full of her typical, inquisitive conversation.  Today she chattered with me the entire time I buried 78 bricks around our side garden.  Or it might have been 104.  Or 42.  The number kept changing as she kept count.  I didn’t keep track of her questions and observations because my hands were covered in dirt and couldn’t write anything down, but I know I chuckled a lot.
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Spaghetti and Daddy rhyme when they come out of Betty’s mouth.  Both bring excitement.  Other things make her excited too.  Playing hide-and-seek… which by the way happens in her world whenever she sees anyone.  She will almost always yell, Got you! whenever someone walks into a room.  She is learning the fine art of not always getting what she wants.  I think we all deal with disappointment each day, but Betty likes to show it in full: crocodile tears and all.  Either that, or The Slanted Eyes Look.  Actually, as I type this paragraph (this afternoon) the world is crumbling at the fact she can. not. have. a. banana. right. now.
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Our egg carton seedlings are growing well, and we’ve been making all sorts of fun things outside in the garden.  Once things start to grow, I’ll put some before and after photos!  Stay tuned for June and July garden pictures!   Right now the tulips are blooming.  Some unedited shots of those beauties:
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One of our many garden projects includes vertical gardens!  Matthew created some fabulous palette garden beds and they’re in the midst of getting filled with dirt and seeds.  Soon we’ll be making some honeymoon salad: lettuce alone.
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Speaking of being alone, that doesn’t happen very often around here.  I even caught myself yelling from the shower today, You don’t need me!  If there isn’t blood, you don’t need me!  Talk to me after I get out of the shower!  No joke, the aforementioned caller hadn’t needed me for the previous hour.  It was only the moment the warm water hit my aching head that the urgency struck them like a bad bladder.  Nope.  Didn’t need me.  I have actual footage I took of Betty sliding things under the bathroom door, saying, Mommy… Mommy… Mommy… while I tried to get five minutes peace.

Matthew also chopped down three trees that were overtaking the electrical wires, and he will be building a shed to house the bikes and mower and outside toys.  The same day our trampoline ripped from side to side.  Twenty-four hours later, our Heavenly Father, who knows just how much our kids live and breathe on our trampoline, replaced it for free tonight!  It’s even bigger and nicer than our old one.  He’s a wonderful Dad, who knows our desires and loves to give us good gifts.
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When the boys were playing hockey last week I ran out on the rink to take pictures.  Elijah said, There’s a fan on the court… She’s a big fan of Matthew Weldon.  You got that right, buddy!  The other night we ate our supper after the kids went to bed, outside in front of the fire-pit.  I am a really big fan of him.
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On Sunday, Jack turned seven!  What a hunk of love.
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April 20131

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He built the Eiffel Tower all by himself.  All day today he had the perfect tuft of bed head going on, making me smile.  He is a conscientious little guy who likes to pack his own bag, make things straight, and color inside the lines.  He loves hard and deeply.  His heart aches for those who are sick.  He is loyal, seeks justice, and loves gifts.  His metabolism is always burning full steam ahead and he eats more apples and carrots in one day than most people do in one week.  He longs for Heaven.  We love you, Jack!
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It’s A Colorful One

When trampolines come back into daily play, and the fridge once again empties without notice, it is a sure sign everyone is well again.  I am so thankful! DSC_8433-001

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I’m not sure everyone else is glad to be back into full-time schoolwork again, but they’ve been doing well.  It’s fun to catch them having fun while doing school. DSC_8640-001
Last Sunday we spent the day with Matt’s family.  The kids were well-entertained (maybe a bit too much so) with ginormous lollipops from a friend’s wedding.  After much licking, Elsie stuck out her tongue and said, Dad, look at my tongue!  It’s a colorful one, isn’t it?
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Tucked inside my week are always many excitements, unplanned occurrences, etc.  One such event involved smelling smoke from upstairs.  My internal Mommy smoke-detector went off and I ran downstairs to investigate.  An unnamed culprit had burned some papers inside the recycling bin.  Rightly scared, they took it outside to extinguish it better without further smokeage.  Fortunately no harm was done.  Unfortunately for them, Mom’s nose never lies.

We have hit the “When-it-gets-quiet-you’d-better-go-check” stage again.  This time it is with little Betty.  Powder all over her room.  Markers all over her body.  Oats all over the floor.  Scissors in hand.  It’s all or nothing, baby.  She wears her little pink flip flops backwards.  She works hard in the garden.  In addition to the messes and disasters throughout each day, another thing is for certain: at night, all is at rest, they are still, and we relish the gift of sleep.  The only thing they’re chasing are their dreams.

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The roller skates have come out in full force along with the crocuses and tulips.
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It’s hard to believe this little guy will be seven years old in three days!
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Sometimes when the snot is running, the tempers are ranting, the fridge is emptying, and the feet are stomping, I forget to breath.  Yet when those little arms squeeze my neck and those eyes look up at me with a grin, the snot and mess fades away.  In the really challenging moments, they need love.  Sometimes love is jumping on the trampoline until your hair stands on end.  Sometimes it looks like pancakes made from scratch.  Sometimes it means lying next to them way past their bedtime and reading one more book.  Sometimes it’s a sticky lollipop… a really big colorful one.

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At Least

I recently read an article which mentioned how saying At Least, when you’re about to blow up about something, can really help keep perspective.  See, keeping my cool doesn’t come naturally.  When several things bombard me each day to test my resolve, it’s not easy to keep the decibels low and the attitude right.  I’m finding at least has helped me tremendously not to dive-bomb into discouragement, anger and defeat.

Discovering my keys were locked in the van yesterday morning… again, I was upset.  At least I didn’t have to be anywhere, and many things were accomplished by being home all day.  In addition, someone else was able to find joy in helping me out of my predicament.  At least I have policemen for my friends!

Then last night I was moving the plastic slide from one spot in the yard to another.  The orange part came unattached and slammed down on my wrist.  It is still throbbing.  At least I can still move my arm.  At least my body knows how to heal.

Betty and the boys have been hanging out almost all week together while the older girls have had some time with Grandma Weldon.  Currently, they are practicing knife-throwing at a wooden target outside.  It was one of those moments where I almost told them they couldn’t do it.  Then I thought, at least they’re not playing video games and at least they’re outside and learning a skill.  I love that the target they drew is the Alley Cat.  The dreaded feline that poops in our garden and makes mommy mad.  Don’t worry, they won’t really kill it, all you cat-lovers out there.

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When I told them to get dressed, they reappeared from downstairs wearing the exact same clothes they wore yesterday.  The outfits that were just stuffed into the laundry basket after their bath last night.  When confronted with this information, I was answered in typical boyish fashion: But this is my favorite shirt!  I thought, why not?  What is the big deal, anyway?  At least there are two less outfits I need to wash this week.

Earlier in the week, we enjoyed a trip to the Franklin Institute with cousin Brian.  Betty stayed with Grandma Watt and we had a fabulous all-boys day, complete with Five Guys for the three guys.

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Betty is growing into her two-year-old-self very comfortably.  She’s learned how to utilize the faucet mechanism of her tear ducts and can turn them on and off quite quickly if she so desires.  Along with her strength of will and determination to communicate, she is growing in other areas too.  Going potty, getting herself dressed as much as she can, and sitting at the table more and more are just some of the ways she’s growing up.  When she cleans up, she does it 100 percent.  I will need this girl to keep me in line when I’m old and grey.

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On the flip side, when she makes messes, she does so 100 percent.  Take the tube of toothpaste all over the chair as one instance.

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She loves to eat wockles… or waffles.

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Elsie has been enjoying her pink robe.  She falls asleep in the funniest positions.  She is also full of the funniest things to say.  Look mom!  I can move my eyeballs!  She told me the other day, while she raised her eyebrows up and down.  Putting her hand over her heart, she told me, Mommy, my heart is beeping.

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Nadine is either exactly as tall as me, or a little taller.  She is good at taking her little sisters under her wing, though loves having her own space as well.  She loves a good s’more.  It is crazy to think how we’ve experienced a snowstorm, gardening, and roasting marshmallows, all in one week.  Yes, s’mores was our supper that night.

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As the clouds roll over the sun today, I’m reminded of a Friday no one thought was good, two-thousand years ago.  Day turned into night as God the Father left Jesus to suffer alone.  Our sin was too great for Him to see.  Then, darkness, sorrow, death.  Everything we experience without Jesus.

Then, the greatest AT LEAST in history.  At least it wasn’t the end.  God’s plan was finished, yes, but it was not the end.  At least after Friday, there comes Resurrection Sunday!  Jesus Rose From The Dead Day, as my brother-in-law has so fitly renamed it.  It’s not about eggs or jelly beans or hollow chocolate bunnies.  When Jesus rose from the dead, He did something no other god has done.  Because He didn’t stay dead, He gives us real victory over sin, real freedom from what trips us up, and real life from death.  At least it didn’t end on Friday.  Praise God!

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I Ate A Carrot Once

 

 

Well, I finally found the Happy in my Birthday banner.  Our sweet Elsie Rose is five years old.  She writes, she nibbles off parts of her ABC crackers to spell her name correctly, she is full of hilarity.  Today while she and Betty were driving with my mom to Bible school, my mom pointed out that there was a lot of traffic and she could see a long line of cars behind them.  After turning around, she asked my mom, Why are so many cars following us?  Then tonight at dinner, we were discussing carrots.  Elsie is not a fond eater of veggies, although we sneak them into her diet many tricky ways.  While discussing carrots, mainly the one-foot-long carrot Jack was eating, Elsie put her chin in her hand and noted:  I ate a carrot once.  Just once.  That was enough.  Probably never again.  We’ll see about that.

This week I was pretty sick.  I’ve been hanging onto a cough for a few weeks and my kindly brother-in-law doctor gave my lungs a listen and put me on some meds.  Tonight I feel the best I’ve felt for awhile, so praying I’m truly on the mend.  I won’t put pictures on here of how the house looked at its worst.  Let’s just say: Mom’s Can’t Get Sick!  Highlights would be the erector-set flower Elijah made for me, Matt’s sister coming for a day to teach the kids Science, hand-holding, robe-sleeping children, creative minds, eclectic outfits, my mommy making me dinner, homemade Indian food with friends,  flurries along with crocuses, a clean bathroom, hot tea with friends, and a taste of spring!

March 20133

The older three kids even got to tour The Master’s Baker, owned by some awesome relatives of ours.  It was such a treat!

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March 20132

Well, my tea is cold, my rice-bag is warm, and my bed is calling.  Good night.