Write to Your Children

 I love a good one liner. They are easy for me. I love Instagram and Twitter. But they fool me into thinking I am keeping a record of the best moments of my life. Often I need to be reminded to write on paper...with a pen...something that will last.  

My dear friend, Lisa, saw something silly I tweeted this week and reminded me of Isaiah 30:8
Now go and write down these words.
    Write them in a book.
They will stand until the end of time
    as a witness. 

 I keep a different journal for each of my kids where I write down funny things they do, amazing things I see in each of them and just how much I love them. I hope these will be something they treasure one day. I want them to read their book and remember how God's hand has been on them since birth. They are each so different, so unique. I want them to know that I paid attention to the little things, the special things.

Build Strong Children

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~Frederick Douglass

I am on a hotel balcony looking into the room where two of my children play. I recall this quote twittered today by a friend. It is surreal to watch my family doing life on the other side of glass. I have written about this before...watching my family through a window. I cannot hear what is being said. The dynamic changes when one of my senses is disengaged. What I see is magnified. The smiles, the silent laughter, the eye contact between a brother and a sister.

Tonight Promise has agreed to Jett's request to play. She has chosen a theme he loves: Batman. She has drawn the Joker on a pizza box top and dressed Jett in his favorite Batman costume. Jett watches PJ intently as she explains the rules, which simply are...punch Joker. Why are they are having such fun together? Because one has chosen selflessly to play what the other likes.

Love really is an easy choice. It's not necessary that we always be doing something that is centered around self. Why don't we as parents teach our children to love, give and share on the front side of life? Wouldn't we be setting them up for success as adults? It's not as impossible as culture tells us. If we listen to the loudest voices around us, we hear, "children are a hassle", "motherhood is a burden - certainly not a career choice worth pursuing." But if you were to step out of range of that voice, even momentarily, your ears would ring with the song of the family (borrowed from The Pearl). Listen intently to the Mother Heart within you, and you will question culture. Allow your ear to be drawn and you will pursue something above the status quo. You will not pursue in vain!

In Anticipation of Birds

I finally opened the door for a peek. I could resist no longer. Every morning we watch the bluebirds at work. So we knew there had to be eggs by now. What a great find. The kids took turns standing on the old chair by the tree. And here is what we found. Now we will watch as the bluebirds work in tandem to bring food for their hungry newborn babies.

In celebration of birds, we made these bird rocks. Some were Grand Mother's Day gifts and some will sit on our patio. Thank you Crafty Crow for this fun idea.

Mother's Day

I don’t think I have ever left a store crying before. I love shopping! Saturday I stopped by a local gift shop to pick out a gift for my mother-in-law. When I walked in, one lady said to the other, “This is the mother of the family that was in here so long the other day.” I knew Danny had taken the kids Mother’s Day shopping and I wondered if Jett had come in there and done something ‘memorable.’ But as they began to tell me their impressions of my family, I felt like the luckiest woman alive.

Without a doubt Mother’s Day is my favorite day of the year. I enjoy the big deal the kids make, the gifts my family gives me and that we go out for lunch somewhere nice. I love that I always spend Mother’s Day with my precious mom who inspired me to pour myself into my family.

This year was no exception. They lavished me with beautiful gifts and hugs and homemade art. We dined on fancy salads and cheesecake while sitting outside by a fountain. But nothing could have made the occasion more meaningful than what I heard those women saying about my husband and children. “Tell us the story on your family.” “Everyone of your children is so precious.” “Your husband was so attentive to each one of them as they shopped for you.” “That man, oh my goodness!” On and on it went as my eyes brimmed with tears of gratitude.

They continued…“Seeing them just made our day.” “We talked about them all day long.” But the one that really got me was….“We know so many rich people, families with plenty of money, but when your family walked out of here I said, ‘That is the kind of family I want to have’.”

Those women don’t know anything about us. They have no idea how we have struggled financially this past year and that picking out gifts in a gift shop was such a treat. But their words were more treasured than gifts that came out of that shop wrapped in beautiful ribbons.

I love Mother’s Day. I feel like the busyness of the world stops for one day (at least my world does) and I get to revel in the fact that I am living a dream. I am surrounded by love. Genuine love. I get to be a wife and mother. Now I did not always think that was a goal worthy of aspiring to. I’ve tried my hand at a lot of things. But nothing has brought me the absolute joy that loving my family brings. The older I get, the more I learn about aspirations.

When I was a kid, my mom tirelessly and patiently raised us to love Jesus and love others. Quietly her example poured into me day after day. As I grew older, the voice of the world grew louder than hers. “Do this. Do that. You have to make a name for yourself. “ All along my mom’s name was just “Mom.” And that is what I came back to!

In the Moment

"Mom, look at this lake!" Oh, to have had a camera in my hand. The rain had made a puddle larger than life. And lucky Jett! He had remembered his rain boots before jumping in the car for the horse farm. Some of my best homeschool memories this year have been made at this little place tucked away in north Georgia. Today was no exception.

The sun was peaking through clouds just as we arrived. By the time we left, we were so messed up we had to forgo our Walmart run. But man, did Jett enjoy that puddle. He was so proud of the amount of mud on his boots and chunks of nature he had tossed into the slime.

The best part was the excitement on his face. I hope I never forget that smile. He was alive. He was in the moment.

Worship with Homeless Friends

I've never heard him sing out this strong. He wasn't nervous or intimidated by the environment. Last night Noah led worship with Chrystina at Safehouse Outreach. It was surreal to watch Noah on stage doing what he already feels is God's calling on his young life. Grayson and Holden (friends and 2nd Wave bandmates) played in the worship band. The adults in the crowd had a blast. What joy it brought them to see these kids up there rocking their hearts out. Holden was too sick to sing so he played electric guitar with all he had. Grayson played the drums like he owned them. People sang and worshipped and smiled and yelled for more. I'm sure Danny will be posting today from a dad's point of view. What a blessing to worship along with my son. As a mom, I watched with tears in my eyes as Noah shared all that what was inside his heart with a room full of hungry and hurting men and women. After the service, we served up 300 boxes of food. Jesus was there. I'm glad I was too.

Happiness Party

Dovie likes to throw Happiness Parties. When asked what it is, she replies, "A party to celebrate my happiness!" How do you like that? Dovie is surely the happiest kid I know. Her spirit is such a reminder to us to be happy wherever we find ourselves. She adorns the walls with her handmade decorations and constructs a kid-friendly snack menu. Tomorrow she has one such party planned because she knows Danny will be home all day. I have been commissioned to bake brownies for the event. I hope Dovie is always this happy-go-lucky! Thought I'd share this idea in case you need to spread a little cheer this week!

Christmas Fun

It seems Dove is the only one willing to trudge through the mud and cold. Today she had a horse back riding lesson. None of the other kids wanted to go with us. So we made a day of it. After the horse fun, she rinsed the hoof cleaning grim off her hands and we stopped at the outlet mall. Apparently Dovie is as spur of the moment as I am. She wanted to get her ears pierced. So we did! Can you see her sparkly addition?


Then Pottery Barn made my day with this clearance West Elm silver tree. Yahoo! Now I have to figure out how to make the felted wool ornaments I saw in Holiday Crafts 2008.

Look at sweet Jett in this polar bear sweater and hat duo! Couldn't resist bringing this home for him. He loves new clothes as much as his Poppy.

Gingerbread

Here are our Gingerbread creations. Not quite the edible delicacies that Chad creates. But beautiful none the less. Every year our homeschool group gathers to construct one-of-a-kind houses. This year I did a little preplanning with google. Promise and I created the creche and Noah and Dove built our vacation home. I still want to make the candy cane sled before the kids or the cats eat our handiwork!

It's Snowing

All that talk last night about needing fake snow and what do I wake up to today? Snow! Big chunks are actually falling. The kids are freaking out. But it probably won't stick. However, when we see flurries in Georgia, everything shuts down. So this should be a fun day.

Back in the Saddle

This is Laurel Ridge Farms and one of the many reasons I love homeschooling! Today the kids and I loaded up the car and Noah read our history lesson as we drove to the country. Dovie had a horseback riding lesson with Rebecca. This was a birthday gift from her grandparents. She has waited a year and a half to do this. Dovie loves Rebecca, the owner and her instructor at Laurel Ridge Farms. Before the lesson was over, the farrier made a house call. It was akin to Little House on the Prairie as he lifted open the sides of his trailer and set out his anvil. We had a chance to learn something unique as he worked the horses' hooves. It was a great day.

Details

Today my little China pearl is 8 years old. On November 10, 2000, I was unaware that she was entering the world. Oh, I knew I had a daughter in China. But I did not know the details. Today I have the privilege of knowing all the details of her precious life. I get to see her drawings and receive her hugs. I get to hold her hand when she crosses the street and kiss her when she skins her knee. I marvel at her ability to keep up with things and organize the pantry; I can't even do that. Details are wonderful things.

I can't help but hurt for the woman who felt PJ enter the world. Surely she must remember this day too...wondering about the details. Oh, if she could see this picture, wouldn't her heart soar with pride? Break with passion? Long to hold the hand I am so blessed to hold? May God grant her the peace that passes understanding...and not knowing details.

Apple Orchard

My favorite thing about where we live is being so close to the country. I can jump in my car and drive two miles to get fresh eggs before the kids even wake up. Monday we drove less than an hour to pick apples and get fresh cider. The drive was beautiful. It was just Noah, Dove and me. Danny was working and the other two were sick. Although I will go back so Jett and Promise can pick apples, it was fun to have the other two all to myself. Isn't it interesting how the dynamic changes when you change up the parent/child ratio? Here are some pictures from our day in Elijay.

Sew Sweet

Tonight we had a little sewing class. My girls have been wanting to learn to sew by hand. So I traced some of their art onto muslin and gave a little instruction. I was so pleased with how well they could do the stem stitch. They were ecstatic! I read to them while they sewed and they just thought that was the greatest thing. Dovie said she felt like they were living the lives of Felicity and Elizabeth. Not to be outdone, Jett pulled up a chair. He got the lacing cards out and went to work. This is such an answer to prayer. I have wondered how he would do when we start our homeschool year. But over the past 4 weeks, he has been a different kid. He is focusing on toys, books and puzzles and playing well with the girls. He seems to be excited about learning. So I have some special "school" toys set aside for him for next week.

Tomorrow I will post a picture of the finished projects.

My Baby

How can this boy be 11? He is almost as tall as I, and most certainly smarter! He loves to learn how things work. But when he explains this stuff to me, I never seem to grasp it quite like he does.

The morning of this picture he was leaving for Boy Scout Camp in TN. As you can see from the windows, it was a very EARLY morning! Noah was really excited about his first week away from home. This is the third night Noah has been gone and we all really miss him. We are staying busy. The girls have written him letters. We made this great art by coloring salt. Got this idea from The Crafty Crow. Jett enjoyed the mixing and the girls loved drawing.

2nd.wav Leads Worship

Last week the whole family was involved in Fine Arts Camp. The band led worship each morning for 250 k thru 5th graders. Danny was there all week helping the band, I volunteered, the girls had a blast making all sorts of food and crafts in the Early American Girl class, and Jett made his presence known! This was really a terrific experience for Noah. He said, 'Leading worship for other kids is awesome. They sing and really get into it." I am so glad the band experienced this. I think this is the best they have sounded yet. This reminded me of the early days with Danny...hanging around for practice, watching lots of performances, sleeping on church benches! Any Poets fans out there recognize the vintage Lync? Few times have I seen Noah as excited as when he and Danny finally found someone to fix the old keytar.

Blueberries For All of Us

Last night Jett and I read Blueberries for Sal. What a sweet book! How can I have homeschooled 7 years and missed this one? I have a renewed love for Robert McCloskey's books..thanks to Noah, whose desire to constantly read inspires me! Jett loved the storyline and the baby bear. I want to hop into one of those pictures! I want to pick blueberries, put on my apron (which I am still wearing daily...just stop by and see for yourself!), and can blueberries for winter. Now I have never canned a thing in my life...except for our family's secret chili recipe. But I mean I have never canned a home grown thing. My paternal grandmother, Mabel, canned everything she could pick! And she was a picker! Wish she had lived long enough to teach me how. She certainly showed me how to worship God in the style of King David. But I digress...this is about blueberries. And I have located a pick-our-own farm in Woodstock. We will be in China for most of the picking season. But we are going to make a point of visiting the farm. Anyone want to join me?

To Each His Art

We were feeling crafty this weekend. These shots are on the tiny patio outside my sewing room door. I set Jett up with Playdoh so I could quilt and still keep an eye on him. The girls got wise and came out. They took his seat, so the little engineer gathered items from inside to make one of his own. Dove made a birthday cake and PJ a family of ducks.

I had not sewn in months. This is the longest I have ever gone without quilting since I started learning 11 years ago! I confessed this to my crafty friend and she said, "How can you not?" That resonated with me for a couple days then I came across this anonymous quote: "I cannot count my day complete til needle, thread and fabric meet." So I decided it was time to "Sew like the wind."... Where did that quote comes from? I must say it was great to work on a project. I finished a quilt top that I had started last year. I'll post a picture soon.

Boy Scout

Here is Noah with his buddies Andrew and John Wayne. Tonight Noah crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. We are really proud of him! This is his 5th year in scouting. Now he gets to do alot of really cool things like caving, wilderness survival, and cooking raccoon over an open flame.

Happy Easter

We celebrated Easter Sunday with Mimi and Poppy and our friend Jason. Sunshine, hiding Easter eggs, Mimi's fried chicken: it was a perfect day!