We just got home from running errands, Caleb, Seth, Sarah, and I.  Now Seth and Sarah are playing together and Caleb is curled up at the other end of the couch reading a book.  I bought it for him at Costco; Treasure Hunters, Peril at the Top of the World.  He says he will probably finish it today.

When I was his age, my favorite thing to do was get a big stack of library books and read, read, read.

When I was a little girl, I lived on a very quiet country road.  The lawn was green and soft and the air was sweet.  I loved going outside whenever I finished my books.  I would go for walks, climb trees, make a fort, pick flowers, walk down the crick, turn some cartwheels, or ride my bike.  I did some of these things alone, but mostly with my aunt or cousins or siblings.  There was never a lack of playmates and the farm was busy then, too.  We could visit the calves or kittens in the hay barn.  We could wave to Grandpa as he passed by on his Tractor.  If we walked by Grandma’s house she would come out on the porch to wave and say hello.

I liked the smell of the farm.  I liked it when Dad got home in the afternoons and we all ate dinner together.  I didn’t like my mom’s macaroni and cheese but I do now.  My Dad and brothers liked to play basketball outside and sometimes they would try to shoot baskets from as far away as possible.  Dad was good at side shots.  Dave and I would race but we always tied.  We kids all went barefoot all the time.  I loved my cut off jeans.

We could always find mom in the garden or in the kitchen.  Just knowing she was there made us feel secure.  I think I had the best childhood.  I felt surrounded by family but I also felt like my own person, too.  I was free to do whatever I wanted and think my own thoughts.  My life wasn’t controlled by my parents, it was loved, nurtured, and there were rules like there are in every family, but I felt that my days were my own.  I lived off fresh air, family, freedom, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.

We went to church on Sundays.  In the car, I sat in the seat behind my Dad, who drove with Mom by his side.  Church, like home, was a safe place, too.  I loved going to church, singing hymns, spending time with my special friends whom I only saw on Sundays.  I loved the comfortable feeling of sitting so very long listening to a sermon in Pastor’s familiar voice and style with my stomach getting hungrier and hungrier.  Every time I looked at my Mom she would smile at me.  As I got older, I was able to help in the nursery and I loved playing with the babies.  I liked listening to the ladies talk and visit.  I observed all the women in the church.  I liked to see how they fixed their hair and make up, the way they dressed and walked.  I especially loved the musicians and  I longed to play the piano like our church pianist did.  The older ladies and men were the friendliest to us children, and they smiled at us and spoke to us with love.  I loved all my teachers and the things they did to make church a nice place for children.

These are just a few of my memories from childhood.  I’m thankful for the way I was raised and even though it certainly wasn’t always sunshine and roses, it all became part of who I am today and God was near to me then just as He is now.  It was a slower life back then, which is why I think it is important to be nostalgic now and then, so I can remember to slow down now, too.  I can remember to simply let my own kids play, realizing that they don’t need “ME” in ALL of their activities, knowing that just “finding me in the kitchen” is a comfort to them.  I can remember to look forward to their Dad coming home just like I did my own Dad.  And perhaps I will very soon bake up a nice big bowl of my mom’s delicious homemade macaroni and cheese.

Yesterday Sarah had a procedure done to remove the stent she’s had since her surgery on July 6th.  She was very anxious and the doctors and I had to lay her down on the table and put the mask on her.  I held her in my arms and let her look at my face as she fought sleep.  Each time she started to relax she would get afraid and clutch at me again.  Her little arm was up around my shoulders.  It was quite heart wrenching.

She woke up sobbing and upset.  She didn’t like the way she felt, “Why am I tired?” she cried.  Thankfully the whole experience only took a few hours and soon were were back in the truck going out to lunch.  Sarah insisted on tacos.  We had to carry her into Moes but she ate her taco fast and determined with the hospital bracelet on and a bandaid from the IV needle, looking pale as a ghost.  Then she shared my food.

Later on, I took her outside with me.  It’s been hot here but yesterday evening was cooler and it was such a lovely ending to a very stressful day.

I wanted to show her the flower she gave me when she was still in school.  She planted a marigold seed and gave the plant to me for Mother’s Day.  It is now almost as tall as she is and covered in buds.

Then I showed her a giant sunflower.  She carried her little blue owl every where she went.

She helped me give the plants some water.

David was with us, too.  So I took a sister and brother photo.

These are from this morning:

I have a morning glory vine in one of my front garden beds (which need a lot of help).  It’s been a nice surprise to watch it grow all summer.  I’ve been training it up to the porch railings.

M I N T

P U M P K I N

Q U E E N    A N N E’S  lace, growing near the side steps.  Sherlock wants to be let in.

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Today Ethan and Tessa are celebrating their one year anniversary of when they became a couple.  So they went to the beach with Michael, Zach, Grace, Caleb, and David.

It was after I took this photo that they left and then I left with the little kids to run our errands.

I found fiestaware at the Goodwill!!

Happy Tuesday, friends.