{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
{this moment}
4
Category Archives: home
long weekend
Colleen is my Mom’s baby sister and we are less that two years apart in age. We grew up in houses by the same dirt road, up on “the hill” in a small NY town. We grew up, not only as aunt and niece, but as playmates, with nicknames for one another, secret forts, snickerdoodles, sleepovers, arguments, family gatherings, church, school, and so much more. We shared every event in life together. We still do.
Aunt Colleen and Uncle Roger have four daughters and the whole family came to our place for a visit this weekend. They arrived Friday night and left yesterday. Our main goal for the visit was to simply be together and let the children play and make memories. We also cooked four pounds of bacon.
On Saturday my brother Isaac and his new wife, Cassandra, came over. My sister Amanda also came, with her husband Jason and their three children. Years ago, Colleen and I were a part of many huge family reunions, we have great memories of running around with cousins, and it was good to see our own children having fun together…..in total there were fifteen children and nine adults. (Michael also came, and Jacob’s girlfriend Emily, too.)
Amanda brought a big salad, Cassandra brought chocolate chip cookies. We made a bowl of punch and Colleen and I made broccoli salad, apple cake, apple crisp, a big pot of chili, and Ethan grilled hamburgers. No one went hungry.
I spy with my little eye; Sherlock the Cat!
Cassandra, Shanda, Amanda
Isaac, Shanda, Amanda
Meghan, Caleb, and Naomi (with the expressions of youth)
After church on Sunday we followed each other through McDonald’s drive thru and both families spent the same exact total. (!!)
Rich, Roger, Jacob, and Ethan went golfing; it was a beautiful afternoon to be outside.
*****
Then, we had all Monday morning to relax. We watched several hours of television with the activity of people coming and going, getting food, having conversations, laughing, enjoying each other, and Aunt Colleen crocheting.
Cozy family togetherness….such a blessing.
Sarah was in heaven, so to speak. I hardly saw her all weekend because she was so busy with the girls.
We took one group picture (only one!) with my self timer before they left to go home. (Rich was at work).
“Kindred spirits alone do not change with the changing years.” LM Montgomery
mothering little ones
I find myself contemplating the end of my *mothering preschoolers* stage of life. Since the age of 21 I have been caring for my own darling tiny children, truly, the work of raising them up has been the joy and purpose of my life, so far. I know that mothering never ends as long as I have children to love, but there is something so sweet and tender about the preschool years.
I’ve loved all seven of them with a love that surprised me. When I wrapped my arms around them and held them close, breathed them in, it did something to me that I will always remember. Does God give children to us because they need us or because we need them? Oh how much I have learned in being a mama.
Now that the older six are in school, it is just Sarah and me at home during the day.
(I’ve given her a bath this morning. Her hair is pulled back in a pony tail now, and she has a sparkly elastic headband around her hair. It has five stars on it. She’s sitting on the couch looking at one of her brother’s Star Wars books. We’re listening to Elizabeth Mitchell music. “You are my flower, you’re blooming there for me.”
She just put the book aside. “There’s no girl in this book.” she complained.)
We went for a walk on Friday and she was crying at the end of it because she was tired, but we enjoyed it anyway and talked about it together all weekend. Three of our four cats came with us and I realized that next year at this time, when Sarah Joy is in Kindergarten, I’ll probably be filling up this blog with pictures of my cats.
As Sarah and I walked, the cats ran past us and one time Sarah almost got knocked over by Billy. If we stopped, they stopped, or climbed a tree. They chased each other and did unexpected things. Walking with Sarah and three cats felt a little bit like 5 years ago, walking through the woods with five little ones and a baby in my arms. (when I was still homeschooling)
We saw some mushrooms. It had rained the day before so they were damp. This one was so very shiny that we bent to touch it’s top and discovered it was very slimy. When we lifted our finger off it a string of thick goo came up, too.
My friend Bobby Jo asked me recently if I had ever seen a “fairy ring” of mushrooms and we came close on this walk. I suppose you could call this a “fairy half-ring”.
And then we saw several of these on the trail under the oak trees in the forest.
Puff ball in Aspic or, “calostroma cinnabarinum”
SO interesting!!
It was the first time I observed them at this stage, just ready to PUFF for us.
Sarah had such fun pinching each one over and over until all the puff was gone, the round orange tops were dry and felt similar to thin rubber.
I carried acorns and other little forest things home in the pocket of my shirt (now surrounding a pillar candle). Sarah worried about losing the cats and eventually gave way to tears. Thankfully she got tired within sight of the house and with some encouragement and we all made it home for a nice nap.
“Oh Lord, thank you for the life you have given me. Help me in the sadness I feel in the ending of these busy years of mothering tiny children. Help me to feel contentment and gratitude that it happened, and not grieve too much, that it’s almost over. Help me to remember that these years have not been easy and there is much to be glad about in moving on to the next stage, such as never having to buy diapers again, (which is all I can think of at the moment). Thank you that in mothering the helpless I have learned so much about YOU, because that is what you do for me. In my weakness you make me strong. When I am hungry you feed me. When I am thirsty you give me drink. When I am sad you comfort me. You are my rock and my salvation, I honor and praise you, Jesus. Amen”
“Children are not angels, and yet they bring from heaven to earth many fragments of loveliness. Their influence in a home is a benediction. They soften hearts and change the whole thought of life in their parents. It is no more of self. They begin to live for their children. The children open love’s chambers. They train their parents in patience, gentleness, thoughtfulness. While a young child is in a home a school of heaven is set up there.” J.R. Miller
{this moment} friday, seven a.m.
Image
A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
timmy the mouse…beans…concord grapes
“After a mouse has been studied it should be set free, even though it be one of the quite pestiferous field mice. The moral effect of killing an animal after a child has become thoroughly interested in it and its life is always bad.” ~Anna Botsford Comstock
GOOD morning! How are you today? Did you have a nice Labor Day weekend? We did, too. A little bit of everything…rest, play, work, fun, and so on. The children are back to school today and I just taught little Sarah how to use the vacuum cleaner to clean up her own cookie crumbs. She did a great job. Now she’s going to watch Franklin (the turtle cartoon) until I’m done with my blog-writing, and then we’re going to the library for some new story books to read for the week.
Do you know what I think is fun about life right now? The unpredictable way of it, the way you can take a break on the porch with a stack of cookbooks and be interrupted by a mouse! Or when you host a Bible study at your house and someone’s grandparents bring you a bag of fresh garden beans. Or, when a little one is too sick to go to church and you end up going for a walk and find ripe grapes!
Who would have guessed these little events would happen to us this weekend, just small parts of the whole of course, (we did much more), but these are a few of my favorite things that happened in our family as we moved from August into September……..and enjoyed an extra day in the week-end. *I love my family*
“I SMELL A MOUSE”
I was, like I mentioned, sitting on the porch looking up recipes for green bean side dishes…..when superhero David rescued an adorable deer mouth from the jaws of death. He promptly put it in a bucket and gave it a cheerio. Seth was an onlooker, looking but not touching, but then when big sister arrived on the scene, she promptly named him TIMMY and picked him up!
I had told the boys not to touch it.
David was offended because it was HIS MOUSE. And she wouldn’t give it back! She said she loved Timmy.
She tried to put Timmy back in his bucket but he ran up her arm!
So she kept him longer. She said he loved her, too!
David continued to be annoyed.
Annoyed and stressed out. Grace was bonding with the field mouse. It is my belief that the mouse was in shock and didn’t know what was going on.
They started going into the house to show Dad but I began to yell about how unwise that idea was……what if Timmy got away?
So Grace came back, yelling at her brothers to stop trying to take him away from her…..not sure what Sarah’s doing…..
Grace, Seth, David, and Sarah marched in a line to the woods and released the mouse with blessings for a long and happy life.
I left the porch and set to work on my green bean side dish.
I used a recipe from the old cookbook Kara gave me through the mail (thank you, dear dear friend!!)
The beans were wonderful. I washed them, trimmed them up, and cooked them in a pot of water until they were just right (we like them soft).
Meanwhile, I fried three slices of chopped bacon and then sautéed finely chopped onion (3/4 cup) in the bacon grease.
When the beans were done, I added them to the onions and bacon, and seasoned them with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Rich and I ate them all for dinner (that’s all we ate). Grace tried them, too. They were delicious.
I took this picture while the beans were boiling.
We had a strange little illness go around the family…consisting of a stomach ache and head ache. Sarah threw up one night, but the others just had the aches. Caleb had it in the night before church and said he couldn’t go, he “just couldn’t stand it” if he went to church. Consequently, Rich left with the other children and I stayed home with Caleb…..after resting all morning and giving him Advil, I decided it wouldn’t hurt for us to go on a gentle stroll down the road.
He took a plastic bag in order to collect wild concord grapes. They were sour; our walk was punctuated by the sound of him vigorously spitting them back out…….I politely refused his generous offers of grapes from the bag.
They are abundant this year……and smell so good, much better than they taste. However, Rich also likes eating them. Later on, he was delighted to discover Caleb’s bag of them on the kitchen counter.
I made jam from them last year but we still have a few jars left so I’m not tempted to do anything with them this year.
The neighbor’s cows.
***
I hope you have a wonderful day where ever you are, school, work, home….isn’t it marvelous that God sheds his blessings (big and small) on us no matter what we’re doing? I’m thankful for time to get things done, an opportunity to write to my friends here in blog-land, a trip to the library, a beautiful warm day, with health and energy to do what I need to do for my family. God is good.
You are loved.
“Gentleness towards self and others makes life a little lighter.” Deborah Day
having a lot of fun
We are having a good week…a perfect summertime week. Busy fun mornings, sleepy hot afternoons, good dinners, and evening walks.
On Tuesday morning I wanted to go thrifting and convinced the children to come along to play at the park while I did so. Jacob asked Emily, Ethan asked Zachary, and Grace asked Allie. Thinking back on it, I have this joyful image of my big vehicle driving down the road shaking with so much energy and noise within it. I stopped at Rite Aid to get drinks and 50% off summer toys, cheap plastic games just for a month or so of fun before they break.
When I got back to the park 45 minutes later they had red faces and were ready to go on to the next adventure: dollar sandwiches and 49 cent ice cream cones for anyone who wanted one (we bought 6 and 10).
The cool, quiet library was our next stop, with three of the boys grabbing their bag of soccer balls out of the back and heading over to the school field to practice.
Back at home, we were spent from our morning of activity and ready to play games and watch a movie.
Somehow, being at Steve and Joanna’s recharged me like I was not expecting. I have been “hostess” so much that I forgot the blessings of being a guest. It was a blessing to be waited upon, thought about, provided for, and to be able to sit and OBSERVE a wonderful family and it’s workings. Joanna in the kitchen, children playing, someone else’s baby in my arms……as I drove away on Sunday afternoon I was ready to do homemaker things again, for my own tribe. And yet I was so tired of it all the week before!
This morning, I woke up earlier than the children. Rich had already gone off to work after making me laugh because he said he liked the feel of my new organic tshirt (right). He looked fresh and handsome after a shower and his work clothes; a short sleeved navy dress shirt and dress pants. A kiss and a coffee. I got up, made our bed, puttered around the room, showered and dressed. By that time, Seth and Sarah were awake so I gave them their cheerios, let them watch Shaun the Sheep, and got busy making the real breakfast of hardboiled eggs, bacon, cut up cantaloupe, and pancakes.
Joanna gave me this long tie-around-the-waist apron which I wore for the first time as I did the kitchen dance. It’s the longest one I’ve owned and it proved to be useful. Not only did it give me an extra dose of “Susie Homemaker-ish” feelings, but it was also the perfect length to serve as a potholder and a way for me to open the dishwasher with a dirty hand.
As I popped cubes of melon in my mouth, I praised God for the morning and remembered again the delightful addictive feeling of satisfaction in serving my family.
They liked the breakfast, no one touched the eggs however.
This picture is from about a month ago, when Emily came over (for the first time, I think) and we went for a walk. It’s so funny to see your son become someone he never was before – namely, a boyfriend. He seems pretty good at it so far. Emily is a sweet, fun girl and even went with us on a trip to NY two weeks ago. She’s easygoing and not shy at all, makes me laugh, and has a ready laugh of her own. She’s so good with all of Jacob’s siblings. She and Grace went shopping the other day, she teases Ethan, Caleb, and David, and helps keep Seth and Sarah in line. She’s going to camp with my children (and Rich) on Saturday.
The grass was taller than Sarah’s head in some places; Grace had to help her.
And then carry her. My flowers amongst the flowers.
The boys were getting soaked in the stream and after a while, caught up with us again. Seth got a ride on Ethan’s strong shoulders.
I LOVE TO SEE LOVE LIKE THIS between the children!
See how wet to the skin they are? I bet that water felt good, I remember what a hot and humid day this was.
Seth and Sarah continue to enjoy their new two-wheelers, which have been the best summer entertainment for them of the year. In fact, Seth’s training wheels are off and he’s doing very well on his own bike. I love Sarah’s face in this picture (and the fact that her hair is actually fixed).
This is Joanna’s little girlie who is the same age as Sarah. I showed Tsega a picture of my children and she looked, considered, and pointed to Sarah. “I like her.” she said, like she was choosing a new dress or something.
Do you grow your own herbs? I have parsley and basil in my garden, and a pot of parsley on my kitchen windowsill. Joanna has a garden and took a little basket out to gather herbs for a recipe. We felt organic. (see, gardening is satisfying and addictive, too). I have such a small one that it’s actually FUN to weed it. The other day David panicked and told me to get outside and plant cucumbers because “you forgot, MOM!!!!” “HOW will we make pickles?” Laughing, I told him it was much too late to plant but we would get some at a stand when they are ready.
This morning’s adventure was the mall for a hair cut for Jacob and Seth. Sarah went along, too. We ate at Sonic for lunch. Seth and Sarah both warned me that they did not want chicken fingers. I ordered them Corn Dogs. They both couldn’t believe it when they still got Chicken Fingers. It turned out that “Chicken Fingers” meant “Tater Tots”. So confusing.
We had a downpour last night and the weather is clearer today, not as oppressive. It feels nice to have the windows open and not be sticky. Jacob is busy cleaning the porch and the boys are finishing up a movie. I’m making “Cincinnati chili” over spaghetti for dinner tonight. Tomorrow continues the busyness of getting ready for camp. The children are all packed, tomorrow we will have guests spending the night and they will all leave bright and early Saturday morning for a week of Christian camping in New Hampshire. As for me, I am going back home with the three younger children for a week of VBS at my old church.
***
“A life of peace gives life to the body……” Proverbs 14:30a
“For you created my utmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 138:13, 14
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
“Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
we had a small party
“….if ever families needed warmth, advice, nurturing, ideas, and inspiration, it is today.” ~Victorian Family Celebrations, by Sarah Ban Breathnach
I bought a big stack of books from our recent town library book sale and the above mentioned book was one that I discovered. I was already familiar with Breathnach’s work in Simple Abundance, a Daybook of Comfort and Joy, and was eager to learn more of her gentle and wise advise.
Victorian Family Celebrations is “a month to month guide to creating seasonal feasts, traditional crafts, and the little daily rituals that make a house a home.” I turned to the chapter of ideas for the month of July, thinking the author would probably have ideas for a “Christmas in July” type of party for the children. I assumed it would take place on the 25th (the six month mark for the real Christmas) but was surprised to read that July 15th was also an option, as it is the birthday of the poet who wrote “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
Planning a little party was just the thing for Grace and I to do together — we promptly sent the little ones to their rooms for rest time.
We did a little bit of decorating, made a cake, went on a quick trip to the Dollar Store and in just over an hour we had everything ready for the children.
“Observing Christmas in July was the custom of resourceful Victorian mothers who started thinking about Christmas long before Thanksgiving. This is because a century ago we made the majority of our gifts. By the end of the summer, Victorian families were almost done with their holiday gift making……”
~Sarah Ban Breathnach, page 144
Caleb was surprised and delighted with the tree, and the star on top that he said he remembered.
We lit the candles on the cake and turned off the lights.
It was Grace’s idea to sing “Silent Night” and as soon as the song was over, all five of the children helped to blow out the candles.
While we ate our cake and drank our milk, Grace read aloud the poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas” in honor of the Reverend Clement Clark Moore’s birthday.
The cake was a boxed mix, using melted butter instead of oil, and frosted with a simple thin layer of homemade green icing. I decorated it with red sugar sprinkles and snowflakes (leftover from last Christmas).
While I threw away the napkins and plastic silverware, Caleb and Sarah made snow angels. (note:Dave isn’t feeling well this afternoon).
We passed out the small gifts and watched each other open them.
Sarah got flip flops
Caleb got army men
Seth got a whoopee cushion
Grace got a rabbit figurine
I got a framed Bible verse
and David got a flashlight, all from the dollar store.
It was such fun!
Merry Christmas!
now I see
Amazing Grace how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
was blind but now I see.
My heart is so full that tears are ever ready today, after a weekend back home in my hometown. I saw old familiar faces, felt their arms of love around me, heard words of encouragement and truth, celebrated young love, sung to favorite songs on the radio played loud, attended church, ate Country Store subs made by someone who knew who I was “back then”, travelled those old roads that lead back home, to the farm land, the parents, the aunts, the cousins, the friends.
Sadly, I was without my Rich, my companion and friend, lover, bed mate, and The One who has put me by his side for the last 21 years. He was here at home with the little ones, but never far from my thoughts as I drove Grace, Sarah, Jacob, and Emily to NY for Cassandra’s bridal shower. I sat behind the wheel and away we went on Saturday morning….driving around three hours to the church for the shower. Emily said, she loved road trips. And when she said that, it reminded me to enjoy it, too!
Once we arrived, Jacob and Emily walked on foot to the pizza place that Rich and I used to go to on dates, for lunch, and to the High School to explore the playground and stream (the school I attended, and Rich, too). So crazy fun to see Jacob doing just the things we used to enjoy. With his girlfriend. (!!)
Grace, Sarah, and I had a wonderful time at the bridal shower, held for my future sister in law, who is marrying my youngest brother, Isaac.
“to love another person is to see the face of God” ~ Les miserables
Isaac and Cassandra are so sweet together!!
After the shower, we picked up J and E and went to my mom and dad’s house for the rest of the day.
Jacob stayed the night with them while I took the girls to the Comfort Inn to sleep.
Sunday morning we checked out of the motel and went to church, meeting Jacob there.
It was so wonderful to sit next to Colleen, Jacob, Emily, Sarah, Grace, and Madeline for the service. Church was a beautiful experience, to be back in my original church family made me remember so many things, and a wave of nostalgia swept over me.
After church we picked up subs and went back to mom and dad’s where we sat on the front porch and ate our food, while the rain poured down. Emily and Sarah jumped in warm puddles in their bare feet.
We stayed until 6pm, and drove back home Sunday night, arriving safe and sound (and with a gorgeous golden sunset) at 10:30pm.
I saw a very cool fly from the blueberry patch at my parent’s house. It was actually holding a tiny green bug in it’s jaws. I’ve come to learn that if an insect stays still, and lets me get close, it’s usually because it doesn’t want to let go of it’s latest catch.
My mom with her little Granddaughter~
We all wore yellow shirts.
Sarah was so precious. When she was tired she simply curled up with someone and slept. Here she is on my lap. Watching your own sleeping little one is one of the many “grace moments” in life.
Dad and Jacob played drums on Sunday afternoon. OH HOW I LOVE MY DAD…….
JACOB NEVER WANTS TO LEAVE GRANDMA’S HOUSE!
We helped mom and dad with the gravel entry to the blueberry patch, in preparation for the wedding reception next month.
We also helped them get their bedroom ready for a remodel, looked through a lot of family photos, and did the things we always love to do; go for walks, talk, listen to music. Oh, and Jacob showed his grandparents all of his card tricks and they were a very satisfying audience.
Thankful for:
a safe trip
a son learning to grow, and be a good example
creativity (he made a new recipe for pancakes by adding a tablespoon of cocoa powder to his Grandma’s recipe, and chocolate chips)
my husband coming home early from work and the time we were able to spend together, in quiet, in each other’s arms
the sight of sleeping pets (make the house so cozy)
rain (I went out and walked in it, why are we so afraid to get wet?) the pond was jumping with water drops
it curled my hair
watching Les Mis with Grace, and being awed once again by law and grace (without that taskmaster-law, we would never be overwhelmed with beautiful grace)!! I realized that this life is full of little law/grace pictures….that point to Jesus.
my five year old learning to ride his two wheeler and being so thoughtful in asking me to watch him, a lot
fresh peas in the garden
bachelor buttons beginning to bloom
a little girlie who wakes from her nap and immediately finds her mama
Mike taking Jacob, Grace, and Emily to VBS and saving us the trip
Ethan on vacation with Chris and Caroline and their children (his best friends)
and most of all……
God’s grace and salvation through Jesus Christ, Who miraculously opens blind eyes and turns cold hearts into hearts bursting with adoration for HIM, and this abundant life He gives.
One last picture before we got into the car to head home.
new from old ::: throw pillows
Ever since I got married, I’ve kept clippings from magazines of house and home decorating ideas. Through the years I have come to discover that a beautiful fabric can inspire my homemaker instincts like nothing else. Things like bedding, curtains, kitchen towels, table clothes, and throw pillows in gorgeous, unique material help to make a house a home.
My journals and pinterest boards include many images of rooms containing favorite home linens, and with these images in mind, I have learned to keep a look out for ways to bring the things I love to life, for my own home.
Favorite places to shop include thrift stores and antique shops. Almost every weekend I duck into the local shops to see what they have, and almost always come away with something. I can find linens quite regularly, at wonderfully low prices. Each season brings new ideas and collections. At times I have searched for handmade crocheted doilies. Last summer it was pillowcases with embroidery, a few years ago, vintage tablecloths were what got my heart to thumping.
Now that I have plenty of those particular items, my newest passion has developed into throw pillows. This winter I made one using scraps of old patchwork pieces that I found at a second hand store.
Today I made three more, using three quilt blocks that I bought for 3 dollars a piece at an antique store. On that same day, I also found some vintage Waverly fabric, and another piece of green and pink material that I thought would make good backings for the pillows. I paid less than 20 dollars for everything, and I absolutely love to use another (mystery) person’s beginning work to complete a finished product. It’s rather ridiculously easy to sew a simple pillow using someone else’s quilt block. I haven’t done it, but many crafters will cut up old quilts (that have age problems, stains, or holes) to repurpose them into something new.
G A T H E R I N G
The next time you go to a thrift shop, rummage through the bins for fabric. Pull out anything that catches your eye and pay attention to your reaction to the piece, do you love it? It you love it, buy it!
Whenever I find myself running low on stuffing for the pillows, I place another order online and have it shipped to my door. In this way, I avoid the temptation of yet another store.
The fun is saving money while making something unique and beautiful. I have such joy when I spend next to nothing, especially when pillows (or what have you) at department stores cost anywhere between 10-50 dollars, depending on quality.
Through the years I have gathered everything that I need to for sewing: a machine from Sears, good scissors, pins and pincushion, and so on. I keep my things out on a table in my bedroom, ready to use.
Once you have gathered enough things to make a pretty pillow, wash the fabric on delicate cycle in your washing machine, or wash by hand in the sink. Hang them on the clothesline to dry in the fresh air.
Unfortunately, you will indeed have to iron the fabric after it dries. If you play music or whistle as you iron, it’s not as terrible.
Pin the back to the front wrong side out, and sew carefully around the edge, leaving a space big enough in which to stuff the pillow.
Turn it right side out and stuff according to personal preference. I prefer to sink into my pillows rather than bounce off them, so I stuff mine lightly.
Sew the hole shut, and snip off any long threads. Now you have a simple but lovely pillow *or two or three* to scatter across your bed.
I kept my project very simple, but you can be as creative as you wish, with trims and so on.
My daughter helped me with color combinations, and during the first pillow, I gave my son a sewing-maching lesson.
I love how this blue and pink pillow was quilted in such similar fabrics, it has the effect of a kaleidoscope.
The navy blue fabric was the “Waverly bonded fabric in Harvest Moon”, I have enough left to do something else with it, too.
Made up bed with the whole collection of throw pillows. The bedspread is (the back of) a Garnet Hill quilt.
The pillow on the very far left is the first one I made using found quilt pieces.
with their dad
Five or so years ago, one of Rich’s coworkers gave him two used basketball hoops that he didn’t want any longer. They were the kind that were free standing and had to be held down in place with a sand filled bottom. Eventually we found that they needed small boulders around the bottoms, too. These basketball hoops were great fun for the family, but over the years the backboards broke, and the nets ripped off. The children didn’t complain (that I know of) but when they went out to play, or had friends over, it was sort of sad to see them shooting hoops with this less than ideal set up.
There came a day, two weeks ago, when Rich had the time and energy to do something about the basketball hoops. He took Ethan with him and drove to the nearest sporting goods store, only to discover than there were none in stock. Nothing daunted, he got back in the truck with E and they drove another hour away to the only store that stocked what they needed.
For the rest of the day, Rich dug and dug, with Ethan by his side the entire time. The hole needed to be a certain depth and width to properly sink the pole for the new hoop. He did most of the digging, but after a while, when it was time to mix and pour the cement, Jacob and Ethan worked just as hard. They ran out of cement and without a word to me, Rich drove back out to Home Depot (it was dark by this time) to buy some more…….leaving the boys to work by themselves until he returned.
Rich had Jacob take a picture of Caleb in the hole before they started pouring cement.
After getting the cement poured, and the beginnings of the base inserted, they had to wait for it to thoroughly dry. They were excited, and would have finished the project sooner, but Rich was away for four days last week on a business trip. He returned on Thursday night, and on Saturday morning he went outside to finish the job, with all the boys around him. They played loud music and worked, reading the instructions carefully, and doing each step the best they could possibly do, under Rich’s leadership.
He’s a leader first and foremost, in the home.
Jacob and Ethan had a party to go to and were gone most of the day, but Rich had plenty of children left to shoot hoops with.
Here he is, with Grace:
The pole can adjust up and down so that the little boys can play, too.
When Rich played with the boys yesterday he played (as Ethan said) PHYSICAL. He has no mercy on the older ones. He plays rough on the teens, but in gentleness with the five year old (Seth was on his team) *when he remembered that Seth was there*. After they were all tired out, Jacob went to change his shirt because it was covered in his Dad’s sweat. They had a great time.
Especially the Dad.
When Rich takes his shirt off outside, Seth immediately takes his off, too.
It stopped me in my tracks to see their two shirts left behind: Rich threw his up on the side of his truck, so Seth put his there, too.
It’s important to marry a good man, because the children will almost certainly, and naturally, follow his lead.
That truth wasn’t in my head when I said yes to Rich’s marriage proposal, so I am all the more thankful on my knees to God, for giving me this good man for my husband and for the father of our children.
Often, the thing we are most gifted at is also the thing that gets annoying to our loved ones. Rich always has to have things to do, and rarely just sits around. After being gone all week it was hard for him to just stop and sit by the wife on the couch. On Saturday evening, after all that basketball playing, he had the nerve to say (right next to me!) that he was BORED. (I’m smiling as I type). Personally, I was tired, and with little Sarah sick with the stomach bug I was not going anywhere. It was my suggestion that he take the children out to pizza (in this way, I didn’t have to think about what to serve for dinner) and he did. At 7:00 pm, when I would have been thinking “It’s almost bedtime for the youngsters!” he loaded them up and headed to the pizza place.
He sent me the picture. I look at it and think, “KIDS WITH THEIR DAD”. I love it. Rich loves pizza and so do all the children.
It’s easy to be a good dad. Just do what you want to do, what you enjoy doing, and, with a loving heart, take the kids along for the ride.
The loving heart part is the key. Rich doesn’t TALK about his love as much as he shows it, and he shows it in ways that I remember and hold close in my heart. Like when he gets sad because the older ones are almost grown up and will leave him soon. Like when it bothers him more that it bother me, that Jacob has a girlfriend, because it’s another sign that his children are getting older………
Sarah was sick yesterday, and Grace was at Baccalaureate, so I took a few pictures in honor of Father’s day, of just Rich and his sons. I like pictures in which the children wear what they like to wear….my only requirement was that the boys turn their shirts around because they each had words on the front. Jacob is wearing socks because he hates going barefoot. It might look funny in the photo, but to me it is beautiful because that’s the way he is.
“To be honest, to be kind–to earn
a little and to spend a little less, to make
upon the whole a family happier for his presence…….”
Robert Lous Stevenson
Good to be Home 