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} friday, seven a.m.
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Category Archives: it’s the little things
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
good morning glories
a simply lovely life.
It’s so good to be home, with this contented feeling after having a relaxing morning with my husband and children. I drank hot caramel coffee from a fiestaware mug on the porch in the clean morning air. I looked at a Mary Jane Butters magazine full of wholesome food and craft ideas….photos of the outdoors, chickens, flowers, gardens. I guess it inspired me to set the magazine aside and get my camera. With the mug in my hand, and the camera around my neck, I wandered around taking pictures, noticing and enjoying the morning.
Day by day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in y Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what He deems best–
Lovingly, it’s part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest. ~Carolina Berg
Sam is a little one year old female cat who loves being outside. She only comes in the house to eat cat food now and then. We beg her to stay and let us pet her but she wants to be out. We find her all over; at the stream, running up a tree, catching baby birds and eating them (so wrong), curled up on the porch. The only time she shows us love is if WE go OUTSIDE. Nine times out of ten if we go out for a walk, she shows up out of nowhere to “flirt” with us. She was with me as I took at the rest of these outdoor pictures…….
Rich played catch (football) with Seth & Sarah and then they did some pushups together.
I let out the chickens and gathered two eggs. Now I was juggling the camera, coffee, eggs, and no pockets. I love it.
Someone found a lovely place to sleep last night. See the moth?
This is called cardinal flower and it grows wild along our stream. It’s been said that it is the most true red flower…..
I was sitting on a big rock with Sam on my lap when I took the picture.
We spent some time cleaning and I made roasted vegetables; one squash peeled and cubed, one red onion, and two potatoes. Lots of salt and pepper, a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Roast at 400, take the pan out after 20 minutes to flip and stir the veggies. Let roast for another 20 minutes of so, until done (soft when pricked by fork). Rich and I love to eat vegetables this way. You can also add carrot, or a bulb of garlic with the top cut off and oil drizzled over top.
Billy, sleeping on our bed.
It’s been a quiet, nice morning. Now that Jacob and Ethan are home from football we are going to take them, plus Caleb and Seth, out school shopping.
As thy days so shall thy strength be. Deuteronomy 33:25
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
another summer day
I’m getting ready to go to Joanna’s for the weekend. I am not taking any of the children with me and I am looking forward to a road trip by myself.
Poor David ended up with the stomach bug after our “Christmas in July” party. He was sick all night long but felt better the next morning, although weak.
The older children have been involved in evening Vacation Bible school and David was craving beef stew so I took the little ones out yesterday and got groceries and a sub for my dinner. And beef stew.
In the evening we all went outside. It seems like all day long I’m telling them to go outside and play, but the evenings are the only time they WANT to be out, as long as I’ll let them, to avoid bedtime. I gathered eggs from the coop and turned a few cartwheels in the freshly mowed grass. Sarah jumped on the trampoline. David and Caleb brought back two cups of wild but beautiful juicy raspberries from up the road and begged me to make muffins.
Caleb made good choices with his birthday money. His box came today (thank goodness) after he asked me all morning if I thought it would arrive soon. I was like, “I sure hope so!”, I smiled big watching him meet the UPS man.
He ordered a NERF battle axe and a cool bow and arrow set that all the boys want to play with, even the big ones.
(Shaun the Sheep was on TV when the box came). Great show, BTW.
All the action at my feet. I tried to get a shot of the toys but Parker the dog came over just in time to block everything.
Our day began with the delivery of Grace’s new bed. We are in the process of redoing her bedroom. Her walls have been painted and her big queen sized bed was taken down, to make room for this twin sized white day bed, with a trundle underneath for sleepovers or stormy nights (when scared Sarah gets to sleep with her sister).
She was in her room today ALL DAY LONG. If we wanted “Grace time” we had to go visit her. She hung out with everyone up there today, but she is gone now with Jacob and Mike at VBS.
On My Bedside Table:
The top book is an old black photo album that I bought at an antique store and filled up with printed phone pictures.
The Magic of Ordinary Days is a sweet, slow book.
The Book of Idle Pleasures is full of thoughtful little essays.
Long long ago, I remember sitting by the side of my Mother as she read Little House on the Prairie out loud to us. My brother David was on the other side. We sat on the couch and listened intently to the stories. Now I am doing the same (again) with Caleb. In the photo you see his legs and my hand, with our book. Little House has become our daily special time together, he and I snuggled on the couch as I read. Today I read one chapter. He slipped away, and I turned over and curled up with a blanket and slept for over an hour. (I yawned all through the reading). Reading out loud is a great way to get extra sleepy.
This was my napping spot. Children ran through the room now and then but I still managed a great nap. Can you tell this was a big deal to me? I rarely relax enough to give way to drifting along into sleepy-land. What a blessing to do so, today.
I try not to over indulge but these muffins were so moist and good, I have had three today. My mom makes the same recipe. HERE.
Laughter is good.
Boys on the porch. I took this picture out the window, the screen is out and the cats and dog jump through the window to get in the house. Sounds terrible but it’s awful convenient.
Jacob’s friend Mike brought over a watermelon that I’m convinced he just didn’t want to deal with. He said he can’t eat it all himself but when I cut it up could I please save him some of it to take with him later?
Another notable occurrence from today was that I vacuumed the floor in the living room, every inch, I even pulled away the couches. There were a lot of little lost things under there, but no money.
I can’t wait til tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come back to the blog tomorrow, I have a beautiful slide show to present.
Happy Thursday, my friends.
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!
yellow mushroom, white morning glories
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
Like his brothers and sister before him, David has read The Hobbit. In fact, he just finished it.
He’s a big fan of hobbit-holes.
It’s hard to make your own actual hobbit-fort, but he and Ethan made the next best thing yesterday in our woods by the stream.
It took them all day and then they slept in it last night, just the two of them.
The fort is in a secret location so that their siblings can’t vandalize it (not that they actually WOULD, of course).
With honor, I was ushered to the secret location so that I could admire the finished project.
It really is impressive, and picturesque, too.
I’m not feeling well. I think summertime chaos is getting to my system, I feel tired and shaky. Not sad or depressed, just deep down very tired. Please pray for me, as I have lots going on. Tonight we have a big dinner and Bible study at our house, tomorrow morning I leave bright and early with Jacob, Emily, Grace, and Sarah to drive four hours to NY for Cassandra (my future sister in law)’s bridal shower. We are coming back home Sunday evening and then that week Rich has a business trip. (so on and so forth)
The children are helping me get the house picked up for tonight and I’m going to rest at nap time. I’ve felt like crappity crap since Tuesday…exhausted.
Anyway, after I admired the fort, I went for a short walk, thinking that the beauty of God’s creation would soothe my aching head.
I saw a yellow mushroom.
And, wild morning glories. Seeing them triggered a memory from childhood. Morning glories just like this one used to grow in the bushes by my Grandparents’ large pond. As children, we used to pick them and smell them right onto our noses…..so I did that yesterday, again.
Then, I taught Seth how to do it.
And Caleb.
Continuing with the theme of “if I get away from the house, nature will heal me”, I asked Grace to go outside with me to watch the evening birds.
We saw a lot! I think I will take up a new active interest in birding because with the ponds, the forest, and the stream, we have a lot of birds. We quickly counted up about 10 different ones. My favorites to watch were the hairy woodpeckers. They are so industrious with their hammering, and it was fun to watch the wood chips fly as they pecked away.
Then, I caught a big grasshopper that had hopped over my foot, and held him until we got back up to the house.
I showed him to Seth and Sarah; their faces crack me up.
Isn’t it interesting? It worked it’s mouth around to ooze out some “tobacco juice”.
“The grasshopper has some means of defense as well as of escape; it can give a painful nip with its mandibles; and when seized, it emits copiously from the mouth a brownish liquid which is acrid and ill smelling. This performance interests children who are wont to seize the insect by it’s jumping legs and hold it up, commanding it to ‘chew tobacco’.” ~ Handbook of Nature Study (a handy book to have, indeed)
We let the grasshopper go (with many thanks) and then I walked Grace up the road a little bit to see the berries that were ripening. We quickly picked a couple of handfuls and took them home to give to Dad. Grace was funny and made me laugh a lot (dear, dear girl).
Grace wrote down everything we saw in her tiny book. (which she was given by my Mom)
This morning I was able to get away for a couple of hours to get my hair done. I stopped at the grocery store on the way to get myself some fruit and nuts. Getting my hair done was so relaxing I almost went to sleep in the chair.
When I got home I asked Grace to take my picture, and as she took it Jacob came walking down to show me yet another learned card trick.
Have a great weekend, my friends!
you are loved
today was the library book sale
a simply wonderful life
(listen as you read)
It’s a beautiful Saturday. The door keeps opening and slamming shut again as the children take turns running in and out for what specific reasons I don’t always know. What I do know is that they’re busy, it’s summer, and these are perfect days to enjoy their childhood. The windows are open and I can hear wind chimes blowing musically in the breeze. When my husband comes in I will ask him to make me a cup of coffee (he likes to). My eyes are sleepy from reading this afternoon, outside in the sun by the pond, with friend/daughter Grace contentedly by my side. Our little boys Seth and Caleb swam for a while and then ate popsicles. It’s good to sit and type, thinking about my family and how thankful I am for these days.
Yesterday was a very rainy fourth of July and we did NOTHING patriotic. (Wait, is grilling hot dogs patriotic?) I was exhausted and filled with determination to reorganize the downstairs boys’ room, and we did it. Ahh, it feels so good. I threw away several bags of garbage and old toys. I also weeded through their bookshelves and added another couple of bags to the pile to donate. The boys now have a lovely clean room.
Ironically, today was the annual library book sale. We all went, in two vehicles because Rich had to take our old broken freezer to the dump. After leaving behind three bags, and taking a new box of books, we went to the diner for lunch, and then I read outside on a blanket with Grace.
NEW BOOKS!! HAPPY DAY!!
My children will have memories of coming home with bags of used books, carefully chosen from the laden tables at our local library.
I was so happy to find another old C.W. Anderson “Blaze” book, the children love them.
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people
who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~Anna Quindlen
(my personal stack)
(playing a card game) I love seeing the siblings pair off and do things together. They are forming such wonderful bonds for life. Grace and Jacob get along so well, and of course Jacob and Ethan are practically like twins with the way they’ve grown up together. David does well with Ethan, too. Caleb, Seth, and Sarah play together all day long, riding bikes and swimming. This is probably the best part of having lots of children, there’s always someone to spend time with and someone else to spend time with when the first person gets boring. 🙂
(clawing another’s face)
(spying)
(wondering)
(reading) That red book is my journal in which I write the titles and reactions to the books I read, along with dates and sometimes a quote or two.
(sunning)
I was looking down into my flower beds from the porch and spotted Billy sleeping.
He didn’t come. I sent Caleb out with a message for his dad that I would like a cup of coffee please. Two minutes later Rich stomped serenely through the house to get ice and a towel for his hand….”what did you do?!?”……. “oh, I burned my hand on that motor what kind of coffee am I making?”
I love my husband.
*****
glorious summer days
“Then I said softly to myself—-
‘That must have been the Sun!”
Emily Dickenson
Sarah’s 4th Birthday
The baby of our family just turned four years old. My friend Heather and I were trying to get together and that morning (of Sarah’s birthday) was the time that worked best for us both, so I turned the visit into a little playdate for Sarah and some of her (my) friends. We had 8 little ones amongst us four mamas and only two of the children were girls. Sarah was thankful to have one little girlfriend attend, but with five brothers of her own she felt quite comfortable with the boys, too.
We played for a couple of hours outside, and then we had lunch together which consisted of pasta with butter, cut up hot dogs, applesauce cups, and juice boxes.
The mamas had turkey burgers.
What a gift it was to have little babies in the house. I so love to watch a woman with her baby, it’s a beautiful thing to see and brings back so many wonderful memories of those days, for me. This friend of mine loves her babies passionately (she & her husband have four sons)…..
And this friend thoughtfully bounced her baby’s seat with her foot as she ate. So darling.
Grace calls this baby boy HER baby, because I took her with me to see him in the hospital when he was born. We both got to hold him when he was just a day or so old. I met his mama at Community Bible Study, she lives the next town over, we are the same age and have become friends. (so thankful!)
So yeah, this was a crazy attempt at a group picture. I laugh every time I look at it.
This was the best we did…..I think a few of us were shrieking to get them to look forward. They were all so good that day, and I loved watching them explore the ponds, see the chickens, chase cats, jump on the trampoline, blow bubbles, and dig in the sand. So busy, so energetic, such a zest for all of life, and no one got hurt!
After our group photo we had cupcakes and ice cream. (I only wish I had planned ahead to order the cupcakes from Nicole, our town’s lovely c.cake baker!)
As soon as we began singing, Sarah looked at her brother with the most thrilled expression. She was waiting and waiting for this birthday and it was really and truly here!
Such a good mama…..she delights in her new son. I thought it was cute that they sort of dressed alike.
After Heather and Michal left, Alysha and I sat down by the stream to chat and let the children play some more…..isn’t she so adorable? We met last February when she skidded her van into our stream and we rescued her and the boys. True story. (God does things so interestingly). I was telling her son (not the baby) as he got wet, “You’ve been IN this stream before!” ‘Cause we can laugh about it, now that it’s been over a year.
*****
(hours later)
There are times now when the whole family cannot gather around to watch the birthday child open gifts and blow out the candles. For Sarah’s birthday this year we were all home except Ethan. We missed him. He was at a baseball game.
She opened her gifts with Caleb on one side and Seth on the other.
Grace wrapped the gifts in blue paper tape because of course we didn’t find the regular tape until the next day.
It was so nice of Caleb to immediately offer to hold Sarah’s money, wasn’t it? Such a good big brother. With her money, Sarah has been trying to bribe Seth into playing what SHE wants to play. I hear her saying, “I’ll GIVE YOU A DOLLLLAAAR” in a sing-song voice. (but I do not allow bribing, although I am known to give a dollar to the child who finds me the remote to the TV). I don’t know how I get on these topics.
I just love the way Caleb and Seth were so happy for Sarah to receive this princess dress. “rejoice with those who rejoice”
Opening the tea set *that face*
I think she was telling him that don’t worry, she would let him use it with her. He can’t wait.
Then, oh joy, it was strawberry cake time. I let Sarah place the jelly beans on it herself. It was a new, buttery, fussy, for-real a recipe from a legitimate bake shop down south….the flavor was great but I didn’t let it bake long enough so it was gummy. (so disappointed=take it from me, in life’s perfection there is much more to go wrong, so say these little words with me, “OH WELL”–and learn the art of letting go.) What matters is the love, my friends. It’s the thought that counts most of all.
I am determined to try again with the recipe!
Smiling through another (the second, what a lucky little girl) rendition of the birthday song. My darling blond baby who is now “big”, it’s true.
she was born on a sunday morning
3 little stories from the past 24 hours
Blue Sweater
There is just something extra special about a handmade sweater, especially if it’s made by an old white haired lady. After receiving it, the young mama puts it on her little one with thoughts of the granny who made it, and it’s like wrapping up that child up in a hug. Yes, years ago, when my firstborn was a little boy, his Great-Great Grandma made him and his little brother both warm sweaters. These sweaters, everyone agreed, were special, because they zipped up the back. Through the years of putting the sweaters on the children, I would get a little thrill as I told them to *turn around* so I could zip them (up the back). The oldest wore his light blue sweater, then the second oldest wore it, then the third oldest, then the fourth oldest, then the fifth oldest, then the sixth oldest, and last but never ever least, it was Sarah Joy’s turn. (she’s the youngest)
This sweater is one of the only articles of clothing that was worn by all seven children.
(Unrelated: “Why are we Still Wearing Sweaters at the End of May?”)
Morning Milk Delivery
You know how some mornings you wake up just ready? Ready to pleasantly tackle any ol’ problem that comes your way? You’re full of optimism, you have a song in your heart, and can’t wait to wrap your arms around your loved ones? I don’t either, but some mornings are definitely better than others. The first thing I do when I wake up is stumble out of my bedroom, say good morning to the teenagers, and make my way over to the coffee pot. This morning, I was extra and beyond tired. When I made my way to the coffee pot, I discovered to my horror that Jacob had beaten me to the remainder of the half and half. He thought he had the right to finish it! I said, “If this ever happens again, and the carton is almost gone, DON’T USE IT UP, DON’T TOUCH IT, LEAVE IT FOR ME!” Jacob was offended, “Then I won’t get any!” he cried. “Yes, yes, that’s right.” I nodded. To make matters even more discouraging we were completely out of milk (and we had been, for days). We have the $ to buy milk, rest assured, it was just one of those things that I hadn’t taken care of yet. It would ruin my morning to drink coffee without cream or milk. I ran into my bedroom to whine to my husband, who laughed at me and said “You’ll have to go out this morning and buy some!” I whined some more about not wanting to go, I couldn’t go, I just couldn’t handle going shopping with Seth and Sarah and………..” He left for work still laughing! I thought and thought about what to do, and I had no gumption. Should I put the kids in the car and go through a drive through for coffee? But, that wouldn’t help with the milk situation. Should I buzz down to the grocery store? It was only 6:30! I went downstairs to wake up the boys for school and then went to my room to get dressed. I was downcast and my spirit was low within me. I could hear the boys in the kitchen. I went out to put cream cheese on their bagels and saw …… my husband was back home, and at the coffee maker. It took me a few seconds (did he forget something?) before I realized that he had indeed BOUGHT MILK and BROUGHT IT HOME to MEEEEEE!!!!!!!! I squealed and ran toward him. He took off running around the kitchen and I chased him around the island saying thank you! thank you so much! As I hugged him around the neck I could hear Caleb saying, “Does this mean I can have cereal now?” Rich pointed dramatically at Caleb like I was choking him and he couldn’t get away, “Your son wants some cereal.”
Sometimes milk is even better than a bouquet of flowers.
This is Such a Weird Coincidence
So, as I drank my wonderful coffee this morning, I got on the computer. I went to the blog and clicked into the archives, looking at and reading about what we were doing as a family last year. I could hear Seth and Sarah rummaging in my room but I was pretty much just telling myself that surely they were being good and not making a mess (uh-huh, yeah). Presently, Sarah came to me and got in the chair. She had a pretty little bejeweled fabric box in her hands. Interestingly enough, I myself had come across the box this past weekend, in another box in my room, so I knew that she had done some serious rummaging to find it. To me it was just another thing in the house, but she was agog over it and wanted to know if she could have it. “No,” I answered, “that’s mama’s box.” It was filled with embroidery floss and I told her to leave it alone. She remained compliantly by my side and glanced at the computer screen. I scrolled down, talking to her and showing her the pictures. “Mom, wait!” She pointed at a picture. “See? This IS my box!” “What?” I said, astounded. Because, there before my eyes was a picture of Rich last year, passing out gifts to the children from their Grandma Leslie, and there was Sarah, with bright eyes, holding on to the very same box she had found this morning in my room!
I immediately and humbly returned it to her, as I can’t argue with concrete evidence.
It was just too weird!! What are the chances of 1) her actually FINDING the box 2) at the exact time that I came across the picture I took when she first received it! 3) Honestly, I really didn’t remember where the thing had come from! I just thought it was my own pretty embroidery floss container.
She carried it around all morning.
Good to be Home 