Daughters

When the Lord gives a man a son, something rises up within that man that says, "I must teach him and train him and instruct him and guide him". When the Lord gives a man a daughter, something swells within him that says, "I must show her what it is to be truly loved, lest she ever settle for anything less".

Soccer Season Finale

If one soccer season can fly by so fast, I need to hold on a little tighter during this ride called Life!!!!!

Legos, Anyone?

Isn't motherhood an adventure? (I know you are nodding your heads with understanding, perhaps with a bit of a smirk on your faces). Yesterday, I had the distinct honor of being the clean up crew. However, I was not cleaning up a peanut butter and jelly smeared face or muddy hand prints on the back door. Those are slightly cute, aren't they? This adventure was not 'cute' in any way, shape or form. Let me just start by saying that my husband does MANY, MANY things. In fact, do you know that in the 12 years that we have been married we have NEVER taken our car to a mechanic, never called a plumber, electrician or appliance repair technician? My husband has this innate ability to fix anything, even if he's never fixed it before. Seriously, he has single-handedly saved us thousands of dollars by his amazing ability to build, repair and install just about anything! However, there is one thing he does not do: puke. He does not do puke! I've known it all along, I've accommodated it in every way possible without hesitation. When puke is involved, he's not!!! I'm completely fine with that. Well, yesterday afternoon, while on the way home from a haircut, I stopped at the store to pick up a few things. Just as I was bagging the last of the groceries, I got a desperate call: "Your youngest daughter is puking everywhere. Please come home as soon as you can" said my husband's voice on the other end of the line. Oh, my, how I rushed home. I found my husband and said youngest daughter, both sitting half-clad on the couch, snuggled in a blanket. One of them was rosy pink, the other was green (I'm sure you can guess who the green one might have been!). The green one shares the details: "I was putting up the trim in the utility room when Noah rushed in to tell me Sarah had just thrown up in the Lego bin. I got her and took her into the bathroom where she then threw up all over both of us. I had to cut her shirt off. I'm sorry....". Seriously, the amount of time that I am away from this little girl is so tremendously minuscule, how can it be that the rare vomit occurrence has to happen during one of these equally as rare times away from her? My poor husband. I really was feeling badly for him until......I saw the Lego bin in which case I then began to feel badly for ME!!!! Remember, when puke is involved, Craig is not, so the Lego bin and I got real friendly (I will save you the details accept to note that Sarah does not chew her french fries very well!), thus adding one more adventure-notch to my motherhood belt. This one was well-deserved, trust me. But alas, all is well in the world. Craig has returned to a pleasant shade appropriate for a Caucasian male, Sarah has slept peacefully without any further events, the Legos are good as new and I continue to be thankful for a husband who really can do ALMOST anything!

Magnified Lenses

This bird has been driving me batty lately!!!! It sings an unsual song, one I haven't heard before. It is loud, and clear, and melodious, grabbing my attention each and ever time! I run to the window, or worse yet, outside in my houseshoes (that ought to remain in the HOUSE), scanning hedges, tree branches, sky, for this stranger with the song. I sneak and tip-toe, listening intently for it's noted clue. I spy and snag bird book, but identify to no avail. And then....wisdom strikes. I handle binoculars carefully, focus in and find. A dab of yellow, unseen by my naked eye, is clear as day through magnified lenses. It's identifying mark exposes it's secret: a Golden-Crowned Sparrow.

See what looking closely will do? Look closely today, at the smile lines hardly formed yet on young faces, the eyes full of life, the hands at play. Look closely today at the red and orange and yellow decorating the trees, at the blueness of the expanse (or the cotton balls that cloud it), at the spectrum of shades all around. Look closely today at the strong shoudlers of the one who holds you, at the provision all around you that faithful hands and heart offer you, at the one you build this life with. Look closely, through magnified lenses and identify the loving heart of our God.

Let The Pictures Speak...

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~Eudora Welty

Sarah's taking in every word her daddy says about this fuzzy caterpillar, fall's indication that it has arrived...

Going for a cruise in Sister's jeep...
Where is the boy who belongs in these boots?
Ah, there he is!
Never far from his dog...
Time for a tune-up, I'm supposing...Hmmmm, the girl's creative, you have to give her that much!Super-Kaleb and his mighty Tortoise!The train that led us to the pumpkins on a wonderfully sunny fall day... The girls....
Two Kings and a Queen of the Haystack...Our Little Punkin-Pie...Our Fabulous Four...Oh, what gifts they are!
Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed the day with us...
Sweet, sweet girl of ours...

This, That and the Other

Oh, dear! I don't quite know how a week has slipped by. I guess I blinked.......

Craig's work sent him to Seattle this past week so the kids and I packed up and tagged along. It was marvelous, first of all, simply to be with him after some very busy weeks. Secondly, a change of scenery once in a while always does this momma good. Do you know what I mean? We got to visit the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture while staying there. The kids were in awe at the actual dinosaur bones and the amazing gem exhibit. Thanks to the Jonathan Parks series, however, the kids pulled the rug right out from under all the evolution propaganda that filled the museum. They were able to recognize the misinformation regarding the ages and origins of things. I love that series! We were also thrilled to find a restaurant that was food-allergen sensitive and enjoyed a delicious breakfast together. By the way, have I mentioned that Kaleb continues to be MIGRAINE-FREE?!?!?! Praise the Lord, yes? And speaking of such things, Kaleb also got to enjoy (boy, did he ever!) a gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free oatmeal raisin cookie at Pike Place Market. We also took a trip through Ikea and had hoped for a visit with Craig's cousin and her precious kidlets; however she had a sick little guy on her hands (we missed you, Jenny, and will definitely have to catch you next time! Hope your Peter is feeling much, much better!).
We made it home safe and sound Friday evening with Saturday spent catching up on laundry and the such. Yesterday the guys loaded up and headed out for a fun-filled day crabbing with some good friends!!!! They had so much fun and brought back delicious, lip-smacking, mouth-watering crab (77, to be exact). We've enjoyed fresh crab two nights in a row now and I'm ready for more! Oh, how I love, love, love fresh crab, dipped in melted butter with garlic and lemon juice. Yummy!!!!!!
Yesterday while the boys were crabbing, the girls and I headed to church. A nice older lady struck up a conversation with my Hannah in the foyer. I heard Hannah inform the lady, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a grown up!" The kind lady said to Hannah, "Oh, really? What kind of grown up are you going to be? Are you going to be a teacher or a doctor or a scientist?" Hannah looked up at her with her piercing blue eyes and emphatically said, "Oh, no! When I grow up I'm going to be a mommy!!!!!!!" Oh, how my heart soared to the highest of skies! I was both humbled and blessed all at once. Humbled because I fail so often to be the mother that I want to be to my dear children. And yet my Hannah would claim that as her very highest of aspirations. And blessed because somehow, through this 'object of mercy' that I am, the Lord has shown a little three year old girl that being a mommy is a highly desirable 'grown-up' profession. May my sweet little girl always hold that dream close to her heart, though the world will do all it can to belittle and degrade her sincere regard for motherhood! And oh, how I hope and pray the Lord would allow me the days to see Hannah's dream come to fruition!
And lastly, lest I tire you from all my blabbing, I have added another book to my long, though far from exhaustive, list of books I have my nose stuck in: "Acres of Hope: The Miraculous Story of One Family's Gift of Love to Children Without Hope". I found a copy at Goodwill and picked it up because I recognized the name from my friend, Michelle and her family, who are currently waiting for their two children from Liberia. The book is marvelous and moving! I simply cannot imagine the abuse and neglect children manage to survive. This family is truly quite amazing and God has given genuinely hopeless children hope, love and a future through this family. Excellent book!!!!!!!
Okay, enough already! Hope all is well for you, dear friends who take the time to stop by! May the Lord fill you full of His steadfast love so that it pours over your rims and spills down on those around you!

Hannah and eBay

Yesterday morning, Miss Hannah was tending to her babies with the intent of dressing them. She, VERY seriously, side-glanced at Craig and stated, "I bought this dress for my baby off of eBay but it's a little too small for her". Craig, choking down laughter, said in response, "Well, maybe you could sell it on eBay" to which she replied that no, she would instead give it to one of her smaller babies. The girl's taking notes, I tell ya!!!!

Kettle Valley Railway in Pictures Part 1

I asked Craig if he would help me label these as I forget locations but alas, he is busy being manly (aka: he appears to be some sort of walking leaf pile, he's toting a gun and if you have 'points,' you better hide!!!!). So, please forgive my lack of description but enjoy these beautiful pictures, nonetheless!!!

Day Start

There is a vast difference between the days that I start....and the days that start me. Do you know what I mean? I know of women who delight in waking up to children rushing into their beds, their eyes still sleepy from the night, their hair disheveled, bed lines soft and smooth on cheeks and tummies. For them, it is the perfect start to a day! I hope to one day be like that. I really do! In the meantime, I function best if I (as in me, alone) can start my day. Yesterday morning, slumber's voice lulled me back to sleep after Craig got up and left for work. I wanted to get up, I really did. But sleep had been sparse that night and I made the decision to get a few more hours of shut-eye. Perhaps I needed the sleep more than I needed to start my day. Nonetheless, the day started me something like a bull out of the gate at a rodeo: buckin' and kickin' and threatening to pounce on me from the get-go! It was not long before I found myself locked in the bathroom for a brief moment while I pleaded with the Lord to somehow stop the freight train my day had so quickly become! Ahhh, the kindness of the Lord, the grace He shows us when we certainly do NOT deserve it. The freight train came to a halt, the bull quit his buckin', I gathered my children together on the couch for some quiet reading and the Lord gathered the fragments of my morning. This morning, oh how I longed to sleep as the alarm went off and the sound of the shower drifted into my bedroom. And then I remembered the days that start me.....! Soft candlelight (reminding me that His word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path) , familiar, comforting pages, challenging study, old heavy concordance, Kaladi Brothers coffee; and so I start my day.

P.S. Dearest Friends, thank you so much for entertaining my request and taking the time to say hello! It was really fun to know that you stopped by!

A Return, a Request, and a Few Pictures

The Venturer made it home safe and sound and for that I am truly praising the One who holds us in His hands and makes straight the path before us. He had a marvelous trip and I will share pictures soon. Thank you to those who may have prayed for him and perhaps for us as well, as we functioned without him (though not nearly as well as we do with him!).


So I have a small request. I blog mostly to keep some sort of record of our daily happenings as well as to keep family and friends current on life. However, I would so enjoy knowing that you stopped by for a visit. If you don't mind, would you say hello just this once? If you don't have a google account, you can just leave an anonymous comment and sign your name.


And lastly, a few pictures from our adventures while Craig was gone:

Noah's feeding the larkeets at the Oregon Zoo...

Three of the Fabulous Four sittin' on top of a big ole frog...

Sarah Grace is dabbling in pretend play these days and oh my, is it ever cute! Here she is washing her hands while preparing 'lemonade' with Hannah at the park:

Hannah is looking awfully big to me lately. Terribly, awfully big.... Must time really march on at such a rapid rate? It can march, and I know it will, but sometimes it marches like a gale-force wind rather than the hourglass' grains of sand. Makes a momma down right mad sometimes!

We got to visit the space portion of the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. It was very interesting and I could have spent hours there, reading and observing. However, these three (and their littlest sibling), march through museums almost like that gale force wind I was just talking about! It's like reigning in a team of horses! They were mostly fascinated by the space suits and the packaged food and the process of elimination of bodily fluids in space (do you see me rolling my eyes?).