engaged

My son Erik and my future daughter-in-law Susanna.

"There is no remedy for love but to love more."

~ David Henry Thoreau

We are all very excited about this wedding.

Erik and Susanna are such a perfect match.

Beautiful.

Inspirational.

Faithful.

Blessed.

...and very, very loved.

September 3, 2011

still thankful

Thanksgiving came and went. It was a day of visiting dear family and sweet friends...a welcome interruption to a crazy schedule that warmed my heart. It made me take time to enjoy all the things I might otherwise be missing. The past few days have gifted me with kids gathering every night to be together, to laugh, to explore their creativity, to make our home cozy. I just love the sound of happiness. I hope that as we press on in preparation for Christmas we can hold on to that sense of frivolity and all the spontaneous energy it brings with it. I think I'm going to need it.

welcome september

It is with open arms I welcome September. I am looking forward to the turning of leaves and all the changes that occur. There are already a sweeping's worth of leaves that gather at the door nearly every day. There is much anticipation, contemplation, and wonder about the days ahead.

Our home has seemingly had a revolving door for my daughter as she has tested her wings last summer and now flown away this summer, only to be back home AGAIN! An empty nest is not meant to be just yet. Last Wednesday night both girls experienced what electricity feels like when it goes through your body and a phone call home urged them to call the landlord right away. This began a series of questions and left the girls with no place to stay because the house was uninhabitable due to substandard wiring. Who wants to be electrocuted? Long story, short...the girls terminated their lease and we did a quick move to be out by last night. Now we wait for the landlord to "cool off" and hope she doesn't press the lease issue in court. A little common sense should tell her safety comes first. The girls can commute to school until their semester is over in December...a little inconvenient, but better than the alternative.

zoom-zoom

Have you ever been curious how much your teenager's speeding ticket might raise your premium? Well I have just the answer for you! Are you sitting down? Ready? $666.66! It's true. A strange number all by itself, but a mighty steep one. My sweet little EMT sometimes forgets she's not in the ambulance--I bet she remembers from now on.

sounds of summer

I'm reading a Jodi Picoult book a friend recently swapped to me. I've never read her before and while it is a far cry from the literature my mind has been wrapped around for the last few months, I am really enjoying it...it's refreshing to read for the sake of getting lost in a book. Some of her words catch me and pull me into my own memories of when my children were small. Before I know it I've re-read the same paragraph remembering the sweet sounds of Kristin softly singing herself to sleep after she had been tucked in and Erik as he went around the house "fixing" things...tapping on door hinges and tightening screws.

Heaven knows we were always "under construction."

Jodi writes -- Sometimes when you pick up your child you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands, or smell the scent of your skin in the nape of his neck. This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood--finding a piece of yourself separate and apart that all the same you could not live without.

Now that Erik is away at college and Kristin is preparing to leave next month I realize the sounds I have learned to appreciate are the distinct sounds their cars make when they arrive at the house and the sound of flip-flops as they make their way up the walk.

Time certainly has a way of negotiating the simplicity of a smile.

fruits of the spirit

What a busy weekend...phew! I got this brilliant idea to help the kids with some revenue for their first upcoming trip to South Africa, but I had no idea the work I had in store for me. The things we do for our kids! They are traveling together in the early part of August, by themselves, without an organization, to explore something they've had on their hearts for some time. They would like to start up or take over an orphanage in the not-so-distant future. So they want to link up with some people who have done this and try to get as many of their friends (in the future) on board who can contribute their gifts and talents to help run the place (sporadically as time permits, interested?). I told them, "I'm in"...yes, I know...we are crazy, truly. I would only be able to spend my summers there, but I would, with a joyful heart...especially if I hadn't seen my own kids in a while. I've struggled with this dream of theirs, but purely for selfish reasons. Now I'm on the sidelines cheering them on, scraping together a few dollar bills that come my way. When I prayed about it, I received (much to my surprise) bags and bags full of freshly-picked apricots...and I was told peaches are next. Ask and you shall receive...so jam it is! Need a jar? Of course it's delicious, canned with TLC.
8 oz =$5, 4 oz=$3. Shipped anywhere in the U.S. for an additional, one-time charge of $5 or $3. (If you want more than one jar, I'll pay the difference). I dislike shipping charges, but otherwise it would defeat the purpose. I told the kids this is a bad time to be fundraising, but it's hard to set aside a God plan when things just seem to be coming together. The most important thing to me though are prayers for their safety and awareness. When I was raising my kids I never imagined such a trip would be in the making. They have a lot of big ideas for only being 19 and 22. My son's girlfriend, who I introduced some time ago, Susanna, is in Kabale right now for a few more weeks. If you read her blog, you might get a better idea of the love that is born from the African experience. More than anything, I understand...even when I don't want to. I could never ask them to ignore something God has placed in their hearts. If you would like to contribute to this crazy adventure, simply make your jam size selection, add the appropriate shipping charge and hit the "Donate" button on the left side bar and fill in the total amount. I would encourage you to pray about it before you make a spontaneous decision....and as always, I just appreciate you spending the time to read this far. I usually shy away from blogs that ask for money...especially in this economy, but this is for a really good cause and I feel it is more honorable to provide you with something in return. As this week kicks off, wish me luck in selling a bajillion jars of Apricot jam. After this week, I do not want to see another apricot for a long, long time.

my world wednesday

I'm up to my eyebrows with William Faulkner and while I do enjoy southern writers, he and Flannery O'Connor are beginning to appear in my dreams...one more late night with the two of them and I'll swear they had influence over writing my papers...but life goes on, spring has sprung. Erik has been home from college all week on his spring break, although I've seldom seen him. Last night both kids had their boyfriend/girlfriend over for dinner. It was nice having everyone here...good times were shared and we got to hear the story of the day. My daughter stopped for gas on her way to work and she ran inside to grab a protein bar, still half-asleep, she drove off with the gas nozzle still in her car. She went back inside to apologize and ask the guy if she needed to pay for it and he said "No, that was the funniest thing we've seen in a while, don't worry about it." I'm pretty sure that one will be in her top five most embarrassing moments!

I was still laughing today just thinking about it. That's my daughter...bless her heart!

outta the mouths of babes

When Erik was a little guy, about 2-years-old, we were attending the wedding of one of my dear friends and we were all sitting in the church pews watching as the beautiful bride made her entrance. Our heads were all turned and Erik stood on the pew between his dad and I soaking in the smiles and music and all the love in the air...the bride reached the front of the church, the music stopped, and all was very, very quiet....and my sweet son pipes out "Hush, hush, I smell a rat close by!"

I wanted to melt in my seat.

I prayed they all knew the ending of The Three Little Kittens and didn't take it personally.

where does the time go?

They grow up too fast...

cake and ice cream

~ November 3 ~

Happy 19th Birthday

Kristin!

To:

Sweet

Beautiful

Fun

Crazy

YOU!

Happy Birthday Erik!

~ October 30th ~

Here's Lookin' At You Babe!

Happy 22nd Birthday Erik!

To "Mr. Cool

Good-To-Go

Buzzlebee"

Thank you for being YOU...

easy going

organic

punctual

intelligent

compassionate

hilarious

a disciple for JC

always leading the way

setting an example

and stealing your mom's heart...

YOU are one-of-a-kind

and I thank God everyday

for blessing me with you.

a heart full of joy

The kids wandered home last night with five loads of laundry and minds full of conversation. I've never been so excited to do laundry before...this morning Erik and I went to the Farmer's Market and I bought culinary lavender, lemon cucumbers, zucchini bread, and jalapeno bread.

We stopped for good coffee and it was like old times.

This weekend my heart is full of JoY ~

What little things have blessed your weekend?

Soya

This is my Japanese "daughter" with her little boy - Soya. He just turned one year old. Isn't he adorable? I love the little kimono...I wish I could hold him, but Japan is so far...*sigh...maybe someday...meanwhile we stay connected through email. I love technology, just yesterday I received a text message from Erik that made me laugh. He wrote, Note to self: when buying a gallon of orange juice and a tomato, make sure tomato is on top! ...Ah, yes and so the lessons in life begin...

Tuesday's Treasure

These treasures are not mine.

They are the little joys from yesteryear

that use to fill one little boy's pockets...

they are the yo-yo's, Pez dispensers,

compasses, and little wind-up toys

that got left behind for me to sort through...

I must have turned each of them over in my hand

two or three times...reminiscing...smiling...thinking...

I'm not getting things cleaned out

as quickly as I thought I would.

This may take a while...and I'm OK with that.

space to grow in

life is full of quiet spaces

when we need them.

when we just need to gather our thoughts

and ask

what's next?

I've had a busy last couple of weeks packing, moving, shopping, helping kids get settled and now it's time to give them space, let them breathe and try their wings...time for me to leave dishes in their sink...

empty nest

well the kids are gone

and surprisingly

I feel just fine

maybe it hasn't hit yet

or maybe I realized

they've been in God's hands all along

trusting in this 100%

brings me PEACE

the little things

Enjoy the little things,
for one day you may look back
and realize they were the big things.
- Robert Brault

As I help pack up kids to go, to leave their home, to enter this world

I am reminded of all the little things I will miss ~

the shoes left by the doorway

the coffee rings on the counter

the late night conversations

the little snickers and giggles

the thoughtful "Can I cook dinner tonight?"

rantings about postmodernism

random, abstract thoughts shared

piano music from keys needing to be tuned

the strumming of the guitar

the dog's "voice"

spontaneous Rootbeer and Coffee runs

toothpaste left in the bottom of the sink

and yes,

even the empty toilet paper rolls.

necessities

These are crazy days.

Accompanying the daily routine lately, I have been busy gathering up things like a squirrel getting ready for winter. I have TWO children leaving home for college and I'm trying to keep myself occupied so I don't have too much time to think about it and it's not working very well.

I have a storage tote that I have been adding stuff to for awhile with all the basic household supplies. There are still so many things I need to get, but other than the typical salt, pepper, flour, sugar, foil, dish soap, etc. what are some things every kid needs (in the kitchen) to start out with? Give me some ideas that might be on the unusual side! This could be fun and chances are you will have a suggestion I have completely overlooked.

class of 2008

Erik,
today I watched you graduate from college. As you crossed the stage to receive your degree I realized how BLESSED we are to experience this milestone in your life and you would have been proud of me, because I didn't cry like every other time you have accomplished something. Instead I was happy and of course proud that you have grown into this incredible person who is intelligent, confident, and a joy to be around. I have watched you reach your goals time and again and I have no doubt about your future. I am excited for you as you make this transition to independence...it will be an adjustment for both of us, but probably mostly for me, because YOU are ready. I wish you the best of everything as you go off to Grad school! Isn't it nice having your own personal cheering section wherever you go? :)

sweet memories

Here's a couple of pictures that made me smile. Taken from Kristin's Girl Scout days when we took the girls whale watching in Monterey. If you click on the pictures to enlarge them you will be able to see the whale better and the expression on Kristin's face...That water is ccc-o-l-d!