Happy Ama

Today is my mom's birthday. She is wonderful and we are all so thankful for her.

Anna singing "Happy Birthday" to her {I think the whispering at the end is my favorite part} ::

 Sara refuses to {or maybe, can't} say the word "birthday", but she walked around all day saying "Happy Ama" over and over and over again. Sweet girl ::

Happy Birthday Mom. Happy Birthday Ama. We sure do love you!

multitude monday {a day late}

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts"::
{two weeks worth!}

2190. the smell of fresh lumber {LOVE that smell!}::

 2191. super cute reminders of important truths
2192. a gracious son who understands that when there are 27 things {slight exaggeration} going on in one evening, a momma might not be able to make it to his band concert
2193. breakfast with friends
2194. surviving a CRAZY busy day :: sanity {mostly} in tact
2195. the staff appreciation breakfast at our kids' elementary school :: always a blast to be a part of
2196. my up-for-anything, good-sport of a husband willing to dress up in a tux for #2195
2197. my first 5K, with a better time than I expected . . . it was almost fun, even!
2198. all 3 Hunger Games books (new) for $11 . . . gotta love the school book fair!
2199. Anna finishing up her first year of preschool. It was a great year for her ::

Anna with her teachers Anna and Deb

2200. a great orchestra concert for R and LJ
2201. carpools {praise God!}
2202. 1st graders at Field Day
2203. Joe's excitement at the blue teams tug-o-fun victory ::

2204. TONS of rain, which leads to cancelled soccer practice, which led to an unexpected calm, quiet evening as a family {ok, it's never really calm or quiet around here unless it's 2 a.m. -- and even then it's not a given!, but we were all home together with nowhere anyone needed to be}
2205. 11-year-old girls having TONS of fun with photo booth
2206. polite kids who say thank you {more than once, even!} when you drop them off at home
2207. the cool, touch-screen, futuristic pop machine that I "met" on our date night :: vanilla Coke and peach Fanta {not mixed together!}. Yummy!
2208. encouraging, supportive friends
2209. "real" mail
2210. Friday morning breakfast at Keys with my mom and Allie
2211. The General Store {a great place to spend 3 hours on a rainy Saturday, especially when you have great company to shop with!}
2212. being a mother-of-3 for a couple days :: a nice break from the usual!
2213. a beautiful, heart-felt prayer at church on Sunday that was a sermon in itself!
2214. funny things said by my favorite 4-year-old
2215. kids {and adults}with sharpies writing all over the basement walls, pre-sheetrock ::

we're not all spiritual all the time, you see!

  2216. watching Dolphin Tale snuggled on the couch, just Jacob and me, after everyone else was in bed for the night
2217. having the other half of our family back home and being all together again
2218. insulation. drywall. things coming together
2219. drywall guys listening to CD's of the Bible while working on my basement :: what a blessing!
2220. family walk to the local cemetery on memorial Day :: good talks as we walked
2221. family picnic on Memorial Day
2222. Rebekah's artsy eye and love for photography. She's a natural, I think ::

2223. family fun at French Lake Park::

2224. seeing extended family from far away who we rarely see
2225. excitement over Luke and Jenn's new lot, neighborhood, park and blueprints
2226. a productive day
2227. out with the old, in with the new
2228. Sara starting to actually "sing" along to music :: so very cute and fun to hear!

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

I ran away

For weary mothers outnumbered by children.

To be played by squeaky, nails-on-the-chalkboard beginning violinists

A Lament

A Psalm of Shana

I could not take it one more second.

Will they never get to sleep?

With no shoes and no bra – in my jammies – I left

Straight out the door, without thought.

Walked down the road in the dark;

In the dark of night.

I cried out to the Lord, “I don’t even know what to say.

I can’t do it anymore. They are making me crazy.

I am quite possibly already crazy!”

I returned home and sat in a lawn chair

It was dark.

It was quiet and still.

I was cold.

Not ready, yet, to go back in,

I got in the van, reclined the seat and covered up with a size 6/7 raincoat I found strewn on the van floor.

It was surprisingly warm and comforting.

Finally someone came looking for me.

It was late.

I went inside, brushed my teeth and headed for bed.

The baby cried.

I ignored her.

I want to sleep.

When I lay down in my bed, one is there.

When I try the couch, one is there.

Oh when will they stay in their own beds?

How long, oh Lord, until they sleep through the night?

Sleep finally comes.

I wake and see an adorable, dirty, peaceful, sleeping face ringed with curls and remember the depth of my love.

Thankful that Your faithfulness is new with each morning.

Today is full to bursting. So much to juggle!
Lord, have mercy!
But then, really! harmonicas at 6:38?
Do they not understand some are still asleep and need to stay that way?

Let me remember the Mother's Day of just days ago,
Full of love and (relative) peace and blessings.
Return to me those children, oh Lord.
Return to me those children.

Multitude Monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2166. spending the evening at the library as a family
2167. jigsaw puzzles
2168. 3 years since Grandma joined Papa in heaven
2169. 19 months of Sara::
2170. a bunch of retired guys (I assume they are retired) playing a serious game of softball at 9:30 on a Thursday morning
2171. naps in the sun :: soaking up vitamin D
2172. garage sale bargains
2173. basement progress::

fun discovery :: the year our house was built etched in the foundation

2174. an older man (grandpa, I'm assuming) and 2 preschool-aged kiddos carrying fishing poles and walking down the sidewalk toward the lake
2175. chats with friends
2176. a fun 5th grade concert
2177. friends willing to let us peek in every nook and cranny of their basement and talk "basement remodel" with us
2178. celebrating 40 years of life for a dear, dear friend {Happy Birthday, Karin!!}
2179. a glorious weekend
2180. a dry run of next weeks 5K (my first ever!) :: running while Rebekah kept me company on her scooter
2181. the privilege of being a mother
2182. my 6 crazy, adorable kiddos::
2183. all my amazing mom friends and how they help me to be a better mom
2184. my fabulous, beautiful {inside and out!} mother!
2185. a family trip to the park on a beautiful evening
2186. celebrating Mother's Day with my mother and her mother

my adorable grandma and me

2187. family
2188. watching squirrels frolic in the yard
2189. warmest day of 2012 so far :: 85 degrees


Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2144. meeting this season's soccer coaches and teammates
2145. basement draintile :: check!
2146. neighborhood potlucks
2147. wonderful neighbors :: 60+ years in the same house for a couple people on our block. i love that longevity (we're still some of the "newbies" at nearly 15 years here)
2148. Bible study ladies
2149. a husband who comes to my rescue and is my hero
2150. an early morning run (6:15 :: ouch!)
2151. a fun, relaxing Saturday
2152. the quacking of a duck breaking the quiet morning
2153. enough grace for each day (but no extra, it would seem)
2154. a yummy grilled cheese and fries
2155. bike helmets
2156. the smell of fresh cut grass
2157. friends who let you use their bathroom and absorb your family into their family birthday celebration, uninvited though you were -- not to mention the fact that there are 8 of you!!
2158.  fresh haircuts for all 3"boys"
2159. family walks
2160. the smell of a steamy mug of Earl Gray on a cold, rainy afternoon
2161. carpools
2162. caring, encouraging, challenging, supportive teachers who sincerely want the best for our kids and want to see them succeed. what a blessing!
2163. family traditions
2164. the right words at the right time and the difference it can make
2165. preschool teachers :: God bless 'em, that is a job I could not do!

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.