Five things that make me smile today:
1. I had a fantastic weekend. We had a long weekend camping trip in Oregon which included two 6 hour road trips, time with family, a simply beautiful wedding, the Clackamas Mall, a date night with my favorite date, countless showers for a continually dirty little boy, the Woodburn Company Stores, not enough naps for my kids, and, thankfully, happy kids who perform amazingly well with less than enough sleep. A really fantastic weekend.
2. Pounding out 6 miles on the treadmill this morning. What’s more? When none of my training partners was going to make the run this morning, my dearly protective husband who, for safety reasons forbids me to run alone, got up at 5:00am and carried our weighty treadmill out to the back patio so I could run outside in the safety of our backyard. Brilliant, that man.
3. A lawn mower that likes my husband more than me. Except for when I am severely with child, I am the mower of the lawn in these parts. Recently, though, the darned lawn mower will not start for me. Even more frustrating is the fact that Ross can, at any given time, start the mower with grace and ease and without breaking fingernails or breaking a sweat or using foul language or any of the exertions I am not necessarily proud of. Today, though, even with my fussing and fighting, the lawn mower has chosen to completely cease operating for me. So when my husband stopped by on his lunch and smirked when easily fired up the engine of the trusty lawn mower I smirked right back and told him that we now have a new mower of the lawn. Come to thinkof it, maybe that vacuum cleaner is going to begin giving me trouble as well.
4. Naps. As most parents know, the repercussions of a weekend of depriving your children of their much needed naps is a Monday filled with glorious, lengthy, peaceful naps. And, thus, a chance for mommy to blog.
5. More fun ahead. I love summer, and this one in particularly. Last summer we spent our days and weeks tending to a newborn, but this year we have a pint sized traveling companion and we are making the most of it. With many more trip to look forward to, a garden that is blessing me with beans and zucchini and a dozen tomatoes this morning alone, it’s hard not to love this summer and the rest that is yet to come.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Thinking on good things
A mommy friend who I very much admire told me once that she believes God gives us children to teach us more than for us to teach them. Yesterday I found that to be truer than ever.
At Bailey’s 1 year check-up yesterday she weighed in at a whopping 15.15 lbs and measured 26.75 inches, placing her firmly below the 3rd percentile of those government growth charts that might possibly have been invented just to give mothers one more thing to worry about.
At the doctor’s recommendation after the check-up we made our way to the lab for some blood tests – just to ensure that her little body is working exactly as it is supposed to. I am fairly convinced that there is not a thing wrong with our precious baby girl but at the same time I am thankful we are taking the steps to make certain of that. Even in my confidence, as a parent, there are always those moments when your mind takes the low road, when you begin to wonder a bit and ask the “what if” questions.
Last night as I was putting Tyler to bed he became hysteric with fear that a wizard was going to come in his room and take him from his mommy and daddy. Apparently he had seen a picture of a wizard in a book earlier in the day and he said he could not stop thinking about it.
In a rare moment of insight I quoted him Philippians 4:8, reminding him that the Bible instructs us to think on things that are true and noble and right and good and lovely. We talked about how he loves his family and Jesus and how birthday parties and ice cream make him very happy. As I kissed him goodnight I told him to think about all those very good things.
I couldn’t help but smile as I left his room and heard him saying “…rocky road and sherbet and…” and all the while knowing that I was given that verse every bit as much for me as I was for my little boy.
UPDATED: We are thanking the Lord that Bailey's blood tests have come back clear! We have a very healthy half-pint. Lucky for us, sometimes good things really do come in small packages.
At Bailey’s 1 year check-up yesterday she weighed in at a whopping 15.15 lbs and measured 26.75 inches, placing her firmly below the 3rd percentile of those government growth charts that might possibly have been invented just to give mothers one more thing to worry about.
At the doctor’s recommendation after the check-up we made our way to the lab for some blood tests – just to ensure that her little body is working exactly as it is supposed to. I am fairly convinced that there is not a thing wrong with our precious baby girl but at the same time I am thankful we are taking the steps to make certain of that. Even in my confidence, as a parent, there are always those moments when your mind takes the low road, when you begin to wonder a bit and ask the “what if” questions.
Last night as I was putting Tyler to bed he became hysteric with fear that a wizard was going to come in his room and take him from his mommy and daddy. Apparently he had seen a picture of a wizard in a book earlier in the day and he said he could not stop thinking about it.
In a rare moment of insight I quoted him Philippians 4:8, reminding him that the Bible instructs us to think on things that are true and noble and right and good and lovely. We talked about how he loves his family and Jesus and how birthday parties and ice cream make him very happy. As I kissed him goodnight I told him to think about all those very good things.
I couldn’t help but smile as I left his room and heard him saying “…rocky road and sherbet and…” and all the while knowing that I was given that verse every bit as much for me as I was for my little boy.
UPDATED: We are thanking the Lord that Bailey's blood tests have come back clear! We have a very healthy half-pint. Lucky for us, sometimes good things really do come in small packages.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
On Blogging
I remember when I read my first blog. It was shortly after Tyler was born and I became a stay-at-home mom. The blog, authored by another stay-at-homer, was recommended to me by one of Ross’s aunts who indirectly knew the blogger. At first, I must admit, I found the whole idea a bit strange. Reading and becoming engaged by someone else’s life, someone who I did not even know, felt akin to peeking into another person’s medicine cabinet (did anyone else have that debate in college?). But the blog was funny, the writer smart, the posts witty and thoughtfully crafted. She was a stay-at home mom but she still had goals and ambitions and dreams and drive. It was that blog that helped me feel a little less lonely, a little less overwhelmed and a little more encouraged as I transitioned away from the working world and fully immersed myself in this mothering gig. And so over the past 4 years I have kept reading and adding a few other blogs to my favorites as well.
In my earlier days of following blogs, I hated it when the authors would go days without posting. Expanses of time without new entries always left me hanging, wondering what was going on, wishing for new updates or clever commentary. And then, finally, I started a blog of my own.
I had a goal of not being that blogger – the one who throws you a bone here and there and then disappears for awhile. I thought – even if it’s just a little entry, a couple of pictures, a small quote – I could easily post every 4 or 5 days. And then I read the book A Woman After God’s Own Heart – a tough book, a great book, a challenging book, and a book that screwed around with my goals just a bit.
There are weak moments when I wished I had never ordered the darn book, but in the end I would have to say, other than the Holy Bible itself, there is probably no other book that has had as much direct impact on my life. I know, scary. But, in a nutshell, that book has caused me to seriously re-think my priorities, to re-think how I spend every minute of each day. It has encouraged me to prioritize my heart for Christ, for my husband, for my family – and as you may well know the overflow of the heart is actions.
It’s crazy how easy it is for me to have a busy day and at the end of that day realize I didn’t spend any time reading my Bible or praying or furthering my relationship with the Heavenly Father who I owe my very life to. It’s sad how easily I can squander the few hours of quality time I am granted with my husband or my kids – on the internet, on the phone, reading a book, distracted. There is always a house to be cleaned, a meal to be cooked, bills to be paid, shopping to do, exercising to be done, a post to write – a million things vying for my time. None of them bad things, of course, just things competing with the relationships that I value the most.
So, I will still pay bills and I will still shop and I will still get a new post on the blog every now and then, but I am dedicated to putting what really matters first. And if that means I have a dozen posts running laps in my head that never make it to the keyboard (as I quite often do) then so be it. For now, it’s just a little lower on the list of priorities.
In my earlier days of following blogs, I hated it when the authors would go days without posting. Expanses of time without new entries always left me hanging, wondering what was going on, wishing for new updates or clever commentary. And then, finally, I started a blog of my own.
I had a goal of not being that blogger – the one who throws you a bone here and there and then disappears for awhile. I thought – even if it’s just a little entry, a couple of pictures, a small quote – I could easily post every 4 or 5 days. And then I read the book A Woman After God’s Own Heart – a tough book, a great book, a challenging book, and a book that screwed around with my goals just a bit.
There are weak moments when I wished I had never ordered the darn book, but in the end I would have to say, other than the Holy Bible itself, there is probably no other book that has had as much direct impact on my life. I know, scary. But, in a nutshell, that book has caused me to seriously re-think my priorities, to re-think how I spend every minute of each day. It has encouraged me to prioritize my heart for Christ, for my husband, for my family – and as you may well know the overflow of the heart is actions.
It’s crazy how easy it is for me to have a busy day and at the end of that day realize I didn’t spend any time reading my Bible or praying or furthering my relationship with the Heavenly Father who I owe my very life to. It’s sad how easily I can squander the few hours of quality time I am granted with my husband or my kids – on the internet, on the phone, reading a book, distracted. There is always a house to be cleaned, a meal to be cooked, bills to be paid, shopping to do, exercising to be done, a post to write – a million things vying for my time. None of them bad things, of course, just things competing with the relationships that I value the most.
So, I will still pay bills and I will still shop and I will still get a new post on the blog every now and then, but I am dedicated to putting what really matters first. And if that means I have a dozen posts running laps in my head that never make it to the keyboard (as I quite often do) then so be it. For now, it’s just a little lower on the list of priorities.
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