The Utter Determination Of A Boy

Need I say more?

Banana Bread Bunny

On the way home from the pet store she named the bunny, Banana Bread. She rarely sets her heart on anything, this child who is easy to please--so I buckled. It's her birthday next month and I used that as my excuse :)

Welcome, little bunny, into our hearts.

Spirit Of Heaviness

"the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness... " (Isaiah 61:3)

Needing to find some things to be thankful for this morning...

733. the movement of treetops in the wind

734. everlasting life

735. decorating our Easter tree given to us by Molly's Sunday School teacher

736. Passion Week

737. watching Meg's bulb grow in the warm, bay window

738. Molly's excitement over her homemade mini-ecosystem

739. babysitting a niece today

740. how my sister joked about half-price pedicures when they mentioned amputation for her leg

741. how longing for heaven in the midst of trials actually puts into perspective the reason we're here

742. finally... flowers

743. the ballet moms

744. cancellations... right on time and part of His plan

745. eating "clean" again and the start of each day--a new beginning after failure

746. how deep the Father's love for me--repeating it over and over today

Wide Open Spaces

Wide open spaces means dancing is inevitable, in this family. My husband turned into the airport last Sunday when we were on a drive and our children clamored over one another to exit the van, running and leaping all the way across an empty parking lot.

Daddy let Oliver turn the steering wheel and "drive" around the parking lot while little girls twirled and spun and giggled all the way. I love it when our "togetherness" looks like this, on a Sunday afternoon.

Gratitude:

720. twirls, giggles and running free

721. Sunday afternoon drives

722. how gratitude changes a mood :)

723. how she writes poetry on a whim

724. my sister's successful surgery

725. blogger friends who pray--I praise God for you!

726. my other sister and her husband's fantastic production of Esther last night at their church

727. how he tells me each day he's rounding up the bad guys for the police

728. how my husband's gratitude changed how he led his staff meeting and then the morale at work that ensued

729. how he's my "fix-it man" --again

730. the way my nephew plays Captain Hook, with a twinkle in his eye for our homeschool production rehearsals

731. how my mom drove 5 hours with me for Meg's competition

732. new things the Lord shares when I determine to meditate regularly--so worth it!

Thank You!

Dearest Bloggy Friends,

Thank you for your prayers. My sister's surgery went very well and the doctor said there wasn't anything unexpectedly "creepy" in her bone when she opened her up and scraped it :) We are waiting for pathology reports from the drilling but we're also praising God for His goodness!

Love, Heather

Prayer Request

On Friday my sister, Hilary is scheduled for surgery to have a bone infection removed. Please pray for the success of this surgery--that the doctors will be able to remove all of it. Thank you so much!

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20

Savouring

I'm savouring the sibling connection tonight. When they all gather 'round like this and giggle at what only siblings can find amusing, my heart soars. See, I know something they don't--they're going to be best friends when they grow up. Oh, they have the same squabbles my sisters and I did, but the love and the affection and the ability to laugh... that's grounds for some pretty powerful relationship building.

Who You Are When No One's Looking

Who are you when no one's looking? Would you be okay if a group of people from your church sat in on your polygraph test? :)

My children stood silently in awe of the "Piano Man" as he plucked the open piano with his instruments searching for a solution for our stuck keys. Just before he arrived, I had frantically dusted the piano and rubbed the fingerprints off. I was concerned about what the inside of the piano looked like too! Is it possible to get the inside of your piano dusty? And for a moment I was angry again at my little boy who had stabbed a pen over and over in the leather covering of the bench (even though it was a year ago). I knew I'd be explaining that one to Mr. VanGeest who is also a piano builder and greatly proud of his instruments. "Fear of the opinions of others" drove me to do a quick clean up so it would appear that I keep my piano dusted and cared for very well... and I do, just not as perfectly as I want to. Studying these photos reminded me of the state of my heart. I thought about how easy it is to work hard at displaying a well put together exterior, smile included. But am I the same sweetness to my family as I am to friends and acquaintances? Most importantly, am I giving the Lord intimate, devoted time the way I advise others to? One thing I know for sure is that I can't play this game for too long before I'm exposed. Only that intimate time with Him will make me able to be genuine in all of my relationships. I've tested it. I know it to be true but I need a wake up call now and then.

How about you? Who are you when no one's looking?

"But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7

Gratitude:

701. the potential of a visit from a long time friend

702. how he said he needed to protect Olivia at church today

703. how he laughed in the restaurant when he thought Daddy was taking his booster seat to the bathroom

704. the potential of new curriculum... difficult but exciting decisions

705. my new laundry system, compliments of a seminar at the homeschool convention (it's working!)

706. the 8th pregnancy of a lovely friend

707. the healthy birth of Isabel--a first baby

708. taking photos with no pressure (feels good to be finished with the business)

709. piano-fix-it-guys

710. the way she "raps" a song to any repetitive thing she hears

711. the very forthright words of our young adults' pastor who speaks every Sunday night

712. what God is going to do with my husband's application to the city for a permit

713. waking up to birdsong

714. first spring storm this afternoon... mmm... comfort

715. how they each have a knitted blankie from Mama--just like they did with Great-Mama

716. an interesting recipe I came across today--chocolate fig brownies

717. a fabulous recipe I came across today--lasagna cupcakes

718. hockey being replaced by golf

719. the opportunity I had to speak to a large group... wanna listen?--it's all about fasting: http://bgthamilton.com/index.cfm?i=3595&mid=4&ministryid=15107 (click on March 29th) (What you can't see when you listen... I'm building a brick monument beside me each time I tell a story, AND I'm crazy nervous!)

The Good Life

My twelve year old daughter has taken it upon herself to dress me. Not that I concede very often, but her desire to make me cool is strong. Her favourite thing is hair and makeup but my wardrobe, in her opinion, leaves much to be reckoned with.

She recently said, "Mommy, you're not quite there but you're heading toward the good life."

I asked her what she meant by that and she went on to explain, "As women get older, they've seen a lot of fashion trends come and go. When they're about 60 or so, they choose which style suits them and they aren't judged for it because of their age."

Hmmm... what exactly do you think she's getting at?

Country Visit

We took a trip to the country today. It was grand. Fresh air in the lungs, mud on the boots, faint skunk odour in the pores, a little horse ride, and some good conversation were just what the doctor ordered.

Meghan and Bronwyn spent time together in the barns, laughing and sharing stories and building a special friendship.

photo by Bronwyn

photo by the girls

Emily stayed closer to the house, running with Aaron, running from Aaron and running around Aaron in full-giggle-and-noise mode.

Oliver moved from sandbox to cars to riding toys, thrilled to have full access to someone else's belongings.

Molly played "itty-bitties" with Serena, who is also a lover of all things tiny. When I asked her to look up for this photo she lifted her hand up with a worm squirming on her palm. Yes, she even brought her new friend home in a container with a handful of soil.

Us moms tended to runny noses, muddy splash pants, food preparation, dishes, and sibling squabbles; then we sat down, sipped tea, shared Grandma stories and cried together. Similar hearts know the ache of a void left by the absence of devoted and comforting love.

We stayed longer than planned and the time was sweet. I love visits that make it difficult to load my van with children. That means we'll be back again before too long.

Thanks, Friends for a special day.

Capturing Moments

It's dinner and it's unusually late. He climbs across my legs and huddles into a little ball, bottom up. I don't even notice at first because I'm used to his body being attached to mine throughout the day. Sometime between bites and listening to the buzz and hum of little girl voices, chattering on about their day, I sense the "lump" that I've been subconsciously, carefully eating over. Yes, my boy is tired and apparently not eating so much tonight. With my camera on the counter right behind me from grabbing a photo earlier, it was the perfect opportunity to capture life as it is with this snugly four year old. How much longer will he "turtle-shell" it on Mommy's lap during dinner? My guess is, not long. So capture it we did.

Gratitude:

685. Molly's gratitude today, "Mommy, I love how the rain stops when we drive under a bridge."

686. the sound of birdsong in the morning... they're back :)

687. the way he gets all giddy when he's trapping ants (that would be my husband)

688. the way he PVRs the Duggars every day... seriously? Why ever did we "block the blessing"? :)

689. a fantastic homeschool conference!

690. moving from ballet slippers to toe shoes... a blog post in itself soon

691. how she inspired my new laundry organization

692. friends of all sorts who each give something new to offer

693. Jonathan Park CDs that my kids adore listening to as we drive

694. the way the Lord stopped the rain for my husband's workers to finish construction

695. healing prayer

696. a Love that casts out fear

697. the POTENTIAL of my spring cleaning

698. Annie, who keeps me eating "clean"

699. a twelve year-old who confesses and apologizes easily

700. his sleepy snuggles during late dinners

Finding Joy

We find joy when we give thanks. This is what Ann Voskamp has purported in her writing on her blog and in her book, which is now number 7 on The New York Times Best Sellers List. I met her today after she spoke to a group of homeschool moms and dads near her home town (not far from mine). She epitomizes humility and I am grateful to have heard her speak in person to solidify that notion I had of her. We homeschool parents each left a little more encouraged to be thankful for all of life... for the seemingly small, insignificant, unseen.

Despite both of us having hair in our eyes, I love this photo because it represents how the Lord had begun a new work in me a few years ago, concerning joy, and has promised He'll be "faithful to complete it"! (Philippians 1:6).