A Whole Lot Less Luggage

It's different every time; their growing changes how we do things. We used to look like ants carrying larger-than-ourselves cargo, but now we've gotten it down to a few pails and shovels. Imagination counts for more at this age than "stuff" and that makes my husband and I very happy... and a lot less tired.

At the pool, we drag one life jacket. At the beginning of the week, there were water-wings, but one little "mermaid" was determined to learn to swim--and that she did (along with a lot of spitting water). Gratitude:

669. the way he looks for an open spot on the beach, far from the bikini-clad bodies, out of respect for me

670. the way she could dig up that sand all day without stopping and how I have to stuff lunch in her mouth as she works

671. the pure determination she had to swim (she looked so awkward, I thought she might not, but she proved me wrong!)

672. how my boy declared to the girls that God is with our pets at home so he wasn't worried about them

673. for the long drive and how my poor husband had to listen to me all the way and couldn't move :)

674. how a friend I hadn't seen since grade 10 was staying at our hotel with her four homeschooled kids (wow!) and heading to the museum too!

675. for our hotel routine, our trailer days and beach excursions, and how my husband and I are such a team in the whole process

676. for Answers In Genesis http://www.answersingenesis.org/

677. for this bloggy friend who introduced me to it AND sent me a subscription to their magazine!

678. for ice cream and slushees and all things that make summer and warm vacations special

679. for my awesome neighbour who looks after Clementine while we're gone

680. for birthday fun that makes coming home not so uneventful

681. for free WiFi

682. for many "older" hands that make work lighter and a whole lot less luggage!

683. how they chased that seagull, that stole her peanut butter sandwich, all over the beach

684. the way they chanted, "Winter! Winter! Winter!" when we spotted our first snow on the way home (I wanted to turn around and head back but was grateful they appreciate both climates)

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters." Psalm 23:2

Recognizing and Receiving

We walk the pier at sunset, ice cream in hand, sand between our toes. Choppy waves crash again and again while we lick and drip and make the countdown till the glowing orb sinks below the horizon.

These are reviving times that prepare us for days to come, Spring days when Daddy won't be as available and schoolwork will be forefront. We soak these moments when creation is most obvious before us and readies us to be able to receive and recognize the not so obvious gifts.

Twelvishness

I'm not exactly sure what happened after I brought this baby home from the hospital. She was a small bundle who taught me how to be a mother but she developed into twelvishness yesterday.

Meg, you are a light in my day. You could single-handedly run this household, I believe. I have to sometimes remind you that I'm the mom but only because you know your capabilities and are already putting them into practice. God is using you in so many ways and as you grow in Him, I'm excited to see where He'll take you. Happy Birthday, my sweet girl. I'm already loving your twelvishness.

Sand, Surf, And Sun

Escape, heal, bond, bask, live, slow, enjoy.

Her sandy beaches, her sun-lit skies, her dry roads and fragrant air called to us and once again we drove over twenty-four hours to park ourselves for two weeks in her warmth. Florida is like home to us now. My husband and I have vacationed there every year since we were eighteen. Our children are quite enjoying the tradition and we never stopped praising our God for His countless blessings in the past several days. I'm rather missing the habit of writing them down... just to "set in stone" that I really am thankful :)

Gratitude:

658. for warm weather every day of our vacation

659. for little girls' polka-dot skirts

660. for white stuff on the ground that's not cold :)

661. how he read the Word in the morning in that lawn chair

662. for sibling helpers

663. for my starfish-finding girl... because she's a seeker

664. for how he never wanted to take those goggles off and he called them, "rogger-goggles"

665. for flip-flops and a week and a half with no leotards!

666. the way she bonded with her sister in that back seat (for so many hours, it could have been difficult!)

667. how she looks deeply at all her findings and loves collecting 668. the way he loved the ocean and wanted to go shark hunting

Creation Museum

"Prepare To Believe" is what the sign read--and we already do--but let me tell you, this place certainly brought our beliefs to life. It was amazing to watch Genesis unfold before our eyes as we meandered from exhibit to exhibit, reading, touching, learning, pondering.

www.creationmuseum.org

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

(more photos to come)

The Maker Of Time

I have the photos of toboggan rides and snow angel making. I have the ones that remind us where we've been and the activities there. I have all the captured memories you'd ever want of our travels and moments, but today I want to bottle their faces. I want to trace every edge and smooth line, every eyelash and lip. I don't ever want to forget how they are today... who they are today. I take pictures because it helps me remember.

It's this little-ness that I despise time for stealing from me and yet the big-ness is becoming a gift I am yearning to open, as well. It's the divide that canyons their helpless, precious dependence and their growing up, but I'm learning to let go and let time have it's way. For the Maker of time desires to open my eyes to new joys with each of these growing-up milestones we hang our invisible trophies on. When did I begin to see time as a thief instead of a blessing within His Story?

And so, I drink in their childhood, their faces, their grins, their quirky sayings that will undoubtedly change. I trade my sorrow of their growing for the grateful thrill in gazing on their movement toward His design for them... in His time.

Frayed Edges

I thought I'd stop breathing, that this kind of pain couldn't actually be lived through, only succumbed to. He knew better and since I'd been taught from birth to lean on Him, to give all the pain to Him, a tiny shaft of memory of this promise seered through the darkness as I wept. He took my frayed edges and sewed them up with His healing touch. He was the lifter of my head and now, in hindsight of that time, I can testify to the binding up of my broken heart.

Give Him your frayed edges, friends.

Gratitude on this sun-sparkling on the snow Monday:
642. how she bakes cookies with her friends, boys or girls
643. for how he watches Paul Washer sermons in bed on the laptop
644. sun breaking through clouds today
645. fresh laundry smell wafting from my folding area (one of my favourite smells)
646. a messy, soggy mudroom filled with winter wetness... sign of much outdoor fun
647. a king-sized bed when Littles need to squish in mid-night
648. re-reading old journal entries
649. being able to write PRAISE! over requests that were written in those entries!
650. praising for answers that weren't my idea of how they'd be answered (His ways are higher!)

651. Meredith Andrews' music--love her!
652. Sanctus Real's music--also good--loving skilled Christians using their gifts
653. new insights in the book of James (following this site for studying: http://www.goodmorninggirls.org/)
654. following Ann's videos on her book here: http://www.incourage.me/category/bloom
655. washing Molly's frayed and well-loved "blankie" that I quilted for her
656. the way my boy traces my face with his finger before I open my eyes in the morning
657. how we spent Family Day by switching half of our kids with half of their cousins on Terry's side--so fun!

Happy Family Day!

Our Blood--Fearfully And Wonderfully Made

We've been learning all about our bodies and we're discovering that when God's Word says we are "fearfully and wonderfully made", it's true! There are so many mysteries to uncover in our body systems. Here, my girlfriend, Annie takes my blood to show the children how blood comes from our veins and she goes on to explain the circulatory system. Although, a few of us have experienced our blood being drawn for medical reasons before, they are in awe. This time, it's to understand the complexity of God's greatest creation--us!

(just after she removes the needle, Oliver snuggles my arm and makes sure it didn't hurt too much :)

Annie is a nurse and she has all the cool, big words that we love to hear. "God is awesome," is all I keep thinking.

Annie puts my blood into a centrifuge machine to separate my blood.

Next, she shows us what a portable ECG device looks like and asks for a volunteer...

My big helper :)

He's not too impressed when they have to be pulled from his skin.

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14