Family and friends are good for the soul

This weekend, I spent my first night away from the girls to make a brief, 26 hour trip home to visit my family (1120). Brad is so hands-on with our girls (1121) I was completely and totally confident (1122) that things were going to go just fine--and they did (1123)!

My first modge podge project hanging in our bedroom (1124).

When the girls want me to read them a story, they've started handing me the book open to the page where we start reading (1125).

Last night at dinner the girls were asking for more pizza, after Brad told them that it had some "pig on it",(Canadian bacon), they requested more by snorting like pigs (1126).

Laughter over reading a story my sister wrote when she was in grade school. We read the ending first, which said, "It was the worst day ever!" (1127)

Good conversation with my sister over lunch (1128).

The importance of having old friends (1129).

Maureen making the trip to have lunch at our home (1130).

My dear friend reading to my girls, and being so intentional with them (1131).

Hadley asking to hold baby Noah, and being so sweet and gentle with him (1132).

Helping the sock monkey go potty (1133). (This is a small step towards potty training, right?)

New toy for our music lovers (1134).



Also linking with Heather.

Delight

Everyone should experience the sheer delight of a child.


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Maybe, when you're a parent you do experience child-like joy, just a bit.

Brad and I were almost giddy getting things ready for our girls' Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, at the end of the service,our pastor put up this question on the overhead:

Have you paused long enough at the manger--considering Jesus--to be filled with a joy that is greater than your stress?

I try hard to fill the anxious with thankful--with joy. It's hard. Christmas day with our girls? Pure delight and joy! For them, and for me.

1098. Two girls, in their Christmas jammies, sprinting to their new aprons to go with...

1099. ...their brand new play kitchen!

1100. New books to read.

1101. New pram to push babies.

1102. Playing with cousins.

1103. Adoration from grandparents.

1104. Two girls running to the tree to find a spot for their new ornaments.

1105. The girls respecting the "one finger" rule with the Christmas tree (still standing and all ornaments in tact).

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1105. Snuggles with Hadley at 6AM.

1106. Some answers and solutions to the girls' health issues.

1107. Going for a run by myself, without the stroller, for the first time since the girls were born--it's been so long, I've lost the charger for my ipod.

1108. Pandora on my phone for my run.

1109. Hanging the girls' artwork in our house.

1110. Playdate with Anna and Jill.

1111. A Christmas Eve service that worked with the girls' schedule.

1112. Watching the girls "do" imaginary play.

1113. Play in a pirate boat that keeps an empty cardboard box permanently in my living room, but provides hours upon hours of endless fun.

1114. Reading Mandy's sweet list of blessings through the holiday travel with her family.

Sharing with Ann and Jen.

 

Life is Beauty Full

Celebrating a life that is beauty full.

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Because it is. All these gifts. They are chalk-full of beauty.


Having the eyes, the ears, and the heart to see it all---that takes some work sometimes.

The result is so totally worth it!


1088. First tastes of sushi.

We need to work on proper chopstick technique!

Not quite sure about all these new tastes :)

1089. The girls' love of eggnog (without So. Co.).

1090. Impromptu visit from my parents.

1091. Girls playing with their grandparents.

1092. Boat rides with Grandpa.

1093. Link fun with Grandma.

1094. New voices to read their dear stories.



1095. Brynne being so, so, so proud of her towers.

1096. Both girls being so excited that they have an ornament that they made on our tree.

1097. A surprise phone call from dear, sweet Melissa this morning!

Sharing this today with Ann and Heather.

It Is Well

Yesterday morning I watched the girls play peacefully. Happily. (1070)

They're awfully dang cute "doctoring" each other!!

I smile. I love it. Moments like those are sometimes fleeting. I savor them. Nurture them, even. (1071).

Just 18 hours previous, I was holding Hadley, who was crying in pain. Real pain.

I wanted, as every mama does, to take it all away. To bear it for her.

I began to sing It Is Well With My Soul as I rocked her and paced the floor.

Every time I sing that song, my thoughts go to the man who wrote it, Horatio Spafford.

Mr. Spafford lost his only son in the Chicago fire of 1881. Two years later, he lost all four of his daughters as their boat sank, Titanic-style, in the Atlantic, on the voyage to Europe. Only his wife survived.

Five children. Dead.

Can you imagine such sadness? Such loss? I have no words....

As his ship, on the voyage back to America, passed over the spot where his daughters perished, he wrote these words:

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And:

...though trials should come...
...Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

I often wonder if I could say that if something happened to our girls or Brad.

Remember when I wrote about Anna, who lost her son, Jack? Anna is blogging about this journey of sorrow. And really? She might be the bravest woman I've ever read. It's all there--this honest mix of anguish, hope, grief, joy, thankfulness, anger and humor. One thing she knows for certain in all this---it is well with her soul.

I want to be like that. No matter what happens, to seek God in everything, and whether my daughter is hurt, or I'm enduring something much worse---I can say, It is well with my soul.

A few more places I found God this past week:

1072. Compliments on the girls' behavior at church.

1073. Opportunities to serve.

1074. Community group.

1075. Drinking wine with Brad.

1076. Good health and quick healing.

1077. A sister who answers her phone when I really need her to.

1078. New recipes to try and ingredients to try them with.

Linking up with Jen, Ann and Heather.

Pirate Ship

Today, I am thankful for pirate ships, my friends.

Let me explain.

This past week, it was my turn to be sick. My husband was leaving town for three days, so I went to Urgent Care (1050) and got some good drugs (1051) before he left.

This wasn't the "out of commission" type of sick (1052), just the "cough, blow your nose, talk like a frog" kinda sick.

Kids don't really get it when you don't feel well. They still want you to read the same books to them over and over again (1053). I really am so very grateful that they love books, my throat on the other hand, was begging for a break.

During nap the girls' nap, the kind UPS man, who always quietly delivers to our door (1054), placed a very large box of diapers on our front door (1055).

I unpacked the box, and decided to leave it out for the girls to play with.

I told them it was a boat.

We decorated our boat (1056).

We love pirates around here. The girls will tell you that pirates say Arrrrh! Brynne has also been singing Yo-ho, Yo-ho around the house lately (1057), which is so cute I could just die. We have pirate bath toys too. Yup, we love pirates around here. So...we decided to make our boat...

...a pirate ship (1058).

We put on the appropriate attire (1059:

The girls filled their boat with their baby dolls, books, and toys for the journey (1060). Then, we sailed all around the living room.

Our pirate ship is the greatest and grandest ship in all the seven seas, and daily provides the girls with lots of imaginative fun (1061). 

Finding them like this completely blesses my heart (1062):

Two girls smiling at the camera is aaaarh-guably the cutest thing ever (1063).