We are heading out on a quick family get-away, one which I've been anticipating for quite a while but for which I'm trying to keep my expectations low. Trips with children often come with surprises! :)
In the words of my beloved former piano teacher Miriam Byler, "we're off like a herd of turtles!"
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
In Like a Polar Bear
March came in like a polar bear for us: cold and snowy. We've heard reports of other areas on the East Coast that are experiencing the "in like a lion" kind of March, but our storms yesterday and today have been very mild and our snowfall only a few inches. Last night and the night before, we got snow during the night, but only enough here in our immediate area to barely cover the grass. Yesterday the snow melted almost completely during the day; today, with colder temperatures, we're hanging on to a little of it--not much though. Just enough to beautify the landscape from our front window...
...and give our friendly Old Order Mennonite neighbor-down-the-road-a-piece a chance to come over and scrape off our driveway and my dad's parking lot this morning.
When I told the boys that states north of us were expecting up to 15 inches of snow, Josiah's immediate response was that we should go there. Right now! I wish, for their sake, that we had had a really big snowstorm this year. I suppose we still could, but I'm not holding my breath. Interestingly, the farmer's almanac predicted this particular snowstorm; and it also says that there are three more periods in March in which we could get snow. We shall see how reliable that ol' thing is. :)
I was glad that the snow came today because we didn't have to go anywhere and could stay home by our lovely fire and be cozy. (All except Jeff, of course, who with his trusty Jeep, made his way to the barbershop at the regular time this morning.) The boys and I did school this morning; and when we were discussing how Alexander the Great became king at age 20, I asked the boys what they thought they would be doing at that age. Josiah said he would be working as a barber in the barbershop; and David, after some hesitation, said he thought he would be in college. Then he went on to remind me of his plans to first become a race car driver, then be an astronaut, and then be a bird! The boy can dream, can't he? :)
Besides school, my big project of the day has been laundry: loads and loads and loads of it. To keep my energy up this afternoon and to entice myself to stay at my laundry basket and fold and fold and fold until every piece was folded and put away, I put on my Sonic Praise CD. That never fails to get me on my feet, doing something productive. It's my secret weapon which I don't use nearly often enough!
I love the beginning of a new week... ;)
...and give our friendly Old Order Mennonite neighbor-down-the-road-a-piece a chance to come over and scrape off our driveway and my dad's parking lot this morning.
When I told the boys that states north of us were expecting up to 15 inches of snow, Josiah's immediate response was that we should go there. Right now! I wish, for their sake, that we had had a really big snowstorm this year. I suppose we still could, but I'm not holding my breath. Interestingly, the farmer's almanac predicted this particular snowstorm; and it also says that there are three more periods in March in which we could get snow. We shall see how reliable that ol' thing is. :)I was glad that the snow came today because we didn't have to go anywhere and could stay home by our lovely fire and be cozy. (All except Jeff, of course, who with his trusty Jeep, made his way to the barbershop at the regular time this morning.) The boys and I did school this morning; and when we were discussing how Alexander the Great became king at age 20, I asked the boys what they thought they would be doing at that age. Josiah said he would be working as a barber in the barbershop; and David, after some hesitation, said he thought he would be in college. Then he went on to remind me of his plans to first become a race car driver, then be an astronaut, and then be a bird! The boy can dream, can't he? :)
Besides school, my big project of the day has been laundry: loads and loads and loads of it. To keep my energy up this afternoon and to entice myself to stay at my laundry basket and fold and fold and fold until every piece was folded and put away, I put on my Sonic Praise CD. That never fails to get me on my feet, doing something productive. It's my secret weapon which I don't use nearly often enough!
I love the beginning of a new week... ;)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Simple Sunday - Mother
~ so very thankful for my dear mother...thankful for God's hand on her in a special way this week as she went through a period of sickness...thankful for God restoring her to health (though she's still feeling extra tired and weak)...thankful for the full day I was able to spend with her in the hospital on Tuesday, feeding her ice chips, chatting with her visitors, wanting her nurses to respond MUCH faster than they did :), watching Little House on the Prairie together, and occasionally just watching her sleep...thankful for a lifetime of love that we've shared, and the promise of more memory-making moments in the future
The verse I've been reminded of today as I've thought about my mom is Proverbs 31:25, "She can laugh at the days to come..."
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Halfway
Today I hit the 20-week milestone, halfway through this pregnancy (more or less). As I remember the anxiety I had at the beginning about whether I would even be able to sustain this pregnancy or would miscarry, I breathe an extra prayer of thanks today for the immense privilege of having this little one inside me, safely growing and developing thus far.
I haven't written much about pregnancy cravings, but here's my latest one: Snyder's Hot Buffalo Wing pretzel pieces and Quick Refresher.
Quick Refresher* is a legendary drink in the Huffman family, made famous by my grandmother who always seemed to have this on hand to be consumed voraciously by us. I thought everyone knew what Quick Refresher was until I left the shelter of my Virginia family circle and went to college in Pennsylvania and then got married and moved to California. "Quick Refresher?" my friends would say, "What's THAT?" And then they would laugh in gentle derision at what they thought was a silly name. Let 'em laugh...I'll drink it all myself! :)
The craving for these pretzel pieces is a little strange since I don't normally snack on spicy things; that's Jeff's specialty, not mine. But for some reason, I find the zing in these pretzels very appealing these days. I don't think I'd even tasted them before this pregnancy since the thought of eating them had never appealed to me before. Now I'm making up for lost time and munching on these quite often. :)
Gotta love the freedom that comes from being pregnant and basically able to eat whatever you want!
* To make Quick Refresher, you simply mix 3/4 cup Tang, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup lemon juice with water to make a gallon.
I haven't written much about pregnancy cravings, but here's my latest one: Snyder's Hot Buffalo Wing pretzel pieces and Quick Refresher.
Quick Refresher* is a legendary drink in the Huffman family, made famous by my grandmother who always seemed to have this on hand to be consumed voraciously by us. I thought everyone knew what Quick Refresher was until I left the shelter of my Virginia family circle and went to college in Pennsylvania and then got married and moved to California. "Quick Refresher?" my friends would say, "What's THAT?" And then they would laugh in gentle derision at what they thought was a silly name. Let 'em laugh...I'll drink it all myself! :)The craving for these pretzel pieces is a little strange since I don't normally snack on spicy things; that's Jeff's specialty, not mine. But for some reason, I find the zing in these pretzels very appealing these days. I don't think I'd even tasted them before this pregnancy since the thought of eating them had never appealed to me before. Now I'm making up for lost time and munching on these quite often. :)
Gotta love the freedom that comes from being pregnant and basically able to eat whatever you want!
* To make Quick Refresher, you simply mix 3/4 cup Tang, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup lemon juice with water to make a gallon.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
19 Weeks...
The ultrasound!
What can I say about it? I loved every second of it and could have watched our sweet baby for much longer; the boys enjoyed it for about 5 minutes and then kept asking when it would be over. :)
When Josiah and David first saw this image...
...they said it looked like a pirate.
This view of the spine...
...prompted them to say it looked like we are having a dinosaur.
And this image of the face (with the right hand by the right eye and the left arm stretched straight up by the head)...
...made them say, "It's Gollum!" (from Lord of the Rings). Lovely.
Here are the images I like the best: the arms and hands (thanks for flexing for us, Baby, and showing off your muscles!)...
...the legs and feet (in the picture on the right below, you can actually count all the toes of one of the precious little feet)...
...and, of all things, an ear sticking out from the head. This was a new view to me; I don't remember seeing a picture quite like this from any of my other ultrasounds. In the picture, we can see the back of the baby; it's lying on its left side looking away from us with the right shoulder visible at the top. The little arrow is pointing to a protrusion from the head which is the ear! Imagine: my baby weighs about 11 ounces, and yet we can already see the ear. :)
IT'S....
STILL A SURPRISE!!!! :)
Our desire to leave the gender undetected was honored by the ultrasound tech (despite Jeff's earlier dream) so, for the first time in our lives, we will approach delivery without knowing who we'll be welcoming!
I'm REALLY glad that we're doing it this way, but I have to admit that in a moment of weakness in the waiting room yesterday morning, I did ask Jeff if maybe we should go ahead and find out. He rather forcefully vetoed that suggestion. :) He said he thinks it will help me go through labor and delivery if I don't know! We'll see about that... ;)
The baby was healthily active during the ultrasound (and I certainly feel lots of movement these days), and the measurement was right on: 19 weeks, 4 days. My weight was up to 159 which the midwife (Ann) was actually happy to see because it had dropped a tiny bit before my last appointment. My blood pressure was fine, something like 126 over 70, although I didn't write it down and I don't remember for sure.
Probably the most welcome news was that my placenta has shifted upwards (and will probably continue to migrate up and not move further down), so that was a relief after the anxiety early on about the subchorionic hematoma.
Yesterday I was thinking about how very grateful I am to live in this modern age when we can have such amazing glimpses of our little ones, long before they are born. I don't understand exactly how ultrasound works, but I have an immense appreciation for it!
After we got home yesterday, I told Jeff that now it feels like the wait will be FOREVER until this baby is born! With our other ones, there was a flurry of preparation that "needed" to be made after we found out the gender; but this time, I don't really have anything special to do. After we move Tobin's clothing out of the nursery and graduate him to another room, I can't even start putting baby stuff into the dresser and armoire (like I enjoyed so much when pregnant with Tobin). How am I going to fill my time until mid-July? ;)
~ 18 weeks, 6 days...with Misty Myers at our Friday fellowship potluck
~ 19 weeks, 1 day...on the floor with Tobin, that adorable happy little sweetheart!
What can I say about it? I loved every second of it and could have watched our sweet baby for much longer; the boys enjoyed it for about 5 minutes and then kept asking when it would be over. :)
When Josiah and David first saw this image...
...they said it looked like a pirate.This view of the spine...
...prompted them to say it looked like we are having a dinosaur.And this image of the face (with the right hand by the right eye and the left arm stretched straight up by the head)...
...made them say, "It's Gollum!" (from Lord of the Rings). Lovely.Here are the images I like the best: the arms and hands (thanks for flexing for us, Baby, and showing off your muscles!)...
...the legs and feet (in the picture on the right below, you can actually count all the toes of one of the precious little feet)...
...and, of all things, an ear sticking out from the head. This was a new view to me; I don't remember seeing a picture quite like this from any of my other ultrasounds. In the picture, we can see the back of the baby; it's lying on its left side looking away from us with the right shoulder visible at the top. The little arrow is pointing to a protrusion from the head which is the ear! Imagine: my baby weighs about 11 ounces, and yet we can already see the ear. :)
And the big news is...
IT'S....
STILL A SURPRISE!!!! :)
Our desire to leave the gender undetected was honored by the ultrasound tech (despite Jeff's earlier dream) so, for the first time in our lives, we will approach delivery without knowing who we'll be welcoming!
I'm REALLY glad that we're doing it this way, but I have to admit that in a moment of weakness in the waiting room yesterday morning, I did ask Jeff if maybe we should go ahead and find out. He rather forcefully vetoed that suggestion. :) He said he thinks it will help me go through labor and delivery if I don't know! We'll see about that... ;)
The baby was healthily active during the ultrasound (and I certainly feel lots of movement these days), and the measurement was right on: 19 weeks, 4 days. My weight was up to 159 which the midwife (Ann) was actually happy to see because it had dropped a tiny bit before my last appointment. My blood pressure was fine, something like 126 over 70, although I didn't write it down and I don't remember for sure.
Probably the most welcome news was that my placenta has shifted upwards (and will probably continue to migrate up and not move further down), so that was a relief after the anxiety early on about the subchorionic hematoma.
Yesterday I was thinking about how very grateful I am to live in this modern age when we can have such amazing glimpses of our little ones, long before they are born. I don't understand exactly how ultrasound works, but I have an immense appreciation for it!
After we got home yesterday, I told Jeff that now it feels like the wait will be FOREVER until this baby is born! With our other ones, there was a flurry of preparation that "needed" to be made after we found out the gender; but this time, I don't really have anything special to do. After we move Tobin's clothing out of the nursery and graduate him to another room, I can't even start putting baby stuff into the dresser and armoire (like I enjoyed so much when pregnant with Tobin). How am I going to fill my time until mid-July? ;)
~ 18 weeks, 6 days...with Misty Myers at our Friday fellowship potluck
~ 19 weeks, 1 day...on the floor with Tobin, that adorable happy little sweetheart!Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Good News
She's home!!! Dad was able to bring Mother home from the hospital tonight; and although she's still not feeling the greatest, we're all relieved to have her continue her recovery in the comfort of her own home! Hopefully she'll be able to sleep better tonight than she has for the past few nights. At least she can be sure of the fact that no one is going to wake her up at 4:30 AM to weigh her. :) (I know hospitals have certain procedures that they have to follow; but good grief, I still don't understand why they have to do things exactly like they think they do...but I've never worked in a hospital so I wouldn't understand!) :)
Seeing the lights come on in Mom & Dad's house and knowing that they are both there tonight was one of the best moments of the day...and this day has had its fair share of "best moments," particularly in the ultrasound room of Shenandoah Women's Health Care this morning. :) More on that tomorrow (hopefully), if I get a chance to do my 19 Weeks post...
Again, I want to express a huge amount of appreciation to all those who were praying for my mother and reaching out to us in some way. We are all so very grateful!!!
To end, here are some pictures of sweet Tobin getting a haircut tonight from his daddy, the most famous barber in Harrisonburg (for today anyway)! But this haircut was special. Yes, very special indeed because this haircut happened here at home tonight...in our garage...with Tobin sitting on--what else?--a potter's wheel! Sure made it easy to swivel him around! :)
I love the surprised look on Tobin's face in the top picture...
...and then the big grin he gave me in this bottom picture. I love this boy!!! (And his daddy...) ;)
Seeing the lights come on in Mom & Dad's house and knowing that they are both there tonight was one of the best moments of the day...and this day has had its fair share of "best moments," particularly in the ultrasound room of Shenandoah Women's Health Care this morning. :) More on that tomorrow (hopefully), if I get a chance to do my 19 Weeks post...
Again, I want to express a huge amount of appreciation to all those who were praying for my mother and reaching out to us in some way. We are all so very grateful!!!
To end, here are some pictures of sweet Tobin getting a haircut tonight from his daddy, the most famous barber in Harrisonburg (for today anyway)! But this haircut was special. Yes, very special indeed because this haircut happened here at home tonight...in our garage...with Tobin sitting on--what else?--a potter's wheel! Sure made it easy to swivel him around! :)
I love the surprised look on Tobin's face in the top picture...
...and then the big grin he gave me in this bottom picture. I love this boy!!! (And his daddy...) ;) Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thankfully...
...my mother seems to be feeling much better this evening. I was able to spend the whole day in the hospital with her (thanks to the amazing, generous kindness of friends and neighbors, the Shanks and the Sacras, who took care of the boys, made sure Josiah got to his choir class this afternoon, and even provided a delicious supper for us tonight); and I watched her progress from horrible pain this morning to feeling pretty good this afternoon! My mom is not a complainer so you know the pain is bad when, on a 10-point pain scale, she gives it an 8 or 9. I'm so relieved that the worst of her pain seems to be over.
We still don't know exactly what the root of the problem was. Various tests seemed to rule out a gallbladder problem as well as pancreatitis. For a while, the possibility of diverticulitis was floating around; but nothing conclusive has been mentioned to us. The other possibility is that it was a severe case of a particularly nasty virus that's been passed around; and if I were voting, I'd say that explanation fits the best with what I saw. But what do I know? :)
My dad is staying with her tonight, and we're hopeful that she'll be released from the hospital tomorrow and be able to finish her recovery in her own home sweet home.
THANK YOU to all who were praying for her, and left comments, or sent emails, or called, or helped out in various ways. We are so grateful!!!
Here's a picture of my mother to close out this post. This was taken on Christmas, way back in 2005; and the baby in her lap is our adorable David.
We still don't know exactly what the root of the problem was. Various tests seemed to rule out a gallbladder problem as well as pancreatitis. For a while, the possibility of diverticulitis was floating around; but nothing conclusive has been mentioned to us. The other possibility is that it was a severe case of a particularly nasty virus that's been passed around; and if I were voting, I'd say that explanation fits the best with what I saw. But what do I know? :)
My dad is staying with her tonight, and we're hopeful that she'll be released from the hospital tomorrow and be able to finish her recovery in her own home sweet home.
THANK YOU to all who were praying for her, and left comments, or sent emails, or called, or helped out in various ways. We are so grateful!!!
Here's a picture of my mother to close out this post. This was taken on Christmas, way back in 2005; and the baby in her lap is our adorable David.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Mother in the Hospital, Boys in the Bathtub
I awoke this morning with a deep sense of doom, brought on by the extremely vivid dream I had just had about watching an airplane crash. In my dream, the crash happened where route 33 and Switchboard Road intersect; and the van I was traveling in with quite a few other people was heading east on 33, watching this enormous plane crash just to our left. It was headed to the country of Jordan; and oddly, all the passengers in my van (including myself) were driving to the airport to get on a flight to Russia, I believe. We don't normally have many international flights around here, but anything's possible in a dream. As we watched, this huge plane appeared to be stopped in the air; and as I wondered, "Can it DO that and stay up?", the answer was revealed as it crashed towards earth, tail first. There's nothing quite like watching someone die, if only in a dream, to set the mood for a new morning.
I wasn't a bit surprised to look out the window and see my parents' car gone. Usually at that time of day, Mom and Dad are sitting around their table, eating their breakfast of Cheerios, before Dad walks over to his office for another day of treating patients. But today, I thought with no sense of shock, "Well, Mom must be at the hospital."
Yesterday morning, she woke up with "intestinal disturbances," brought on by some sort of passing virus, we thought. Nothing serious. I wasn't worried about her.
Today, as I've found out later through phone calls from my dad, she woke up with severe upper abdominal pain so Dad decided the hospital was the best place for her; and he was planning to take her there himself until her blood pressure dropped, and he realized an ambulance ride was just what she needed. (Didn't I just mention how grateful I am for the rescue personnel in this town?) So off they went, Mom in the rescue squad, Dad in the car.
Despite my sense of doom that lingers, I'm still not really worried about her. She's having some blood tests done, and will have a CT scan in a little while. Dad thought it might be a gallbladder problem at first; but last I talked to him, he mentioned pancreatitis. In any case, they (nurses, doctors, Dad) are taking good care of her, and God's protecting arms stretch all the way into the corridors and rooms of RMH!
I'm sure Dad's cell phone will start ringing as my aunts read this blog and call to check in. For once, I became the "herald" of news--my dad's usual role!
To lighten the mood, I'm going to post a series of silly pictures. Jeff snapped these a week or two ago when I was gone one evening and he had all the boys in the bathtub. I'm not sure why Josiah had his hand up by his eye the whole time, but the part that makes me laugh every time I look at it is the way Tobin notices those funny things on David's face, then reaches out to grab the goggles. You've got to be careful when you're in range of Tobin's arms. You just might find your glasses yanked off your face, or your necklace bathing in the saliva of his mouth, or your teeth examined as his fingers pry your mouth open, or even your nose picked! :)
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine... - Proverbs 17:22
I wasn't a bit surprised to look out the window and see my parents' car gone. Usually at that time of day, Mom and Dad are sitting around their table, eating their breakfast of Cheerios, before Dad walks over to his office for another day of treating patients. But today, I thought with no sense of shock, "Well, Mom must be at the hospital."
Yesterday morning, she woke up with "intestinal disturbances," brought on by some sort of passing virus, we thought. Nothing serious. I wasn't worried about her.
Today, as I've found out later through phone calls from my dad, she woke up with severe upper abdominal pain so Dad decided the hospital was the best place for her; and he was planning to take her there himself until her blood pressure dropped, and he realized an ambulance ride was just what she needed. (Didn't I just mention how grateful I am for the rescue personnel in this town?) So off they went, Mom in the rescue squad, Dad in the car.
Despite my sense of doom that lingers, I'm still not really worried about her. She's having some blood tests done, and will have a CT scan in a little while. Dad thought it might be a gallbladder problem at first; but last I talked to him, he mentioned pancreatitis. In any case, they (nurses, doctors, Dad) are taking good care of her, and God's protecting arms stretch all the way into the corridors and rooms of RMH!
I'm sure Dad's cell phone will start ringing as my aunts read this blog and call to check in. For once, I became the "herald" of news--my dad's usual role!
To lighten the mood, I'm going to post a series of silly pictures. Jeff snapped these a week or two ago when I was gone one evening and he had all the boys in the bathtub. I'm not sure why Josiah had his hand up by his eye the whole time, but the part that makes me laugh every time I look at it is the way Tobin notices those funny things on David's face, then reaches out to grab the goggles. You've got to be careful when you're in range of Tobin's arms. You just might find your glasses yanked off your face, or your necklace bathing in the saliva of his mouth, or your teeth examined as his fingers pry your mouth open, or even your nose picked! :)
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine... - Proverbs 17:22Sunday, February 22, 2009
Simple Sunday - Baby's First Gift
~ so thankful for this gorgeous afghan that my talented and generous friend Amy made and recently gave us, the first gift that The New Baby has received...being a baby of the family myself, I guess I'm extra sensitive to having something new for each child, something that was made or purchased just for them...this little child, whoever he or she might be, will be loved and cuddled and snuggled and adored as he/she is wrapped in this beautiful sunshiny blanket...perfect for our sunshiny July baby!
~ I usually only post one picture for Simple Sunday, but I love everything about this afghan so much that I decided to post two :)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
A Revelation
About a week and a half ago, the boys and I stopped by the Sacra's house to drop off some fresh eggs for them from our little flock of hens. We were on our way home from Josiah's choir class so we got to the Sacra's a little before 5:30, just before all the family members came home, just before dinner time. And there I had a revelation...
I've written on the blog before about how that hour of the day often seems to be a "piranha hour" for us, with the munchkins tired and hungry and circling, ready to snap their little jaws at me and each other, and I suppose I'm the biggest piranha of them all since I too often find myself at the end of my figurative rope by that hour of the day, ready to be rescued by Jeff who walks in the door exhausted by his long day at work and ready for some peace and quiet. Fortunately, I have seen some improvement in how we all relate to each other during this time; and I'm hopeful that as the boys grow and mature (and as I mature and become more like Jesus), this hour of the day will become easier and more refreshing for each of us. But despite the improvement, it still wasn't a time of day that I looked forward to; in fact, my attitude was more like, "Well, let's just get through this the best we can."
I've also mentioned a time or two how that time of evening can be a melancholy time for me, particularly when it's winter, particularly when I have pregnancy or postpartum hormones flowing through me! :) I certainly don't get the blues every evening, but once in a while I do...and again, my attitude was more focused on pushing through and "surviving" that time of day, rather than celebrating it.
However, in an instant, I glimpsed an alternative view of that time of day. When the door of the Sacra's home was opened to me, I caught sight of the table nicely set, the delicious aroma of supper cooking, and the feeling of WELCOME that rushed out. Suddenly I realized, "This is the very nicest time of day." Before we could even pull ourselves away from their house (our delay due, in large part, to David's insistence on showing every member of their family the band-aid he had on his finger because of a little scratch he got), several members of their family arrived home from work or whatever activities they were involved in; and I realized how sweet it must be to come home every evening after a long day and be warmly welcomed by family who has been missing you and waiting for your arrival all day long. In my role as the welcoming committee in our home, I don't get to experience the other side of it! But I saw, more clearly than ever before, the beauty of those moments of gathering together, complete as a family after a day apart; and even more, I was inspired to continue my quest for excellence even in that sometimes difficult, hungry, tired, grumpy, stretched-as-a-mother hour.
Back in June of 2007, I had included in one of my blog posts, a quote from the book A Lantern in Her Hand that describes the specialness of that time of day. As I've reflected on the scene at the Sacra's, my thoughts have come back to that portion of Aldrich's book. I needed to be reminded of it.
Another reminder came in a marriage book I finished reading just this week, Lasting Marriage: The Owners' Manual by Harvey Yoder. In it, he includes this quote from Green Mountain Farm by Elliott Merrick. The summer smoke is coming blue out of the chimney, and the window in the kitchen shows yellow. The house looks so incredibly cozy and desirable in the midst of this fiercely beautiful and merciless landscape; it is enough to tear your soul out by its roots. Into my mind comes the realization that here I am, now, out of all time and space, here in this place. And I say to myself, This is my home. My woman. A baby. Two babies. Simple things like that.
All of this combines to persuade me to change my head and heart--to no longer call it "piranha hour" but rather "coming home hour," to pursue the path of making my home a peaceful and safe haven after sometimes stormy days away, to realize that even if Josiah and David are having a silly squabble over some toy and even if Tobin has a dirty diaper that needs changed and even if supper isn't ready (or even worse, is burned) and even if no cloth napkins are on the table and no soft music is playing... Even then, as the family gathers together once more, it's the sweetest kind of homecoming; and I'll treasure it each time.
I've written on the blog before about how that hour of the day often seems to be a "piranha hour" for us, with the munchkins tired and hungry and circling, ready to snap their little jaws at me and each other, and I suppose I'm the biggest piranha of them all since I too often find myself at the end of my figurative rope by that hour of the day, ready to be rescued by Jeff who walks in the door exhausted by his long day at work and ready for some peace and quiet. Fortunately, I have seen some improvement in how we all relate to each other during this time; and I'm hopeful that as the boys grow and mature (and as I mature and become more like Jesus), this hour of the day will become easier and more refreshing for each of us. But despite the improvement, it still wasn't a time of day that I looked forward to; in fact, my attitude was more like, "Well, let's just get through this the best we can."
I've also mentioned a time or two how that time of evening can be a melancholy time for me, particularly when it's winter, particularly when I have pregnancy or postpartum hormones flowing through me! :) I certainly don't get the blues every evening, but once in a while I do...and again, my attitude was more focused on pushing through and "surviving" that time of day, rather than celebrating it.
However, in an instant, I glimpsed an alternative view of that time of day. When the door of the Sacra's home was opened to me, I caught sight of the table nicely set, the delicious aroma of supper cooking, and the feeling of WELCOME that rushed out. Suddenly I realized, "This is the very nicest time of day." Before we could even pull ourselves away from their house (our delay due, in large part, to David's insistence on showing every member of their family the band-aid he had on his finger because of a little scratch he got), several members of their family arrived home from work or whatever activities they were involved in; and I realized how sweet it must be to come home every evening after a long day and be warmly welcomed by family who has been missing you and waiting for your arrival all day long. In my role as the welcoming committee in our home, I don't get to experience the other side of it! But I saw, more clearly than ever before, the beauty of those moments of gathering together, complete as a family after a day apart; and even more, I was inspired to continue my quest for excellence even in that sometimes difficult, hungry, tired, grumpy, stretched-as-a-mother hour.
Back in June of 2007, I had included in one of my blog posts, a quote from the book A Lantern in Her Hand that describes the specialness of that time of day. As I've reflected on the scene at the Sacra's, my thoughts have come back to that portion of Aldrich's book. I needed to be reminded of it.
Another reminder came in a marriage book I finished reading just this week, Lasting Marriage: The Owners' Manual by Harvey Yoder. In it, he includes this quote from Green Mountain Farm by Elliott Merrick. The summer smoke is coming blue out of the chimney, and the window in the kitchen shows yellow. The house looks so incredibly cozy and desirable in the midst of this fiercely beautiful and merciless landscape; it is enough to tear your soul out by its roots. Into my mind comes the realization that here I am, now, out of all time and space, here in this place. And I say to myself, This is my home. My woman. A baby. Two babies. Simple things like that.
All of this combines to persuade me to change my head and heart--to no longer call it "piranha hour" but rather "coming home hour," to pursue the path of making my home a peaceful and safe haven after sometimes stormy days away, to realize that even if Josiah and David are having a silly squabble over some toy and even if Tobin has a dirty diaper that needs changed and even if supper isn't ready (or even worse, is burned) and even if no cloth napkins are on the table and no soft music is playing... Even then, as the family gathers together once more, it's the sweetest kind of homecoming; and I'll treasure it each time.
Friday, February 20, 2009
The Most Exciting Moment of the Day...
...occurred this evening when Josiah was looking out the front window and noticed smoke--heavy smoke--everywhere outside. It was so thick that it looked like fog, but he knew that fog couldn't just come out of nowhere like that. He alerted the rest of us, and we all came quickly into the living room to see what was going on. Since we have a woodstove and use it constantly in the winter, the thought of a chimney fire (or to be honest, a house fire) is always in the back of our heads; and we were quite concerned that the smoke might be coming from that. It didn't take long though for us to realize that it was actually coming from our neighbors' house, and Jeff took off across the yard (in freezing temperatures with no coat) to find out what was going on and warn the Shanks if they weren't aware of the awful smoke coming from their chimney.
Before he had quite gotten to their house, Wilma and one of the girls, I think, had come outside and were looking up at the chimney, so they did know about it. I never really got the story straight about what exactly happened in their chimney--something about leaves which flew up the chimney and ignited at the top--I don't know. The thick, smelly smoke didn't last so long; but Douglas was concerned enough to call the fire department to come and check things out.
I don't know how fire departments and rescue squads work in different parts of the country, but here it is totally free to use them and they provide a GREAT service for us. My sister and oldest brother volunteered with the local rescue squad when they were teenagers (and maybe in their early 20s, too?), and I just thought that was the coolest thing. :) I was convinced that when I got old enough, I too would volunteer with the squad and get to have a neat-o scanner that would be by my bed and I would hear the various calls go out and I would respond and help someone in need and the next day I would have a great story to tell of my rescue adventures. Alas, that day never came. By the time I hit high school, I had let myself get way too busy to help with the squad so that little dream of mine died a slow death. In any case, to this day, I have a great deal of admiration for the rescue personnel in our community!
After Douglas called the fire department, it didn't take them long at all to come out with men and gear and trucks and ladders, and they were eventually able to get high enough to look down in the chimney and see what had happened and test for the structural integrity and safety of the chimney. As it turns out, all is well; and the Shanks can still use their chimney which is a wonderful blessing. But as I built up the fire in our own faithful woodstove tonight, I was reminded of the incredible power that fire possesses: power to sustain life, and power to destroy it.
This was the view that greeted the guests in our home this evening as they arrived for our Friday Fellowship Potluck (and all those pick-up trucks parked along the drive are from off-duty firefighters who heard the call and came to help, some arriving even before the firetrucks did). Here in the peaceful countryside, we don't often see a firetruck with lights blazing in our neighbor's driveway...but don't think for a minute that nothing ever happens here on Sylvan Drive. The simple life is anything but boring! :)
Before he had quite gotten to their house, Wilma and one of the girls, I think, had come outside and were looking up at the chimney, so they did know about it. I never really got the story straight about what exactly happened in their chimney--something about leaves which flew up the chimney and ignited at the top--I don't know. The thick, smelly smoke didn't last so long; but Douglas was concerned enough to call the fire department to come and check things out.
I don't know how fire departments and rescue squads work in different parts of the country, but here it is totally free to use them and they provide a GREAT service for us. My sister and oldest brother volunteered with the local rescue squad when they were teenagers (and maybe in their early 20s, too?), and I just thought that was the coolest thing. :) I was convinced that when I got old enough, I too would volunteer with the squad and get to have a neat-o scanner that would be by my bed and I would hear the various calls go out and I would respond and help someone in need and the next day I would have a great story to tell of my rescue adventures. Alas, that day never came. By the time I hit high school, I had let myself get way too busy to help with the squad so that little dream of mine died a slow death. In any case, to this day, I have a great deal of admiration for the rescue personnel in our community!
After Douglas called the fire department, it didn't take them long at all to come out with men and gear and trucks and ladders, and they were eventually able to get high enough to look down in the chimney and see what had happened and test for the structural integrity and safety of the chimney. As it turns out, all is well; and the Shanks can still use their chimney which is a wonderful blessing. But as I built up the fire in our own faithful woodstove tonight, I was reminded of the incredible power that fire possesses: power to sustain life, and power to destroy it.
This was the view that greeted the guests in our home this evening as they arrived for our Friday Fellowship Potluck (and all those pick-up trucks parked along the drive are from off-duty firefighters who heard the call and came to help, some arriving even before the firetrucks did). Here in the peaceful countryside, we don't often see a firetruck with lights blazing in our neighbor's driveway...but don't think for a minute that nothing ever happens here on Sylvan Drive. The simple life is anything but boring! :)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
18 Weeks...
My belly at 18 weeks, 4 days...
I don't feel very wordy today, and I have no soapbox on which to climb. This will be a brief update--quite a change of pace for me. :) Actually, my heart and mind are so full of other stuff that thoughts of this pregnancy just bring a quiet, simple, peaceful joy--one which I, for today, want to hold close to me rather than shouting it from the rooftops.
I continue to feel good for the most part, and I'm so grateful for that. I keep thinking to myself, "When is the hard stuff going to kick in? Bad back pain? Feeling completely clumsy? Painful Braxton Hicks contractions?" Because at this point, I'm not having any of that. I thought by now, I would have to drag out the huge old beloved beast of a maternity pillow that saved my back during Tobin's pregnancy; but so far I haven't needed it so it remains tucked away in our hall closet, waiting for another day.
Next week is our ultrasound which I'm anticipating very much, but with a different sort of excitement than I had with the other pregnancies. Since we hope the question of gender will remain hidden, there hasn't been such a build-up to this ultrasound. But I still long for the opportunity to have a glimpse of our littlest one and, especially, for Josiah and David to see The New Baby.
I like the picture in my pregnancy ticker this week so much that I'm duplicating it here so that in the future, when I print this segment of my blog into a book, I'll have a record of it.
The golden days of pregnancy continue...
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