When I Need to Laugh...

I find it impossible to watch this without completely cracking up. Isn't it refreshing to see what amuses a small child? Simple pleasure--pure and delightful!

He Loves Me

Some husbands show love for their wives by giving them expensive jewelry.  Some women receive love that way.

Some husbands express love by taking their wives out dancing.  Some women are into that kind of thing.

Some husbands demonstrate love by giving their wives foot massages.  Some women like having their feet rubbed.

I am not that woman.

However, let me record, for memory's sake, a few of the ways I have seen Jeff's love for me in the past several days.

The Gift of Time

On Sunday evening, Jeff took all three boys to a game night that our church's junior high youth group was hosting, giving me time to clean and organize our bedroom, which had been in chaos for a little over two weeks, due to the painting project.  That was long enough to make me a teensy bit antsy, and I reveled in the time Sunday night--the uninterrupted time--that I could use to restore order and beauty to our bedroom.  It was a gift, and I knew I was loved.

The Gift of Solitude

This is closely related to the above gift, but here is another example of Jeff showing love to me in this way.  Today he took all three boys to a trout pond in West Virginia (and they caught 11 fish!), giving me the opportunity to run errands in town alone--oh, joy!  :)  I had an appointment with the midwife; but before that, I was able to go by a friend's house and have a cup of tea with her while I looked through a box of hand-me-downs from her three boys to mine.  After the appointment, I went by a few fabric/decorating stores to get some ideas for the fabric I want to use for window treatments for our bedroom, as well as a slipcover for an old chair (from my maternal grandparents) that I have in the bedroom as a cozy reading spot.  Then I was off to Gift & Thrift, to drop off a bunch of stuff I've collected to donate...and to leisurely look through almost all the sections of the store to see what "needed" to come home with me.  :)  To be able to do all of these things by myself was a joyful break for me, and I appreciate so much Jeff's willingness to give me that time.  It wasn't so long ago that it was tough to take all three boys, because of their varying needs; but now that Tobin is getting a little older, Jeff has begun to include him with the others, and it provides such a time of refreshment for me when he does.

The Gift of Service

I've been eager to get my birthday magnolia in the ground; but for one reason or another, its planting kept getting delayed.  Until this afternoon, that is, when Jeff donned a coat against the chilly wind (although the sky was beautiful, the breeze had a bite to it) and dug the hole for my tree.  It turned into a community effort, with my mother joining us to give advice and provide the right mixture of fertilizer, Josiah and David using a small shovel to "help Daddy," the neighbor girls gathering around to watch and help as needed with putting fertilizer in the hole or bracing the tree trunk against the wind or holding earthworms that they had picked out of the dirt, and even the painter Kevin joining the crew to...well...offer encouragement and support, I suppose.  :)  I know digging a hole isn't much fun, but I'm so grateful to Jeff for loving me and showing it by serving me in a way that really meant a lot to me.

With all this love being lavished on me, I wonder how I can express my love more effectively to him?

My Latest Craving

Take an apple, fresh and crisp from the refrigerator.  Wash it in cool water, cut it in half, core it, then fill the center of each half with a generous dollop of smooth--never crunchy--peanut butter.  That is what I've been craving.  That is what I eat every day.

Unlike my earlier pregnancy craving, this one actually has some decent nutritional value, so I'm not holding back but am indulging my craving whenever it strikes.  Not that I held back with the earlier craving either...  :)

I read a comment recently on someone's blog that caught my attention (but not enough for me to actually remember who wrote it!), something to the effect of when you're pregnant with boys, you crave citrus.  I can testify to that, having craved and eaten huge amounts of citrus fruits while pregnant with each of my boys.  This time, however, I'm not as inclined to go for the citrus.  So does that mean I'm having a girl?  It's certainly not strong enough proof for me to go and raid all our local thrift stores for pink clothes, but I'll keep it in the back of my head until July when I'll either say, "Hey, that was true!" or "Hogwash!"  :)

In the meantime, I'll keep eating my apples with peanut butter...

Finally Four

The eagerly-awaited day finally came, and David officially turned four (and I'm finally posting about it).  This birthday was unique in that David was so aware of what was going on and was SO excited about all of it.  Last year when he turned three, he enjoyed his special day, for sure; but his level of enthusiasm was minimal compared with this year!  :)

We kept his birthday dinner simple by just inviting one family over, the Sacras; I didn't have the energy to try to do a bigger party than that (oh, Kevin, the painter, was here for dinner, too; but that's been the norm during the past few weeks as he's worked around here!).  However, despite the lack of a big party, we did have beautiful daffodils on the table as a bright centerpiece (David calls these, "the flowers that smell like Play Doh")...  :)

...and David did get to lick the icing off the beaters--beauty for the eye, beauty for the tongue.
He tried to fit the whole beater in his mouth, but it didn't quite fit.  :)
When I asked David what kind of cake he wanted, he was very specific: chocolate cake...with green icing...and sprinkles...and four dinosaurs on top!  :)
He managed to get the candle blown out by himself as Jeff held the cake for him and we all sang "happy birthday" -- again -- to him.
We enjoyed our company very much.  It was the perfect way to cap off a very special day for a very special boy.  He even got to stay up until almost 11:00 PM that night, a huge treat for him.  :)

Before I sign off, I have to jot down one other thing about David.  Recently, I've noticed that when he wants me to watch him do something, he will say, "Watch me the whole time!"  He's old enough to realize that, unfortunately, my attention sometimes slips away from him by the time he finishes whatever clever thing he was performing for me; and by the time he's done, I'm only paying attention to whatever had occupied me previously.  In this coming year, I pray for the grace to slow down and show him the respect he needs by really focusing on him and helping him to be convinced of how much he means to me by my willingness to stop whatever I'm doing and give him my undivided attention...and when I can't do that immediately, to let him know when I WILL be able to watch him--the whole time!  :)

Simple Sunday - First Tulip

~ thankful for this glorious tulip that bloomed today...I never cared much for tulips--until my brother David gave me a bouquet of purple tulips when I performed my senior piano recital in college...since then, I've had a soft spot in my heart for these beauties--and the fact that they are some of the first to bloom in the spring makes me love them even more...this gorgeous one is the first of the season for us, but not the last...a whole row of them is getting ready to burst forth in exuberant color, a true delight to my soul!

I was planning to include a verse or two in this post; but when I looked at Matthew 6 in The Message, I got so caught up in reading it that I decided to use more than one or two verses!  I appreciate the freshness of this version, and these particular words (verses 25-34) speak volumes to me...

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

The Last Night as a Three Year-old

Tomorrow David turns four.  

It's hard to believe that this little boy, who surprised us even by his birth, has been a part of our family for four years already.  It's also hard to believe that we ever existed without his laughter and energy and vivaciousness.   Our world would be dark and gloomy without this ball of sunshine.

Here is David, the last time I'll tuck him in bed as a three year-old.  He clung to my neck an extra long time as I hugged him tonight.  Maybe he sensed my mood and the significance of this night in the unstoppable passage of time.
I love you, David, more than words can say.  You are truly beloved.

Why I Want White Closet Doors

See the face in this door?

Here, let me darken the picture so it's more obvious.  See it now?
THAT is the reason (one of them, anyway) why I've been eager for the closet doors in my bedroom to be painted.  Who wants a freaky face like that looking at them?  Even if it is only wood, it's weird!  :)

I can't imagine what the person was thinking who put these boards together to construct this door.  Maybe he didn't notice?  Maybe he did it as a joke?  Maybe he thought it looked cool?  Maybe a machine did it and a person never touched it until it was all over?  Who knows!

What I do know is that for all the years of my childhood, that door hung on my mother's closet and that face peered out.  It's not as if I was seriously afraid of it, and even now it's not like it really bothers me...but I do think about it from time to time; and, boy, am I glad it's now covered with a nice layer of white paint.

Goodbye, strange face.  Rest in peace.  :)

When Daddy Takes the Day Off...

...he just might end up playing Risk with two of his sons.

Risk isn't too advanced of a game for a three year-old and a six year-old, after all, when Daddy is the brains behind the conquest of the world.  :)  

During the game, I overheard David saying this to Jeff:  I won't be sad if he wins or you win, but I will be happy if I win!  :)

Actually, Josiah happened to be the victor in this game and proudly dated and signed his name on the game board (a tradition in our family for such games).  David, who had won a game of Candyland just before this game, then wanted to sign the Candyland board, so Jeff let him and David was thrilled.

Jeff took off Thursday of last week and Tuesday of this week, just for fun, simply to spend extra time with the family.  We have LOVED it!  Too bad he can't do that every week!  :)  Yesterday, besides the special time to play games with the boys in the afternoon, we all went out for breakfast as a family to Thomas House Restaurant in Dayton (a first for us, although Jeff had been there before)...then we went to the Children's Museum and let the boys have a ball there like they always do (and this time was even more special because Jeff used some of the face paint there to decorate their faces, David being a cat--but acting more like a tiger--and Josiah being a clown; if his face looks funny in the above photo, that's why!)...then to the barbershop for a haircut for Scooter--I mean, Tobin--who looks so different with his neatly buzzed hair style.  I love to rub the soft peach fuzz on his head now, and he tries to grab his hair like he used to; but now he can't get a handful, and he probably wonders why not!

Today, on Jeff's usual day off, he stayed home with Tobin this afternoon and evening, while Josiah, David, and I headed east to Charlottesville for a Flat Stanley play at the Paramount Theater--a beautiful old theater that I had never been to before.  One of the other moms from our homeschool co-op found out about this play and let us know about it, and it turned out to be a very fun adventure for my oldest sons and I (as well as the other co-op families there, I'm sure).  One of my favorite parts was having David want to sit on my lap the whole time we were watching the play; and even though I got a little cramped, I wouldn't have traded it for anything.  :)

Family time is a treasure!

Good, Better, Best

Many years ago, when I was a girl, my mother taught me this saying:

Good, better, best,

Never let it rest, 

Til your good is better, 

And your better, best.

She had no idea I would someday apply that saying to a house--her house--the house she and my dad designed and had built.  Sorry, Mother, sometimes things backfire!  :)  Here's another saying she taught me, "To each his own"; that seems to apply in this situation!

Here is the good...

...white walls and wood trim.  My mother, she likes her some white walls!  Me, on the other hand?  Color--lots of it!  I must get it from my mother's parents who had colored walls--purple in their bedroom, a blue bedroom where I sometimes slept, another bedroom that was yellow.  I guess it's in my blood somewhere; but at any rate, I have longed for colored walls ever since I knew we would finally own a home and not have to deal with rented white walls.  However, the white walls and wood trim were undoubtedly good, and we continue to feel blessed beyond measure to even be able to live in this home and call it ours, no matter what color the walls.  :)

Here comes the better...
...blue walls but still with wood trim.  Our friend Kevin, the painter, made good progress last week with basically finishing the blue walls; but a bout of sickness over the weekend slowed things down considerably, especially the painting of the doors and trim.

However, here comes the BEST...
...blue walls and white trim.  Isn't it gorgeous???  I keep saying when I look at it, "I'm so excited," and Kevin laughs.  He's used to seeing walls transformed in his line of work; but to me, this is just amazing.  I love it so much!!!

Finished!

I am so proud of Josiah!

On Saturday, he finished up the last of his official first grade work, which means two things: 1) summer vacation has already begun in our household, and 2) we have a second grader in our family!  This book, Detectives in Togas, was the last thing we needed to finish reading and cross off the list before we could close the huge curriculum binder and call it a year...

Later that afternoon, Josiah curled up on the couch and started reading Five True Dog Stories, just for fun.  (And speaking of fun, I let the boys have a pajama day on Saturday since it was an extra-special day and we didn't have to go anywhere!)  Josiah has taken off with his reading this past year.  He technically learned to read during kindergarten, but during his first grade year, he soared with it; and the thing I'm most pleased about is that now he reads of his own initiative, simply for the pleasure of it.  That's what I would have done all day long as a girl, if my parents would have let me.  ;)

Not to be outdone, David announced on Saturday that he was doing math like a big boy.  He got out this game and matched the numbers with the pictures, announcing that 2 + 2 = 4 and figuring out that 2 + 8 = 10, etc.  
At supper on Saturday, when Josiah got the Celebrate plate and was congratulated on his successful school year, David announced that he didn't feel very special.  Of course, we reassured him about how special he truly is; but it seems he needed to prove himself because today he hurried up and finished his dot-to-dot book and then asked if he could have the Celebrate plate tonight for his big accomplishment.  Of course you can, David dear!  :)

Now that we're not doing regular schoolwork (although we are continuing to do a little bit to get a head start on next year and keep the learning fresh), I have time to turn my attention to other things.  My big goal is to get back on track with FlyLady.  Last summer, I made some significant strides, but lost most of it during the busy school year.  Today I'm jumping back to the beginning with Day One of FlyLady's BabySteps.  And so, I'm off to shine my sink...  :)

Simple Sunday - Empty Cross

~ what else could I choose on this day but the very symbol of Jesus' victory over sin and death?...I'm so very thankful for the event we remember here at Easter time...the cross truly changes everything

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

~ I Corinthians 1:18

A Good Friday

Good Friday! I wonder who first gave it that name and how things progressed through history to cement that title to this day. The only people who would ever call it "good" are the ones who stand on this side of the cross and, in retrospect, see the inherent goodness of that horrible day. Surely the followers of Jesus couldn't possibly grasp, at the time, how anything good could come out of that atrocious day that resulted in the murder of the only innocent man the world has ever contained. How full of despair the disciples must have been! But more about the disciples in a minute...

First, here are some pictures from our Good Friday, which, happily, included a peaceful evening with each boy finding some means of quiet entertainment after supper.

David got out this electronic matching game and had fun with that...

Josiah played Monopoly by himself...

Tobin got the seat of honor on Grandma's lap and looked at books with her...

Speaking of Tobin, I just had to include another video of him. I know, I know...overkill on the Tobin videos. But this one that I took this evening shows the way he scoots around the floor. He may not crawl, but he can go places! At this rate, I won't have to worry about him wearing out the knees of his pants. The hind end? Well, that's another story... :) To clarify what might be confusing, my mom's voice is also heard in this video (along with my talking-to-baby voice; do I always sound so funny when I talk to my little ones?). :)

But back to the disciples... We participated in a Maundy Thursday meal and service with our church last night (and the most poignant moment I captured with the camera of my heart was when Tobin and Joelle Blosser sat side by side near the basin as Joelle's mom and I washed each other's feet); and as our pastor, Gordon, spoke about the disciples falling asleep in the garden, my mind flew to Passover night in 1996 when Jeff and I and another student at the school we attended in Jerusalem decided to retrace the steps of Jesus on the night of his betrayal. Jeff figured out the timing of everything; and as best we could, we did exactly what Jesus did on that night. I remember the delicious aroma of lamb and the other foods that the Old City Jewish residents were feasting on that night; as we walked through the deserted streets, the smell drifted through open windows to tease us...and the sounds of family and friends and fellowship filled my ears and made me feel the loneliness of being an outsider. But then we came to the Mount of Olives; and, although we couldn't go into the Garden of Gethsemane because of locked gates, we did sit down in a graveyard on the Mount to spend time in prayer. And I received an unforgettable lesson in humility when I, who had always been so critical of the disciples because they fell asleep when Jesus needed them, for crying out loud!, became so tired that I, too, drifted off to sleep.

I am no different than they were, and I've never forgotten it.

When we arrived home last night from the service, I noticed the full moon rising behind the forest to the east of us. I tried to capture it, but really haven't the slightest idea how to effectively photograph the moon. This was as good as I could do, but it's enough to remind me that on the night he was betrayed, Jesus, too, saw a full moon.