ROFL

Oh Lori-girl... how you make me laugh!!!

From Behind the Eyelids

Saturday mornings I am in bed.
Sometimes I am asleep.
Mostly I pretend to be.
Often there is a din.  A stampede through my room which jars my senses.
Occasionally there are whispers and tip-toeing.

Regularly I wake to distant conversation, and like a fly on the proverbial wall I hear everything.
I hear the tea kettle steaming,
I hear hands furrowing through a Lego bin,
I hear little girl voices babbling like the ceaseless flow of a mountain brook,
I hear baby squawks and motor noises made by boys.

From behind closed eyelids I know what projects are going on.
Pancake making, rocket building, pencil drawing...painting.

One morning, eyes still fastened shut I surmised that my eldest was
working on a project using model paint.
There was a hubbub.
A frantic command for someone to grab a paper towel - "quick."

"QUICK!!!"

And just as I am imagining the many possibilities I hear Clayton's
slow calm voice say with great fanfare:


 "And from now forward

this shall be known as...

THE TABLE... of SILVER."


Then with eyes squeezed even tighter, I broke out into luminous grin
shoulders quaking with laughter.
With images of instant-drying silver paint tickling the back of my eyelids
there was little else I could do
but laugh.

And be glad I was still in bed.

The now infamous Table of Silver
 (I ask "why did you stop there?  Next time would you please paint the whole table.")

A cup half-full... of sunshine

Every snapshot is a true picture

and every snapshot is focused on just one part of the whole.

In all life there is more to the picture - even if it's the addition of an unseen

photographer behind a camera. 

A wider angle usually includes clues to the big picture - more to the story:

toys, dirty socks, trash, unfinished projects, open books strewn across a table...

the one child not interested in participating, a broken part, dust bunnies.

You don't always see those things when the presented perspective is zoomed in.

It's not that the idyllic image is untrue, 

but rather, only a part of a much bigger picture.

I am not being deceptive when I focus in on the beautiful.  the noble.  the best part

of  my own bigger picture, it's just that I see dirty socks every day.  I am well aware

of all things in the "strewn" category (which encompasses more than books),

and these days I have so many dust bunnies I hardly notice them at all!

But I can always use more practice seeing 

the best and most lovely part of the picture.

You know... not the wide angle view -  the part where my children forgot to wipe

the counters when they cleaned the kitchen...

but the sweet part where they did the  whole chore while enjoying each other

and filling the room with laughter..

Not the far-back vantage where fort-building materials are as rubble in my living room...

but the look-a-little-closer perspective to see that some thoughtful souls 

remembered to pick up the books,

getting them onto a bookcase beyond reach of book-ravaging babies.

...{Thank you dear ones.  Thanks for noticing and taking care of it )...

Not the mud tracked in...

but the fist of flowers ceremoniously presented.

Not the hammer left in the driveway...

but the groceries unloaded and put away.

Not the schoolwork I didn't correct...

but the math books with every page completed. 

Not the refrigerator which needs a good scrubbing out...

but the strawberries for dinner.

Not today's weather forecast for "partially cloudy"...

but tomorrow's prediction for "partially sunny".

See, the clouds are there whether it's partially cloudy or partially sunny.

But so is the sun.

The only real difference is what you choose to pay attention to.

Take heart beloved!  There is a real story behind every lovely picture. 

(and incidentally a mud tracked floor is not a shameful part of the picture.

It's a real {oh so very real} part, but not the piece I wish to magnify)

I will encourage you that our "bigger picture" is full of real life ant invasions, dust bunnies,

sticky spills, underwear left on the bathroom floor and water splashed on the walls.

Our people are imperfect.

As with any good, wholesome perspective of a partially sunny day,

we have lots to celebrate and so we do!  

Not from fear of letting people see the grit for themselves,

but from a  heart full to the brim 

and splashing over with grateful appreciation 

for the sunshine.

"Finally brethren, 

whatsoever things are true, 

whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,

whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report,

if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,

think on these things."

Philippians 4:8

His creation sings

"For thou, LORD, 
hast made me glad through the works 
of thy hands.

O LORD, how great are thy works!..." 

Psalm 92:4-5

New  boots - my Mother's Day gift -  serve me well in the garden.

Old and weathered apple trees, remnants of a home-sight long gone. 

Such beautiful intricacy in the middle of a Birch round!

"Before the mountains were brought forth

or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,

even from everlasting to everlasting,

thou art God."

Psalms 90: 2

My camera came with me to weed the garden... or ...to the Weed Garden.

Am I  "growing a garden this year?"  you ask.

Nope.

Just weeds. 

But weeds make a good backdrop, don't you think?  Actually, I am finding dirt

beneath the dandelions and plantain which means there's potential for lettuce seeds

to make a home there one day.


Aloria found some quality dirt too...

...though apparently she wasn't thinking "garden soil" so much as "dessert".

(I admit it does kind of look like a truffle.  How disappointing.)

Maybe it wasn't as bad as I had imagined?

Whahoo!  Why you been holdin' out on me so long, Mom?  This stuff is verrrrrrry... organic!

And then there was this girl.

She was industrious in the garden with me, first making some dandelion soup:

Then moving into the wide world of Worm Wrangler!

I'm told that the one on the right there below,   is "the daddy worm".

I don't know much about worms, but I might have to agree with her. That big-daddy is definitely a whopper!

Waaaaaait a minute, what is she doing?  

"Carolina what are you doing?!!  Are you...    Yes.. yes you are." 

Yes she is - she is putting those worms in her pocket!     Eeeeeeek!!!!

Oh and Pill Bugs.  She collected whole families of these things today!

Do you call them  Roly Poly's?

Oh me.

There were others of course, scooting in and out of the garden depending on the

interesting-ness of our endeavors there.

Weed-pulling usually draw less of a crowd for instance, then actual seed-planting.

Do not be fooled by all this green.

It's either honest-to-goodness real weeds, or a couple resilient herbs that have put down roots to stay

- one verdant Lemon Balm is our happiest example and is often pruned back by some

Lemon-Balm-chomping specimen such as this:

More dirt or after-shocks from the last bite?

Well I guess I should be glad that we can grow such GREEN weeds here.  And tall.

Did you see our dandelions?  Ok.  Last picture, I promise.  Look at the stems on these things! Wow.

Don't know if I have a vase tall enough for those Sue, but luckily....

I do have my camera ;-)

He said he wouldn't buy one...

...Didn't need one... couldn't use one.

But he forgot to factor in his fondness

for his three strapping young boys

and four lovely little girls.

I guess there are other reasons to buy a quad after all.

Yup.

He's a daddy.

Beautiful Exhaustion

Hello Clark Kent - my very own Super Man!

Beautiful days
beautiful children
beautiful moments.

Not always easy, not always witnessed by a momma with eyes prepared to appreciate it
or ears tuned to hear beautiful sounds (which sometimes masquerade as noise)...

More than I'd like to admit, I'm in a hurry for the toys to be put away, the dirt to be washed off,
dinner finished, teeth brushed, cheeks kissed...  Some days - some moments - don't seem beautiful.
They seem plain ol' exhausting!

Here's the thing: exhaustion is not a sign of defeat.  
It's a byproduct of motherhood.
I wish I could remember that more often :-)

Exhaustion does however, bring forth whatever is in the heart.  No more needs said, does it.

Exhaustion and everything that goes with it is a perfect opportunity to draw near to the Lord.
He is the source of true rest. He is the source of patience,. He is the giver of joy, yes. HE is everything!
And He is the source of all these beautiful moments, precious children, and delights for all the senses.
To thank Him is to worship Him - it is most especially worship when it comes from a tired worn out
momma who wants to be more like Him.
I fail.
But there is always this moment now to do-over.  I'm so glad for that!

So today....
Beautiful sunshine, dandilions, swallows swooping through the eves trying to find a place to nest.
Sticks, dirt, butterflies, tousled hair and dirt under fingernails.  Noise.
Failure, forgiveness, grace.
Running, riding, skipping, splashing, digging, swinging, climbing.
Life.
Beautiful beautiful life.

What a privilege to be here for these people and  all  . this . life!



P.S.  No.  Those are not my Alpacas :-)