Postpartum: Take 9

*Emerald Peace 1 month old*

And then

she looked at me 

and yawned

as though

I were the reason

for her tiredness.

35 Bits of Summer

Because a picture is worth a thousand words.
And a lot of pictures is better yet, right?

Starting with Emerald of course!  4 weeks old today and so precious.

Picture 2, Some sibling fun in the Pond
Pictures 3-8, Fourth of July on top of a mountain - accessed by quads for a grand total of 24 bodies :-)
Pictures 9-14, Zachary's 13th birthday celebration!!! Wow. What happened to 13 years?
Pictures 15-20, Life at home
Pictures 21-33, A real vacation kind of day at lake Pend Orielle with Uncle Daniel

Sweet times happening here -mixed in with sleep deprivation, mosquito bites, and sugar melt-downs, but sweet nonetheless :-)

So tell me, what have ya'll been up to?

May I introduce my Precious Gem?

Friends, this is 

~Emerald Peace~

Born Tuesday evening June 17th

at 7:58pm

Weighing 8 pounds

19 and 3/4" long

Emerald is our delight, 

and my heart aches with the joy of being stretched larger still!

************

As the time of her estimated arrival drew near and the anticipation of labor

put a foreboding taste in my mouth, I found myself clinging to this verse

Zephaniah 3: 17

"The LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty; he will save, 

he will rejoice over you with joy; 

he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

My labor started in the late afternoon, slow and with no pattern.

At 5-ish on that cool and very rainy evening we packed the kids off to Auntie Hannah 

(who gave them a slumber party to remember for years to come!)

and the house became still and quiet.

Through contractions I stirred with the final details for a cozy birthing. 

Midwives were on their way, house tidy, two baby bundles with bows (one for girl, one for boy)

sat carefully arranged on top of extra towels and blankets.

Standing back in the softly lit  living room with candle flickering in the corner

I surveyed the arrangement and felt ready.

The atmosphere was peaceful, my beloved opted to let the midwives deliver this baby

and so was right beside me, a comfort and presence.

I had intended to meditate on the larger part of Zephaniah 3:10, 

knowing that the Lord God, He rejoices over me!

He sings for me.

He quiets me.

Instead, with each labor pain I breathed only "...He will quiet you with his love..."

and knew it true.

With long restful breaks between contractions it wasn't long before she came.

Gently she came

and the peaceful calm was broken by a tiny but rather indignant squall.

She was born in the caul; "that means good luck" they told us.

I don't know about luck, 

but our home has a brand new blessing in the addition of sweet Emerald Peace.  

I'm certain we are the privileged to know her and to be the ones

holding and loving her.

{About 3 hours old}

{A little sister for Aloria}

{5 days old}

Beloved Sister and a New Brother~

My precious youngest sister Mattie Grace found her beloved.
And married him today.

I wasn't able to be there since this baby's birth is now a couple weeks away
and the trip home to Chico is a good 18 hours one way.  Varicose veins and such, don'tcha know.

I'm not sure who caught whom, but it looks like they're in a for a future filled with fun!

We are so thrilled to add this new brother Jeremy to the Uncles :-) and OH how I wish
we could have been there today, to witness the beginning of such a precious union.

Here's my sister (almost 4) with me just before my own wedding nearly 17 years ago.
My Aloria is her clone, I think :-)

For Mattie and Jeremy:  Congratulations dear ones!
With all my heart I love you.

~Your Sis

...Under His wings you will find refuge...

Psalm 91:1-4

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of 

the Most High

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord

HE is my refuge and my fortress

in HIM will I trust.

Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler;

and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with His feathers

and under His wings shalt thou trust:

His truth shall be thy shield and buckler."

***********************

This painting entered my heart last year and at that time a sketch was formed.

Not until this winter did I tackle the water color and complete the thought.

Sometimes you create with someone in mind

but in this case, this is me.

My life, my story, my heart and knowledge (albeit minuscule) of God

in His tender care of me - even in the midst of raging storm 

- perhaps even storms that rage only within my flawed human flesh and incomprehension

of what's necessary for God's glory to be revealed.

I am so glad to say that in this season I find my spirit rejoicing in His feathers

as if I were the baby bird in a cozy springtime nest.

But my heart aches for those I know of even now who are pummeled by the noisome pestilence.

It is their heart I pray, experiences the refuge of His wings.

His love ever tender.  

Ever present.

Everlasting.

Beautiful Springtime...

...Is just bursting in full glory here.
I took a drive to the Canadian boarder yesterday and the valley was full
of lilacs - every shade of purple and many abundant white blooms too.

Love.


Boys and mud and tractors and backpacks and hikes...

Love.

Girls and cartwheels and wagons and frogs and purring cats...

Love

No... no official garden for me this year.  However, we put up some swallow
boxes just in time to have swallows move in and start families where we
could watch them up close.
Also we have a newly-logged, sunshiny, perfect place (soon to be enclosed by fence)
to plant some fruit trees finally!
Again, love.

Here on the mountain violets and trillium bloom, the huckleberries are
showing promise of summer picking.  Robins build nests, burn piles are lit
and fill the air with scents of  wood-smoke which combine with the blooming
fragrances and make a smell like "cookies baking" (according to Bryce).

Double triple quadruple love :-)

Baby cheeks

a smidge of green lawn just big enough

three utility wagons

a motley crew of old bikes

some imagination

Big brothers with kind and gentle hearts plus long legs and man-muscles taking form...


So much love.