Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Hebrews 12:2

It's been a bit of a challenging few days here at the Octamom house.  7 of 8 received an incredible gift but one that is a very visual reminder of her challenges, sets her apart and often makes her howl.  It's her new splint that she is to wear at nighttime, holding her fingers at a better angle and keeping her thumb open.

7 of 8 was diagnosed in May as having experienced a neonatal stroke shortly around the time of her birth.  It has resulted in weakness on her left side, along with a funny little lopsided crawl.  We have ordered various splints to help open up her hand, to no avail.  We haven't been able to find the right fit, haven't been able to find a form that does exactly what we need it to.  And so, out of great patience and compassion, one of the therapists at 7 of 8's therapy group set about  making her a custom splint this week.

Materials were purchased, expertise was utilized.  Molding foam was set in hot water and then formed around 7 of 8's left hand and arm.  Bright pink cushion was added.  Velcro straps were attached.  7 of 8 protested, yelled, cried.  Miss T lovingly held her, let her cry, let her fight, cared enough for her to let her protest. The end result is functional, does what is needs to and is not a thing of beauty.  And, its consistent use can go a long way in helping 7 of 8 rotate and hold her hand in the appropriate position.  

It is a very visual reminder of what 7 of 8 must overcome.

It makes my heart hurt a little.

And sometimes a lot.

And it is a thing of beauty...and not.

And it is something rendered out of great love and compassion.

Many Christians chose to wear a cross around their necks, a reminder of sacrifice, of love, of grace.  We turn crosses into jewelry, encrust them with diamonds, cast them in gold.  And yet, we sometimes seem to forget that we are making charms out of an instrument of execution, a cruel measure of a dictatorial government.  And yet the dichotomy remains, something that is a symbol of what our failings, what our weaknesses cost Jesus somehow becoming a thing of beauty and something treasured.  An old rugged cross cast in gold and covered in diamonds.

And so I understand a little better this week, how a little girl's rough splint, a thing that looks clumsy and awkward and somewhat cruel, can also be regarded by a mama's achy heart as something precious.  And I can feel my Father's smile as He gently says to me, "Yes."

Selah.

JPEG of the Week

7 of 8, contemplating the sand and the waves...

And Now I Feel Like Senior Class President!...

Caroline....what, you haven't met Caroline?!?  Oh, Honey.  Well, stop right now and go see her here at Pocket Change...I'll wait for ya....go on.....

Okay, that Caroline, my adorable, Leslie Caron look-a-like bloggin' bud sent me this little cutey:

And here's the thing about Caroline--doesn't she totally look like Leslie Caron?

Leslie Caron?  As in Gene Kelly American in Paris Leslie Caron?!?  Okay, good, you with me now?  So, yeah. Caroline=Leslie Caron, in my book!

So on to my list of nominees.....
The rules of this award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated

So here are a fun group for you to check out!
1. Shelley at The Mom With Brownies. She is an amazing source of all things free/cheap educational, with awesome links to great learning sites--and a mean brownie recipe to boot!

2. Toni at It is Nap Time.  Toni has a great sense of humor and is always looking for the best web deals!

3.  Karin at Six By His Design .  She's another mom to many who has the most beautifully organized closets on the blogshere---

4.  Crazy Mama of 6 at Truly Delightful in Every Way--the picture in her header alone is worth the click over--then stay and read her hilarious posts!

5. Laura of http://ahopeandafuture.typepad.com/a_hope_and_a_future/  She has four blessings and has written beautifully about their adoption journey of twins.  And not long after her twins came along, so did another little blessing--so ladies, she's wrestling three babies in addition to her little girl!

6.  Emily at Chatting at the Sky.  Her blog design is super cute and her writing is super amazing--gorgeous prose that will make you think...

7.  Denn at Better Full than Empty.  I'm fairly convinced that this amazing lady can do just about anything--decorating, re-purposing, cooking up a storm--she's just amazing!

Thanks again to my sweet Caroline--you are just the best! Now go forth and click!

Clean Cut...

M works in a 3-piece suit, clean cut world...so when he takes a few days off, it's all jeans and t-shirts and no razor.  While I love my man all clean-shaven, I can't resist how great he looks with a few days scruff.  So before he got ready to shear it all off and head back to the office, I prevailed on him to let me play with my new camera and record that 5 o'clock shadow...

5 of 8 and the Baby Daddy...



3 of 8 and the Daddy Person...

The Princess and the King o' the Castle....

Okay, I'm thinking he's the hottest father of eight I've ever seen...just sayin'...

School Daze 102

When people hear I homeschool...and then they hear the number of students (8, for you latecomers), I am met with unearned admiration...or questions about my sanity (which, though a little offensive, may be valid).  And then, regardless of initial response, the next question is usually, "How?"

The "How?" question is a good one..and one that defies a simple explanation.  The short answer is "with heavy caffeine abuse."  The longer answer involves spreadsheets.  Since you're here, I'm gonna assume you would like to see the spreadsheet answer.

When I get ready to figure out the navigation for this unwieldy Carnival Cruise we call family life, it can often look like I am plotting the take-over of a small country.  2 of 8 and I lay out laptops, spreadsheets, lists of goals, lists of dance schedules, therapy schedules, soccer schedules, menus and the like.  It takes a.long.time.  And one of the grand ironies of my life is that, even with all this pre-planning, even with these super-human spreadsheet skills, people still tend to think that we are a bit unorganized and chaotic.  Oh, honey.  This IS organized.  You couldn't even imagine what it would be like if we didn't plot it out so carefully.  The fact that we make it anywhere within 10 minutes of the start time should be seen as a modern miracle.  The fact that we often show up in clean underwear and matching shoes should make all those Virgin-Mary-Visage-In-My-Lays-Potato-Chip news items pale in comparison.  Trust me, it takes a high, high level of organization to appear only this slightly unorganized and chaotic.

I've tinkered with many a system and finally feel that now, yes, a full decade into the homeschool venture, that I have finally hit upon what works for us.  I quit trying to schedule exactly one hour for math, 'cuz one kid can whiz through math in 14 minutes and another is going to begin puberty before we really have the multiplication table for 9's thoroughly memorized.  I finally figured out that reading and computer times have to be on the list.  I finally figured out that PBS is going to count as an educational pit-stop each day.  I've learned how to philosophically make a spreadsheet flexible.  I finally figured out how to live in that duality.

So to that end, I humbly submit the end product of SummerSpreadSheetSummit '08.  You will note the 1 of 8 does not appear on the school schedule...her college classes and work schedule and the rest take her away from the house quite a bit during the day, so we simplified the schedule to reflect the kids schooling at the dining table each day.  The chore chart is a proud achievement--it took some long hours and maneuvering to get it workable with all of the extra-curricular that we do.

The basic principles of these schedules come from the excellent books Managers of Their Homes and Managers of Their Chores from Titus2.com.  However, because our family life involves a great deal of travel, extensive therapy schedules for 4 and 7 of 8 and heavy involvement in many extra-curricular activities, I done a great deal of modification from the basic ideas represented in these books.  And therein lies another valuable lesson--I made myself a little crazy at first, years ago, when I first began developing these type schedules, because I was too legalistic in their application.  Again, there's that valuable lesson--spreadsheet flexibility.

The MR and ER designations on the chore charts stand for Morning Routine and Evening Routine, which are printed out and posted.  The daily schedule, chore charts and assignment sheets for each child are also included in notebooks, which each kid keeps in their backpack.  I also made sheets which spell out exactly what I mean by Clean the Bathroom and Dust the Downstairs.  I have found that taking the time to type it up and print it out tends to lessen the negotiation process and also clearly states what the expectation for a particular chore is.

And there's probably the best thing I could pass along--the need to set the standard and then hold up the standard.  I read somewhere a quote from a homeschool mom that said, "You can't expect what you won't inspect." Wow.  That has often been the failing of many of my scheduling and chore list endeavors.  I somehow think that taking the time and planning it all out and typing it up in a cute font will somehow render my children willing and able to take the baton and run.  So far, I've only got one kid who exhibits this ability.  The rest have to be checked up on and checked up on and checked...well, you get the idea.  And I've had to make my peace with that.

Now, don't be mislead.  While I would love to tell you that everyday we make all of this happen, that would not.be.keeping.it.real.  Instead, we at least have a goal out there, we at least have a common vision.  And we often get most of it done.  And in the doing, it's equipping my kids to know how to structure their days, how to structure their work, how to structure the details of life that require attention and time, and in so doing, leave time to chase dreams, practice a hobby, read a good book and play a fun game.  The stuff of living; chores, learning, playing, sleeping, loving, dreaming, creating.


The older kids often do some schoolwork/homework in the evening between activities.



4 of 8's schedule/chore/assignment folder...

I Feel Like a Homecomin' Queen!...

My sweet friend Bethany at preciousinfants just made my day by awarding me the Brillante Weblog.  Bethany is one of the first bloggers I read and I have always loved her sketches and recipes and sweet, sweet heart.

So in the spirit of spreading the love, here's the way this one works (I copied and pasted this from Bethany's blog, so the final couple sentences are her's--but express my thoughts as I get ready to name my 7)--

Apparently a 'brilliante weblog' nomination comes with a few rules, which are:

1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

This gives me a great opportunity to share some of the blogs I have been wanting to bring up for a while...there are so many blogs that have given me inspiration over the last couple of years.     I can't include all of the ones I love, but here are 7 that I really enjoy:

1. I've just started reading Tracy at  http://mom2threeadoptedsibs.blogspot.com/.  She's a mom of three adopted kiddos, homeschooling, with a hubby who's out of town more often than not.  What a great heart and great stories!  Welcome to the blogworld!

2.  Sweet Deb is a fellow runner who is training for a half marathon and chasing after her twins!  I love hearing about her adventures and she has a big trip to NYC coming up to celebrate a milestone birthday that I also celebrated last fall--the big 4-0.  You can read all about her training and twins at http://fromstilettostosneakers.blogspot.com/

3.  Another twin mommy, girlietwins mom always brings a smile to my face, particularly her pictures from when Daddy got involved watching a sports event and someone found a marker and created some self tatoos! You can see the resulting artwork at http://betterleitethannever.blogspot.com/

4.  Suzannah is another great bloggin' bud who helps run a camp in Pennsylvania.  She has a precious little one and the biggest heart.  Visit her at http://suzannahpaul.blogspot.com/

5.  Abbyjess is just an all around great gal and hysterically funny.  She writes about her adorable little Linus and has about the cutest blog design around.  Check out her take on bananas at http://unst.blogspot.com/

6.  Ya gotta go see Steph at http://stephscafe.blogspot.com/--she knows how to eat and she knows how to cook and she knows how to travel.  I always feel a little cooler and hipper having been to see her!

7.  Bethany's little sis, Jennifer, has recently kicked off an awesome blog, breaking down all kinds of amazing photoshop techniques.  She gives all kinds of details an great projects--you'll love it!  See her at http://jenniferblake.wordpress.com/

And as always, it's not an easy thing to have to pick only a handful.  So many great blogs, so little time!

School Daze 101...

Yep, we homeschool.  I know, I know..how predictable with the 8 kids and all.  I didn't really start out to homeschool.  But as my oldest got more and more involved in dance and as we met more homeschool families, it began to feel not as odd and alien, but more like a fun adventure...and so here we are, 11 years later.  Wow.

I would love to be some bastion of incredible advice and theory and practicum...but I may be more of a well-intentioned compost pile of curriculum, systems and lofty aspirations--still lots of nutrients and good stuff, but not as elegant and attractive as in its original form.  I have learned some lessons along the way and am still amazed and humbled by the moms who get it all done and have it all organized and put on mascara EVERY SINGLE MORNING.  Makes a girl feel a little inadequate, ya know what I mean?

But perhaps in my experiments and foibles and successes and do-overs, you might find a tid-bit or two that helps you out or maybe helps you understand that weird homeschool family across the street.  So here's a little compilation to get us started:

1.  Homeschooling is not for everyone.  I don't care if your sister, sister-in-law, neighbor and Bible class teacher all homeschool--girl, know thyself.  Know yourself well enough to know if this could be a rewarding, stretching, challenging, exciting venture or if this will simply mean that you will have to up your meds.  Know thyself, don't apologize and don't look back.

2.  Homeschooling is crazy hard on your house and therefore your housekeeping.  Homeschooling means you're home...schooling.  Means you have little science experiments sitting on your kitchen counters.  Means books and crayons and tape and scissors and notebook paper create your tablescapes.  Means little people are in your house all .day. long.  Means you clean more than anyone you know...and no one can tell.  Just saying.

3.  You are not the sum of your unit study.  I went through a little identity crisis a while back.  I seemed to be running with a group of homeschoolers who were the most resourceful, crafty, organized, driven group ever...and they all did unit studies.  I love the idea of unit studies, I have engaged in unit studies, I have purchased unit studies, I philosophically agree with unit studies...and my life the last couple of years has not lent itself to the unit study lifestyle.  People would say, "What unit study curriculum are you using?" and I would hang my head like a Bisquik user at a pastry chef conference... "I'm...um....actually using this pre-printed workbook curriculum thingy...(gasp)."  But you know what?  Anyone who moves four times and keeps houses out of state staged and ready to show and then has to evacuate for hurricanes and then gets pregnant with twins and then is on partial bedrest and then moves five weeks before having twins and then has the twins and doesn't sleep for 15 months...well, you'd be using pre-printed workbooks too.  And then you would learn that the kids still...shock...learn.  Good to know.

4.  Homeschooling is a day-by-day endeavor.  Live in the day.  Celebrate the success of one correct spelling word.  Enjoy the well-formed cursive letter.  Don't let the Ghost of Future Lesson Planning rattle your chains.  Learning is a step-by-step-by-step process, for student and teacher.  It's not a bullet train...it's more like a little rickety red buggy drawn by slightly hesitant little mules called your students.

5.  Make peace with the fact that God gave you your kids.  He equipped you for your kids.  Your kids might not necessarily do better homeschooling simply because your neighbors do.  Your neighbors' kids might not necessarily do better at public school just because yours are doing well there.  Release the ill-informed notion that there is one system, one choice, one curriculum that will work for all.  It ain't so.  Work out your own educational choices with fear and trembling...and then enjoy the ride.

6.  Don't be afraid to ask your homeschooling friends, your public school friends, your private school friends, your charter school friends, your co-op friends what tips and tricks and tid-bits they've picked up along the way.  I've been so blessed by hearing about the little science project Johnny Neighbor's amazing public school teacher cooked up...and Johnny Neighbor's reading scores took off when I showed his mom the reading curriculum I use.  There's no need for any of the groups to feel threatened or inadequate--all of us are trying to do our best by our kids.  And that creates powerful synergy.

I'll be posting my school schedule and chore lists in the next few days.  And if you walk away feeling inadequate, then I've failed.  What I long to communicate is empowerment, that any parent called to homeschool can be equipped to do so.  That any parent who wants to take on the challenge can rise to the challenge.  And that any parent who is called to another educational option is equally equipped to guide their child through that situation.  Empowerment, my friends.  That is the goal.

2 of 8, multiplying and dividing and figurin' and algebra-ing.....


4 and 5of 8, in a photographically staged moment of deep concentration....


Studyin' with 'tude...


4 of 8--


One of my many school cabinets...oh, wait...this hot mess can't possibly be MY cabinet...


THERE, now there is my cabinet...it always looks this organized and neat.  Every day.  All the time...


And what do we do with the twins, you ask?  Well, there's the cooperative one...



And then there's this one...

A Favor To Ask....

Could you do me a solid?  Would you mind if I asked?  Could you just take a look at the following pictures and pretend like you're seeing a gorgeous 3 karat tennis bracelet set in platinum?  Would that be alright?  I sure would appreciate it, seeing as how I just spent a bunch 'o money on this particular bling-bling grill.  You will?  You're the best....thanks so much.....

I had such a hard time choosing which tennis bracelet to go with....



I mean, should I go for the platinum?  Would that be over the top?




Yeah, I am glad I went for the platinum and the 3 karat.  The 5 karat would have just seemed ostentatious, don't you think?  Sigh.

And the Oscar Goes To...

My sweet bloggin' bud perilloparodies at The Spices of Life has honored me with the Arte Y Pico award and some amazing words.  Thank you so much for passing this on to me, for your writing and ponderings on faith and family and for sharing your incredible art.  Angie at sevenclowncircus had the same idea--great minds, huh?  Angie, thank you as well, for your incredible comments on 4 of 8's hearing loss and for linking folks to her story.  I'm continuing the tradition with the rules posted below and the 5 bloggers I'd like to pass this on to:

 

Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community, regardless of the language.
Post the name of the author and a link to his or her blog by so everyone can view it.
Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
The award-winner and the presenter should post the link of the “Arte Y Pico” blog ( http://www.arteypico.blogspot.com/), so everyone will know the origin of this award.
Please post these rules.

So here's my 5!

JBM Mommy   @ His Grace Is Enough---She's holding down the fort while her hubby is finishing up med school and residency.  She always makes me think, always challenges me to go deeper in my walk with the Lord.

AVT Coach @avtcoach@blogspot.com--she's 4 of 8's incredible Auditory Verbal Therapist and is one of my heroes.  She can weave words, quilt beautiful blankets and make me laugh...hard.

Tami @ verbal1--she's a co-hort of AVT coach and has the coolest hair--EVER.  She's a fashion diva with a heart of gold.

Gill @ me-n-him-n-them--absolutely one of my most faithful readers--and a world adventurer--Australia, Tasmania--this girl's international!  And a wonderful photographer to boot--love my UK buddies!

and last but not least

Steph @ problemsolvin'mom--we chit chat and twitter and dig each other's photography and just all around enjoy hangin' in ye ol' blogshere!  Here's to bloggin' buds, Steph!

Okay, I'm really trying to follow the rules with just 5--but so many of you have such great blogs that inspire and encourage me and make me laugh!  Many a hug to you all!

Monday Musings...Friends for Life..or for a Season?...

To let friendship die away by negligence and silence, is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of this weary pilgrimage...

                                                                        Samuel Johnson  


Some people collect antiques, some designer purses. Others search for collectible dishes, some for vintage lunchboxes.

Me?

I collect people.

Now don't go screaming off into the woods. I mean, I collect friends, personalities, voices that speak into my life. Even though I've lived all over the country and half way in between, I still exchange Christmas cards and letters with playmates I went to 2nd grade with (forgive my dangling participles--I'm in need of coffee). I have lived 18 years away from the amazing woman I consider one of my best friends in the world, she now in the northwest and me in the south. I had to leave my precious Fairy DiDi (you know who you are) back in my adopted hometown four years ago now. People are important to me, friendships with history are important to me. No friend left behind.

But this business of moving certainly can complicate the friendship thing.

In hanging on by reticent fingernails to the friendships in previous locales, I've often run the risk of missing new ones. In comparing the familiarity and coziness of the gal pals of hometowns past, the FFOOO (Future Friends of Octamom Organization)can be compromised in its needed growth. And in monitoring friendships from afar, it can become tricky to be available when and where needed while still appropriately being a steward of this fleeting resource we call time.

And then there are the friendships that have flowered as much as they can and now are sliding into an unpruned, viney mess of defeating patterns and ignored advice. It's not anger or misunderstanding or ill will; it's just an alliance that has become one-sided, a buddy system that requires you to always be the anchor for the rope while watching the sad patterns of a chaotic comrade follow yet another swing of self-defeating escapades...and you're expected to be there to clean up the mess....again.

So what do you think? What makes a friend for life and what makes a friend for a season? How do you manage your long-distance friendships? How do you stay relevant in each other's lives? What are the blessings of your friendships across state lines versus the friendships close to home? And is there a time when a friendship needs to be pruned back, not out of a major conflict or misunderstanding, but simply out of a change of seasons or a change in dynamic?

Feel free to comment below or write your own post on this topic and copy and paste the URL in the Mr Linky box. I'm excited to hear the experiences and wisdom in this newest category of friendship: Bloggin' Buds!

Sunday Selah

 8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
       he promises peace to his people, his saints—
       but let them not return to folly.

 9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
       that his glory may dwell in our land.

 10 Love and faithfulness meet together;
       righteousness and peace kiss each other.

 11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
       and righteousness looks down from heaven.

                                   Psalm 85:8-11

We live in a noisy world.  Noisy as a result of our cities and vehicles and construction and traffic, noisy by design as a result of music in every store, televisions blaring in the restaurants, radios cranked.  Auditory stimulation is the norm.  Quiet is unfamiliar.

I live in a noisy home.  The sound output of eight children, from baby cries to teenage phone calls, makes for a joyous cacophony.  Some appliance seems to always be running, computer games beep and whir, conversations and debate sprinkle the halls.  Noise.

I am unused to quiet.

I used to love quiet.

I find myself reaching for the radio dial when I get in the car.  I find myself picking up the phone if the kids are napping or playing.  I find myself sabotaging the little gifts of quiet I am given from time to time.  And in so doing, I miss the opportunity to listen.

Listening in the quiet.  Listening when there seems to be no noise.  Listening beyond the confines of my inner dialog.

Listening.

I so often say I want to hear the Lord, to hear Him speak, to feel the temblor of the Divine in the marrow of my soul's bones.  But I then won't shut up.  Won't quiet my heart.  Won't quiet the noise around me.  Won't learn to feel the discomfort of the quiet to press through to the comfort of the quiet.

I want to listen.

In working with 4 of 8, the Lord has shown me that we are all His hearing impaired kids.  He has been dealing with Auditory Verbal Therapy from the Garden.  Eve didn't listen, Israel wouldn't listen.  Abba says so often in the Word, "Listen, O Israel,"  "Hear Me".  And we, His kids, listen to the news, listen to our peers, listen to Pharoah, listen to the grumblers, the doubters, the crowd.

Shema.

Listen.

And oh the blessing in hearing His voice.  Promises, wisdom, purpose, all contained in the power of His voice.  

So I'm reminded again, reminded to not avoid the quiet, to not fill it with my voice, my music, my news.  Reminded to get still.  Reminded to press through the restlessness.  Reminded to be quiet.

And to listen.

To listen to the quiet.  To find His voice in the whisper.

11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
      Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

                                    1 Kings 19:11-12

Selah.

 

JPEG of the Week

2 of 8.  Ballerina.  List Maker.  Grower of Repunzel Hair...

Friday Wrap-Up...

I should have included the model of camera that is the designated 19th anniversary gift--it's the Canon 40D.  If you're in the market for a new camera, you have your Nikon people and you have your Canon people.  Some people say they can tell the difference between pictures from each camera--for me, it simply came down to a couple of things--I like the Canon lenses better and Canon is usually preferred by folks who do more portraiture and the Nikon seems to be preferred by people who do more outdoor/sports type photography--not that this is any kind of concrete designation.  I mainly do portraiture, so Canon it is for me.  I also have a Mamiya 645 AF medium format chemical film camera--but my need for immediate gratification via digital has finally won out over my medium format snobbery.  I also carry a Sony point and shoot that I love--I've had some really great shots with that little camera.

Now, I didn't use any of my cameras for the following shot--but it is a piece of photography that MUST be shared.......



...and now in a little closer.....

That's 6 of 8, Roller Coaster Lover and Diva of the Piercing Scream shrieking her way down the log ride--it was a piece of photographic overpriced gouging that I simply had to have!

We had a great day sweating and saying hi to Shamu and sweating and riding some crazy rides and sweating and feeding dolphins and sweating.

What's that?  You say you just have to see that picture one more time?  Are you sure?  Well, okay...

And the Customary 19th Anniversary Gift Is....

Not paper, not silver, not furs and certainly not an appliance.  Well...a kind of appliance.  But a really cool one.

The Man did good.  Looky what I got...

and a little of this...

~and some of this~ 

It's my new camera...and I'm beyond delighted to receive this appliance.

My Man.  He knows how to let me shop.  I love that. 

And They Said It Wouldn't Last....

We celebrated our 19th anniversary last week, much to the shock of many who knew us back at the nuptials.  I am a very headstrong, stubborn, opinionated, first-born girl who happened to fall madly in love with a very headstrong, stubborn, opinionated, first-born man.  We had some fiery first years and loud discussions.  But, thankfully, love always wins.  And I do love this man.

Trip the road nostalgia with me:

Here I am as The Bride.  Check out my television reporter hair.  It has never again been this short or this dark.  And my eyes are green, not brown.

And here is The Groom.  Yes, I know he looks 14.  But we checked his i.d.  Twice.

And here's The Happy Couple.  We SO were thinking that day that we would have eight kids...NOT!

And here we are last week before heading out for a celebratory Starbucks...and I have got to get some highlights in my hair.  And maybe I need some bangs.  At least my nursing bra is fastened...

Beach Notes...

We took some beach time while visiting our previous home turf and introduced the twins to the sand and surf.  True to form, they had completely different reactions:  7 of 8 loved the sand and hated the water, while 8 of 8 made a full charge crawl for the surf and laughed as he took a wave in the face. 

I had planned on getting out my new big camera (I'll post about that soon)--but the salt mist was so heavy on Saturday that I chickened out and just used the point and shoot.  I had also planned on getting many more shots of the other kids--but then it rained all day Sunday, so we headed back for the hills. 

It feels so great to have sand all in my floorboards again and to have the scent of the blossoming sea grass back in my auditory memory.  Oh~ how we love our island....

7 of 8 with the sand between her toes...

8 of 8 taking on the surf....

Soaking it up! 

Monday Musings...House?...Home?...

Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home, sweet home
For there the heart can rest.
-Henry Van Dyke

It was never my intention to become a multi-property real estate investor...and yet here I am.  Our home on the coast is still on the market, 16 months after we accepted a new opportunity in a new city.  We have learned to turn off our ears to the dire real estate market news.  We have decided to ignore the calendar and just let it be.  We aren't thrilled things have taken so long...and, we've been through this before with a previous home.  While experience can be a harsh teacher, you don't forget the lessons.   And so, we are keeping the stress at arm's length, usually...sometimes...kind of.

We took the kids back to our previous city and domicile to hit the beach and to check up on the house.  We camped out at the house for one night, and let the twins see the abode where they also lived, though in utero, up until five weeks before their birth.  We shed a few tears, cleaned up a few bugs, made a couple of lists and recounted some fun memories.  4 of 8 got to spend time with her best friend, an incredible young lady who lives directly across the street.  We remembered again the things we loved about this home.  We heard our children's voices ringing from the upstairs, heard their pounding feet playing tag in the game room.  We felt our hearts ache a little bit.  And then we packed up our sleeping bags, cleaned the potties and returned to our newest shelter.

 6 & 7 of 8 

Sigh.  I loved that house.

 Window sills make perfect little girl seats...

 ..and boy seats...8 of 8 

Breakfast by windowlight... 

Hangin' at the old crib... 

So when does a house become a home?  And when do you release a home to go back to just being a house?  Have you moved?  Are you moving?  How do you feel about it, how do you make it work?  What is hardest for you to leave?  Feel free to tell it in the comment line or you can post your thoughts at your own url and link it here through the Mr. Linky's box below.

Sunday Selah

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galations 6:9

We have been in a season as a family for several months where we have been sowing into some situations and have yet to see the harvest.  There has been investment in career, investment in academic and athletic pursuits, investment in friendships, investment in therapy goals.  While there have been some sprinkles of success and achievement amongst a few of us, for the majority, it has been a time of pouring in lots of effort and then...staring at the field.

Staring at the field.  Looking for signs of a crop.  Looking for stirring of the soil, looking for tiny buds of effort to burst through.  Watering and weeding and working in a field of faith, knowing that the Lord brings the increase...and still sometimes feeling the burden.  Feeling the burden of 'have I done enough?', 'did I give my best effort?', 'did I put in enough time?'  Staring at the field.

We have loved ones who have been sowing into fields and are awaiting their harvests.  Time and tears and prayers sown into a teenager who isn't showing a change of heart.  Commitment and sacrifice and forgiveness sown into a marriage that still seems gasping for air.  Fasting and humbleness sown into financial issues. Courage and love and sweetness sown into an non-believing friend.  Staring at the field. 

It is in that season of staring at the field that we learn what our faith is made of, that murky substance of things unseen.  A season when a dust of discontent can whirl at our feet and winds of worry whisper in our ears.  We can be tempted to give the whole thing up, to accept a farming bankruptcy, to gather whatever resources are left and to walk away.  

Or we can pull out our lawn chairs.  Park ourselves at the edge.  Refuse to be moved.  Do a little watering with tears.  Sing some camp songs known as praise, enjoy the ones alongside us, eye our little rows of hope with expectancy and joy.  Enjoy the impromptu camp-out.  And know that, if we do not weary, it we press forward, if we wait with expectation, the proper time will yield the proper harvest.

It might be a different bloom that what we thought we planted.  It might take longer than we ever expected.  But we will remember the time circled up field-side, huddled with our fellow sowers, singing and praying.  Staring at the field.  And seeing miracles.

Selah. 

 

JPEG of the Week...

6 of 8

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Natural Light

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