Gee-ma

My girls are blessed to have amazing grandmothers who dote on them.  They add so much to our family.  They refuse to act "old" and continue to ride bikes, waterski, snow ski, plan and take fun family vacations, and get on the ground and play with their grandkids.  Both of my girls light up when they see Gee-ma Pammy and Gee-ma Marilyn.  So glad that we live close by so that they can play with them and teach them.

Something more substantial

It has been too long!  The crazy busy-ness of August is gone and I am left wishing I had captured more of it!  If there is one thing that I have felt this past month is it this:  We all aspire to give and receive love: warmth, caring, closeness, sharing. The modern ideal of love is full of golden light and warm feelings.  But our Heavenly Father is not content with superficial emotion. He wants something more substantial, so He gives us families where we are challenged to move beyond gauzy sentiment to real love—love that is lived not only on days when family life is endearing and rewarding, but also on days when it is frustrating and difficult.

Oh, how I love my girls!  I certainly love when we are all together as a family, but I cherish my time with Steve is away and we get to do an adventure by ourselves.  These are the memories that heal the days that seem to leave my soul a bit worn.  There IS opposition in all things.  The good news is that that also means that when life is especially challenging, we can count on an outpouring of blessings as well.

I Will Miss This

It's happening more and more each day.  I catch myself wishing for more time to just hold my Abby close.  She is so active that the only times she really cuddles close and melts into my body is when she is tired  before she sleeps.  I find myself holding her longer because I know this won't last.  Just like Kate, she will grow too big for my arms and our cuddling will turn to holding and lying down together.  This time around the baby stage is going by way too fast.  I feel like I can hardly keep up.  It's so fun to watch Abby master new skills and try so hard to keep up with her big sister - but I want to freeze time every once in a while because I know I will forget what it feels like to hold that little one so close to my heart.  What a blessing my little family is.

New Tradition

I have a new favorite tradition with Kate.  As we snuggle in bed together before bed I share with her something that we did together that day that I loved.  She loves hearing about it and starts talking as fast as her little mouth can spit out the words of the things that she remembers.  Last night it was about the birthday pool party we went to.  "Pool!  Swimming!  Papa diving!  Kate diving!  Pizza!  Abby swimming!  Presents!  Tractor cake!  Ice Cream!  Singing Birthday!  Again!"  It's fun to share these moments and remind myself that Kate and I have a LOT of fun together.

Every Now and Then

Every now and then we will have a day when just about everything goes perfectly.  I LOVE those days - mostly because they are few and far between.  I've certainly gotten used to rerouting an activity or changing our plans because of a tired, cranky kiddo.  But we had one of those perfect days today.  Steve gets a 4-day weekend, so it started off of the right food altogether.  We inflated the big waterslide and had lots of cousins over for lunch and fun.  These awesome glasses brought by Clara were a big hit with the little kids.  After naps, Steve and I decided to get out of the heat and take the kids up to Silver Lake at Brighton for a picnic dinner and some gorgeous scenery.  Kate was skipping just about the entire time and Abby was content in her stroller.  We had such a good time together as a family.  These are the days I hang onto when the crazy days wear me thin.

A Father

For the man whose arms are strong enough to carry my children, whole worlds, my warm, pulsing life-prayers.  For the man strong enough to take his life and lay it right down with wide open laps and storybooks and paying the stacks of bills and long, slow walks and bike rides and swinging outside and plunged toilets and even longer hours and hauled bags of garbage and laughing tag at twilight and then, night upon thousandth night, arms folded by bedsides, head bowed, heart humble before God and family,
the way a real man leads.  I love you honey.  Happy Father's Day!

Birthday Prayers

I freely admit to stealing most of my good ideas from other friends who are blessed with far more creativity than I.  My friend Catherine, over at Wild and Precious, gave me this great idea.  Gonna use it.  Last week her daughter Eliza turned six and they started a new tradition. A birthday prayer.  While talking about traditions once, she mentioned it and I listened. The thought of praying for my children on their special day - their small frame next to mine as we bent divine ears - felt meaningful and right.  Prayer. We string words - simple and honest - with the purpose of harnessing hope, laying down fear, giving voice to promises and dreams. A soft reaching for the future.  Love that idea.