Summer Days

It's been a beautiful couple of days.
There has been the usual hectic running around.
But there have been fun moments too.
There have been moments spent celebrating with friends, or engaged in quiet activities. (Well, okay. Maybe not so quiet.)
Yesterday, we began the morning with cinnamon rolls. Can't beat that!

The weather was perfect!
The boys spent most of the day working at the house with their dad while I ran errands with the baby in tow.
Family dinner was good, even though we were missing some members of the family.
Aunt Kathy made possibly the best beef cubes with gravy over egg noodles I have ever tasted!!
We had to eat and run, though, to help Jo's good friend and partner in crime, Nathaniel, celebrate his sixth birthday!
There was pizza and cupcakes and, of course, gifts.

Then, we all played a round of mini golf. Deb made everyone play, even the adults. I'm so glad she did. I had so much fun.
The boys had a good time too. I don't think Josiah remembered ever having played before. It was entertaining, watching the little guys play. (Plus, it distracted from us more pitiful adults!)

No one won the free game at the end of the course (you had to get the ball into the clown's nose!) so we headed over to the park for a bit to wind the evening down.

Unfortunately, the evening ended with Nathaniel falling from some playground equipment and getting the wind knocked out of him. But he is a tough little lion, and he was okay.
After not having seen our friends much since school has been out, it was so good to connect and spend time celebrating such a wonderful occasion.

Today, we woke up early, early, early to take Joe for CTR (Carpel Tunnel Reduction) surgery.
We got there at 7 a.m. and we were on our way home by 9:30 a.m. The miracles of modern medicine, I'm tellin' you!
He rested this morning, but then he went to mow the yard this afternoon, and then it was off to work for a bit.
He's a tough big lion!
We spent the day around the house. We were all a bit tired from our early morning wake-up.
I made Mexican for dinner. Burritos and rice and Tostitos with salsa.
We had watermelon too; the boys' favorite!
The boys and I watched Mouse Hunt.
Mom and Aunt Kat stopped in with coffee for me and milkshakes for the boys.
We read in Romans before praying together.
Now, the boys are asleep, and I sit, blogging. Reflecting on the past few days. Pulling out the best things about them to remember, to write about.
And there are lots of things, lots of good memories made in there to pull from.
One of my goals is to live with joy and purpose in all things.
Sometimes, I do.
Sometimes, I do not.
Sometimes, just sometimes, I think this blog should be titled "My run-around, crazy, pull-my-hair-out, yell-like-a-banshee, hormonal, emotional, selfish life with three kids I
I'm trying not to completely screw up and a husband who must really love me." (Well, this may be a bit exaggerated for dramatic effect; but some days, it's right on the money.)
Yes, the secrets out.
Sometimes the Joy of Three Boys isn't so . . . well, joyful.
And it's not that it's hellaceous around here.
Quite the contrary. We really have beautiful, amazing days full of lovely things and good times together.
But lately something has been missing.
It's like I'm on auto pilot for the summer.
It's like I have let go.
I have been anxious and upset about the renovation of the house more than I would like to be, and I know the kids see this, feel it, know it.
I know Joe does.
I have been lax with family devotions, and my own devotional time.
I have not been as diligent as I want to be in many things.
Some of you who know me may say, "Now, you're being too hard on yourself!"
But you have to understand, I do not write this as an invitation to my personal pity party.
Rather, I write it to remind myself of my goal.
To live with purpose and joy in all things.
Others may argue "That's not even possible. It's not a realistic goal!"
But I believe it is.
I have to believe it is.
And if my kids get nothing else from their formative years with me. . . I want it to be this.
That true joy is possible, but it only comes from God.
That all our days, all of our thoughts and actions should be directed by the purposes of God and furthering His Kingdom in and through our lives.
Am I really living like this?
Is this who I really am, or just who I say I am . . .who I want to be?
How do I change?
I know I will not be perfect in this. I cannot be.
But I must ask myself these questions. I must keep it real. I must be truthful in my answers.
I have three boys depending on me to do so.
So, there is another part of my day, a part I didn't mention earlier with all the other "nice" stuff.
It is the part I spent in prayer, repenting, re-evaluating, asking God for His grace and peace and purposes to visit me again.
I stood, repenting, as I folded clothes and watched the trees dancing in the wind and sunshine outside my window.
And that very fact -- that I could come before the Holy King of Heaven during the least sacred part of my day, bowing my heart before Him in humility, asking for His mercy, receiving His love among the tee shirts and towels and underoos, gaining divine strength from His example of sacrificial love to pick myself up, dust myself off and start over again where I need to -- that was His answer.

Welcome Home, Joe!

Today was a great day!
Joe came home from Sweden.
The boys and I got up this morning with anticipation.
I had coffee with a friend and we had some great talk time. While she was here, Joe called to say they'd be a few hours earlier than expected.
After coffee, we got ready and the boys and I went to pick up dad.
Daniel was fussing as I tried to get him in his car seat.
Josiah was talking to him in high pitched tones, trying to distract him while I buckled him in.
When we were finally triumphant, I let out a sigh, and Josiah turned to me and said, "Having a baby is hard work . . . a lot of hard work!"
"Yes it is", I said.
It made me chuckle.
When Joe arrived the boys ran to meet him and hugged him, welcoming him home with enthusiasm.

It took Daniel a minute to register who he was, I think. He stared into his face for several minutes. Then, slowly, a grin began to form on his bottom lip and it spread all the way to his eyes. Daddy was home!

When we got back to the house, Joe unloaded goodies from his luggage, candy and coffee and a special treat for me - a beautiful Italian-made teapot and four tea cups. It is so beautiful and unique. Very delicate. I am anxious to have tea from it.

We sampled some candies and looked at photos and videos of the trip. Joe said it was an amazing time.

The highlight, for him, was visiting our friends Frank and Betina in Denmark and seeing the communal church there in action.
God is doing some marvelous things in the earth in these days. I am so happy that Joe got to see some of it firsthand and can share it with us.
This afternoon, we just relaxed and talked and hung out around the house.
We made our way to family dinner and found Gramp cooking up a storm when we got there. Joe shared some more about the trip, but he was very tired from the traveling, so we did not stay too long.

On our way home, a full moon hung in the sky, pregnant with the promise of sleep for the weary and the possibilities of a new tomorrow.

Now, we are all back at our house, settling in for the night. It is good to have Joe home.
As usual, I am the only one up now, recording our day in this post.
I thank God for Joe's safe return, for his hand of protection on us while he was away.
I think of all the people Joe talked about. All the people he met and talked with, shared heart and soul with, half a world away. I believe one day I will meet them.
I think about what God is doing in the places where they live.
I think of Micah and Sarah in Suwon, Korea.
I think of all the bridges that are being forged and formed by God's hands and our willing hearts.
I can see and hear the heartbeat of God resounding in each of these places, evident in the stories and testimonies we hear from friends all over the globe. And though I am amazed to see that what is happening in Sweden is what is happening in Korea is what is happening in Denmark is what is happening here in the States, I shouldn't be.
Same God, different places -- that is what it all comes down to.
It's a big world, but God is bigger.
He is over all and in all and through all.

Lots to blog about

This is what happens when you don't blog for a few days. There is so much that I want to write.

Sunday was a great day. Church was really good (see Joe's blog for sermon notes) and we had lots of people over afterwards.
Sundays are some of my favorite times.













A church service should not define your relationship with God, your everyday walk with Him and others should do that, but there is something so refreshing about coming together with family and friends in a formal setting for the purpose of giving honor to God in unity of heart and spirit.
The sound of tens of voices of people I know and love and am connected to, joined together and ringing out praises to Almighty God undid me Sunday, and I found myself weeping through "Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, our God reigns."
When church ended, we had a house full of friends, continuing church in a different venue, and I got a little choked up thinking about all the gatherings this little cottage has seen, and how we are living in our last days in this house.
It was a relaxing afternoon, good food, good company and nowhere to go . . .
Nowhere until later that evening that is.




























Several couples got together at a friends house Sunday night.
Years ago we used to get together with friends on a regular basis. Life happened and now we're all several kids richer, tons busier and more tired than ever. Getting together, let's just say, hasn't been so regular lately.
We threw some snacks on the table, and played some games that were very relational in nature. Here's how they went: When we came in, we each had to write one question, like "where do you see yourself in 10 years", or "what's your dream job", or "if you were a superhero . . ."
The questions were collected and each person was asked five questions from the pile. They had to write their answers on a piece of paper, and everyone else had to write what they thought or knew their friends answers were. It was quite fun.
We also had to write five adjectives that describe us, and at the end of the evening, our lists were pulled from a bowl and everyone had to guess who the five words described.
It was so good to be together with friends and food and coffee (even though I had tea).
When we got home, Josiah was saying, "Children are tolerated, not just celebrated."
I recognized this inverted saying as something he picked up in church, even though he was saying it backward.
"No," I corrected him,"it's children are celebrated, not just tolerated."
"What's tolerated?" he asked.
I explained that tolerated means "put up with".
"We don't want to just put up with our children. We want to celebrate them!"
"Oh, that's good!" he said.
Yes, it is.
Yesterday was the start of another week, and parent teacher conferences were last night.
Today, we are helping Joe get ready for his trip to Sweden.
He is leaving in the morning with our pastor, Doug, and another person from church. They are going to connect with churches and leaders there that our church has relationship with. They will attend a conference, and travel to several churches, encouraging them and bringing God's word and fresh insight.
It is a mission trip, of sorts.
He'll be back next Thursday.
The boys and I miss him already, but I am excited for him, and I know that he will have so many stories to tell.
We took a ride together tonight, Joe, the boys and I, Daniel in his big boy car seat. We had some errands to run. We were enjoying each other's company and a drink from Sonic, and the sun was sinking into the west. Evening was coming on subtly in the east, and stars began to shimmer faintly. I took a deep breath. This is my life. It has been a beautiful day.
Tomorrow, Joe will fly halfway around the world. Some of me will go with him. I will think of him all the time, every minute he is away; it will be a natural reflex, like breathing. All of me will wait for him to come home. Home to the boys and I. Home to our life.