wonder

Here goes another five minute friday: the topic is wonder.

GO.I wonder how it is that I deserve the gift of you. How it is that you were knit together in my womb. How it is that every day was recorded before one of them came to be.

I wonder how it is He decided to make your ears flop over sweetly, to make you look so like your little big brother, yet be so perfectly dainty.

I wonder how it has already been more than 10 months of you, my sweet little baby? How has it passed so quickly? Weren't you just inside, stretching me further than I thought possible? How is it that you now stretch the heart further than I imagined could be - making me a momma with enough heart for four.

And I wonder, how is it that we ever lived without you, Milla Jean?
STOP.

those feet get me every. time. we love how you hold onto us with them.

hey ladybug, whatcha looking at?

oh, I see.

sharing.

Jeannie-girl,

this has been a big time for you! You are officially on the move. You can get to the far reaches of the house all by yourself. Although this is an exciting development {since six weeks ago I was worried you'd never crawl!}, it's also troubling due to my {less than} desirable house-keeping skills. So far we make it work by shutting you out of certain rooms, and constantly looking for those tiny choking hazards, which reminds me of having to do a modified heimlech on you recently. Not. Fun.

You are working on cutting four top teeth. Seriously? Must you cut four all at once and all too soon look like a grown woman? Well, not really a grown woman, but still, older than I'm ready for in such a short time. Slow up on the teeth sprouting a bit, ok?

Since you are now independently mobile, you have no time or desire for the exersaucer or the walker. And wow, do you display that temper if we try. Only occasionally do you humor us briefly on this matter. That's ok, places to go and things to do, right?

We love you, you sweet and spicy little thing. Forever and ever.

big yawn. cutting four teeth and crawling all over creation will make one tired I suppose.

Miles is 6!

and we enjoyed a small gathering of friends at the pool after VBS yesterday. He wanted an Auburn cake, so I delivered one I was fairly proud of, but butter cream icing does not prefer super hot weather, and fell in on itself. No one seemed to mind, and it tasted pretty good, so I'll eventually get over the sad condition of said cake. I wanted a picture of it cut, with an orange layer and a blue layer, but the children were on that cake like stink on a skunk, no time for pictures. In a matter of minutes it was cut up and handed out. Oh, well... I'm sure it won't be the last Auburn cake I make for my little tiger.

How is it that the days can be so long, the years so short?

Happy 6th birthday to my Milesy, who used to be very tiny, but is now on his way to kindergarten. How many times will my heart break over this boy? I think I'll go snag a hug from him, that helps every time...

for love of you

Happy Father's Day to our very favorite man!

What Is A Dad?

A dad is someone who

wants to catch you before you fall

but instead picks you up,

brushes you off,

and lets you try again.

A dad is someone who

wants to keep you from making mistakes

but instead lets you find your own way,

even though his heart breaks in silence

when you get hurt.

A dad is someone who

holds you when you cry,

scolds you when you break the rules,

shines with pride when you succeed,

and has faith in you even when you fail...

- Unknown

Thank you for loving us, taking care of us. We are pretty taken with you.

Home

 This is my first attempt at Five Minute Friday. The rules? Write about the given topic for five minutes, only five minutes, without worrying about errors, without editing. What you write in that five minutes is what you post. A little intimidating, to be sure. Here it goes though, as I just had to give today's topic a go:

Home

Home is the Place that I am going to. I don't belong here. I am a foreigner, a stranger, a visitor. I was made for something more, somewhere else. Home.

It feels like Home there, although I've never been. The nagging feeling that something is missing, that something just isn't right? Well, it's because the truth is just that: something isn't right. I won't be made whole until I'm Home. That's when His good work will be completed.

To see Him face to face. I have no words, just wonderings, anticipation. To be in His presence, in the presence of Love.

To see my dad again. To hug him again. To {hopefully} be greeted by my father and my Father. I can hardly wait on Home.

Counting gifts: anniversary edition

I met him when we were mere children. Twelve years old. My big brother introduced us, said Jonathan could have me if he wanted to. He would later take him up on that offer, but of course we didn't know that yet. I wonder, did God smile at that?

Then, over years we became friends. He picked on me. I laughed. Then, at the age of almost 16, knowing he was too sweet to say no, and my friend and I tricked him. He had no idea what was coming, but soon agreed to be my date for homecoming. He was so easy to talk to, strange for two shy kids.

Then one day, a little more than four years later, he took me on a day trip to the beach. He asked me {several times} to look at a sketch he had done. When I finally looked, it was a drawing of a ring, the one he was holding, he asked me to marry him. I said yes, and married him 13 years ago today.

He reminded me this morning of something Jim Brinkerhoff {our campus minister at Auburn }said during our premarital class. He said that it takes 25 years for a married couple to be "completely gelled" together. Then I remembered other things. He showed us a graph of marital satisfaction and asked what we thought caused a steep drop-off. It was having children. He spoke of marriage like a pair of hedge clippers. The husband and wife working together, and when they work well together, anything that comes in between them gets lopped off. He also said many times that marriage is hard work, but that we must remember the best is yet to come.

Thirteen years ago I said these words to him. I still mean them today.

Jonathan, I vow to be your faithful wife. I offer you my pure and true love and unwavering support throughout all our lives. As I stand here now in the presence of  God and these witnesses, I commit myself to you. As we grow and share together, I will encourage you and strive to help you reach your full potential as God's creation, then I will celebrate your progress. I give myself to you as I am and as I will be for all of my life.

I love you, baby. Like you said this morning, we are halfway to being gelled at 25 years! How blessed we are. I'll love you forever. I'm so grateful for the gift of you.

• {73} A husband who takes care of me, of us.
• {74} He loves me, and our children know it. They pretend that love is gross, but we know it makes their hearts happy, their home secure.
• {75} He takes me as I am, but encourages me to grow and change in response to God's will.
• {76} He loves me like Paul said he should.
• {77} He always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres. He is love to me.
• {78} Knowing, believing that the best is yet to come.
• {79} We've grown up together, are growing a family together, grow in the Lord together, and Lord willing, will grow old together. 
• {80} Striving together to be a cord of three strands.

I am a blessed woman, loved by my Father, who has given me the gift of this man.

listing gifts

this listing gifts makes me look, really look, to see what He is giving. a gift in itself.

• {56} AW Tozer's writing: "The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing - for now he has it all in One." 
• {57} Knock of nephew on the door making uncle take a break from the work pressing down.
• {58} The happy, running children because of that knock and the asking to come and play.
• {59} The sending of His words through the words of another, whether written or spoken, perfectly timed.
• {60} Like this: "Parenting is a process of regular disturbances for a high and noble end... we are to train and instruct our children. Training is sometimes painful, occasionally noisy, usually bothersome, and always purposeful." from Devotions for Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas via thegypsymama.com.
• {61} and this in her own words: "This business of raising small children is sacred soil and what I sow into it now is what I'm leaving them to reap." 
• {62} Miles telling me, "Mom, I remember when Milla was as small as a sesame seed." He brings this up from time to time, recalling what I said early in pregnancy with her.

• {63} Ella safe after a close call at the pool. I can't thank Him enough {or get the image out of my head.}

• {64} The reminder - do not take them for granted.
• {65} The dance recital. I laughed. I cried.
• {66} My dancer.
• {67} And how she loves me.
• {68} Miles dressing himself for the recital. Button-up shirt. Jeans. Boots. Cowboy hat.
• {69} Experiencing a roly poly with the first three.
• {70} New {but careful} bravery in the pool. Ella and Miles jumping off the diving board with floaties.
• {71} Milestones. {Finally} standing. Just now crawling.
• {72} The everlasting arms of Deuteronomy 33:27.

I'll keep looking, listing. Others will too...