counting gifts

{36} Seeing His goodness in the wake of tragedy.

{37} Hearts going out to others, help given, prayers said.

{38} Growing love among the oldest of friends.

{39} Busy husband fixing my lunch.

{40} Singing.

{41} Sunday lunch, new place, not crowded, kids eat free.

{42} Help for infected ears.

• {43} A serious boy can sometimes be silly.

See what others are listing this week at A Holy Experience:

random cuteness

Recent cuteness clumped together randomly:

My sleepy girl at the end of a day full of t-ball and a birthday party.

Her stash of extra bonz candy. Kept in the fridge overnight so it won't go bad.

Miles cuddled in a hooded puppy dog towel. So cute.

What happens if I choose to take a nap while Jonathan is away from the house: tractors run through baking soda. all. over. the. kitchen. Notsocute. {But one day, a long, long time from now, I might miss this kind of thing. Maybe.}

just because

{big girl sitting up!}

{photographed by Ella}

{Miles eyes make me swoon. Just lovely. But don't tell him I said that.}

The one about the mosquito hawk incident

Yes. You read it right. A mosquito hawk incident. It happens, evidently, and Saturday morning it happened to me. Well, not actually to me, more of a behind me kind of deal.

The morning had already been a little difficult. Miles had a t-ball game at 11:00 just after team pictures at 10:00 and, sadly, the yummy monkey bread I was baking was not done in time for us to leave. So, I dropped Miles and Jonathan off at the ball field and Elijah, Ella, and baby sissy and I headed to Hardee's drive-thru. {Great, now I want a steak biscuit.}

So, I had just finished telling them I needed the van quiet so I could place the order, and as the first words of my order left my mouth I heard the sound of terror coming from Elijah. He tried to keep it in check {for all of 3 seconds maybe} until he couldn't hold back and started screaming. And I don't just mean sort of screaming, I mean like being chased by your worst nightmare screaming. I heard him say something about a mosquito, so I thought "seems like an overreaction, but they do bite..." Before I'm even halfway through my order Ella had joined in the cacophony. {cacophony: n., pl. -nies.

1. Jarring, discordant sound; dissonance: heard a cacophony of horns during the traffic jam.
2. The use of harsh or discordant sounds in literary composition, as for poetic effect.}

It was a jarring and discordant sound alright. And no poetic effect took place. Mercy, me. By this time, Elijah had thrown in the name "mosquito hawk" a few times, in between violent screams, was nearing the point of hyperventilation, Ella's panic was rising. Milla joined in, obviously not terrified by the mosquito hawk, but by her hysterical siblings. And I don't use the word hysterical lightly.

I imagine you know what a mosquito hawk is, but just in case, and to prove my point, here's a little blurb about them {from the riveting www.a-mosquito.com website}:
 

There are many myths concerning "mosquito hawks". This is interesting when you discover that there are two insects that are commonly called this name. Both dragonflies and crane flies are commonly known as mosquito hawks, and yet both have very different interactions with mosquitoes. Dragonflies were not named due to their looks but due to their large powerful jaws, which they use to consume prey, including mosquitoes. Crane flies come by the name mosquito hawk due to their great resemblance to mosquitoes. To the untrained eye, the only way to tell the difference is size, as crane flies are usually more than twice the size of the average mosquito. 

Now, this was not a typical mosquito or a dragon fly, so I can only deduce that it was a crane fly because it looked like this:

{source}

Also commonly referred to as mosquito hawks, crane flies resemble very large mosquitoes. Although it is rumored that mosquito hawks eat mosquitoes, that is not the case with crane flies. Crane flies do not bite people either, but prefer to feed on the roots of a variety of grasses.

Now, I know these guys are big massive, and they flop and lope and fly around without any consideration for nearby people {maybe because they DO NOT bite people?}, brushing by too closely maybe, but seriously? Hysteria and panic-inducing? My kids see these things in my mom's garage all of the time. They know they don't bite, that they are large and creepy but harmless. I mean, I at least thought they ate mosquitos. But apparently they can't even claim that. The poor things are big, loping, rather unfortunate looking, herbivores.

How did this end, you ask? When one {very} frustrated and embarrassed momma "saved the children" {in Ella's words} from the menacing plant eater. After juggling five drinks and a bag of biscuits, interacting with the very nice Hardee's guy {who did an awesome job of pretending not to notice the pandemic occurring in my vehicle}, actually laughing to myself {despite the embarrassment} when Elijah screamed "It's coming!!!! It's coming!!!!" And after he ended up standing next to me, Ella was screaming to get out of her seat, Milla was screaming because the brother and sister she thought she could trust have lost their ever loving minds, and her momma was yelling for everyone to calm down. {Have you noticed how well that works by the way? Yelling in an effort to bring calmness?} Alas, I finally did "save the children", wounded the crane fly, who had finally {after waiting his entire life I'm sure} intimidated some kids. He flew out the door with one less leg. Hopefully he was pleased with his moment in the spotlight, and maybe if I didn't wound him internally, he's got a grand story to tell of the hysteria he caused. A famous crane fly, he'll be.

And then we drove back to the ball park, because that was just the beginning of the day...

giving thanks

"...always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20

I remember well the first time this scripture really sprang from the page and was written all over my heart. And really, it kind of got all over me, and I wasn't sure why. Just weeks earlier Dad had died, and I just could not wrap my mind around "always giving thanks...for everything" in a season of why's and deep hurt and the intense missing. But the verse just keep after me.

Soon, I discovered I was pregnant with my Ella, and Miles was yet to turn one. After the calling to my mom, crying and in shock, and after some days, I realized that this is why the verse spun around in my head like it had. It began a work in my heart. It began the long process of teaching me to "always give thanks...for everything." {A process that continues today.} I quickly became thankful for my unexpected gift {being pregnant}, because of life growing inside, and life to look forward to. I saw, not unlike Job although with much less catastrophe, that He gives and takes away. And finally, finally, after a long time, learned to be thankful even for my dad's death. How? Thankful that his suffering ended by the most wonderful healing possible, healing at Home. Thankful that his striving could cease. Thankful to have had him in the first place. Thankful because God makes good come from bad and turns ashes into beauty and turns sorrow into joy. Yes, thanks be to God.

It's not easy, this "always giving thanks...for everything," and so I am reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts to find some encouragement in the trying. I was planning to read the entire book and then start writing my own list of gifts. Enter the sewing of the Easter dresses, the schooling, the decisions, the every day whatever and I have not finished the book. I'm determined to pick it up again, actually in just a few minutes, but I no longer want to wait to begin my list. I have no reason to wait to be thankful. If I learn to look for them, there are gifts all around, every day.

So as I keep reading, I'll start writing:

1. Freckles reemerging on little cheeks and noses.
2. The hard-working man, sitting at this moment working. He'll be up late tonight {again}. 
3. Sunday afternoon nap with my baby girl, after watching her sleepy eyes finally give in.
 
4. Blurry but sweet picture taken by Miles as Milla played with my hand and I talked to my mom.

5. Laughter with friends.
6. Reading a book to Miles {and thinking of the thinks we can think if only we try}.

I'm linking up with others making lists, counting His gifts:

eleanor is 4!

My little ella boo turned four on February 2nd. We {joyfully!} celebrated this event for a solid week. Take a peek at some of the fun we had:



Ella's BFF, Lily, traded with Elijah {who was at her brother's sleep-over!} and she had dinner and a sleep-over at our house the Friday before Ella's big day. Where was Miles? Well, his buddy Sawyer's brother was also at Lily's brother's sleepover {you with me still?}, so Sawyer and Miles had their own little shindig at his place. So, it was an all girl {and one daddy!} soiree at Red Robin. Yum is right. More yum followed at home as we enjoyed a hello kitty cookie cake. {Sadly, I enjoyed most of it myself.} Yes, I admit it. It was divine.





Ella's actual birthday fell on a Wednesday, so we started bright and early before preschool with birthday pumpkin muffins and presents. I wish I knew what was running through her mind in this picture. Worry over the responsibilities of being four? Wondering if she was about to receive the lalaloopsie doll she's asked for {and subsequently didn't care much for}? In words that I've heard {all too} often from her lately I guess I'll chalk it up to, "You don't know!" and just enjoy the cuteness.



The following Saturday, my mom, my sister-in-law, Christine {affectionately known as Aunt Weezy!}, and I took her to a nearby tea room. She was so excited, but very quiet when we were first there. The room was full of ladies oohing and aahing over a little one's first tea room visit, so that made her a little uneasy at first. She livened up once they started clearing out.





Our hostess was very sweet to bake Ella extra cheese tea pots {cheese strawish cookies shaped like tea pots} and stick a candle in a brownie for us to sing to her {again!}. I think this was the fourth round of Happy Birthday To You for the week. Nope, fifth counting sweet Emma Dean and Miss Allison's version by phone. {We sure missed that girl for the sleepover! Colorado is a long way away.}



{I need to insert here that I so wanted to snag this adorable apron off her and run. I didn't. But I really liked it.}

Phew! Writing this post has made me weary. All the celebration was fun, but I might have sighed a {tiny} breath of relief when it was all over.

To my sweet Ella,

I'm so grateful to God for the gift of you. Thank you for gracing my life with your love, your beauty, your laughter, and {even} your spunk. I'm afraid you get that last part honestly, although I won't say who from. {wink wink.} I'm so blessed to call you mine {even though you are truly His}. I'll love you forever and ever, bunches and bunches!

Mommy

PS Read post below if you haven't already done me a favor! Thanks.

Christmas girls

so I couldn't get it together enough to do a timely after Christmas post. {what do I do with all of that spare time of mine?} just had to share this one at least. my sweet girls on Christmas morning. get a load of ella's {very} lovely plate ornament she made at church. I tried to convince her it wasn't an ornament, but a door hanger. she was sure it needed to be on the tree, so you see where it ended up. what can I say? sometimes she wins.

How did I forget this?

I am so happy I came across this picture when going back through our year in photos. I had forgotten about it, but now that I've found it again, I'm not sure how I forgot it... talk about cute. This. Is. It.



We were heading back to the car after a fun-filled {big rig horn-honking filled} afternoon at a touch-a-truck event nearby. These "princess" dresses stopped Ella in her tracks. She just stopped and stared. Fortunately my sweet friend Dione told me to take a picture... I almost missed capturing the moment. {Maybe because I was worried about where our combination of four boys had made it off to!or because it was hot and I was pregnant. Your pick!}

To top off my {re}finding this presh picture, I came across a handy tutorial for how to blog with bigger pictures. The timing was perfect, I'd say. You can look forward to more {bigger!} cute pictures from now on. Aren't you so lucky? ;)

fall fun!

So... Miles, Ella and Elijah evidently had fun while Jonathan worked in the yard yesterday. Especially Miles.

halloween

This year we had a Strawberry Shortcake, an Iron Man and a Mario {of course!}. I was up late making that pink hat for Ella. She cried herself to sleep because the white hat {she had previously agreed to wear} just wasn't going to cut it. There was also some concern because her eyes aren't green, but I told her there are some things I just can't change... she woke up on Halloween morning pretty happy with her new pink hat and didn't mention her blue eyes again.


These were taken just before trick or treating. Miles so enjoyed carving pumpkins the other night. He said, and I'm going to quote it because we just don't hear this kind of thing from him often, he said, "I'm in a very good mood!" and that "Tonight is the best night of the year!" Bless our little moody guy. Maybe we should carve pumpkins more often.

And here's our sweet Millaroo. My plans to make her a strawberry {to go with Big Sister} just didn't happen, but she looked sweet in orange polka dots.

Now, if we can get rid of all this candy and start our detox. I woke up to Ella asking me to open a piece of candy and Elijah telling me Miles was having candy for breakfast. If only they knew how many pieces I've swiped from them today. I'll never tell...

nap skipping

We let Ella skip her nap today. Crazy, I know. But we'd let the time slip and we were on our bed playing with her and then she happily ran off to play with her biggest brother. She didn't seem tired. We all went on a long walk, and yes, we did see the tree that has a face. And when we got home, it hit. We had one super cranky girl on our hands and it was only 5 pm.

By 7 she was absolutely miserable, as were we, so we both put her in her pajamas. Yes, it took the effort of two adults to undress and pj one very mad little girl. She's a tough one. I had her in my arms, paci already in her mouth (I know, I know) and we were searching for "blankie" all while she was crying "I want my daddy. daddy. I'm not tired. I'm too tired!" Jonathan grabbed her in a hug only a daddy can give, and in the time it took me to get her medicine (ear infection), she was just about totally asleep.

I took her back to her room, sat in the rocker, said her prayer with her, and started a song. She was out before the first line was sung. So for 20 minutes or so I held and rocked my sweet, sleeping girl. Usually I'm so desperate for time to do what I want that I read, pray, sing, go. But tonight I just sat. And rocked. And prayed. I loved feeling the weight of her in my arms. I loved how her little hand held on to my arm. I loved her snoring and paci noises (I know!). I missed being so small that someone can hold you that way. And I no longer regretted letting her skip that nap. Few are the chances to hold that one still, and fewer chances while she's quiet. I loved every minute of it.

Will Ella be skipping her nap tomorrow? Absolutely not. It was so worth it today, but on a Monday I've just got to make more responsible choices for the good of the entire family.

from last spring

And about that paci, she has it only at nap and bedtime - I've been telling her that when she turns 3, it's bye bye paci. Maybe we'll trade it in for something really cool.

my home

I really don't believe in coincidences anymore. So, when Ella came up to me so sweetly yesterday morning and said, "you my home, mommy..." it had to be God. I mean, she's pretty brilliant *of course* but she had no way of knowing that the night before I was given this Word:

Lord, You have been our home since the beginning. Before the mountains were born and before You created the world, You are God.

You have always been, and you always will be.

Psalm 90:1-2

I very much needed a pick-me-up and Ella delivered just in time. I smiled at how in that moment God was saying to me I see you, I know you, I love you... here's a tiny glimpse of how I feel when you trust Me. Hold on to Me. Trust Me. Always. You are her home for now. I Am your Home for all time.

"We will see Poppa...

when we go home, tomorrow," Ella recently said upon seeing "Poppa's office tower," also known as the RSA tower where my dad worked. (7th floor, facing his fave Chris' Hotdogs!) We see the tower anytime we leave our house via the interstate. There it sits, hard to miss in the crowd, not unlike my tall dad. I've really been missing him an even extra amount lately, for various reasons, but mainly because sometimes a girl just needs her dad. I can't think it a coincidence then that Ella has been talking of him often lately, other than the usual office tower sightings. A few weeks ago, after her near daily recognition of the tower, she said "I wanna see 'im. I wanna see Poppa." Me, too baby girl.

So when she said, "We will see Poppa when we go home tomorrow," what I heard was "we will see Poppa when we go Home tomorrow!" And whether tomorrow turns out to be sooner or later, glory to God that on some tomorrow I will see my dad again.Poppa's Princess

catching up

I have been wanting to post on here for a long time, but time has been scarce around here lately. Here are some pictures from our fun summer:

We had a trip to the beach with Meme, Allison, Alinda and most of the cousins in July.











We took in our first Pike Road 4th of July parade... lots of fun! Lots of candy! A few strands of beads. And one poor, patriotic goat.

My sweet, crazy Milesy turned four in June. Hard to believe in some ways. Sad, too, because it's going so quickly but also because the older Miles gets, the longer Dad has been gone. He talks about Dad like he remembers him sometimes, although that's impossible. He was 9 months old when Dad died. He recently said, "I've never met your dad, Mom. Do you think he could come down from heaven and have lunch with us?" That would be so nice.birthday doughnut!

Me with the two just-a-likes! All I did for Miles was carry him in my tummy and give him blue eyes. Other than that he's all daddy.

Poor (sweet) Grandaddy had a tough job on such a hot day! The kids loved it!

They also enjoyed the balloon swords!

It was a fun and busy summer. Now it's school time!