Thoughts from the weekend

School has begun, packing is underway, and it's scorching hot outside. This means my camera hasn't come out of its bag and I'm drawing from the summer archives for pictures to post. These are from our time in Cape Cod earlier this month.

Yesterday was another day to savor. Our time at church has been sweet, and my children are even remembering all their past Sunday school teachers and expressing their affections for them. We're entering our last few weeks here with our friends, our church, and all that has been normal and comfortable to us. It's a time to think back on all the ways we have been blessed, built up, and prepared for the next step. I am thrilled that my kids are getting more and more excited about the unknown. We feed off of each other's enthusiasm, and train our thinking to be positive. Andrew, in his quiet contemplative way, said, "I just try to fink about all the fings I don't like here." Then a minute later he said, "But I really like it here."

This will be another very full week, so yesterday was the perfect day to keep things low key. Our afternoon plans changed for the third time on the way home from church. By the time I had lunch on the table Jon was already gone for the rest of the day, the kids were dressed in camo and the living room transformed into war camps. The war game went on until mid-afternoon when it became more war-like and less game-like. I packed up the extra sheets, including the ones I've set aside for the kids to make tents with, because I've grown a little tired of war games. Still, the afternoon was pleasant and I felt rested and ready to begin the week. With lots of helpers, I ended up making blueberry pancakes for dinner and served ice cream for dessert. 

I've been thinking a lot about friendship, about the kind of friend I want to be, and about the kinds of friendships that are the most valuable. We had some sweet friends drop by Friday night and our time with them will surely be remembered. They are not the kind of friends we hang out with regularly, but because of our love for the Lord and partnership in ministry, we have the most important things in common. They displayed true friendship in their sincere care for us. They asked tough questions out of love-- not suspicion or nosiness-- and from a desire to care for us at the most intimate level. They were brutally honest about themselves, their past struggles, their dependence on God, and His mercy in their lives. We (Christians) often talk about God's sovereignty, but somehow we forget to remember that attribute with regards to certain parts of our lives. The best kind of friend helps to unearth those secret parts and provide godly encouragement and hope. Our friends cared for our souls. They cared for our family and our future, and they pointed us to Christ. And I know that they will pray for us for a long time to come. 

That's the love of a friend.

It's the kind of friend I want to become. 

(On the beach after the sun had set...)

~Katherine

What he said

Jacob: "I really wish I wasn't the youngest."

Me: "Yeah, I know."

Jacob: "You need to eat a lot and get really fat. Then after, after, after, after, after a lot of days you could go to the dentist and lay a baby. Then I wouldn't be the youngest."

Me: (Just to make sure he had it right...) "Really? The dentist?"

Jacob: "Yes. That's where you have to go to lay a baby."

~Katherine

School-aged

Tonight I kissed my baby boy goodnight and cuddled with him a little extra long. Tomorrow will mark the beginning of his school years, and this mommy wishes time could stand still for just a little while. My baby -- my very last baby -- is starting school.

Yeah, I know he'll still be at home, but tomorrow he will be passing through a threshold of sorts. He ends one phase of his life and begins a new. I am ending the years of entertaining preschoolers and now officially have all school-aged children. I never do well with ending good things, even when what lies ahead is equally good. I can assure you that if they were all heading out to school tomorrow, I would be crying buckets right now! 

I don't anticipate that schooling four kids will be easy, but I am thrilled that we'll all be together. I am eager to see the growth and development that this year will bring. More than academic progress, I desire for us to grow in our love for the Lord, and to develop character strength and maturity.

I'm also lamenting the end of summer and wishing for just one more bike ride...

And words for me this week:

"Thy strength indeed is small!

Child of weakness watch and pray, 

Find in Me thine all in all."

~Katherine

Energized

All's quiet here in the house tonight. We've been back long enough to unload the suitcases of dirty laundry and to fill the refrigerator. Olivia's second case of poison ivy this summer is clearing up, and the boys summer shag was trimmed today. Personally I'm partial to the shag, but proper society would have it shorter.

It seems that all the neighborhood spiders moved in while we were away, but as my boys reminded me, "They're on our side, Mom, because they eat all the other bugs." Maybe our house would be infested with all the other bugs if it weren't for those kind spiders.

Yesterday was as if all the dress up items in the costume trunk were new again. All morning long while I unpacked and cleaned, the kids were playing contentedly as super-heros, dinosaurs, princesses and the like. There was peace and quiet laughter, sleepy eyes and happiness. Afternoon errands went well, and the promise of gum when we returned home was a good motivator. Yes, the month-long gum ban was lifted.

I think I'll want to revisit Boston some day. We had lots of rain, but our time there was so fun. The subways were convenient and easy to use, allowing us to move about the city without renting a car. The one negative about the city that stood out to me was how family un-friendly it was. We were met with uncomfortable looks quite often, almost as though children were carriers of some grotesque disease. You can imagine the stares as we filed through the hotel lobby each towing and carrying our share of our nine bags and suitcases, and then making our way through the subway system to the airport. It was a reminder of how societal views toward family have changed.

But I don't care. At least I try to do what I do regardless of what people think or of whatever stereotypes are projected on me. For a moment I may have been embarrassed by the train-like line we formed with our luggage as other people waited for us to pass, but in the end I am deeply thankful for what I get to do each day. I know that the satisfaction of pouring my life into another's is far greater than the fleeting rewards of more socially acceptable pursuits.

But back to Boston. The streets and alleys, parks and shops were beautiful. I loved the antique hardware and lighting stores, and specialty food stores with photographs of Julia Child in the windows. The old constructions were detailed and impressive, years of change documented in different shades of brick. The old mixed in with liveliness and productivity was fun to observe.

One afternoon, between downpours, we visited Harvard and walked through Harvard Square. As I was explaining to the kids what Harvard was and what it is known for, I mentioned that really smart people go there. So of course, one boy asked if he would go there too. Ha! Here are my little students at Harvard. I asked them to look smart for the picture.

That's the best we can do around here.

So that about wrapped up our Harvard experience. 'Twas fun while it lasted...

They were all so excited when we let them loose at the JFK Memorial Park.

One special time for me was the morning Olivia and I set out together. We walked through shops and investigated little side streets and alleys. We sat on the steps of the old Boston Meeting House nibbling a brownie, me sharing sips of latte with my daughter. She fed crumbs to the sparrows that didn't look angry and act bossy. Then we walked to Boston's Public Gardens, a park made famous by one of our favorite children's authors, Robert McCloskey. He wrote Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings. We felt like we were in his storybook as we sat and watched the ducks.

The rain sent us looking for shelter, and from the door steps we borrowed we took pictures of the sidewalk because we notice things like that. These are typical of the sidewalks everywhere.

She said these streets would be perfect for playing Alley Kids.

Later in the day, as we flew cross country again, I had a chance to pull out my book and read for a while. The book I was reading only touched on the topic of prayer and faith, but it was just the thing I needed to encourage me and redirect my thinking. During our time away, and especially during nights interrupted by the effects of jet lag, I found myself praying often. Truthfully, my prayers were more likened to pleading and begging. Faith had given way to fear; I was looking at the stormy waves rather than a mighty God.

I am re-energized by the truth of God's word. Here are some verses I have been dwelling on.

"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Heb. 11:1

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Heb. 11:6

Jesus Christ is "mighty to save." Is. 63:1

God is "a very present help in trouble." Ps. 46:1

Fear is sin, but Isaiah 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Faith must rule my thoughts.


~Katherine

A great place to be

Random lines from the old Veggie Tales' song have been running through my head today...

"Well I’ve never been to Greenland
And I've never been to Denver

And I’ve never buried treasure in St. Louie or St. Paul

And I’ve never been to Moscow

And I’ve never been to Tampa

And I’ve never been to Boston in the fall"

We've checked in to a super cool hotel in a city I've always wanted to see. The leaves are not brilliant shades of reds and oranges, but this city is still so full of character and charm. In the short while we have been here, Boston has delivered. It is an amazing place to visit.

One can't help but to be fascinated with the story of the past while walking the streets of Boston --even for someone like me, who can never quite remember any historical facts. The city has done a great job at preserving its old charm, and historical sites are found all around. It doesn't feel like we're on an educational trip, but we are drawn in by the story of the past. The children remember names and places we have read about, and history becomes more real, more valued. It's a fun way to kick off the school year since we're here anyway.

The shops in this town will be fun to explore. I saw some cool maps and signs that gave me some ideas for the boys' room, and there's a little store I walked by that does some really fun reupholstering. The store fronts alone -- the windows and doors and displays -- make it hard to pay attention to keeping up with Jon and the boys. I'm thinking Olivia and I will have to have some girl time before we leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This afternoon, just after we checked in, it was clear that the kids needed to take a quick nap. Jon was out looking for some stores to buy a few items we needed, so I ended up with a little free time as I hung out in our hotel room. I suppose I could have done something responsible like read, but instead I had some fun with the camera, a tripod I'm figuring out, and a new remote shutter release. I've recently been thinking how I have seen so few pictures of my mom when she was in her 20's and 30's, and how I'd really like to know what she was like at my age. So I thought I would take some pictures of me outside of my usual mom pose. I didn't take any time to freshen up my face and hair even though it was late afternoon and we had been clearing out of our beach cottage, site seeing, and traveling. That much extra effort would have been enough to discourage me from doing it. Maybe someday Olivia will be glad I took these.

~Katherine

Welcome Baby!

Welcome to the world, sweet baby Eli! We can't wait to meet you and hold you and kiss you! You have a bunch of cousins who are so happy you are here! Melissa, if I only could, I would love to be a night nurse, bring you some meals, play with William, and clean your house while you nap! What a precious blessing Eli will be! Congratulations!

Michael loves to make his cousins and siblings laugh! This one, however, was just for me!

~Katherine

Like stepping into a dream...

The start to last week didn't go as planned. Should I ever expect that it will?

In my plans there were a thousand things to do and prepare for. I was going to start organizing, categorizing and paring down our belongings, and filling boxes with items that wouldn't be needed till we move. I wanted to get that head start in addition to preparing for the fast approaching start of the school year.

Not only that, but my sweet husband secretly planned a little get away for our anniversary on Monday. I was thrilled that in the midst of all the things he has going on, we were going to spend time alone. He had lined up care for our children, and we were going to take off and celebrate our 13 years of marriage.

But sitting in church the day before, my head began to swirl and my body to ache, and that afternoon I could do nothing but lay in bed. For a while I was hopeful that I was just over exhausted, but by the end of the afternoon I had all the symptoms of the stomach flu.

So our anniversary plans were cancelled. Monday was spent in bed, with only occasional trips into the house to check on the kids until dizziness and exhaustion sent me promptly back to laying down. They played together, made themselves bread and peanut butter for lunch, and collaborated on the making of anniversary/ get well wishes.

Other "glitches" interrupted my plans throughout the week, such as the drier going out unexpectedly and without warning, but I have learned to believe that my plans really never matter. I can plan all I want but ultimately God has lovingly determined every circumstance and detail of all my moments. And so I can rest knowing that it is for my good.

So all my planning and organizing is going to wait because -- as wildly misplaced as it seems -- we have escaped to a little paradise. We never would have planned it this way knowing what lays ahead in the coming weeks, but a little vacation was booked by Jon's mom over a year ago. So yesterday I stepped into this dreamy place and all the chatter in my head gradually begins to quiet. Days measured by clocks and lists become a distant memory for just a little while.

We are in the land of white picket fences lined with blooming hydrangeas. The air is warm and gentle ocean breezes stroke our bare skin and sends ruffles through the seagrass. If a postcard could choose it's picture, it would be from here.

Within a few hours of our arrival yesterday, children had reacquainted with cousins, wet shoes lay on the door steps and towels were hung on bedposts to dry. The yard was claimed as ours, refrigerators filled, and suitcases emptied.

It's all so dreamy, like I'm living a life undeserved. Yes, it is a life undeserved and I am deeply grateful.

I didn't take pictures yesterday, and today it rained. The boys played outside anyway, and even made it down to the beach. This evening, the rain let up and the forecast promises sunny days ahead. I couldn't wait for pictures, so I cranked up the ISO and snapped a few as I walked around before getting the kids ready for bed.

(Girly didn't want to play out in the rain with the boys...)

I brought some reading material that I may or may not get to this week, but this quote stuck out to me last week and I have been spurred on still more to pray earnestly for the souls of my dear children.

"The Lord is far more willing to hear than we are to pray; far more willing to give blessings than we to ask them; --but He loves to be entreated for them... I suspect the child of many prayers is seldom cast away."  J. C. Ryle


~Katherine