Celebrating While Under Quarantine

We celebrated this girl on Sunday. Shelter-in-place orders have obviously changed our daily routines as well as options available to celebrate a birthday. It would have been her first birthday away from home, but we were able to have her with us for another year since she has recently moved back from university.

These images were taken in January during winter break.

She is a girl of tradition, so despite real disappointment at not ending her semester on campus, she was glad to be with family for her birth date. When I asked her what would please her, she requested some of her favorite homemade meals and we enjoyed an easy-going day. It was definitely characterized by quarantine orders, but I think this will be a year she remembers.

Breakfast of challah French toast with berry sauce and maple syrup was followed by family "church" in the sunroom. Then we went out for a drive through the beach towns; we made a quick stop for ice cream and a short walk. We ended up at the beach, of course, but discovered it to be closed.

Originally, we were planning on a family picnic dinner at the beach, but as closures became more widespread during the week, an alternate plan was needed. When options dwindle, creativity and resourcefulness are essential to mark an occasion and set it apart from the norm. Oddly, this is a challenge I enjoy! My plan became a rooftop dinner where we could watch the sun set over the ocean. I was going to arrange a patchwork of blankets and cushions, and decorate with lanterns and candles. Instead, Jon offered to set up a table and chairs, and he strung some lights for added ambiance; we decided this would be more comfortable.

It was fun to see Olivia's expression as she climbed the ladder to the roof.

She had asked if I could make one of her favorites: Chicken pot pie. I made individual servings, but managed to over-bake the puff pastry a bit. However, bowls still hot from the oven were perfect in the crisp evening air.

Ok, so the boys either weren't overly keen on pictures or they weren't in photogenic mode. I try not to force.

Her cake was a usual request: Chocolate with layers of berries and whipped cream. Under the current lack of grocery store supplies, I was happy for a friend who found flour for me and then delivered it with cream! The evening ended with a board game by the fire place. 

So, in short, simple enjoyments marked another year of life. Under the circumstances, I'm glad she has an appreciation for quiet, uncomplicated expressions of celebration. 

How time flies! To think of all the change that has transpired since I first held her in my arms, and to realize the immensity of joy that her life produces in mine is beyond my ability to express. She is a precious gift and friend.

~Katherine

December 2018

When most people have long since posted their Christmas pictures and New Year's resolutions, I'm reaching back to the beginning of December. I maintain that late is better than never.

There was a line that swirled around my head all month, words of a carol that enveloped my heart in occasions of quiet.

"Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth"

Yes, the soul felt its worth because the Lord came to save. His love establishes our worth, makes us precious, makes us whole. What a marvelous truth to grasp, or at least endeavor to comprehend and simply receive. I guess I'd glossed over the words in times past, but this year I was gripped by them repeatedly. Over and over, the words captured my thoughts: "and the soul felt its worth." To feel is far more powerful than to merely know.

December was fabulous: Parts were fabulous in celebration and parts were fabulously hard. I am committed to seeing and remembering the good while learning from our trials, so I will dwell mostly on the good parts today. I pondered the more difficult aspects before the Lord, and speak of them carefully with those closest to me, confident that good will always emerge.

December is for parties of all kinds, especially birthdays. Although Andrew's birthday is at the end of November, he celebrated with friends a week later. (The power went out that night and we spent the bulk of our time iceskating, so I have limited pictures on my DSLR.)

Fourteen years for Andrew. He's doing life well. He is hard-working, entrepreneurial, disciplined, kind. In the car this morning, he told me how yesterday's sermon from Psalm 90 helped him to further understand God's eternality and the immeasurable grace of his forgiveness. I have so much to be thankful for.

A Sunday morning "birthday" picture, below~

This one makes me smile. The placement of his hand is proof that the early teen years are awkward, a time of growing comfortable in how one projects himself to the public. Is it OK to show affection to your mother? Naturally and regularly affectionate, his uneasiness humors me. I am reminded that we are in a season where both my understanding and affirmation are important in his development. (Evidently, I forgot to stand straight and suck in, which says something about how much I care about my "image projection" these days!)

December is for Michael. Sixteen on the 16th.

His slender frame is 6'3" tall. It has become a near impossible task to find clothes that fit. We have to choose between length or width/waist.

The Friday before his birthday, I had arranged to secretly drop off a bunch of cupcakes with one of his friends at school. As luck would have it, it turned out to be a combined lunch hour (all grades) AND open mic. The whole school sang Happy Birthday.

We drove up the coast for a late birthday lunch after church on the 16th, then took in the vast ocean views from the hills before heading back for him to meet up with friends at the theater.

He is beautiful to me. He will be a wonderful adventure for a special someone to discover some day. He is an interesting mix of extroversion and introversion. He is well-liked at school, humorous, and fascinating if he allows you in. He is understated in his skills and abilities, and a wealth of random facts. Things that are unclear to me tend to be so obvious to him. And, if I'm honest, he remains my "wild card." He is the child that leaves me searching, wondering what's on the inside, surprised by what emerges; he keeps me on my knees, sending up flares for prayers, and dangerously more like myself than not.

These days are going by too fast. To those in the infant, toddler, and pre-school years, be aware of the brevity of time now. And if your season is in the bickering middle years, or the smelly pre-teen years, or the precarious teens, endeavor to enjoy each stage dearly. I promise you won't regret it.

December in California is for pomegranates. I was thankful for some regular days of regular home life, afternoon sunlight, a superfood of ruby-colored jewels, and a son who enjoys listening to literature while helping out his mom. I paid him $1 for each pomegranate he seeded, even though he ate a ton.

This December was especially for "lasts." The month is the last of the year, of course, but it marked many other lasts for me. Would this be the last time for the whole family to gather together in the living room to decorate the tree? Probably yes.

It was also probably the last time all four kids accompany me to the tree lot.

We picked out a lovely tree with a wonky top, making it hard to hold the heavy star, but at least we were all to blame for our selection. It took a couple attempts with Jacob atop Jon's shoulders; finally we pulled up chairs to climb up and fasten it. It still gave me grief all season!

Another last: Olivia's last morning departure for her last high school final. I chose to smile past the lump in my throat.

Jacob and I foraged for evergreens and pinecones together. Andrew had more interesting things to do, and I suspect this might be the last year Jacob tags along as I search for Christmas decor. We pitched and bowled the pinecones into the bag before racing to the party store to buy Olivia's graduation balloons.

A short word about reality... December has traditionally proven to be a season of trial in this household, and burn-out has marked us repeatedly. Ministry was never meant to be an easy way of life, so why should we be surprised? Still, we are broadsided at times. We are thankful for some personal time of respite to regroup, reconnect, refocus, exhale, and strategize for a new beginning. (My short word is over.)

Christmas Eve family games~

Christmas morning waiting~

To me, the face of the giver is just as wonderful as the face of the receiver...

One of my gifts: an engraved brass plate for my preacher-husband's pulpit.

Andrew took it upon himself to fill everyone's stockings. He packed them with Coca-Cola bottles, treats and snacks, gift cards, and carefully selected personal gifts. He's claimed the stockings for next year.

This was the last picture on my camera for the year~

Here's to looking at the new year with big, expectant eyes. May our "lasts" toast cheerfully with "new beginnings" like good friends gathered for New Years.

New beginnings. Let that wash over you with joy.


~Katherine

When Your Baby Turns 12

Another birthday boy in the house calls for another celebration. You'd think we're always partying around here, but my kids know our birthday affairs are typically quite simple. Before my boy Jacob gets to the teenage years when he may shy away from birthday pictures for a while, I made sure to ask for a snapshot with him yesterday. Andrew was behind the camera for this spontaneous moment and he captured the sentiment of my heart excellently.

There are always 'lasts' in motherhood, and most of these last moments happen without notice. There was a last time I carried each of my infants nestled in the crook of my arm, a last time I carried them on my hip. There was a last time I gave butterfly kisses with my eyelashes, a last time for bedtime stories, a last time I tickled them to tears at bedtime, a last time for obnoxious zerberts. There was, in fact, a last time they needed me for nearly every single thing they do for themselves. There have been a thousand last times.

And there will be many more.

This is all good; it is meant to be. But isn't it good I don't always know the moment is happening? I'm pretty certain I couldn't handle it!

With my youngest child, though, I seem all the more aware of these last moments. Jacob is entering his last year of childhood, my very last kiddo. I had to scoop him up and hold him one last time, just to make sure I remembered this one 'last.'

He thought I was a tiny bit crazy. I do so enjoy this kiddo!

Then I said, "Ok, Ok. I'll be serious. Let's try again." That lasted 15 seconds until I scooped him up again to make that last moment happen just one more time! Andrew captured a few more crooked, blurry shots I will treasure and we will laugh at!

~Katherine

Photolog: March, April, May 2018

I've said it before, like a broken record, that this season of life hasn't been conducive to blogging. I'm terribly behind posting pictures (so much, in fact, that I never even added our Christmas day images!), and I rarely find the time to write like I used to. The structure and obligations of my days no longer lend themselves to blogging like in years past. Maybe now that Jacob and Andrew's flag football season has ended I'll have a few more minutes? Probably not, if my past experiences are any indication.

The end is in sight for the school year (hip-hip-hooray!), so I'm going to do a photo dump post for the spring months. Too bad for those Christmas pictures. Maybe it's "so long" to individual birthday posts, too. I'm not going to feel bad about it; I'd rather embrace reality instead of feeling guilty about it. Not only that, but I'm committed to enjoying moments of life in the present tense before taking the time to recount the past. In a few minutes when Andrew finishes up his math, we're hopping on our bikes and heading down toward the beach for some lunch tacos. I have a strong feeling this post is going to take me a few days to assemble, even if it's with minimal commentary...

I love the simplicity of black & white. Sometimes simplicity is the most compelling~

And I love color. Color is compelling, too, especially considering these are beets! My camera has often helped me to lift beauty up out of the mundane. At times, it has saved me from being lulled into complacent duty and assisted me to delight in the commonplace. My camera has helped to give me eyes of thanksgiving.

Outdoor excursions with my kids never get old. I will surely miss romping around with them when I am old; I hope to be a granny that still climbs trees and tall ladders and hikes cliffs! Maybe I'll have the pleasure of doing it with my grandkids, too. And when we get tired of that, we'll build a fort or find a nice rock to rest on.

March is Olivia's month. This March marked 17 years of life.

My life is more than just enriched by hers. Words today seem elusive, but she is a gift from God that keeps on giving, keeps getting sweeter, keeps enhancing my life.

She and I were recently talking about her 17th year, and we both agreed that it has been a year of taking flight. Maybe it's the first in a series of years, but this one marked the testing of wings and the beginnings of soaring out independently. I am proud of her!

I used Bougainvillea from outside to decorate in a pinch the day of her birthday. The motto which says, "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." has been somewhat of a theme in my life. Creative resourcefulness is a challenge I fully embrace, particularly with the use of plants. 

The coconut layered cake that Olivia picked out for me to make, however, was far too rich for the return in flavor. It was a fun recipe to try, but not one I'll remake. Pick your calories carefully. 

Jack's face! Olivia is going to be a tough woman, thanks to being raised with boys. Last night, in fact, she was engaged in a sweaty wrestling match on my bedroom floor! She has a good understanding AND appreciation of the fact that guys and girls are indeed very different, and I think this will serve her well. She has always been the kind of girl that equally enjoys twirling in a good dress and facing off in a sweaty physical challenge. I like that about her.

I may not be able to keep all the traditions of the past, but I was successful at getting a b-day pic with the b-day child...

We spent the day exploring Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island. 

Ferry ride to the island...

Side Note: California has become my home and I really love it. This transition took a long time for me. I eventually recognized that I am not entitled to the stability that "home" provides. However, in my disappointment over the years of never quite feeling the security I longed for, I had decided I shouldn't expect or even desire such comfort. So now, as long as I've got the feeling of home, I promise to savor and enjoy it.

Balboa boardwalk, where we walked/skateboarded/unicycled more miles than we expected.

Balboa Pier

My loves

Prom. I mean, PROM!!!

OK, this is a bigger deal in the US than it was in Quebec where I grew up. Maybe things have changed, I don't know, but Olivia and I had to figured things out together. I wasn't very knowledgeable about all the customary details, so probably not as much help as ideal. Her school is small, but it was a sweet event at a beautiful venue. She went with her group of friends (not all pictured). When I mentioned this was her first date, she looked at me stunned and said, "No! It's not like that!"

I think her expression here is priceless. She is a cutie!

Well, assembling this post took me nearly all week in small bits and pieces of time. There are more pictures of May but this probably exceeds what's recommended for one post... Something about loading time, I think. Hope it's not an issue.

Happy Friday, friends. Wow. Yes, just happy. Choose happy. Fight for joy.

~Katherine