Olivia Graduates

It was well before Olivia's second birthday when I decided to start singing the alphabet to her. I'd sing in the kitchen of our Van Nuys apartment as I made lunch and lifted her over my pregnant belly into the high chair. I'd sing first in French, then in English, then French again. Soon afterwards, I bought puzzles of wooden numbers and letters. She loved the green number 7 best; I can still hear her say, "C'est sept! Seven!" with a pronounced lisp and a little jump. 

Then when Baby Michael napped in the morning and I settled on the floor to play with her (now in a Stevenson Ranch condo above a row of garages), we'd color and put together puzzles. When we reassembled the alphabet pieces, I'd casually make the letter sounds. Soon enough, I showed her how one sound followed the next. Then one day on the I-5 in the Santa Clarita Valley we passed by a truck and from her car seat we heard, "Fff-EeeD... E-X... Fed Ex! It says Fed Ex!" And there was no stopping her from there. At age of two, she was reading words; shortly after her third birthday she was reading sentences. Learning blends, digraphs, diphthongs, units (and any other combos of letters I don't know the names of) came by watching me read aloud and pointing as I went. I never had to teach her, but just casually provide opportunity for her to soak in new things.

That's how it has always been. I just gave her the resources (plus hundreds of library books) and provided guidance as needed. She did one year of public school, 8 years of homeschool, then charter school from 9th grade on. In 3 1/2 years she completed high school and one year of college.

Although she finished her high school requirements in December, Olivia graduated with her class on Saturday with a 4.23 GPA. She gave the valedictorian address. 

[above] Olivia, bottom left
[below] Dutiful seat and flower holders

Zoom lens capture...

She spoke sweet, grateful words with poise and candor, acknowledging that for every bit of success she has had the help and guidance of many. I must say the part of her speech that began, "Thank you, Mom and Dad..." was my favorite! ;) There are few things in life that surpass recognition and gratitude from your child.

They all earned this gratifying moment!

Yep, we are super proud parents! And we will be super proud with each of our kids!

We held a small reception for Olivia the evening before. These are the occasions we long to be surrounded by family, but we have a small circle of friends that have loved us like family and proven a friendship that transcends mere shared interests. Some have loved our family as a whole, and some have personally invested in Olivia. They are spiritual family, tried and tested friends. Between hors d'oeuvres, conversations, pool splashes, and ice cream sundaes, we gathered around and gave thanks to God, asking for his blessing and spiritual protection as she faces the next chapter of her life. 

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, 

And she smiles at the future."

May this be said of her all of her days because her confidence is in the Lord above all else!

~Katherine

A Very Belated B-day Post for Jack!

There is a great divide in my life between what I intend and what actually transpires! I may wish to post birthday pictures and thoughts in a timely manner, but that seems to be unattainable in this season of life. I had hoped to get time alone with him to capture a few (candidly) posed pictures to add to his b-day post, but at this stage I'm aiming to combine his photo shoot with Andrew's later this month. We'll see how that works out...

So Jacob's 11th birthday was the first week of September! Better late than never, right? His birthday falls on or near Labor Day each year, right at the beginning of school and the sport season. It isn't an easy time to plan a party, but since he cannot imagine a celebration without his gang of friends, we often have his group of boys over after church for a pool party. It was low key as far a party-planning goes, by HIGH key on energy and noise (and mess).

I'm thankful for this group of friends, thankful for their families. God knew that this very social son of mine would need such an awesome group of guys.

The day was overcast (and lighting for pictures was weird), but if I remember correctly the boys spent 6-7 hours in the water, minus a short time for eating.

They divided into groups and played the frozen t-shirt game.

Spontaneous arm wrestling matches...

Pie Face

A messy delight..

Feeling loved. 

He has always liked a good hat. And a good party.

And being the center of attention!

For a number of years now he has asked me to make an ice-cream cake (because one of his friends doesn't like regular cake, and he knows my ice-cream cake is a favorite among his friends). He can choose two flavors, but he always chooses coffee and chocolate. Yep, he's my boy!

Celebratory sparklers I brought back from Canada in my luggage...

I'm not sure that was allowed, but now I have a case I keep with my party stuff. They have been a fun addition to songs and candles.

Jacob. My little man Jack, and such a happy part of our family. We missed him this weekend as he was away with friends at a men's campout in the desert. They shot riffles, rode quads, and got dirty and smelly. He came back with singed hair. Apparently they played a game where rolls of toilet paper were dipped in fuel and lit for a flaming game of soccer. He's a happy/tired boy today, and now I need to fix his hair.

As he was getting ready to leave last Thursday, all eager and anticipating the good times ahead, I heard him say to one of his siblings, "Yeah, but I won't see you guys so that's a bummer." He loves his family... How grateful I am!

He is fun and he is energy! We took advantage of his absence Saturday night and hung out as a family in the jacuzzi. The splashing was limited and there were no random kicks in the gut (or unmentionables) by his swimming around in a tight space.

-He loves flag football. He keeps a record of his touch downs, "jukes," and spins.
-He still loves a banana each morning.
-He loves heat, especially long, burning hot showers.
-He is currently my biggest eater, and my biggest talker.
-He loves Andrew something fierce... more than a friend, more than a brother. I don't remember the details, but some time ago I heard Andrew ask, "But how did you know?!" Jacob replied, "Because you're my brother. Don't you know we share a brain?" They are tight.
-He wraps his arms tightly around my neck when I wake him in the morning, usually before his eyes open. At night he headlocks me.
-He wants to be an electrician someday (so that he can explore people's attics), and for weekend gigs he wants to be a magician. He's learning magic tricks daily (and we are secretly tired of participating in all his card tricks). He carried his cards in his pocket at Halloween, hoping someone would ask for a "trick." Sadly, no one did. Treats are all the rage these days, but I think tricks would be better! ;)
-Recently he woke up and told me: "I had the best dream last night! I was a really awesome magician and I won a competition. My prize was the world's biggest banana!" He is super consistent, even in his dreams.
-He is tender-hearted, tender to the things of the Lord...

Being his mom has been one of my greatest delights!

~Katherine

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