Summer Weekends

It was the kind of summer weekend where we packed lots in, got way less done than we had hoped, and stayed up way too late eating ice cream and playing outside.

Although I have this "need to get things done" way of thinking at times, I am trying to learn contentment with the leaving and letting things go...Summer days are not going to last forever, and the reality is, that laundry and dishes and paperwork and projects will last forever.  So I am learning the rhythm of getting things done but also being willing to push off the chores to enjoy the day or be with friends or watch a movie with my husband.  I want to be more concerned with making memories than having a clean house, and I want to be more focused on relationships than tasks.

Friday night we dropped off the kids at my parents, grabbed a quick dinner just the two of us, filled our cart with fresh produce at the grocery store without any children, and went to a party for some dear friends leaving for the mission field.

Saturday was full with a family birthday and sweet cousin playtime and a barbeque with our close friends.  Both events included hours of playtime outside, yummy food, and fun company.  We all loved Saturday.

Sunday brought a lovely morning at church, an afternoon of attempting to get things done but really, me unintentionally napping with Sophia, and Zach, wrestling with the boys.  We decided to walk to our local hot dog place for dinner, meeting a dear friend and her daughter there, and when we got home, instead of putting the kids straight to bed, we pulled out the bikes and scooters and had a romp in the yard and the street.  Micah rode his bike by himself for the first time...two stretches, one long, one short.  However brief it was, it was a victory, and I may or may not have bribed him with ice cream to try one more time.

It was a summer weekend to enjoy people we love...our children, our friends, and our family.

And I wouldn't have changed a thing.

We don't have pictures from the weekend (camera battery was dead...), but here is a very brief clip of Micah's short stretch on his bike...

Happy New Week!!

Thankful Thursday

Our summer days have been flying by, full of activities and memory-making.  But this morning, as we got ready for the day and for a trip to the eye doctor, I finally remembered Thankful Thursday with my children...here are their grateful lists for today, obviously influenced by each other...

Micah's Gifts
I am thankful...
that we went to Michigan
for Michigan
that we're going to camp
for Minnesota
that we're going to Branson, Missouri
that we had a safe drive home
for Sophia
for Ella
for today

Sammy's Gifts
I am thankful...
for Michigan
for Minnesota
that we're going camping soon
that we're going to vacation soon
for Daddy, for Mommy, for Micah
for Sophia and Ella

Ella's Gifts
I am thankful for...
Daddy
Mommy

And today, I am thankful...
for Sophia's sweet-smelling kisses and open-mouthed smiles
Micah giggling sweetly at the eye doctor's exam and so blessed with perfect vision
for Micah loving t-ball so much that he pounded his fists in the air with excitement and chatted about it the whole way home
for Ella's tiny, loud voice yelling, "YAY, MI-TAH!!!" on the side of the field
watching Micah and Ella exchange kisses through the fence

Sammy's endless stories of make believe
a spontaneous Chinese and movie night with my favorite husband
crickets chirping with the windows wide open
worship songs throughout my day
laundry baskets bursting with clean clothes begging to be folded...what a privilege to have so many things for each of us to wear
a home that is well loved and lived in, full counters and baskets evidence of a summer well enjoyed (Can you tell I'm stretching for this one??   Trying to be grateful and content with our disastrous house because of all our comings and goings of living it up this summer...)
Today I am choosing to be thankful.

What are you thankful for today?

Michigan Moments

After an eventful five hour drive to Grand Rapids, just my kiddos and me (eventful = car temporarily breaking down on the interstate, a toddler bathroom emergency, diaper explosion, toll issues, traffic, etc.), we arrived for a whirlwind visit with my best friend, who also happens to be my sister-in-law, and my nephews, who also happen to be my kids' best friends.  We all LOVED our time together.  Summer is most fun spent with others you love, and we loved our summer time with them!  Here are some highlights...

-watching the five "big" kids dig in the dirt and the gopher holes

-talking for hours with Kim and watching her getting to know my Sophia more

-running through and playing at the Meijer Gardens

-tea party at the Treehouse

-digging in the sand

-burying Micah

-Ella splashing (and sitting) in the water table

-cooling off on a HOT day

-park time!

-Ella fitting RIGHT inside the spinning seat

-Micah loving his time to play

-resting after a hard day's play!

-going out for ice cream! (and french fries for Sammy, who is allergic to dairy)

-my little diva at the playplace (doesn't everyone wear sunglasses indoors?)

-one last morning of playtime before our drive home!

Some moments weren't able to be captured on camera, like the sweet way my nephew Nolan smiles at everyone, delightfully saying "thank you" to anyone who does anything for him...five kids standing in the bathtub for cleaning hands and feet...meals around the table together...tea and chocolate treats when all six kids were finally asleep...and that sweet, friend time to talk and talk about life and about mothering and about friendship, wrestling together over the shooting in Colorado and why evil is a part of our world, sharing our victories and struggles in raising young ones, and safely and openly analyzing our parenting - what works and what doesn't, how we succeed and fail, and how we can keep striving to do our best to raise godly children.  I was in desperate need of "girlfriend time," to have those endless conversations about mothering and about life that remind me what I want to do with my life, what I want for my family, how I want to disciple my children, where my time and energy need to go, and mostly, how very blessed I am.  I was very much aware of how much I love my life and how thankful I am for friends who remind me of these things.

Do you have a friend on the road of mothering with you? or just the road of life??  Share with them how you are doing and feeling.  Let them in to your struggles and successes...I promise that you will be blessed.  I believe we were meant to do life together.

Thanks, "Auntie Pim," as Ella says, for letting us invade your home and for enjoying summer together for a few days. We LOVE you all and treasure your friendship and the gift it is to do life together!

Thankful Thursday

I must confess, when I realized just now that it was Thursday and I needed to write a Thankful Thursday post, I had a deep sigh.  It has been one of those days, so sitting and dwelling on my blessings is not something I am feeling naturally drawn to do in the moment...

I'm thinking that it's a good thing I have some accountability today to be thankful.

I just spent a half hour crying and processing out loud to my husband about my parenting and our children and my impatience and their imperfections.  Today was a day of discipline.  A day of nagging and frustration and discouragement about my humanity and theirs.

A day for grace.

And a day to strain a little harder than normal for the thankfulness...

So today, I am thankful for second (...and third and fourth...and twentieth) chances.
I am thankful for a spontaneous visit with my mom and my niece and nephew.
I am thankful for peanut butter cookies fresh from the oven (made by my amazing MIL).
I am thankful for a super-fun VBS program for Micah.
I am thankful for a cooler evening to sit and watch Micah's t-ball practice.
I am thankful for my husband unashamedly cheering loudly for Micah, even when no other parents were.
I am thankful for homemade pizza.
I am thankful for bedtime in which ALL 6 of us (which is 24 moving arms and legs) snuggled together on the bottom bunk in the kids' room for bedtime devotions.
I am thankful for sweet Ella time (she went to bed later than everyone tonight so had some special, one-on-one time with Mommy and Daddy...we talked and giggled and cleaned up toys together.  I absolutely adore her voice, her little sentences, her voiced observations of what everyone is doing and saying, her blue, blue eyes, and her little feet that quickly pitter-patter on our wood floors to and fro as she scurries about doing her thing...)
I am thankful for unexpected gifts.
I am thankful for the quiet after the kids are all sleeping soundly in their beds.
And I am thankful that tomorrow is a new day.

I so needed grace today, and I hope I can extend it more generously to my kids when they are in need of it, too.  So thankful that grace is a gift so freely given.  I want to live and breathe in grace...grace in the good times, grace in the bad, grace when I am living in the moment and soaking up the joy, and grace when I am clouded with impatience and unable to be the mama I want to be.

Lord, help me to add to my rhythm, grace.

What are you thankful for today??

Summer Gifts

Last week I hit a rut.

I started feeling tired and worn out, struggling to have the joy that usually marks my days, reaching to find the perspective I want to have.  During these few days of being "off," I really tried hard to talk it through with my husband, to pray for a renewal of my mind, and to once again practice naming my gifts.

I really and truly believe that Ann Voskamp has it exactly right about true life and joy and peace coming from the simple act of giving thanks, naming gifts, being obedient to notice the grace around us and turning right back to God to give him the glory.

During my rut-days, I had a hard time doing this, and as I have practiced and practiced naming these gifts since then, I am being restored to a place of joy and perspective.  Ahh, what a relief.

Yesterday was one of those summer-loving days that made it easy to find gifts to name.

After dropping off my oldest at our church's VBS, I met my mom and sister at a local Farmer's Market.  Colors and smiles and fresh produce were everywhere around, and I couldn't help but get drawn in to the wonderful atmosphere, thankful to be alive and thankful to have such a simple and wonderful summer experience with my children.

We stopped at the booth of a local baker who happens to make dairy-free cookies for Sammy.  JOY!  He was so excited to have a chocolate cookie he could eat (although he ended up not liking it...sigh!).

We also visited the flower booth where you can create your own bouquet for $5...it was SO fun to see my children surrounded by colorful flowers all around, soaking it in and learning how to appreciate beauty.  They helped me create a bouquet to take home, and my heart was bursting...

After picking out tomatoes and green beans and cucumbers and ears of corn (most of which we consumed that evening for dinner!), we ducked into the Starbucks for a break from the relentless heat and a snack time for the kiddos (and iced drinks for the mamas!!)...

We all had lunch together, too, after I picked up Micah, and I still loved the happy chaos, even though I was definitely living in the reality of my mama life, attempting to eat salad over my nursing baby when my toddler holds fingers out to me covered in something quite awful from inside her diaper...so after a diaper fiasco with both girls and about a half hour in the bathroom, I emerged once again, laughing that this is my life (and definitely way too busy to even know where my camera was, much less take pictures of the moment).  

After an already-wonderful summer day, the joy kept coming as my parents spontaneously joined us for dinner and we sat and enjoyed burgers on the grill along with some of our delicious fresh vegetable treats from the Market.  And to top it all off, Zach surprised me by bringing home a movie (which is one of my favorite ways to end the day).  

All throughout my day, I inwardly kept noting the gifts, the beauty, the joy all around me...home-grown tomatoes, friendly farmers, fresh flowers in buckets, colors bursting, sun shining, babies smiling, sweet, crunchy popcorn, iced caramel coffees, lunchtime salads, giggling cousins, cookie crumbs on a summer dress, toddler hand fitting in mine, fresh diapers, family gathered around the table, prayers from children's lips...grace, grace, GRACE given in the beauty of life all around us, if we will only just notice and take the time to name it and give praise to the most magnificent of Creators, the one from whom all blessings flow.

Oh, the joys of summer days!!  Thank you, Jesus.

Thankful Thursday

Today I will keep this short and sweet.

I am thankful that, at the end of a day where I didn't feel myself, where I couldn't get a great perspective or the desired amount of motivation to tackle the tasks I wanted to accomplish, I had exactly what I needed...a break.  Zach and I tucked our kids into bed in shifts, I quickly made up a batch of guacamole, we threw in a pizza, ran and got a Redbox, and poured cans of Coke into wine glasses.  We snuggled into the couch and ate and laughed and RESTED.  We made sundaes and talked through the emotions and struggles and questions of life...the way life sometimes seems so much bigger than we are, and the ways in which we long to stay present in the one thing we are currently doing, always with the strength and grace of God.

This is how I ended the day, and it was exactly what I needed.

So although we have many other blessings to name, tonight, I am thankful for rest...for movies...for Coke in wine glasses...for a husband who listens to me so well...and for the constant new mercies we receive every day.

What are you thankful for today?

It Takes A Village

I have realized that sometimes I pridefully want the world to think that I can do it on my own.

Lots of other people have opinions about our family and the choices we've made...four kids five and under living in a small house on one, modest income, planning to homeschool, and planning to have more kids is a set of circumstances that others often question.  So at times, instead of confidently making our choices and not carrying others' thoughts on the matter, I want to prove to [the collective] them that I can do it.  

On my own.  

And well.

Oh, how mistaken I have been.

I am realizing more and more that it takes a village.

We have found a good rhythm of raising our children, doing fun activities, and figuring out how to make it work to meet everyone's needs at the same time.  We have found ways to love them all and care for them all, but sometimes, it is a blessing to let others step in and help.  Hold a baby.  Chase a toddler.  Take an older one for a walk or an outing. 

Today my four littles and I packed our bags and our lunches and headed to the park and splashpad for the day to meet a bunch of other mamas for a playdate.  Throughout the four hours we were there, there were many others lending their hands to help mine.  And for this, I am grateful.  My sister gave my roaming daughter snacks, my mom held my baby and gave my arms a break pushing my beast of a double stroller, and one of my closest mommy friends helped chase and corral my busy busy Ella around the park, sometimes spotting her or grabbing her even before I could.  Moms from church kept a watchful eye on one when I needed to dart off for another, and so went the routine of others helping, blessing me, humbling me that I do not need to do it on my own.

I drove away (after my friend waited for me to walk to the car together and then got my son out of his hiding place for me so I could tend to my crying baby) and wanted to cry thinking of what amazing support I have for this journey I am on.  YES I can take care of my children and YES I can do what I need to do, but YES YES YES is life more full and wonderful and am I more blessed and humbled when I let others help me along the way.

So I will choose to keep remembering that it takes a village.

my dear friend walking with my Ella

some of my village

 And just a couple fun pics from our romp around the pond...

Summer in Minnesota

Every summer we travel up to the Twin Cities for a visit.

I love Minnesota for many reasons...For one, I went to college there and I have such fond memories of my wonderful college years.  Also, this is where I met my husband and where we lived for our first year of marriage.  And it is where much of our family and several of our dear friends live that we like to catch up with.  It remains, as well, just a beautiful place to be.

Throughout the years, it has gotten harder to do everything and go everywhere and see everyone we want to see.  We have added children to our family and want to squeeze as much Grandma and Grandpa time out of being there, and we have to attempt to be home for naps and bedtimes, etc.  So we don't cram as much in as we used it, but we still have a great time.  This year was no exception as we filled our days with fun activities and enjoyed time with people we love.

We spent the afternoon at a family reunion, had many meals with family and friends, went to the beach and the playplace, had a date, took the boys to fireworks, ate ice cream, and had a family barbeque.  We sat outside and soaked up the beautiful weather, chased our children all around my in-laws' yard in the woods, and had great laughs and conversations with people who have been a part of our stories and our hearts...including a 90-year old great aunt, distant cousins, my college roommate and best friend, my dear friend I traveled abroad with in college, and my close friend who I have walked the mothering road with for six years now.  We met some new people and treasured time with the old.  My gracious in-laws took care of us and let us take over their house as we came and went, sometimes rushing out, sometimes settling in, capturing moments with the kids as often as they could.  It really was lovely.

Although I am rooted in Illinois, a part of me feels right at home in Minnesota, too, and for this, I am thankful.

Fourth of July 

Dentist Visits with Dr. Grandpa!

Our dear Minnesota friends...our four and their four

Beach Time!

Hide-and-go-seek

Four Generations!

We Love Minnesota!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for being in Minnesota, for time to connect with family and old friends.  I am thankful for a fun drive together in the car, for the Schmidt Family Reunion out in the country where we got to visit with second cousins and third cousins and cousins once and twice removed, for a playdate with my dear friend and her kids, for lunch at my sister-in-law's, for a brunch with my college roommate, and for a date night gifted to us (including babysitting) from my in-laws.  Thankful for time spent with grandparents who adore their grandchildren and are willing to help us with both the big and the little tasks of traveling and taking care of our kiddos, etc, and for time with good friends where we can pick up where we left off.

Thankful for a fun and memorable time to celebrate the Fourth of July with our sons as we took the two of them out for a special night of ice cream treats and fireworks at a nearby beach while the girls slept soundly under the watchful eyes of Grandma and Grandpa.  Sitting on a picnic blanket at the beach with our boys sprawled across our laps, chatting about which fireworks were our favorites (Sammy liked all the red ones and Micah like the ones that "looked like hair"), and wishing America a Happy Birthday, I couldn't help but file that memory away in my "life is so good and rich" folder.  I just love being a mama.  And I love experiencing life with my children.  I am excited to make memories with them that they will carry into their parenthood one day just as I have carried my memories into mine.

my attempt to capture the moment without missing it

Continuing to be thankful for summer and all of the sun we've been able to soak up as we play with friends and cousins, swim in the beach, play in the sand, run around outside, eat ice cream, go to the parade, and have family barbecues.

 

Thankful today and wanting to be thankful always...

What are YOU thankful for today?