the candle of joy

Blowing out the candles after dinner, these three pause to sing and smile.

Incline Thine ear to our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee; and make bright the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

the gifts of god, for the people of god

(Taylor Lake, summer 2011)

 

Around five, everybody clears out.  All the mamas say, “I’ve got to get home to cook dinner,” and the kids suck ice pops and bounce, shaking water out of their ears and sand out of their shoes, all the way to the minivans.

But not me, at least not today.  I leave my mama-spot in the shade, abandon my smart phone and my sun hat, and dive in.  Rosie and I have the lake to ourselves.  She runs out and runs in, jumping, saying “dino-ball”!  I swim deep into the cold, then flip and come back to her, pretending to be a snapping turtle nipping at her toes, just like my mom used to pretend with me in the pool in San Antonio.  She giggles, “Be a snapping fish again! Again!”

The wind is strong at the lake, the early evening air is mild.  It’s quiet and it’s peace on earth, it’s summer in its purest form for me, and I float on my back and kick my feet and feel like I’m fifteen at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Rosie jumps into my arms.  “I love you, Mommy!” she cries, passionately, and I love her too, and I know it’s not really just me that inspires that cry, it’s this me - the undistracted me, the wholly abandoned to the present moment me, the unashamedly swimsuited and swimming me.  It’s the clearness of the sky and the coolness of the water, it’s the wind and the sun and the daddy who is willing to cook dinner.  It’s the gifts of God, for the people of God, and it is for all of us, common grace, and there is nothing we have to do, and no one we have to be. We are just us, thankful.

{joy}

I hope you get to laugh like this every day.

half birthday!

happy six months, owen howard of the cornfields

O is in the 92nd percentile for height. He has his two bottom teeth, and I think the top two will appear before the week is over. He already LOVES food, especially banana mashed with coconut cream. He can just about sit up, and is just barely starting to inch himself forward with his toes when laying on his tummy. He laughs when Rosie kisses his tummy. He loves his yellow ducky blanket, and he loves touch. Just last week he laughed at a stranger at the park, displaying his very own sense of humor. We call his baby Owen, O, little O, baby O, Owen Howard, buddy, and little bud. Needless to say, we are all in love with him.

favorites

One of Jack's colleagues is starting a photography business. She took a few pictures of Owen for us when he was just over two weeks old. Here are a few of my favorites. Thanks for these beautiful shots, Erica!

baby quilts

I finished baby brother's quilt. It's made of new white flannel, and repurposed white corduroy, colored mens' shirts (from the Goodwill), and mens' pants (mostly Jack's). I wasn't super excited about it when I began, but now I totally love it.

It's a little bigger than Rosie's quilt. Neither of them are standard sizes, just sizes that fit my designs.

I really can't believe I have to live with this cumbersome body for two more months before he makes his appearance!

three birthdays

celebrating Rosie's 2nd birthday

We decided to celebrate a few days early so that we could spend a whole Saturday on it.

Featherlight Muffins kicked things off, and when I told Rosie that they were birthday muffins, she asked if we could wear party hats while we ate.


After breakfast we got to skype with Uncle John in Scotland! Then Rosie put on her birthday skirt and opened one present - a new dvd! - that she could watch in the car on the way to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis.

The Children's Museum is a great place.





Leaving the museum, we got some chickfila and went home for a nice long nap. When Rosie woke up, she saw three pink helium ballons, which were probably her favorite part of the birthday. We had a pink lady cake and strawberry ice cream.



Then it was present time!



Aunt Katie called, and asked, "How old are you?" to which Rosie girl replied, "I'm two old." And then G-Daddy skyped us from Mexico! Rosie ran in circles around me saying, "It's my birthday, G-daddy! It's my birthday!"

It was a special day for our special girl. These days are even sweeter knowing that we only have about ten weeks left as a family of three. We are so thankful for two years with Rosie, for her charm and wit and kisses, and for her good health. What a blessing.

rosie, december 25 2010

happy to

If you ask Rosemary to do something ("Rosie, can you build a block tower?"), she may reply, "Happy to, mommy."

She learned this endearing phrase from her daddy.

When Rosie wants to be held (she says, "Daddy hold you?"), Jack answers, "I'd be happy to hold you, baby girl!"

Just another reason to love them both.