A Different Birthday Post

Today is/was Richard's birthday.  I've been collecting thoughts for a special post for him ... what I would say, the photos I would use, etc.  HOWEVER, life just sort of got in the way today and we were blessed to have neighbors BTODO (bring their own dinner over) and eat with us tonight ... so that post will just have to wait.

For now, I will say a final "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to my wonderful.  You drive me crazy like no one else could, but I couldn't live without you ONE MINUTE.  I love you so much more than I know I've shown you, and I'm thankful God created you!

Here is the cake Hanson Ellis made for her Daddy ...

The Hambrick family "sharing the love!!"  Y'all are awesome:)!!!

Oh, and I'm the only one missing, so here is one of me from today (just for fun) ...

And then here is sweet Lucie ... the child who prompted a recent phone call to Momma with the words, "I have met my match!"coming from my lips.  LOVE her to death and despite my very, VERY best efforts ... she always looks like this.  Messy, busy and never, ever has time to have her picture taken:).

And finally all the girls made Richard birthday cards.  Patterson drew very girly balloons (and yes, you can make balloons girly!!) as well as her famous drawing of a little girl walking a dog (I don't know how long it'll be before she gets the hint that no matter how cute those drawings are, she is NOT getting a dog:)!). Parker drew a superhero themed card with Wolverine trying to steal the birthday cake that Spiderman carried up the side of a skyscraper for her Daddy (Wolverine is Richard's favorite ... Spiderman hers).  Kate made a little drawing of something or another ... the story changed every time she described it (she is quite the story teller!!), and Hanson Ellis made her typical "sweet" card.  I thought it was interesting what she wrote on the "birthday banner" she drew inside ... it was the same scripture I have on my blog!  (and btw, my girls haven't seen my blog ... a little just for me is nice:)!).  She also wrote at the end "each day is a gift."  Yes, Hanson Ellis, it is!  I'm not sure how at 11 you are aware of this, but I'm thankful that you are and that you can remind us, too.  

Goodnight to you all.  I hope you enjoyed your day with the ones you loved and loved the ones you were with!  May you too remember this day was a gift.  

To God be the Glory! 

             

Blue Skies

SO happy the sun was out today.  Nothing like light to make everything so much more enjoyable!  Swimming was a no go ... and all though Parker is all smiles above, it wasn't a happy no go.  Which brings me to my afterthought on the previous post.  There is another childhood story about a swan.  You might recall The Ugly Duckling.  Thinking of it, I'm reminded that the swan wasn't born with the striking beauty it acquires as it matures.  It is an ugly duckling at first.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I do not think my children are ugly ducklings ... in fact, sometimes their "cuteness" is their only redeeming quality:)!!  However, I do hope that they will grow up to be godly women.  Then they will truly have the rare beauty of a magnificent swan.

I hope you were all able to get out and enjoy some sunshine today, too!

I'm off to clean up a bathroom where a toilet overflowed after too many diaper wipes were flushed down it.  Oh the joys ...

Sweetness

I have a camera full of images to upload and remarks to go along. The above images are of Kate and Olivia from last Thursday. They were taken during Parker's swim team practice. It was a beautiful day out, so we loaded up scooters and soccer balls (and doll strollers!) and decided to enjoy the weather while she practiced. Unfortunately, my flash was on most of the time, so many of the other images are a little more "artsy" than I intended them to be:). But these ... these are sweet and definitely forever hold a moment in time.

The Davenport School is in session right now. Some are testing, some are finishing up an assignment ... two little ones are in busy in the world of imagination ... playing & singing & imagining all by themselves. I could sit and listen to them all day! Very pleasant, pure and wonderful.

I started reading The Trumpet of the Swan to Parker and Patterson yesterday. Love the book. Love the memories I have of first reading it to Hanson Ellis several summers ago. There is a conversation between the Cob and the Swan in Chapter 3 that just makes me stop and think every time I read it. It is such a beautiful illustration of a true mother.

"My dear," said her husband, the cob, one afternoon, "do you never find your duties onerous or irksome? Do you never tire of sitting in one place and in one position, covering the eggs, with no diversions, no pleasures, no escapades, or capers? Do you never suffer from boredom?"

"No," replied his wife. "Not really."

"Isn't it uncomfortable to sit on eggs?"

"Yes, it is," replied the wife. "But I can put up with a certain amount of discomfort for the sake of bringing young swans into the world."

I think many times we as mothers forget that are job is not always pleasant or easy or exciting or thrilling ... but it is always worth it. Very much well worth it!

I hope you all have a great day. Give thanks to the Lord this day. Praise Him whose love reaches to the Heavens, and whose faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 36.5

To God be the Glory!

Parker's Turn & Something I Wonder If You Know About

      

     

      

Last week was Patterson's  turn.  This week was Parker's turn.  I love Parent Watch Week.  We've never been involved in a dance studio where you couldn't see your children practice until scheduled weeks.  I was apprehensive at first about not having the ability to keep my all watchful eye on my children.  Were they paying attention?  Were they obeying?  Were they getting all the steps?  And what ARE the steps?  How can I help them when I don't know what's going on?  Maybe I should just do homeschool dance with them.  TOTALLY KIDDING!  I've been pleasantly surprised with myself.  I've not worried at all about them, outside of day one.  Maybe I just have too many to keep up with now a days to worry so excessively.  Maybe I'm just growing in that way and learning that they are OKAY.  And after all, it is just ballet.

So how'd it go???? It was as fun as watching Patterson's and just a nice gift to receive.  I hope you enjoy the photos.  For having 10 weeks remaining until the recital, I thought all went pretty well.  And as much as I tried not to, I couldn't help but get that lump in my throat when she was dancing.  (note ... the format of this blog has changed and I can't figure out where the upload video icon went??? Someone help!)
My little California girl, who beats to her own drum.  My second born.  My quiet one.  My sweet Parker.


NOW for something I wonder if you know about.  Richard and I are the WORST about dates.  Maybe his lack of presence is one issue (ya think?!) and maybe having a house full of girls is another (hmmmm ...).  All the same, we are terrible about dates, but have started enjoying 5 minutes here and there with each other.  I've referred to these as mini dates.  Sometimes we leave the older three under the care of the oldest while the youngest two nap and we go for a quick run.  Sometimes we just simply sit down and talk about things other than the girls (which may not seem that profound or big of a deal, but trust me, it is a special thing and a rare moment when it happens, so it gets to fall under the umbrella of a mini date:)!).  Well, I have a new mini date to tell you about.  I'm sure many of you have seen this

but how many of you have noticed this?

I have to give the credit to Richard.  He was the first to notice and since we've always thought a cup of coffee from Starbucks was a bit elaborate, we have started saving these little freebies for Sunday mornings en-route to church.  Sort of helps motivate me with all that is involved in getting 6 girls ready for Sunday mornings, and also helps me remember that my husband noticed something that was special to me and found a great way to make it happen.  Hope you all can find these bags of beans in your neighborhood!!

May you all have a peaceful night of rest and wake up refreshed and ready for the day God has prepared for you.  May "your light shine before all men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in Heaven."  Matthew 5:16

To God be the Glory.
Goodnight!

Truthfully Speaking

Okay.  So I know these entries have given some the notion that I am struggling with contentment.  I'm not going to lie ... I am, but aren't we all at some point?  Maybe my problem is that I tend to write these entries at the end of the day when this is what I know awaits me in the kitchen

(seriously, almost EVERY SINGLE night I have a sink FULL of dishes because my dishwasher is full, too! And to top that off, it's never the first time of the day where this situation occurs)

But ...

 tonight, I sat down with a little of this

and I finished the dishes before sitting down at the computer to give you a couple of random snapshots from my evening tonight.  (of course before I even got to the kitchen part, I had to wash two sets of heads, and put everyone to bed solo because the washing machine fell on Richard's head as he was trying to replace a hose ... see photo below ... so he decided to lay down a minute ... and there are two bumps on his head, so no wise cracks from any of you out there!!! :)!)

And then here are some other random photos I had on my camera from other day in the life moments.  

more of Richard repairing things around here ... he was quite pleased he could fix the vacuum with a coat hanger and commented that he felt like a "mini McaGyver"  (his hair was definitely long enough!!)
He also commented on my photographing this moment.  And this comment wasn't as funny.

sweet Lu .. looking at these images I wonder how I could be in want of anything!!

just a reminder of when all is quiet upstairs, your 3 & 1 year old are definitely up to something
(and take note of who is on the top shelf and who is on the bottom ... I'm sure my 3 year old ... my very cautious 3 year old, came up with this plan!!)

Yes, I wish I had more time in this house.  I wish I didn't know moving into it that it was only temporary.  I wish I could invest in this house without knowing I'd not get a good return on that investment.  I wish I could change this or that ... I wish I had time to change this or that ... I wish I could be a 115% homeschooling mom AND a great runner AND start up my notecard business again AND learn how to sew AND fix up this house AND have it cleaned every night AND still have energy to read and read and read  to each and every girl before bed , as well as read my own books without falling asleep holding them:), BUT I know that is just shy of impossible.  I WILL KEEP TRYING, though:).  And I will come close to loosing heart many days and grow more than weary in the process ... but I am stubborn that way and stubborn is what has kept me going many a days. 

In all seriousness, though, I know God is refining me.   And I am learning that my contentment is not in achieving "all of the above."  And I'll tell you ... I am sweetly humbled learning this.  I think we all can give lip service to that statement, but I am LIVING it right now.  I am truly going through the battle almost daily and I am thankful for those of you who pray for me ... who pray for all of us at 57 ... who hold me accountable and keep my heart pointed to Christ.  And I am very thankful to God who gives me a house filled with joy, even when I feel like it's a house in the trenches.  

Above and below ... things I saw tonight when I walked into various rooms.  I call these "redeeming qualities" of our girls:).  They are the sweet, cute things they do that make me smile.  Below was what I saw in Kate's room tonight as I walked by.  I had told her prior to getting in the tub that she had to put her lovey in her room. I remembered seeing the baby on the floor early in the evening.  Not sure why I didn't pick it up ... very unlike me:), but obviously Kate thought that baby needed some love, so she covered her up with lovey.  Sweet!

         Parker and Patterson spending time in books before bed.

      Kate being Kate after her bath.  Happy and lovin' her Daddy!!

I Couldn't Have Said it Better Myself

(an old photo of Richard in Iraq ... note the orange tint ... it was the sand.  Lovely.)

Today I read a "note" posted on a friends Facebook page.  I met Donna during Richard's 11 mos schooling in KS.  She is a Davenport by birth and has family that have children in school with my brother's son in Birmingham.  Small world:).  I like Donna.  I hope we are stationed with her family again one day.
Anyway, I asked her permission to copy her post here.  Her husband recently returned from a year deployment in Iraq and I thought she did a great job commenting on what a year meant.

I know it is just one year.  But while our deployments are not longer than 15 months, and sometimes they are spent with our spouses in "safe" places, they are frequent and they tiring and they are still deployments.  And no one can really relate unless they've lived this life that we now live.  And even amongst us, we all have our own battles of different degrees during deployments ... and similar battles can be quick victories for some, yet can completely ambush others.

Bottom line, LIFE is missed, yet life goes on.  The Army has conducted a study that basically states that it takes time and a half of non deployment time for a family to regroup from a deployment.  So that means Donna and her family need 18 months to recoup from the 12 deployed.  I don't know many who get this.

Here is her post.
Blessings to all my Army wives!!  And thank you to those who pray diligently for us all.

What is one year? Is it a lot or not so much? Someone actually said to me on Saturday, "Wow. Has it already been a year? That went fast." Really? Maybe for you. For us, this was one year:

One year of preparing every breakfast, lunch and dinner. One year of helping and eating with kids at every meal. One year of pouring every cup and fixing every snack. One year of wiping every nose, changing every diaper, and cleaning every wound. One year of dressing everyone, putting on every shoe, brushing every tooth and hair, packing every bag, helping with every coat, and getting out the door. One year of buckling and unbuckling the car seat. One year of baths, bedtime stories, medicine doses, prayers, and tucking in. One year of getting up every time in the middle of the night. One year of getting up every time in the morning. One year of doing every dish and load of laundry. One year of cleaning every toilet, sink, shower and floor. One year of pumping every tank of gas. One year of driving everywhere. One year of buying every grocery item. One year of disciplining and dealing with tantrums. One year of going to every practice, game and event. One year of taking every picture and video. One year of every drop-off and pick-up. One year of every dog walk. One year of every appointment. One year of mowing, edging, pruning, weeding and raking. One year of taking out every bag of trash. One year of pushing every swing, steering every bike, playing every game and reading every book. One year of communicating with husband and Daddy through mail, e-mail, chats, Skype and the occasional phone call. One year of telling him goodnight in the middle of the day and to have a good day before going to bed.

One year of working 18 hours a day, each and every day of the week. One year of trying to squeeze in time to write, e-mail, chat and Skype with wife and kids. One year of eating every meal in a dining facility. One year of showering in a trailer with a bunch of other guys, always in shoes. One year of sharing a CHU with a stranger. One year of living in something called a "CHU". One year of wearing the same clothes and boots day in and day out. One year of being covered in sand. One year of carrying a weapon everywhere you go. One year of walking everywhere. One year of not driving. One year of deciding between being up all night to see football or to get that much needed five hours of sleep. One year of no trips to the school, park, ball field, movie theater, mountains, pool, ski slopes, or beach. One year of missing out on what your kids are learning and how they are growing and all the funny things they do. It's like walking in the middle of a movie and trying to figure out what you missed.

Yeah, in some ways maybe it did go fast. The kids seem to grow so much and being busy with them makes the time pass faster. But really, when you look at it, a year is a lot.