Miracle Grow

This time of year just amazes me. The way things in Washington grow with just a little sun is incredible to say the least. Not only is this a time of year when weeds to grass and gardens to trees grow exponentially but so do my children. While outside today, enjoying the sun that finally broke through the clouds, I was mixing up just the right dirt to fill some pots I am planting beans in. A scoop of this and a shovel full of that, mix well, and bam you have just the perfect soil for growing mighty plants. I had filled all my pots when I realized that my young son was following me around, stick in hand, making big plants of his own. It is uncanny sometimes just how well my children can mimic me. Watching Daniel walking with his big stick made me see him for the toddler he now is. Not a baby, not a boy, but all the perfect makings to become in his own time. Summer here is special. For so long we are in the rain and sometimes it can shake your foundational knowledge that growth and sun are for real. When the sun does come out everything flourishes and moods lift by huge degrees. I am so excited to be starting this time of year so I can watch my children grow right before my eyes. I hope I have mixed the soil just right.....

New Heights

I remember so clearly how I loved to climb trees when I was younger. Feeling the exhilaration every time the tree swayed in the wind, or the sheer power of strength as I looked down on what I had accomplished. I do not remember fearing the fall or what broken bones would have to mend if I did. Everything about tree climbing was so good. Now today I do not relish a good high tree climb, or a sway in it's mighty branches, or the pure joy of having subdued the tree and it's challenge. I find that now I focus on how to get safely on the first branch, settle for twenty feet high at best, and God forbid I fall because who will tend the little ones while I mend? I have a whole new perspective on tree climbing and in a way it reminds me each day of what I have lost as I have grown.
Kaleb comes by his desires quite naturally I must admit. He is a tree conqueror and he may just put me to shame. He loves to climb trees, pull branches to make just the perfect rocket ship, and sing like a canary while all the passers-by wonder where it is coming from. Yesterday he entered into a new arena entirely and even as I ran back inside to grab the camera I wondered if that was the right thing to do. Kaleb figured out how to climb our monkey tail tree in the front yard. It is probably close to thirty feet tall and it's top has started to grow into our cable t.v. wire from the main post. I know this because I looked at those branches last fall and thought I really should trim them back before they took out the line. Problem was that the tree is pretty tall, too tall for a ladder so I would have to climb it, well in all seriousness I'm scared. I know you might be thinking why would I not just defer this task to my hubby BUT for those of you that know my family line and the incredible strength it's women possess, well then you know the answer. Even this spring I thought I really should get up there and do the trimming but alas it still needs to be done.
Anyway, this is about Kaleb and his herculean climbing prowess. It seems my son is part monkey and for all the times I call him "monkey butt" the name seems to fit better and better. After seeing dear Kaleb up in the tree I decided I could kill two thing with one stone. Not only will I let him practice his climbing abilities but I am going to teach him how to use the lopers(a.k.a. tree trimmers)! That way I will not lose face with deferring the project to my husband which must be avoided at all costs, and I will not have to nurse any broken bones/spirit should I fall out of that tree. It's a win win pure and simple, thank you Kaleb!!

Happy 4th Birthday Mikaia!

"It me birfday, birfday me momma"
Let me tell you that I have never heard such sweet words from my daughter, well not true, when she says,"Da doo" that is the sweetest of words. Mikaia has had so much to overcome and her greatest achievement so far is learning to talk. She is talking in short sentences and they show her incredible sense of humor as well as her elevated comprehension. Today Mikaia turned four and this has been such a pill for me to swallow. My little girl is FOUR. Not three or two or one but FOUR. It seems she has stepped over a thresh-hold into a new dimension of girlhood. I am amazed to watch her grow. I am amazed at the way she brings people together and makes them feel loved. When she was given to me four years ago I could not even conceive of what she would mean and be to this family, and others. As I wish I could see four years down the road to her effect on this life I realize again that we only have this moment to live. I am so sure that God has greater plans for this daughter of mine, that He will protect her in all ways and love her completely even when we let her down. Still for today, I rejoice that God chose me and this family to be the ones closest to Mikaia, to love her unconditionally and provide her a safe place to land. It is such an honor to be the special mother of an incredibly special daughter.
Happy birthday Kaia Lyn. One day I pray that you will know that I love you greater than the widest valley, higher than the mountains, and deeper than the oceans. I love you girlie from all that was, to all that is, and to all that will be.

Graduation

It is unbelievable to me that my eldest son has graduated from kindergarten. Yet, just last night I watched him walk down the aisle as a boy and back up the aisle an eighteen year old man. Now I know that it may seem I am exaggerating but through my eyes that is what I saw. All of the lovely people that have told me until now to enjoy this time because so soon it will be gone, well I didn't believe you, truthfully I didn't even listen to you. Today I am acutely aware that this is exactly how time will go, regardless of if I pay total attention to every detail or not. Time flies.
What am I going to do with my latest revelation? I find that I am drawn even closer to God and what His word has to tell me. He tells us in so many ways that we must live life to the fullest in the moment that we are living. We are not told to live tomorrow, or to try and re-live yesterday, we are told to live each moment fully because we do not know which moment will be our last. That is what I am committing to do again. I want to live each day as if it is my last. God has given me such a great array of experiences and motherhood is one of the greatest. I am so proud of my son, Kaleb. He learned so much this year and has grown into quite a boy. Thanks to a truly gifted Christian school and equally gifted teachers, Kaleb is more than equipped for what first grade can throw at him. Life is so good!

Yum!

Kentucky fried chicken measures success by this simple phrase: It's finger lickin' good. I measure my cooking success by this simple phrase: Forget the fingers bring on the plate! How my children make my heart swell!

Drivers

In life there are drivers and then everyone else, at least that is what Kaleb would say! Yesterday was a gorgeous day with sunny blue skies and temperatures in the high 60's. We decided to work on our sailboat and take it for a spin around the inlet behind Jetty Island. Kaleb was patient until we got out of the marina and then it was, " scoot over daddy and let the real sailor at the helm". Kaleb took us all over and then some. At one point his sailing became quite animated and he lost his footing, slipping and tumbling, to quickly reprimand me for laughing at him! I am just thankful that this one time I had the video camera rolling to catch it all. I am often so surprised at the confidence my son shows in his own abilities. He just so matter-of-factly does things and is not deterred by a protective and caring Mom, also a Mom that knows the things he thinks he does! Talk about wild at heart, my son is surely that!

I must back track a bit to get you all up-to-date. I have thought so many times how limiting each additional child was going to be to my idea of productivity. However, I must admit that I still seem to find time to accomplish what I deem necessary, abbreviated outcome at times, but accomplished. Well, this three child thing, I guess didn't seem daunting enough to me, so we have expanded. Spring came in January this year, and with it the hopes of a huge garden. Since my garden is usually very productive and organic, I didn't dash these hopes. I just didn't know the farmer in me was going to pick this spring to raise her shiny head! To make a long story short so I don't lose all of you on this first posting. We eat a lot of eggs, organic free-range eggs, they are expensive, we now have chicks, six beautiful and healthy chicks. I have done the math and six chicks should equate to 42 eggs a week. Since we eat at least 24 eggs a week that should leave us 18 eggs extra, just enough to sell to our friends to pay for the food for the chicks. We eat eggs for free!!