Little Trials

Summer is a glorious time for kids as we all know and have experienced ourselves.  As a stay-at-home mom, while summer really is glorious and heartwarming -- for me, it also tugs, quite frequently on the very last nerve.  When it does, I'm ashamed of the way I react and I feel drained, joyless and indifferent sometimes.  What a crime!

Just exactly the things I try to teach my kids, I need to practice myself:  take a deep breath, take it easy, calm down, it's all about choices -- learn and make a better one next time, adjust the attitude, if you don't have anything nice to say..., don't yell, let it go, lighten up and on and on.  I need to practice what I preach!

Relatedly, I've realized that I have a strong need for moments of quiet and solitude and when that doesn't occur (which is often in the summer), I become resentful and irritable...and who is around to blame and take it out on?  My kids.  Shameful.

So, in trying to remedy my explosiveness and unrest (while attempting to do the same for my kids -- i.e., remedy theirs), I've been thinking of the serenity prayer -- change the things I can; and accept (and be thankful for) the things I can't; and definitely, the wisdom to know the difference.  And praying more.  Waking with prayers of thankfulness and peace.

There's a beautiful song that was sung at my sis, Robin's funeral called How Can I Keep From Singing?  In it, is a line that I want to carry with me and live throughout these summer days...and all through the days of my life (that sounded like the soap opera - touche'):

No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I'm clinging...

(If Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?)

As I mentioned before, I feel indifferent sometimes and kind of shut off when I just don't know what to do in parenting...and I think of the saying, which is in a Lumineers song: the opposite of love's indifference...uh oh!  I don't want to feel the opposite of love -- yikes.

These reminders and sayings and songs and quotes and the devotional books I read (almost) every day are chock full of exactly what it takes to live a life of goodness and peace -- I got it, I believe it, but it's the actual practicing of them continuously [overcoming self -- and the merging of them into life every day] that counts and works.  Getting enough sleep and doing yoga helps, too -- but I tend to do those things when I first feel connected with God.

Help us to always count our blessings, stay closely connected to the Peace You planted within and not just nod in agreement but to actually live out the good things we've learned in every day circumstances.

One more incredible song line --

whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say...

it is well...

it is well...

it is well...with my soul

Don't feel too bad for them -- there's a lot of love and happiness going on, too!

Whoopsa daisies

Ay ay ay, it's been six months since I've sat down to write here.

Next weekend, my Mom is having an estate sale where I'll be a giddy employee (love sales) and we just returned from a heavenly trip to Manitowish Waters over the 4th of July...

Each and every weekend this summer has been and continues to be filled, almost to the brim, with family, friends and good fun.  Thank You God...and thanks for the moments of peace and ease with "nothing" to do peppered in there, too.

Working from present to where I left off in...January?!

Graham won the limbo contest!

More of this -- less TV!

Spring bike ride

Dapper little 1st grade schoolboy

Nature seems perfect sometimes

My lovely Mum

Book character day at school

And Estelle couldn't be left out with the face painting

Got direction and tips from Jay and Ken, got the permit and the coop is built...now we need chicks!

And check!  Thanks to the Merton Feed Store!  What a great experience...
Graham named 'Maple' (partridge Rock)

And Estelle named 'Goby' (barred Rock)

First day of 'school' - summer preschool at Miss Connie's once a week

Graham begged for a summer buzz cut and here just the bangs are left

Chief Graham

Daddy and Stelly

We went to Puerto Rico in April and a tour guide was making hats from  a tree's huge fallen leaves - they were everywhere

Hiked to this waterfall in the El Yunque rainforest

We were lucky enough to see two of these special birds in the rainforest - a Puerto Rican Tody - see the two of them?

Tuckered from all the PR fun

Jason 5/15 and Estelle's 5/14 birthday dinner

Team Brazil soccer buddies

Estelle and cuz Brooklyn taking a break from dancing the day away

The birthday buddies opening presents

She's 3!

Setting up a gift with Kacky and Papa

Kack and Stelly

Watching Estelle's (and Graham's) little concentrating faces while writing is  heart-melting

All dolled up with fairy wings and all - prancing up and down the hallway

Graham and James ready to sub

Stelly biding her time and living vicariously through her big brother until she gets to go to school

Last day of school -- excited?

Andi and Debby on Deb's 60th celebration

Mike at Deb's party - dapper dude

Auntie Kack and Uncle Tim at the party

Estelle and Graham with beloved papa

Peonies!  The smell, the beauty -- heavenly

These three above pictures are from the Monches Mill House in Merton (say that 5 times fast) built in 1842 --  stunning property for sale we looked at but a bit too much to take on for us -- we have a longing to have more peaceful surroundings and space to roam -- someday...

The kids with Nanny on the bluebird trail while Jason...

...did the Horribly Hilly for the ummmm, 5th year in a row, I think

Downer Days!  Estelle did the 3 year old race - she's been talking big about it since spring!

Graham did great, too!  His 4th year riding in it!

Out of order but coconut juice straight from vessel accessed by machete in PR

And the reason we were in Puerto Rico -- Jason's work

Gotta love the in-pool bar stools

Fun feature of the resort's pool -- jumping ledge

Cute fishy

Celebrated Papa's birthday along with Debby's milestone birthday

Graham's school had a Sock Hop in late winter -- pretty fun dressing up and greasing Graham's hair back...

...and Estelle was a dance machine

Brooklyn is 4! -- and Jen the spectacular birthday party thrower was in full effect -- unbelievable cake along with every other rainbow themed detail!

Painted the dark red living to a light green and finally replaced acoustic ceiling tiles  with drywall -- yahoo!

And this little bugger turned 7 in March - magic wand cupcakes because...

A magician came!  Great time!

The magician had a live dove and rabbit and made balloon animals for each kid -- great, great show -- but we had time to kill so I fumbled around making up games...

Graham got Estelle suited up NBA style, too!

One of our favorite living room games -- airplane

A gorgeous cauliflower and red onion

Jason semi-surprised me with a trip to Vegas (he had a job and I got to hop along).  Jason's parents are extraordinary.  It was  unreal -- I've come around from loathing Las Vegas to really loving it...not sure what that says...when in Rome, I guess -- to an extent...the shopping and the food, I mean...

OK whoops - back to PR

That big leaf hat on Stelly

Hope you and yours are having a relaxing and fun summer -- God bless ya and see you soon!