editorial

Can we find joy in each day? Yesterday seemed to get the best of me (and I allowed it). Up was down and down was up. I couldn’t tell the difference. Paper work and phone calls stole time from my children (we are moving!). Mom guilt confession – I don’t do well if I don’t allot a certain amount of time in my day for the children. Truly digs at my core. By mid day I was dicey, at best, on the phone. Waiting in a parking lot, for someone to help me with my car (that’s 1 month new and seems to break when I touch it), I didn’t want to go inside. I had four of my children with me, one asleep, one screaming, one eating and one talking to me. I had a time slot set but I soon found that no one knew about my appointment. Quickly and quite easily, I was worked up on the phone. I was short with the man and said, “I will just come back. This is just too much for me today.” He paused and quite gently said, “Ma’am, where are you? I just need your location. I will help you.” I stopped and took a breath and as we finished our conversation I realized, how much a kindness does echo through to our souls. It was as though he was rescuing me from my wild day – he was going to find me and help me. His attempt to help was a saving grace for me and honestly changed my day around (and probably saved my children from hearing me scream). We can find joy in each day. Sometimes we have to look but most of the time it finds us.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”—Mother Teresa

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Quincy Mae

Lost

Never let us reflect upon small annoyances, and we shall be able to bear great

ones sweetly. Never let us think over our small pains, and our great pains will be

easily endurable. Charlotte Mason

A smorgasbord of choices. This tree or that tree. Cypher’s Christmas Tree Farm had plenty of fabulous trees in front of us. Each of my children would have enjoyed one in their rooms. It seems they were lost in the millions of prickly needles. Lost in the detail of the tree. Whether it was too large, too small, too fat, too skinny, too green or too brown. Field after field and filled with so much character. So many choices and yet unable to choose. Lost. I’ve been lost in this crazy year of ours. In the details of our “prickly” day. Love the encouragement from Charlotte Mason, “Never let us think over our small pains, and our great pains will be easily endurable.” The little pains of each day that cause us to endure this whole year altogether. It may have taken us getting lost in the details, to be found in the bigger picture. Finding joy in the prickliest of days.

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Little Creative Factory

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Cypher Christmas Tree Farm

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The Little Souls

2020 has been a lot of be kind to others and show grace. It’s been a low year for EVERYONE. Our children teach us to live where we are. Be there. Every minute of it, soak it in. On a sandy beach with rocks galore, each rock was unique and intriguing to them. Rocks are dull, sharp and hard (that’s one way to look at it). However, they are extremely fascinating – at least to these little ones. Even in hard lifeless rocks these little ones can find pleasure and joy. Life will always give you rocks – can you cleave a diamond?

Good thoughts bear good fruit,

bad thoughts bear bad fruit

and man is his own gardener.

James Allen

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Ruminate

I had other intentions when we went barn hunting several weeks ago. I was caught up in the day to day activities, how quickly the sun was setting and as always FOOD. Yes, those are some of the details in our day and I was caught up in one too many. We left the house in a rush and hurried to the big red barn but it was too late. The sun was close to setting and the barn was in a valley. I told the children we weren’t able to explore the barn that day but we would look for another exciting (kid-friendly) venture. I had forgotten this spot existed. A small back road with the smallest hill of sand was just enough to exhaust their last bit of energy. Yes, the sun was going down and the fall chill was in the air but these little ones weren’t phased. Our children teach us so much, don’t they? Whatever comes our way we have the ability to turn the corner, the ability to change our minds about our situation. Reflecting on their positive outlook and flexibility was a breath of fresh air at the day’s end (and I was able to join in).

What Are Heavy? by Christina Rossetti

What are heavy? Sea-sand and sorrow:

What are brief? To-day and to-morrow:

What are frail? Spring blossoms and youth:

What are deep? The ocean and truth.

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Molo

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Booker and Me

Blanqi

Generous Visits

Nathalie Everlinden Shoes

Somehow, not only for Christmas

But all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others

Is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing

The poor and lonely and sad,

The more of your heart’s possessing

Returns to make you glad. – John Greenleaf Whittier

Our niece came for a visit. What a treat! Our oldest daughter (and 2nd son – the twins) and she are only 15 days apart. So what to do? We decided to see some of the local “hot spots”. It was early enough in the morning to catch the fog over the river but also too early for our oldest two sons to join us. Such a joy to watch these little ones roam around the dock looking at the fish, the ducks and the train that went overhead. Children make memories anytime and anywhere. Truly, they find joy in the simplest things and what a treat to watch them explore God’s creation. So many things I pass by day to day but not these little ones. They would explore all day if I allowed it. Maybe the do explore all day anyway, right? Following the docks we ventured to a local log cabin – a historic site in our hometown. We were able to look through the windows at the log cabin and life size dollhouse next to the cabin. No one wanted to leave. I learn each day from these little ones – slow down, find joy wherever you can, meticulously explore God’s creation. Our children are gracious teachers. Laughter, smiles and fun galore – a generous visit to say the least.

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JellyMallow

L’oved Baby

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Pepe Children’s Shoes

Novesta Kids

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Lillster

Promises Kept

Promises must be kept, deadlines met, commitments honored, not for the sake of morality, but because we become what we do or fail to do. Character is the sum of all that. – Howard Sparks

Are the weeks really going by this quickly? An elephant always seems to be weighing on my shoulders. So much to do so little time. Breakfast, off to school, school work, lunch, play time, gym time, school work, make dinner, play time, dinnertime, evening activities and so on. Everyday and over and over. Schedule is necessary and yes, children do thrive with some sort of order. So much of life is repetition, it’s like a promise kept. We carry out our “mundane” schedules but we will reap the reward later (and can find so much beautiful joy in the mundane). These little hands and feet that are in our care (for now!) are gleaning all we have to give. We will see the reward maybe later, maybe earlier? The reward of raising these littles, the building of their character, it’s like a promise kept.

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Circle Society Skating

Lillster World

10 new toes

Our 7th wonder entered the world on September 30th. Welcome little Evangelina. You are already deeply loved. You are already fought over. You are already fitting in.

We left our home at 3:48 am and quickly headed up the hill to the hospital. Upon our arrival to the hospital, you weren’t quite ready. I asked if I could go home. Within 45 minutes my water broke and within another 45 minutes I was ready to push. I almost broke your Pop’s hand but a painful 15 minutes comes and goes quite quickly. Perfect timing – 5:43 am, right before your siblings would wake for school. You were on FaceTime within minutes of entering the world. Welcome to the world sweet girl. Your 10 new toes are a wonderful addition to our family.

“No other part of the world’s work is of such supreme difficulty, delicacy and importance, as that of parents in the right bringing up of their children.” Charlotte Mason

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