A LampPost Flickering

What happens when you leave your firefighters in the drier too long.

I've taken Jeny's yellow challenge. I'm not nearly as good at creating still-life shots as Jeny is. This is more photojournalistic. This is what my day today looks like. This is the children's new pet, whom Caleb named Chrys--short for chrysalis, hinting towards his future state of being--and the magnifying glass they use for observation. A rare, unplucked dandelion from my yard. What's so rare about it? Like I said, it's unplucked . The children lovingly bring me handfuls all day, until there are no more left in the yard. A gorgeous quilted hanging my grandmother made for me. She made one for each of her granddaughters in different colors. She couldn't have chose a better palate for mine. I LOVE it. Laundry: what I'm doing today, and almost every day. I love to hang it out to dry on sunny days. Childhood is calling... Snack of choice This treasure belonged to my great-grandfather, who loved clocks and collected them. After he passed away several years a...

This morning the kids and I drove out to Russ Forest to walk the trails. I had planned on going for a bike ride, but Gabe's tire was flat. We even brought the dog, who smiled the whole time, pulling at her leash and whipping her happy tail back and forth. I brought out my camera, lined everybody up on a log next to the dog, and pushed the button. Too bad I forgot to put the memory card in. Drat! It would've been a good one, too. The trail we chose took about 45 minutes to walk from start to finish, and about halfway through it, Seth began to doubt my leadership. He said, "We need a map!" He produced his little, pale blue New Testament from his pocket--I didn't even know he brought it--flipped it open and studied it for a few long moments. Then he snapped it close and shoved it back into his pocket. "Yep. We need to go this way!" he said, marching on with confidence. I immediately thought of this verse: Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet a...

My heart is breaking today for a fellow adoptive parent. Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife just lost their five-year-old daughter, Maria, to a horrible, unimaginable accident. A parent's worst nightmare. Their teenage son was pulling out of their driveway and accidentally ran over her. Please remember their family in your prayers. I hugged my children a little tighter today and prayed for them a little more feverishly. I've been chasing away the tiny pricks of fear that are threatening my heart all day. Psalm 91:1, 2 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Just a small sampling: ::Freckles ::Monkey Hugs ::"Mom, you make the best food ever!" ::Literally holding the future in my hands. ::Peanut butter kisses, the real kind ::Little cowboys ::Snuggles under the covers ::Tiny toes ::Missing-toothed grins ::Pony tail sprouts ::The best partner and dad ever ::Mother's Day cards and gifts *From Caleb: "This is the 'Mother Ship.' And look: Here's an escape Pod. I call it Mother Hawk." If you can't read it, it says on the front, "Blast Off to Mom-ers." I'm not sure why he was calling me Mom-ers, but he was being affectionate and cute. I laughed out loud at his Mother Ship joke. *And, this is from Caleb, too. It's a picture of our family, with Dad as the High King General, and me as the High Queen. I wonder if this is how he sees our family...or if this is what he wishes our family more closely resembled. *From Gabriel (hidden in my underwear drawer for me to find on Mother's Day morni...

Now, what do you imagine he's plotting next???