Mothers and Daughters and Sisters

I was watching the girls today all playing together, almost perfect stair steps, all blond and blue eyed, yet oh so different each one! They are the best of friends but can argue like crazy for they all have strong ideas and can hold their own. I wonder do they know how blessed they are to have each other? Do they know how badly I wished for a sister? How can I possibly impart my desire that they always be close, always encourage each other and remain the best of friends? Do they understand how much they will need each other? As they marry, have babies, and for all the little things in between?

Each one has such a special and unique bond to each sister. Yesterday I was reading Little Women to Katherine and Lizzy, the part where Meg gets married. It started us all talking about when they are grown up and they get married. Katherine states "I know exactly how I want my wedding!" So like her to have it all planned. Lizzy sends a fleeting glance towards Katherine and says "What will I do without you?" The conversation stops and all are lost in thinking, thinking to the future.

I would love to put a "slow" button on each day with these kids. As I read Ann Voskamps book I am realizing that keeping track of the things I am thankful for is making me slow down, making me realize what is around me, making me crave the slow.

I feel so blessed to have four healthy daughters. When I was pregnant with Katherine almost everyone said I was having a boy. I would politely say that we weren't finding out the gender ahead, but waiting for the surprise! However, after everyone giving their two cents I was pretty convinced that a boy it was going to be! I WAS surprised....overjoyed, thrilled, and in awe of Katherine. She was beautiful, smiley, smart, wonderful. When I was pregnant with Lizzy the same began to unfold....it is a boy everyone said! Katherine always maintained that we were going to have a girl, a sister for her to play with. I was convinced that we were having a boy this time. Deep down I so hoped for a girl so that they could enjoy having a sister. Little did I know that eventually we would be blessed with four precious girls. After Mary was born we couldn't even imagine anything but GIRLS so when we found out we were expecting twins Eric and I figured they would be girls as well...once again God had other plans! I look forward to sharing the wonderfulness of Thomas in the near future!

I love to watch the girls play together, older reading to the younger, younger looking up to the older for care and protection and example. There is a closeness between them that I will never fully understand since I never had a sister. What I do know is that I LOVE being there mom, that I have enjoyed each stage, each milestone and that I look forward to what lies ahead. I miss the time when they were babies and toddlers, but what fun NOW is when they are interested in so many different things. I am loving seeing their hearts develop, there characters formed and there minds seeking. Thank you girls for a wonderful time and for being four different, interesting little people. I LOVE YOU!!!!

I guess I never told about what we did after these pictures were taken....
The five of us went to a play, "The Sound of Music". It was so well done, Maria had a beautiful voice. What a treat to take all the girls together! I have loved the movie since I was a very little girl and I watched it with my mom. So fun to experience these thing with my girls.

Monday Gratitude

#51...finding lost piano music, a 7 year olds prayer answered
#52...an uninterrupted night of sleep
#53...church pastors who care
#54...planning of trips
#55...a bouguet picked by a 5 year old
#56...voices of all singing "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" at worship
#57...Katherine suggesting the above hymn
#58...finding Lizzy reading to Thomas in his bed on Sabbath morning
#59...Snow blanketing mountains as we drive to church
#60...The cheer of a fire
#61...Little girls dressed old-fashioned
#62...A beautiful day of skiiing above the stormy clouds
#63...Legs to ski on
#64...Time to read in bed
#65...Protection on our drive up and back down the mountain
#66...Hot potato soup at the end of a day of skiing

Huntington Library

We enjoyed a beautiful day at Huntington Library with family, celebrating Grammy's and Baby Kristen's Birthdays. As always the cousins had lots of fun together. The time spent walking through the amazing gardens was wonderful. We especially loved the Children's Garden which seemed magical with it's secret hedges, tunnels, fountains, and towers. The other mystical feature....mist coming out of bushes and hedges!


















#41....Garlic, lots of garlic and the smell it brings
#42....A good conversation with my mom
#43....Huntington Gardens and the nature all around...perfect PEACE
#44....Girls making Granola and all enjoying the smell all day long
#45....Snuggling up with K and E enjoying another chapter of Little Women
#46....The first blossoms in the orchard
#47....Going to sleep with the sound of rain pattering on the roof and windows
#48....The words of Isaiah 55
#49....Mary asking for a back-rub
#50....Pasta with home-made sauce

Love is in the Air

Happy Valentine's Day to All I LOVE...
We (as in just the two of us) enjoyed a romantic dinner out at our favorite restaurant. Thank you Eric for all the love you have for me despite all my short comings. Eric really is a 1 Corinthians 13 example. I love you.






One thousand gifts...
#32....Huge shady oak trees
#33....Happy chatter of children out in nature
#34....The reminders in 1 Corinthians 13
#35....Visits from old friends
#36....A bird whistle in the hands of an exuberant 5 year old bird enthusiast
#37....Grace and Love abiding between two people
#38....Valentines exchanged between all over a pink pancake breakfast
#39....Red roses from the one I love most
#40....But the Greatest of These is LOVE

The List Continues

#21....Forts made by the kids, with hours of fun attached
#22....Chocolate brown eggs from Spotty
#23....Fresh paint
#24....Picture books lined up to be devoured in the newly PAINTED bookcase
#25....Freckled noses
#26....Sally Clarkson conference
#27....Flushed cheeks from just awakened Mary
#28....Husband caring for everyone and everything so I could be away for 36 hours
#29....a Softly murmured "Mommy you look beautiful tonight"
#30....new running shoes
#31....a new mug from a dear, thoughtful friend that preaches to me daily-
"It's a Wonderful Life"

1000 Gifts...The Gifts Continue

#7....a hot shower after a cold early morning run
#8....a freshly pruned orchard
#9....Carolina reaching up for big sisters hand, oh the security!
#10...a whispered prayer from Husband, praying over the day ahead
#11...blond heads bowed over Bibles
#12...quiet early morning minutes
#13...fog enveloping the hill and hen house
#14...a 7yr olds excitement at memorizing the books of the New Testament
#15...oldest daughter, a reluctant writer, eagerly writing in her journal...daily
#16...over hearing sisters talking, encouraging one another in the wee morning hours
#17...a friends faithful prayers for me
#18...warm bread right out of the oven
#19...the sound of rain on the roof
#20...a husband who faithfully warms up my side of the bed before I get there

Only 980 to go...what an adventure!
As I read my way through Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, I am moved by a small phrase, almost a disclamer. She says,"I begin the list. Not gifts I want but of gifts I already have. I wonder how much I have already missed because I haven't enjoyed all the gifts that were mine given to me from God. I am thrilled to notice more closely the gifts that are all around those I already have!

Gratituding My Life Away

Gratitude Monday...thanks to the inspiring blog A Holy Experience I have been moved to record here the way I am finding endless joy in my life. I do believe the more I focus on the things I am thankful for the more happy I have become and the more I see God's hand in so much of my day, weaving together the little things into a fabulous story of our family. We are blessed beyond words and even on those days when things seem hopeless I pray that the spirit can draw me back to a heart full of gratitude. So here goes my list....

#1. Watching the children run free, chasing chickens on the hill
#2. A husband who is willing to take the children for a day so I can "catch up"
#3. Seeing Katherine stop and bend down to give her brother a good morning squeeze.
#4. A beautiful Sabbath hike ending at sunset, gazing at snow capped mountains
#5. A precious Caroline's tight hugs each night, not wanting to unwrap arms from around my neck.
#6. Enjoying a play with Mary on Sunday, just the two of us, learning the stories behind many hymns and singing with all present the glorious words penned by such faithful men and women.