Nine Years of I DO

 

Today strikes nine years since our two became one. Nine years since our boy-girl selves waited at opposites ends of the isle, love struck and optimistic about the future. Nine years since we made a Covenant before our Lord and then set up in a tiny apartment in a sketchy part of town. Nine years since we declared, overcome by sheer passion and the wonder of it all, that we'd never let the flame that we thought was love, grow dim. Nine years. 

It's not a lot, nine years, especially compared to those who have been wed a lifetime. It's definitely not worthy of celebration by the world's standard. It has no claim on pearls, silver, or gold and for certain there are no slots notched  out for it at the local card store. But how this 9th anniversary resonates with me more than any of the others, simply because I now understand that the sheer passion and wonder of it all is not enough. Love must be done. 

Love is in the purposeful touch even when the kids run rampant below and dinner threatens to burn. It's running to a drug store in the middle of the night  for cough drops or massaging a tight neck after a hard days work. It's completely stopping what you are doing to get something off a high shelf. It's really listening to the other person, even if that person is talking about records :) It's smiling more , saying, "thank you" more, and giving more. It's leaving a note tucked between the sandwich and the chips or an "I Love You" phone call, despite the fact that work is swamped. It's bearing each others burdens. Simply, it is done. 

Claiming to love is not enough.

Passion is not enough. 

Love must be done. 

"...let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3: 18

So I thank you, my sweet husband, that every day of these last nine years, in quiet, self-sacrificing actions, your words have given way to deeds. Coffee brewed, steaming in cup, as my not so peachy self stumbles down the hallway. Taking me and waiting with me each time I have to go to the ER with a migraine. Bathing the boys every night so I can have a few minutes of quiet "milking the cows." You have compassion for where I hurt, concern for what troubles me,  and grace for when I fail. And it's been in all these deeds that your "I do" has taught me that love really is all about the do. 

Happy Anniversary, Darling. I love you so much.   

 

Just a Few...

...of the things that made me smile this week. Hope they do the same for you! 

Imaginations and brother play fast at work!

Sly grins from the littlest.

Sheer delight from a growing garden.

The lone boy who finished all of his dinner. And who gladly enjoyed his reward long after the table was cleared and supper was cleaned up.

Rest while the children nap.

Strips and squares of fabric ready for sewing.

Spring lit sky and buds on bare branches.

The Good, The Bad, and the Just Plain Ugly

 As of this last Tuesday, our family is living admits a complete kitchen and living room remodel. We're talking floor to ceiling here, folks! Jeremy and I have been dreaming about doing this since the day we moved in for a long, long time but our 60 year old fixer-upper of a house always seemed to lead us another direction. Stucco, windows, carpet, bathrooms, playroom, landscaping; we've done it all!  And we just couldn't see putting another penny into this house, especially when our intentions have always been to move once we get close to outgrowing it {Now, we're redefining what "outgrow" really means to us!}. But out of all the things we did consider about our plans to one day move, becoming attached to the house wasn't one of them. So here we are, seven years later. Two college degrees, later. Job promotions and major career changes, later. Three babies brought home from the hospital, later. Life, later. We are attached to our little house with the pistachio green garage door. God is good and we are happy. And Lord willing, we hope to stay here and enjoy it a while more.

Cue remodel.

Our kitchen is not half bad cosmetically. The owners before us put in new tile. And a few years ago, we did sort of a topical remodel, refinishing the cabinets ourselves and having new Formica counter tops put in. We even replaced all of the appliances and cut an opening into the living room. And like I said, it's not half bad. BUT{!}, just like it is almost always the case, appearance has little to do with function! Thus enters our problem. Not a lot in our kitchen WORKS.  

And it is seriously gnaws at my sanity.

And my organization.

Okay, maybe the organization part is all on me. But I can't help but feel like that which is lovely begets what is lovely.

And this isn't exactly begetting anything lovely, now is it?!

So we talked, and planned, and called, and now we have moved forward. Forward with the words, "floor to ceiling" that have so causally graced my lips up until late Monday night. You know, back when my kitchen looked like this:

 And less like this:

 And though I vowed to wage war and win against groaning and complaining during this time of mess and inconvience, I feel it's strong pull. The urge to complain, the urge to be put out, the urge to stress. And it pulls hard. Even now as I type, I am trying  make quiet that whisper in my ear; the one that is so trying to make me second guess our decision just a little bit. The one that causes the mind to wonder if moving would have really have been that bad. The one that says you can't take another second of the drywall dust in your coffee cup or the diaper pail in the bedroom closet.

But then I come across this picture from our kitchen...

Wallpaper {circa 1958}that reminds me of the lickable wallpaper in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. And I laugh out loud and think about our family's Friday night movie nights. And how, just a few weeks ago, Jer and I snuggled our boys in our living room and shared our love for Wonka with them. And how we all enjoyed it. And that it happened here. In this house with a hole in the ceiling that opens to the sky.

And I'm humbed. Humbled because I'm reminded that this old house, this little family, this coffee cup with the dust in it and the movie in the DVD player on Friday nights. All of this. THIS in addition to the great salvation that is Christ Jesus?! It's all grace! Grace from a God who loves us and gives in abundance. I deserve none of this, yet He gives. 

All's grace and I'm thankful and the voice that whispers is finally quieted.

Comments closed.

Thankful

Amongst many other things, today I am thankful for...
The blue eyes that seem to mirror the Creator's sky.
Making our daily lunch mess outside.
Swings and the contentment they bring.
And for the extra set of hands who willingly helped keep that swing a swingin'.
And finally, for the fact that at the park, even time-out offers a chance to just sit in the shade and enjoy our Father's handiwork.

What are you thankful for today?

Growin' Things

I took all three kids grocery shopping with me yesterday and I have the Hebrew National's to prove it.

Yes, those are bite marks.

I guess The Deuce were ravenous despite the eggs and oatmeal and copious amounts of raisins that they put down before we left. {Growin' boys!} I'm starting to think we need a Food Fund instead of a College Fund so we can afford to feed all these boys once they hit about thirteen two and half.

Really though, A&B did exceptionally well, especially for sitting for 45 minutes in a 2x3 ft. basket surrounded by the all the foods that they love to eat. And a free cookie from the bakery sealed the deal on a quiet check-out! Still, I was one relieved mama as we made our way towards the exit with groceries, children, and dignity mostly in tact.

One thought I had as we were making our way across the parking lot, though, is how far we've come, the boys and I. From just quick, nervous trips to Target, to full blown grocery shopping and solo lunch dates. We are still learning, finding out, sometimes painfully what is too much or what needs to be different, but we're making progress. And no matter how absolutely crazy an otherwise mundane errand can become with them, I absolutely love every inch of their little beings and our precious days together.
--------------------------------------------

In other Sloansburg news, summer is in full swing around here my flowers are abloom!




What a privilege it is for the air in our lungs and the ability to bear witness to all the lovely things {be it plants or children} that God is growing in our lives!

Bring On the Rain

With flash flooding, thunder, lightening, hail and wind raging outside our living room window this evening, this is how The Deuce choose to spend most of their night. And even though our unending quest these last few weeks has been teaching them to "sit" and not "climb" on the couch, tonight was undeniably an exception to the rule.

In my opinion, one of the most endearing aspects about small children is their perspective. They view the world, life, and all that it holds, with such wonder. Be it a pebble on the back porch or the garbage truck making it's way down the street, it all equally captures their attention and fills them with amazement.

Too often I am guilty of hurrying their curiosity though. Too impatient to stop. Too busy to watch. Too task oriented to appreciate. And it's not until the moment passes by that I realize that it's even happened.

That is why I am so grateful for a patient God who is gracious to provide a renewed perspective. He uses moments like tonight, where you can't help but stop and be drawn in by the fascination that your children have towards His magnificent creation. Where you're reminded that no matter how numerous the chores or how much of a handful those little ones might have been that day, we should still stop. Stop and enjoy our children and joy that they take in learning about our Creator's world that we so often take for granted.

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all." 1 Chronicles 29:11

Thankful

Amongst many other things, today I am thankful for...

My beautiful boys (even if they do eat grass).
Sharing.
The airplane that passed over us and made Ben light up like a Christmas tree.

The blue, blue sky and the warm sun.
Apples.

And oranges.
And finally, hints of spring.

What are you thankful for today?