Wednesday, July 23, 2008

A Sweet 16!


Happy Birthday, Jabberwocky!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Remembering

A piece of our past stepped off Amtrak and back into our lives yesterday afternoon.

We must have met Elizabeth 14 or some odd years ago. She had just moved back to states with her family after their tour of duty in England.

I was in the thick of my baby raising days, most of which I remember as a thick fog engulfing me. Elizabeth ministered to this Mama in a very special way. She was 11 and my Autumn Rain 7. There wasn't a lot time for one-on-one with my children in those days. But Elizabeth stepped in and filled in the gap. She spent time every week discipling my girl. She planned a lesson and craft...some of which I still have around my home....a special Christmas stocking for mom.....a beautiful woodland wreath on my bookshelf.

Then she moved off to Colorado and we moved to Mississippi and we moved back to California and she moved back to California, but the girls had grown up and our lives didn't very often cross paths. Recently their lives have connected again through Facebook. We were delighted to have a message from Elizabeth that she would be traveling through Oregon and wanted to stop in for visit.

The girls spent a lovely afternoon together touring the Capitol City and catching up. And now Elizabeth is forging new friendships with my younger daughters as they explore the countryside around our home. The visit is going to end to quickly when I return her to the train this afternoon.

Thanks, Elizabeth, for being a part of our lives. We love you!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

She's Home!



Full House, Happy Heart!

Last night we gathered our traveling kiddos back into our arms again! The Autumn Rain arrived first.....after a long 24hrs of traveling. Then the Jabberwocky after a quick commuter jaunt from ID. Many hugs and the happy chatter of our whole family together again after 15 weeks apart made this mama's heart very happy.

Today I've followed my kids around the house. Catching up on all they've been doing. Watching them settle back into our home. We've sipped coffee together and listened to favorite music and eaten a beautiful cake that Lavender Girl concocted for the occasion. I put the leaf back into the table, rounded up all eight chairs, and we gathered for a delightful evening meal together.

For tomorrow, we've made arrangements for substitute nursery workers for Lavender Girl and I so that we can all sit together for Sunday morning worship once again. The missing pieces of my heart have returned....all is well.