.family sunday.

The first half of this week dragged on and on, but the second half just flew by!

B - Thank you for your encouragement (and I'm not being sarcastic!) with my new diet. It's so nice when someone notices that I look different!

J - You have been amazing me lately with your ear for music. This week you picked out the theme from "Great Escape" from two different soundtracks and commented that you liked John Williams. Great ear, kiddo!

W - You love to be silly, sweet boy, and this week you have been making me smile with all of your "roaring" - you crazy dragon!

A - This week you have been my shopping girl! I love going out with you, Sweetness, and I love hearing your opinions and seeing your smiles!

.family sunday.

The past week has been just crazy.

B - Thank you for all of your incredible support this week as I had three interviews, was hired, and had my first day at a new job. With you backing me up, I know we can make this awesome!

J - Your eagerness to learn about the way things work is such a privilege to watch. Getting to go in the simulator at Dad's work this week was definitely a highlight for you and us! Your respect and aptitude for helicopters and air traffic control blew us away!

W - I can't believe you've been a part of our family for two years already! You amaze me with your quick mind - this week you started asking me about the names of letters!

A - You started talking all the time this week. Your sweet voice has been delighting us and your eagerness to be a part of family conversations makes us smile!

.happy birthday.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to celebrate W's birthday a day late.

To my sweet boy,

Happy second birthday!

Your passion for life, your family, and learning challenges me as your mama and fills my heart.

 

I am so glad you are in our family, sweet boy, and I can't wait to see what your future holds. I know it will be great!

I love you!

Love, Mama

 

.work + life.

The Marine Corps Aviation part of our lives can feel all-consuming sometimes. It's so easy for me to get wrapped up in the day-to-day. The constant long hours. The ever-changing schedule. The duty station far from home in a place I don't enjoy. And that can get exhausting. Until an evening like last night comes around.

My husband's squadron had an "open house" for new families (like us!).

It is always fun to meet my husband's commanding officers and their wives (who were just lovely and so welcoming). My boys were ecstatic to be in a building devoted to aviators, their personal heroes.

And then came the helicopter part.

The mechanics were gracious enough to let my boys sit in a helicopter. (They didn't want to get out!)

Air Traffic Control let them come into the tower and use their binoculars (J would not stop talking about that). Going up to the tower was an especial treat as the flight line was still active, and my boys were good, but still 2 and 3 year olds.

Even sweet A got to go on the tour. Not sure if she was impressed, though.

And I even got to fly the simulator...kind of scary. But J and W loved it. And that's really all that counts: sweet family moments.

.sunday musings.

Remember when I said I wanted to start doing this every week? Here goes week two...several weeks later.

 

B - I love you. You had your first flight in a helicopter this week. I can hardly believe we've made it this far. And I can't wait to see what comes next.

J - Every day you are becoming more and more of a little boy and less and less a toddler. I overheard you singing to your sister this week while I was busy - little boy, you touch my heart.

W - You and I have gotten some one-on-one time this week, and sweet boy, it has been precious time to this mama. You have a way of expressing your thoughts with words that excites me for what's coming.

A - This week you turned two months - two months, baby girl! Each day with you is something to cherish. Your sweet smile and calm spirit continues to fill our home with joy.

.friendship.

You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.

A.A. Milne

I recently had a group of women over who, for the most part, didn't know each other. I do not take lightly the strength it takes to walk into a room a stranger...and leave a friend.

Ours is a constantly shifting community; coming and parting a rhythmic part of our lives. Someday we will have stability, but for now, we enjoy our moments together. We bond over chocolate, laughter, tears. We talk about what our husbands are doing. We share our frustrations. And it is good.

It is always fun to me that a group of women from different parts of the country, different backgrounds, different home life (those of us with kids need some friends without kids!) and get together and talk for hours. Our hearts crave fellowship, and indulging in that is refreshing to my spirit.

Thank you, dear friends, for being willing to step out of a comfort zone and be my friend.

Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .

― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

.baby.

Before I got pregnant with our third baby, my husband and I knew this would be our last baby (and although our hearts are always open, no more babies is still where we feel called at the moment). And I wanted to cherish this pregnancy to the very last day. I had easy, relatively symptom-free pregnancies with both my boys and fully expected that with another baby.

And then it wasn't.

The week after I found out I was pregnant, the nausea kicked in. And the insomnia. And anxiety. And loneliness and isolation.

And those symptoms and feelings stayed with me all the way through my pregnancy.

I was so disappointed. I felt awful all the time. I felt like a terrible mama to my boys. I wanted this new baby so desperately, but I spent my days crying in my bathroom, repeating to myself over and over that it would be worth it. I didn't take any cute weekly pictures of a growing bump - it was all I could do to get dressed most days. I lost weight, then gained it back and more. Instead of treasuring my days carrying my little girl, every week that passed was just one less week that I had left being pregnant. And I was ashamed of those feelings. I knew there were so many women who would give anything to be pregnant and I just couldn't wait not to be pregnant.

And then she was here. The forty weeks that had dragged were gone.

And it was true, it was worth it. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat for this little girl (or any of my sweet babies).

So, take heart, dear ones, if you are struggling. It is worth it.

.grace.

I know....I KNOW....it's been forever. Guess I'm still learning to juggle three kiddos...

I took my boys to a store today. A store that is not my favorite. But it is close. We needed to get out of the house and get something new to do (we ended up with Hot Wheels coloring books, but that's not the point of the story). And my youngest boy had a screaming, crying meltdown...through the whole store. And more than one customer asked what was wrong, why wasn't he being good. And for an instant, I was embarrassed of my boy and his behavior. Thank goodness I was able to nip that yucky feeling in the bud, because just seeing my boy at his worst is like seeing one pixel of a masterpiece.

What they didn't see is:

my son is extremely smart (and I'm not just saying that!)

he is extremely kind and loves his siblings fiercely

he is an encourager

he is passionate (well, they saw that a bit)

he is handsome

and in this moment in time, he is mine. Mine to nurture, to snuggle, to read to, to care for. And I love him all the fiercer for the times when being a parent is hard.

We all have bad days and bad moments. Days when we need more grace. And sometimes, we just need a long nap to turn things around.

 

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