2 Moves and a Wedding

Spring has flown by. The busyness of life has made it go that much quicker! Our children have been on the move. Two of them have changed locations. Our son and his wife and girls have relocated to the country, and our Ottawa child has moved with her husband back to our hometown. Both families are expecting a child. And last weekend, there was a wedding. One more child leaving the nest. Long grown and a big part of our daily routine, he has left a space that will seem empty for a while. But he has married a great gal.

I could post pictures. I could fill this blog with house pix and wedding snapshots and adorable photos of the grandchildren. However, each of our grown children have their own story they are writing, and although I watch and often actively participate, it is their story, not mine anymore. A new chapter, so to speak. I will keep my story more about the activities and daily living of those of us here at home.

Baltimore oriole in the woods beside our house (Photo by Patrick)

Apple blossoms (photo by Patrick)

Dandelion (photo by Patrick)

Stix, our nearly 3 year old tree frog

Our pumpkin plants

We have mysterious frogs around here that are missing yellow pigment, and look blue

Iris in my 'Wild' garden (photo by Patrick)

Buttercups (photo by Patrick)

Rob and Patrick swimming in the river (57 degrees)

My peony..first bloom in six years! (photo by Patrick)

That said, here are some pictures of spring out near our village that I have personally enjoyed.

Busking Midst The Busyness

Summer has hit here early. We are done school for the season and it seemed like a good idea to go do something fun! Our boys have never experienced the summer fun that occupied our older children for several years (and lined their pockets with some hard cold cash) so we took them to a near by Dandelion Festival and let them try their hand at busking. They took to it like a duck takes to water! The first place they played was a small bakery called, Grahame's Bakery. From there we wandered downtown and they set up at Butler's Victorian Pantry on Main St. in Kemptville. They did haul in some money, but the experience was the thing that pleased them most. I think they will be trying this again.

That leads me to the busyness. Our oldest son and family moved this weekend to a lovely house in the country. Thankfully all that was required of me was some munchies so that was easy. This weekend coming, our daughter and husband move down from Ottawa. Weekend after that our son is getting married, and then the following weekend we will hopefully have a new grandbaby. Lots to get this summer going.

When I think about how God is watching over our evergrowing family, I marvel at how He numbers even the hairs on our heads. I have a hard time keeping everything straight. Good thing He knows and is meeting our needs even before they are on our tongues. He is the God who sees around corners and orchestrates everything so wonderfully well.

"The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever."

Psalm 121:5-8

We are doin' a lot of 'going out and coming in' lately. I am so thankful that God knows all about it and that I can trust Him to guide us. 

Here comes June!

Mother's Day and Life

Spring, inside and out.

 I love fresh flowers in the house. Daffodils now, lilacs soon, daisies, buttercups, lilies, a path leading through the seasons. These were from a friend which makes them extra special.

The Muddy Nation River

 I thought this was a small creek running through a nearby field, my boys played in it, caught crayfish, chased turtles. Then someone told me it had a *grand* name....The Nation River! Wow. Can't always take things at face value. This river reminds me of a lot of people. First impressions may seem like there isn't much to be impressed by, but like rivers, they can surprise you!

My Spot in the Sun

 Morning devotions. I'm not always as faithful as I should be, but this is my favorite spot to read during the warm weather. A cup of Cafe Lib (I quit drinking coffee 16 months ago), my Bible, a good devotional book, and the morning sun! Great place to meet with God, undisturbed.

In my dream world, I always have time to hang the laundry instead of using the dryer.

I finally got outside with a load of laundry the other day. It doesn't happen as often as I'd like, but I'm trying. After I hung it, I noticed the reflection in a large mirror that my son was temporarily storing outside. Looked somewhat *Alice in Wonderlandish*. Yes, that would be in my dreams. the time to hang every load of laundry that I yank out of the oversized washer. (And the ambition).

Oh, what was that in the title? Mother's Day? I love it. In the past it was always Kentucky Fried Chicken at Mac Johnson Conservation Area. It looks a little different this year. Families are growing, lives are busy. Some of the kids are coming to do garden work tomorrow. Some are dropping in Sunday, but I feel the love from all of them. I am so blessed to be the mother of such great children, and children in law.

Life In The Every Day

I have seven children. The oldest was 18 when the youngest was born. Our house was a hub of activity and the sink was always full of dishes and the line full of clothes. It was busy. Some nights I sank into bed after feeding the baby and fell asleep in less than a minute. Some days my husband and I passed in the hall with one child or another in tow and shook our heads and smiled. Did I say it was busy?

Our youngest is 11 now and the kids are all pretty much self sufficient. They can do laundry and they load the dishwasher. They make their own beds and sometimes, their own meals, and there are only 4 of them at home, soon to become 3.

 June is approaching and our daughter from Ottawa and her husband are moving back to town. They are having a baby in the fall. The weekend after they move in, our second son is getting married. Not long after, our oldest son and his wife are having baby number three.

Busy...it has new meaning. I am no longer wiping bottoms, and spooning cereal into little mouths. My house stays reasonably clean. But my mind is busy. There are dates to remember, things I need to tell them, visits to be made, kindnesses and cautions to share....and I pray. The list of things I pray grows longer and longer. When they were little I prayed for health, for willing hearts that longed for God, and I huddled them all around me. Now they have lives of their own but they are still deeply entwined in mine and the prayers cover so much more. I can no longer keep them all at arms length but I can follow them with daily prayers and I can hold them up to God each time one of them comes to mind....and I do. It seems sometimes more busy than the physical labors...but just as I loved raising my small children, I love this time of my life. Mothering is a life long vocation and I am grateful God has called me to it. 

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Of Spring and Learning....

 Each morning I wake up early to the sound of birds outside my window. I hurry to pull on my jeans, grab a random shirt from the drawer in our still darkened bedroom, and find my running shoes. Then I slip out into the awakening day and enjoy all that nature has to offer. Some mornings the 11 year old joins me. He is usually still clinging to sleep and rather disoriented as he puts on his shoes, but once he is outside, he is transformed. His face lights up, his eyes open, and he pulls anyone of several bird calls out of his pocket, puckers up his whistle, and begins communicating with his feathered friends. He never misses a thing, every bird, every new flower, the clouds, it all draws him. He is a delight to walk with. Inside, he sometimes is a stubborn, preadolescent man-child, but out here, he is almost always joyful. Homeschooling works better out here too, so when the weather is nice, we take our books and off we go. The 13 year old is not quite so enthusiastic, but he too enjoys a nice sunny day, as long as it is after 7:00 a.m. 

Learning at its finest.

Red Admiral Butterfly

Oh, I remember Pre Algebra! Even though I've taught it 6 times, it still makes me cringe.

A ski shack roof and Robinson Crusoe! What could be better?

 We serve a marvelous God. And I am always thankful that His plan for our life has been (and is) to educate these children of ours. Often it is lovely, sometimes it has been daunting, but we are  not in this alone. God loves them more than we ever could and He has made each one of our seven children, unique individuals, that respond back to Him in their own unique ways. I love seeing that extended into children-in-law and grandchildren. Life is not easy, often it does not look like the pictures and impressions we make, but there is a steady hand that guides us, and we would not be here without it. "As for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, "You are my God", my times are in Your hand." Psalm 31:14,15.

Time Marches......

Early morning sun greeted me all last week. What lovely weather we've had.

But today the clouds were thick and my morning walk included a light rain.

I dug this kitty out of a box that I packed away before Christmas. Whimsical, right?

Sometimes there is not a lot to write about. Sometimes the days drift by in a comfortable sameness...homeschool, family, outdoor work. Sometimes the world is a little off kilter and there are things you just don't write about. You cover them with prayer instead. And the sun shines...last week was a gift. It was like June out. We played outside. We had camp fires. We cut down trees and stacked wood. I bought a new soccer ball for the boys and we got out the badminton set.
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I read a quote once from the song, 'Beautiful Boy' by John Lennon. It read, " Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans."  Its true. Life is fleeting. Time marches on so quickly. I am so glad we have eternity to look forward to. It would be sad if this were all there was. In the meantime, I'm watching my children fly out of the nest, one by one, clinging to the memories I am making with these last two boys, and sharing the joy of the growth process of our grandchildren who like my own children, won't pause the growing up long enough for me to stop and memorize them as they are.


Happy Spring, everyone!

Whether The Weather......

Not spring yet!...

So lets do something with the first large snow fall this winter!

The fort building kept the boys busy for two days until it rained!

I brought out my spring 'green' glass and set up the mantle.

God sends us seasons. He talks about them in the Bible. He is an orderly God who does all things well. Much as we long for warmer weather and spring flowers, we take things as they come. And He will send each season in its time.

In the meantime, we homeschool, go for long walks, and enjoy each day. Even the hard ones. God is a shelter. This is driven home to me so much lately. Like the storms of winter and the spring rain, like the summer heat and the cooler wet fall, we must also experience seasons in our lives. There is the bright, blinding sunshine of life that goes well, the crisp beauty of accomplishments and rewarded faith, the soft subtleties of God's wonderful love experienced in daily living; there are too the hard times, the desire to protect others from pain, deep sorrow for loved ones; hard personal battles; seasons of life.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1