Seven.

Kaden Love ~

My first born. My sweet, gentle boy who is so much like his Daddy.
Seven years ago today, you birthed me into motherhood.

I remember being so scared at the thought of being a Mama. Even in the hospital, when you cried in your Grammy's arms and she said – “Oh, he needs his Mommy,” – I remember feeling like this was the moment when all of the world would see that I was a fraud. I make every baby that I ever hold cry, and I knew that you would be no different.

But, she placed you in my arms, and you stopped crying then and there.

You looked me in the eye, and you snuggled in - completely trusting. It was in that moment that I knew that everything would be okay. I would be okay, and you would be okay.

And then and there, I fell in love.

I remember your dark skin and your head of black hair. I remember being amazed at how adorable you were, and I remember feeling so empowered and strong. I couldn’t believe that the hospital staff just let us walk out of that hospital – your Daddy and me not having a clue what we were doing!

(Feeding the ducks when you were two).

And now here we are – seven years later. Amazing. Of the three, you are the most like your Daddy, little man. Quiet, thoughtful, gentle, and kind. Hilarious and crazy, as well. But, also like your Daddy, most of the world doesn’t get to see this side of you very often! You are such a fun blend of silly and serious, and you are such an amazing big brother to Jesse and Ransom.

I am so proud of you, Kaden. I am so thankful for you – and so very honored to be your Mommy. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being gracious and forgiving. Thank you for being patient with the whole lot of us! You are a gift, and I love you so much!

We had a good first year of school, didn’t we? I treasure those hours that we shared together. I love listening to you read, and I will forever love reading stories to you. I love YOUR love of nature and all things creepy crawly. I love that you enjoy fishing just as much as your Daddy. I love that you like the simple things like we do, and you appreciate gifts both big and small. You have a tender heart for Jesus, and I pray that it will always stay that way. You are a leader in your own quiet way. Both of your brothers already want to be like you. That’s a big responsibility for a little guy, but you already shoulder it well.

I am so thankful that God saw fit to give you to us! You are such a blessing and gift to our little family. I am so honored to be your Mommy, and I love you more than you will ever know.

Happy 7th birthday, Kade-man.

******
1201. Seven years - the gift of motherhood.
1202. My firstborn - a boy so much like his father.
1203. A Daddy who is a role model that I want all of my boys to be like.
1204. Kaden's sweet, gentle spirit.
1205. His tender, kind heart.
1206. A thoughtful big brother.
1207. A great example for two little boys to follow.
1208. Silly, sweet humor.
1209. His young heart for Jesus.
1210. On his birthday, making a birthday card for his brother.

It Begins...

Yesterday for Family Day, I suggested that we kick it to Camden for the day...hit some yard sales along the way, stop at a coffee shop, and walk along the ocean. My kind of a lazy, sunny day. Up until this point, the three hoolies have had no opinions on what we do for our day, just as long as we're doing something fun and different than just sitting around the house.

Well. The lack of opinion is no more! Both big boys - right along with the largest boy of all - really, really, reeeeaaallly wanted to go fishing. Fine. I can see how this is going to go down from now on. Three against one. There's no hope.

I'll survive.

1188. Family Day - Kaden's choice.
1191. Baby snapper - tiny bit of God's creation.

1190. Little boys swimming in their undies.
1192. Two fish caught...and lost.
1193. Big Daddy comforting sad, little boy.

1199. Jesse - quiet and mellow, soaking it in.

1200. Seeing things through Ransom's eyes.

1194. Little boy testing the water for the first time.
1195. Sand between our toes.
1196. Picnics under the sun.
1197. Advantage of homeschooling - the beach to ourselves on a Friday.
1198. Light breeze to keep the bugs away.

"The joy of the small makes LIFE large." ~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

Corners of My Home :: Inside & Out

I love HOME.

I love everything about it. I love being home. I love (for the most part) the housework that goes with it. I love that it's an expression of me. I love the boys that live within it. And though I honestly can say that I could leave tomorrow if the Lord asked us too, each and every day I treasure the gift of being here.

It's a gift. All of it. Everything that we have is on loan, and I try to remember that always.

It's the simple things that I love the most.
INSIDE:

:: I love this little work nook that's built into the kitchen. I have my constant reminder to slow and see the sacred amidst the chaos, I have the kid's school books in the old crates, and I love my old dresser that I use for a craft cabinet. We LIVE in the kitchen, and this little space is mine.

:: While I hate shopping for clothes - I honestly need one of my snappy dressing friends to come and clothe me. That would be so perfect... - I do love vintage funk shopping. I love to find something that was made to be one thing and repurpose it for something else. This is an old yellow dresser drawer. Now it holds more of our rapidly growing library.

:: I love my oldest boy sleeping in my bed.

:: Free trunk from our local transfer station, sweet little swag made by a besty best, little star made by Kaden. Love.

OUTSIDE:

:: Little rock wall with rocks collected from all of our many driving and heater hunting adventures.

:: My porch where I sit portions of every day while I watch the boys ride bikes. I like to have it looking cute and fun, but honestly - this is how it usually looks. Lived in, and I love that too.

:: Wide open spaces for all of us to run and play. We craved country for years, and now we finally have a little taste of it. I will never get tired of hearing the peepers at night and watching my chickens.

:: The girl's new digs. While not my favorite, I do so love my hubby who - not really giving a flying flip himself, knew that I was sad about the situation - so he made them a nice little place to run and play.

:: Our wood. There's just something about it. It's honest work, and you can see the results of your labor. I love that.

It's the simple things, really.
Daily - moment by moment - gifts.

I was made for the simple life.

Froggin'....

Bonding with my biggest boy...

My guy whose love language is quality time, just like his Daddy.

These little voyages through our woods (risking poison ivy for the sake of adventure) are the times when I get the most unsolicited hugs, the happiest little conversations, and "I love you's" that come first from his mouth.

As we were exploring in the pond, he looks over at me and asks: "Mommy - aren't you so exited?"

And I totally am! This is how he and I bond best. Exploring nature and looking for treasures - snakes, salamanders, frogs, taddies - whatever. We share the same love.

...But very different syles of snagging us our bull frogs. I like to go in for the super-fast-catch-'em-by-surprise swoop. Kaden prefers the stealth approach. Observe:

SWEET success!

I shall call you Maurice.

We also have a Claude and a Van Buren.
And two others who are awaiting their names.

As we were walking back home through the woods together, I looked down at my sweet boy and said: "That was good, huh?
And he replied: "That was MORE than good!"

Moments to treasure...

1178. One on one time with my oldest
1179. Tiny patch of sun - enough for a grand adventure
1180. Success in our frogging!
1181. Sweet conversations
1182. Unsolicited hugs
1183. Random "I love you's"
1184. Speaking his love language

"Childhood is a journey - NOT a race." ~ Author Unknown

Jesus, help me to slow...to see... to savor.
Always.

My Life...

A beautiful mess....

Snatches of sacred amidst a whole lot of chaos.

A place where feet are forever dirty.
Where floors will forever need sweeping.

Where little boys "share" with their kitty...

Where my kitchen is in constant flux between preparing one meal and cleaning up after another, where school and play, learning and loving, teaching and reading take place at the table...

Where LIFE happens.

Frank Lloyd Wright once wrote:
"If you ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it...
But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life."

That's kind of like counting the gifts...
If I look hard enough, I can find them always.

If I invest - I can always see.

1167. Poison ivy for the sake of a handful of posies for his Mama...

1165. Exploded potatoes - but a supper of abundance...

1168. Learning (and forgetting) our manners...
1169. Little helpers in the kitchen.
1170. Irresistable sampling....

1171. Waiting. waiting. waiting for the sun. Garden exploding inside.

"I am attentive, aware, accepting the whole of the moment, weighing it down with me all here...I am a hunter of beauty and I move slow and I keep the eyes wide...and I could be an expert of the life full, and the beauty meat that lurks in every moment...It is always a practice of the eyes. We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see." ~ Ann Voskamp - One Thousand Gifts

"Lord, I want to see...." ~ Luke 18:41

Things My Parents Taught Me

Looking back over my growing up years, I think I can safely say that my brothers and I were neither trend setters nor amazing trend followers, for that matter. We weren't the most popular kids in our class, neither were we the outcasts. We weren't bullied, and neither were we bullies to any of the other kids.

Maybe it was because we didn't have a t.v. for most of my growing up years, or maybe it was because we didn't know any better - but whatever the reasons, I don't ever remember caring about the clothes I wore, or the fact that our family didn't go to Disney Land over April break when so many other families did. I never felt concerned about my weight, or tried to get my importance from a boy; and I never felt the need to run for prom queen. None of that was ever even on my radar.

Maybe, just maybe, my parents did it right.
Our life was simple.

I remember being home for dinner most evenings as an entire family. I remember family camping and canoeing trips over Memorial Day week-end, and I remember my brothers getting out of work early from our local dairy farm to drive their beater truck with its homemade smokestacks over to my soccer games to watch the last half.

As a family we enjoyed being together, and my brothers and I were friends. We enjoyed family time, and we had some rockin', dirt cheap, family vacations. Our parents didn't push us to be involved in anything, but supported whatever we wanted to do just as long as we tried our hardest. We weeded the garden, we piled the wood, and we mowed the lawn. There were no allowances - it was just what we did as members of the family. My parents lived simply, didn't care about what the going trends were or what the Jones' were doing. They worked hard, were well respected, knew their neighbors, had an open door policy, and just lived it out the best that they knew how. They walked with the Lord, they had relationship with us, and they chose very carefully what mountains they would die on.

I'm pretty sure they did it right.
And that's what I'm trying to replicate.

I don't care to be a trend setter or a trend follower - and I don't really care for my boys to be, either. I don't buy the idea that we need to have certain things or do certain activities to be well rounded citizens of society. If there's something that my kids want to participate in - music, sports, extra-curricular activities - I'll be all for it. I'll support them in their pursuits. But we'll weigh everything. I'm not going to do something just for the sake of doing it. I want my kids to be well rounded. But, I'm honestly not really worried about what the going trend at the moment is. Maybe it's the inner rebel in me, but I don't care if everybody is doing something but us. And I'm also not overly concerned if we're the only ones doing something while everybody else is doing something else.

We're just going to try our hardest to live it out the way the Lord wants us to, and be concerned with that only. I want that simple life. I want our boys to be hard workers, and I want them to be kind to everyone - the most popular and the underdog alike. I don't care if they are athletes, and I don't care if they're top of their class. I want them to try their hardest. I want them to be honest. And I want them to know that we're proud of them and will love them no matter what.

Simple is good.
Different is okay.

Things my parents taught me...
The longer I'm a parent, the more I love and respect my own.

***********
1082. Long week-end spent with my own Mama.
1086. Movie marathons and popcorn.
1089. Staying up late, laughing, and sharing stories.
1102. Journeying 1,000 Gifts with Mom.
1108. Gleaning wisdom, learning what's truly important, being reminded again.
1109. Redemption for her - my desire to replicate my own childhood.
1110. HER mothering.
1123. Mutual blessing and encouragement.
1138. Time well spent.
1160. A happy, healthy childhood.

Some Randoms....

The boys are back, our prodigal cat has returned, Marmie has gone home...and the party's over. Back to tons of dirty, smoky camp clean-up, lawn mowing, chicken coop repairing, and if this blasted rain ever lets up, a little bit of gardening.

But, for three days we all played hard, and it was lovely. The boys came home filthy and absolutely exhausted, but totally happy and content with their tenting and fishing experience. They said it didn't rain too badly, and they could've cared less, anyway. They even brought back two trout and a salmon to share. Oh man - God's gift to the world, I tell you.

And Mom and I - well, we played like a couple of girls! We ate out a couple of times, we went thrift store/vintage funk shopping, we acted like idiots in public, we had movie marathons, we had dessert for supper, we slept together and talked way late into the night, we baked a little bit together, Ransom got spoiled rotten, and it was just SO. MUCH. FUN! We haven't played together like this - sans most of the littles - for this amount of time, for years.

Rancey Pants, staying up late and sharing popcorn with Grammy.

Ransom showing Grammy the "chickie birdies." They are staying caged because they have been naughty and went visiting our little old lady neighbor who was very unimpressed with them on her doorstep. For the sake of neighborly relations, my darlings are now prisoners in their own home. Tragic, I say.

Itsy bitsy peas poking their noggins through the ground. A happy little sight.

First rhubard pickings. After which, we promptly went back into the house and whipped up the most glorious rhubarb/shortbread/meringue delight that is our absolute favorite rhubarb recipe in the world. I shall post the recipe some day this week when I have no other blog fodder. It is delish.

It's also quite helpful in repairing neighborly relations with said little old lady neighbor who hates my chickens.
Again. Tragic.

This summer's work project...with one of my ladies back in her days of freedom...perched atop. Sigh.

I'm sorry girls. For one glorious year, I lived my childhood dream in having chickens roam free on my property. But then you had to get all super daring on me and go on adventures through the woods over to Miss Margaret's. Tell me, what exactly does she have that I don't? Hmn?

They're just like people. The grass is always greener...

The Cat Came Back....

We have this cat that all the boys got me for my birhday last year. She's an indoor kitty, because we live on a busy road, but she has a bit of a taste for the great outdoors. Usually, about once every three or four months she'll go for a great escape if one of us leaves the door open, and we won't see hide nor hair of her for a couple of days. I never leave her any food out, because that's the only draw for her to return to us. When she's hungry enough, she'll come home.

Anyway, a little over a week ago, she gave us the slip again. We thought for sure this time she was a goner because it's been pouring rain for days, we know that we have foxes campusing our area, and I saw bloody footprints in our yard.

Before the boys left for their camping trip, I asked Kaden how devastated he would be if she never returned. He was quiet for a couple of minutes and then said pretty softly: "Well....pretty devastated, I guess."

Oh. Break my heart.

So.... while the boys have been off on their grand adventure, Kev gave me permission to go on a covert operation with Mom. Our mission was to find not one, but two baby kittens to get the boys to surprise them for their birthdays.

For the past two days, we have been canvasing the neighborhood pet stores and animal shelter scoping out all of the possibilities. Nothing really caught my eye, and I didn't want to do anything rash - even though Mom was trying to convince me to get every other cat that she saw.

(Dad hates cats, and they have three. I can see how it will all go down if he dies before she does. She'll be one of those crazy cat ladies that has about a hundred kitties living with her. She was in tears the whole time we were at the shelter....)

Anyway, lo and behold, last night who should coming running onto our porch and meow at our door, but our sweet feral kitty cat, Risso. She's as thin as a rail, she has a wounded paw, she has a faint odor of skunk, and she was covered in ticks....but she's home.

And this is how she camped out for the remainder of the evening.
Devastation averted.
Sweet bliss.

******
1093. Prodigal kitty returns home safe and sound.
1094. Snuggles and purrs - sweet sounds of contentment.
1095. Three little boys relieved and thrilled - devastation averted.