Living in the In-Between

I love watching my oldest kids growing into adults.  For too long, I was focused on what I was losing - my dependent child, gathered physically under my protective wings.  And don't get me wrong, letting go of that is HARD stuff.  I'm so grateful that I still have seven more kiddos to go, and I can't imagine what I'll feel when my last little ones approach that season.  But as the sadness recedes, I'm left with a sense of wonder, and a need to communicate the beauty of this season to my children.

Seasons of transition are hard.  Sometimes we have hour-plus conversations on how hard it is be in the "waiting period" of life - working towards a future that seems distant and somewhat hazy, but beguiling and enchanting.  In my new "advisory" role, as a parent of an adult child, I find myself dispensing sage truisms about keeping focused on the day-to-day and finding joy in the seemingly never-ending college days.  Ah, but then I realize I must preach those same things to myself every day.  How I need to be reminded most days!

Modern life often seems like a hamster-wheel of racing from one checkpoint to another. Life will TRULY begin after high school, after college, after getting a job, after buying a house, after marriage, after starting a family, after completing a family, after your last child leaves the nest, after retirement, after you get to the mission field.  And those are all potentially good and wonderful things.  God made us, unique amongst his earthly creation, with the ability to dream and plan  But how easily, in our corruptible earthly bodies, are our eyes and hearts turned away from The One Who Knows All Things as we ask him to proverbially hold our jackets while we get to work and that once we've just Arrived, we will be ready for him.  Of course, that's a lie, and a most dangerous one indeed.  We've arrived the moment we were given a regenerate heart! None of this human striving makes us one whit more precious in his sight.  And too often, if you are anything like me, the striving serves as a mighty fine distraction at best and at worst, a source of a low, but steady grumbling spirit that destroys joy.

Instead, sisters (and brothers too, although I do think this is often a weakness that women are uniquely drawn to) let us focus our hearts and minds on Jesus Christ and treasure his Gospel story above all other things.  Determine to know Jesus Christ and Him crucified every single day.  Let that be the water that slakes every thirst, the milk that nourishes your soul, and the wine that you delight in.

Photo Source

A Little Preview from our "Dreadful" Night ;P

Oh my, look what a fantastic job our photographer did last night?!  She was so excited to share with us that she messaged me one of the finished photos last night already.  I can't wait to see the rest.  We are so blessed to have brothers and sisters in Christ that invest with their time, TALENT, and treasure in our family and in God's work.

Photo Courtesy of Mrs. A. Bourn

Graeme Stats

Mr. Graeme Paul turned 10 months old on Saturday!  It's hard to believe that in two short months we will have a first birthday to celebrate.  He had his doctor's appointment right before that, and he's following the normal track of our babies - he's doing great physical things, but he's on the small side.  Small but mighty, I guess!  He finally grew a tooth - it's slow in coming in, but it's there.  He has very strong opinions about what he wants and when he wants it.  He loves Daddy, baths, and pointing at stuff.

Back to School Shopping

I LOATHE back to school shopping,  Which is funny in some ways, because I remember it being kind of the highlight of the summer for me when I was a kid.  Mom and I would go to ShopKo, where I would get some super cool duds, like a shirt that said NOT! on it in neon colors.  And then Walmart came into town and I scored a pair of black chunky heel loafers (hello, layaway!) in addition to the practical stuff.  Well, that romanticism has not lingered past the first few years of back-to-school shopping.  Now it's a necessary evil, something I tend to put off until the last few days before school starts, so that I can join the equally grumpy parents bemoaning the lack of colored pencils and glue sticks at Fred Meyer.  The fact that I will have THREE kids in Junior High and High School does not help on the budget - those registration days are expensive!  But school, blessed school, you are worth it.  Routines, quiet days, a baby that can FINALLY nap without being woken up, no one to referee between except for the pets, quiet days, only one tiny human to clean up after, did I mention QUIET DAYS!

For the Beauty of the Earth

I don't know about you, but, while I enjoy winter more than most, part of the reason I'm able to do it is because it lends me new appreciation for the splendor of spring, summer, and fall.  I enjoyed looking back on these October photos of a rare family trip to McCall.  It was so worth getting away, even for a simple overnighter (it was a part of a skating competition, lest anyone think it was too simple - the Fife family doesn't do simple LOL).  

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

Halloween 2014

Halloween is one of those holidays I'm lukewarm about (sort of like Easter - not the biblical aspect of it, but the secular side).  For my family, we keep it light and positive.  We focus on the harvest and community aspects of it.  But I can say that unequivocally that I love the dressing up portion of it!  It's so fun to get to be a different "version" of yourself for one night of the year.  This was Allegra's last year trick-or-treating.  Next year she will join Hero as a candy-hander-outer (yes, that's a real word in my dictionary).  Allegra wore her Harry Potter robes from her trip to Florida in the summer with Nana, Hero, and Oriana.  Ian was Link from Zelda, Colin was a Skylander (the costume was a bit small - that's what I get for waiting until the week of Halloween to get a costume - have I mentioned that I LOATHE spending money on non-historical costumes?), Cecily was Belle (in a fabulous costume that was purchased at Disneyland for Allegra back in 2004, and will go into my bin of costumes I will save for my future grandkids), and Elle was Snow White (an old Disney Store costume from when Hero and Allegra were little).  The night was balmy and the mood was fun.  It really was what I want Halloween to be: lowkey, happy, family-oriented.

Sun Valley

This year Hero competed in her first out-of-town skating competition.  It was a mixed bag, due to a lot of back-and-forth between Sun Valley and Boise, and two ER visits (!), but it was very interesting, and it's fun to get away, even if it's just for a long weekend.

Grandpa's Visit

My dad stopped by for a week-long visit in May, which is always a great pleasure.  We belatedly celebrated his birthday with my homemade German Chocolate Cake.  He also got to spend Mother's Day with us, which meant a relaxed barbecue in the backyard with family.  The kids are always so happy to have him around, it's funny how, if I suggested playing at the park with a frisbee I'd be met with "whatever Moms" but when Grandpa wants to do it, they are all over it.

Easter

I felt so excited for Easter this year, which was a glorious feeling that I haven't always had.  Too often I'm preoccupied with all the attendant preparations that come with getting eight people out of the house in time for sunrise service, combined with making sure food is ready for the following holiday meal.  But, and I can only credit the Lord for this, this year I was able to stay focused on the importance of the season, and was mostly undistracted by all the other fluff.  What a blessing!  We had a lovely day of worship and fellowship.

Ian Hits Double Digits

On February 5th, Ian turned 10.  I can't believe it's been a decade since he was born - I remember that specific time very clearly because I was in my very last semester of college, and had a ton of responsibilities. plus the added bonus of giving birth mid-semester.  I remember that he was born on a Thursday, I missed just that Thursday and Friday of classes, that I was back in school on Monday taking a math test (nugget of wisdom: don't save your required math class for your last semester because you hate math) and on Friday my string quartet performed in a master class for a world-class string quartet (I remember my Mom, who arrived a few days after his birth holding him in the back of the recital hall, and the quartet members oohing and ahhing over him).  This decade has absolutely flown by, especially the latter half!  We celebrated his special birthday with the first big "friend" birthday party since he turned five, at the local entertainment center.  The kids enjoyed pizza and cake (shaped like an orange lego - his choice) and then played arcade games, rode on indoor rides, and played laser tag.  It was a great time for them, although corralling and watching Colin, Cecily and Elle was a bit like herding cats...

Ian with his kitty

Party time

The birthday boy

Ian and a school friend - I was impressed with how well-mannered his friends were

Colin, the tag along little brother

Pizza's finished, now it's time for cake

Ian's custom designed orange lego cake

Happy Birthday Dear Ian!

Happy Nerthday!

New Year's Eve pulls double duty in our family, as it's also Allegra's birthday.  This year she turned 12 and was surprised with her very own pet, a parakeet she named Elsa (who's kind of temperamental, like her Frozen namesake).

Awaiting the big birthday surprise

Ah the suspense

She was truly surprised

Such a photogenic girl, celebrating with her My Little Pony cake

She's a good big sister, friend, and cousin

Smile!  You're 12!

Awkward candle blowing photo

Cecily bit the dust before the clock hit midnight

Allegra and her friend made it to the end though

Colin was the second little one to fall asleep

Elinor was the first, and all the screaming, jumping up and down, and exploding streamers/noisemakers didn't even wake her up

Ian was ready to get the party started