The bright orange pumpkin

a poem by Emma Joy, age nine

On a bright summer's day,

I opened my cupboard

Just to find a bright orange pumpkin,

Round and fat and broad.

I asked, "Ms. Pumpkin,

What might you be doing here?"

She said, with a voice like honey,

"I have come to say that autumn is near."

I looked outside, and before my eyes,

The trees, oh my! The trees!

What a beautiful sight that met my eyes!

'Twas red and orange and gold.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "'Tis the perfect time for pies!

I shall make pumpkin, apple, and cherry pies.

But I won't use you, Ms. Pumpkin,

For I think you are quite nice.

Most pumpkins that I've met before

Are rude and cold as ice."

And from that day

And up till now,

Ms. Pumpkin is my friend.

I think that you

Should meet her,

When you see me again.

this is monday morning.

Me, showered but undone in the makeup or hair department, doing our lesson planning for the week, since our weekend was far too busy to allow for it. Reveling in the thrill of a brand-new pad of list paper, and all the promise and potential therein, and enjoying the much-needed cup of coffee my sweet sister brought me when she came home from her morning shift.

Rosalie, still in her pajamas and yesterday's ponytail, happily tracing shapes and humming snatches of songs to herself (much to her sisters' annoyance).

Emma, also undone in the hair department but still cute, on the computer doing her math, clicking away on the mouse and keyboard like an old pro. She claims she hates it, but I think she secretly likes doing it because using the computer all by herself makes her feel grown-up. Anything that makes math more fun is a thumbs-up in my book.

Annabelle, concentrating on her grammar workbook, which as of now is one of her favorite subjects. Curly hair all wild from the night's sleep and glasses perched smartly on her adorable nose, I look at her working independently and think how much older a second grader seems than a first grader.

Bennett wanders around the house in a t-shirt and diaper, seeing what he can get into, every once in a while climbing on top of things like the computer desk from whence I  must rescue him. His toys of choice this morning are a pancake turner and a potato masher, which he wears on his arm because he figured out he can.

And Violet the dog sleeps soundly on top of forgotten pillows upon the couch, and the breakfast dishes sit on the counter still because I somehow haven't gotten to them yet even though it's 11 in the morning. I'm ok with that. Some things can wait. They'll get done sometime today, as will the laundry and the picking up of scattered toys.

These are just unedited pictures from my phone. I like it that way, because these moments, these snapshots from this Monday morning in September, aren't necessarily anything special or spectacular. It's just life; the normal, imperfect, messy, sometimes crazy or frustrating or exhausting, simple and beautiful and wonderful kind. And these are the moments I want to capture, because they are NOW; but someday they won't be, and I know I will miss them and cherish the sweet remembrance.

like the rain to the earth.

It's Friday.

The end of the week.

A long week.

Too little sleep, too many chores and commitments, too much mess, too much grumpiness, too little time to slow down and relax and breathe in deep, too many bad attitudes and missteps.

To be completely honest, I'm exhausted and tired, frustrated and snappish, feeling behind on EVERYTHING, overwhelmed. My house is a mess, the laundry is piled up, and the dog desperately needs a bath.

But, guess what?

It's springtime!

And it's very hard to stay grumpy or peevish for very long in the spring.

These pictures were from a few weeks ago, but my (sadly neglected) garden has offered up such lovely gifts of color and bloom lately, fragrant and soft and bright. They grace my table and my view from the window, using their charms to make my spirit bright and soft too.

As I type, my girls are out in the backyard digging in the dirt with trowel and hoe, scattering wildflower seeds and making, I'm sure, more of a mess with the hose than is really necessary. But they are happy, so I am happy, and as they plant and play, today's delicious breezes are blowing away any dismal dust left from the week, making us shiny and cheerful again.

 I always love this time of year in our city, these sparkling weeks between foggy cold and downright HOT. It's a time of year when everything is green and pretty, and the sun is welcoming and warm, the world just a little bit softer around the edges, framed in blossoms and blue skies. A time of gray clouds and rain-scented air followed by drops and puddles, everything fresh and clean and new for when the sun comes out again. I love the rain, and how overcast days of wet and cloud are mingled so closely with days of pure blissful sunshine.

We need the rain, just like we need the sunshine.

I came across this verse in Hosea a little while back, and it's so beautiful to me when I'm tired and beaten down, when I need to be reminded of what is important and how my God will always come through.

 

"Let us know,

Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.

His going forth is established as the morning.

He will come to us like the rain,

Like the rain to the earth."

Hosea 6:3

 

Just as the morning always comes, just as the rain always falls as a blessing and a benediction to the earth which needs it...

so will the Lord come to us.

 

and I, I will come to Him, again and again, and breathe in deep of His mercies and forgiveness and grace, and feel His spirit in my soul, sweeter even than the springtime.

 

 

days like this

waking early in the dark to feed a sleepy baby boy
a long before-breakfast walk with a best friend, conversation in the cold to start our day
morning snuggles on the couch with girls in pajamas
blueberry bagels and cream cheese, time with my Bible as I ate
the very rare occurence of a mid-morning nap on the couch with my boy while my girls played nicely and quietly
gray skies and rain outside, cool air through the windows, autumn everywhere
schoolwork with no rush to get done as the day lay before us, unhampered by scheduled things
a few episodes of Planet Earth with lunch, which totally counted as our science
yoga pants and a sweatshirt and undone hair instead of skinny jeans and a scarf and makeup
two cups of coffee, just because it sounded good
playtime outside with a little red-haired neighbor boy
lots and lots of coloring and drawing, papers strewn across the table and floor
the happy prospect of soup and biscuits for dinner

not a perfect day-- there were many poopy diapers, moments when Bennett screamed and wouldn't be quiet, melt-downs from Rosalie, fights and squabbles between the sisters, too much mess throughout the house, things that didn't get done, moments of frustration and weariness.
the kind of day one might refer to as "perfectly imperfect".
the kind of day that makes me thankful...
...for my four little ones.
...for autumn.
...for God's goodness and graces, big and small
...for peace, and quiet, and love, and the joys in our life.
...for home.

days like this are so good for my soul.

oh, just life.

 

 Autumn has finally arrived in Bakersfield, praise be! Autumn makes me ever so happy. Ridiculously happy. I only need to feel the breeze blowing in through a window, or step outside into the autumn sunshine ("autumn sunshine" is defined as that type of sunshine which does not roast, bake, broil, or fry you in a matter of minutes and is a very delightful thing), or wake to a chill which requires me to pull the covers closer, or detect the smell of rain in the air to be sent into a state of pure bliss and contentment.
The skies even seem a cooler blue, a deep and restful blue, made over with pleasingly fluffy clouds that float along calmly and contentedly. And the roses in my garden are finally back in bloom, with a vengeance, as if they also were just waiting for the too-hot days to disappear before venturing to come out and breathe in the air.

 



 Let's look at some pictures and see what we've been up to lately, shall we? ok then!

We've been spending lots of time outside in this glorious weather, playing and imagining all sorts of things. And even though it's not summer anymore, sunglasses still make us look really cool, so we wear them.



 Bennett-boy loves to be outside too; it makes him very happy! He hangs out in his swing or bumbo on the patio and watches his sisters play, wide-eyed and content. I'm sure he's dreaming of the day when he'll be right there with them, running around and getting into all sorts of trouble.



The little mister can't spend all his time outside, of course, so in his spare time he makes friends with Pooh bear,

 and charms us all with huge smiles and lots of wonderful sweet baby noises.

This kid, he's a little heart-melter.

We went to the beach one afternoon, to visit Uncle Elijah and soon-to-be-Aunt Lindsey. It was Bennett's first time at the beach! I think he liked it. He sucked on his fist the whole time and kept Mommy warm.

 As always, Emma and Annabelle had a grand time, running about and building walls with their uncle to keep us safe from the sea monsters. Of course.

This picture is so blurry, but I love it. It makes my heart happy and captures dear Annabelle just perfectly.

 When schoolwork for the day is done, the girls often play together, whatever fancy has overtaken their imaginations, and it almost always involves dressing up as something.
Rosalie's getups, which are many and varied, are quite wondrous to behold and always make me laugh. You never know what this child will choose when it comes to her outfit.

 

 This particular one consists of an old skirt of mine, a sash from a flower girl dress, a sleeping beauty ring, her old brown flip-flops, and a colorful headband. Perfection.
Speaking of dressing up, these old glasses of mine make a lovely pairing with that cute toothless smile and crazy curly hair of Annabelle's.

 As for Emma, she is becoming ever more the helper to me. Her latest accomplishment is changing diapers, and she begs me to be allowed to do it. Sure, why not?? I do not object to offers of diaper-changing.

 Really, life is simple and sweet these days, even though busy and full.

We're just hanging out.

Sometimes with puppy dogs on our cute lil' booty.

 

you know, the usual.

Oh! I actually decorated something:

The wall above my piano is finally filled, something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. I was just waiting for the right combination of things, and I found it in old pieces of sheet music, this bike I've had forever, a fun metal sign purchased at World Market, a greeting card I found in a drawer and framed, and a charming little print (seen below in full detail since my camera captured too much glare) from the lovely Molly.

It's a very random assortment of things, and perhaps a bit haphazard, but it's fun and colorful and I like it.

(oh looky, that statement perfectly describes this blog post too. heh.)  

 

my soul does sing! God is good!

 

*the end*

 



some things.

Since it's been a month and a half since I've blogged anything at all, a bit of a catch-up post is in order. There's no way I could catch up on everything (we've been busy 'round these here parts!) but, here are a few of the highlights, as well as other random things that will pop into my brain as I sit here and finally type in this white square of a "New Post" box.
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On May 24th, I had my 3rd annual recital for my piano students. I absolutely love the recital-- it's more fun than I can say to listen to each young person play their very best in front of their friends and families, to see the look of pure accomplishment on their faces when they play that last note, the nervousness gone, replaced by joy. I'm beaming with pride by the end of the night. We all work very hard on our songs for months, and the recital is our big pay-off-- a reward that is totally worth it. Have I mentioned how much I love my piano students? I really do. Since the recital I've given not one piano lesson (I decided to take the summer completely off, figuring a new baby might keep me busy enough) and while I love having the afternoons free for other things, I do really miss seeing each one of them.
Our own Emma Joy participated in the recital too. She played a song called "Lavender Sunset", and it was absolutely lovely. And then she and her teacher, Ryan, played a fun duet together, and her smile was infectious and wonderful to see.

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The day after the recital the girls and I headed down to LA to visit my brother Elijah for the day. Two very important things had recently happened, and we needed to celebrate, oh yes we did.
one. He got engaged! On May 19th (which is also my sister Lydia's birthday), to a beautiful redhead named Lindsey! And we are so excited!
two. He was made a Captain in the Air Force! We couldn't be there for the actual ceremony, since it was the day of the recital, but Lydia was able to go and be there for it, and Lindsey had flown out too. They both said it was very impressive. And I think he looks so very dashingly handsome in his dress blues.

We had so much fun all hanging out together, as per the usual. My girls pretty much adore Uncle Elijah... and now they adore almost-aunt Lindsey too.
We even went to the beach while we were down there, where it was extremely and incredibly windy and cold. Rosalie peed on herself in the first ten minutes, and Annabelle got knocked over by a bigger-than-expected wave and "almost went into the sea" (her words) after which she was simply done with the whole thing. But Emma got soaking wet and loved every minute of it, and the rest of us tolerated it for as long as we could. :)


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At the beginning of June I got to have my "last hurrah" away in the form of a last-minute beach retreat with some women from my church. We stayed in Cayucos at the cutest beach house I had ever seen, ate way too much yummy food, slept in a room full of bunk beds and stayed up much too late laughing over ridiculous things and talking, lazed around in our PJ's, went shopping, and enjoyed every minute. I'm so thankful for each of these beautiful and godly ladies.
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As the Bakersfield heat has increased, we've been hitting up the spray parks as much as we can with friends. There's nothing like the smell of suncreen in the sunshine, little kids running around in swimsuits, snacks on the hot cement only to run happily back into the water.

Rosalie and some of her best buds, Lucy and Chloe

These are the simple summer memories I treasure with my girls, with family and friends.

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We of course celebrated Father's Day, in a simple and quiet way, which is sometimes the best way, I think. The only thing lacking was getting to give my own dear and wonderful dad, who lives in Wyoming, a BIG hug. I miss him, and appreciate him more and more over the years for the great dad and the godly man he is.

The girls bought their daddy a Star Wars mug that said "I AM YOUR FATHER" and filled it with Werther's Originals and scraps of paper that each had something they loved or appreciated about him. It was so sweet to watch him unfold each scrap and read it as they eagerly looked on, giggling at the silly ones and smiling shyly at the other ones. I'm so thankful for the daddy he is to these three-- and can't wait to see him with our little one.
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Speaking of the little one, I'm 38 weeks pregnant. Every time I write how far along I am, I want to follow it up with "HOLY MOLY!" or at least a very emphatic "WHAT?!" The end of this pregnancy is coming, is suddenly upon us, any day now, and every day brings us so close to finally meeting our baby, to finally knowing the answer to "boy or girl??", to having four kids. I have so many mixed emotions these days, but mostly, I just can't wait to hold my baby and to fall in love with this little blessing.

I haven't taken any recent pregnancy pictures, but here is one from two weeks ago. Not too much has changed since then, except for my feet are now the size of small balloons and my ankles are huge. oh, the fun that the end of pregnancy brings!
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Jeremy bought me a spa package gift certificate for my birthday way back in January, and I finally used it a couple weeks ago. It was five hours where I padded around the quiet halls of a little tucked-away place in a huge bathrobe, going from room to room where I was pampered with such things like a facial and a pre-natal massage, a pedicure and a manicure. It was so sweet of him to do that for me, and thankfully my appointment came on a day when I really needed the time away and a bit of pampering. But by the end, the mommy guilt was setting in, and I felt horribly selfish... whixh made me wonder, why do we moms do that to ourselves? My husband wanted to give me this, it's something I never get to do, and it was a huge blessing. I decided I shouldn't feel guilty or selfish, and to simply be oh-so-thankful instead. :) and I am!
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It's things like my day at the spa that make me realize all over again how much God knows our needs, and how good He is even in the little things. As I look back over these past few busy months, and look ahead to what the next few months will bring, I think that's the thing that stands out to me in the midst of the happy memories as well as the hard days: God is good. Always, forever, no matter what is happening. I can't even count the ways in which He shows it, I simply stand in awe and thanks for what He has done and what He is doing all the time in this life of ours, from simple summer days at the spray park, to the wonder of new life and new beginnings.

happy Easter, twenty-twelve.

dyeing Easter eggs with sweet cousins and Auntie.
pretty new dresses on our three girls.
joyful worship on Sunday morn, followed by Easter egg hunts in the warm spring weather, lots of good food, a delightful time for family and friends in our sister and brother's lovely home..



















so many reasons to rejoice...
and rejoice we did!