Leavin' On A Jet Plane

I have had this song stuck in my head all week, excitedly counting down the days until we fly to see friends and family in Texas! The day has finally arrived for us to head home...

The last time we were supposed to go home, our plans were suddenly and unexpectedly changed when instead of heading to the airport we were waiting for John to come out of heart surgery. We are so thankful to have had our plans changed in order to get him well. And we are so thankful he is well enough to be going home today. I have a feeling he is going to love Texas just as much as we do.

The Countdown

 

We've been anxiously counting down the days until we set foot on Texas soil!  It's been two years since Brian has been able to go back, a year and a half for the girls and I, and John has never been to Texas before.  That last one seems crazy to write, that as Texans we have a son who has never even been there! We can hardly wait to see our family and friends.  We will be spending a week with Brian's family before he heads back to Oregon and the kids and I head to visit my family for another week. We have great plans of soaking up every minute with our loved ones, resting and relaxing, and enjoying the beautiful sunshine and warmth of summer.

Because this week, IT IS COLD!

That's right, we are burning a fire today with the weather in the 50s.  I have a feeling we are going to melt when the 95 degree air hits our pale, long sleeved wearing skin.  I'm not sure we remember what Texas feels like anymore and sure hope we can handle it!  At least there's A/C!

We are so excited though, for our much needed time of rest and for just being in the presence of those we love most.  

5 days and counting!!

My Privilege

For months now I have been wanting to catch up here with life, to chronicle all that has been going on in our life, to journal this ride we are on.  So many months have passed since my last posting that I get a little overwhelmed in trying to fill in the missing pieces of the story between that post and now.  As today is Mother's Day, it seems appropriate to just jump back into the blogging world and fill in the pieces as I am able. 

Today I am running solo with the kids while Brian is on call.  The kids and I enjoyed a wonderful morning of teaching and fellowship at church before heading home on this beautiful day for lunch.  As we squint our eyes in the sunlight it seems like the rains of winter and spring may finally be behind us now.  All three of them are resting now, a rarity as of late with Elisabeth having outgrown the beloved nap.  Today, though, she was glad to take a nap.  A very fitting gift for today.  I do love to have some quiet time.

Since my last posting, life has evolved from the physical challenges of late pregnancy, to the sleep deprivation of the newborn stage, to the emotional ride of open heart surgery for our sweet boy at just two months and three weeks old, to three precious children sleeping through the night and taking a simultaneous afternoon nap today.  Our life of residency is extremely hectic and often lonely with Brian working about 100 hours a week, but the Lord has taught me how to adapt.  He has blessed me with the privilege of being a wife, a mother.  And I love it.  Even in the most difficult times, amidst the tears and lonely nights, despite the screams and crying and tantrums, I love being Brian's wife and I love being a mother to Elisabeth, Abigail, and John.

 

John.  What can I say about this precious boy, except that he is pure joy.  All of our children have been very happy, and John is no exception with his constant smile and excitement about him.  His demeanor is sweet and playful.  And he is healthy. It brings tears to my eyes to write that.  Tears of gratitude and joy.  What was once a weak heart and a diagnosis quite grim became more and more hopeful with more testing and ultimately a life saving surgery.  He has recovered beautifully and we fall more in love with him with each passing day. He is now seven months old.

Abigail is now a little over two years old and loves to make us laugh.  She is silly and naturally very funny.  She is in the full throws of being a two year old, but she is a delight to all of us.  She loves gaining her independence, but still loves for us to "hold you."  She loves to be near others and often pats the space beside her and requests, "Momma sit."  She and Elisabeth love to play and be together.

  It is one of my heart's delights to see Abigail sitting in Elisabeth's lap or to see them holding hands as they walk together.  Abigail is our little artist and can most often be found with paper and markers working on her latest masterpiece. 

Elisabeth turned five recently and has catapulted from late toddler hood to school age.  We have prayed long and hard for the last couple of years and sought wise counsel on schooling for Elisabeth and have decided to home school her for Kindergarten.  Her curriculum came in about a week and a half ago, and although I was planning to wait until late summer/early fall, she was so excited that she wanted to start right away.  So, since we have the flexibility to do so, we started last Monday.  And it was awesome!  She loved it, I loved it.  It fits our family so well.  She has loved having a more structured learning time and Abigail is even enjoying the greater structure given to her day.  Elisabeth is bright and vibrant and joyful.  She can turn anything into a song and the steps to her day are cheerfully choreographed. 

I am so blessed to have been given this gift of motherhood.  I am so thankful.  Though the mundane tasks of everyday life seek to cloud my memory and distract me from one of the most precious gifts the Lord could have ever given me, He is faithful to clear the fog and shine His light on my life to help me regain my focus.  It is then that I am overwhelmed in knowing that this is truly my joy and privilege.