Remembering a Year Ago

Being a mother is one of the most wonderful experiences that I never really dreamed I'd know. I drempt more about seeing the world, caring for the needy, and adopting, if marriage ever even happened. Still these ideas please me, but God surprised me with a precious friend and love in Espi about 12 years ago that has led me down a very different path than what I had envisioned for today.

Now we have two, amazing daughters in our lives that are a mix of both of us; however, I am still waiting to hear someone say, "Oh, she looks like YOU!" They both are pretty much all Daddy, except for their hazel eyes.

Our youngest is having her first birthday in a week. I loved knowing much more of what I wanted and what I didn't want with her pregnancy and being intentional to prepare for it, as best I could. In remembering her pregnancy and birth, I am amazed at the privilege we women have in the make up of our bodies to provide a home for a growing life and how our bodies can do just what is needed to bring that life into our arms.

This is for our youngest:

Stay

I discovered Elisa this past year (posted Andrea Bocelli and her singing "La voce del silenzio" last September). I find her refreshingly real as an artist with a beautiful voice. She is Italian, and "Eppure sentire" (on the mixpod below) is one of her songs I love to listen to even though I have yet to seek out what she is saying.=) "Stay" is one of her many English songs and is simple and moving. Her visuals and "story" in the video are very touching. Enjoy:



**I found the English lyrics for "Eppure sentire." They didn't disappoint.=)

The Start of Spring

The start of spring brought us more snow than we had seen just about all winter.

Each spring, in anticipation for Easter we make cascarones. When the weather cooperates (it didn't cooperate this Easter), we have fun hiding the eggs all around the yard, and let the kids find them and break them over each others' heads and ours. It's fun chaos (and we are saving them for a dry, warmer day with cousins soon).

One wet, gloomy day at the start of April, a new egghead joined our family (at least for the spring time). Hanna thought "Maddy-Daddy" sounded like a fitting name. He looked so bald and sad; so wheat grass seeds and a wet cotton ball were added. And strangely, he now is living up to his name quite well with crazy hair!=)

Easter weekend was interesting and fun. We didn't make it to the community Easter egg hunt Saturday morning because our four year old ate too much for breakfast, and it came up into her lap on the way to the park. Yuck. By the time, we went back home, cleaned, and reached the park, the "hunt" had ended. So we walked around the park for about ten minutes and dreamed of what could have been.=) Saturday, also, Espi transformed our large armoire downstairs into an island for our small kitchen. We (I) have dreamed of a little more workspace for food prep for most of the years we have lived here, and we thought it would be nice to have some over-hang on an island for a couple stools for casual eating. He added a homemade butcher block top with an over-hang. Talking with my sister on the phone that day about our recent search for stools, she mentioned a clearance sale at a store in her town that had cute high chairs. We went, we liked, we bought (at 60% off!!)--we have a working island now! We finished Saturday making Resurrection cookies for the first time. Simply said: our daughter was engaged the whole time listening and helping. She went to bed with sweet anticipation for the next morning. I loved that! First thing Easter morning, Hanna was eager to take the tape off the oven to see what happened to the cookies, and we started the day reading that Jesus is alive. After church, I stayed to teach Sunday School to 25-four and five year olds! Fortunately, I had more than enough helpers, which made the time pleasant. My sister and her family finished the day at our house for dinner and an Easter egg hunt inside the house because the weather was wet and cold. It was a sweet finish to an enjoyable weekend!

(after I taught Sunday School Easter morning, Espi already in lounge clothes took a shot of the girls still dressed)