Friday Photo Favorites

Bookends

 

Just one of the reasons I've been away.

 

Does this still work? Can I still blog? I realized the other day how much I do not remember of this past few years that blogging/journaling has subsided. Our lives feel so very full and days evaporate so very quickly, all the more reason to take a deep breath and jot down the fleeting moments. 

Thank you my sweet, beautiful girl for not minding the store bought cinnamon rolls for this day and the hasty preparations. Thank you for being excited all the same. Thank you for this very quiet and brief moment together. You are just stunning, My Baby Girl.

 

Friday Photo Favorites

This Happened!

We have a teenager!!!!

Friday Photo Favorites

Annie's Ride.

Ellie The Elephant

Do you see her eye? That red popped blood vessel? It looked much worst in real life.

This happened because her doggy ears where not quite as she would have liked and there wasn't enough time to fix them before we needed to leave for an appointment, which happened to be a 40 minute drive...She protested her unfinished state the entire way there and so vocally that it popped a blood vessel. 

Parenthood is full of surprises even into the sixth child.

Her spirit animal could not be better as Elephants are known for the ability to remember and their persistence. 

Almost

In a couple of weeks Paul Thomas will break into his teenage years. 

Let's let that sink in for a bit.

In no way do Philip and I feel mature enough to be parents of a teenage, and yet we will be. Last night he came to me sheepishly after I bid him goodnight, with a hint of excitement and hesitation of possible disappointment. He asked if he and his brother could listen to an audio book.

When asked by his father where he would drive to first when he got his licences, with out hesitation, "The Library."

I was struck last night by how very different I was as an almost 13 year old and how he is. It is a beautiful difference. I was so very aware of others and what they had and what I didn't. I was so very aware of body shape and sizes and thought I must be interested in the opposite sex. Maybe all of these things do go on inside of him, but last night there was innocence in a story told and companion on the journey. Keeping this innocence, letting them be children and gentle raising them into men and women centered and grounded in Christ is one of the reasons we chose homeschooling for our family. 

As of late my prayer has been to have a grateful heart, to enjoy my time educating my children. It has helped to calm the ever present, "You're not enough...you're not doing enough...you can't possible give enough because there are too many" monster that ravages the unlit parts of my soul. And at the same time there is still the ever present reality that I will nor could not be their fill. We may not be doing this parenting gig right, however last night seemed to be a glimmer of maybe we are not doing too bad.