A Little One-on-Bun Time

We love Brier. She spends these winter days chewing down the tall patches of grass out in the back yard (I only have mow a few times a year) and hopping to and fro, minding her bunny chores and interests. The beautiful 5x12 enclosure Micah built for her complete with bunny hotel? Forget it. The back yard is her domain and she tends it with utmost commitment. Only a rabbit who has nothing else to do would have this kind of commitment.

After the last storm she could be seen ridding the yard of the 3-4 foot branches which had been blown into our yard by the strong winds the night before. She would grab a nice sturdy bite, and begin dragging the stick over to her designated rubbish pile. She had the yard tidied in no time. Satisfied with her work, she hopped herself over to the sliding glass door and scratched until I opened it, treat in hand.

Yes, it's sad, but she has trained us. Sometimes, when I'm busy and she's scratching at the door relentlessly and staring up at me expectantly with those big black eyes, I think she's gotten too spoiled. Then I relent and open the door to exchange some leftover apple slices for peace and quiet. It's then I notice my golf course length lawn, absent of dandelions (a rabbit's very favorite food, it turns out) and the blackberry vines and innumerable variety of weeds that are kept at bay.

Hmmm. Could it be me whose spoiled?

Mommy, Daddy....and a Baby in Toe

From Mom: Kai ran over, obviously pleased with himself, "Mom! I put away my whole monkey family! The Daddy one, the Mommy one and the baby one!" I nodded my approval and finished making lunch.
It wasn't until I went into their room for the nap time tuck-in that I saw Mr. & Mrs. Monkey with their baby precariously dangling by a foot. Something about this disturbed me. Maybe it was that the elder Monkeys looked so happy even though Monkey Jr. appeared to be seconds away from plummeting to his demise. Or maybe it's because I'm worried that somehow, in some Freudian way, this reflects my littlest son's perception of my parenting skills. Hmmmm...

???

He stumbles into the office with his hands stretched out in front of him. He manages to find me, stumbling and smashing into several walls in the process. "Mom, can you take my picture? I can't see what a handsome fighter I am because of my safety mask."

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Alrightly, then.

Stay. Good Dog.

From Mommy: Have you ever seen those I Spy books? You know, the ones that show different scenes and include a list of items that are hidden in each one (I swear, they put an extra item or 2 in every book. That stupid blackbird on page 23 does. not. exist. period.)? Well, somewhere inside this picture is my dog. The one Micah got me for my wedding gift all those years ago. She who patiently plays the cow on the pretend farm with my little farmers. The good dog who isn't "into" digging and is above chewing furniture. She who doesn't mind sharing the bed with a cat and has her morning constitutionals while being stared and and nudged by an excited rabbit (that now outweighs her). Yes, she tends to smell a bit funky at times. She joins the vast majority of dogdom who battle halitosis and have hinder-licking tendencies. But she's truly a good girl. She's getting old and we're realizing that our boys will likely have to deal with losing the ever-constant sweetness she's always offered them. I guess we'll take that when it comes. For now, "Stay, Jadis. At least for a little bit longer. Good dog."

Rastafarian Richard

Yah, mon!

The Beginning.

Well, it's time to put a new post on front of The End and one foot in front of the other. One thing about endings is that they often bring new beginnings. This is ours. We choose life today. We lay all the "what-ifs" and "whys" at the foot of the cross in exchange for the peace that's offered there.

This year is going to be great. A lot of stuff is going to be happening and many changes are coming for our little clan (you like the teaser?). God's plan for our family hasn't changed and pieces of it are beginning to shape themselves in our hearts very clearly. Things that are different than I had previously thought. God's doing a new thing. Just when I thought I had it all figured out. I'll keep you "posted".

I'll leave you with a few silly moments we've had lately. Silliness is very underrated.




4 comments:

Time is (a new little) Relative...

We'd like to congratulate Auntie Julie on graduating to double digits on the Cousin Countdown Clock! Mommy says that her pregnancies never went this fast. We think it's taking forever.

The End.

From Mommy: Today wasn't the day our adoption was finalized. We weren't all there at the courthouse, dressed in Sunday best amongst the flashing cameras of our joyful extended family. Rayna wasn't wearing the beautiful new dress and shoes we went out and shopped for together - just the 2 of us. There will be no party tonight. No pink and purple balloons. No chocolate cake with, "Welcome Home, Rayna!" scrawled accross the top in icing. Friends won't gather around to congratulate and celebrate with us.
Our office is still an office, and I hate the blue walls that stare back at me. They should be pink. This bulky computer desk should be a frilly bed.
God's plan is best. I know this. But I also know that our "farewell visit" with Rayna today was one of the hardest things I've ever done. The State gave us half an hour at the office to see her one last time. They figured they'd better. After all, we were mere weeks away from adopting her. Before our caseworker called us with the news,"there's been a change in the case".
I'll never forget her voice as our alloted time was coming to a close, "You cwying, Mom? Mama owie?" Yeah, Sweetie, Mama has an owie. One that not even a Princess Band-Aid and a kiss will fix. Then the social worker came, "It's time to go, now." Ray ran off, "Eh get backpack! Eh ready go Mama, Daddy!" She didn't understand why she couldn't come with us. We don't understand why, either. God, help. We don't understand.
This is a hard day. Awfully hard. But I know there are happy ones ahead. I will try to remember that as I go fix dinner for 4.

For Rayna

I gaze upon you as you sleep.
Behind those eyes of blackest deep,
A world confusing, all awry.
The carefree child was forced to die.

Blown here and there the tempest winds
Craft scars so deep they seldom mend.

But hear this now, my little one,
As Mama prays your wounds undone:


"Jesus, Savior, please heal and give
Your tiny daughter peace to live.

When this world feels alien, strange, alone,
Comfort her, 'I know, for you I left My home.'

At times when she feels small and of little worth,
Remind her of Bethlehem and your humble birth.

When the loves of her life betray and dismiss, hold her close to the cheek that Judas kissed.

When she's labeled 'unwanted' and loved by just few, whisper, 'I know, baby, they labeled me "King of the Jews".

When she's sensing her weakness and feeling so frail, reach out Your strong hand which was pierced by the nail.

And when she's finally risen up, a great woman of faith, let the world who wounded her stop short, amazed,

And just like her Savior let her forgive them in love, and reach out to tell them of her home up above."

Convey all these truths, Lord. I want her to know from the harshest beginnings true beauty does flow.

Written by Lynee when Ray was a year old.

Eragon

From Mommy: OK. This movie was excellent. I loved it. But, for the love of all things sacred, leave the little ones at home. I read the books by Christopher Paolini and loved them. At the time the first book was written, the author was 15 years old. And a homeschooled kid. Heck, yeah I'm reading the books!! I mean, c'mon!! HOMESCHOOL ROCKS!! Ahem. Sorry.

Anywho, Solomon had looked longingly at the covers of the Inheritance Series (Eragon is the first of a trillagy, the third of which isn't completed as of yet - me thinks lil' Christopher needs to ditch soccer practice until he finishes what he's started, hmmmm?) which are each clad with a beautiful dragon gazing at you through intelegent eyes. As I read the inside of the book, Solly would stare just as intently at the outside. He knew the dragon's name and would ask eleventeen questions about the story. It enthrawled him just to stare at the cover.

Then the movie came out and with it, TV commercials setting his beloved dragon into animation. Soaring, breathing fire and doing battle with her rider. Oh, how Sol wanted to see this movie. My son longed to go with us. Longed, I'm telling you. As hard as it was to leave him behind, I'm glad I did. His 4-year-old fantasies would have been dessimated by the disturbing imagry of this film.

General rule of thumb here: If you enjoyed Lord of the Rings flicks, go see this movie, and keep in mind that the author was a young teen - you'll be impressed. HOMESCHOOL ROCKS!! Whoops, there I go, again. Sorry.

If your kids were allowed to watch Lord of the Rings movies and didn't soil there underoos, they'll enjoy it, as well. But take the rating seriously, folks. PG-13.

In any case, do read the books if you enjoy fanasy fiction. I'll allow Solly to read the books well before he's allowed to watch the movie.

New Coats

These are some of the new clothes we got for Christmas! Malachi likes his new blue jacket from Auntie Ruby & Uncle Denny (I got a Spider-Man one, too!) and he even found this matching funky hat. I love my "Army jacket". I wear it over my PJ's (the ones with the tanks and military dudes all over them) and my big, clunky boots. I top it off with my camo hat. Who says that boys can't accessorize properly?

At Least it all Matches...

Kai-Kai got his jammies on, "By self".

PS - Yes, he did wear the hat to bed. And the wrong-on-every-level underpants, as well.

The Bunny Song Poster Boy :

"The bunny, the bunny, oooooh I love the bunny... "

Super Swivel Sweeper!

Nana got Mommy a Swivel Sweeper for her Birthday. Mommy likes the Swivel Sweeper. A lot.

Mommy turns 28...

On Sunday we went to see Open Season for Mommy's birthday! Papa, Goga and Nana came too, and the 7 of us really enjoyed ourselves. Then later on Mommy got Meercat Manor season 1 from Uncle Shawn & Auntie Julie and a gift card from Uncle Chad so we can buy the Narnia movie! Happy Birthday, Mommy!

We liked Open Season waaay better than Happy Feet about which Mommy said, "luckily a bunch of stuff when over Solomon's head." I didn't notice anything up there, but Mom seems convinced of it and I don't care to get into trouble for arguing.

Family

Mommy's running a bit late on the year-end posts because of everything that's been going on, so here, finally are the end-of-year- pics of our favorite people. Here's Malachi and me with Papa and Goga.
Recent events have shown us how families change. Sometimes it happens so slowly that you don't notice. Sometimes the change is sudden. I know that my Great-Gramma will always be in my heart and I believe that my heart has always held a secret place for the cousin I just found out about. God knew about her all along, so it makes sense that He would carve out a special spot just for her to fill.
That having been said, here are some of the folks who fill my life. A few aren't pictured as they're far away, namely my Auntie Cyn who I really miss.
These pictures will be different next year and all the years after that because things change. But there are things that are forever. In this new year I hope to learn more about them with the people I care for most.

And on the Maternal side: My Uncle Shawn, my Auntie Julie, my brother, my Nana and my Uncle Chad.

A late look at some Christmastime moments.

Misused Royalty

....yet Daddy still says that One is useless. So ungrateful.

Our New Year's Eve:

Did you know that there's a holiday that parents have to let their kids stay up until midnight?!? I think it's the law or something. Whatever the reason - SCORE! We began our night with the Gilbert House's New Year's with the Dinosaurs Party. They had Hart's Reptile World, live music, a petting zoo, face painting, crafts, you could even have family portraits taken (ours turned out pretty cute). Boy, there was a ton to do! A balloon artist made me this sword.

Malachi got an orange one!

Then it was off to Steven and Isabel's house (Zion and his family were there, too!) to ring in the new year with our friends. There were snacks aplenty, noise makers and good times to be had by all.

Zion and I had a friendly game of Monopoly while the grown-ups and big kids played Taboo, "21" and Foos Ball.

As the countdown clock ticked to the New Year, everyone clapped and cheered! Isa's Mommy brought out little poppers with treats and streamers inside and the Daddies lit fireworks for us to watch. All the noise was a bit much for my poor little brother who was already overstimulated/oversugared/underslept. He high-tailed it up the stairs and waited until everyone was done being crazy. By the time we said our good-byes and got settled in the car, he was out like a light. And I was asking how much longer until the next New Year.
Welcome, 2007! I can't wait to see what you bring our family!

My Grandma Ruby

From Mom: My Grandma died on New Year's Day. Today is hard as I remember. There are some things I will never forget. I hope. Her laugh is already fading from my mind. I wish I could hear it just once more. And the way she sneezed. Silly, huh? There are some things that will never fade away, though. Things burned into who I am because of who she was. Things that make up little parts of me, forever. Here are some of them:
Sunflower Gardens
Hummingbirds
Sun tea with fresh lemon slices
Entenmen's Chocolate Covered Donuts
Uno
Homemade Chicken and Noodles
Jewel-toned rhinestone necklace, double-looped
TV Trays
"Ju-Lynee!"
"Ly-Julie!"
Daily Devotional on the nightstand,
right beside the Tums,
and a glass of water
The trundle bed
Owls
"The Wheeeeeeeele of Fortune!"
Tia and Freckles
$0.25 paperbacks
Black Jack Chewing Gum
Sweet Pickles on the side
"Garage Sale!" signs and change jingling in my pocket
A strip of suckers hanging from the cabinet door
Charcoaled toast
Cat food for the strays
"Did you get enough to eat, Darlin'?"
Strawberry ice cream at Longs Drugstore
Avenue I
Spray bottles to squirt the trees
Cups of crushed ice from that little machine
"I love you, sweetheart!"

...and so much more. Things just won't be the same.

"Save me a seat at the breakfast table,
Save me a dace around the Milky Way.
Save me a thousand years to whisper in your ear all I wanted to say.
Save me a smile and an angel's feather,
Save me a walk down the streets of gold.
And maybe we'll change our minds, just like old times
And maybe we'll just fly away. Or maybe we'll stay."
-Chris Rice