Ready! Almost. Not really…

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve probably already seen the crazy schedule that I’m going to attempt to keep up with beginning next Tuesday…

After I took that photo of it, I butchered it some more. Then I made a to-do list including: things to print, things to buy, things to organize, things to plan, and things to research. All before school begins. Ha! Ironically, it will be one very busy Labour Day long weekend.

I have seven kids in school! I know that I did last year as well, but I said it to someone recently and it just hit me. I remember when I felt overwhelmed with four in school. I’m so thankful for God’s grace. I’m so thankful for His strength. There have definitely been days when I was ready to throw in the towel. When I literally hid under the covers of my bed and begged Scott not to tell the kids where I was! There have been tears on both ends, harsh words, impatience, but most of all grace. I’m thankful for a merciful God and loving children, who are willing to forgive and start fresh with me every morning.

Everybody needs love and forgiveness…

Her hair is crazy… And when she sees me with a comb- before I even touch her hair- she starts yelling, “Ow! Oowwww!” The girl has some serious tats. Like, her hair breaks the teeth off my combs kinda tats…

It’s hard to believe that summer is over. Last week, the four oldest girls were at camp and I only had 4 kids for the week. The boys were such a huge help this year! From Elijah getting up early and making Lily some breakfast one morning, to helping her put on her shoes every time we went out… to Jeddy helping me in the kitchen, and Ella keeping her little sister happy… we did alright without the girls! We baked cookies. They taught me how to play Little Big Planet… and let me just say how annoying it is when your 5 year old finds it funny to slap you over and over again in the game while laughing hysterically and you can’t figure out how to slap her back! We went to the park, where Elijah helped her down slides, pushed her on swings, and let her ruin his sand moat too many times to count. I had a blast spending some time with my 4 youngest. It’s easy to spend time with Jeddy. He’ll cook with me, garden with me, pretty much do whatever I do. Ella loves to read books with me, and she’ll colour or just cuddle with me. Elijah likes video games, lego, ninja books… I realized that I don’t spend as much one-on-one time with him because we don’t have as much in common. It was really great to see his personality a bit more, and just have time to hear him talk without his big sisters talking over him. He is my strong and silent one. He mentioned to me that he liked being “the oldest” for a week. It made me see how responsible he can be and how overbearing it must be to have his four sisters trying to mother him at times. We had a bit of a chat this week, and I'm thankful for that week of observation. I think God allowed me to observe some changes that needed to be made and will hopefully resolve some sibling conflicts we’ve been dealing with.

Speaking of changes… Lily is changing so much! My baby is talking SO MUCH! Her new favourite word… “No!” Actually, it’s “Mo!” But she knows what she means. When I give her the look, her tone immediately changes to “Mo tank oo!” and “Yes, pease!” Although most of the time she just answers, “Ya!” She can say everyone’s names now. She calls Keona “Coo coo”- that’s my favourite. Makes me laugh every time I hear it. This girl also has her pronouns down pat! Here’s a recent convo we had…

Me: Lily, say “I”

Lily: I

Me: Love

Lily: Love

Me: You!

Lily: Me!

She is a sweetheart. So what if she hits, kicks, and pinches her brothers and sisters when they try to bring her somewhere she doesn’t want to go!? At least we haven’t had anymore fits in the grocery store…

And she likes to squat while she eats…

So next week we start fresh. New schedule, new grades, new goals, new blog?… Not really, but you will see some changes happen around here. When I look back to 2008 and read all the stories about the kids, and 2009 with all the trouble Jeddy and Ella caused together- and then 2013 with twelve blog posts and barely any pictures to show for it... Well, it made me realize that I need to shake things up a bit and get myself re-excited about this whole journaling thing. I have a feeling that I’ll be glad I did a few years from now.

But for now, I’m off to hunt for more Canadian geography and music print outs!

Wipeout

I’m pretty sure that most people have heard of this show. I don’t know that I’ve ever sat through an entire episode, but the first round- the one where people get sucker punched into a mud pit, and inevitably fly off the big red balls… that’s my favourite. If Scott knows I’m having a bad night, he sends me a link to a fail video on YouTube. I blame my grandfather for my sense of humour. I still remember when we were playing catch and I ran for the ball, “Got it! Got it!” and it went right through my hands and off my face… Before he even asked if I was ok – he laughed! So in my defense, I come by it naturally.

ANYWAYS.. back to the real story.

So I was out on the porch chatting with Scott while he cleaned the car. Keona and Lily were playing around on the front lawn, and Justus was chained to the railing. I decided that I would take the girls and the dog for a quick walk around the block and kill two birds with one stone by tiring Lily and Justus both out for their naps. :) I casually unhooked his leash as I talked to Scott and had my back turned to the dog who was just chilling in front of the steps. I saw Lily head around the side of the house, and I watched as Keona followed her. What I didn’t see was a guy walking down the sidewalk in front of our house with his dog…

All of a sudden I felt a tug on the leash and as I tried to turn and get my footing, the dog took off. Being the brilliant person that I am- I tightened my grip on the leash. I think that for a split second I believed that I could hold him back…tripping over my feet and all.

Nope.

I fell down two steps and then my knees hit the pavement. I thought to myself, “Ouch, that was bad.” But it didn’t stop there… He proceeded to run and drag me, on my stomach, arms outstretched, like a cartoon, across 10 feet of lawn. I have the grass stains and bruises to prove it… When we finally stopped, I looked up and saw that I was at the feet of a guy with his dog. Meanwhile, Justus was still tugging at the leash and I was still lying on the grass. I saw Scott come around the truck with a very confused look on his face and he just stood there and stared for what seemed like an ETERNITY until I finally said, “Ummm, can you please take the leash so I can get up?” He grabbed the leash and dealt with the dog while I got up and brushed off my shirt. After the guy had asked me if I was OK several times, and told me how strong my dog was, (as if I hadn’t just witnessed it firsthand) I politely excused myself and said that I was going to go inside and clean up my knees.

As I was walking in the door he shouted, “Hey! Didn’t I see you guys in the newspaper!?”

Ha… Exactly how I wanted to be remembered. ;)

 

As a side note, I don’t think Justus knew that I had his leash. He has never pulled me like that before. We let the kids walk him (with one of us there) and he has never been a problem. When I went inside he came over to me and put his head up to my chest and then on my lap as if to apologize. We took him out several times that day and the following weekend, and no further incidences.

 

He really does love me…

On Saturday night, Scott and I were walking him to the park when a lady in a van stopped us to ask questions about him. She ended by saying, “He’s just so huge! If he wanted to go, you’d just be dragging behind!”

Scott and I both chuckled at how accurate her statement was…

And that is my wipeout story.

I am much relieved that there were no cameras around. My 13 year old laughing at me was bad enough. Though I can’t really blame her!

Change

I could use some... in more ways than one. It seems like it never stops and yet, there's never enough.

Some people never change and yet everyone is always changing.

From the second your first cell divides within your mother's womb, you change hour after hour until the day you die. Even after we die, composing turns to decomposing, and we move further and further from what we were. Vibrating dust turns to still dust, and yet we are still dust. The dryness of death slowly removes all the moisture absorbed in life, and we become as though we never were. We are never the same two days in a row physically. Every day brings its change.

The natural world is always in a whirlpool of cycle, moving from something to something else. The oceans rise through the sky and drop down the leaves of the trees on the shore. Food chains and water tables, seasons and lunar cycles, all changing in harmony all the time.Yet, though nature always changes it only changes within the limits of its consistency.

Soon it will be fall. It's always fall at that time of year. That doesn't change. After the leaves have fallen, and the frost has crept across the prepared land, the animals will hide, the squirrels will horde their spoils, fatten up, and we will welcome winter. This winter will be different from the last, but this winter will be within its availability to change according to the consistency of the Guide of nature - He who does not change. Four seasons, all prescribed and promised, each yielding its planned change. For without this constant change nothing would ever be the same.

I watch as my babies change and change and change. One is at this stage, and another at that. One is at a change that is new, and another, we just wait to see the same change take place again. They are different, and yet the same. Their baby accent becomes classy deep vocabulary. Their thin light hair becomes thick glorious compliment to that which their personal metamorphosis conforms them toward. The excitement of a little child becomes the vibrant glow of a transfigured perfection. Must they change? Oh how I would to hold them so close again, as they dream their baby dreams and rest as though the world has no harm. As a baby, their vibrancy of peace as they sleep yields a sweet spirit of rest all around them. But things have changed some. Thank God, the changes have not come too quickly. Every day has its changes.

I settle now my heart upon a hand to hold. I long for a sweet look across the table as we step together through life. We each continue to change a little everyday, yet never further apart. Though we change, and though we move to and fro, our distance of heart need not change. Our souls need not divide though are paths may for a time. I love them just the same, my changing children, and believe they love me even more now, and even more on purpose.

People change, but they are still who they are. You are still you, though you may have changed a lot. You are still that baby who was guarded and loved, cherished and adored. That place never changes with God either. We are still but children, resting sweetly in the peace that there can be no harm, smiling up with excitement at His presence, though we probably don't understand much. God's love will never change. It is there for you as long as you have breath to accept it. Receive His love, like a child receives the embrace of a father, or the sweet care of a mother. In this world full of change, there is a consistent carrier of peace to those of us bouncing upon the waves, and that carrier is the love of God.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” – Hebrews 13:8

Were we really meant for change? Man was placed into a perpetually perfect place, without error or corruption. He was made in a matured form, without the purpose of decaying or growing old. "Old" was an idea never thought. Yet the curiosity and discontent of the desire of mankind would not fail in its move towards self-destruction. Perhaps change is inevitable in this place. Maybe the desire to change while living in constant fear and distain for it is our grafted in bipolar way of refusing to take root, and stand still, and become a part of where we are placed. It's in our nature to fluctuate. It's in our heart to jump from discontent to discontent. It drives us to observe and enjoy and despise. We seek though we need not seek. We change our styles and wall colours and car freshener scent, not because it must be done, but because we must do it. Change, for purpose or for pleasure, it is in our will's constant design.

A consistent change is okay to us. That kind is really not all that much of a change. It's the "change ups" that really spin us to our knees. When we are fooled by the topspin on the ball, and we go making errors like a rookie, that change is not comfortable. We want things to move, and life to take place in a way that doesn't surprise us, or challenge us, or cause us any shame. What enjoyment can come from a life without risk or reward? What challenge is a challenge without challenge? There is no victory in facing a battle that can't be lost or an enemy that can't destroy you! Yes your world is about to change, and yes there will be no going back to the way it was, but what possibilities rest in a place that never changes? What excitement and vibrancy comes from a tomb of death, left untouched for countless years, uselessly housing the treasures of a life? There is no value possible without change. It must be done. It must happen. There is no other way to shine unless that which has set dormant be uncovered and rise from the ashes.

Sometimes the change is necessary. Let change breed her perfecting work. Let her smooth the stone. Let her carve the die, and produce the product that your substance has potential to perform. Let her renovate your life, and transfigure your carnal existence into a glimpse of the future possibilities. Glory only comes with the glorifying, and glorifying only comes when we shall be changed.

Change not for the sake of change, but for the sake of an efficient and excellent existence. Don't settle, move forward. Don't be discontent with the will of God by being content with the well watered fields you were supposed to have pass through. Move. Change. See that you go forward, through the parted waters, though life will never be the same, because only in that permanent God ordered transforming change can you become the glorious matured creation you were intended to be. Every day has His change.

What change should you make today?

"Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God." - Psalms 55:19

i heart faces: jump

July Photo-a-Day

 

Another month gone by…

This month has been BUSY! We’ve had birthdays, weddings, finding a new church building, cleaning out bedrooms, cleaning out our basement… We have worked hard. My back aches… and my back never aches. The kids have been such a huge help moving things around. The boys helped me put together three Ikea dressers. Let me just say, I hope that the people who work at Ikea assembling furniture make good money. Because seriously… There were hundreds of pieces and chapters of instructions to put together a simple three drawer dresser. The kids thought it was great though. Their favourite part: When I would just barely start all the little nails to hold the back on and they got to hammer them in. Prayer hit almost every single one sideways. The boys were pretty good at it. Ella… Ella is a beast. One shot for every nail. It brought back memories of when I was a kid and my Grandpa would take twice as long to put something together just so that I could help him. Fun memories…

We were playing Catan, and Scott and Prayer were driving me INSANE with their fake accents! Prayer was speaking in her Irish accent and Scott says, “Wow- You’re pretty good at that!”

To which Prayer replies, “Want to know where I learned it? From a Mandie book that I read! The entire story takes place in Ireland.”

That’s right. She picked up an accent from reading a book…

Speaking of accents… One more quick story! And yes, the triplets are crazy, loud, sometimes obnoxious, and most of the time hilarious.

Charity and I were out grocery shopping and she was talking in her English accent. Not quietly, but loud enough for everyone around to hear her. I kept asking her to stop, but she was making me laugh so hard that she knew I wasn’t serious. I threatened to kick her in the behind to no avail. When we were near people, she got louder. Apparently it’s super fun to embarrass Mom. So we get to the checkout and she is blabbering away in her accent and everyone in front of us and behind is looking at her. Meanwhile, she is convinced that everyone must think she is actually from England. I decided to have some fun… I picked up the giant box of diapers that we were buying and as I put them on the conveyor belt I said, “Charity, when are you going to stop wetting the bed!?” Nice and loud.

Her jaw dropped as she stared at me, and then she burst out laughing, “Now everyone’s going to think those diapers are for me, Mommy!” In her best English accent… It didn’t work quite as well as I had planned.