Belated but Heartfelt

Birthdays are funny things. I'm sure many parents can relate - in some ways it feels like Eli has been around far more than two years and yet, I feel like I've turned around twice & he went from being a bleary-eyed and wholly dependent newborn to a busy, running, talking toddler who is beginning to seek independence.

The post may be late, but Eli was well-celebrated on and around his birthday. It feels a little tricky with his birthday just days after Christmas - I want to be sure we celebrate, and yet many people are out of town & most everyone has had ample festivity already. I decided to simply celebrate with our Wednesday Night Dinner gang this year, as they are all such dear friends & a regular part of our lives. We went with a duck theme, as "quack-quacks" are among Eli's favorite things right now. Just a glimpse...


A little overwhelmed at all of the attention - at least one of them is


He belly-laughed over these "quack-quack" cup cakes each time he saw them.


Grace adores Mindy & is already quite fond of Baby Smith (arriving next month!)



Apparently I'm making him say thank-you for a present :)




I quickly become teary thinking back on these past two years and the day of Eli's birth. While my heart was instantly bursting with mother-love for my new beautiful boy, I was also beyond overwhelmed at the thought of taking him home and raising three very small children, and in less-than-ideal circumstances. While it has not been easy (as in, hands down the hardest thing I've ever done!!!), God has been faithful and has carried us daily in ways I couldn't have fathomed.

All of that to say, this could have been a very different couple of years if Eli was not the boy that is (his brother & sister too!). I know he is a wee boy yet, but Elijah Hope Matthew is already living up to his name.

Elijah - the Lord is my God (Eli - uplifted & delivered)
Hope - to believe, desire, trust
Matthew - gift of God


You, darling boy ARE a gift of God. You are one of the most delightful, hope-filled, joyful little boys I have ever known. I love to watch you play, to learn, to dance, to run, to mimick your brother & sister. I am your mother, yes, but I am only one of many who know you and love you dearly. Happy Birthday Hope-man!

Merry Christmas

There is not much like the excitement and wonder of children around Christmas! We have had a joy-filled few days with Grammie & Poppa, and our hearts, home, and bellies are abundantly full tonight.



Christmas Eve


All-smiles with G&P


Our best attempt at a family picture


Sweet girl working on her number flashcards


Our newest tradition - opening a new family game on Christmas Eve. 2010=Candyland


Ready for bed - can you sense the anticipation?!


Christmas Morning


First sighting of the tree & gifts. Priceless expression.


This boy has been asking for a guitar since August. Let the music begin.


The big gift this year was snow shoes all-around. I have enjoyed snow shoeing for a number of years now and am thrilled that the kids & my folks can now join in the fun. We gave them all a test run in the backyard today and I was quite impressed with how well all three kids (and Grammie & Poppa) did. Grace & Isaac took off running but Eli was more tentative. Of course, at this point, he'll need to be carried much of the time on our real outings. I can hardly wait for our first big adeventure!











Peace & joy to you this Christmas!

Sacred Space

“I think of our family table as a training ground for all of life, a place where adults and children alike can learn to put aside their differences in favor of laughter and fellowship; a place where we can each be heard and respected; a place where each of us can offer love and nourishment and receive it in turn. When we hold hands around our table, we create a sacred space there. When we share food and life and good talk, we reweave our connections with each other.”

Katrina Kenison, Mitten Strings for God – Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry


Does this sound like mealtime at your house? I love the thought, but between trying to convince three munchkins to stay in their seats, to fights over eating broccoli, pleadings to use their inside voices, and six trips to the kitchen for mom, the bustle of our table often feels more like a zoo than a sacred space.

And yet, every now and then we’ll share a meal in which everyone stays in their seats and eats without complaint, in which giggles replace arguing, and even those rare moments of the older two asking questions and sharing the beginnings of real conversation with one another. It is these times that remind me that the work of training in these early years will not only pay off later, but is an irreplaceable time in itself. The chaos of learning prayers, of training in manners and teaching appreciation for wholesome meals may not be the quiet, peaceful picture that my mind conjures up when hearing the term “sacred space,” but these are matchless moments that are holy in themselves.

So, for now I’ll light a candle to fulfill the part of my heart that longs for serenity and embrace the sacred chaos of mealtime in these early years of motherhood.







*Written for our November MOPS newsletter. Katrina Kenison's book, Mitten Strings for God, which I quoted at the beginning is a great little book of vignettes written by a mother who chooses to live simply. It has been an encouragement for me and could be a nice Christmas gift for mothers of young children. :)

Learning to love, learning to pray

Isaac has had a nasty stomach bug the past few days. As I was rubbing his back and tucking him into bed after a round of vomitting last night, Grace came and sat next to me on his bed. She began gently rubbing his back, closed her eyes, and said "Dear Jesus, thank you for Isaac. He is sick. Amen."

Melt my mother-heart. Watching these three learn to love each other well and learn to love our ever-faithful God are two of my favorite things about motherhood.

All Things Fall

Autumn is, without a doubt, my favorite season. I love the crisp morning air; the vibrant colors; picking, drying & saucing apples; pumpkin candles; big pots of homemade soup; dressing in sweaters & boots; hot drinks and the list goes on. Apparently, I've been too busy enjoying fall to update the blog, but with winter now upon us (or so it feels), here are a few highlights from the past couple of months.

We had an unusually warm and beautiful fall this year, which led to many an afternoon playing in the leaves. Raking, jumping, throwing, burying, and of course, posing for pictures!





What is fall in Spokane without a trip (or four) to Greenbluff? Apples, pumpkins, cider, tractor-rides...so much to enjoy. The kids and I went up on our own, then with Grammie & Poppa, AND I went with Grace & Isaac on their first ever school field trip!









The kids like helping me use our peeler-corer to prep apples for applesauce & dehydrating, however, this year's favorite was making caramel apples.






We spent a number of mornings exploring new kid-friendly hiking trails this fall. Eli is at that tricky stage, he loves to "hike" with his siblings, but his little legs wear out sooner & he can't quite keep up with them. He is 30 pounds now so I can still carry him in the backpack, but I am thankful he prefers to be on the ground some of the time. We did have one disastrous adventure a few weeks back which ended with me carrying a fit-throwing Grace as well as Eli on my back the last 1/2 mile. It is a good thing Isaac was in good spirits!




Halloween this year consisted of a pink dinosaur, a tiger, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. We had a great time at a party with our small group friends, decorating pumpkins, making pizzas, & playing games amid the bubbly chaos of twelve small children.





Time in Moscow. I remain very grateful for the ways in which my folks are a huge part of each of our lives, I cannot imagine it any other way. THANK YOU Grammie & Poppa!



I am also grateful for the opportunities this fall for grown-up fun, including:

An Arbor Crest concert with NB & Eric



A 24-hour trip to Portland to celebrate a special friendship. Nicole & Brad (both of whom were my RD's in college and have since become my good friends) have been best buddies for 20 years. So, they threw a fabulous anniversary party, complete with a DJ, fantastic food, lots of people & even a registry! :)


Me, Nicole, Mindy (and Baby Smith)


Cheers to 20 years of friendship!


And, a gorgeous hike to the top of Mt Kit Carson, a favorite of ours.




So long, autumn. Hello hats, gloves and SNOW!