Joy in the midst of chaos

The dreariness of winter is here. We were blessed with two 60 degree days which were spent outside for hours on end, but the dreary, gray, cold, snowless days are upon us here in NOVA. And inside my house, chaos reigns:

Yes, that's my oven in the middle of the floor. And the missing cabinets in the corner were taken out by some high school boys during small group. We let them use a saw in our house!!

The metallic wallpaper is gone...after two days of scraping. And now, we're patching drywall after adding outlets, priming, and I will soon paint it a soothing OCEAN RIDGE blue.

One of my handymen...doing his work in his overalls, "just like daddy." Andrew loves working with tools...and loves looking at tools at the hardware store. This is a good thing since we seem to visit the hardware store every other day or so. His latest acquisition: his very own tape measure.

Our dining room table...this poor card table will never recover from the construction. But, it has been the hub of all activity in the house. It's where we eat, craft, go over bills, talk and enjoy one another's company.

In the midst of all the deconstruction, construction and craziness, I've found joy in such simple things:

Four top teeth soon...soon....to descend through the gums. I'm saddened that her smile will change, but thankful that some of the misery of teething will be over.

I often find my children in this position...books strewn all over the floor while both of them are engrossed in "reading" a favorite. The other day, I stumbled upon Andrew reading "Blue Hat, Green Hat" to his sister. Yep, there were tears!

The man I love...tackling new projects every day. Learning new skills; studying to solve problems; amazing me with his knowledge and what he can do; patiently sharing a project with his son; my heart skips a beat still.

There is joy in the chaos of life...and I am very grateful.

A Split Second Decision

There he was; thirty minutes past his bedtime, peeping his head out into the kitchen. "Are you done choppin' those pickles yet mommy?" He grins, with his gap toothed grin that lights up his face. "I really really want you to cuddle with me puhlease."

I've heard myself all day -- "Andrew, don't do that. Andrew, please. No, I can't paint with you, I need to fix dinner. Andrew, Andrew, Andrew."

It was a split second decision: do I nag about him still being up or do I run after him, give him a great big hug and go cuddle with him? By the grace of God, I chose the latter...and I am a better mother for it.

Yes, he's still awake....but during that quality cuddle time, we got to pray and I heard his sweet little voice talk to Jesus. And then God graciously forgave my faults by showing me just how much this little boy sleeps like his mom. Choosing to cuddle until he's really tired...and then pulling away and curling onto his side for a good night's sleep.

There are still things that need to be done tonight. Laundry to be folded, dishes to wash, lunch to make; but I got to spend twenty quality minutes cuddling with my boy. Thank you Lord for giving me the opportunity to just be a mommy tonight!

SNOW!

OK -- all you midwest and westerners can laugh hysterically but we finally got snow! Three inches or more which is now getting a topcoat of sleet, freezing rain and ice; but oh, it was so blissful to be outside in the snow today. The county schools were already off for a teacher work day but rest assured that they'll face at least a delay tomorrow...no one around here knows how to drive in this stuff!!

Any excuse to play with our backhoe, dumptruck and tractor with the bucket...helping daddy clear the driveway.

Other fun and random pictures from our past week:

Marcail fingerpainting for the first time. When she gives into her laughter, it's with reckless abandon.

Andrew and daddy share a laugh before the dolphin show at the Baltimore Aquarium.

Our house may be a three ring circus for the next few days. A friend's two year old is staying with us while she heads to the hospital to deliver his baby brother. A new baby...how very exciting. We're so anxious to meet this new little member of our small group! And so I celebrate with one friend and grieve with another very dear friend who is at this moment in the hospital. Jill, a dear friend from eons ago, lost her sweet daughter at a little over 30 weeks. In those moments of sheer frustration with my own children, I am reminded how very blessed I am. Won't you join me in praying for Jill as she mourns and Christy as she rejoices. I am so thankful that both of these dear friends rest in the hands of our precious Savior.

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16

A Magic Act

Want to see five dozen cookies disappear in less than 20 minutes?

Put them in front of five teenage boys who are gearing up for a "small group Bible Study" involving play station 2. It's a good thing I had to taste test one of them before they went to the boys, otherwise I would have been sorely disappointed.

As I write, Andrew and Marc are busy making me a meal with their new kitchen set (a Christmas gift)...I believe I will soon be dining on a mixture of oatmeal, rice, oregano, basil, rosemary and sage. Certainly sounds delicious, don't you think?


Happy Thursday to you!

On becoming homeowners...

A new home, monthly mortgage payments and all of a sudden, date night is spent at Lowes or the Home Depot. Today, the kids stayed with a babysitter and we got to peruse the aisles of our local hardware stores without worry of someone climbing in and out of kitchen cupboards, trying to swing from plumbing fixtures or begging for a red gatorade from the cooler. Why is it, though, that every one item we purchased seems to translate into five more hours of work in the house?

With every coat of paint, every little project we accomplish around the house, we feel a bit better. We see progress...we're enjoying the changes from the inside out. It's kind of like Christ's love for us...changing us from the inside out. Let me ruminate on that thought a bit more...somewhere in my sleep deprived brain there's a metaphor about a fresh coat of paint (I think!).

More house pics for you to enjoy:

Andrew prepares to help daddy put new locks on the door.

Happy Birthday Marcail

How is it that a year can pass by so quickly? That a mom can blink and you've gone from an innocent little five pound baby to a sassy, independent, determined little girl who wants to play with everything her brother has? Why is it that the days can seem so long but a year passes by so quickly? Why is it that your beautiful little smile, a simple chuckle or your sweet little voice saying "Mommy" can melt my heart even as I struggle to keep my eyes open after another sleepless night with you?

Happy Birthday dear sweet Marcail. You have enriched our lives in so many ways. We love you.

Roses from daddy for my first birthday!

A tractor from Andrew...of course!

Ahhh sweet birthday cake...

Home Ownership

We took the plunge...signing enough paperwork to make us feel as if we need to replant a forest. And so, here you have it...random images from our new home. All of our "stuff" gets delivered tomorrow; so sometime next week, we will be in our own beds. Oh, that will be the best Christmas gift ever!!

Andrew, helping prime the walls, ends up wearing it. I finally got it all out of his hair this am, 6 days later; just in time to take Christmas photos!

Marcail's room -- gone is the wall to wall mint green and in its place: heffalump purple and fabulous frog!

Unless you see it up close...you can't appreciate the metallic bronze, gold and silver wallpaper in the bathroom!

The cable guy was on the roof...and we had to have the bucket truck brought in, much to Andrew's delight. Thank goodness, there was no charge for all of that, save for the monthly bills that are already rolling in.

This is the first of many house pics as we look forward to moving in and making it our own. Our kids have been troopers throughout the whole process but we are all tired, exhausted, fighting sickness and more than ready to be "home".