Joyfully Overwhelmed

It's been a full "Mommy" week... We've been way more busy than I am used to being. I really enjoy the carefree pace of this time in my life with my many small treasures. On most days we don't HAVE to be anywhere specific. But in the past few days we have been to Legoland, the Zoo, CBS, our small group, a farm & the park. I hosted a baby shower at my house & delivered a meal to a dear friend who lost her precious baby this week. I've made my way through heaps of laundry, cleaned three bathrooms, (*Note to self... Next time we move, find a house with less bathrooms. The fewer we have the less I have to clean :). I've prepared countless meals for my family and scrubbed down the floors, counters and tables in attempt to hide the evidence of those never ending meals.

And although it's true of me that sometimes complaints fall out of my mouth about the monotony and weariness that sometimes come with my line of work, the truth is that I really, really, really love being a mom.

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On Sunday we had a baby shower at our house for my friend Katie. She is pregnant with baby #6. She is an amazing mom to five fearfully and wonderfully made treasures. And four of us friends wanted to give her an afternoon of REST before her sixth treasure arrives. Heidi and Diane put together this "Celebration of Motherhood" idea that they found online. I must admit that when I first heard we were going to do a "Celebration of Motherhood," I wasn't really sure about the whole thing... But let me share with you that this shower was one of the sweetest afternoons of my whole Mommy life.

There are so many details that I could share here but I'm going to stick to just a few... We had great food... good music... close, real friends... A giant, red lazy-boy recliner for the pregnant mommy in the center of the room.
One friend gave a pedicure, another gave a massage. And all the little girls put flowers from our garden in the guest of honor's hair...

And as the mommy-to-be got pampered from head to toe, each guest shared a gift from the heart. It was so cool! I had no idea how personal and heart warming each gift would be. Some people shared personal stories; some were funny, some were emotional but encouraging. Some ladies shared scripture.

But this one special friend wrote a poem. I loved it so much that I asked her if she could email it to me.
So I get to share it with all of you...

"What did I sign up for?
I’m sure it wasn’t this!
With so many demands on me
That I cannot dismiss.

I’m overwhelmed!

Why is this sock in the freezer?
No, don’t feed him that!
Oh, here’s some unknown excrement
Hidden in my hat!

I’m overwhelmed!

The blessings – they are plenty,
But with six mouths to feed,
A husband to please, a house to clean,
It seems a surplus of deeds.

I’m overwhelmed!

But just to slow down time a bit,
In the midst of the things to do,
And realize I’m not alone
These things the Father foreknew.

I’m overwhelmed!

Gratitude floods in now,
You’ve blessed me beyond measure.
This life, my family and friends
Are surely a great treasure.

I’m overwhelmed!

All powerful Creator
You hold me in your hand
That you would take pleasure in my work
I cannot understand

I’m overwhelmed!

My cup, it overflows now
With your peace and grace
Your joy, it overtakes me
As I look upon your face.

I’m overwhelmed!

Eternal rewards await me
I look forward to the prize
“My good and faithful servant”
He says, looking into my eyes.

I’m overwhelmed!"


What a genuine, beautiful picture of motherhood, hey?

Before each person shared their gift from the heart they lit one of these cute little candles that smelled like chocolate. By the time everyone was done sharing, the whole room smelled like a homemade chocolate cake had just come out of the oven... It added a lovely touch I thought. :)

The thing is... Moms need encouragement... and not just a little bit of encouragement... but instead a constant flow of it... a free flowing fountain of it. There is so much, often unseen, yet mighty mighty purpose in our line of work. Motherhood is a heart job.

Sunday's shower was an afternoon of blessing that every mom needs. It's how all new little treasures should be celebrated. Sunday was a celebration of life and of mommy-hood. It was full of blessing and great joy. It was simply delightful!

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Then Monday rolled around... and another aspect of motherhood overcame our little group of mommy friends. As a mom we most certainly love MUCH... but with much love there can be much pain. One of our most treasured friends lost her sweet treasure on Monday afternoon. And although she was only 9weeks along we have all had plenty of time to fall in love with another Haynes baby. When you are a mom, it does not matter if you carry your baby in your belly for a short time, or if you live to see your child celebrate their 50th birthday, that little little treasure will always consume your heart. That little treasure will always be a part of your story, a part of your testimony of God's faithfulness in creating a timeline of events that he has graciously carried you through with each little treasure, in order to draw you nearer to himself.

Often times there is joy... Sometimes there is pain... But always there is Jesus...
My friend who just lost her baby ended her latest email update as follows...

"Please continue praying that I would obey God's precious word and be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer as I go through this healing process and cling to the Lord for He is GOOD and His love endures forever."

Those are the eyes that I want to have as I go through my daily work as a mother to my many small treasures...
This past week I have been joyfully overwhelmed with my life...


These are all my treasures when they were brand new...

Oh Yes I Did!!!!

A mini miracle happened in our house last night... Crazy of all crazies, I actually made a dress... Two dresses to be precise. The truth is that I have never really sewn anything before in my life. But lat night our friend Krista came over and showed Tara and I how to make the cutest little dresses EVER! (Ok, maybe not EVER... but pretty close to the cutest ones EVER!)

When my mom passed away (8 years ago this month.. wow...hard to believe it's already been that long) I inherited her sewing machine. It turns out that her machine is quite ancient. It was a bit complicated and we weren't able to get it working last night so Krista was kind enough to share hers with me. (Thanks friend :).

I am so stoked that we have our super long table that Adam and Tara bought when we moved into the house on the hill. It was big enough for all three of us to have plenty of space.


I like this picture because it makes me look like I actually might be a good sewer... But we all know the truth... I really have no clue. More than once last night I sewed things on the wrong way, backwards, and upside down. Oh well... It turned out in the end... Just don't look to closely at my seams. :)


Krista helped us figure out the measurements that we would need for each of our girls and cut out all the pieces that we would need.


It took us four, fun-filled hours to finish all three dresses for our three girls...



There was a lot of ironing involved... and since I don't even own an iron I had to re-familiarize myself with the whole concept of ironing... :)



THE FINAL PRODUCTS...
This is Reesie's...


This is Hal's...


And this is Vivy's...

I seriously can't believe that I managed to make a dress that actually fits and actually looks cute. I have always been intimidated to use my sewing machine, but it turns out that it's not nearly as difficult as it looks. If I could do it, trust me, anyone could do it!

If you'd like to download the pattern for the dress you ca get it off of this website. The instructions are simple and easy to follow. She even has pictures of each step to help make the process even easier.

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Thanks sweet Krista for spending your night at the big house on the hill and helping Tara and I become sewing professionals!!! You are a sweet blessing my friend! Yes YOU ARE! :)

Leaving comfort for courage often times brings BEAUTIFUL results!!!!

Don't you think????

The Farm

Yesterday we went to Fallbrook to visit our precious friend Jenny. She took us to her friend's "mini" farm. The kids got to feed their cow and their chickens. They were both surprisingly brave. Often times they are hesitant with animals and they don't really like to get that close to them. But at the farm they walked right up and said "Hello!"

The kids picked tomatoes from their organic garden to feed the chickens...


Meet "Mr. Cow"...

Throwing the tomatoes through the fence...

They both made several trips back and forth from the garden to the chicken coup...

Jenny let each of the kids collect fresh eggs....



They fed the cows. Siah wanted to put the hay right into the cows mouth but we passed on that idea... Jenny told Siah that if he wanted to keep his fingers attached to his hand that he should just put the hay in the trough...






Siah watching the cow eat...

It was a hot, hot day... after the farm we had planned on going to a park to eat our lunch but instead settled for the air conditioning in Carls Jr. We ended the fun with some frozen yogurt at this cute little yogurt shack in the center of town. Jenny treated us and I'm pretty sure that the "ice cream" was the kids most favorite part of the day.

On our way home we stopped off at Costco to pick up a few things for a baby shower that we're having at our house this weekend.
Another sweet Treasure day...

Siah's First Day Of Soccer

Today was Siah's very first day of soccer!!! And well... He liked it... at least I think he did. He kinda just hung back and laid low. He totally followed all the instructions that were given to him by his coaches. But... he has absolutely NO idea what a team sport is or how it works. But I think he figured a few things out. When we got home he ran up to Tara and told her, "I kicked the ball soooo hard!"

At one point he stopped playing the game and started picking the grass. Joey started chuckling and said, "That's my boy."

On one of his little water breaks Joey asked him, "Are you having fun buddy?"
Siah replied, "No one ever gives me the ball."

But overall, I think that it was fun for him.

This is how he stood most of the time when he was listening to his coaches explain something new to him.


I just liked this picture...



Here he is trying to score on "Coach Doug"

Joey made sure that he was there for Siah's first soccer day. I know that him being there absolutely made Siah's day. Joey was so encouraging to Siah. They gave each other a high five at every water break. And each time Joey would tell Siah that he was so proud of him. And each time he said it, Siah would get this massive smile across his face and he seemed to have a new found enthusiam to keep trying. Joey and I and his sisters were so proud of him! We all shouted from the side line as Siah ran down the field. Hal kept yelling, "Go Siah! Get that ball!! Get it!!! Reesie just shouted nothingness. It was a fun family event!
Yipee!!! I just absolutely LOVE HAVING KIDS! These are definately the best days of my life!

Laugh, Love, Lunch

Laugh...

Love...

Lunch...





A Sweet Treasure Day...

Bye Bye Bob

I'm not sure why I haven't mentioned him before. He's a big part of our lives around here. Josiah talks about him as if he is 100% real. (But not in a weird, sixth sense sort of way. :)

Meet Bob...

He's Josiah's imaginary friend.

There are actually two "Bobs." One Bob is married to Lisa. The second Bob is married to Beth. They are a very big part of our conversations around here. Siah gives us the rundown on his and Bob's plans for the day, each and every day. Bob is a big part of Siah's life. So I was surprised by today's announcement from the back seat...

On the way home from Bible Study this morning Siah informed me of a most tragic event.

The conversation went like this...

S "Hey Mom. Can you turn down the music I have something to tell you?"
M "Yeah bud, what's up?"
S "Bob died today."
M (With a shocked look on my face) "What? What happened?"
S " Well, he was surfing with the other Bob... you know, Bob & Lisa Bob? And he fell off his surfboard and he stopped his breath. He no know how to swim. And now he's dead."
M "Wow, Si. That's sad."
S "It's not that sad mom. Bob's in heaven with your mom. Isn't that what happened? Didn't your mom lose her breath to? And isn't she with Jesus?
M "Yeah, buddy. Are you sure your're four years old?"
S He chuckles and says kinda confused, "Yeah Mom, of course Siah is four."

We will miss you Bob. :)

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I also took a few pictures of the girls today. Hal wanted her and Reesie to wear their matching hats to Bible Study this morning and I was most happy to oblige because my personal opinion is that they look absolutely adorable in hats.

Change

In some parts of the country Fall is marked by the changing of the leaves, the cool air slowly creeping in, the first day of school, a change in wardrobe....

But around these parts, blazing heat, red level fire watch, and FOOTBALL, mark the beginning of Fall. It's funny to me that the absolute HOTTEST time of year in San Diego can be experienced in the Fall.

When tourists arrive in June I can only imagine their disappointment as they try to experience all San Diego has to offer, in the rain. And often times they end up buying themselves a whole new wardrobe because all they thought to bring in their carry-on bags were their bathing suit covers and bikinis.

This morning our family went walking on the beach with some friends and for some odd reason I had put on jeans before we left the house. I was sweating bullets by the time we got back to the car. It was so hot that even the air conditioning set on the highest level felt like a person desperately trying to blow on me in an attempt to cool me off.

But despite the fact that the weather here in San Diego does not appeal to the senses in the same way that those folks back east and in the midwest might be experiencing right now, there is still change in the air. A new season is definitely upon us... that is upon me and my little family. We have friends going off to college for the first time, friends that are newly engaged. My older brother's ordination reception is a few short weeks away, and our treasures are (hopefully) going to start dance class and soccer for the first time ever.

And in the midst of all the good, every season has it's heartaches. We have some folks in our lives that are very, very, very dear to us, that are ending their commitments to one another and starting over alone. Another family member that has been MIA for some time now called yesterday and somehow thinks that he's just going to jump right back in where he left off. And just when I thought that I was beginning to understand grace, I hung up the phone with that person and felt like i've never even heard of the word grace, better yet had an understanding of how to administer that grace to someone such as himself. (I am so human sometimes that I can hardly stand it.)

Change is inevitable though...

Sometimes it is short-lived. Poor little Reesie is a mess right now. She fell off her bike yesterday and has a huge raspberry on her forehead. I (being the wonderful mother that I am :) didn't change her diaper quick enough and now she has a horrendous rash on her bum. And to top it all off she is getting four teeth, so her nose is running and she has had a low-grade fever almost all week. The good news is that all these things are fleeting... her current ailments will last but for a moment. And the inconvenience of it all only effects her and no one else.

But other times change lasts what seems like forever. Sometimes the consequences of our choices roll out like dominos stacked on a table, and each and every person in our little world is touched in some way or another... whether that way be positive or negative.

There are changes going on in my little world right now that bless my socks off. My kids are growing, they're succeeding in new things, they are overcoming fears, they are learning new words, new skills, new tricks. They are experiencing deep deep love and they learning how to handle their pains in a healthy way. My Man and I are growing deeper into our commitment to one another. We are daily assuring one another through our words AND our actions that, with God's help, we are in this for the long haul.


(Many years ago when Joey and I were dating, we were in the mountains at the end of a week-long "break" that we had taken from one another (the only break we ever took, by the way). We spent hours that day talking about our relationship and our commitment to one another and what not. On the way back to the car Joey picked up two stones. With a black marker that he had in the car he wrote on each stone Committed For Life. We each took a stone home and put them next to our beds as a reminder of our commitment to one another. We have moved nine times since the day of our wedding. Each time we set up our new house I always love pulling those stones out of the box and carefully placing them on our designated sides of our bed. Every time I see that stone I whisper a prayer of thanks for my marriage and for the strength that the Lord has given me to stick with my commitment to my Joey. To HIM be all the glory!)

There are also changes going on in my little world that are hurting my heart more than I ever knew they would. I have been nauseous for days and not getting the best sleep. I have praying fervently and believing God for miracles, and in the same breath admitting my doubt and asking the Lord to help me with my unbelief. Most of the time I feel compassion towards these folks (whom I love so dearly). My heart breaks that their hearts are so broken that they are finding themselves in the position that they are in. But once in a while, I feel anger creep in. I just wish that there was no such thing as sin.

Change is in the air...

Some of it I love, and some of it I don't much care for at all...

But all of it is doable with the one who loves me perfectly.

And For that I am grateful.