BACK TO BASICS

Last summer, I stood under a cherry tree and felt the quiet simple joy of picking cherries.  After a year of extreme stress, of running around to appointments and therapies, of a new baby and three kids at school at three different times...I wanted to bottle the quiet peace I felt at that moment and to fill my children's lives with that simple joy.  We've made a lot of changes in the past year in an effort to create those moments. Our summer so far has been filled with simple joys.  Here are a few of them...

The joy of sitting under a tree.  The joy of putting up a tent.

The joy of holding hands.

The joy of sword fights in the forest, ooey-gooey smores by the camp fire and catching bugs.

The joy of running through grass,

 or jumping off the diving board for the first time,

 of cuddles by the campfire and early morning fishing on the lake.

The joy of dressing up.

The joy of binoculars and sparklers.

of grandparents. and cousins.

The joy of swinging.

The joy of being together.

SHE MAKES THE RULES

She's a bounty huntin'

shoe lovin'

mischief makin'

BIG girl!

You got a problem with that?

BRINGING THEM HOME

It's difficult to find the words to put the past 9 months into perspective with out looking back to where we were...
Some days I don't even remember who that little boy was, the one who was so full of anger and anxiety and stress that he hardly interacted with me anymore, could hardly make eye contact with anyone. He spent most of his hours at home in his room decompressing from his day at school. Something as small as asking him to come to dinner could set off an emotional tirade that would last an hour.

Sometimes I watch him do the smallest thing...And I know I am witnessing a miracle.

Bringing the children home to home school took about as much courage as anything I have ever done. It has transformed our lives in ways that I cannot find words to explain. I have learned deeper and clearer that God knows me. He knows my children. He hears my prayers and he answers them.

There are hard days...lots of them, it's still real life with all of the upsets and variables that come with it. But this week Heather read her first word, because I taught her to read. Cameron and I imagined together the thrill of living alone on a deserted island as we read the pages of Tom Sawyer. Ewan painstakingly worked to put letters together on his own to make his first real words and I was there, engaged, involved, present in a way that being their teacher has taught me to be.

Repeatedly on Sunday, Cameron wrapped his arms around me and said "I want this to be the best Mother's Day you ever had!" He made sweet and thoughtful efforts all through out the day to show his love for me. He is a joyful, conscientious, curious and loving little boy again and I thank God for leading us to this path.

CAMERON'S BAPTISM

Saturday, February 20th 2010

Richland, Wa

CAMERON TURNS 8

Our boy turned 8 yesterday. We are so proud of the what a wonderful, bright, thoughtful, passionate, articulate, affectionate, and earnest little boy that he is. We love him so much!

Nanny and Papa, Uncle Ben and Aunt Holly, and our dear friends and neighbors from Portland Marilyn and Emma came to help us celebrate the big event!