a beautiful mommy's day

Today was Mother's Day--my 11th one as a mommy--and somehow they just keep getting better.  From the time I opened my eyes until now, as I prepare to lay my head down, I've been surrounded by more love and joy than I could ever deserve.

I know that every day that I get to be called "Mommy," "Mom," and/or "Mama," is a special day, and one not to be taken for granted, but what a total treat to get a scheduled special day once a year.

The sweetness began on Friday evening, when I walked into our tiny room (still living at the convent, folks) and found a dozen red roses from my dear hubby.  Leaning against the vase full of flowers was a small index card that read "I want to celebrate you all weekend long.  Happy Mother's Day."  And while fancy roses are not really my thing (I'm much more of a lilly/tulip/grocery-store-bouquet kind of gal), the sentiment behind this act so warmed my heart.  Especially since it's not wife's day--it's mother's day, but I get cherished by my love anyway.  Thank God for him.

And then this morning, Madison bounced into our bedroom a little after 6am (she is very much our rooster), whispered something to her Daddy, then was out the door and down the stairs in no time.  Several minutes later, I was treated to a wonderful breakfast in bed by all three kids, as well as some beautiful handmade cards full of love.

And while the incredibly loving (and some rather profound!) words contained in these folded pieces of paper were so lovely and appreciated,    

this here is where my treasure lies.  Will you look at that sweetness??

I am amazed at how these children, who at times can appear to be so needy and dependent, today seemed to so fully delight in taking care of me, in honoring and treating and appreciating me...in reminding me of what total, self-sacrificial, joy-filled agape love is really all about.

Thank you, my precious babes, for educating me yet again.

And if all that weren't enough, there was a another special treat in store when, later this morning, we attended one of our last Sundays at the beautiful church next door to the mission house.  Just as we took our seats and looked up to smile at our two older kids who sing in the choir, Joshua mouthed something fairly incomprehensible to us.  I responded by mouthing back what I understood him to say, which was, "you want a Rolo?"  Which of course also makes no sense, because I haven't seen that delicious chocolate-caramel candy in years and seriously doubted that my kids had ever even heard of it.  Quizzically though, he nodded back a "yes."  Whatever--I figured he'd just tell me after Mass.

So imagine my surprise when, as I returned to my seat after Communion, I heard an angelic, beautiful voice coming from the choir loft.  I turned around to see my precious Madison Grace in the midst of a solo during the communion hymn.  Holy macaroni, if I hadn't cried yet, this was where the tears finally flowed.  What a surprise.  What a voice.  What a gift.

And, since it was my day as far as this little brood is concerned, I got to pick a destination for a special family lunch outing.  So we ventured into L.A.'s Chinatown and enjoyed some of the best dim sum I've had in years (okay, it's also the only dim sum I've had in years, but it really was so very good).  Metal carts of steamy deliciousness pushed through by little ladies who seemed to know little more English than, "shrimp an pok!  baba-cue beef!  you want??"  Yes ma'am, don't mind if I do.  I love that our kids are up for a little adventurous eating and that they are getting a tiny taste of the multicultural wonder that is our world.  

I love even more that as we continue to prepare for our big adventure in a few months, every one of our little people will benefit and grow from all the challenges and opportunities that we will encounter...and I remain in awe and humble gratitude that God has entrusted me and my husband with these most amazing individuals.

 
(a little baby bump shot for those who have asked :)

Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
      the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
   Like a warrior's fistful of arrows
      are the children of a vigorous youth.
   Oh, how blessed are you parents,
      with your quivers full of children!

Psalm 127:3-4, The Message

disney magic

For several months now, Caroline has been asking for a trip to Disney.  She found it unfair that her brother and sister had gotten to go, but not her.  I kept telling her that she'd already been.  I even have pictures to prove it--see?

I don't know what she was complaining about.

We were just there.

...in 2008.

Nevertheless, I did suppose that since we are spending four months in sunny southern California (before leaving the country for a few years) anyway, a visit to the original Disneyland was in order.  I was also kind of curious to see how this place measured up against several-theme parked Disney World in Orlando, which is the only Disney my kids and I have ever known.  Well, the opportunity for a weekend in Anaheim presented itself when my husband decided to go to a religious education conference in late March that was to be held only a stone's throw from Disneyland.  I thought this would be a great chance for me to enjoy a couple of quality days with the kiddos, while my husband took some time to nourish both his intellectual and spiritual appetites.  Some friends worried that I'd be overwhelmed (pregnant and all) with being alone with the kids in a busy theme park for a couple of days.  I'm so glad they were wrong.

We were fortunate to start our time at Disneyland early on a Friday, since the kids had a day off from school and we were lucky to complete our classes by Thursday evening of that week.  Our early morning, breakfast-in-the-car, dash-to-the-hotel-to-catch-the-shuttle proved well worth it when we arrived at the gates of Disney right at their 8am opening time.  We were rewarded with the freedom to truly enjoy an unhurried pace as we went from ride to ride with practically no waiting for the first two hours of the day.

I was a bit concerned that the caliber of the rides may be a bit too "young" for Joshua's liking, but he was flexible throughout and seemed to enjoy our time as much as the girls did.

And while I am admittedly a bit of a wimp when it comes to roller coasters, I do have one favorite ride, the Mad Tea Party, and I was so pleased to learn that my kiddos loved it as much as I do.

It was a great first day, filled with an ease of being together, joy at all the sights and sounds and new experiences, and, thankfully, smiles like these:

I also learned that my rule-following first child has got quite a bit of protectiveness over me and his little brother-to-be.  When we were in line for Autopia, a race car ride, we learned that it's not recommended for pregnant women because of the risk of being roughly bumped from the car behind on the racetrack.  One of the Disney staff suggested that I have Joshua ride behind me and act as a buffer to prevent other cars from hitting us too hard from behind, which sounded like a perfect solution to me.  Joshua, however, felt that it was too risky, he didn't want me to do anything that might jeopardize the baby's safety, etc.  After several minutes of negotiating and reassuring him (this is my fourth pregnancy!  hello--I'm a pediatrician!  I would never do anything that I considered unsafe for my children) as we waited in line, he finally and somewhat reluctantly agreed to drive Caroline in his car, while Madison and I rode just in front of them.

Here's my view of my still-concerned boy, who happily but carefully drove the course

...while my little driver had a blast negotiating the bumps and turns while also learning that "driving is a lot harder than it looks."

(and of course, we all emerged from the ride feeling just fine, and as of the 20 week ultrasound I had this week, our littlest Powers is growing and rocking along as well :)

I found myself appreciating over and over the simple gift of time with my sweet children.  Yes, Disney is a pretty fantastic place and yes, it's got a lot of fun stimulation and new experiences.  But what I was reminded of throughout our time was that my investment of being fully present to them, listening to them and laughing with them, was such a worthy and precious decision.  Even now, with my husband and I spending much more time with the kids while we are in mission formation, we continue find our lives busy and full.  There are still meals to be cooked and laundry to be washed and homework to be completed.  I don't really see our lives slowing down much in the near future, either.  But what I am learning time and time again is the importance--really, the vitality--of giving my quality time to our family.  There is a huge difference between just being around and being truly present.  And we all know that it's so easy in our fast-paced culture to try and hurry things along, complete the task at hand, move on to the next thing, etc.  But what if the best thing is standing right in front of you, pulling at your sleeve and asking for a few minutes of your undivided attention?  

These experiences with our babes also remind me of the incredible gift of friendship and time offered to us by our Heavenly Father.  He doesn't ask us to hurry along, get to the point, make it snappy.  He's not tapping His foot or checking email or sending a quick text (or any of the myriad multitasking activities I find myself still embroiled in!) when I try to talk to Him.  Instead He welcomes us to sit for a spell, take our own sweet time, nurture that most important relationship from which all others grow and thrive...perhaps even just be silent for a bit.

So I am learning, day by day, the importance of slowing down...and seeing these precious people...and hearing what they are trying to tell me...and learning oh-so-much in the process.

Luckily, however, despite all that inner reflection, there was plenty of time for much fun and even one more spin through this favorite spot before our day was over.

 The next day brought more good times at California Adventure, which I would say is most similar to Orlando's MGM park, with lots of characters and shows, but also has a number of adventurous rides and all the magic of Disney at every turn.

Of course our experience wouldn't have been complete without a quick shot with this guy (luckily with only a ten minute or so wait):

We had another wonderful day with some favorite new rides (Toy Story Midway Mania!  Ariel!  California Soaring!), an amazing Aladdin musical, and even time for some old-school fun:

And some new fun, too :)

I'm ever grateful for the time that we had and the memories that we made there.  I'm just as grateful for my wonderful husband who packed snacks and lunches for us each morning, happily received my text/picture updates throughout each day (as he tried to pay attention in his conference :), joyfully listened to our stories of Disney fun, and dutifully took over as I collapsed into bed with my exhausted and yes, rather pregnant, self each night.  

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 

Mark 6:30-32

oh, yes we are

Well, I guess I've been writing this post in my head for a few weeks now, but I'm still not exactly sure what to say.  As I've articulated previously, our decision to move forward into international medical mission work was one that was made carefully and intentionally.  We planned, prayed, researched, prayed some more, and took one step at a time. Now that we are well into our formation process, we feel that we are exactly where we are meant to be right now.

So in the midst of this planning and praying, I think we may have forgotten that we are made to live and act and breathe according to God's perfect plan, not the other way around.  There have been so very many times in the past months where our decision to become missionaries was validated--through an encouraging word from a friend or colleague, a Scripture passage or devotional that seemed to speak so clearly to our lives, a sermon that only strengthened our resolve to keep on keeping on.  And all that is good, it really is.  I'm afraid, however, that at times our eyes began to see what we wanted them to see, and not so much the whole big eternal picture.  We are here to serve Him, not have Him serve us by fitting into our plans.  We are here to love and be loved by Him, and not just when things feel good or go our way.  We are here to give honor and glory to Him, whether our experiences are currently seeming mountain-top or more like the desert.

And what, my friends, is the point of all this reflecting?

Well, after we made the decision to leave our rather fantastic lives in Greenville, we had a whole lot of logistics to navigate along the way.  There were jobs to leave and vehicles to sell.  There was furniture to give away or make a few dollars on via Craigslist.  There were precious friends to enlist to help in storing a few of our favorite things.  There were attics and closets to clean and so very many clothes to donate.  And oh, the baby items.  My husband and I have always said that we were open to another child if the Lord were to send us one, but in our heart of hearts, we truly felt that this was not the time for that particular enormous life change, considering of course all that we were experiencing with this move toward missions.  And so we donated strollers and a crib, baby blankets and boppys, high chairs and baby backpacks, diaper bags and toys (and toys and toys), baby books and of course, every stitch of maternity clothing...blissfully sure that our God was aware that this was our time of mission work, of serving Him by serving others, and of course He would cooperate.    

What is it that they say?  "Man plans, God laughs?"

I'd venture to guess that our loving Creator was busting a gut right around the end of December.  That was the time when two reasonably intelligent people--physicians nonetheless--began to wonder why something about the woman's cycle seemed a little off.  You know, there are various explanations such as anovulatory cycles and stress-induced delayed menses and such, but, as they say in medical school, if you hear hoofbeats, don't go looking for zebras.

And so, on the evening of our 15th wedding anniversary, we were given a most unexpected gift--the confirmation that now--not after Africa or during Africa or who knows when--but right now we are pregnant and set to welcome a beautiful new life into our family and into this big wide world sometime in late August.

To say that we were surprised would be an understatement.  To call us shocked, speechless, and pretty darn immobilized for a while would come a little closer to an accurate description.  This was great, big, fantastic news, but we were just not expecting it...not right now at least.

And so we prayed, and we waited, and we did not plan, but we listened.  We considered what might change in terms of our plans to move to Africa this summer.  We spoke with trusted and Godly friends and confidants and loved ones.  But we did not make any big plans.  We moved carefully forward, and we stayed on our knees.  And we listened--for His will and voice and guidance.  Because this time, I think--with the help of the subtle 2x4 kindly delivered by our loving Father--we are getting the message.  It is not about us.

And now, several weeks and a whole lotta perspective later, we are full of praise and awe and humility that we are being trusted, once again, with the miracle of new life.  There is nothing on this earth like the love of family, the memories that we make, the jokes that we share, the drama that we navigate, and the growth that we all experience together.  And if our most perfect, all-knowing, eternally-loving Creator of the universe has decided to add to our precious bunch, then we welcome this wonderful little one with open arms and hearts and more love than I could possibly describe (and I clearly have no deficiencies in the wordiness department).

Be safe, our little love.  We are so glad that you will be joining us soon (but please, not too soon--late summer will be just fine :)

    “This, then, is how you should pray:

   “‘Our Father in heaven, 

hallowed be your name, 

 your kingdom come, 

your will be done, 

   on earth as it is in heaven. 

 Give us today our daily bread. 

 And forgive us our debts, 

   as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

 And lead us not into temptation, 

   but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:9-13

eleven...and hanging ten

Well, after about six weeks of living fairly simple lives as pre-missionaries, our family enjoyed a very special celebration for Joshua's 11th birthday.  Although he had a bit of difficulty deciding on what he might want to commemorate this milestone, when he finally decided to go for an experience rather than an object, he decided that our time in southern California provided the perfect opportunity to request...a surfing lesson!

And so as soon as we finished classes this afternoon, the five of us headed out to Manhattan Beach, just south of Santa Monica, and Joshua's wish was granted.  The weather could not have been more ideal--a lovely 74 degrees with a slight breeze as the sun began to dip in the sky.  Joshua met Heather, his warm and experienced instructor, then he suited up, and spent the first 45 minutes learning the ropes on the safety of the warm, dry sand.

Then it was time to head for the waves.  Not too surprisingly, it's difficult for me not to see this experience as a great lesson in perseverance and stick-to-itiveness.  Joshua is a strong swimmer who was so excited for this chance to learn a new skill, and he absolutely loves the water, but passion alone doesn't make for a natural surfer.  He spent almost as much time swimming out, falling down, and swimming out again, as he did catching some waves and finding that perfect balance on the board.

His instructor was a great mix of patient teacher and enthusiastic coach.

In the end, our sweet boy emerged happy, fulfilled, proud, exhausted, and utterly satisfied.

Afterwards, we celebrated with a delicious seafood dinner and a chance to soak in the very unique opportunities that this day provided.  Once again, our plans for mission service overseas put into rather clear perspective how very special each and every day can be.

And, of course, earlier toady, we enjoyed a little celebration with our enthusiastic and ever-supportive mission house buddies.

We thank God for the wonderfully mature, bright, precocious, curious, reverent, silly, questioning, challenging, goofy, gifted, loyal, absolutely beautiful soul that he has given us in our precious Joshua.

Happy birthday, sweet boy.  

 For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13-14